The skies opened up, and, to one who looked at the world as a series of signs, the hail storm that raged was incredibly ominous. A mother wolf, Valtiel by name, hurried her twin pups of two months through the frigid north in search of shelter so that they might wait out the storm. Chunks of ice pelted the fae as she tried to shield her children. She would be bruised, but it was nothing as long as her pups were okay. To add to the stressful situation, Val had caught the scent of brown bear very, very nearby.

Shelter came in the form of a dark opening in the mountainside. Valtiel hesitated. She could smell death emanating from the cave's entrance and would have found somewhere else to hunker down, but they were out of time. A guttural roar echoed behind the trio. A roar so loud that it stole the breath from Val and send her pups into instant whimpers. There was no choice. Out of the hail and into the crypt they went.

Val found herself in a dire situation deep within an underground crypt. Her sleek, jet-black fur was adorned with intricate swirls of charcoal, and glistening marks of gold ran along her ribs and the right side of her face. The woman could use the dark to her advantage with such a pelt and she planned to do so. The crypt was black and was rendered even more so when the hulking mass of the bear blocked out the light of the entrance.

The bear, a massive and relentless creature, had been drawn to the crypt by the scent of the wolves. Its primal instincts led it to this subterranean refuge, seeking the vulnerable family within. Valtiel knew that she had to protect her pups at all costs.

The battle was fierce and unforgiving. Valtiel's maternal instincts kicked into overdrive as she fought with every ounce of her being to keep the bear at bay. Her ebony fur became a blur of motion as she lunged and dodged, her teeth bared in a display of fierce determination. But the bear, driven by hunger and desperation, was an adversary that refused to yield. The woman, a fraction of the bear's size, inflicted damage, but it wasn't enough to hamper the determination of the ravenous giant.

Despite her valiant efforts, tragedy struck. In the midst of the chaotic struggle, the bear's sheer size and power proved too much for Valtiel. Her pups, trembling with fear, were unable to escape the terrifying ordeal. With heart-wrenching swiftness, the bear's monstrous paw swiped them both aside, their yelps of agony silenced as life left their young bodies. Valtiel watched in helpless anguish, her eyes wide with sorrow and rage.

In her grief and determination to avenge her fallen offspring, Valtiel fought on. She dug deep within herself, summoning the last vestiges of her strength and resolve. Her teeth sank into the bear's flesh, causing it to bellow in pain and fury. Claws slashed, and feral growls filled the crypt as a whirlwind of fur and blood unfolded.

But the battle had taken its toll on Valtiel. Her body bore the scars of countless wounds, and the bear's strength remained unyielding. In a cruel twist of fate, a powerful swipe from the bear's claws caught her across the shoulder, leaving a gaping wound. Blood spurted from the injury, and Valtiel felt her strength wane. She knew that she couldn't hold out much longer.

The crypt, an unforgiving witness to this brutal struggle, bore the marks of the battle on its damp, stone walls. The musty scent of ancient history mingled with the stench of fresh violence, creating an atmosphere of primal horror.

Valtiel's vision blurred as she fought to remain conscious. The bear, sensing her weakness, pressed its advantage. One final, blow sent her sprawling to the ground. As the world faded into darkness, Valtiel knew that she had given her all to protect her pups, even if it meant sacrificing herself.

Outside, the hailstorm continued its relentless assault, oblivious to the tragedy that had unfolded within the crypt's depths. The howling wind and icy pellets were a stark contrast to the heart-wrenching silence that had now settled in the underground chamber.

Valtiel's world had narrowed to a fading heartbeat and a distant, echoing growl. Her valiant efforts had been in vain, and the unbearable loss of her pups weighed heavily on her heart. She had fought with every fiber of her being, and though her life was slipping away, she had done everything a mother could to protect her offspring. Surely this was the end and she would be with them soon.

The grizzly, satisfied that the adult wolf was no longer a threat, began to consume the still warm bodies of the pups. Perhaps it would eat the mother later, but pup meat was so tender and one couldn't beat such fresh meat. As Valtiel's consciousness faded, the last thing that she saw was the bear spreading open the ribcage of her son.

WC- 844 Met

"Valtiel"

Life was going swell. Swell wasn't a typical word one would claim to use, but Tenshi felt it fitting. She was... happy. Almost perfectly happy. With the hope of pups on the horizon, she looked forward to the future. A future that she had not seen coming. From a harrowing past, a life lost, she had not seen herself making it to her seventh year. What kind of shit was that? The past was the past though and as much as Tenshi's heart begged to cling on to those last shreds of her passed family, she refused. No longer would she dwell on those feelings of grief. Vidarr gave her everything she needed to move on and be happy. Something they would have wanted.

Her mind wanders with her paws. Snow was soon changing to slush minus the random hail storms as of late. Her brow furrowed as she made her way down the slopes of the mountain toward the crypt. When the skies opened to unleash the sheets of frozen balls of pain, she sent her egret, Aino, back up to the maw to inform Vidarr she would probably be later than expected. The goal today would be to start cleaning out the crypt. Making each room livable in a sense so she could start storing supplies and transferring items down there for those who wished to stay there instead of up on the peak.

Through the drum of the hail, Tenshi heard not a single sound of what happened within the confines of the crypt. Trudging through slush and mud, she continued on her path toward the looming shadow of stone built into the ground. Shielding herself from the pelting hail by lowering her head, she picked up the pace until her paws touched the top of the stairs that led down. A sudden rush of musk and copper flooded her nose. Every hair on her body stood on end as she scented out what it was that she was smelling. Taking a few steps down, closer to the opening of the crypt, her brain finally made the connection.

Bear. Wolves.

It is then that her egret, Aino, is returning, but Tenshi is soon to send him back. "Aino, Vidarr, now," the words rip from her in an anxious growl as she clatters down the stone steps. Her paws barely make a sound as her legs fully extend into a run. On either side of her, her snow leopards keep pace as they rush with her to help. Using her nose to lead her to the scene, she doesn't stop. Barely registering what had happened, Tenshi launched herself at the bear. Front paws grab the bear around the shoulders and her teeth dig into the back of the bear's neck. Shaking harder than she had ever shaken her head before, she swiftly disconnects the spinal column from the back of the bear's skull. The beast has no time to react before it stumbles away from its victims and crashes into the stone wall.

As the bear slides down into a bleeding heap of fur and mess, Tenshi stands, breathless, panting, turning to face the horrendous scene of tragedy. Instantly, her breath is taken away again as she sees what happened. A mother was ripped open and bleeding as her two pups lay lifeless beside her, torn to shreds by the bear. Her heart sinks. Tears prickle at her eyes as she clenches her teeth. Every muscle in her body tenses as her mind stalls. It is... almost identical to her past. How those innocent pups lay in a mangled mess of skin, fur, and blood. Trembling where she stands, Tenshi wants to crumple herself. If she had been there moments earlier, she could have saved all of their lives.

In those seconds as Tenshi is frozen with grief, Fuji moves forward to check on the small obsidian and gold woman. There, the snow leopard feels a pulse and hears a shallow but gurgling breath. "Tenshi," Fuji calls, but Tenshi doesn't move. She wants to turn to the bear bring him back to life and kill him all over again. And then do it several times over until the fury that builds in her dissipates. Her face hurts from how hard she is clenching her teeth together. Her vision is blurry from the tears that she fights back. Both ears are pressed flat against her skull to the point that all sound is muffled. It isn't until Kita, her other snow leopard, slowly moves over to her and places his paws against her shoulder.

"Tenshi, the mother lives."

She's alive? Her breath catches in her throat as she snaps from the flashbacks that reel through her mind. "Fuji, Kita, ta-take care of the-the pups," Tenshi's voice is hoarse as she switches into her caregiver role. Moving forward toward the mother, she assesses first with her bleary eyes the extent of her wounds. The gaping wound on the woman's shoulder still ebbed with blood. That would have to be addressed sooner than later. "I will make sure that bear's head rests atop their graves," she whispers tenderly as she moves to sit beside the woman. Pulling the pack of supplies from her shoulder, Tenshi opens it to take out a satchel of herbs, bandages, and other items. Her first priority was to stop the bleeding.

Since the shoulder wound was so large, chewing the herbs would take too long. Instead, she asks Fuji for the water pouch attached to her back. Once it is in her paws, she pours some into the bag of herbs. Kneading the bag until the herbs are mushed all together, she pulls some out and looks at the woman. "This will sting, but it will help," her voice is gentle and worrisome, but also strong in only a way a mother could sound. Then she presses the mixture of yarrow and turmeric onto the wound. While leaving one paw on the wound, Tenshi grabs a length of bandage and presses it over the salve. As she holds pressure against the woman, she allows her body to slide to the floor and rests her head upon the cold stone beside the woman's face.

"Odin, låt henne leva," Tenshi whispers as she finally allows the tears to fall and her eyes to close. Only time would tell now if the woman would make it.

word count: 1067

They were starting to settle the crypt, starting to move in and get organized. Creating some semblance of a system was... actually a lot harder than Víðarr had anticipated. Still, with Tenshi's help, it really did feel like he could do anything. Even the mundane things with her were enjoyable, or as enjoyable as he could find them. For the first time, he understands why family had always considered themselves farmers first. Family had always been important, but now? Well, there was a reason he had a whole mountain to show for it. He'd live and die by them, and by the gods. Víðarr is a man of his word, even if being a man of his word meant sometimes he'd be sorting the last of the spring gear out of their supplies from their travelling days. The egret had just come to inform him Tenshi would likely be late this evening, and now returned. His forehead drew, and Víðarr set down his sorting. Did she need something? He'd been planning to bring her something for dinner, was she hungry early? No... no this was worse. This was far worse. News that would churn his stomach, make his heart ache. At a dead run, the viking king takes off. It's Månsken he sends off for another healer, off for the priests too. While Víðarr knows Tenshi is capable, and will likely insist on handling it herself, there's also... the broader context. For her especially. His wife came first. Panting by the time he reaches the Crypt, Víðarr breaks onto the scene-- his heart squeezed. Sides ached. Directing his companions to help with those already gone, the shadow crossed to get a better look at the living. "I sent for priests, and another healer if you need relief." Víðarr's tone was gentle, though not accusatory. She is strong but this was... heavier than anyone should carry alone. Given what he knew as well, the viking king offers his comfort where he can. The woman before them was bloodied, badly wounded, but breathing. He's too concerned to lay a hand on her, instead deferring to Tenshi. "What do you need?" It was too tense a moment to be in the way. "Víðarr"

Would she live or would she die? How could one tell with the state that she was in? Externally, Valtiel was bitten and sliced and bleeding, but inside it was much, much worse. She had failed them. Her children, whom she was supposed to protect, had been injured and were most likely dead. One might say that she had done all that she could, but it wasn't enough. It would never, ever be enough! Valtiel had failed. She had failed as a mother. She had failed as a Carpathius.

No recognition was given as her wounds were tended. No sign of life as soft voices spoke around her. Even the dying wails of the bear had gone unnoticed. Within the woman's mind, she was being forced to make a decision. Live or die. Live or die. What was there to live for? With her children dead and no other family that she could find, she was alone. Utterly alone. It would be better off if she died, right? A wolf with no family, no pack... what kind of life was that? She would drift along like a wraith until her time ran out. Either way, death was the end game.

Ah, but there was that spark within her. That Carpathius spark. "We have been through worse things. We rise above. We remember those who were lost. We live in their honor." Her grandmother's words. How she could still remember that gritty, wise voice, the woman didn't know. She'd only met the woman once but that one meeting had left its impression upon the dark fae. She could hear those words clear as day and they lit a fire within her. They roused her from the edge of death.

Obsidian lips peeled back from pearly white fangs and Valtiel growled in pain as she fought to open her gold and orange eyes. Through fluttering lashes, the woman saw forms around her. One lay beside her and another stood near. It took her a few tries to get the words through her dry, sore throat. "They...They're gone, aren't they." It wasn't a question. As a mother, she knew. She could feel their loss so deeply in her soul that she once again considered death. "Just... let me die," she managed to say, though her last word was a bare whisper filled with sorrow and anguish. Valtiel curled in on herself, covered her face with one inky foreleg and softly sobbed, mourning the loss of those that she had sworn to protect.

"Valtiel"

Her tears continue to stream down her cheeks as she lays beside the fallen woman. Only her ears move at the thunder of Vidarr's paws against the crypt's stone floor. As quickly as they enter, his dogs are sent over to her leopards who help wrap the pups up in pelts as tenderly as they can. Tenshi doesn't move, she waits. Waits for the bleeding to stop. The pain to ebb. But it doesn't. Instead, her heart aches more. Terrible memories seep into her own mind, bright flashes of blood against snow, that all too familiar wrenching feeling of her stomach. Vidarr's words are barely heard until he asks her what she needs. Still, she keeps her chin upon the floor, perhaps moving it minutely closer to the woman's face. "I do not need," she whispers, her voice hoarse as she croaks out the words. "She needs to be taken to our rooms," Tenshi's strained voice is almost nothing. While the infirmary would be a better choice, she did not want the hustle and bustle of others to disturb the woman's time of mourning. No, their rooms would be more comfortable, quiet, and easier for her to be looked after. When Tenshi is about to decide that it is time to do something instead of laying on the dirty stone, she notices the woman's lashes flutter. Those words she utters next have Tenshi's heart shredding into infinite pieces. It was indescribable pain that only a mother could feel. "Shh, no need for words," Tenshi soothes, lifting a paw to gently smooth the blood-caked fur atop the woman's head. She knew. She understood. She had felt that pain once upon a time. Had wanted to die in those following moments. "You must be strong, for them," Tenshi murmurs into the woman's ear before placing her nose softly against the woman's cheek. It is then that she leans away and rises to her paws. There is a hollow expression on her face as she turns to Vidarr. "The bear. Its head, I require it. The rest left for the coyotes," she sneers through gritted teeth before turning back to the woman. Lowering her face back to Val's face, Tenshi lets out a sigh. "I will carry you if you cannot walk," her voice is calm now, all the rage safely tucked away as she nudge's the woman's cheek. Of course she's also in pain, but she doesn't care. Ensuring the woman lived was more important. the viking trio

His heart squeezed in his chest, the sight of his wife in tears before him... it's heavy. It's so heavy, and beyond that there was the weight of what must be done. There was this stranger too, who had shown up needing them. The gods had put her here, though under poor circumstances. She needed them, Víðarr could see it. She needed specifically them, and maybe perhaps specifically Tenshi. Heartbreaking as it is, there is something in common between the two women. Something heavy and horrible, but a commonality that lay bare before the gods. "I will help carry her, or anything you need." The words were gentle, and the viking king stood close to Tenshi's side. Her voice was quiet... there was so much for her to relive. It weighed heavily on his chest, too. Víðarr gently stroked at Tenshi's shoulder, though he hesitated to reach out to the small, sooty woman. It's too vulnerable a time to overstep, though her words aren't lost on him. "They go to the gods, but it is not your time to join them. We will care for you, now." Heart aching in his chest, Víðarr is grateful Tenshi knows how to handle the emotions of it all far better than he does. "Consider it done." He gives a nod, presses a gentle kiss to Tenshi's temple. Subtle tenderness in the face of all the gore and the blood and the pain. He'd at least steady them on the way to the door before committing his act of butchery, something Víðarr could make quick work of. Once their new charge was carefully tucked away, the viking king could call for some of the others to remove the rest of the carcass. Would she allow them to take care of her? Only time would tell. the viking trio

The woman didn't answer. She didn't confirm that her children were dead and gone, but that was confirmation in itself. Valtiel knew the tricks, the little mental games. Mentally, spiritually, the obsidian fae was far older than her few years of life. She knew that leaving out a few words or skirting past something uncomfortable could put someone in the state that you wished them to be in, but Val was wise to these tricks. She didn't blame the woman for trying, however.

Suddenly a man was there and he was the one to confirm that her children were gone. Gone with the gods, as he put it. Valtiel held her eyes wide, lest she let the tears flow again. A short nod of acceptance was given and the action pulled at the grievous wound on her neck and shoulder. The flesh there felt heavy and went and she would surely need stitching.

Now that her fears had been solidly confirmed, Val was somehow able to move past it. They were gone. She was alone. She could now focus on the present. On the here and now. That was when she first realized that the antlered woman wasn't crying for her, but with her. The pain that she was feeling was known to this pale, gold flecked fae. The gentle stroking paw was there to sooth not just Val, but both of them. A midnight paw rose, caught the gold-dipped digits and gave them a gentle squeeze, a wordless thank you.

The bears head was to be kept, the rest for the scavengers. Val would have done much the same and was thankful that the other woman had the mind to take this bit of revenge on her behalf. Then the woman was back at her side, helping her to stand. Gold and orange eyes noted the tender exchange between the man and woman; a kiss bestowed. They were a bonded pair. No wonder she could see the woman's pain reflected in the man's eyes.

It hurt to stand. Hurt to move. Hurt to exist. She would do it though. Her children were dead so she had already gone through the worst pain imaginable. Walking with a shredded shoulder was nothing. "I will walk," she spoke low through gritted teeth as she tested her weight on the left front leg. The limb quivered involuntarily and she was in obvious pain, but she would walk. After a few steps towards the doorway, Val stopped, breathing heavily. Spots swam before her eyes and she looked to the large fae. "I may fall..." And she did. Darkness swallowing her whole.

"Valtiel"

Tenshi understood the necessity to be independent. To not be a victim in a time of need. So when Val insisted she would walk, Tenshi quickly rose to stand beside the woman. A gruff noise emanated from her throat as she began to protest but Val was already walking. Stepping beside the smaller woman, her ears barely heard the words before her eyes watched the woman faint and fall. Quick to step in and catch Val before she could hit the stone, Tenshi collapsed to the ground so that Val could fall against her side. She releases a sigh and looks to Vidarr. It was clear the woman was in more pain than she would admit. "I have her. We will be in the den," Tenshi's voice is terse again as the companions help her lift Val up onto her back. Coming to stand once more, Tenshi looks once more at Vidarr, a bare whisper of a smile quivering on her lips. "Thank you, love," she says softly before turning to make her way out of the crypt. She forced herself not to look back, not to be reminded of the horror that had happened. It had happened before and it would happen again, but she wished it wouldn't. - Tenshi exit with Val - the viking trio