Ignita had taken Citadel on their own little adventure while he waited by Selene's bed. They had agreed that someone would be with her at all times. When she woke, she would not be alone. They had even agreed to let Citadel in on the rotation. The boy seemed to be taking his sister's injury hard.

He was seated on a bed pressed up against her own, pooling over maps he had brought with him. The Armada borders had changed since this map had first been created, and there were a lot of clear changes and scribbles across the page. He was updating the border patrols, a list of wolves on another paper beside him. Their pack was large, and it was clear they needed more wolves to maintain it. He let the task consume his thoughts, simply being their beside his daughter.


"Speech"

The small form breathed in and out. Selene's side lifted and fell as if she were simply asleep. The feather in front of her nose began to move with a steady rhythm a day ago. The tiny thing's tail subtly shifted. Another hour more and a pale pink paw slowly flexed, trembled, and then relaxed. A subtle soft sound then broke the silence of the room. Subtly waking and cracking an eye to peer out into the world, Selene gathered all her limbs into herself with a trembling shaking effort, her breathing shifting into a quick gasping rhythm. Then everything was silent again as she drifted back into a limp sleep, her paws and legs curled up tightly under her.

Ollie mentioned that she might wake up slowly and confused, perhaps even drifting in and out of sleep at first.

Within her mind, she was waking and waiting. The smell was the first thing that entered her mind. The warrens, ollie, tinctures and herbs. Her father's scent was most prominent and fresh. Warmth and strength, comfort and guidance. She felt the bedding beneath her, and her fur felt pressed around her head. Lifting her head hurt.

She swallowed. Her throat was dry, her lips were cracked. She opened her eyes... well she thought she did. She opened them wider. A strange glimmer in the center of her vision began to widen. But she couldn't make out anything. The glimmer disappeared when she blinked. She couldn't remember how she had ended up like this. But her first thoughts was of Citadel for some reason.

"Cit? Dad?" She whispered into the strangeness. Her eyes were wide and circular, peering around but not locking onto anything.


"Selene"

With his attention on his work, he didn't immediately notice as his daughter stirred. Her voice caught on her voice first and he knocked his paper over as he turned his attention to the child in the bed beside him. “Selene? Hello sweetie.” He said as he carefully moved closer to her, looking at her unfocused eyes and listening to the rasp of Her voice.


“Here, take a sip of this.” He said, lifting some water to her muzzle. He was already glancing around the den as he did so. Where had Ollie gotten to? “How are you feeling, little one?” He asked her. Keeping his voice soft and pleasant, no hint of worry crept into his tone.

Her ears caught the shuffling of papers, and the familiar sound of her father's gargantuan bulk moving so very close. Her nose was swinging around trying to see but the glimmer wouldn't budge in her vision! Her soft pink nose bumped against the cup of the water and she recoiled then sought it out herself. Lapping the water to quench her thirst.

Her ears swiveled to catch any other sounds around her.
Her father's voice was soothing and soft. He must be placing the water close to her nose for her. She pulled back and tried to squint at the place in front of her, where her father had to be. But nothing changed in the strange glimmer of her vision.

She swallowed the water before hot angry tears started to well up in her eyes at her father's question.
"I can't see. I can't see, Daddy. Why can't I see? What happened?" She asked, her voice hitching in pitch and volume as she started to reel from the idea that she might be blind forever.

Oleander had been in his office and quickly busied himself with mixing a cocktail of herbal tea and tinctures for her to take. Checking her pupils and listening to her heart, all the while saying "Hey kiddo, we got you. Ya fell really far and hit the back of your head pretty hard. Sometimes when that happens we can lose our vision for a few days." Then busied himself with prepping her medicines.

Selene's muzzle twitched and her brows furrowed in confusion. She fell? When? She was always so careful!


"Selene"

”Easy, stay calm Selene. We have you.” He said, portraying that sense of command and control, like everything was as it should be. He was however shooting a concerned look to Oleander as the healer made his way over. Clearly having heard the girl wake. He gave Ollie some space to complete his examination, and say some comforting words of his own. “I know it can be a little scary, but you're going to be okay.” He said, soothing the fur back across her forehead.

“How about this: we pick out a companion for you who can be your eyes for a few days? You can borrow one of mine, or I can get you one of your own.” he suggested brightly, trying to put a positive spin on the situation. He needed to corner Oleander and get more information, but not in front of Selene.

She brought in a shaky breath through her nose and let it out slowly as she heard both men tell her that she was ultimately going to be okay. Her head still hurt. She laid her head down between her paws. closing her eyes, for now, no sense in straining to see if she couldn't use them anyway. She huffed quietly to herself as she thought about how it would be pretty hard to run and swim if she was blind.

But Ollie said it'll come back after a few days. That's forever though! She let Ollie poke and prod, she felt comforted by the feel of her father brushing the fur over her forehead. At her father's suggestion, she reflexively looked up with surprise but found the world was still mostly black and flopped -ow- and gently laid her head back down again.

"I like Oso! I can ride him around and he can be my eyes!" She grinned at the mental image of herself on her father's reindeer. Well at least her imagination still worked! Maybe she could imagine what had happened! She also liked the idea of having her own companion! Cit already had his!

"When I get a companion I want one that can keep up with me!" She said, her tail wagging back and forth. Things were gonna be really boring if she had to sit around and wait for her eyesight to come back. She noticed there weren't any other people talking, and she had a nagging need to talk to Cit for some reason but she couldn't remember why. Why didn't she have the same feeling abut her other siblings?

"Hey, where's Mama? And Cit? Did he fall too?" She asked curiously.


"Selene"

He grimaced a little at the idea of her riding high up on Orso when she couldn’t see. She wouldn’t know which way to lean, or if there were obstacles in the way that might jostle them. He wanted his children to be strong and independent, but in that moment he allowed himself the urge to coddle her a little. “How about we get you your own companion? I’ll bring you back something tonight.” He promised her. Something small and cuddly, perhaps. Nothing as tall as Orso…

“Mum and Citadel went for a walk. Citadel was with you when you fell, and he’s been at your side since.” He explained gently. A shame, if she’d woken up just a little earlier she would have been surrounded. Now she just had her old man and Oleander to comfort her.



"Speech"

Selene’s ears perked up at the idea of her own companion! Her little tail wiggled back and forth and she couldn’t help her paws beating out a rhythm against the furs in excitement!

“Really Daddy? My own! Finally! I’ll be just like you, Mumma, and Citadel!” She wiggled and squirmed in glee about it. What kind of companion could possibly keep up with her? And be her eyes for a few days? Coils she get her eyesight back now?

She paused her gleeful stationary dance as she heard that Citadel and Mum were out on a walk. She tilted her head to the side wondering… “At my side since?” She furrowed her brows, “Why does that sound like a long time? How long have I been knocked out?” She wish she could remember what she was doing… She fell… She remembered running through the streams in the gorge…

"Selene"