The woman was broken, damaged both physically and emotionally. Once well groomed and lithe she was now a bony emaciated figure in a matted thick coat of fur. Half mad with fever and hunger she had left the pack lands, eager to put the hell hole behind her. Once she had thought it a paradise but all it held for her right now was pain. The cracked ground under her paws seemed to shit and spin with every step. The world felt off, not near enough depth in it. The scarred and burnt flesh of her left eye seemed to be burning all other again. A wave of nausea washed over her and suddenly she was on her side, a weak moan escaping parched lips. The world wavered before her eyes and then snuffed itself out as consciousness fled her. Speech Thought Others Thank you Shelby!

Cormalin

Cormalin was wandering a little wider than the borders today. Beyond Valhalla?s borders, it seemed rather barren, with this area being dangerous. To the south lay WolfPaw Lake, and it seemed none of the moisture from the lake was making it to this place, the Sycari strip. To the South East, Emerald Valley, now claimed by Olympus, and to his west, Vericona Plains, lush with wild hay, though Fall was slowly beginning to arrive. He glanced up at the hot sun, quietly wishing that he?d been born with white fur rather than black, and that was when the weak moan and the sound of a body collapsing on the ground caught his ears. He took off at a careful trot, mindful of the cracks in the ground, leaping over the wider ones that could have swallowed him up, until he found the crumpled, unconscious form of a Glaciem female. She was familiar, too. Rincavornon?s mother. He hadn?t caught her name. What was a Glaciem female doing this close to Valhallan territory, and in this state? One jowl curled in growing disgust as he looked her over. Was Isardis so high and mighty that he couldn?t give a flying damn about how his members were faring? This woman was emaciated, and sick; he could smell the illness and fever rolled off of her, palpable. He shifted uneasily from one paw to the other, looking about with wary mistmatched gold and blue eyes. Was it a trap? Heavy tail lashed with indecision. If he helped her, and she went home with Valhallan scent all over her, it could mean trouble for both her and his pack. However, he was no better than Isardis if he left her here to die. So with a stifled groan, he lowered his head and gently fastened his jaws on the female?s scruff and lifted her slowly, looking around and trying to recall where there might be water. The river from Vericona Plains flowed past the edge of this barren, blasted place. He sighed through his nose, a muffled grumble uttering from around the unconscious female?s scruff and fur, and he turned, traversing the dangerous scape, hot wind blasting against his side, buffeting the long ruff fur about his chest and nape. He traveled for what felt like hours, but was really only one, until he finally saw a glint of late summer green that marked the river?s path. Unceremoniously, the aging Gamma dropped the female in a shallow part of the water, keeping her head on the shore. It was a spot with little current, just enough to keep algae from forming at the edges, and she wouldn?t drift off if he let go, so he released her scruff and quickly waded into the water, dunking himself thoroughly to beat the heat, before he straightened and glanced over at the female. With how thin she was, she would need food. Something to dampen the fever? he sloshed out of the water as his eyes landed on a small, scraggly stand of Yarrow near the shore, close enough to grow from the moisture, but far enough away to not grow quite enough to spread. He snipped a stem or two, and dropped them near the female, then padded along the riverside, looking for a calm place, then hunkered down at the edge, waiting patiently. Akana had taught him all about fishing techniques, and he?d become a dab hand at fishing, though venison was always his preferred meat of choice. A glint of scales, an undulating body making itself comfy in the water near his position. He timed it just right, and lunged, not trying to catch the fish by snapping right at the image. Akana had said something about the water made the image of the fish slightly off kilter with it?s actual placement. His jaws clamped upon the wriggling, scaly body and he hauled himself and his catch from the water, face pouring water. It was a nice sized pike. Enough for a wolf the female?s size. Fish flavored blood rolled over his tongue as he ended the fish?s struggle with an abrupt crunch. He padded over to the female, dropping the fish beside her and nosing her gently. ?Come on, Lady, wake up. It?s not a good idea to be this close to an enemy pack?? Baritones were low and encouraging, as he pulled away and chewed the Yarrow into a paste, smearing the paste into the fish scales so that if she ate, she?d consume the plant. Then he sat back, and waited, casting glances all about to be sure he wasn't about to be ambushed.

There was a wavering in the fog, the woman was vaguely aware but not awake, the sensation of movement just barely reaching her and the muffled sounds of talking. Slowly she began to come around, becoming more aware of the cool movement of water against her burning skin, the smell of herbs and fish just before her nose, and under that the scent of Valhalla. She groaned and shifted slightly, feeling the burning of her left eye slowly come into existence. So she was alive for sure then, after all the pain never left her once she was awake. She blinked open amber eyes, and for a moment felt the familiar rush of panic, why couldn?t she see anything out of her left eye? It only took a moment for her brain to catch up to reality and she sighed. Slowly raising her head she drew in the sight of the Valhallan, he must have been to one to bring her here. She turned her back upon him, trusting that if he was going to make a move he already would have, but not caring either way. Maybe he was a sadist and just liked his victims to be awake for whatever it was he did. Dipping her muzzle into the cool water she lapped at it hungrily. Her thirst quenched she gave the male a good hard look, though ducking her head so as to hide the scarring around her blind eye. ?Do you really think a wounded, sick female this far from the pack actually poses any threat?? She had to wonder, there was no teasing in her voice, it was a bit harsh but also honest. Then she looked at the fish, her stomach clenching in hunger and she grimaced. She leaned down and took a bite, the bitter taste of herbs mixed with the tang of fish was less than pleasant but she swallowed it anyways. She continued to eat the meal he had offered getting only half way through the small meal when she felt herself growing full. Her stomach must have shrunk in those weeks spent alone in her den. Speech Thought Others Thank you Shelby!

Cormalin

Slowly, she woke at last, and he caught a whiff of panic from her before she seemed to recall herself. Perhaps it had to do with her eye? He?d noticed the injury, which was likely the source of infection and fever. Perhaps it was recent enough that she hadn?t gotten used to it. That, or she had caught the scent of him. He watched as she turned away from him and drank deeply. When she was finished, she stared at him, though she seemed to be trying to hide the scarring about her eye. When she finally spoke, it was harshly voiced, but he only raised a brow point. ?Threat? You? No. But you may have been followed. And It was Glaciem that chose to start a war with Valhalla. So I will watch my back for ambush, thank you.? His eyes swept over her bony frame. ?Your king must really be an uncaring sort, if any one of his members can become as ill and thin as you have.? If it took a Valhallan to feed one of Isardis? own members, he pondered, obviously the albino tyrant didn?t keep tabs on his pack very well. Turning away from her he padded back to the water, crouching low and still, until he?d sighted a fish. A splash later and he pulled up a large trout, crunching down and ceasing the fish?s struggle. Dropped it on the shore, he settled back down to wait for the fish to forget about the fright they must have had as their fellow brethren was plucked from the water. ?I never caught your name back when I was captive there.? Quiet baritone voice rumbled softly as he watched the undulating silhouettes of the fish as they slowly drew back to their places.

He spoke, and Narsha found herself laughing, a dry hacking laugh but a laugh nonetheless. ?Isardis makes a big fuss about winning and keeping his women, but once he has them he cares not what happens. So long as you can produce children you are valuable, regardless of what shape you are in.? She stared in distain at the half finished meal, frowning at the fish. She truly had grown weak in that time, she wanted to eat it all, just to prove she could but couldn?t stomach the idea. That was the end of that, she wasn?t going to hurl, especially not in front of someone else. The woman watched with curiosity as the man turned to the water and began to pluck more fish from the river. Narsha cocked her head as he spoke. ?Narsha Ga-In Beg? She stated bluntly, there had once been pride in her name but now it was only words, her full name spoke out of habit more than anything else. ?I was not aware you were a captive there?? Amber gaze dropped to the trout at his paws. ?I really hope that isn?t for me.? She gave her head a slight jerk towards her unfinished fish. Speech Thought Others Thank you Shelby!