The juvenile had awoken with the shakes and cold waves wracking his body in the dead of night, a winter night. The smell of blood was heavy in his nostrils, even more prominent was the sense of something oozing down the fur of his muzzle. And despite this Kailos felt the need to cool off. The greyish pup wriggled away from his sleeping mother and sister, breathing hoarse as he crawled out of the den. Bane, his father, was lying all curled up and snow covered just above the entrance. The old wolf didn't stir as Kailos stumbled down the snow swept slopes of their hillside, the iced over lake just up ahead. He was sick, really sick, and didn't quite make it to the lakeside before he threw up. Mainly the contents of an empty stomach, but his headache felt even worse after it.

A groan left his muzzle as he staggered to the shores of the pack's lake. He felt as if he was dying, a wheezing sigh leaving his muzzle as he weakly snapped up some snow and placed a paw on the frozen lake with a whine. He spat out the sky water to rid most of the taste from his maw, the cold helped the hurt of his eye as he just laid there. Kailos rolled to the other side to help ease it's hurt, the sight of blood in the snow capturing his attention. A choked up sob left him, tongue trying to get at the wound as he curled up with a weak whine and let the snow cover him.

{I'm guessing that Ballad can come in Ebony so they can treat her?}

The white wolf was twitching as she walked over the snow, little drops of blood landing easily in the snow. Her once pure white fur was stained with red, mainly around her eyes. The stench of dried blood and sickness filled the air, and she stumbled weakly. It was long before she saw a wolf, stumbling towards the frozen lake. Ballad struggled towards them, but soon twitched and heaved up frothy white liquid, letting out a low whimper afterwards. Finally, she saw that it was a pup, and actual tears, mixed with blood, rolled down her face, cleaning her fur a little. The girl moved closer, and licked the pup softly, the cold making her shiver. Why was it a pup? It could have been a grown wolf, and Ballad wouldn't have felt as bad as she did now. Finally, the girl curled around the pup, trying to keep it as warm as it could be for now, while letting out tiny sobs. She wasn't sure if she'd even make it through this sickness, if any wolf would make it through this sickness, but she would help this pup the best she could. She wanted to close her eyes, but the blood in her eyes wouldn't let her, and she whimpered.

Even though she wasn't a part of Ebony yet, a wolf said she needed treatment. So, because of that, she had assumed that she could come into pack territory until this was all over. But the white wolf was planning to join Ebony, when she got better, so she could be in a pack. A soft, wheezing sigh escaped her jaws and she looked down at the pup, before whispering something in his ear. "Don't worry, little one." Easier said than done. Even though she wasn't sure what the pup's parents would think about a strange wolf around their pup, she lowered her head on it anyway.
"Speech"

Walk | Talk | Think

Tahlia had slept peacefully there within the den, her children cuddled up beside her and soundly spending their night. Word of the illness that had crept into their territory had reached her, and she had done her best to keep her and hers away from it, safe where she thought they might not become part of the infected. She did not know if it would be enough - how even had it managed to get inside of the pack lands so far? - but she had taken her precautions. She wanted nothing to harm her family, no matter that they were all a part of Ebony and duty-bound to assist in any way they could.

An unexpected smell had permeated the den, so strong it even managed to rouse the restful mother from sleep. Bleary-eyed, she blinked her dark gold and cloudy eyes and allowed her seeing one to adjust to the darkness of the den, noting immediately a missing presence. It was cold where he should have been, the spot empty that he normally occupied, and as the smell finally registered - Blood? - her heart began to race. Where was Kailos? Why was there blood in the den?

She blinked, rose to her paws, possibly even unsettled Lior in her haste, and exited the den, stopping within the snow to peer up and over their shelter at her slumbering mate. If he roused now then he had not seen their son wander off before. Turning her attention ahead again, she found his paw prints,
much larger now than she remembered them being when they were just learning to walk, and she hurried after them, following the scent of her son...and the blood.

What she found initially was not her son. It was a white wolf, coiled upon the ground, spots of blood dotting the snow beside the place where she rested. Kailos? But she could just see him, lying beside the creature, his body seemingly still in place. Panic as well as a protective, possessive nature urged her paws forward in hasty leaps and a growl to begin low within her throat. Her ears pinned, her expression severe as she saw things only through her perspective: her son, bleeding, with some strange woman hovering beside his still form.

"Get away!" she yelled, charging the woman in an attempt to get her up and away from her son. Drawing blood was not her goal, but if it was necessary in order to protect her children she had no intention of hesitating. She bared her teeth, hackles raising as a mad sort of irrationality claimed her, oblivious to the blood that ran from her own eyes. "Get away from him!"

OOC: Tahlia's a bit protective of her kids around strangers and under the circumstances. x: Sorry.

Ballad's eyes were half closed, but she shivered, her white fur fluffed up to keep the small pup she was curled around warm; she knew pups could freeze in this weather. She was shivering herself, but she didn't care about that, and it took a few moments before she noticed that the blood falling from her eyes was dropping on the small pup, and she raised her head a little. The white wolf thought of her siblings, and wondered, briefly, if they were alright, if any of them had gotten the sickness; at least, she hoped they hadn't. She didn't even want Scorpion, or Orchid, to get sick, even though they were too close to each other and not the others, it seemed like.

No scent touched her at any time, no wild predators that could come and hurt the tiny pup, and Ballad turned her head, only to see a strange wolf pulling herself from the den. A shiver went through her body, but she only thought that it was not the parents of the pup, that the pup had traveled so far that they wouldn't find him; she had thought that they would thank her for helping the young pup. But when the wolf began to get closer and closer, Ballad tried to struggle to her paws several times, so she could explain, but her constant twitching made it impossible for her to do that. Ballad closed her eyes as best as she could, waiting to be attacked. A fear scent went through the air, coming from her, and she struggled to get to her paws.

Finally, as the wolf got closer, and began to yell at her, Ballad got to her paws, and scooted away from the pup, her brown eyes opening and blinking back blood, as she twitched and moved away from the pup. Jaws opened to speak, but frothy liquid came out again, and the white wolf said nothing, her body trembling as she stared at the other wolf. A soft whimper escaped her throat, and she struggled to speak, making soft gasping noises. He's sick. I was just trying to help him so he wouldn't freeze. I didn't want him to die in this weather. Please, don't hurt me. Please.... Ballad's brown eyes were full of fear, and her tail was tucked between her legs as she finally managed to speak.

"I'm.......I'm so sorry. But your son is sick, and I found.......I found him laying out here. I was scared that he would freeze to death. I'm really sorry, but I would never hurt a pup."

"Speech"

OOC: Posting order after Dart is: Bane, Tahlia, Kailos, Ballad.

Small paws would carry him eastward, the snow falling lightly upon his pelt. He had heard through the grapevine, an illness sweeping the lands. He was scared, afraid of contracting the illness from any other living creature...and yet, he was not totally sure that it was even contagious. He walked along the borders of what he could only assume was wolf territory, for the stench of their kind was thick and heavy in the air. He would glance towards it every so often, a lake coming into his view. Tongue swiped at his jaws, would they get mad if he went in for a drink and left? He drew closer, glancing around before debating the border crossing. And finally, his parched throat would win over. With hesitance, he crossed the scent markers, aiming straight for the lake as quick as he could. Paws sunk into the snow at some points, and he would hop out until he reached the lake. He glanced around warily as he lowered himself to take a drink. Tentatively, he would lap the water up. All the while crimson eyes darted around to make sure he wasn't ambushed. It was then he heard a series of growling and angry barking, causing the boy to jump slightly as he glanced around. Standing on his hind legs, he rose up to see what had caused the commotion, and not far off were a pair of wolves who seemed to be in some sort of engagement, albeit an unfriendly one. Head tilted slightly as he thought that perhaps he should leave, but it wasn't until another form caught his eye that he would remain there. Sniffing the air, he could sense that something was off, the strong tang of blood and illness wafted towards him. Fur rose along his body, fear slightly rolling off of him from the sick scent. It smelled strong, and he knew that someone over there was sick. Lowering himself, he would make his way over. Quickly, yet still hesitant. Hopefully, none of the wolves would attack him, he had bad experiences in the past with wolves, but he needed to see what this illness was, and even more so, who it was that was sick. As he approached, he saw blood staining the snow. And his worry would grow as he saw it leaking from the eyes of a startled white she-wolf, even more so when he saw blood upon the face of the young pup lying in the snow. He approached, body somewhat low and his crimson eyes on the more hostile figure. He sensed the child needed help, and he could only assume that the other she-wolf was the mother. Still, the child seemed to be in critical condition. He was bleeding from the eyes, and so Dart would rush near him but keeping a few feet of distance as he extended his neck to sniff at the child. Glancing up to the brown she-wolf, he would speak. "This child is in danger. If nothing is done soon he could die. I know some herbal knowledge, do you give me permission to take a look at him?" It was somewhat nerve wracking asking an angry wolf to let him get close to their offspring, but it was as plain as day that the boy needed help, and fast. Glancing back at him, he would fight the urge to close the distance between him and the boy, and he tried so hard if only to avoid an attack from the she-wolf. But he couldn't hold himself back, the child needed help. Now. He moved towards him, nose going over the boy as the intense stench of sickness rolled off him in waves, the child was shivering and seemed to have a fever. Once his inspection was done, he looked at the white she-wolf, nothing she too seemed to have similar symptoms. "She's sick too. I can try and help both, but first we need to get this child some place warm. Now." It was not a request, it was a demand.

Kailos was hardly a season and a half old, wiggly and timid on his paws as were all pups his age. Still finding his balance in that amusing stumble young wolves did to get around and explore the world. And yet he had just walked right on by without making a sound to wake the elder. It took Tahlia's frantic exit to rouse Bane, the old wolf smelling blood. His son's and mate's blood. The elder's heart rate increased immediately as he frantically uncurled and shook the snow off his pelt. "Tahlia!" Bane called after his mate. Unsure if she had heard him as she took off down the hillside towards the lake. What had happened? A discoloration in the snow caught his remaining eye, and right when he sniffed it his head snapped back. Sickness.

A cold knot of worry and fear formed in the pit of his stomach as Bane stumbled forward towards his mate and the wolf she was shouting at. His hackles rose as he saw the rogue female and who lay next to her. Kailos! Bane's blood was up immediately at the sight of his son all alone with this stranger, the male rushing up in front of his mate. He tilted his head to whisper to Tahlia that she go right, and that's when he saw the blood trailing below the fur of her eyes. "Tahlia? Tahlia your face..." A shiver of horror caused his legs to tremble, a whine slipping past his maw. The situation was confusing, Bane hearing the mysterious she-wolfed her explanation, but he still stared at Tahlia. The elder wolf took a step back. The rogue's words were heard and a small nod was given. But Bane didn't care right now. He was surrounded by sickness.

Deathly sick. A smaller voice was heard in the panicked haze that settled over his vision. He looked towards Kailos. A fox. An often overlooked creature standing over his son and him that they all needed immediate help. "Do what you must red one. Tahlia, we have to go back to the den." He touched nose to his mate's and turned with a swish of a tail, walking past the cream pelted rogue and picked up his son, leg brushing against the fox's side in his haste. He would make for his firstborns den and let the sick use it, just a moments walk from where he'd been sleeping peacefully. The three would have to be roused and told to wait in the main den with Lior. Everything would be explained to them just as soon as he knew what they were dealing with.

Walk | Talk | Think

Her panic and fury only grew as Tahlia took in the state of the wolf beside her son. She had barely been able to stand, her hasty steps away from Kailos had been unsteady and wobbly, and, close enough now to notice, her eyes ran red with blood. The sickness! She remembered the smell inside the den, the trail of blood that she had followed here, and felt her stomach grow cold with fear. Had this woman been able to pick her son right out of their den without her knowing, without disturbing any of them? The thought sickened her and made her all the more desperate to get Kailos away from her and back to safety.

She only stopped when she was between the diseased white female and her son, still bristling and growling and determined to keep her away. It made no difference that she showed the appearance of one contrite with her posture and tail down, or that the first words she managed to stammer out were ones of apology. Tahlia had already made up her mind about the offending creature; she only half heard what the sick wolf was saying. What she did manage to hear caused her to uncertainly peer back at her son even as her husband showed up, and, not quite listening to his concern, to finally see what she had failed to take note of before.

"Oh, Kailos," she breathed, the fight suddenly leaving her. His fur was stained where the other wolf had wrapped herself around him, but as she turned and lowered her muzzle to touch his cheek she could see the dark streaks that ran from his eyes. Was he shaking too? Beginning to shiver herself, a horrible sense of helplessness threatened to overwhelm her. He was sick, just as this woman claimed. But blood from the eyes... What sort of disease was this? She began to reach, ready to place a comforting kiss against his cheek, when she saw something fall from her own muzzle and neatly splatter into his coat. The same dark stains that the white woman had left.

Horror stricken, Tahlia drew hastily back and felt her heart race, realizing that someone new had arrived while she had been distracted. It was a wonder she had not seen him; even at half their size the red coat of the fox was unmistakable. And he obviously had an interest in Kailos. The overprotective mother did not hesitate in baring her teeth and growling at this new potential adversary, even more ready to protect her son now knowing that he was ill, but even this character appeared only to be trying to help. He offered his assistance and while Tahlia herself was terribly reluctant even to consider it - on what grounds did she have to trust a rogue and now a fox? - Bane was already consenting.

Her expression was as disapproving as it was shocked but he was already on the move, stepping close to touch his nose to hers and then over to their son to carry him for the trek back to the den as he had instructed her. She cast a nervous, distrustful look at both the white she-wolf and the fox before she followed hurriedly after Bane, sidling close as she asked in an anxious whisper, "You do not honestly intend to let that creature treat Kailos, do you? Our own healers have struggled with this disease, how could he possibly know more than they do?"

Kailos would shift slightly at the feelings of the other wrapping around him, a hiccup leaving him. It felt better than the cool snow. The comforting touch of another was soothing as he dealt with the sickness. The pup opened up a blurred eye and peered at the white muzzle of the stranger, details of the fur focusing in. Even as the she-wolf fumbled a few times to rise and deal with the other more familiar wolf coming Kailos still didn't want the wolf to leave.

Deprived of the warm touch and the many voices now echoing in his head the pup curled up with a whimper. All he wanted was to feel warm and safe. To not feel sick. Tahlia had darted to his side and was now accosting the stranger, forcing his friend away. Kailos giving a whimper when his mother spoke above him. He couldn't speak without feeling sick to his stomach and he didn't want to throw up again. But he liked the stranger. She didn't eat him. Or take him away. Or take him away then eat him.

The fox was a welcoming presence, a giggle given at the look of the small creature. It's pelt was all red and floofy. Dad came up and said something as Tahlia gave a nuzzle against his belly. Blood droplets fell onto his stomach to freeze into gelatinous beads of crimson from his body heat. The fox that he had found so interesting small nose roamed over his belly and shoulder, Kailos's limbs curling up as he giggled again, a paw waving at the animal as big as he. But dad was bigger, Bane picking him up and loosening the blood having pooled beneath his eyes. A wail left the young wolf as he fell limp in his fathers jaws.

Dad rebuked mom as they made their way up to the den, saying something about the fox having been around the lands and therefore may have heard things related to the sickness. Things Kailos didn't understand as his siblings were roused out of their den by Bane, their questions and protests not being heard by the pup as he was brought into the vacant den. The little wolf sat up and wailed, not wanting to be alone. He hoped his mom or the red pelted foxy fox would come in, runny blood beading at the corner of his eyes as he tried not to cry.

OOC: last round of posts starting on this?