She was gonna kill him. That was the thought that pounded through his skull, over and over. Azalea was gonna kill him. He?d vanished, without a word. On the cusp of her due date. Oh Gods be merciful, please let her still love him. He crouched low in the summer singed grass of a small meadow, not far from the old territory, but not close either. His eyes were on the herd of elk fifty paces ahead and to the left of his position. He needed to do something big. Something to regain her good graces. His eyes landed on the biggest bull of the bunch. The antlers had to be twice his body length, at least. The bull was healthy, huge. The bull would do. He took a deep breath, and charged, -Afterwards, and an hour or so later- Pain was his world, but it was worth it. The prize had been won. The huge bull lay dead at his paws, and his jaws were fastened around the back of its muscular neck, trying for all he was worth to drag it away. The problem was, his legs weren?t working right. His chest hurt, and he could smell his own blood, blood that painted a prong of his kills antlers. It was inevitable, he supposed, that he would get this badly injured on a hunt that mattered more than any hunt would ever matter. His hind end had gradually sunk lower and lower, until it hit the ground with a soft thud, and yet he was still determined to get this gift to Azalea. Even if it was the last gift he would ever give her. The tugs he gave were weakened, a pups tiny, ineffectual grasp on something much to large. Blood had mixed with his saliva, and it wasn?t coming from the elk. A frustrated, tinny snarl came from his muffled jaws, and still, he tugged. Even as his front legs slowly began to bring him closer to the ground. Was this the last thing he would ever see? A dead elk, in some meadow, far from family, friends, and homeless?

It seemed that fate just wanted to fuck with her, now. Bringing back all the wolves she had left behind and thought she would never see again. After all, how many Valhallan's would dare wander up to the north? That was his kingdom, and to them she probably couldn't make them understand why she had chosen to make a life there. After seeing Erani's daughter and a good chunk of that family she decided to stay in the area for a while longer. She was curious to see who else would pop up and trusted Liberty to keep things from collapsing. She of course gave no word of where she was going when she left for the west, simply requesting Lib take charge while she was out. The scent of blood would lead her into the orchard. She moved cautiously, not wanting to spook some injured animal into charging her. Amber eyes were alert, scanning for whatever was bleeding. When her eyes landed on it she stopped, her posture straightening and her tail rising high over her back. There was a sway in her step as she moved merrily toward the dead animal, not in the least curious as to how it had ended up dead here. It was a large animal and she jumped atop it, wanting to get a better look at those crazy antlers. From her vantage she saw something, rather someone, who made her freeze. Her heart would come to a stop, she was positive it was no longer beating in her chest, as she saw the wounded brute tugging uselessly at the elk to try and pull it. He was facing away from her, dragging his legs weakly. Her ears would press forward before pulling back. "Just what in the hell do you think you are doing?" Her tone was demanding, her fur puffing up a bit as anger overcame her to see him behaving so pathetically. Her stomach had knotted up and she was still pretty sure her heart wasn't beating. "Why are you even here? Huh? God damnit, Sarak, you're dead to me! You hear me?! DEAD!" She was drowning in a sea of emotion and all she could truly feel was rage. The red headed woman jumped off of the elk and circled around to his other side. She narrowed her eyes at him. "I DEVOTED MYSELF TO YOU!!! And you just fucking LEFT me. There is NO good excuse what you did to me." She was ranting, venting, letting all her anger out so that maybe she could see past it and hopefully past him. Even now, though, the thought of simply forgetting him seemed impossible and way too fucking painful to bear. There was silence finally as she shut up, looking at the back of his stupid head with her narrow, angry eyes. "Well?! Do you even have anything to say?" When he didn't respond right away Azalea walked around to where she could see his face. Blood bloomed from his chest, wetting his dark coat. It was a large stain, meaning lots of blood. Something other than rage would break through now, disbelief? Alarm? Terror? "The fuck, Sarak?!?! Why did you do this?? You should know better, you do know better. You can't fucking die!! I have shit to work through and some feedback from you would be nice!" Her eyes glittered now, the fight leaving her body as her own rear slumped to the ground and her shoulders curled in. Her eyes were wide now, her body beginning to shake as she stared into his green eyes. She couldn't touch him though, not trusting herself to.

So deep in his determination to bring a gift, even if it would be the final gift he ever gave her, that it did indeed take him several moments to truly understand that the ranting and raving of her voice was actually outside his mind. Slowly, one ear flicked back, as his body slumped, tugging finally ceasing. Slowly, his tired emerald eyes blinked, the fuzziness beginning to cloud his vision clearing as she came into his range of sight. Saw the blood. He swallowed the blockage that seemed to be making it hard to speak, eyes blinking back that new cloudiness. ?You always were a spitfire.? His voice was a croaking whisper. He couldn?t seem to speak beyond a whisper. That annoyed him a little, his lips curling as he worked his tongue about in his mouth, trying to push the taste of his own blood out of it. He tried to sit up. At the fresh gush of heat he felt on his chest, he quickly decided to stay on the ground. ?Go ahead and finish me. I know you?re pissed enough to do it.? He challenged her with those bleary emeralds, before his eyes turned to the dead elk. ?It wasn?t good enough. I dreamed of you, worried for you, worried for our children. But I had a duty to perform. But, as you say, that is no good excuse. I didn?t intend to get gored in the chest, you know. But, I suppose I deserve it.? It was such a flat tone of voice he used, as he panned his gaze to the amber eyes, so wide in her red face. ?I was supposed to be a dealer of death.? A dry, wet coated laugh left him, a small splatter of crimson painting his tongue. ?But I was a coward.? His head lowered to the ground at his paws. His eyes closed, with a final sigh of melancholy. ?But, oh, I love you, Azalea. I was brave enough to be willing to take on your father, if it meant being able to make you happy. And if it makes you happy, Then I will die.? Hell, he was in enough pain for it. He drifted on a river of the pain, and finally, onto some fresher smelling plain. A very painful sleep. He wasn?t dead yet, but he had very short path to get there. There was a fork in that path, however. He would just need a good push in that direction.

?You always were a spitfire," Her defeated lover would sputter quite feebly. His mouth worked, pushing around the blood that dribbled out. There was a small attempt to get up that was quickly forgotten by the foolish man. From Azalea's view, the small motion was enough to reflect the light and show just how much blood there was. She looked around, feeling her desperation grow when, ?Go ahead and finish me. I know you?re pissed enough to do it.? She let out a laugh, more from the stress overload she was currently enduring than actually finding his words funny in any way. "No, I can't do that. Don't you even want a chance to meet your, our, children?" ?It wasn?t good enough. I dreamed of you, worried for you, worried for our children. But I had a duty to perform. But, as you say, that is no good excuse. I didn?t intend to get gored in the chest, you know. But, I suppose I deserve it.? She didn't want to make heads or tails of what he said but she couldn't help herself. He did deserve being gored by the bull, no one with a half a brain would ever try what he had, it was against the natural way of things. If the healthy bull should die, then it was fit what nature should decide that the healthy wolf should as well. Balance in all things. ?I was supposed to be a dealer of death," He would go on, ?But I was a coward.? A sigh came heavy, too heavy. Azalea's heart would seize up with the pain of lose as she was sure it was to be his last breath. It was a fake, though, he spoke again, ?But, oh, I love you, Azalea. I was brave enough to be willing to take on your father, if it meant being able to make you happy. And if it makes you happy, Then I will die.? A choked sob left her as he said that. Of course she didn't want him to die. Didn't he know she was all talk? Azalea Adravendi had always talked too much and a bit over dramatically. She moved forward, slumping down albeit ungracefully as one foot slipped on the grass. The held her scarred eye away from him, pressing her face into his and licking at the mess of the blood that had made its way out of his mouth. They needed help. Help NOW. He couldn't move from here, not in the shape he was in. She recalled Surreal being in the area, with her extended family (Erani included), and threw back her head to let out the loudest call she had ever needed to make. It was a desperate, sorrowful sound, begging for someone's assistance. He needed help. He couldn't die. If he did, he would take her heart, the only one she had and the one she had given to him for safe keeping. Even in his absence he had kept it near, never letting it get even bruised. Another dribbling sob left her as she lowered her muzzle and set it lightly on is head. "I don't want you to die, Sarak. I could never want that. I was harsh, I know, but aren't I always? I mean, I've always kinda been a bitch. I don't mean anything by it." That damned L word avoided her again, having been ages since she had said it. Love was such a toxic emotion and Azalea had to wonder there, with her heart bleeding black inside her own chest, if having her heart ripped out would not be a kinder fate.

The woman was always serious about her job as a healer. No matter who it was or where. But when she heard her cousin call, the job became just that more important to her. Her long spindly legs would carry her as fast as she could to the location, when azalea came into view she spotted the male. She didn't know who he was or what relation he had with her cousin. But her mind went into lockdown. He had been wounded by antlers of a prey animal, trying to take it down himself? Had he wanted a death wish? She pushed the thoughts away as she tried to find some moss and water. It took her a bit but without speaking to azalea lost in her own little world she concentrated on healing sarak. He was unconscious which just made it even better for her to handle him. After the wounds were cleaned with water, she hoped that marigold would be around here somewhere.

The orchard had plenty of herbs though, it was lush and kind of grew in patches everywhere. Not to her luck she could find none, but what she did find was a white willow tree. It would help with the wounds and disinfect them long enough to patch him up to be brought to ethereal for her to finish treatment. It was enough to save his life, or at least she hoped. Putting her paws on the bark she tried to remember how to use it. Returning to sarak she started to chew until it was like a paste, and smothered it on his wounds. Until it was applied thoroughly and hopefully to help stop the bleeding stepping away she looked at him than azalea. "He should be out of danger, but I should put some marigold on the wounds the herbs are in the gorge where I placed them. Now if he wants to live is up to him." She said. Getting ready to help azalea carry him if needed. She was confident in her healing skills but not boastful. The moment a life was lost she would be in a very good place, but she tried her best, and believed it should be enough to hopefully save sarak whoever he was.