Rain beat down mercilessly on her back. Wind whipped at her pelt with an undeniable rage. She had watched the storm grow on the horizon but now is towered above her. The moor was slowly beginning to flood, the already wet ground was a death trap. Mud clung to her legs as she stood within the heart of the plains. Thundering and lightning would crack, echoing in her skull. It had been a long time since a storm had hit these lands. Her crown would tip back, a calling leaving velvet lips, hopefully it would not get lost amongst the wind and rain. Eyes squinted in an attempt to keep the rain from battering into them. Ears fell back against her skull. Rain had made the ground slick and slippery, mud ran down the gentle slopes of the plains. It did not take long for her pelt to come soaked, silver fur clung to her skin with matted disorder. There was no telling when this storm would pass, though the blackened skies suggested that it would not be anytime soon. She had placed herself on one of the higher hills of the plains, giving her a view of the surrounding area, and hopefully it would keep her away from any flooding. Trees whipped back and forth, their groans of protest loud before the snaps of branches could be heard. Her gaze rested on the moors, watching as trees were ripped from the ground and tossed carelessly aside. Her toes would splay, claws digging into the muddy earth. She waited with a mothers impatience as she anticipated the arrival of her children. She wanted them all close for the duration of the storm. She didn't care if the rest of the pack showed or not, they could take care of themselves. Her face was emotionless, hiding the anxiety that churned in her belly. Where was Kylar? Was he okay? A growl would leave her lips though the sound was swallowed by a crack of thunder. Hell was raining down on them, with no chance of letting up soon. HER WORDS HERE HIS WORDS HERE

He moved against the wind, head tilted to the side in the only real way he could combat the slap of rain against his face without burying it under his paws. If not for the amount of leg on him, the boy would have been more brown than blue; each step forward was another chance for one of his limbs to be lost to the alarmingly powerful mud that sucked at his paws. Having long ago abandoned the lazy facade, Valentine chose each step with care, reaching out tentatively before placing any weight on the sacrificial limb. Having heard her call rise above the wind, Valentine had sought out his mother. Bleary, rain stung eyes would squint into the storm as her familiar form came into view atop a neighboring hill. He sought her gaze, wishing to tell her that he was coming but not trusting his voice to carry the message to her. It was then that the sky lit up in the only warning he would receive. A bolt struck him, catching him completely off guard and throwing him into unconsciousness before he had time to register what was happening. A boom of thunder so loud as to deafen would rock the terra, but the boy could spare no appreciation; he was already gone. "Speaking" Thinking

She stood silently. Waiting for her children to arrive. With her gaze downcast to the plains below, she would spot the familiar shape of Valentine. Her gaze would lock with his as he moved with a steady pace, each dark leg carefully placed as he moved closer. A flash of light would momentarily blind her, causing her to avert her gaze and squint her eyes. Thunder would boom across the sky merciless, blinking a few times, she would clear the blindness from her eyes, her gaze searching for Valentine, waiting for his imminent approach. Dread would seize her as she looked up his crumpled frame. Panic would suffocate her, paralyzing her for the briefest moment. Legs would move without her consent, plunging her down the muddy slope in a half run, half slide. Adrenaline flooded her system, her heart pounding against her chest. Mud would coat her legs, belly and chest, matting her silver fur together. Claws gave no traction in the waterlogged mud, sending her down the slope in a flurry. She would plunge to flat ground, mud spattering, before she raced to his side. Sides heaved with panic as rain continued to bater her form. Standing over him, her coral gaze would rake his blue figure, noting the burn he had received. She would shield his face from the rain, pressing her nose to his neck. She could not lose a second child so soon. "Valentine." His name left her lips in the mixture of a demand and a plea. He needed to wake up. She would shake him, urging him to wake up. He couldn't die. HER WORDS HERE HIS WORDS HERE

Jumping from the tree next to him, the lightning traveled from his left shoulder down, leaving a twisted, vein-like burn in its wake. Valentine went ridged and then crumpled, falling like a stringless puppet. He fell into a dreamless darkness; a void where time lost meaning and all but the threat of death ceased to exist. Lightning laced the sky overhead, the ever present threat of another strike booming across the terra. Unbeknownst to him, the very wolf whose attention he so desperately sought was giving him exactly what he wanted. She would try to rouse him, jostling and pushing in the hopes of waking him, and he would slowly comply. His eyes opened, but a firm grasp on awareness was beyond him. Little made sense and confusion reined, marring his features with a startled, uncomprehending expression. The boy would attempt to rise, to stand as he had in the last few seconds before darkness claimed him, but all he could muster was a stiff-legged scrabble at the ground. Unsuccessful in his attempt, he rested, suddenly becoming aware of the presence looming over him. Wide-eyed, he'd seek eye contact and his mouth would fall open in an attempt to speak, but no words would come. The lightning emptied of him knowledge, temporarily cutting him off from the very things that made him who he was. He knew who he was, where he was, and who was standing over him, knew it with every inch of his being, and yet, for the life of him, he couldn't give meaning to any of those things. Nothing made sense. "Speaking" Thinking

She would continue to shake him, even as the lightning and thunder continued to rage overhead. Rain battered her back, soaking her to the bone. Panic flared in her coral eyes which were wide. Slowly, her son would stir, eyes fluttering open. His expression was startled and confused. He would stumble to his paws, but couldn't seem to figure out how to get his legs to work so he remained planted against the muddy ground. He met her gaze and she saw only confusion. Brows would furrow in her own confusion. "Valentine? Baby?" She would try to pull him back to reality, back to a world of understanding. She would keep him close, never allowing him to get more than a few inches from her. When her gaze left his, it was in favor of his wounded shoulder. A jagged mark was left and would surely scar. "Are you okay?" The Queen would search his features frantically, unsure of his well being. She was no healer, and so far, none of her existing members were healers either. Her mind jumped into action, wondering where they could go not only to get out of the rain, but where he could be treated. The wind whipped around them without care, battering their already soaking bodies. She would gaze at him with a mixture of anticipation and concern. HER WORDS HERE HIS WORDS HERE

you'll run for cover {but you can't escape the second attack} It took time for Senka to respond to her mother's call. At first it had been lost amongst the storm, swallowed by the screaming winds and pouring rain, but then Senka realized why the wind had sounded like a wolf - it was her mother. Stirring, Senka slipped from the confines of her small den in the hollow of a fallen tree. It wasn't much of a protection from the elements, and she was already soaked through when she began her journey towards her mother. When she eventually reached her mother, she was surprised to see her brother, sprawled out on the earth. Senka pressed closer, drawing towards her mother's side. Her fur brushed the woman's and Senka cast a curious glance at her mother. "What happened?" Worry touched her tone, but Senka remained in control, ready to do whatever her mother asked if there was a way to take care of her brother. She was no healer, however, and Senka could offer nothing of use. There was an obvious wound, but that didn't really explain Valentine's confused expression or the fact that Valentine was still laying on the ground. Surely he could walk? holding on for your life[ S E N K A ]

He rested, head dipping so that his nose pressed into the mud. The boy's eyes closed, blocking out the lightning laced world. He was so tired. All he wanted to do was sleep. It would be so easy just to sink completely into the mud and let the world of dreams claim him. Fatigue kept him from trying to stand again; no strength remained in his once strong limbs. A ringing settled in his ears, deadening the sounds around him. The voice over him registered, but it sounded distant and muffled. Valentine raised his head to stare blankly at his mother, his eyes settling on her lips as he tried to make sense of what she was saying. The boy's brow furrowed with his efforts. He was so tired. Sense began to return to him, bits and pieces of reason trickling in. With it came pain, pain that spiked in time with his pulse and forced the breath from his lungs. Everything hurt. Every inch of him ached as if he'd been repeatedly dashed against the ground. In reality, what he was feeling was the effects of every muscle tensing at once. "M-mom!" He groaned, fighting overwhelmed tears as he desperately tried to make sense of it all. "It hurts!" Pleading with whoever would listen, he spit the next words through clenched teeth. "Make it stop!" "Speaking" Thinking