dying in L.A.

For a moment, the young male wondered if he had been heard. His voice was quieter than a whisper, throat raw and battered. There was the grunt of a bitter laugh, a familiar sound to his tattered ears. The soft sigh was also familiar. He was used to not being taken seriously. No one listened to their slaves, after all. The pair of wolves picked him up with little effort, splaying him over the broad back of the male. He gasped at the pain that arced along his nerves as he was moved from the ground. His chest hurt, almost as bad as when Grim used to kick him until he lost consciousness. When the pain subsided, he took in a few shaky breaths. Lashes fluttered, eyes cracking open to look around again. Wow. Was everyone big? That must make him very small indeed. The female paced alongside him, using her shoulder and snout to adjust his body as he slipped and slid over the soft fur of the larger male. Everyone smelled nice. Musky, clean. No blood or bile permeating their coats. He liked it much better this way.

“When we get to the rapids, can you fetch Ody? I’ll set him to guard the man, he’s nearly a good a healer as Vail, and he can keep him safe from whatever is chasing him. Then, can you fetch Ace and take him up to where we found him, back track his trail some in search of whatever he was fleeing from, if you don’t find it, disguise his trail into the pack and set up a watch.” The feminine voice began to rattle off a list of commands, which the male was eager to follow. He sought only to please, and to repay her for using precious herbs on his frail carcass. However, he knew these demands were not meant for him. They were for the bigger male, who was clearly far stronger and more adept. “I’ll get food and water into the man. Some Alfalfa, too, for weight gain and blood strengthening.”

Food sounded wonderful, even though his stomach had long since lost the ache of hunger. Water, too, sounded good. His throat was so dry. Alfalfa sounded... not bad. If it was supposed to help, he supposed he would try it. "Who is he, and why here..." Had his head not been nearly level with her own, he might have missed it. "Epitaph." He wheezed. A name was a small price to pay for their generosity. That was all he could manage. He stared at her dark form, wavering in and out of focus.