things that go meow in the night

Since their relocation it felt like everyone was hanging on by a thread, herself included. She busied herself by training relentlessly and opening her mind to new practices. Herbs had been on her mind for a while now. It was her reasoning that she could better serve the pack if she had some healing knowledge, and beside that, she found that "Rose" character to be peculiar and unsettling.

Theory was out on yet another patrol. It was dark tonight, but it was dark now all the time: ashes still hung heavy in the sky. Stars and moon were all obscured. She hummed quietly to herself to break the tension but she couldn't shake off a lingering sense of unease. From the shadows she heard a rustle and a crack of branches. She turned on a dime and peered into the bushes, her hackles raised in alarm.

"Hello...?" she called out, groping for some sense of authority. Her voice sounded weak and unsure. Growling to add some mettle to her presence, Theory approached the bush. A sick mewling sound came from within and a sad, wretched creature dragged itself into the dim light provided by the strongest stars that shone through the ashes in the sky. It was a wild cat... or maybe had been a cat. The thing was burned beyond recognition, its skin sloughing off in places and oozing in others. She felt bilge rise in her throat. Could it even be saved? "Help!" She called into the darkness. The decision was too much to be made by her alone. Counseling another might absolve her of any guilt if it came down to a difficult decision.