Lost Communication

Nighttime patrols had become second nature to her; it was a rare, rare occasion that she had a night of uninterrupted sleep. Tonight was no different. Theory was taking her time renewing the border scents and chatting idly with Alouette who would alight briefly on nearby branches (or her back) to make a remark on the trail ahead. Her raven had been her one constant companion throughout her life; Theo was grateful for her presence, especially when she heard the sound of a young, weak call from the border. "Lou, grab the medicine bag!" she said, a bit sharper than she intended. The voice sounded little. Noting the urgency, Alouette immediately peeled off in the direction of Theory's den. Supplies were running perilously low from the long winter. Whatever she had would have to stretch.

As she arrived on the scene, Theo sucked in a quick breath. It was Balthier and he appeared badly wounded. How had he wandered off like this? "Hey, hey," she said soothingly. "Lie still for now until I can get a good look at you. What happened?" She glanced over at the cat's corpse, filling in the blanks with her head. Still, she waited patiently for his answer as Theory checked his vitals with a delicate touch. It wouldn't be long until Alouette returned with her supplies, hopefully with her lemur friend riding along. Some procedures were delicate and required dexterous hands versus clumsy paws. The extent of the damage was difficult to tell in the darkness - it didn't help that the boy had a mostly dark pelt. She could see blood on the golden parts of his fur but couldn't quite tell where the wounds began.