be the lightning in me

The grasses parted like waves as Indigo parted them with his huge mass. Dark ears swiveled through the young man’s mane, his senses far from relaxed out here in the wilds alone. His first warning that he was no longer alone here on the river was the sound of her crashing through the greenery that surrounded the water source. Indigo lifted his features, dismissing the emerald plant at his paws as his attention was drawn to the edge of the water. She was in desperate need of a drink, the woman had nearly thrown herself into the flowing water but seemed to settle for her entire muzzle. Only the desperate drank so greedily, or Indigo assumed with how long she remained there. For a brief moment Indigo thought he was about to watch her drown when she pulled herself free of the water. Intricately marked features dripping wet and not all from the river. Her eyes were red and she looked nearly beaten.

Indigo was, unfortunately, familiar with that look on her face. The one that one wore once they reached their last point, when they lost all of their hope and gave up believing they were going to persevere. The end of the rope, the bottom of a barrel, or a glass. Indigo felt it, every one of the wolves he led felt the last straw as well. The massive Fatalis hadn’t moved as he watched her, but he hadn’t let his attention stray far from their surroundings either. They were alone for now, but he didn’t miss the bright red blood running down her paw. She was running from someone or something.

”Are you alright?” He asked softly, not having moved from where he watched her, collapsed on the shore. She was exhausted, that was also very much obvious. He expected her to get right up and be off but she stopped. When you stopped you died, he’d seen it enough in exhausted prey, she had that look in her eye and the way she laid… ”Can I help you?” He lowered his head and dark ears fell to his skull. He meant her no harm but he was no fool to think a scared stranger would see past his appearance.