Because Of You
08-01-2013, 12:49 PM
Cut me loose
My parachute won't let me fall Don't be afraid of a chance for a miracle
A wound like that? Orica had only glanced at it for a moment, but she'd seen enough. With the blood loss and trauma it would cause to the area - that was extremely serious.It left untreated and uncompressed - the male was faced with going into shock and unconsciousness and then bleeding out. There were poultices that Orica could apply and treatments she could give, but healing had to come second. A part of her brain was screaming at her to start tending to the wounds but she couldn't! First things - first, she had to make sure that the ordeal was over. She had to pray that Demyan would just stop and back off. Why couldn't he leave the poor stranger alone?! The skinny male's last feeble whimperings stuck Orica like needles. She herself felt like she was being choked; slowly strangled by the sights and sounds around her. But she kept standing there in the snow; a blue-eyed toy soldier. She knew how grave was the danger she'd thrust herself into. She knew how hopeless this was. Demyan could grab her scruff and fling her sideways without a thought. He could rip her to shreds as easily as he did the black victim. But Orica didn't dread such things because of fear for herself, so much as fear for what it meant about Demyan. It would sever the one last shred of goodness she'd seen within him. No - what was she saying? He'd just dismembered a fellow wolf for no reason! That shred was gone! Demyan was capable of anything now. Orica remembered what he'd said to her when he'd told her to leave. He'd killed many wolves already and he'd enjoyed it. There was nothing stopping him from adding one, perhaps two more to the list of the dead. ...Nothing except a slip of a medic he'd met once before. "Orica." The grim trophy fell away from the male's muzzle, and Orica shivered, willing her eyes not to look at it. But she didn't know which was paining her worse - the blood or Demyan's eyes. What a tortured mix of emotion was there - surprise not the least among them. Orica looked for the guilt that had kept his head hung and his eyes averted the first time they had spoken, but there was none. Orica saw only conflict and anger and the raw lust for blood. "I can't... I can't stop." "Then you'll have to go through me"; that seemed like the most obvious reply. If this had been a far off tale, that's exactly what the hero would've said. But Orica wasn't any grand, ferice hero. She was just a little girl. Saying something like that was just an open invitation for him to try and then what? She'd be powerless against a beast that size. And the truth was... she didn't want to hurt Demyan even if she could - not really. But- but this was going too far! And it was her fault! She was the one who'd saved his life! Who'd believed in him! Who'd kept his soul from passing on into the next world. Instead she'd made sure that it was still here inside the body that seemed to enjoy tearing things apart. At the time... at the time it had seemed like the right thing to do. She'd been conflicted yes, but she'd stayed and she'd helped the male... she'd even passed the night curled up beside him, and left in the morning with a warm heart. Had feelings swayed her decision that day? Yes! Of course! One could say that Orica knew nothing of love - but that wasn't true. She loved every wolf! She'd been birthed with such a sincere appreciation for life that it was impossible not to. Even so, Demyan was special - he'd protected her, saved her from the pink-eyed woman. It had meant so much to her then.... And this was how the story would end? With Demyan returning to the cunning, blood-thirsty demon he'd been before? -Of course- thought a little voice sadly. Why did Orica think it could ever be different? Orica had heard tales of bad wolves who had repented and changed and become good - but she'd heard even more stories about the bad wolves who just staid evil. Who kept spreading pain and loss across the world until finally some good wolf came along and chewed their head off. If the girl hadn't been so scared, she would've started crying. This was a sudden shock that went straight to her soul. "Demyan," she panted, trembling. "Please. Don't..." The words came soft and low, having to be pushed out through her choking throat. |