ain't no grave deep enough for my sins

The raspy thanks he got in response from Ghoul was promising, it meant he was at least lucid enough right now to understand what was going on around him. Anxiety tightened his chest as he stared at the taupe furred boy laying at the base of the statue, unable to move and unable to defend himself if necessary. He would need to move quickly, and if no one else showed up to help.. well. He might have to try and set those broken bones himself... somehow. He'd seen his sister practicing her herbology, but that was nothing like setting a bone. As he plunged into the thick, humid undergrowth of the forest he forced his concern away. There was no time to worry. For now he needed to focus on what was in front of him. There were vines all over, plenty of young trees to strip for branches to use in a stretcher for his brother. The ferns that sprung up in dense clusters all around the bases of the trees could be spread over a stretcher to make a more stable platform.

His pale form moved through the shadows, quick enough to be played off as a flash of mist as he slipped under overhanging vines and massive leaves. The lower portions of his limbs were soaked through with damp in no time, but he paid it no heed. Once he found it almost impossible to breach the undergrowth, he knew it was time to set to gathering materials. Being a big wolf had its advantages, and he could easily throw his weight around when grabbing hold of thick vines that draped over the gnarled branches of the old growth trees that populated the deepest region of the forest. The weaker branches snapped and tumbled to the forest floor with a thunderous crash that sent the local wildlife scattering in every direction. Silence was not the name of the game today, but speed. He didn't care if every predator or prey animal from here to the coast knew his exact location.

The branches that nearly crushed him with each length of vine collected were a bonus, each one well suited to carrying his brother back to safety. If he lashed a few together, they would be plenty sturdy. The pallid prince needed to be cautious as he wrapped each vine around his neck to carry, so he didn't choke himself. It was only as he bundled the branches together with one last vine that he realized his legs were shaking. This was a whole lot of work, and now he had to haul it all back to the shrine, before he could get to work and even start to think about getting Ghoul home. With a heavy sigh, he shook his head and got moving again. The way the forest grew steadily lighter as he approached the clearing was the only indication that he was moving in the right direction. The vegetation grew so close that it covered up the evidence of his earlier flight from the statue.

Viscera let out a grunt as he dropped his materials beside Ghoul, and flopped onto his haunches. Covered in mud and bits of lichen, he looked more like his twin than he did himself. The lengths he went to keep his family safe.. "Ghoul," he said, loud enough that he should have been able to wake his brother if he'd fallen asleep. "open your eyes. Talk to me, alright? You shouldn't fall asleep right now, not until we can get you to a proper healer." he warned, unravelling the myriad vines from around his neck and setting them aside. Deft claws sorted through the half dozen branches that he'd collected, mentally mapping out how he wanted them to fit together.