I swallow my words to keep from lying. I swallow my face just to keep from biting, I, I.. I swallowed my breath and went deep, I was diving, diving- I surfaced when all of my being was enlightened. I'm in hiding. ----- His limbs were shaking the more he walked, he'd never experienced pain quite like this before. He hadn't been maimed in the fight with his brother, fortunately, but his wounds still honestly scared him. He didn't quite understand how easily he could bruise, how one slip up could result in him hurting himself. With his jowls clamped shut, he pressed on in search of somewhere to hide until he was able to heal and return to Ivalice without anyone questioning what had happened to him. If Ramsay wanted to tattle on himself, that was his prerogative but Vadim would not allow them both to show up wounded so people could put the pieces of the puzzle together. He'd lost, so he'd be the one to leave until things settled down. With blood trickling down his leg from the deep bite wound on his elbow, he stopped at one of the mouths entrancing the cave system within the mountain. This was his first time out in this area, but a warm shelter where no one could see him seemed too good to be true. Blood stained the snow around him when he finally gained enough courage to move inside, his pale figure swallowed by the veil of the shade within.

She didn't often come up to the frozen north, but she had heard rumors that the snow had totally melted. It wouldn't be as hot as it had been in the east, and she hoped that it allowed the herbs to flourish there. The water was lacking back home, and they desperately needed rain. So with her big leaves and vines wrapped around her legs that she had gathered from the other continent, she headed up there. It had been quite awhile since she had come north, most likely since she left her home here with Athena. Or was there a time after that? It was hard to remember, but no matter! She was back, and hopeful to stock up her stores. If she found a few good places, she would have to make trips up here more often. Well, until the snow came back that was. The tiny woman was not overly fond of the cold substance, and she shuddered at the thought of it. Her boys and mate were made for the colder weather while she was not. Making her way through the lands, the scent of blood suddenly hit her right in the face. Blinking, her russet head whipped around to try and see if the injured wolf was around. She put her nose to the ground and followed the trail. She didn't care if the wolf was angry, she needed to see if they were okay. The coppery smell led her to the mouth of the den, and she paused at the mouth of it. Her grey marked paw rose, her eyes narrowing to gaze in the darkened area. "Hello?" she called softly, sniffing as she stepped into the cave. Amalia shook her head though and returned back to outside; a cornered and wounded animal was a dangerous one. So she sat her tiny body at the entrance, trying to spot a figure inside. "My name is Amalia, I am a healer. I can help you if you come out here and help me," There was an obvious motherly tone to her voice, and it was hard to fake the sweet tone that she just naturally had. She wanted to help who ever was in there, no matter their mood. "Speech"

He had just settled down inside one of the turn offs within the cave, attempting to curl his body so that he could lick at the wound on his elbow and slow the bleeding that had occurred during his travel. His ear flickered toward the sound of crunching snow, paying attention to the foot falls long before he'd heard her voice. His first thought was that someone from Ivalice had followed him out here, perhaps even Ramsay to see if he was okay? That would be somewhat comforting, but then what if it wasn't anyone from Ivalice at all... what if it was a lone wolf looking to prey on a young, wounded wolf as an easy meal? His heartbeat quickened, his chest tightening as his pupils dilated, waiting for what was to come. Then, the words of an angel echoed through the cave and softly kissed his trembling ears. 'Hello?', he held his breath, waiting to see if she'd say anything else while he remained quiet. Then, she spoke again with a charming, nurturing tone unlike one that he'd ever known. How could anything with a voice that sweet be dangerous? He waited a moment, gathering courage before he finally lifted himself up and came around the corner of the cave to stare out into the entrance and look upon her russet visage, blue eyes piercingly placed like reflective marbles amidst a sea of red. He kept his head low, submissive as he would flirt with the side-ways casting light that came in from the mouth of the den, then finally he would allow it to unveil the silhouette of his face. "Hello," he said quietly, eyes never once leaving her though they were round and pleading. "I am Vadim. Are you really a healer?" His boyish voice held the ring of hope, undoubtedly.

Amalia would not give up, she wouldn't give up on this injured wolf. She stood there waiting, quickly going through herbs that she would need to patch up whoever was hurt in there. It smelled like there was at least one major wound, but it seemed fresh and without infection. Good, clean wounds were a lot easier to work with. She only had to wait a little bit longer, and she heard the shuffling of paws inside the cavern. Her ears perked on the top of her head, a small voice calling out in return. He only sounded like a child! Her heart dropped to her paws, and she wanted to race in there and just cuddle the crap out of him. Poor boy, to be hurt and all alone like this? Still the tiny woman waited, and his head finally poked out of the darkness, asking if she was really a healer. Her eyes squinted as she tried to see his wounds, but it was hard when he was still concealing most of himself in the darkness. Looking back up at his wide eyes, her heart darn near broke at his little face. Well, not little. There wasn't much that was small compared to the itty bitty wolf. "Yes Vadim, I would never lie about that. I promise that I am here to help you, child. Come on out so I can get a good look at you, okay?" Her voice was as sweet as honey, calming tones hoping to ease any fear he may have. She couldn't imagine finding one of her kids like this, she would probably be thrown into a fit of rage. A mad Amalia was kind of funny, but still! She would tract down whoever did this and... and sic Athena on them! Nodding her head at her own inner thoughts, she stepped back to allow the boy some room to come out where he wouldn't be so crowed. "Come on love, I will make it all better. And then maybe we can get you something to eat. Would you like that?" she asked, dipping her head down to try and nuzzle his cheek in a motherly way. The healer was many things, but she was always a lover. For a pup this young to be out alone and hurt... it was terrible. Ama was going to make sure that she took the best of care with him. "Speech"

Vadim was no whelpling anymore, but at 7 months, he still held the obviously lanky frame (with an exception to his rounded belly) of a youth just now hitting the hormones of a pre-teen. He was still very boyish, and the way he felt at the moment- scared and alone- definitely aided to the cherubic look pups often held. As she requested that he come out entirely, he waited for her to move back so that he had room to do so safely, then he deemed it safe and came on out with his entire demeanor ultimately submissive; submission being quite a change in the boy's behavior, but she had little knowledge of that. As he entered the light, the blood staining his body in various areas that had yet to be cleaned would give away the harsher of his wounds. His bruises on his chin and chest were hidden, sore but not radiating a burning pain like the moderate lacerations on his right shoulder, at the front where his shoulder meets his chest, and the severe lacerations on his elbow, right below the tender flesh of his armpit; the front from grazing teeth scratching across his skin and the elbow from an actual landed bite. Although the bleeding of his tongue had slowed, the severity that it had bled with at first still made him slightly concerned about the puncture wounds his teeth had put through it, so lifting his bloodied chin he'd open his maw and present his coiled tongue, pink froth made up of a mix of saliva and blood surrounding it. He closed it again after he was sure that she got a good look at it and perked his ears obviously toward the mention of food. If it wasn't obvious by the gut that pulled on his stomach, the boy had an appetite unlike any other and would nod his head in compliance quite eagerly.

As soon as Vadim stepped into the light, she saw just how matted his coat was with blood. A small gasp left her mouth, her blue eyes wide. Amalia's brows pulling together as she took in a deep breath, carefully walking up to him to check him out. She kept her gaze on his face, worried by his submissive state. She wasn't going to do a thing to him that would be mean or cruel, so it made her feel like he might be a tentative patience. Well, she was a stranger, so it was good that the child was wary of her. Her eye was drawn to his shoulder first, the worst of his wounds. It still freely bleed, and she knew that she had to stun it right away. It would seem that both his elbow and his armpit had been hit, would would be a hard area to press anything against. Quietly she muttered under her breath, hating that she hadn't brought any of her herbs with her. And then she remembered her vines and large leaves that she had taken from the jungle. Oh, that would work! Dipping down, she undid the vines and grabbed one of the leaves that was wrapped around her left front leg, placing it carefully against the wound in his armpit. It was large enough to cover the elbow as well. It would work for now, until she found some other supplies. Lifting up one of the vines with her free paw, she sat down on her rump and put as little pressure on Vadim as possible, wrapping the vine around his leg and looping it around his elbow before tucking the end under all the loops. Pulling it tight, she stepped back and onto all fours again. Hmm, not perfect, but it would do for now. That is when she noticed that his mouth was open, frothly red spit telling her that the poor dear had his tongue bit. There really wasn't much she could offer for that, but the tongue healed very quickly. Quickly her mind went over what she would need, looking the young boy over again. "Okay love, do you have any bruising that's bad?" she asked, needing to know if she had to search for something like that too. Freeing the other leaf that was wrapped around her leg, she started to survay the area around her. Drat, it looked like she had to leave him for a little bit. "Vadim, I need to go and grab some herbs. Will you be alright on your own for a moment? I swear that I am coming back, but I didn't bring my supplies with me," Amalia searched his face, ducking her head down a little to try and meet his gaze. She hated that he was acted so afraid, he must had been hurt really badly. Letting out a low whine, she stepped forward and tried to nuzzle her red face into his fluffy chest. The tiny woman was trying her best to offer him some kind of comfort, it broke her heart to see someone so young like this. "Maybe I can catch you a rabbit on the way too, I can bring you the biggest one I find!" Her cheery voice pipped up as she stepped back, a smile on her motherly face. No, she had not missed the perk in his ears when she mentioned food, and his rounded belly was evidence enough that he liked to eat. "Speech"

He watched her as she unwrapped her legs, having not the slightest idea what she intended to do with the leaves and vines. He'd never needed a healer before, never been interested in healer training, so this was all new to him. He watched as she got closer to his elbow and naturally, his hackles lifted a little bit but he willed his muscles to relax, even when she finally applied pressure. A wince wrinkled his face, but other than that he remained strong as she did what she needed to do to help stop the bleeding. To be honest, the vine adornments were kind've cool. They looked neat on Amalia, he only imagined they looked alright on him too! He turned his head to look at the work she'd done as she asked about bruising, his orange gaze drifting up to her own sapphires. "Yes, my chin feels like it's going to split. And right in the middle of my chest..." He wrinkled his nose sideways in distaste, "I think I'll be okay, though.." He really had only been worried about his bleeding and she was already doing her best to put an end to that. He was reluctant when she stepped forward to nuzzle him, but there was a slight wag in his tail and a pain in his heart that yearned for the comfort, and desperately. She came to his chest, too.. and that was a relief, but he lowered his neck to return the nuzzle.. trying to his best to use the side of his snout and spare her any unwanted dried blood smudging into her fur. "Thank you," he smiled. He would be strong while she was away, his hope and confidence slowly returning to him. When she mentioned a rabbit, he licked his chops at the thought and grinned, her cheery voice contagious. "I will catch you one, too! When I'm better. I promise. I caught a bird once, I can do it." He said, grinning as he puffed out his chest proudly.

The poor dear mentioned his chin, and she nodded her head slowly. Okay, so she needed some horsetail for that armpit wound for sure, and she doubted that she would be able to find lambs ear up here to wrap it with. Horsetail would have to do, it was a pretty hardy plant. Marshmallow would help the smaller wounds, but she had a feeling that that wouldn't be here either. Letting out a sigh, she could look for meadowsweet instead and use it as a general pain killer, it would help with the bruising too. Oh, and yarrow! There would be some of that up here, she had no doubt about that. Her bunny tail quivered, and she looked back to his face as he said that he would be okay though. Amalia sharply shook her head, she wasn't giving up on him just yet. He needed some herbs to help him out and make sure that he didn't get infected. "It's okay love, you aren't putting me out at all. I came up here for herbs, but maybe something else called me up here, mm? I was meant to come and help you baby, and I will take good care of you," The motherly wolf nodded her head in more affirmation, going to give him a great big hug. She wasn't stupid, she felt him tense up, but she didn't care. The poor boy just needed a really good cuddle, they fixed everything! He even tipped his head down slightly, making Amalia push herself -- gently -- further against his chest with a soft sigh. Cuddles were the best, and he was so fluffy that she could just vanish into his poofy fur. "See? Hugs make everything better," she said softly, before tearing herself from his chest. She had to go and get his herbs. Her mood seemed to be catching on, and a huge smile split her lips. She felt better leaving him in this mood, and she vowed to move as fast as her little legs would carry her. "I will be quick as a bunny, okay?" Taking a step back, she hesitated and eyed him for a moment. It was very hard to leave him all by herself, and it was evident that she was struggling to do so. With a reassuring smile, she finally turned herself around and took off. Racing fast, longing already to get back to Vadim, she tried to look for her herbs. Horsetail was the first that she found, and quickly picking a thick stock she moved on. It took her awhile to find the next one, but soon enough a clump of meadowsweet was in her sights. Amalia practically jumped at the small white flowers, dropping the horsetail to pick an older bloom. Standing for a moment to catch her breath, she tried to think about what she needed again. Yarrow, right! Taking off again before she could calm her racing heart, her hunt for yarrow took her further and further from Vadim. At last she had everything, and had been gone for about half an hour. The tiny woman let out a howl to let the boy know that he was coming, racing back to the cave. When she got there at last, she dropped the herbs and quickly flopped on her side. Her flanks heaved with effort to pull air into her lungs, her tongue flopping out of her mouth as she started to pant. The tiny wolf was unable to talk, she had pushed herself to hard to get back as quickly as she could. As soon as she was able to breath like normal, she picked herself up and shook out her pale coat. Wasting no time, she got right to work. The worst had to be dealt with first, so she took the stocky frond of the horsetail and went over to his shoulder. Removing her leaf binding, she chewed the herb as her nose wrinkled up at the bitter taste. It was so sticky, but that was the point. Using her tongue, she carefully applied it to the wound on his elbow before tying it back up. She would be sad to lose her jungle vine and leaf, but he clearly needed it more than she did. Going back over to her yarrow, she started to chew that up as she nosed the meadowsweet over to him. "Eat this love, it will help with pain and brusing, and a bit of this yarrow," Taking the rest for herself, she started to apply it to his lesser wounds. Once she was pleased, she stepped back and took a seat in front of him. Looking him over again with her brows knit together, she didn't nod until she was pleased with her work. Looking back at his orange eyes, a smile took over her features again. "Now, about that rabbit that I promised. Shall we go for a little hunt?" "Speech"

He winced a little as she worked and looked at the flowers and herbs she'd nosed toward him and instructed him to eat. For once, he was a bit reluctant. He hadn't ate plants since his first time leaving the den with his father, and he'd heeded his fathers warning that some could be dangerous to ingest. He looked at her again, ,as if unsure, but then trustingly lowered his head and used his tongue to pull them into his mouth. His lips peeled back as he chewed awkwardly, trying to adjust to the taste. It was.. almost good, the taste of the meadowsweet was okay but those flowers held a potent and bitter taste that made his nose curl. He swallowed quickly, barely chewing the rest of the way, and tried his best not to think about the pain of her pressure while wrapping his wounds. When she was finished there was a radiating soreness from the agitation, but oddly he was already beginning to feel better. Perhaps it was her loving nature and way she cared for him, he had no idea that anyone could be so sweet and part of him found it... odd.. but undeniably delightful. He nodded with a smile when she mentioned a hunt and craned his fluffy neck to look at his wounds the best he could. "Will I be able to run?" He didn't want to destroy the hard work she'd done, so he thought he might as well ask permission. For once. Heh.

Amalia was impressed with just how good he was listening. He hesitated a little bit taking the herbs, but he still took them without question. She thought about explaining to him what they did, but he seemed far more interested in food. She laughed softly, walking over to his shoulder to check the binding that she had made. Her ears quivered when he asked if he could run, and the healer quickly shook her head. "No, I had a bit of a plan. I passed a warren on my way back, and I was thinking that you could lay in wait and I could corral one of them towards you, and you can get it from there. Does that sound okay?" she asked. Waiting for his answer, she did another quick once over. There were no other wounds that she missed, and the leaf seemed to holding rather well. The chewed up horsetail was aiding it in sticking to the wound, and she gave it a few quick sniffs. She couldn’t smell any new blood, but she didn’t want to peel the frond back to check. For now she would have to take it, and after he moved around a bit she would check it again. Coming back in front of the boy, she looked at his mouth. "Can I see your tongue again, love?" she asked. It should have stopped bleeding by now, maybe some water or even some snow would help soothe any sting. "Speech"

So he would be the one allowed to ensure that they secured a catch? He grinned wide at the thought of that, his tail swaying just slightly behind him as he looked up to her and continued to listen. 'Does that sound okay?' He would nod quickly, eager to get this little hunt under way. "Yes, of course! I can do that." As she began looking him over, he stilled his tail and did his best not to move. She seemed happy with the way her work was holding together, and that honestly made him feel a bit better when wondering about his own well-being. Now, he just had to play the waiting game and get these wounds to heal.. then, he could return home and make sure Ramsay's wounds hadn't festered, either.. and not one of them will be expected of fighting! At least, that is what he had hoped for the outcome of all this to be. Honestly, he was already starting to miss his brother.. but his 'brow dots furrowed together as he resented just how strongly he wanted to be around him again. Why? After what he had pulled..? Why did he want to go back? He was pulled out of his thoughts when she asked to see his tongue and he nodded, lifting his skull to split open his jowls and let that red muscle hang freely from them so she could see the end of it. He'd pierced it straight through and torn the edge of it when pulling his tongue back, there would be a permanent nick on the right end of the muscle for the rest of his life. He was starting to realize it wasn't as bad of a wound as he'd initially thought, it was the beginning rush of blood that flooded his senses that scared him, but by now it had stopped nearly completely, perhaps with the help of her herbs? That had to be it, he thought, and he was glad for that!

His excitement to hunt was growing contagious, and she grinned as she waited to see his tongue. He put a hole right through the tip of it, something that would most likely not grow back. It had almost stopped bleeding though, which was good. The mouth and head bled the most out of any body part, but they also healed the quickest. It would have probably seemed like a lot of blood to the young man who probably didn't know this fact. It was also pretty rare to get infected, but she would check it out again after they ate. She couldn't keep the boy waiting any longer though, he would probably wither up if they didn't leave soon! Giggling softly, she turned and headed back to the warren that she saw before. They would need a place for him to hide in wait as well. Leading the way, her tiny paws followed the same path that she had taken there. When she saw a small bundle of bushes, she stopped and sniffed at them. The wind was going against them here, but she hoped that she would be able to herd them towards Vadim's waiting jaws. At least the shrubs would provide some sort of cover, it would just be a bit more work on her part. But he deserved it, he had been such a good little patient! Pointing to the hiding spot with her nose, she took a few more steps before looking at the taller boy. "You lay in wait there, okay? I will drive some lunch right over to you," she said with a breathy laugh. Hopefully this would all work out! Leaving his side once more, she picked her way carefully to the warren. Just as she was getting there when a large rabbit was about to go in, springs of grass still in its mouth. Crouching down, she let out a sharp bark and dove forward, blocking it from the hole. It let out a squeak, and started to race in the opposite direction of Vadim. No no, that would not do! Letting out a little growl she booked it after the rabbit, jumping over it and landing just in front of it. It turned the other way and took off, Amalia hot on its heels. Finally it was headed in the right direction, hopefully it would stay on course. "Speech"

His interest in this hunt was beyond comparison to anything he'd ever experienced from either parent of his. While he did not resent them, he was beginning to understand that not all adults were elusive and boring. There had been a time when he'd viewed his dad as a mind that harbored all the secrets of the world, and now he simply.. had no idea who his dad was, exactly. He hoped that would change, but for now, this woman in front of him was his teacher and he her pet. He followed the tiny woman eagerly, not finding it difficult to keep up with her even with his wounds and he was thankful for that. When they'd approached the bushes, he let his own nose sniff at the leaves while his molten stare drifted over to her as if waiting for the words that he knew would come. As she instructed, he'd smile and nestle in behind the bushes, his ears perking at her laugh. He watched her walk away and set his head down on his front paws, peeking beneath the leaves at the edge of the bush to see anything that might be coming down the path while he listened with his ears. When she'd let out a bark, his ears shot down out of reaction but immediately picked themselves back up as he kept his eyes glued on what may be coming. It felt like eons, and he heard her move around.. something must have went wrong, because it sounded as though she had gotten farther. Then, he could hear her and the tiny scampering of the rabbit getting louder, they were heading this way! When he saw the rabbit, he pushed with his hind limbs to slide himself out in front of it and obstruct it's path. His forelimbs widened ahead of him, aiming themselves around the rabbit while his jowls swung open. It was awkward at first, the rabbit ran straight into his chest but kicked off and tried to find a way out that wasn't blocked by one of Vadim's limbs. In it's confusion, Vadim took his first lunge with his jaws, aiming to snap them at the butt of the rabbit. He felt them pinch the rabbit's flesh and felt the pulling of it's muscles as it kicked frantically. It started to squirm and Vadim nearly thought he'd lose it's hold as he found his feet and brought himself to a stand. One quick shake was all it took to render those hind-legs useless for the rabbit, severing the vertebrae in it's spine as he thrashed. When he was finished, the rabbit was still alive but now paralyzed and in shock from the pain. It wasn't pretty, but it hunting never really was, was it? He looked up, his eyes searching for Amalia with a grin on his face. When he found her, he'd wag his tail and hold the rabbit up in pride.. but, it seemed the bindings around his chest had been damaged when he'd rolled out to stop the rabbit. :C Oops.

She was quick to herd the bunny towards Vadim's waiting jaws, and when she got close enough she stopped and panted slightly. She watched carefully as he slid out of hiding and bit down on the bunny, who kicked off his chest and tried to get away. The tiny woman stood ready just in case it got free, her legs bent and her head lowered. When she saw the boy shake the rabbit and look up at her with pride, her eyes shot quickly to the still living bunny. Rushing over, she bit down on it's neck until she heard a snap, a sad look on her face. Did he not realize what had happened? Looking up at him, she smiled slightly but her emotions were evident in her gaze. "You have to make sure when you hunt that you kill the poor thing as quickly as you can. You probably snapped it's spine but it pinched the nerves instead of severing them, not killing the rabbit. We have to eat to live just as all creatures do, but it doesn't mean that we let them suffer. Okay?" Amalia said softly. It was a lesson all children had to learn in her opinion. Not all wolves may feel the same way as her, but she was a healer. Her life had been dedicated to lessen the suffering of wolves, to see it done so casually bothered her. Not that she placed any blame on Vadim, he probably didn't know any better. Leaning over, she touched her nose to his cheek and motioned for him to come out further. She needed to check his binding now that he had moved around a bit. Walking over to his hurt shoulder, she saw that the vine had come loose. Mmm... was there a better way to keep it bound fast to him? She wasn't sure, but at least now she could peek at the wound. The bleeding had stopped, and the horsetail was still packed on tight. Good, it would heal quite nicely. She tied the vine back up, this time as tightly as she could without hurting him. She wished that she had more supplies, but it would have to do for now. Stepping back, she looked up at him again with a tender smile on her lips. "Do you feel better? Anything hurting at all?" she asked, her stump of a tail wagging behind her. "Speech"

His aura of pride slowly started to die as he noticed the frown on her face. He didn't quite understand, but as he listened to her lesson he found himself going through a mix of emotions. He tried to understand, and the trial was evident on his features as he went through various stages of 'oooh' 'oooh?' 'oooh!' So rabbits had feelings just like wolves did? They weren't just brainless, walking snacks? His features drooped as he began to feel a sense of guilt about it, and he nodded up to her in agreement. No animal should have to suffer like that, especially if they could feel it the same as he felt the sting of Ramsay's wounds on him now, and the soreness of those bruises. He could only imagine what it felt like for the rabbit after what Vadim did to him, yikes. While he felt the guilt, it was obvious his tummy wasn't thinking the same. A loud and audible grrrowl vibrated in his gut and he tried his best not to let the rabbit slip through his drooling jaws. He readjusted it in his mouth and let her rebind him back to perfect condition! He'd started to nod to her first question, then shook his head at the second- things were still sore, but nothing that he needed to worry her with! He wagged his tail as she wiggled that nubbin' and watched her carefully. Did they eat here? Did they carry it back home-- oh, wait.. she wasn't from home.. and he couldn't go home currently. He sighed out of his nose, the result being a sort of snort before he dropped the rabbit and plopped down with it. "Do you want the top half, or the bottom half.. or perhaps the back, or the belly? Or should we split right down the middle, you take the left.. I'll take the right?" Geez there were a lot of ways to do this, he was getting tired just by thinking about all their options! Or.. was he just tired in general? It'd been a long day, after all!

Amalia watched the changes of expressions on Vadim's face as he slowly figured things out. Did his parents never go over the importance of all living things? The circle of life? She tsked her tongue, shaking her head slowly. It was a pretty important thing to learn. She fell silent for a moment, wondering if she should educate him on the topic or leave it how it was. While she thought, he went on about the ways to split the bunny. His stomach had rumbled rather loudly, and Amalia couldn't help but chuckle. "Go ahead darling, you eat it all. I ate before coming to the north. You were such a good boy for me today, you deserve it," she said softly in her loving tone. But she wasn't done with him yet, he needed to know a bit more on why she said what she said. Clearing her throat slightly, she got comfortable before diving into her story. "All living things feel and breathe like we do. While the lesser mammals don't have quite as much thought power as we do, they have families that they care for and that the strive to protect. Even a mother rabbit will work her hardest to defend her young. They all have instincts and stick with them, sometimes you can even see personalities in the animals around you," she started, her voice flowing like a soft brook as she wove her tale. "But because of the circle of life, we must kill to eat. This is how life is, a mouse eats seeds, a snake eats the mouse, a bird eats the snake, and we may eat the bird. Everything has a purpose on the food chain and they sustain some sort of animal. Squirrels may eat nuts, but because they store them and often forget, a new tree may grow. They keep the forests new and alive while also feeding animals on the food chain above them. Without one, the whole system would crash into nothingness, and life as we know it would cease to exist," It wasn't her goal to frighten the child, but he needed to know how everything worked around here. "So if you ever look at a animal and wonder what it does, just remember that it does serve some purpose in the greater scheme of things. Something we may call 'easy prey' is like that for a reason. A sick or injured deer slows down a herd, and we stop that. We keep the rabbit population in check so they don't grow overabundant and eat all the grasses and seeds. Everything happens for a reason, even if you can't find it right away," That was something that she believed with all of her heart. Realizing that she had gone on for a little bit now, she let out a laugh and sheepishly grinned at the young boy. "Listen to me, rambling on like this. Well... there you have it! Unless you have any questions, I won't bore you anymore," she said with another giggle. Once she got going, it was quite hard to stop her. "Speech"

When she gave him the go ahead, the twinkle in his eyes was near impossible to miss. He could have it all? She didn't want any of it? He began salivating immediately as he wrapped his forelimbs around the body of the bunny and pulled it closer to him. Just when he was about to sink his teeth in, she started with her tale and at first it captivated him. He put his food on hold as he listened, but about halfway through the short attention span of his youth kicked in and he found himself dying to dig in to his meal. Every word kept him hanging, and soon it seemed as though she would never stop! He tried his best to pay attention, but he was failing miserably.. until she got to the part about eating sick deers and rabbits, mmm. He could eat a few animals for the sake of life, that was no problem! When she giggled at the end of it all, he found himself giggling too as he wagged his tail and gave her a nod. "I think I understand. Everything we eat has instincts, families that they want to protect. By eating prey, we are keeping the circle of life going! It all has a purpose. Right?" Typical child, asking for confirmation as to the accuracy of his thoughts. He hoped he got it right, but after he was finished talking he couldn't help but continue to glance from her to the rabbit as if asking permission to go ahead and eat without being rude!

there were no cracks to grasp or gaps to claw

Of course he and Ash were on the right trail. The frantic man had even snapped at Ash once because of his worry. Now the almost yearling understood why. This was her brother and her dad's son he was talking about Liar had searched and searched dragging her along with him. His ears perked forward, tail fluffed up. Never had his creme colored daughter seen him so..... emotional. The usually devout of emotion man was near tears because he actually believed that Vadim was in some sort of danger. So god speed to the exotic male as he weaved within the scent of his son. As he made his way through the caves he stopped when he saw him. His son with another female, though he held no hostility towards her.

Even if it wasn't welcome to Vadim Liar started to bound towards him stopping when he noticed his wounds. He couldn't help himself as his ears pinned against his head. "Vadim Armada you scared the living daylights out of me boy!" he hissed slightly with concern covering his features. "What would I have done if you died? And you're hurt, are you alright son?" he looked him over and then turned towards the female. "I thank the gods someone found you and didn't try to eat you."he chuckled as he swallowed slightly. Crying slightly but calming himself as he sat on his haunches. He dipped his head, "I apologize my name is Liar Walker I am Vadim's father. This is his sister Ash Walker." he gestured towards Ash.

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TAGGED // YESH

sucré @ gs

It was almost hard to keep up with her dad. As Ash carried on behind him, her curosity had beaten her with the way he acted. Once they showed up to the scene though, she could see his concern was well spent. Ash suspicious of the stranger, went to try and stand in front of Vadim with a grumpy face. Looking towards Vadim as she furrowed her brows. She really didn't have to say anything as she gently tried to nuzzle her brother if he so allowed it. "You should at least tell dad if you're leaving." she mumbled for a moment. Why did her brothers insist on being so foolish?! Then again she understood Greed had ambitions to follow. Regardless of her siblings flaws she would always love them. Though of course the princess was going to favor some company over others. And Vadim was one of them. "Talk"

She beamed at him when he answered, eagerly nodding her head. Right before she was going to talk she was interrupted by someone running in. She blinked at their sudden appearance, but quickly learned that they were the boys father and sister. Her face made a little o and she found herself taking a step back, suddenly feeling like she was intruding. In one part she wanted to ask him just why he hadn't been teaching Vadim important lessons. However, that was not her place. Dipping her head when they got introduced, she instead stepped forward to take one last look at his wounds. "Take care, Vadim. You call me if you need anything, okay? I will be up here in a jiffy," she said in a soft whisper, meant for his ears only. Turning back to Lair and Ash, flashing her signature smile. "I am Amalia, but I will take my leave now that you're here. He's all patched up, don't worry," giving her head another dip, she backed up before skipping away. If they called after her she would pause, but she had no need to stay now. -exit unless stopped- "Speech"