Everything was dark, it had been dark for a while. She couldn't remember how she got here or when. She didn't even know where she was. She couldn't see anything, she felt like she wasn't even breathing. Maybe she wasn't. It wasn't... relieving. It was in some way but, she didn't want to die. She didn't want to never see her family again. A family she may have nearly forgotten, but they weren't. She thought of them on the darkest nights, the hardest hours. She wondered what her life would be like if she was still in the castle. She wondered what they were doing in her absence.

Well, she had thought. Right now, there was nothing. Her body laid out inside the floor of the cathedral. It was dark but maybe that was because of the sanctuary the grapevines cast overhead. She was completely unconscious for some time, limp right there on the plush floor. Ropes were bound around her neck and waist, she was bleeding from the fight she had to get away from her captors, gripped around her throat and lashed along the midsection on each side of her spine with a few other bites around her shoulders and sides. Somehow she made it here. Somehow she outran them. And she did feel safe in some way even if not aware.

She gasped for air but didn't move her legs or the rest of her body, she still wasn't really conscious but it was almost like a jolt of life ran through her. She wasn't in a bad fatal situation, but she was bleeding, weak, and tired. She'd probably be okay on her own, only if she wasn't found. She still laid there one with the grounds of the cathedral only lost in an emptiness of her unconscious mind.

"Asheila"

Walking toward the Grapevine Cathedral with Kane at her side, she was fully taking advantage of the fact that their pups were now old enough to be on their own for short periods of time. She still insisted that they stay close to whatever den they had made where they had settled for a period of time, but she trusted that they would do that so she and Kane could have a bit of time to themselves. The Cathedral was just a short walk away, but she was familiar with the area and knew how secluded it could be so it made for the perfect spot for a little date of sorts. She leaned into his side a bit as they walked, peering up at him with a loving smile. She adored being a mother like nothing else and she would never trade that for the world, but it did certainly make having time alone as a couple more challenging. Just as she was slowing her steps so that she could reach up to give her handsome mate a kiss she happened to catch the scent of blood on the air. It wasn't just blood though—that scent carried a deeply familiar scent with it as well.

The realization made her stop, her expression quickly showing her concern as her mint gaze turned away from Kane to the forest around them. "Do you smell that...?" she asked in a whisper, her ears perked as she listened for any noise or movement in the dampened quiet of the dense foliage around them. Any other plans or thoughts she had were immediately disrupted and with one more concerned glance toward Kane she set off to track down the source of the scent, half hoping and half dreading that she was right. It was the kind of thing that she wanted to be wrong and right at the same time. She hadn't seen her daughter in so long so she was slightly hopeful that it really was her and she wasn't just imagining things, but the metallic tang of blood that was mingled in with her scent made dread creep over her at what they might find.

Her fears were realized when she spotted the black and gray form of her long lost daughter laying on the ground, her heart clenching in her chest. "Ash?!" she gasped, immediately taking off and bolting over to her daughter's side. She skidded to a stop and fell to the ground beside her, her ears pined to her head as she took in Ashelia's state. The ropes, bites, and lashes all told a story that Tamsyn wasn't sure she was ready to hear, but she was breathing which at least gave her the smallest bit of comfort. She knew she didn't need to ask Kane to help her so she instead started doing what she could and started carefully and gently unwinding the ropes from around Ash's neck, having to bite through part of it to cut them free. Meanwhile, she looked up at the forest around them, looking to make sure that whoever did this wasn't near by and just waiting in the shadows to attack again.

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley

Being a parent had been every bit as amazing as he had hoped it would be. It was also every bit as exhausting as he'd been warned by his own parents it would be too! Kane adored his children, loved his family with all his heart and soul, but by the Moon and Stars, was he feeling it deep in his bones. It had been an age since he and Tamsyn had gotten any sort of alone time as a couple—not since before their children were born—but now as the pups were growing into their adolescent years and becoming more mature and independent, they could start to let them wander around the territories they camped in without being so strictly supervised. That gave him and his gorgeous mate plenty of time to wander off and have some private adult time together, a prescription they both needed badly.

This was one such day. The pups were exploring the nearby Cattail Creek and playing in the shallow streams while he and Tamsyn made their way over to the privacy of the Grapevine Cathedral, still close enough to respond to a call in a heartbeat, but just far enough away that he could be romantic with his mate without fear of an unexpected puppy interruption. Glancing down at his little blackbird by his side, Kane returned Tam's easy, loving smile, hazel eyes shining with the deep affection he felt in his heart for her. He leaned down to meet and return her kiss with one of his own, already looking forward to losing themselves in the thick canopy of the grapevines where they would be undisturbed. It seemed fate had a different plan for them this day, however, for as soon as they entered the cathedral, Tamsyn stopped dead in her tracks, her nose twitching while she questioned if he smelled something. Furrowing his brow, Kane sampled the air. Immediately the familiar stench of copper and iron hit his nares and his heart wrenched. "Mhmm. Blood."

But there was something off about Tamsyn's reaction. Kane knew his little blackbird had a golden heart and a gentle soul, but the way she seemed bloodcurdlingly frightened by the smell worried the nomad. He never got the chance to ask her what was up though, because Tamsyn was already heading off in the direction of the blood smell. "Tam, wait!" he called out, but she was off. Kane sighed and followed after her; so much for their date day... Tracking the smell of the blood was easy in the cathedral, so it only took them a short while to come across the crumpled body on the ground, bound in ropes and matted in her own blood. Kane's heart sank at the sight—but it lurched and sank further when he heard Tam call out a name and go rushing up to her. Ash? The name rang a bell in Kane's head. Tam had told him about her daughter named Ashelia that had gone missing some time back. Was this her? But how?!

Kane hurried to follow Tamsyn up to the unconscious wolf, already shifting into tribal medic mode as he drew closer. Focused eyes studied the girl's wounds, noting the myriad of bites across her body along with other assorted lacerations. No doubt she'd have bruises beneath her fur too, but hopefully no broken bones to contend with. Tam gave him that desperate, pleading look. Kane already knew he was going to be saving another of Tamsyn's daughters. Despite the amount of wounds she had, none of them looked very deep or severe, and none had landed anywhere vital. Ash had gotten extraordinarily lucky. "She's got a lot of injuries, but none of them look too serious," he informed Tamsyn, hoping to calm her down a bit while he gently parted her fur around each bleeding wound with practiced paws. "I don't have nearly enough materials to fix her, but I can stop the bleeding long enough to get her home." Home. It was clear where he meant. The Hallows had the facilities, the faculty, and the supplies she needed. He was a field medic at best right now.

After a quick triage assessment, Kane decided his best course of action would be getting Ash responsive if he could and then getting some yarrow on her wounds to stem the bleeding. "The bleeding isn't severe, but I need to find some yarrow to slow it down," he explained to his mate, looking to her with seriousness in his usually soft eyes. "Stay with her, Tam. Try to wake her up or at least get her responsive. I'll only be a few minutes, I promise." With his directions imparted on her, Kane stood back up and rushed around the cathedral, sharp eyes peeled for those distinctive white flowers amongst a sea of dark emerald green.

"Kaneonuskatew"

As his mate, Tamsyn may enter his threads not marked as Private.
____________________

As the two wolves found her and prodded her, she was still mostly unaware. On the outside that was. Her breathing was more steady but still shallow. As Kane examined her a little more, her body reacted in a couple twitches but it was almost as if her soul was missing. Maybe typical for the condition she was in, physically and mentally. In her head she could hear the two of them talking and feel their paws on her. It scared her a little bit but she was just unaware enough not to fully realize what was happening.

She was coming to by the minute though even if it didn't seem that way. When Kane left, she could feel her mother touching her, talking to her, and as time went on she was building this mindset of not being in danger. Just the voice and comfort of her mother, even it she was worried or distraught, it was what would keep her calm when she opened her eyes.

It was before Kane would return that her eyes blinked open, but she wouldn't jump or move yet. She huffed a little bit from the pain under the lacerations on her throat, but overall she didn't seem to be doing as bad as she looked. It took a few seconds before her eyes really opened, finding the face of her own mother and still taking that moment to process. One of her paws lifted weakly towards her, a bit of disbelief maybe that she was here with her and some from the energy she had used escaping. "Mom...?" It was emotional, doubtful that this was real life. But still her paw reached up for her. She was still pretty weak, not completely out of her head. But she would be able to help them when Kane came back.

"Asheila"

Tamsyn shifted her worried gaze up to Kane as he spoke while doing his initial examinations of her daughter. She valued his calm demeanor in these situations so very much and his assurances that while she did have a lot of wounds there were not any that were very severe did help her relax slightly with a shaky sigh. She nodded with understanding as he mentioned how he didn't have the materials here to fully patch her up, but he could at least get her to a point where they could get her home. She knew what he meant by 'home' without having to explain. Even though they now traveled all across Auster and made their den wherever they liked, the Hallows was what she still considered home and where they would be able to get Asheila the help she needed. Tamsyn drew from his calm, steady nature as he told her what he needed and instructed her on what to do in the meantime. She nodded again and simply replied, "I will," before he rushed off in search of the yarrow he needed.

By now she had managed to get the ropes from around Ash's neck and had tossed them aside. "You're going to be okay, sweetie," she said softly as she gently smoothed the fur on Asheila's forehead and cheeks, unsure of whether Ash would be able to hear her or not, but feeling like she should be saying something as she tried to bring her back to consciousness. She settled down on her stomach beside her, lightly stroking over her ears and anywhere on her neck that she didn't see wounds, hoping maybe the gentle affections would help as well. "I've missed you so much, my girl," she continued, trying to keep her worry at bay while Kane was off finding the herbs he needed. "Your siblings are going to be so excited to have you home. You just need to wake up so we can take you to them. Come on, Ash, let me see those pretty blue eyes of yours."

Just about then she got her wish and Ash's eyes started to flutter open and Tamsyn breathed a heavy, relieved sigh, a bright smile pulling across her lips. A little part of her had been worried that she wouldn't be able to get her to wake up and that she would be trapped in sleep the way Rudyard had been when he was injured by that bear, but that wasn't the case here. "Yes! I'm right here, Ash, I'm right here," she said as Asheila's gaze focused in on her face and she questioned if it was her. Her paw took Ash's as it reached for her and she gave her white-dipped paw a gentle squeeze as she tipped her head forward to press a kiss to Ash's cheek. "I'm here, darling. I'm with you. You're going to be okay. We're going to patch you up and get you home, I promise." She glanced up then, looking to see if Kane had found what he needed yet and still keeping an eye out for any danger just in case who or whatever did this to her was still around.

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley

Finding the yarrow plants had been an easy feat in the grapevine cathedral, as Kane had predicted. The distinctive snow-white flowers stood out against the lust verdant surroundings, thriving in the rich loamy soil and cool shade. The tribal medic gathered up a small bundle of the plants—flowers, stems, and leaves—as well as a couple smooth stones and made his way back to his mate and stepdaughter. He did not have his satchel of medical supplies with him—they'd all been left back at their campsite since he hadn't needed them—and without his tools, he'd need to find another means of turning the plant into a basic salve. When he returned, he noticed Asheila had lifted her head some and was moving. Excitement and hope swelled in the older wolf's heart, trotting briskly back to her side as Tamsyn spoke soft words of reassurance and encouragement to her, giving her the best bedside manner he'd seen in some time... well, save for maybe the bedside manner she'd shown him.

"I found the yarrow. Good work, Tam," he said, settling in to begin his work beside her. His bushy tail shifted to rest gently over Tamsyn's silky black plumage like a pseudo hand hold to help reassure her that everything would be okay. Kane gave a gentle smile to Ash while he set one of the rocks on the ground, placing the yarrow on its surface and using the other stone to grind the plants down with smooth, circular motions so as not to scatter the plants. "Hello Asheila, my name is Kane. I'm here with your mother to help you." He hoped the explanation would soothe his patient; an answer to who he was and what purpose he had to keep her nerves at ease while he treated her. "Your mother's told me many things about you, little one. You're very special to her." He was trying to keep Ash engaged, perhaps even talking, anything to show she was cognitive and aware. It was a subtle way of checking to make sure she hadn't suffered any sorts of head trauma.

Once he'd ground the yarrow down into a basic paste, Kane dabbed some of the sticky salve on his paw and hunted for the largest of Ash's wounds. "This won't hurt, but it might feel weird," he told her in his calm, even tones as he began to gently smear the salve onto her wounds. The thick herbal paste sat like an ointment on her wounds, slowing the bleeding and on some even working to stop the bleeding entirely. "We're going to get you home, Asheila. But first, can you tell me what hurts the most? What you're feeling right now?"

"Kaneonuskatew"

As his mate, Tamsyn may enter his threads not marked as Private.
____________________

While she was a little more conscious but not fully there, hearing Tamsyn speak to her more coherently through her head and taking her paw made her visibly more relaxed. It could have been a dream she thought, but it didn't really matter. Just the relieving presence of her mother was all she needed.

As she had fallen back comfortably on the grasses under her, she nearly looked asleep or like she could. But that changed almost instantly when Kane returned with the herbs he needed. Her paw griped just a little harder around her mother's, but she didn't move or panic. At least, not on the outside. She solely relied on the way her mother reacted as the man approached her and made his work on the herbs. It was a good thing he didn't just immediately go to touch her not that she would have attacked him or anything like that. He made it easy to be more comfortable around him but she was still on edge given her circumstances.

She didn't say much as he spoke to her, her eyes just watching as he made the yarrow paste and looking up to her mother with scared eyes in response. Her body twitched just a little to his touch, more from the contact than the wounds. Her eyes did glance up at him if only for a second when he asked what hurt the most. And she finally spoke, "M-mostly just my throat." Her voice was coarse and quiet. She knew she didn't get out from the fight clean, but she barely even noticed her other wounds until he was applying the paste. The wound around her neck had definitely caused some bruising underneath and it was a lot more prominent that it hurt more from swallowing and when she had tried to talk. In a shuddered sigh, she looked back at her mother before looking around at the grapevines around them, "We need to get out of here." Her voice was mostly level, but it did have that hint of worry and panic in there. She did have the mindset of getting home and being safe behind the castle walls. Right now it would be the only thing she wanted.

"Asheila"

As Kane approached them she glanced up at her mate with a relieved smile until she felt Ash's paw grip tighter to her own. She looked back down to her daughter and gave her a measuring smile, giving her paw a gentle squeeze in return, silently trying to assure her that Kane was someone to be trusted. The way time had flown truly blew her mind. Asheila wouldn't know about Artorias' marriage, about her being with Kane or their litter together, about how Rudyard and Gwynevere had found love interests of their own... Or about Resin's death. Tamsyn very quickly brushed the thought from her mind so that it wouldn't effect her expression, making sure that the only emotion she showed to Ash in that moment was calm assurance and relief. She knew that she would have to tell Asheila what had happened in the time since her disappearance sooner rather than later, but for now her only focus was to get her stable and get her home. Once they did that then she could worry about breaking that news to her. Her heart was already aching at the thought, but it would have to be done.

Tamsyn's tail entwined with Kane's behind them as his rested over hers, taking his comfort gratefully as he got to work grinding up the yarrow he had collected into a paste he could put on her wounds. As always, his calming, comforting demeanor took center stage as he treated Ash, working with skilled paws to stem or stop the bleeding from her various wounds. Tam smiled when he mentioned how much she had spoken of her and looked back to Ashelia with a small nod, using her free paw to gently pet over the top of her daughter's head again, continuing to soothe her and reassure her as much as she could. She could tell from the look in Ash's pale blue eyes and the way her body responded to Kane's treatments that she was still very much on edge, but Tamsyn couldn't blame her. Whatever she had gone through in their time apart from one another had not been pleasant, of that she was certain, but she didn't knew exactly how deep that trauma ran just yet. As Kane asked Ash about what hurt the most and how she was feeling, Tam glanced to the wounds on her neck when Ash responded that her throat hurt the most. She didn't need to be a trained healer to know why her throat hurt so badly as she looked to where the ropes had been around her neck a few moments ago.

When Ash insisted that they needed to get out of here, she gave Ash's paw another squeeze and replied, "We will, darling, I promise. You're safe now. We just need to let Kane finish his work first so we can get you back to the castle." It was already going to be a difficult walk as it was in her condition. The least they could do was get the bleeding stopped and any dire wounds patched up before they got her on her paws. "I'm keeping an eye out for you, Ash. I won't let anyone else near you," she assured her, always keeping an eye and an ear out for anything around them. She wasn't the young, nimble fighter she had once been, but she was still fierce in battle when she needed to be and if anyone dared even look at Ash before she got her into the safety of the Hallows where she could recover and heal then Tam wouldn't hesitate to protect her daughter.

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley

While he proceeded with his work, Kane didn't miss the way Asheila flinched and recoiled from his touches, but not in the way one might expect someone to when they feel the sting of an antiseptic at work. This seemed more reflexive, instinctual to his touch rather than a response to a stimuli. Instantly, the seasoned medic feared the worst, his lips pulling into a tight line and jaw set while he continued to treat Ash's wounds. It was impossible to tell without a more thorough examination, but Asheila was exhibiting all of the symptoms of a sexual assault victim. He didn't speak a word of his suspicions aloud right now, but he would bring them up to Tamsyn later in private once her daughter was home safe and tended to.

Kane paid special attention to the bites around Ash's throat when she mentioned them in particular, but being such a soft and vital part of her body and since she was already exhibiting symptoms of post-traumatic stress, he was more conservative in his treating of her neck. He didn't skimp on the treatment however, instead moving slow and making sure Ash could see what he was about to do so she could anticipate his touch, doing everything he could to not startle or spook the poor girl. Once he had applied a layer of yarrow paste to all of her bleeding wounds, Kane took a minute to ensure none were still openly bleeding before deeming her fit to move.

"Okay, we're done now, Ash," he said to the girl with a gentle smile. Hazel eyes turned to Tamsyn next. "Some of these wounds are fresh." He didn't need to elaborate any further. Fresh wounds meant they were inflicted recently, at least within the day, and whoever did this could still be around. They needed to get Asheila to the sanctuary of the Hallows. "I can carry her, or we can both help her back on her own paws together." Kane left the decision up to the two faes. If Ash felt more comfortable and capable on her own paws, then they would help her walk back. But if her strength wouldn't make the journey, then it would be quicker for him to carry her while Tam kept a watchful eye out for any threats.

"Kaneonuskatew"

As his mate, Tamsyn may enter his threads not marked as Private.
____________________

It was a slow reality as time passed, Kane tended to her wounds and her mother comforted her in the best ways or what felt best to her after their time apart. It was finally feeling real that she was here with Tamsyn, but it didn't make her any less tense even as her mother assured her that she'd keep her safe. She was a lot more level headed than she was anything else, but the way she truly felt inside showed through her reactions to Kane's treatment and maybe just how quiet she was.

She let Kane finish his quick work on her, definitely more flight than fight if given the chance but with her mother here everything would seem alright at best. Even if it was because she was more exhausted from the breakaway, she knew how to conserve herself well. When they were all done and ready to assist her back to the safety of the castle, Ash took a few seconds before responding even if he was more directed to Tamsyn, "It'll probably be easier if you carry me..." Her voice was quiet and near shy, but she knew if she tried to walk all the way back to the castle in the condition she was in it would take a lot longer. She wouldn't typically be comfortable just jumping on a near stranger's back, but she would this time. With the way Kane had talked to her and with her mother here, she would trust him enough. It would be easy for her to fall back asleep on the way there.

"Asheila"

Tamsyn held steady at Asheila's side while Kane continued his work and she was grateful as always that he had been here. It wasn't the first time that he had rescued one of her children, but she did pray that it would be the last. Gwynevere, Rudyard, and now Asheila... All she had ever really hoped for her children was for them to be safe and healthy and somehow that seemed to be a difficult thing for them to maintain. She wasn't sure what it was about their family and their luck, but it seemed like they were constantly encountering the highest highs and the lowest lows. Still, Kane was good at his craft and he quickly had Ash in better shape than when they had found her at the very least. When he was done, she turned her gaze to meet his and nodded with understanding when he said how some of the wounds were fresh. Whoever did this could still be nearby and it just confirmed her worries from the moment they got here. She was already eager to get Ash out of here, but she was even more so now.

Tam briefly pondered the options ahead of them between whether they should help Ash walk back on her own or have Kane carry her. Ultimately she was going to leave the choice up to Ash, but before she could ask her daughter what she was more comfortable with Ash answered on her own, mentioning how it would be easier if he carried her. She could easily agree that would be the fastest option to get her back to the castle, but she wouldn't do anything that would make Ash uncomfortable. Still, since Ash agreed to it she would nod and give Ash's paw one more squeeze before she finally let it go so she could help Ash up to get settled on Kane's back for the trip. Once her daughter was situated, she gave Asheila a soft kiss on the cheek and then looked to Kane, saying, "I'm going to run back to the creek and let the kids know where we're going. Go ahead and start heading toward the castle, I'll catch up to you in just a little bit." Turning her gaze back to Ash, she gave her a smile and added, "I'll just be a few minutes. Just rest and we'll all be at the castle before you know it. You can trust Kane, he's the most wonderful man I know."

She turned and darted off through the trees then to get back to the creek where their pups were hanging out as quickly as she could so she could make sure they were settled and cared for. She didn't like leaving them there on their own for longer than a few hours, but she didn't want to have to introduce them all to Ash in her current state and they didn't necessarily have time to wait for the pups to follow her to the castle. Instead, she instructed them to stay near the den, made sure they had food for their dinner, and assured them their father would be back to them that evening before she ran off to catch up with Kane and Ash. None of this was ideal, but Ash had to come first right now. She caught up to them between Lazuli Falls and Fossil Ridge and as she slowed to match Kane's pace she was relived to see Asheila asleep on his back and she gave her mate a grateful smile, tipping her muzzle up to give him a gentle kiss.

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley