Every minute that passed from his escape of the treacherous ground, every minute spent lying in uselessness and healing was a moment of agony - a need to know if the ones he loved where ok. He could not bear the thought of Lyric lying in pain and torment as he had, nor Twig, already so cursed with difficulties he did not know if Twig could survive any more torment in her life. He did not want to bide his time and days sleeping, and barely days after the incident had dragged himself to unsteady paws.


He moved from his den and blinking into the cool light of the moon, where the soft wind of the night ruffled against his coat. It was quite now, which he appreciated as he made a slow path towards the bank of the wolfpaw lake, and would lower himself with a shiver into the coolness of its depths. He did not go deep enough that he had to swim, but instead kept his paws on the ground as the water rushed over him. He sighed with relief, like cool fingers caressed the pain of his bruised and crushed ribs, and he dipped his forehead in as well, so that the cool touch could brush the ugly mark he now bore there, long and red and shadowed by bruises. He ignored the cold, or revealed in its numbness as he bathed away his pains, but not his worries. How did the wolves he love fair?

The cross marked girl had fared well in the quaking of the earth, being forced from her den was the most hardship she had to endure. However, Alpine had weighed heavily upon her thoughts. He and the few others she had come to care for in the pack were yet to be conferred with. She had no idea if they were dead, injured, or had fared as she. The thoughts would keep her up that night, swirling around in her mind she hadn't realized she thought more of their well being then she thought of her daughter. It was not optimal her thoughts of doom and destruction, but it was a step in the right direction of not being completely overcome by pain.?

Her slate covered paws would draw her from the wrecked den, she had to seek out Alpine before she could rest. His sweet face and brotherly affection would drive her forward, but not too far from her own place of rest as she caught his scent on her way. Following the newly laid trail, her shaky legs would bring her to the shore of wolf paw lake. This night she was unsure if she wishes to submerge herself in the lake's waters. With autumn upon them the water was becoming rather cool, still she wanted to be by the pale Wolf's side. To make sure he had fled the quake intact. A whine would leave her throat as she lowered her head, orchid gaze taking in his form. "Alpine?" she would ask for him before he was able to turn around to shower his newly acquired wounds.?

After some time within the embrace of the water he could feel the cold seeping into his limbs and veins, and the numbness that he had revealed it within his injuries became a stark lack of body heat that left him shivering and gasping against it. Through the chattering of his fangs he almost did not hear the soft voice that called out for him from the shore, and well it took a moment to register in his mind he stiffened when finally it made its way there. He stood still now, his rump still facing towards her. He wondered what she would think of the ugly red mark that stood out in fullness against his forehead, but the worry was quick to pass ? he was more concerned at how she had faired then he was at how she would react.


He surged through the water, bringing himself to its bank where he hauled himself to shore and shook out his coat a few paces from her, in the hopes that he would not shower her with the icy splatters. Finishing that he turned fully towards her now and with a tilted head took her in, his head now free of the water took up a dull ache against his skull and for what felt like the millionth time his vision swam as his body shivered briskly from the chill. ?Twig.. Twig, it?s so good to see that you?re alright? He would utter, the warmth of his voice still fresh and delighted with the sight of her.

She didn't know what she would have done if Alpine had become injured, she had lost enough of her loved ones to suffer through yet another loss. There he was though, from his back it looked at though he was completely intact. No limbs or extremities missing, she would heave a sigh of relief in seeing her friend safe. He would keep himself surrounded by the water's embrace, Twig would have felt herself calling him forth again had she been able to see his shivering. Suddenly though the alabaster man would turn and bring himself out of the water, his gait pained and his head injured. Twig felt a gasp escape her as she took in his new appearance, worry for him over taking her features. He had shaken his pelt and she had rushed to him, to be sure he was not pained to much. She felt as though she could do nothing to help his injury, and would only hope Erani had fixed him up. His voice was warm, but nothing else about him could be considered as such. "Alpine you're so cold." she would state as she moved to embrace him. His damp fur would mingle with her plush coat as she would now offer him her support. Memories of Fern would flee her mind as she was able to focus on Alpine and his woes. "Come get out of the chill, we will go back to my den it's close." Her salmon colored tongue would sneak out to help remove the water from around his injury and his ears, hoping to help bring the warmth back to him.?

He took in the form of his gentle friend for only a moment before she was beside him, gasping at his chilled form and pushing her own coat against his. He could feel the warmth radiating off her and would let out a sigh at its blissful touch. He would lower his head and allow himself to enjoy the warmth at the touch of there coats despite the fact that as she shared her warmth he would share the chill of the water in turn with her. He was surprised by the feriosity of her concern and the feel of her tougne as it would rasp against his head and ears, rubbing warmth into them once more. ?your so warm? He would sigh against her coat, for once completely open without the fear of upsetting her or another, drowsy and without boundraies as she fussed over him.


He was also surprised by the sudden weight of exhaustion that seemed to sweep over him and the feeling of being cared for only strengthed the feel of sleep and relaxed the swimming of his head. He found himself leaning into the warmth of her coat and would make little protest if she decided to lead them away from here. For in that moment he didn't feel like he had to be responsible for the safety of the wolves around him, and this time it would be another that cared for him.

He would sigh into her side as she offered him her want touch, his body seeming so much more relaxed despite the cold that gripped him. Concern would flood her features, but she knew Alpine to be strong willed. He would not succumb to his injuries or the lack of heat, he was tougher than that. However, such facts would not defer Twig from fawning over him. He would counter her observation with his own as she took care to remove the cold water from his features. He would relax into her touch as she offered him her den as a place of refuge. Seeming to put himself totally in her care she would help support his weight. Now she would be the one to guide him, to be his stepping stone as they would retreat. She would nose him affectionately as she would start their way, she still shared her den with her brother. Though she knew there would be no intrusion, he'd been gone for the last few days. Leaving her to her own devices and to cope with her loneliness by herself. She had met with Vahva briefly, but she needed someone to be with her for longer than a few hours a day. She felt like her ocean of solitude would never recede.?

She would take solace in Alpine's presence, leading him to the entrance of her little hole in the earth. It was incredibly close to wild paw lake so they had not moved very far. She would nuzzle him once more as she allowed him to slip in first, her body would be a barrier between his frozen form and the harshness of the outside. She would wait until he'd become comfortable before following him. She would maneuver her little frame to curl around his own, again forcing her own body heat upon him. "Why were you out in the cold water? Don't you know you could catch cold?" the tone she used was not harsh, just concerned as her grooming would big again, doing her best to rid him of the excess liquid. Her motherly instincts would seem to be put into use finally, a part of her feeling complete for the first time since Fern's death.?

Supported against the warmth and comfort of Twig he allowed himself to be led from the waters side. The pain in his head came in waves, for it to dim down to a faint reminder for a time and in a moment flare up into a ragging headache that took away the clarity of the world. He felt the cool touch of her nose against him and it eased the way the world swirled against his eyes. He had felt fine just moments before, numb, even with the cool touch of the water. Now that he had dragged himself from the surface and was shocked back into reality he could feel a warmth in his bones that contradicted the icy cool against his coat.


He was in a state where he barely knew the world by the time they had made it into the retaliative warmth of her den. He would feel the touch of her muzzle against him, urging him forward and he would obey. He would stumble free of her grip and further into the den, feeling a sense of relief with the wind of his coat but another sense of the closeness of the walls that blocked off the freshness of the open air. He collapsed against the earth and heaved in a few breaths as her coat touched his once more and she settled in beside him. His feverish eyes would slip closed now, calming with the feel of her beside him. Dreams threatened to rise up against him in ugly shadows, but the touch of her tongue against his coat soothed him and swallowed the terror of nightmares as sleep fully enveloped him. with the comfort of her touch and in the embrace of sleep he would murmur Twig's name


His body would emit heat and feverish sweet would trickle down his forehead, it was a sickness with his immunity down from stress and injury and the cold would take him. Although he was in fever it would not be terrible nor life threatening as he felt his body calm against her touch, it would however be a few hours before the fever broke.

It was easy to lead Alpine away from the water, he seemed to fall into a trance as his steps would follow hers. She couldn't imagine how much his head would be hurting him, the gash was certainly an injury to be proud of. He seemed even worse as they made it to their destination, his eyes seeming to fog as he let himself into her place of rest. He seemed not to hear her words as she let her tongue caress his features, with closed eyes he would seemingly slip into sleep. Though it was obvious that the male was not in any kind of peaceful sleep. She would hear his gentle murmuring of her name, wondering what he could be thinking. She would bring her nose into nuzzle his neck, noticing finally how warm he had become. Too warm. Alpine had indeed caught cold from the water, now he was suffering a fever.?

Twig knew little of sickness or healing but she did know about fevers. If his body had a reason to be so hot she was not going to try and stop it. "Oh Alpine, you're so hot." she would whine as she buried her head into his neck, becoming ever more worried as the time would go one, "Please be okay." she would whisper into his fur as she would sit and wait for the fever to break, she did not want to leave him for fear of something bad happening. However she wanted so bad to get one of the healers to look at her friend. She didn't know what she would do if something happened to her friend.?

Within the fever of his body he would feel her presence as a constant thing, and for as long as she stayed beside him he would be without nightmares. Instead, his dreams where of wolves running across his vision, he could see within them the form of Twig, her gait light and free and without the strain of living that seemed to hold her down in reality. Her purple eyes where a fire and never moved from his face as on she ran. ?Twig? he would murmur her name again, astounded at the lightness in her gait and the open smile that truly changed her features in her joy. He caught also a small figure in white, tiny paws that ate away the earth and he would cry out her name ?Fern come back, come back Fern!? but her pale, full white eyes would only laugh at him and her feet never stilled or faltered as she ran forever more past.


He would twitch within his dreaming, seeing the face of Liberty and her eyes would burn fires of betrayal at him and her steps would move more slowly past him, and all he felt from her was the sense that somehow he had betrayed her. He would see Lyric, her form seemed to waver, like it held within it all her frailty and he was shocked at her translucent form as it flowed across the earth with paws that barely seemed to move.


As the last form would move through he would see... himself, and eyes would look upon in a mirror of blue, and he could see the clarity within them, and could see there was no confusion nor doubt nor all the other things that gripped him in reality. As that last figure would pass him by the fever would break, and with a last murmur, this time of his own name he would settle at last into a dreamless sleep.

She would lay with him, unwavering as he suffered through his sickness. She didn't know how long it was she stayed there, Alpine within a fitful sleep as they lay together within the den. He was incredibly warm, and would stay that way as the day would progress. He would mumble little nothing's within his sleep, she would have sworn he called out to Fern. She would feel herself slipping away into sleep as well, but she would not leave him to sleep alone. So awake she would stay, hoping he would break through. Her thoughts would stray to Fern, and the losses she had endured so recently. How much she missed her family and how much she craved Fern's presence. She would sigh, scared that she might lose Alpine. Twig would stay, but as his fever continued she would try and convince herself to leave and get a healer. As she would argue with herself it seemed like all of a sudden Alpine would relax, his temperature dropping as she nuzzled into his fur. A sigh of relief would leave her lips as he settled into a deeper sleep. Caressing his features with more grooming she would feel herself relax again, he was going to make it through. He had the strength as she knew he did.?

He would find himself slowly coming back to the waking world and reality at his door. He would feel the rhythmic touch of her tongue against his coat and Azali eyes would blink slowly into focus to the sights of her caring for him and he would offer her a smile. With a groan the brute would pull himself into a sitting position and remembrance of the dream would flash against his mind, the sight of Twig utterly at peace. He would focus properly on her now, and take in her soft, worried features and would smile again, this smile would be one full of life and warmth. He had a feeling he would see that day come, the day when Twig could truly smile without a care in the world, and with a burst of determination wanted it to be him that brought it to her lips.


?I.. I'm sorry Twig, I barely remember what happened, how did I get here?? he asked, having looked about himself and seen that he was in the den of Twig and her brother. He could remember something about swimming, about the feel of her warm coat against his... and sudden heat would warm his cheeks. He would clear his throat and continue on instead with ?Was I sick?? he remembered something of heat and fever... and oh god, no, it had to have been from sickness. He struggled again to recall everything from before.

She would continue her persistent grooming as the man would awake. Eyes fluttering open he would manage a smile, and Twig knew at that moment he would come to no more harm because of the chill. A moan of protest would leave his lips as he pushed himself up to a sitting position, Twig hoped he would not over do it. A ridiculously goofy grin would find its way to his features as he would start to speak of what he knew. He would not remember much it seemed as he would curiously ask how it was he arrived there. He did know, it seemed, that he ha been ill. "Yes you silly wolf! What would you expect standing in frigid waters with an injury like that?" She would scold him, but it was only because she cared so much. She would never be able to bear it should something have happened to her alabaster companion. She would push her head into the side of his neck in an affectionate nuzzle, "You aren't allowed to do that to me."?

He would bring himself to his hunches and blinking, take in the cavern once again. He couldn't shake the feeling of being groggy but other then that he thought he would be fine and had no intention of remaining in sleep. He had spoken to Twig and her reply felt like half a scolding, and he would blush, bringing colour to pale cheeks, and a sheepish smile would start hesitantly at the corner of his lips.


His smile would die however as she pushed her nose into his cold and told him how he wasn't allowed to do that to him and his thoughts would trail to Fern. He wondered if her thoughts where also turning to her lost child and he would pull back slightly to look into her eyes for traces of sadness. He didn't think that as much of it was there this time, and the smile would return. He moved forward and offered her a lick on her forward. ?I'm sorry I scared you, and thank you for taking care of me? he would smile back, surprised at how much he trusted this wolf and the friendship that had sprung up between them. He was certain he never wanted to lose her, she had become a part of him.


He would bring himself fully to his paws now and shake off the last remains of his drowsiness, cautious not to aggravate his head injury at the same time. ?I'm suddenly ravenous? he would admit Do you want to find a bite to eat??




"Speech"