Katja had been different to Raisa that much was of course only to be expected, everyone had different personalities after all. She had seemed ok though and Isi had certainly not had too much care about the whole change of leadership stuff, she still had a place in the pack and there was still none of that fear that had been in Old Ebony. Of course it appeared that she had been horribly mistaken however.
She'd missed a lot of the festival, hadn't felt like competing herself and had simply gotten in the way and likely annoyed anyone she spoke to during the event. The end she had arrived late to, not late enough to quite miss the big event but enough to realise that the death was a voluntary sacrifice, all she'd seen was Katja and a dying wolf before her. What on earth had that wolf done to get killed, would she be next?
No she damn well would not! Isi had turned and ran from Ebony lands, ran from the East. She had no idea where she was going or what on earth she would do now she had left her home but she wasn't going to wait around for Katja to suddenly decide to kill again. Now she had found herself within the Northern lands of Alacritia. So strange to her she could have been anywhere, in fact she might as well have been. Currently lost in the middle of the red forest, she was certainly beginning to wonder if she would ever make her way back out again.
Oh crap. Those two words were the first to spring to mind the moment that Isi realised she was no longer alone. Of course she wasn't technically doing anything wrong though a part of the girl was paranoid she would be tracked down for fleeing Ebony as she had and would be punished for such treason. Of course she wasn't going to make it easy for them to drag her back nor would she simply stand there and take a punishment if she could help it but those thoughts would still exist within her mind.
It would only take a few seconds for her to realise that the wolf stood before her wasn't a member from Ebony, well not currently anyway, it was of course none other than her former Queen and though she certainly wasn't looking her best Isi was pleased to see her. Expression would break into a grin and tail would wag as she bounced a few steps closer to her former leader. "Boy am I glad to see you." She announced, coming to a halt once more before she was too close to the either, she wasn't sure if Raisa was the hugging type or if any contact was even really appropriate. "You look awful, but it's great to see you back." So flattery was not her strong point.
With her words however Raisa only seemed to get worse. She frowned slightly, confused with the reaction though swiftly the fox companion would move forwards and begin to speak. Isi wasn't sure she'd ever actually heard Koros speak before and he had certainly never spoken to her before. What was his name actually? She would struggle to recall it and remain listening intently to the fox though his words would mostly settle within her mind.
"What the hell happened then?" Isi questioned, glancing once more at Raisa before looking back to Koros, seemed she was most likely to get an answer from the fox than the wolf. "Sure I forget stuff but you don't just wake up one day and forget who you are." He of course realised this himself though she was intrigued to find out what had happened to her. "You know she needs to remember quick, she left Ebony in the hands of a mad woman!" Impatient however she wouldn't really give Koros a chance to explain before she looked back to .
"You're Raisa Xanilov, does that ring any bells?" She would enquire hoping to jog her memory. Koros had likely tried informing her of such things but of course Isi would try for herself regardless. "Ebony. Queen. Isi Koval." Her name was hardly one of importance that would bring everything back but still, she'd slip it in regardless.
It hadn't exactly been a secret that Raisa had had some problems after the birth of her children, she had disappeared briefly and then once again had completely vanished until now. Even so Isi had never imagined that there was actually potentially anything wrong with the Xanilov woman and everything now still struggled to make sense, not able to or wanting to believe that she had been slowly breaking for so long. She had to come back though, Ebony needed her.
Those details certainly didn't sound like the Raisa she knew. Of course she didn't really know her all that well at all, had just figured during her time spent with her that all the rubbish some of the wolves in Old Ebony told her was just that. They'd have a field day with this news though, more tales spreading of how unstable Raisa was, how they had been right all along. Isi wouldn't change her opinion however, she was still a whole lot better than those ruling Old Ebony at the moment. At least as Raisa did all these crazy, destructive things she had the excuse that she had clearly lost her mind.
She would try spurring the Queen's memory but all she would do was stand still shaking. "It's Summer, it's not that cold." The girl would proclaim, these lands were far cooler than the home she'd had in Ebony of course but still to be shivering so much didn't make any sense at all. Of course though the shakes were not for coldness but for something entirely different. "Uh fox... is she ok? She done that before?"
Isi may not have typically worked hard ever, may not have exactly presented herself as a particularly caring individual at times yet there was certainly a good heart hidden beneath her often irritating ways. To see Raisa like this was far from right, she had no idea if she would help but she might as well try, Ebony needed Raisa back after all. In a slightly more selfish thought, Isi certainly didn't think she could return until Raisa had control of the pack again.
Koros she would try to remember that, or else find a better nickname for him than fox that one definitely lacked originality. As for his manners, sure it was nice and all but Isi was not a miss, nor did she really like Isidora. "Alright Koros. Just Isi will do for me. None of this miss stuff or Isidora." She would point out, he had after all used her full name earlier on though with everything else distracting her she had refrained from correcting him then.
"Weird..." Isi would comment simply as he explained the shaking fits. "Maybe she needs a healer. We can't go get Addy or Max though, taking her back to Ebony probably isn't a great idea." She would comment looking back to Koros again.
Koros could not help but agree with the fae's precautions. If anyone from Raisa's old life happened to come upon her in her old state, those who might be of a more ambitious mindset, well... It could go poorly, to say the least. The less public her trauma, the better. It did not leave him many options, though. He would not risk revealing her weakness to the land's packs, and the rogues he had come across were admittedly less than qualified to aid her. "Your caution is more than warranted," he said quietly and with emotion. "Weakness is a dangerous thing. It leaves us with a beggar's few options, though." He was willing by that point to do almost anything. Despite the bounty of summer, so unlike the last, his days seemed drab and lifeless. Koros could not find joy as he once had, could hardly remember what life used to be like. Perhaps he was losing his mind as well. Raisa meanwhile would do nothing but stare. Stare, and blink only when necessity demanded it. Her mind had set in a loop feed, circulating around 'What is going on? I should stay and find out. This might be dangerous. What is going on?' Her tremors began to subside, however, and she drew in a ragged breath. Her muscles ached, and not in the sweet way she had once known, but with strain and fatigue and mistreatment. Blood pounded in her ears, a headache springing to life there. Her eyes narrowed against the pain, but would not close. No, she had to watch. Something was happening. She ought to go. But no, she had to watch.
Who would have ever thought the day would come, Isi with a good idea that someone of a likely far saner mind was actually agreeing with. This whole situation didn't make all that much sense however, the best Queen she'd ever known now an almost unrecognisable mess. Keeping Koros' explanation for her state in mind, Isi vowed then never to have kids. She'd just babysit for everyone else, far easier, still gave her time to herself and meant she wasn't going to run the risk of losing her mind.
She would frown softly at Koros' next comment. Beggar's options? What did he think they should do, get help or not? Surely they couldn't just leave her like this there had to be something someone could do to bring her back. Her first though was family though if those kids had caused this that probably wasn't a great idea. That and it was probably better, if they went to a pack, to go to one that didn't really know Raisa too well at all. Did one of those exist, she really should have paid a little more attention to politics. Nah, she couldn't do that, no point in even trying. Koros though, that little fox must have had an idea. "What do we do then?"
Raisa's shakes would come to a stop though for now Isi's attention was fixed mostly upon Koros and their attempts to figure out a solution for the former Queen's state of madness. A healer was her only thought, they had cured her of that dreaded plague when she thought she was going to die and did all kinds of useful things to help make people feel better, surely they could think of something to heal Raisa's mind?
Koros had his doubts there it seemed and Isi would plonk her bottom down on the ground with a small huff as planning went right back to square one. Now what on earth could they do? Hopefully Koros had some sort of better idea but unfortunately it seemed he only had more bad news. There was a small glimmer of hope though, one that Isi would latch onto.
"Oh! What about Vaughan?" Of course the fact that she had no idea where the man was didn't seem to be a major flaw at the moment, she had found Raisa after all, surely he would be easier as long as his mind wasn't all crazy and stuff as well. "They're pretty good friends, maybe he could help and if not he might have a better idea!"
The biggest problem however was simply that Isi did not quite have Koros patience. Of course he too wanted to see Raisa better as soon as possible though the waiting game with this complete mess of a wolf wasn't one she'd likely be able to cope with very easily at all. There simply had to be a solution that was quicker than waiting for her broken mind to attempt to heal itself.
Of course when contacting any that Raisa knew they had to be careful. Isi perhaps wasn't quite as aware of this fact as Koros, though she certainly knew the information couldn't fall in the hands of any Ebony enemies or traitors. Vaughan of all wolves was perhaps a good idea, he'd probably show nothing but compassion towards Raisa, no hasty judgements, using it for his own benefit or anything remotely bad. Of all the wolves that could have been picked from Ebony, he was perhaps amongst best choice really and Isi had been the one to think of it.
Koros still seemed hesitant though was willing to pursue the option and Isi would brighten slightly at the prospect of them having a solution however that excitement would quickly diminish as his next question came along. "No." She responded with a small huff. She couldn't recall the last time she had seen the male, perhaps he too had left to try and find Raisa at some point.