Walk | Talk | Think

Sunlight streamed down from the heavens without interruption, warming the earth and everything it could reach. Summer had begun to settle in in earnest with the passing of the thunderstorms and now the natural heating that should have been taking place weeks ago was making up for lost time. But even as she panted, moving swiftly and easily through the foliage, Ashtoreth's opened mouth was still spread in a smile. Warm weather or not, it was a nice change of pace from the incessant rain, and knowing she could walk wherever she wished without the constant worry of clouds opening up and pouring water on her or turning an ankle in a particularly muddy part of the woods added a new energy to her step. Things were good, and she intended to enjoy it.

In celebration of the good weather, she had ventured outside of her home territory to explore more closely the lands that neighbored them. She bypassed those she was already familiar with, seeking something new, something worth taking note of and exploring more thoroughly. And not yet inclined to go venturing off into the dunes during the dead of summer, she instead stuck to the forests and was surprised when they spilled open upon a mid-sized lake.

Gold and purple eyes glinting in the sunlight, the small, lean grey wolf peered ahead eagerly, ears perked and listening to the noises that surrounded the lake. Somewhere amid the waters, a fish surfaced, scales flashed, and then it disappeared back into the safety of its home. And there, jutting out in the center of the lake stood a little island, sunny and warm without the trees of the forest to protect it from daylight. Ashtoreth smiled as she took it all in, liking the cool, calm air and general peace that wrapped around the lake. Undoubtedly it would be a good place to return to when in need of relaxation or simply a moment's peace. Deciding that she might have found what she had been searching for, the little grey wolf padded silently out of the tree cover and toward the lake shore, hoping to beat the heat by standing in the shallows.

Or so hideous The beast hobbled through the desert, searching for the place he had found before, now a distant memory. The smell of water assaulted his nose, drawing him closer and closer to the waters edge. Everything hurt. Long muscles strained from running ached within his body and made his shoulders rattle. He needed rest, and water, and food, but all he had before him was desert and agony. Without even realizing it he tumbled down the face of a dune, his body smacking against the lake and washing cold relief over his body. Slowly his mangled form swam to the small island, water cold and refreshing, washing over his body and soaking into what little fur he had left. He clambered onto the small sand bank and collapsed on the moist surface, the soft rise and fall of his ribs the only indicator that he was still alive. Speech

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Walk | Talk | Think

Her steps hurried into a trot as the lithe grey wolf neared the edge of the lake, and as soon as her paws touched water she slowed and stopped and sighed. Cool and refreshing, soothing and gentle, the water lapped around her ankles, caused the fur there to wave and float. It was so nice after the warmth of the land, so nice to feel something cold and cool instead. Her gold and purple eyes closed blissfully, her head tilted back to let the sun's unobstructed rays hit her full in the face. Even this was made delightful by being in the lake water, made bearable by her body no longer feeling as if it might overheat. She wriggled her toes slightly, enjoying the silt under her paws, before she relaxed and lowered her head, letting her eyes open lazily.

With her vision set somewhere toward the center of the lake, and subsequently toward the single island that stood at this location, Ashtoreth saw first the shimmer of sunlight on water and realized that it was not some random fish flopping too close to land but a figure who surged up onto the island. Curious, she stayed her place for a moment, wriggling her toes longer as she debated with herself. Would it be rude to swim out there and see if someone had, indeed landed on the rock? Her eyes narrowed as she thought, staying her place for a moment longer before she gave in to curiosity and walked further into the lake.

Water swelled around her as she padded forward, her toes scraping the bottom of the lake bed until she was forced to paddle, moving herself slowly but surely out toward the lake. It felt nice to be fully submerged, and she coasted along casually through the water, half expecting nothing and no one to be out of the rock. Maybe it had been a fish after all. Or some small animal merely getting caught where it didn't wish to be. She had almost convinced herself she had imagined what she had seen by the time she reached the rock, and dragging herself from the water, Ashtoreth stood and shook and glanced across to its other side.

And felt her stomach drop. The wolf was in the poorest condition she could imagine, his body a mess of fur and exposed flesh. He didn't move, not really, though his sides rose and fell with each breath. He was still, unconscious, and appeared badly burned. "Oh no," Ash mumbled under her breath, a panic beginning to rise up within her. Healing was not her forte. She didn't know the first thing about tending a wound. And this wolf didn't look in the best of conditions, not by a long shot. She hurriedly stepped toward him, stopping by his side and tried not to visibly wince. Large patches of fur were missing, pink skin visible and no doubt at the mercy of the sun. He seemed rather disfigured for it, and it took her a moment to notice his missing limb.

Frazzled, she took a moment to compose herself, willing the still wolf to be okay despite the obvious evidence to the contrary, and lowered her muzzle toward him, sniffing a little as she spoke. "Hey. Hey, are you okay? Wake up, please." She couldn't bring herself to touch him, but there was enough anxiety in her voice to hint that she wished to. Anything to make him come alive and show her that he was fine, to reassure her that she had not just stumbled upon a half dead wolf who could very well be taking their last breaths in her presence.

Or so hideous His blinded eye opened first, rolling left and right as it attempted to search through the blurry haze of blindness for the voice. Thankfully his more adequate eye snapped open and fell on the fae, his vision falling into focus. "Where...Am I?" He asked, claws clinging to the side of the atoll, his voice like sand paper. The desert? An oasis? How had he gotten there? He couldn't remember. All he drew was a blank. He willed his body to rise but it wouldn't comply, his chest flopping miserably against the small island. "Who....are you?" He rasped, his throat dry from his burns and from the desert. His rear felt cold, it took him a moment to realize it was still submerged in water...WATER! He turned hastily and lapped at the cold pool greedily as if he intended to draw the whole lake in. Speech

table by boo, image by hun

Walk | Talk | Think

Every bit of her seemed to visibly relax as the severely injured wolf's eyes began to open, a heavy sigh slipping noisily from her muzzle. He was alive! That was wonderful news. At the very least, it meant he wasn't on his way to dying right in front of her, and she would be spared having to witness that for another day, although it was still anyone's guess how many more days the poor wolf had in him. It was only a small victory, really. With a body in this condition, how long could he remain? How long could he sustain himself like this, with a missing limb and so much missing fur while the sun beat down on them on this side of the territory? But how is he going to get out of here? she wondered, still unable to fully understand how he had even made it all the way out to the rocky island at the lake's center without drowning along the way.

Barely did he manage to speak, and even when he made the words they sounded horrible and very rough, as if he lacked any sort of water in his system whatsoever. Had he been in the desert like this? It was a horrible thought. Any wind and all that sand would surely have irritated his exposed flesh something horrible, not to mention the fact there was nothing there to provide shade or respite from the sun. "You're, uh," she paused, realizing in that moment that she had never been here before herself and therefore had no name to call the lake by, "I don't...I don't know exactly," she answered unhelpfully, her words sounding pitiful even to her own ears. Wonderful help she was being.

He tried to move, though unsuccessfully. All the distressed wolf could manage was to rise a few inches from the ground and then flop helplessly back to the stony island again. Ashtoreth winced. "You shouldn't-" she began to say, but was stopped when he asked another question, this one much more easy for her to answer. "Ashtoreth. And you shouldn't-" But he was already turning hastily around, scrambling with his paws as he managed to wriggle around and get his muzzle near enough to the lake water to drink from it. And it seemed he had no intention of stopping. The lean grey wolf watched, surprised by his sudden speed and movement and at a complete and total loss over what and who she was dealing with. "Are you okay?" she asked at length, her brow knit in worry over her gold and purple eyes and her expression a mixture of concern and wary surprise.