Cold. It seemed all he knew was the cold. He was sent away before feeling his mother’s warmth and the sheet of ice beneath him stole any heat he could accumulate. Erystotle was wasting away, just like his little ice floe. When his mother had set him upon it and pushed him into the ocean she hoped she wasn’t just sending him to his death. Now Erys lay on the ice, his paws dangling over the edge just barely keeping away from the frigid ocean waters. His form was thin and tiny, his ribs protruded from his side and his face was sunken in. His silvery eyes had lost their luster and his chest barely rose as he struggled to continue breathing.

The shrinking iceberg collided roughly with the shore, throwing Erystotle from his place. He’d tumble hard on the solid shore while a pained yelp left his lips as the air was forced from his lungs. He tried to intake air into his lungs, he’d gasp as he lay flat on the ground. The ocean rose up to lap at his pink toes, further stealing the warmth from his body. The small pup felt dizzy, his vision had started to tunnel and he couldn’t focus on anything. He started to accept that he was going to die. Just like his brothers.

The only reason he had been born was to be offered as a sacrifice to the gods, a product of an ancient ceremony. His mother had been weak though, unable to watch as all three of her sons were offered to the sky. She had taken a chance that he might make it out on the ice. She’d drugged him, gave him herbs so slow his metabolism and make him sleep, hopefully until he had found safety. Now he lay here on the edge of a great ocean, counting the moments until his death. Another ragged breath was drawn from his lungs, one more until his last.

Knocking on the door of the house of mercy

Lydia skirted along the coast line, pausing to adjust her pack. Herb gathering during winter was definitely limited and so she'd taken this excursion more as a scouting trip than one meant to add to her stores. Lydia took mental note of various landmarks and dips that might make for good herb hunting come spring. Hopefully that would be soon. She knew the winter was half over but she'd already had enough of it this year.

A pained yelp caught her attention. Lydia jerked her head toward the shore where the sound seemed to have come from. "Hello?" she called out. Carefully, she picked her way down to the shore and as she scanned the rocky swatch she immediately noticed the brilliant colors of a pup's coat. Her heart started to race. The pup was laying down and didn't seem to be well at all. Where had he come from?

She raced over to the pup, a young boy and gently seized his scruff to pull him farther out of the water. "Hello, little boy? Can you here me?" Where were his parents? She gently shuffled off her pack and pulled out a small swath of buffalo pelt. She'd been planning to line her den with it later but instead she draped it over the boy and moved to position herself over him, to offer the warmth of her body. Goodness he was cold! Her sapphire eyes search high and low, expecting the boys parents to show up at any minute even though she had a sinking feeling that he was all alone.

"Talk"

ooc: hope it's ok I pp'd her pulling him farther up the shore, if not let me know and I'll change it!

You’re good luns!


He was wavering on consciousness as the voice reached his blue tipped ears. He tried to look up and in the direction it’d come from but he was much too weak. He thought thta he had heard his mother’s voice to begin with and had he been more awake would have felt pain in his heart knowing it was not her. When he just started to believe he’d imagined the voice there was a sudden shadow over his eyes and teeth at his scruff. Erys didn’t have the energy to protest or even question the action as he was pulled fully from the ocean. The voice sounded again, so much like his mother’s gentle whispers. The sound was enough for him to lift his head towards her and open his blood shot eyes.

He sighed softly as a shiver went through him as something was suddenly draped over his frozen form. It smelled musky, but he felt so much better at its addition. He didn’t know if his voice would work as he lay there limply. Already his nose had fallen back to the ground. He moaned softly instead, his silvery gaze trying to focus on his rescuer. His lungs still labored to retrieve air, but he could feel his life force returning as his body heat was more easily retained. ”Momma?” Erystotle whispered hoarsely as he looked for the face of the one who’d birthed him. Not fully realizing he’d never lay eyes on her again.

Knocking on the door of the house of mercy

Lydia wracked her brain, trying to decide what to do. He was out of the water and beneath the warm buffalo pelt but she knew she'd need to get him to shelter. Once night felt it would only get colder and this far north storms could spring up swiftly. She could probably carry him on her pack but then what about her pack? She didn't want to just leave all that hard work behind. She supposed she could carry the boy to shelter then return for her pack. She doubted it would be of any interest to other animals. Though perhaps she could place him on top of the buffalo pelt and drag him that way.

"Momma?"

Lydia froze as she gazed at the pair of silvery eyes peered up at her. "I'm Lydia. Is your mother with you?" She wasn't sure if the boy understood her. He seemed so out of it. She glanced around again but still saw no sign of another wolf. Even when she scented the air she caught no signs that anyone had passed through apart from her and the boy. Lydia thought of howling. She didn't care to attract attention, especially with an ailing pup at her feet. The winter to the north had been harsh and it was unseasonably brutal in the east. Predators were behaving more aggressively than in past years. No, she better not risk it.

"Can you stand? If you lay on top of the skin I can take you back to my den where you'll be out of the wind."

"Talk"

He found her dark form with his unfocused gaze, realizing with a pang in his heart that this woman was not his mother. Erystotle didn’t have the energy to feel sorrow, but in the next few days the realization would really take over. Right now he was in shock, and simply surviving the cold would take all of his willpower left. As he asked for his mother his realization would only be set in stone as she denied him and offered a different name. ‘Lydia’ was her bestowed name. She asked him where his mother was and the memories of his last moments with her came back to him.

Though speaking hurt his dry throat he’d still croak out an answer, feeling more lucid with the blanket over him. ”She made me eat a plant,” he weezed, his head still laying on the ground as he tried to muster his strength. ”Then it was cold, and she was gone.” His voice was a whimper. He sighed heavily as she asked him to find his feet. He looked up at her again warily, doubting his abilities but willing to try.

Awkwardly the boy found the willpower to roll onto his side so he might start to get his feet beneath him. With his front paws curled beneath his chest he tried to straighten out his galaxy marked hind legs. With obvious effort his rump was slowly brought into the air on wobbly legs. He looked akin to a foal or fawn just born. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to finish the job. With another whine he managed to get himself onto his front legs and for the first time since he’d been abandoned he’d stand. Though how long that state might last was the better question.

He managed to focus his silver eyes on his rescuer, hoping she wouldn’t make him walk.

Knocking on the door of the house of mercy

Lydia listened intently as the boy weakly spoke, his voice raspy. She made note of dehydration and wondered what would be the best way to get him some fresh water. Right now it was too cold to have him eat snow or really even drink from any cold pools. Warm blood would be idea and he likely needed a good meal anyway.

His mother made him eat a plant? She could easily guess it was some kind of sedative and a pang of sorrow struck her heart on the boy's behalf as anger started to burn in her gut. She couldn't imagine anyone drugging and just abandoning their child in such a way. What had his mother been thinking? Lydia doubted she had the whole story but she also doubted she'd ever receive it. The fact of the matter was that the boy's mother was out of the picture and likely his father was to. Someone needed to care for him. She sighed. Ideally she wanted to get him home to Kesali but it would be too far to go in his condition.

She had an old storage den at the border of the stone steppe that might be good if it was still useable. It had been abandoned awhile ago when she'd officially joined Kesali and had no need for such bunkers. At least there he'd be out of the wind and she could get him tended to and fed. Surely she could find something to eat on the steppe or the surrounding territories. Much as she hated to leave him alone she didn't see much option. But that was for another time.

Lydia took mental notes as she watched the boy getting shakily to his feet. There could be a number of factors, general weakness, dehydration and lingering effects of the sedative were possible as well as over all hunger and exhaustion. As soon as the boy was on his feet she swiftly moved the buffalo hide down. "Ok, lay down on the buffalo skin. I'm going to try and drag you to a storage den I used to have at the Stone steppe. You'll be able to rest there and I can get you something to eat. I'm from a pack called Kesali and I'm sure you'd be welcome to stay there but it's a few days journey." Thankfully the route between the Rock Garden and the Stone Steppe would be relatively flat. She'd still probably ruin the underside of the buffalo skin but she didn't have much choice. Making a travois would take too much time and she doubted she had the technical ability to manage it.

"Talk"

Blessedly, as soon as he was up Lydia was quick to have him lay back down. There was no hesitation as he flopped back down on the skin. It wasn’t nearly as warm as it had been while on top of him, but it still helped. The starry marked boy shivered with the cold ocean breeze as his savior let him know her plan. The destination’s name meant nothing to him, but he did listen. His brain felt fried and the likelihood of him remembering was slim at best.

There was a pack he would be welcomed into, this name might have stuck with him a little better. He nodded weakly, though his strength was returning. A fact made obvious in the way he was able to keep his head up and alert compared to the log he’d been only a few minutes before. He hoped the pack he was heading to was nothing like the once he’d been sent away from. He felt a pang of longing as he thought about his littermates that had not been lucky enough to be sent with him. By now both of them had met their early demise while he was here, finding a new place to live. He was given a new lease on life, something Silas and Solaris would never have.

”Is it warm?” He asked hoarsely as another shiver wracked his tiny frame. He was only sure of one thing: he wanted to be warm again.

Knocking on the door of the house of mercy

Lydia watched carefully as the boy laid on top of the piece of buffalo hide. She wanted to make sure there weren't any noticeable injuries on his other side and to her relief he seemed unmarred. Once he was settled she moved to the front of the piece of hide. Pausing for a moment to calculate the path she planned to take she heard the boy ask if it was warm. "Oh yes, it's much warmer than here. Kesali is in the south. You just try and rest now." Carefully she seized the hide in her jaws and began to pull. It would be a long journey and they'd likely need to rest at one of her old storage dens or somewhere in the ruins of the stone steppe but she would get him back to Kesali if it was the last thing she ever did.

-exit?-

"Talk"

The boy managed to perk his ears as half lidded eyes watched her rearrange and answer his question. Erystotle felt a sense of relief as she described where they were headed. He sighed heavily as his head dropped to his paws, though he would have fallen asleep either way he was glad for the comfort. "Good." He muttered softly as his eyelids closed. She had told him it would be best to rest and he fully intended on doing so. Another soft sigh left him and before they started moving Erys was falling to sleep. He wouldn't sleep very deeply over the journey, but it would be enough to rid his system of the sedatives.

-exit-