Get what you deserve

Eligos had set out on patrol early that day, knowing that as the sun rose the trade fair would be winding up again in the lake region. Even though the lake region was open to visitors at this time, he didn't see it as being any less imperative that those borders, too, be patrolled. After all, he had promised Aerie's visitors that they would be safe here, and he would tolerate no sneak attacks among those who had taken him up on his offer. It would do the already-tattered Abraxas reputation no good if they were suspected of failing to keep their word, or worse actively participating in setting up a trap to help the marauders. Cypher and Kida joined him on and off throughout the patrol. They were at that age where they were old enough to have the stamina to stay through a whole day of patrolling, but young enough to grow bored and wander off. They tended to bring him news of happenings outside his immediate patrol area, so it was not something he had actively discouraged. The pair were shaping up quite nicely since he'd taken them in, though they still had a great deal more excess energy than he was used to even wolf pups having they took to his attempts to channel their energy into usefulness like a duck to water. He had to wonder how they'd ended up abandoned the way they had been; they weren't even siblings, though he had found them together. Perhaps their pack hadn't been able to provide for young pups and had abandoned all of their litters. Did dogs have packs? He supposed they would, since most of their wild cousins did.

The sun continued to rise, and Kida trotted off towards the excitement of the trade fair while he continued on. He'd want to head towards the trade fair later himself to keep an eye on things - others in Aerie would switch in and out on patrol duty so everyone who wanted to would get the chance to attend without leaving Aerie and the fair both unguarded. That wouldn't be for a while, however, so he sent her off to mingle and observe, and she'd report back later. He was curious how his pack was faring in their trades, and besides that she would be able to bring him word if there was trouble brewing before he returned.

Her partner in crime had disappeared almost an hour ago after a jackrabbit, so Eligos expected that Cypher would be back soon. He was able to catch hares with a surprising amount of ease, an ease that Eligos actually envied, but he'd get bored catching them eventually. In the meantime it would be good for Aerie's larder, and placed in one of the ravine's deeper caves they would stay cool for anyone who want a quick meal. Coming in off a long patrol, sometimes it was nice to not need to hunt, or in recent days not needing to take time away from the trade fair.

Taking in the young pups had turned out to be a surprisingly good decision, even aside from the fact that he'd grown fond of the manic little bastards. They were even taking to fight training with a fierce determination that Eli certainly approved of.

As though the thought of him summoned it, a series of shrill, pained cries rose in the near distance that Eligos recognized as Cypher's voice. The alpha's dark hackles rose, and he broke immediately into a sprint towards the sound. He broke through the brush separating them, and paused, his gaze taking in the situation in an instant.

A broken bee hive in a hollow tree oozed honey from smashed wax comb, and beneath it the clear culprit, Cypher covered in the honey he'd clearly thought he could pilfer, cowering and shrilling beneath the assault of a swarm of angry bees. He considered a moment leaving it be - Cypher had brought the attack on himself and was being punished for his lack of forethought. But he rejected that thought immediately - Cypher seemed unable to move, and was being stung over and over again. The attack could very well kill him if it continued.

Instead after that half-halt he continued on his headlong rush towards his hapless dog protege. He skidded to a brief halt to latch his jaws into the young malinois' scruff, and nearly dropped him as sharp burning pains in his tongue and the roof of his mouth heralded the fact that he'd managed to grab a couple of Cypher's tormentors as well. He held on through the pain, though, grimly pinning back his ears and narrowing his eyes to prevent the angry insects from crawling into them as they began to include him in their punishing bombardment. He gathered his hindquarters beneath him and sprang away. Cypher hung from his jaws like a dead weight, dragging him down as the malinois' body slid and bumped along the ground, but Eli didn't let go or slow down. He was far taller and heavier than the young dog, but Cypher wasn't a little puppy anymore either, and Eligos' jaws and neck strained with the weight as he tried to lift Cypher enough to clear obstacles.

The bees were pissed off and unwilling to let them go without a thorough beating. He could feel them pelting against him as he bounded along, could feel them crawling over his fur and trying to get into his narrowed eyes and pinned ears, felt them on his muzzle. The painful burn of their stings were everywhere. He tucked his nose down into Cypher's fur to protect it, but then found himself choking on fur when he tried to breath and gave up.

He broke through the grass and brush at the edge of the lake farthest from the trade fair and without an instant hesitation flung himself and the unresponsive youth into the muddy water. He'd chosen his destination deliberately, wanting to escape the bees in the water without leading them into the crowd at the festival. He could only hope Cypher had a chance to take a deep breath before they both plunged over their heads. He kept moving even as the water closed over his head, swimming strongly beneath the water further and further away from where the swarm was undoubtedly waiting for him to resurface. He kept swimming until his lungs couldn't stand it anymore, then burst up from the water. He was careful to drag Cypher's head up as well, and was relieved when the malinois took a gulping breath of his own despite still hanging limply.

The ploy had worked; the bees didn't find them again when his paws hit the shore again on the other side of the lake. He wearily dragged Cypher onto land and let him drop, then flopped down beside him. He didn't like how unresponsive the young dog was, nor the swelling that showed how often he'd been stung. He'd need to find a healer for him, and quickly. For that matter, he wasn't feeling too pleased about how badly his own stings hurt, or the way they'd swelled either. Particularly the few he'd gotten in his mouth in that first initial rush. The fact that the bees who stung him were now dead did a great deal to sooth him, though.

Wincing, the alpha pushed himself back to his paws and glanced around. The way his tongue was swelling, he didn't think much of his likelihood of producing a howl that could get a healer here swiftly, but he'd come to shore near enough the festival that he might be able to find someone nearby enough to make himself understood.

Word Count: 1292