He had made his way from Firefly Lake, the saber he killed on his back bleeding into his own wounds. He almost couldn't make it to Abaven, but he forced himself to at least make it past the borders. Once inside the thicket, he collapsed from the strength it took him to carry the beast and from the pain of his wounds. He rolled to his side, letting the cat slide off his body and he laid there breathless for a few short moments. It was nighttime, Allegro probably assumed he needed some time to sort out his thoughts so didn't keep a close distance to him. The grounds outside the pack still weren't safe though. The extra dire wolves seemed to head back to where they came from but there were still some lingering. And apparently so were the other strange creatures that came with them. Balthier let out a soft call after he caught his breath. He didn't know who to call for exactly, but he knew he needed a healer. He wasn't feeling lightheaded or like he was going to pass out. He was hoping he would though, the pain he was feeling was unlike anything he had experienced before. Walk "Talk"

Nighttime patrols had become second nature to her; it was a rare, rare occasion that she had a night of uninterrupted sleep. Tonight was no different. Theory was taking her time renewing the border scents and chatting idly with Alouette who would alight briefly on nearby branches (or her back) to make a remark on the trail ahead. Her raven had been her one constant companion throughout her life; Theo was grateful for her presence, especially when she heard the sound of a young, weak call from the border. "Lou, grab the medicine bag!" she said, a bit sharper than she intended. The voice sounded little. Noting the urgency, Alouette immediately peeled off in the direction of Theory's den. Supplies were running perilously low from the long winter. Whatever she had would have to stretch.

As she arrived on the scene, Theo sucked in a quick breath. It was Balthier and he appeared badly wounded. How had he wandered off like this? "Hey, hey," she said soothingly. "Lie still for now until I can get a good look at you. What happened?" She glanced over at the cat's corpse, filling in the blanks with her head. Still, she waited patiently for his answer as Theory checked his vitals with a delicate touch. It wouldn't be long until Alouette returned with her supplies, hopefully with her lemur friend riding along. Some procedures were delicate and required dexterous hands versus clumsy paws. The extent of the damage was difficult to tell in the darkness - it didn't help that the boy had a mostly dark pelt. She could see blood on the golden parts of his fur but couldn't quite tell where the wounds began.

Theory, the alpha would come to his aide. He had never really addressed her one on one, but him and the rest of his siblings tended to stick to themselves. At least they didn't cause much trouble, or at least up until now. He rolled back over onto his stomach, Theory asked for an explanation, and he knew not to extend on the details. He at least didn't think it was worth going through all the sadness and frustration he felt for his mother abandoning them just to get to the point. "I was at Firefly lake and this saber cat attacked me." He gestured lightly to the lifeless creature with a point of his nose, "I didn't want it to go to waste." That was at least explanation enough for why he lugged it here. Allegro taught him that all life was important and to thank their prey for their sacrifice. While he was covered in his own blood but more of the cat's blood, he further went on, "It clawed me on my both my shoulders and bit me pretty good at the spine of my neck here." His paw reached up to point, but he couldn't be accurate. The pain he was feeling was extending past his wounds, and he was having a hard time remembering exactly where the creature grabbed him. Walk "Talk"

Although part of her wanted to scold him somehow, she bit her tongue. It wouldn't do any good. Theory didn't pretend to understand their mother's choice in leaving her children here but she didn't want to cause them any additional pain. All children were welcome here. Her goal for Abaven had always been to create a loving environment where wolves could thrive under their own direction. A safe place for anyone to come and lay their head and worries to rest before waking up refreshed as the sun rose. Theo could relate to the pup's sense of abandonment - her own mother had set out on a trek just as they'd been weaned which had led to her early, untimely death. She hadn't understood her motivations then and she didn't pretend to now. "You did good to bring the cat down. I'm impressed," Theory smiled encouragingly as she continued to assess his wounds. He was fading. Her eyes scanned the sky and were rewarded with a glimpse of Alouette, sailing closer by the second.

Her raven fumbled to the ground, awkwardly lugging the medicine bag. "Thank you, Lou," she said before separating out her supplies for easy access. Pickings were slim. The winter had not been kind to their stores. I can make do. I can, I can. She hadn't seen many wounds this bad on a child this young. "Lie still now and let me see what I can do. Keep talking to me though, okay? Even if it hurts. Especially if it hurts." Theory put together a quick and messy poultice. She no longer winced at the ugly taste of most raw herbs - not to mention what she was working with now was stale, crumbling, and tough. The mixture barely held together once she had it sorted. Wound cleaning was slow going. She placed the poultice aside before beginning to part his fur and slowly clean the area around the wound.

Balthier's breath had steadied as he caught his breath after traveling from the lake and collapsed, safe in the borders. He was growing used to the pain as time passed, but it was still far from pleasant. He almost wanted to smile when she mentioned she was impressed with him taking the cat down, his alpha, impressed. Did he make his dad proud?

Theory had asked him to keep talking to her. He was thinking he was pretty okay right now, but was that the side effects of the pain talking? "Sure thing." This time he could pull up a small smile, even if it was nearly impossible to see through the darkness. Where he thought he had felt the most pain just a land away from here, he was very wrong as Theory started poking around and cleaning his wound. He grunted as his claws hugged the earth under him, but it seemed easier as she cleaned an area, backed off, and started again. He could muster through the pain as it was on and off. "You're definitely in the right place." He had never had wounds that needed healing, barely even a cut. And this entire experience was a whole new ball court for him. Would it be one day soon he could protect Abaven?

"Balthier"