Signal the Requiem

Subject: Signal the Requiem May 1st 2012, 2:40 pm

There is something very unsettling about the thoughts that cross your mind as you are about to die.

Maybe it's because you seem to become overly pessimistic. Especially when you are completely aware of how and why you are dying. That's where Fae was now, walking solemnly through the forest, a heavy limp on her right fore paw. A steady stream of blood flowed from the mangled flesh where a hard hoof had pierced it, and even just holding it in the air hurt because of the fractured bones. Why had she been so stupid? She knew better than to try and take down a doe, especially when you were weak and emaciated, but she had tried anyway. And, as expected, failed.

She was surprised she had gotten off this easily, really. Just a paw that hurt like nothing she'd ever felt, and some more minor gashes along her right side that were also bleeding, leaving her pelt wet and clumped with blood. And a headache. Though the headache, she figured, might be because of the blood loss; she always does seem to get touchy when she's hurt.

She stopped a moment, a slight wobble in her movement as she came to an unsteady stance. She was almost there, she could already hear the water rushing and the sound of fish leaping into the air and splashing back down again. A shot of pain hit her heart momentarily, but she shook it off and continued. "Focus... Just, ah.. Focus. It's hard enough to see, you idiot, don't need to be thinking of... That, to make it worse." Her vision had been blurry for some time now, which most definitely did not help with her dizziness and lack of strength. She had to get there, there was no other choice; at least in her mind.

But as she pressed on, she began to ponder just how it was she would manage to get there. The cave was up several feet of rock which, on a normal day, would be no problem for her to climb or even jump, but there was no way she could do that now without struggle. As she stood in front of her old method of entering, she thought of how she would start. She looked around in a futile effort of finding another way in, but as she expected there were none. A tired sigh escaped her, and she lifted her right paw up and onto the first rock, ignoring the pain that shot through it the best she could. She winced, awaiting the coming agony and she put pressure onto it and her other fore paw and pulled herself up high enough to land her hind legs onto it unsteadily. Panting from both the exertion and the pain, she continued the process on the next two rocks.

And then she slipped.

She didn't notice herself falling at first, but when she hit the last boulder she'd climbed with her back first she let out a yelp of surprise. And she tumbled down what she had only just accomplished, landing in a crumpled heap on the lagoon's shoreline. She had ended up on her right side, and her wounds burned from both the pressure and the sand seeping into them, but she didn't care. She could feel another cut on her chest, no doubt from one of the sharper edges of the rock, and she might have even broken a rib or two. Water lapped at the ends of her paws, her blood mixing into it in strange patterns and for a moment the slimy wetness of it made her scowl. Then she realized how completely absurd it was to be disgusted with the water of all things that she couldn't help but let out a bitter, humorless laugh.

She was pathetic.

Subject: Re: Signal the Requiem May 2nd 2012, 8:54 pm

He hadn't eaten for at least a week, but this was his next meal. Kain's eyes never left the red-tail doe. He was an experienced hunter, and for other wolves, this would be unthinkable... but for Kain, this wasn't even a challenge. He was well hidden among the thick underbrush, with the canopy above blocking out the sun. His black pelt blended perfectly with the shadows. Not that it mattered; deer only notice movement, not the figure of a well-hidden wolf.

The doe had stopped at a creek for a break. If Kain didn't take it down here, it would be a lost cause. He carefully scanned the doe's stance- alert, but not aware of his presence. As soon it took a drink, he had to act... It jolted up and searched the forest behind him. He had heard the dog, or whatever it was, close by, but didn't pay any attention to it. He had to concentrate on the hunt.

The deer lowered its hackles to the ground. Kain's concentration broke. Why did it sit down? It's an unbelievably easy meal! He observed the deer once again, and noticed a few details he had missed before- Its hooves were slightly shaky, obviously because it was running from something. Also, its breath was quick and uneven- Something was hunting it not too long ago.

Kain jolted back into concentration as the doe leaned down to drink. Now was his chance, no time to think. He lunged out of the brush and aimed his jaws for the animal's throat. He missed. The doe was able to get to its feet, but Kain had faster reflexes. He once again jolted for the animal's neck, and this time, hit the mark. Its muscles relaxed and its head fell to the ground. Finally he would get something to eat!

After a short while of filling his stomach, Kain heard a clashing of rocks, then a loud yelp- only, maybe, ten fallen trees away. His curiosity got the best of him, and he stood and headed in the direction of the strange noise.

The sound of falling water grew louder until Kain broke the treeline by the lagoon. He turned to the side, and he saw a dead wolf on the ground, partly in the water. Blood was being washed out of what had to be some sort of gash in the wolf's side. A quick glance at its build, and he knew it was a female. She was a greyish tint, with splotches of brown here and there. He stared at the corpse for a moment, and noticed her stomach pump up and down. She was alive! He had to help her.

Kain trotted to the she-wolf and nuzzled her on the shoulder to get her attention. "Hello? What happened to you?"

Subject: Re: Signal the Requiem May 3rd 2012, 2:31 pm

The multi-hued wolfess wasn't sure how long she had been lying there, staring up at the sky with no particular thoughts crossing her mind. Hours? A few minutes? She hadn't been watching the sky beforehand, so she had no idea whether the clouds she could see coming in from the West were recent or if they had been making a slow approach for a long time now. It didn't matter, really. But it was something to ponder, at least a little.

She could hear something nearing the lagoon, but what she couldn't tell. She didn't look, either (not that it would have helped, anyway), and instead her silver-rimmed blues stayed blank as they remained upward. The sound was coming closer, and after a moment it paused. At least her hearing hadn't gone to Hell with the rest of her senses. Had whatever it was come to think that she was dead? That was very possible; she could only assume she looked worse than she felt. Maybe the creature was hungry and was trying to decide whether to have her as a meal or not. That could end up both good and bad, really.

The sound of splashing-- one, two three, four legs of which it walked; like that helped-- came to lie right beside her, some of the droplets hitting her on the face. They didn't feel as cold as she expected. Maybe she was already just as cold or more.

A nose to her shoulder made her wince slightly as pain shot through her. All right, so it must be a wolf. She wasn't sure if she was happy or angry at that fact. "Hello?" it asked, still probably uncertain as to whether or not she was dead or about to be. It sounded male, but then again her perception was a bit off right now. "What happened to you?" Really? That was all he could say? How completely stupid did you have to be not to assume she had fallen? Not that that was the main reason she was injured, but still. She would have assumed that she had fallen. Idiot was all that she could say to describe him.

Fae hadn't realized just how shallowly she had been breathing until she tried to speak. Her words came out only as a slight whoosh of air as it left her muzzle. Taking her time to try and regain at least some control of her vocal chords (which, now that she thought about it, hadn't really been used much lately), she moved her eyes down to look at the male standing beside her. He appeared to be black-- or was that some kind of hallucination?-- with dark chocolate eyes. Not Him. Not that she had thought it was.

Her eyes remained on him in a slight glare as she slowly licked her lips, trying to inhale as large of a breath as she could without hurting herself. Which wasn't much. "I-" her voice cracked, and she coughed to try and keep it from happening again, though she didn't know if it would help or not. "I fell." She paused to take another breath. "Obviously." She refrained from telling him of her own idiotic actions that had led to her fall; didn't want to come across as, you know, weak. She let out a short, hollow laugh at that.

Subject: Re: Signal the Requiem May 3rd 2012, 5:14 pm

Kain's heart began to sink when the female turned to him. She was alive; suffering through that much pain. He couldn't imagine how terrible it was. She tried to speak for a second, but she was in too much pain. Somehow, in a few seconds, she managed to anyways. She told him she fell. He knew that much, but that obviously wasn't the only thing that had happened to her. Had she been attacked? Then she blurted out an insult. He tilted his head and squinted his eyes in anger. She probably didn't understand exactly what he said.

"That much is obvious; even a pup would know that, but you didn't only fall. You were... attacked by something?" Shut up, stop speaking, just stop speaking. He looked down and shook his head, trying to decide whether to kill her where she was, or to try to help. There wasn't really much he could do to help at this point; she was probably on her death bed. That didn't stop him though; he felt as if saving this female was what he had to do. "Listen... You know that you probably won't survive, but..." He stopped, and lowered his mouth into the water. He lifted his head back up and tilted his jaw, dumping the cold water into the gashes in her side. It had to burn, but it would help. Or at least he hoped.

Subject: Re: Signal the Requiem May 4th 2012, 11:06 am

This wolf was really starting to get on her nerves.

It wasn't that he was doing anything particularly annoying. But really, couldn't a wolf die in peace? He just kept lingering, and for what? Fae was quite certain she was going to die soon, especially if she wanted it to happen. That was why she was still lying in the burning sand. Besides, even if that wasn't the only reason, as long as she didn't try to get up she could still think that, right? Strange, morbid logic, but her pride was still slightly intact so it was working.

She watched the blurry male turn his head and... Look down? Or maybe he squinted. All right, so either she made him sad-- she swore that if that was his reaction then she would shred his paws after giving him a stern command to hold still-- or angry at what she said. "That much is obvious; even a pup would know that, but you didn't only fall." She was going to go with angry. So he wasn't such a complete dolt as she had originally thought. That lowered her flame down an inch or two. "You were... attacked by something?" Pretty observant; must have been her exposed paw, unless somehow her other wounds from the failed hunt were visible. She doubted that, though, so observant it was.

Her silver-rimmed blues watched as he shook his head, probably irritated with her or the fact that she was a lost cause. Good, the sooner he figured that out, the better. Then she could die with at least some semblance of peace. "Listen..." Like she could do anything else? "You know that you probably won't survive, but..." Yes, she was pretty aware of that, Captain Obvious. Now what was he doing? Getting a drink? Maybe he was preparing to leave, but that seemed somewhat unlikely.

But no, of course not. He decided that he was going to try and save her. So, instead of getting a drink like she had originally thought, he dumped it out onto her wounds from the rocks. She winced slightly, not able to feel how cold it was but the initial burn of the water itself was enough any day. She didn't bother to glare at him, though, like it would help anyway.

Giving a weak sigh, she looked away from him and at where the waterfall crashed into the lagoon. She didn't like the idea of being called a sap, but she said it anyway. What did it matter now? "It's still just as wonderful as I remember it." Her words came out in a whisper, but she found that she didn't need as much breath for whispers and her voice didn't crack, either. "You should just let me die." Still watching the falling water, she took in another breath. "I don't have anything to live for, anyway." She looked at him again, then, wondering why she was sharing her pathetic ramblings that didn't even compare to some others, she was sure. But she kept on for some reason, like she wasn't able to stop. "So I figured: I could die here; this would be a good place to die. But it turns out I can't even do that properly." The wolfess gave a soft chuckle at her own weakness. She sighed. "So just leave me here. I'm a waste of your time."

Subject: Re: Signal the Requiem May 4th 2012, 6:03 pm

From the beginning, Kain could tell that getting her to cooperate would be a problem. From the moment he first spoke he could tell how much she hated him. Everything he said seemed to make her angrier. That didn't stop him though, he felt that no matter how much she resisted he needed to help. She began to speak, rambling out a few lines. She spoke of how much she loved the beauty of the falls. Was she changing how she felt? Well, he didn't really care. No matter how much hatred built up inside her now, he wasn't going to let her die now. She continued to speak. 'You should just let me die here,' she whispered out to him. That didn't phase him at all; he knew she would say something similar sooner or later. she spoke even more. She said that she had nothing to live for; Kain began to think that it was just delusional rambling. She told him that he needed to let her die in peace. No, he wouldn't let her die at all. Then she said that she was a waste of time, and he knew this wasn't the case; he had to at least try to help. What wolf could live on knowing that they let a fellow wolf die, painfully and alone?

"I know how much you hate me, you're doing good at showing it. The thing is, I'm not going to let you die; I'm not going away. No matter how much you hope I will leave, well I'm not." If she was healthy, she would be furious right now. Maybe he could motivate her enough to make her try to survive, even if getting revenge on him was her only motive? When she had said she had nothing to live for, maybe he could give her something to live for. Maybe she could give him something to live for? Kain shook his head, scrambling all the stupid, pointless thoughts. He trotted back into the forest to drag the deer over near her. Sooner or later she would have to ask for some, and even if she didn't, well, he just may have to force it down her throat. He hoped he wouldn't have to resort to that, and hopefully sooner or later she would deny a death like this.

Subject: Re: Signal the Requiem May 8th 2012, 12:20 pm

(Sorry for the wait, my internet's been really screwy lately. I doubly apologise for the sucky post.)

Fae watched as he just stood there and listened to her speak. He did nothing else, just listened. And she just watched.

She doubted he would leave her now just because of her words. That would be too easy. As she was trying to think of a plan to get rid of the fussing wolf, she listened to him. "I know how much you hate me, you're doing good at showing it." Good to know her attitude was still there somewhere. "The thing is, I'm not going to let you die; I'm not going away. No matter how much you hope I will leave, well I'm not." Great. You know, him wanting to save her wasn't even the problem. It was having to deal with him, himself. Anyone she met could tell you that she didn't play nice with others.

The wolfess tried to follow the male with her eyes as he trotted away, but lying on her side she couldn't see him once he was behind her. Whatever he was doing, she hoped something happened that got him distracted or-- never mind. He was already walking back, a deer carcass being dragged by his jaws. It wasn't until he was closer that her muddled sense of smell picked up on the scent. And, really, that was not a good thing. The smell was completely disgusting, her stomach making her gag slightly. She closed her eyes, trying to breathe through her mouth; but the damage had already been done, and if she didn't hurry, well, she didn't want to think about it.

Preparing herself for what she most certainly did not want to do, she moved her right leg (which, might she add, hurt like complete Hell since the weight of her body was on it) underneath herself. She was now half way into a half-sitting position and, using her other leg which most definitely didn't hurt as much, brought her entire front half up into the stance. Quickly, she turned her head away from the black wolf and leaned as far away from her as she could without too much pain or effort and vomited. Not that there was much that would come up. Probably just water; she really didn't feel very inclined to look at it. At least if it were water the smell wouldn't be too horrible and she could maybe just ignore it. One reason to enjoy her poor senses.

Not wanting to lie back down, but not wanting to lean on her mangled paw, either, she wasn't sure what to do. She could get up completely, but she didn't really think she had the strength for that. So, instead, she moved her hind legs in a way that, when finished, her rear was leaning on her left flank instead of her right. Moving her left leg underneath her self, she was then able to remove the pressure on her injured paw. She was panting now, the amount of time and effort she had just spent tiring her even more. The relief of her paw not as great as she thought it would be. Taking a glance at her side, she saw that the once-clotted wounds were now bleeding freely again, older blood staining the sand where she had been lying and also where her injuries were dripping.

Trying to ignore what she had just seen and knew was there, she turned a bleary eye over her shoulder to the male. She winced as some pain throbbed through her cuts, but that passed after a moment. "I never said I hated you." And she hadn't, not really. She didn't like him being here, true, but she didn't hate him as a wolf. She was just hurt and defensive and, well, Fae. She couldn't help how she was.

Subject: Re: Signal the Requiem May 11th 2012, 4:57 pm

(Oh, trust me. that post is great.)

Kain's sorrow for this wolf grew. She was already in so much pain, but then she stiffly pulled herself up and vomited out what looked to be like just water. He was unsure if this was because of the pain or the smell of the deer. To him, the odor of freshly killed roe doe was delicious. But when you're ready to die, your senses don't perceive things very well.

The fact that the female pulled herself up to... well, not her feet, but an odd sitting position, whether it be because of what she knew was going to happen or because of pain, sent some hope towards Kain. He could feel a very slight grin sliding onto his face. It wasn't because he had some weird attraction to vomit, it was because, one, she could move. Two, she did this as far away as she could. She had accepted the fact that he wasn't going to let her die, so she moved the vomit away from herself so she wouldn't have to smell it. She was improving living conditions until she healed. She knew he wasn't going anywhere; but she was not happy about it.

After she had recovered from the small incident, She began to speak again. "I didn't say I hated you." Kain squinted and gazed toward her, confused momentarily. She was right, she didn't say she hated him. She just hated what he was doing, but it was something he felt that he needed to do. His conscience would not be clear if he let her die. He explained this to her in a not soft but not sharp tone. He gazed into the females eyes. Until now, he hadn't noticed how deep and vibrant they were. Until now, he hadn't even noticed how beautiful she was (Or would be, without gaping wounds in her side.) Until now, he hadn't even realized that he didn't even know her name. It didn't bother him though. He might as well just refer to her as female. Female needed some time to recover, and Kain knew better than to leave her. Instead, he sat right down next to her and waited. Her wounds had sand in them, but he had already cleaned them out once, and decided differently than to do it again.

Subject: Re: Signal the Requiem October 21st 2012, 3:04 pm

(I think I'll put myself in a deep, dark hole now. Which will force me to post. Forever. Also, bad post is bad. Fae is so out of character here...)

He told her that his conscience wouldn't be clean if she died; hah! He doesn't even know her. If he did, she could guarantee that he would be glad to let her die. It took a few hard blinks for her eyes to focus enough on the male so that she could make out his face, if only a little. But even with her weakened eyesight, she knew how to spot pity. And this male had it plastered across his face.

She hated that. Sympathy, she could take, so long as the one sympathizing had even an inkling of what it felt like. But pity? She has never seen anything of worth come from it; it's always seemed like more of a way to make someone feel as though they weren't good enough, not worth sincere-- And she was rambling. In her head. About nothing.

The wolfess' gaze refocused, and she found herself being stared at. Not even at her wounds, or the blasted blood that clung annoyingly to her pelt. He was staring at her eyes. It made her feel oddly uneasy, which never came often to her. "What?" she growled out, regretting it when a series of hard coughs racked her frame. She could feel the fresh blood on her chin... Coughing up blood, that was never a good sign. Attempting to speak again, she made a wet wheezing sound before forcing it down to warn him. Well, whisper to him, anyway. But it was a threatening whisper, or at least she hoped so. "What-- What are you staring at? Do-- Do I look like a flower to you?" Stuttering. Great, let's show him how pathetic you are. Hell, while you're at it, you might as well cry in front of him!

Fae was beginning to really feel the effects of her blood loss, now; the corners of her vision were darkened, as if someone had smeared soot around her eyes. And she was tired, so tired, that if she just-- no, that wouldn't do. She had to stay awake (when had she last slept, anyway?), she had to show him what he could do with that pity of his. No one would keep her down unless it was her death. And that most certainly was not going to be in front of some stranger who pities her.

With a rocking motion that she hoped was somewhat subtle, she gained enough momentum to bring her hinds beneath herself. Both of her forepaws were being pressured, now, and oh did her right burn. Then, hoping for the best, the multi-hued female stood. She looked at the black wolf again, a weak glare sent back at him, before she took a step forward and why did she use her right paw her leg crumpled and she fell back onto her right side. "Damn it," she ground out lowly, teeth clamped firmly together. Now not only were her wounds being pressed into rough sand, but her little escapade added a painful ache that felt like it was everywhere at once.

She avoided the male's gaze.

Subject: Re: Signal the Requiem October 22nd 2012, 8:28 pm

(Stop it. Your posts are great. I'm jealous. D:< but anyways, Fae is aggressive o.o)

Kain hadn't even realized that he was staring into the female's eyes. He was lost in thought, somewhat irritated with how she was treating him when he was just trying to help her. She barked a warning at him, which made him jump a little. She stuttered out some aggressive response at him, which he really didn't interpret. After a few moments of silence, she threw herself to one side to stand up. She was so wobbly that Kain didn't even move, he knew she wouldn't go far.

He was right. After one step (With her more seriously injured leg,) she tripped and tumbled to the ground. She stared at the ground, she seemed devastated by helplessness. The landing looked painful, probably pressing more sand into her wounds. He debated helping her to her other side, risking more hateful comments. He stood slowly, and stepped onto her other side. "Adjust while I do this," He had stopped being careful with his word choice, it seemed that no matter what he said, it only angered her more. He didn't even try to hide his irritation with her. As he moved over to her side, he began to speak. Hopefully she would at least listen, he hadn't had the chance socialize with any wolf since he had left the pack. "Whether you agree with my motives or not, no wolf deserves to die." Yeah, that was enough for a moment, as he waited for her to utter out a few hateful comments. He pressed the top of his muzzle against her back for support so she could adjust a little, then slowly rolled her to a healthier position, careful not to press her body onto her legs.

Subject: Re: Signal the Requiem April 10th 2014, 4:38 am

For several moments, the only sound was the falls and Fae's ragged breathing. The male hadn't said anything about her little trip which, she had to say, was pretty wise of him. Instead, he stepped over her, telling her to adjust while he did... something. She was about to question him when she suddenly felt a sharp pain on her back and right side. She let out a low grunt in pain, cringing as he put pressure on her wounds.

She only moved with the force because it hurt. Not because he told her to.

Through the whole ordeal, he was yabbering away, telling her how she-- Fae!-- didn't deserve to die. She would growl if it wouldn't cause her to cough up a lung. Hell, it might be preferable to what she was currently going through. By the time he was finished, she was lying on her stomach, her fore legs splayed slightly to reduce the pressure on them. Panting, she looked at him, too tired to work up a decent glare. "What? Just-" she wheezed slightly then, "Just going to have me lie down in the sand? How sweet of you. I wonder why I didn't think of that." Her next breath induced a sort of hiss as she inhaled too deeply, her chest wound expanding straight into the ground. This wolf really didn't think his plan out very well. As far as she could tell, only her left side was devoid of any serious injuries. How she managed that, she had no idea. Lucky shot, she supposed. Or unlucky. Depends on how you look at it.

As unhappy as she was about the whole situation, Fae figured that she might as well play along if only to keep herself from going insane. If she kept telling him to leave her alone, he'd only stick around longer. First order of business: tell him he's a complete idiot. Again. "Do you have a-any idea how to do anything?" She paused for breath. "How do you expect to help me at all if I'm just going to be lying in the sand all day?" She didn't mention the fact that she had a deep chest wound. He'd figure that out eventually, if he managed to have her last that long.

Fae's vision faded completely, her head dropping to her paws. The blackout didn't last long, but it was long enough for it to be noticeable. If she was going to end up being unconscious around this wolf, she was definitely not going to be happy. There was no telling what he would do to her, half-dead or not. An involuntary growl rose from her throat, causing her to cough up a few more drops of blood.