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The breathing was what effected her most as her father limped through the humid rainforest home of Juahar. Her stomach had grown warm with some sticky liquid that she couldn't describe as he moved, hunched over her small frame as he'd pressed her into him. Soon, he collapsed against a tree, looking around with those worried eyes of his that seemed to swirl with various grays. "You have to stay here, Nirhel. Okay? Don't leave this spot." Her father whispered as he set her down, only then did she see the sticky blood that coated her father's secondary tunic.

With a grunt, the adult Shifter pulled another tunic from his gathering bag and gently wrapped it around the youngling where she sat, her light gray skin radiating beneath the sunlight. Her father kissed the top of her silvery hair, tears falling amidst the silver tresses before he backed away. Nirhel rose to her stubby legs and whimpered, "Da...?" She took a few tentative steps after him, but he rushed away in his limping gait. "Da don't leave!" The youngling cried and tears filled her silvery eyes, spilling across her rounded cheeks as she stumbled after him, tripping over his massive tunic as she did so. "Da!" The youngling fell to her stomach and began to weep into the long grasses. Nirhel didn't understand, didn't want to understand, why was her daddy leaving her?

Some time passed before the crying child heard the sound of something coming towards her location. Panicking, she swiped her cheeks of tears and went to a large bush, ducking into it and sniffling, drawing her legs to her chest as she waited, fearing the Oban had returned for her.

Kresimir got his 'in the zone' face on as Sezarra sneakily started a game of tag. "HEY NO FAIR I WASN'T READY!" He shouted after her only seconds before darting off after her. Mommy and Daddy were making camp so they were allowed to roam the immediate vicinity. He ran after his sister with a vengeance when she suddenly dove into the brush. Kres frowned as he knew his sister was hiding in the tangled mess of everything but the question was, where was she? He stood real still, like he had seen his parents do when hunting, trying to listen for where her sister could be, any little sound. But then, he heard a voice off in the distance, it didn't sound too far away. "Seze? Is that you crying out? Did you hear that too?" He said worriedly, becoming the protective big brother he'd always been. "Seze, come out. Something's not right." The voice he had heard sounded scared. "Hello?" Kres called out into the forest. "Is someone out there? Are you okay?" He asked tentatively, looking over his shoulder to where they had come from. Mommy and Daddy weren't far if something bad happened. But Kres was determined to be a big boy and take care of it himself.

Sezarra stood so that her brother could see her and pointed at a shaking bush before creeping closer. A shifter girl lay there curled up and sobbing. She reached her hand out and touched her lightly on the shoulder. "its okay no one bad is here, just me and my brother."

Sezarra took her hand back and glanced at her brother. "Are...are you hurt? Do you need some help? We can help..."

She looked to her brother her brow crinkled with much worry. She showed her palm to Kres, it was slightly smeared. He would have an idea. "Should we get ma and da?" She asked him. This poor girl seemed to have been through something very very bad. Her hair stood up down her back and arms.
"Is what ever hurt you still around?"

It was pertinent to determine if there was still an immediate threat. Thorvin was around somewhere but she didn't want to scare the girl more with a big white radaku. She swallowed her mouth dry and scratchy. What to do what to do...what would attack a little girl?....She was a little girl too and though Kres was a boy he wasn't exactly dad now was he?

The youngling blinked her rounded eyes up at the child who'd suddenly appeared before her. It was someone who'd been like her father and herself, not like the dark skinned men and women who'd chased them earlier. Snuffling, the little girl shook her head in response to the other's question. "No, I'm not hurt..." She murmured softly and then squeaked as a boy appeared a little behind the girl. Offering good fruit?

Only then did Nirhel realize how hungry she was and her belly rumbled slowly before she could wrap her arms around it, thinking that'd make the sound muted. "Did... did you see my da?" The child squeaked softly and hiccuped a little from the sobs that'd taken her. But she stood a little away from the pair, uncertain, her eyes watching them restlessly.

Kresimir cocked his head at the girl now that he could fully see her. She seemed their age, maybe a little bit younger. It appeared as if she had blood on her but she said she wasn't hurt. Kres came to the same conclusion as his sister had when she asked where her father was. He had to resist the urge to go over and give the girl a hug. From the way she stood apart from them, it seemed like trying to give her a hug would only make things worse. "Well, I'm Kresimir and this is my sister Sezarra. If you want to tell Sezarra what your Daddy looks like we can have our parents go look for him when we go home. But, I'm going to go find us some food." He tried to maintain a smile, in all honesty, though, he was worried. Should he go back and get his parents? He'd have to go back a little ways and he wasn't willing to leave Seze here. Nor did the girl seem willing to trust them yet, so so be it. "I'll be right back Seze. There are some fruit trees just over there so I'll stay within sight of you."

Without another word he scampered his little shifter butt up the tree in a way that would have made his parents proud and ran slowly across the lower branches. He knew he would have to go higher to get to the good fruit, but he'd do that when he got to a good tree. In the mean time, he'd stay on the lower branches so he could make sure to see his sister alright. It didn't take him long before he got to a suitable tree. It was a little farther than he would have liked as he could barely see Sezarra, but as he climbed he grabbed four or five pieces of fruit, as much as he could carry and still climb okay, but the going would be slow.

Sezarra was torn, she didn't want to leave the poor girl alone right now, she needed somewhere to stay that was obvious, and with Kres off to scavenge food Seze was the only one left. The other part of her wanted to hunt for the "bad men" to gain intelligence on where they were so that they could better protect the shifter youngling from them and perhaps determine the status of her father.

But she just couldn't leave so it was best to retreat somewhat from the area while giving Kres signs of where they went that only her brother could pick up.

"Come, we will find better shelter." Seze slunk off making sure that Nirhel saw where she was going, the girl must be in a great deal of stress so whatever happened she needed constant watching. Seze only took her eyes off the her to frequently check the trail, she did not want to find something unpleasant and then to she did not want Nirhel to disapear into the jungle. Balance was needed here, balance and patience and she would perform to her best abilities, she had never really been one to panic and she used that calmness now, the calmness that had allowed her to bond with her radaku. Calm in the storm.

Oh... okay The child spoke as she followed after Seze, her face down at the ground as she moved towards shelter with the girl. This felt so foreign to her, she didn't really want to go through this problem, the unknowing of where her father was, the fear she'd never be safe again. When the girls had reached their shelter, once again they waited for Seze's brother. Nirhel sniffled and wiped her face with her lower arm, running it over her tiny nose.

The child nearly jumped out of her skin when she'd thought a twig had broke and heard footsteps nearing them. Nirhel squeaked softly and tried to hide herself with her father's cloak. But, when Kresimir came into view she relaxed slightly, swallowing hard as she snuffled once more. He was handing her a piece of fruit, which she slowly took and held between her hands, her eyes wide in curiosity. Carefully, with slow movements, she bit into the fruit and gave a little sigh of delight. She was happy to have food.

Munching hard on her fruit she looked towards Kres as he spoke to her, My... name is Nirhel. She whispered softly, looking down at the ground as her toes gently rubbed the top of her foot. Swallowing, she looked at Seze once more. Why are you two here? Are you hiding from the bad men too? She was opening up a little, slowly cracking her shell to speak more. There was still a tiny bit of a stammer in her voice, but she pushed it aside carefully.

Kresimir grinned at his sister who was eyeing the fruits of his labor, literally. He tossed her the ones he hadn't eaten yet and sat down on the ground where they all stood. The girl was timid, likely they wouldn't be able to get her to follow them just on a whim. They would need to earn her trust. Hopefully, the providing of food would help towards that. "Well, Nir, may I call you that? Seze is right, we were just out having some fun. Our parents don't like us to go too far from camp otherwise we would try to help find your Daddy. And..if there are bad men out there...Momma and Daddy wouldn't be happy with that at all." He looked to his sister, what should they do? Neither of them were really that great at making a fire yet...they could both look for food but if they were out too long Momma and Daddy would get worried. And what if they came and scared Nir? He sighed and propped his chin up. "Would you let us take you to our parents so they could help you?"