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 Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 12:02 am
 A dark blue wolf weakly opened an eye, then groaned aloud as consciousness brought a sudden onslaught of pain, particularly around his lung area. Kiume coughed a bit as he struggled to get up, but only ended up back on the ground floor with yet another loud groan. His head ached, and his entire body was almost numb from the pain, but he forced himself to keep both eyes open to get a look at his surroundings. Did he get winded and passed out while traveling? Was he attacked? Ambushed? ...Or maybe he was dead, and the afterlife just happened to look like a den? Or maybe he was reincarnated into the body of another, newly born, wolf like himself.
But the pain was all too mortal, and he heard not a shrill cry from any siblings he might've had, nor the moisture from the blood of the birth. So he slowly (the longer he lay awake, hardly breathing and with a humongous headache) came to realize exactly where he was; he was in a den. Tsuki's den, to be exact. He had passed out from the pain of traveling, with a pretty big, but not fatal, lung injury (where the pain was centered, naturally). He grunted and wriggled around on the floor, not quite warming up to the fact that he was immobile at the moment, at least on all fours.
"Damn, no good injury. Can't even get up on my own two feet to have a look around. Maybe find Tsuki..." he mumbled under his breath after giving up his pointless struggle to stand. He opted instead to close his eyes and nearly succumb to his body's demands for more rest so his injury could recover.
(Hey, I got Kiume a collar and a metal band thing around his leg from when he was still in captivity. Up to you whether or not Tsuki notices it. XD)
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Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:20 am
"I think he's fine, he was just a little disorientated when I left him... but he'll pull through, right, Hantu?"
"Right, right, Tsuki... just do me a favour and stop fidgeting, would you? You're not exactly helping me, you know. As a practioner of medicine, I think I'm entitled to have a bit of thinking time."
"Ah... yes, sorry, Hantu... my mistake..."
Chattering female voices echoed from the den's mouth, and the sound of paw-pads beating against moist Prideland soil drew near. In a few minutes, two figures had emerged - a silver lioness, Hantu, carrying a variety of plants pressed between her lips, and a smaller creature that flittered and darted nervously about her side, seemingly worried. It was, in fact, a very concerned Tsuki, who was still wide-eyed and a little shaken after the previous ordeal she and Kiume had endured (although Hantu had managed to calm her down a fair bit, with a lot of time and effort).
The lioness quickened her pace as soon as she saw the body of the maned wolf murmer and stir, and Tsuki was hot at her heals, drawing close to where Kiume's body lay.
"He's not... dying, is he?" Tsuki's heartbeat sped, and Hantu shot her a withered look.
"Don't be an idiot," she hissed under her breath, "He's awake, he'll hear you. He's definitely been shaken up..." she hesitated, a little ashamed that she had played some part in worsening Kiume's condition, "But he'll be well mended by the time I'm finished with him."
"Hantu, I never realised that you were so good with..."
"I'm not really very skilled with healing," Hantu muttered darkly, laying down herbs at Kiume's side in preparation for what was to come, "But I can certainly make an attempt to patch him up. The plants do the healing, Tsuki, I simply apply them... now, Kiume, tell me, are you well awake?"
The silver lion leaned over him, her voice laced with the same gentleness as Tsuki's, but lacking Tsuki's affection. By Hantu's voice, it was clear that the lioness and Tsuki were well aquainted - they both shared the same manner of speech - but Hantu, growing up as a strong-minded lioness, was slightly harsher than her maned wolf companion.
"I'd like to apply some medicine, if you don't mind. I can't garruntee it'll work, as I have limited knowledge, but there's a possibility that the pain will ease, if only a little. It might sting a little, though..."
Tsuki sat quietly by Kiume's side, listening to Hantu's words, tail swaying in agitation. Hantu's prescence was comforting (it seemed that her mother and brother were out, so the two had simply decided to stick together), though somehow it made Tsuki feel like she was inferior. Ironically, she had been Hantu's mentor moons back ... now, however, the tables seemed to have turned. Tsuki, though older and full of more experience, was reduced to something of an onlooker. At least when she and Kiume were alone, she'd felt that she'd had more power over decision-making and the circumstances. Now, however, she could only watch and wait, and occasionally meekly pass Hantu a herb off the floor.
"Kiume..." she muttered, reaching out a paw to stroke his fur, but pulling it back to get out of the way as Hantu shuffled about, "I wish I could do more. Are you alright?"
It was a stupid thing to ask someone enduring intense agony, but it was all Tsuki could do. Keep him talking. Keep his mind off the pain, keep it off his human-donned shackles and brands.
"Welcome to the Pridelands," she said, a little grimly, and managed a weak smile, "I'll give you a tour later."
(( Wow, that post was really fun to write. XD I don't know why, but I'd completely lost my muse until before that post (for like... a month or two D: ), and it's just returned. <33 Which is why there's such a big post splurt above. XDD
Ah, I hate to say it, but my posts might be delayed for about two weeks. ;w; *going away for Christmas* But I'm sure I'll have internet access for some days, so I'll reply when I can! :3 Sorry about that, Kei. When I return, I'll try and get things done at a more speedy pace so we can get things wrapped up ! >w< Now I'm feeling up to writing again, I'm looking forward to answering this RP. XDD Btw, love Kiume's new items. ;D <3 ))
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Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 11:03 pm
A soft whisper reached his ears, but the voice was, at first, unfamiliar to him. He could only muster a nod in response to the lionesses words, but when he heard Tsuki's voice he felt a quick jolt of energy and he was awake. Wide awake. And fully aware of the injury that was suddenly that much more painful now that he jerked his legs around, trying to get up again. But the energy had gone just as soon as it had come, and once more the pain was dumbed down to a minor thorn in his side. His eyes drooped a little, refusing to close entirely, but the rest of his body had basically shut itself off in order to fully concentrate on healing his injury.
Of course, not without the help of the herbs that Hantu had begun to apply to it. Those herbs were in fact the reason he could hardly feel anything, and he murmured a quick thanks to her, unsure whether or not she heard it.
While in his state Tsuki's voice seemed to warm him, keeping him awake at his weakest moments when he wanted to just fall asleep for the rest of eternity. There were still moments, after all, when he felt the pain intensify, and it was during those times did he want to just give in. Thankfully, he didn't, but it did take long while for him to finally answer her question, weak as his voice was. "I'll be fine..." he said in a raspy voice. "It'll take more than this...to kill me.......remember?"
And he somehow managed a smirk. "I'd..l-like to take that tour. But as soon..as I can walk..."
(That's alright, take your time. x] And have fun on your trip, don't worry about me. lol I've got a ton of patience for this stuff. ^.^ Sorry for the wait on my part, though. Friends have been pulling me apart since they got out of school. XD)
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 1:03 am
Tsuki's brow creased in concern once more, until Hantu shot her a disapproval look that seemed to say, "All you do is worry, worry! Why don't you try lightening the mood and crack a smile once in a while?". She tried, weakly, though found that although her lips were pressed into a grin, the smile itself was half-empty. She felt responsible, so responsible. Her stomach dropped a little, and Tsuki cringed... until Hantu gave her a hard nudge and pointed a paw down to the patient before them.
She was glad at what she saw... the silvery-grey male was injured, but no matter the pain, his eyes were bright. Now, that was the Kiume she knew! Up and kicking, and going strong. She liked that.
"Don't talk if it hurts you," she offered, keeping her voice upbeat and steady, "Haha, you're such a tough wolf, huh? Geez! It'll take more than a thunderstorm and a fierce lioness to bring you down, won't it, Kiu..."
Tsuki twitched. Hantu's jaw was closed down tight upon the herbs, but she was very adept at sending Tsuki a message with her fierce, cold stare.
"I... I mean..." she corrected herself, for Hantu's sake, "I'm glad. Do you think you'll be able to walk soon? I'm dying to show you the... ouch, doesn't that sting?!" Tsuki cringed as she watched Hantu's practice, "Is it numb or something, Kiume? That treatment looks like it could kill you!"
"Shouldn't be long now," Hantu snorted, ignoring Tsuki's mean-spirited comments, "Disinfecting, that's all. Well, Kiume, that's about all I can do. We'll have to let nature take it's course and let the wound fix with time. It's probably a good idea to give it a wash every now and then. If it scabs, try not to itch or knock it around, though," she added, looking a little cross - it were as if she were a mother giving a cub a lecture. Still, she loosened up and managed a wry smile.
"It's a good thing you came when you did," she remarked, and then added, a little more softly, "Thanks for looking after my mentor, sir. I don't know what she'd do out there alone. You're welcome in the Pridelands anytime. Well, according to me."
And she grinned.
(( Whoop! XD Sorry about the late reply. My vacation was extended to about 7 weeks. @w@ *just came back, and trying to catch up with all the new SoA updates* xDD;; I should be quicker with replies now I'm finally back. ;D Thanks for being so patient! ;w; ))
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:10 pm
(No worries if you had a good time. :] If you didn't, well that's a shame. D: I've been away too, actually. The holidays managed to take a good chunk of my time, and a few other RL issues and whatnot. I've only recently been able to make a comeback to gaia every now and again. I try for everyday for an hour or two, and somehow I manage to make that work. XD)
The wolf nodded and let his tail sway for a while, just enough to show that he was alive and....well, alive. He didn't really apply to the usual phrase "alive and well" since he wasn't the latter, but he was indeed alive. He managed to mumble a quick "thank you" and "don't worry" to the two females before finally off into a surprisingly dreamless sleep. Perhaps it was a sort of effect from the herbs, perhaps their smell or something of that nature, but he was grateful for whatever it was. When he woke up, the pain was already subsiding a substantial amount, and he found that he could speak at a much louder volume as compared to earlier.
That, and he was thirsty. Really thirsty, but he couldn't stand. So he writhed in place for a bit, eyes darting from left to right to see if he would catch a glimpse of someone around him, and hoping that they noticed him.
"Hey!" he called, slightly straining his already weak throat. "Is anyone in here?"
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:24 pm
"She's gone out to do some hunting," came a reply, though perhaps not from the voice Kiume was suspecting. Hantu lay only a few metres away, positioned in such a way that she could keep an eye on the den entrance, and another on Kiume.
"Perhaps she'll return with some good meat. That girl's pretty good at hunting," she breathed out in a heavy, nostalgic sigh, "Taught me most of what I know concerning the hunting field," she paused, and turned her head so she was looking directly at Kiume, "I trust you're feeling better? And more importantly, do you need something? You look a little..." she searched for a word, "...pale."
(( XD I had a fantastic time, thanks! Hopefully you did, too!
And no worries, no worries. I should be more active now I'm back at school, and I'm really flexible with roleplay times, so don't feel pressure to finish anything super fast. In my case, I'll always reply, even if I'm albeit very slow. XD So yeah, no pressure at all! ;D ))
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Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:40 pm
Kiume squirmed a little until the body of the lioness was visible from the corner of his eye, at which point he smiled at her and nodded in reply. They yelling moments ago in addition to his squirms made him a bit more weaker, if that was even possible. It took a while for the wolf to gather enough strength to give a worded response.
"I see," he said weakly, wondering in the back of his mind whether she heard him or not. He hoped she did... "Neither of us did any hunting when we first met," he continued, voice even softer now. "But....I'm sure she'll be fine." A longer pause followed the statement, and after panting and a bit more strength-gathering, he spoke again to answer her last few questions.
"I'm better, yes..." he replied. "Or...I'm getting there. Thanks for your help, by the way. I think it really helped me sleep well, and the pain's almost all gone." He had to pause several times in between what he was saying to the point where he lost what little energy he had mustered. So, once more, the den quieted save for his semi-deep breaths in an attempt to regain some energy.
And when he was strong enough again, he spoke and answered her last question. "I'm....a little thirsty, yeah. Problem is......I can't..um, stand..."
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 12:59 am
"She'll be fine yes," Hantu murmured, though speaking as if the topic was trivial - she clearly wasn't worried about the absence of her mentor, "And don't thank me. I did what I could, you know, and only what I could. No more, no less."
The stern frown was broken for a minute, replaced instead with a cheeky smile.
"I suppose you could say that you were my lab-rat, wild-dog."
There was no malice in her voice, only a hint of humour. It was only a fleeting laugh, however... a few moments later, her face had returned to it's usual seriousness.
"Water, huh?" she asked, biting her lip thoughtfully, "And you can't stand. That's a problem. Well, there's rain falling outside, you could stick out your tongue and catch the raindrops out there. And I guess I could..."
She looked away.
"... well, lift you up. Problem is, the wounds could reopen from the movement. They might be a little fragile now, so..."
"Hantu, can't shou hear thash shound?" came a perky voice from the den entrance. A white wild dog re-emerged, her jaw shut down on a small antelope kill (it had been easy to carry - Tsuki had specifically targeted a youngster for that very reason), "There'sh water in here ifsh you lisshen closhely."
Drip. Drip. Drip.
She was right. It had been raining lightly for a while now, and even Tsuki's snug, warm den had a few leaks here and there. There was an especially big one over near the den's mouth.
Dropping the little limp body into Hantu's paws (for 'strictly guarding only'), Tsuki sidled over to Kiume's side, a determined gleam in her eye. She looked a little frightening with her usually pure white fur streaked with blood, but Tsuki liked it this way... this was her more daring, conniving side.
"So, I know it's not very... well, dignifying," she admitted, nudging Kiume's side encouragingly, "But there's a puddle right over where Hantu is. If we can get you to move over..."
"He's not moving," Hantu insisted, indignantly, "His wounds will..."
"Oh, so you'd rather let Kiume die of dehydration, instead?" Tsuki shot back, "Come on, Kiume. Just an extra bit of effort. You can lean on me again. I promise I won't let ya' fall!"
She grinned.
"Just one more effort, and then it's all rest and recooperation from there."
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 8:46 pm
Kiume couldn't help but widen his eyes at her comment as many questions (which he knew he would never ask) just started seeping into his fragile mind. A lab rat? So...was he the first she'd tried those herbs on? Was there a chance that the herbs would do more harm than good? They were enough to drown out whatever else the lioness had said after she said "lab rat."
His flow of depressing thoughts, however, had been interrupted by Tsuki's entrance, and his stomach growled a bit when he saw what was wedged tightly between her jaws. Blue eyes followed the now blood-streaked white coat that was Tsuki's until she was beside him. By then he closed his eyes for a moment to keep any look of pain from appearing on his face.
The chipper attitude that Tsuki was displaying brought nothing but a smile to his otherwise stoic (mostly because he was trying to hard to hide any signs of uncomfortable...ness) expression. He even let out a small laugh, and nodded weakly. "I trust you...." he said, voice a little raspy. And so he tried to stand, slowly moving his pained body, grimacing every now and again when his movements were tempting his wound to reopen. Thankfully the wound remained closed most of the way up, and now he was sitting on his hind legs. Or....sort of groggily sitting up; he was sort of swaying...
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