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 Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 8:46 am
"Loss of Pride" Chapter 3: Malik/Logan-Logan/Echo/Ophelia (Croanyl moves on)
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After continuous snarlgs, growls and ripping of flesh and split blood, Croanyl found himself satisfied of what he had begun in this area. But it was time to move on and let this orange fool die. Yes, to separate two in love was the ultimate in sacrifice and punishment...least in Croanyl's opinion.
Blood was in the air, a lot of blood.
But only a minimal of it was Croanyl's, most was still spilling from Logan's side and under his chin. His left eyes half opened trying to see as he tried to push himself to stand. He prayed Ophelia found Echo, that Echo was alright. He promised to protect her, to give them a good home. And he was already failing miserably. He only hoped Croanyl hadn't hurt Echo too deeply...he'd surely die if that was the case.
Paws collided with the ground as red hues scanned teh area. The faint scent of blood grew thicker with each step his paws carried him. Soon into view Malik saw Logan, one of the newer additions to the pack. Laying on the ground in a pool of blood, trying to push himself to stand.
"What happened?!" Malik exclaimed as he skid to a halt and tried to help Logan. But with a snarl Logan pushed him away, wobbling no his legs standing up, still losing blood all the while, "Logan your rht don't move I'll go get-"
"No...he hurt her, I have to make sure she's okay..." he said in a light voice, his vision slightly blurring. This couldn't be happening, not now. Malik stayed quiet, for Malik was still only a teen not yet into adulthood, so he trusted Logan even though this was being carried far into disaster as it was. "Malik, go find Phib...tell him that he is here...the wolf Daemon told him about..and hurry...I have a feeling this isn't over yet..."
Malik nodded, turned and bolted away as fast as he could. He'd have to find Phib soon. Malik wanted this to stop, he wanted to make sure everyone was okay.
With that Logan began to pad along slowly, half draggin himself in the direction Ophelia had gone and Croanyl had come from. He hoped they were alright, and still here... he had to see them, he had to see her to make sure she was alright.
But he was so tired...
Slowly going along he could pick up the faint scent of them a little ways off. He only hoped he could get their in time...
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 7:19 pm
That faint had really done something for Echo. Whether it gave her the chance to rest or gave her mind the chance to reset or what, but she seemed to be doing a lot better than she had been when Ophelia had found her before she fainted.
Scrambling along, she opened up the connection with her sister again.
"Sister, we have to find him," she said quickly, her gaze darting this way and that. Where could he be? She figured he'd be out looking for her by now. She hadn't know how long she had been gone, but apparently it was long enough for her twin to come out looking for her. She would have thought that Logan would've accompanied Ophelia in her search, but she supposed she was wrong.
"Where could he be?" she asked frantically, even though she didn't expect the other to know. Continuing along, she began to grow more and more worried with each passing second. She wanted to howl, but her sense told her no. That wolf could still be watching, waiting, lurking...
"We have to hurry!"
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Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:50 am
Still pressed against Echo, Ophelia suddenly became aware that the mental connection between the pair had been forced open. Her ears suddenly went aloft and her body contorted, pulling away from the stones and stepping across to another so she was not crowding the winded female. “Echo-“
But, Echo was already speaking. “Find- find who?” Ophelia remarked. That Logan? Hadn’t he caused all of this? “Logan-? I think you should rest–“ But her words faltered upon seeing the soft determination in her sister’s face. It made her squeak somewhat and nervously twitch.
Echo was already rising and speaking of him, and the best Ophelia found herself able to do was to rise and follow after her.
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Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 8:12 am
Padding forward slowly wobbling every step Logan tried to keep his eyes open on the path before him. He had to find them and make sure they were okay, that Croanyl, that wolf was gone and didn't hurt them. That Ophelia found Echo, that Echo was alright. The worst images of what could be were running through his head, with every minute passing more and more thoughts of pain and agony swelled up in his mind.
He had to stop and lean against a tree, a gash in his shoulder touching the back, blood staining the side as blood from that wound adn several others still flowed. In the back of his mind he knew he shouldn't be moving, he should stay still, have the wounds heal up so he wouldn't lose more blood. But he didn't care. All he cared about was seeing Echo, seeing her smile at him again. Even if it was just one more time.
Echo meant everything to him at this point. His own life didn't matter anymore. He loved her, and wanted her safe and happy. He wanted so much to see her again.
His left eye was still half closed, a small cut under it stained the fur beneath it, appearing as if he was crying blood. Taking deep breaths he tried to steady himself again and trying to take another step forward,
"Echo..." he said softly, his voice straining as he took a step, his paw not stabling him and he flopped onto his right side. The impact making him wince, his muscles sore.
He had to find her...had to protect her and Ophelia...
Logan hoped Malik had already found Phib. That the gray wolf was already bleeding dead in some open area, hope was what Logan had left that was running through his veins stronger then the blood still receeding from his body.
Trying to push himself to stand he couldn't take the weight anymore, trying to drag himself forward he could barely move, just shuffling his weight along slowly whispering her name over and over again to try and keep himself awake, to keep himself going,
"Echo I'm c-coming...I-I'm coming Echo..."
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Posted: Fri Aug 18, 2006 10:01 pm
Frantic, the smaller of the twins ran back and forth quickly, going this way and that through the forest. She had to find Logan, see if he was alright. That gray wolf that had knocked her out had said that he'd find those she loved and hurt them, kill them. That wouldn't happen. She was determined to find her love before that other male did.
"Yes, Logan," she said to her sister, speaking in a frightened tone. When her sister told her she should rest, Echo shook her head and whined. "I don't need rest!" she snapped, more out of fear than anything. "There's no time for rest. He could be in trouble," she said after, calming herself down and feeling terrible for having spoken like that to her sister, the only one in her family who had ever cared about her.
Whining and squeaking to herself, she shuffled her paws so quickly that it was amazing she didn't fall over. Yet suddenly she stopped, her eyes wide in horror. There was a new scent on the air, and she didn't like it.
"Sister," she peeped, shaking her head. "Do... do you smell that? It's b-blood." Just whose blood, though, she couldn't tell. Desparate to find out, she darted off again, trying to follow the scent to the source, but she couldn't seem to pinpoint it. Why couldn't she find him?
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 8:58 am
Ophelia took no offense to her sister’s outburst, but it did aid her heightened sense of frantic thoughts. The blood behind her ears was practically a roar now, and even a quick shake could not calm it. It was wild and it burned her paws and made her muscles ache. Oh god- what was going on? This place was terrible! Everything about it was terrible. How did Echo know Logan wasn’t in on this? And yet- why was she so quick to want it to be him?
A rock in the way, and she bounded quickly over it, keeping herself somewhat behind Echo. She told herself it was because she was watching her movements, but she hated to think it might have been because she was slowing down in exhaustion. “Echo- please! We’ll find him, but you have to slow down-“
Suddenly the wild trek stopped. Ophelia for a moment thought it might have been because Echo was listening to her- but the scent curled up her nose before more words could come out. It was thick and warm, and it smelled like rusted metal. Blood– then, either that Croaynl had been killed or-
“Just, just-“ Ophelia stammered, but she was having a hard time focusing. “Let’s relax- Logan!” She called, looking around.
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 10:11 am
Dragging himself along Logan stopped for a moment to catch his breath. Forcing himself to open his left eye it was slightly blurred and hard to see out of. His right eye was his only hope of moving along without hurting himself even more. Moving in his condition was taking its toll on his body. But his will and determination was trying to fade the pain out so that he could move about with only one goal in mind; finding them.
He HAD to find them.
Panting and twitching his ears to teh side he tried to slow his heart down as much as he could. All this stress upon his body wasn't good. But he had fended Croanyl off, Croayl went in a different direction. So at least with that in mind he hoped that Ophelia and Echo were alright. They were his responsibility. He felt horrible for this, he said this would be a safe home for them. Then look wat happened.
But he had to keep going.
"Logan!" he heard it, it wasn't a hallucination. That was Ophelia's voice. That meant that she had probably found Echo too. With that thought the pain in his shoulder (where he ahd been wounded the worst) subsided, Echo was around here somewhere. He had to find her, an apologize to her, and Ophelia. Logan felt like he had failed them in a way. But he ahd to find them, see them, see Echo. He had too.
"I'm coming..." he tried to holw out in return, but it only came out in a gruff hoarse voice. Barely loud enough for his own ears to hear. Forcing himself to stand he took a few steps forward, until his legs began to wobble beneath him and he had to brace himself against a tree. The bark was rough and touched the gash in his shoulder, but he didn't want them to see it. Amongst that wound he had scrapes all over him, most of the blood had dried. Only a few places still had blood spilling from him, but his shoulder was worse. His neck as well.
"I-I'm trying..." he spoke. He was trying to get to them but he was so tired. He had to pull himself together. He felt like he was going to collapse.
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 10:48 am
"No rest!" she cried, her determination overriding everything else that may pop into her head. Like the pain in her paws or the headache that was growing worse as she continued on. But she forced herself to ignore those things. She had to find Logan and quickly. The scent of blood in the air did nothing to calm her nerves.
Coming up with a new plan, Echo stopped her frantic running around and stuck her nose to the ground. It quivered as she quickly moved it across the ground, trying to find Logan's scent so that she could follow it. But it seemed that she and her sister had come from the opposite direction than Logan had, and so her attempts proved futile. Frustrated, she lifted her head as she simply stood there, looking around, ears perked.
Her heart pounded in her chest as the seconds ticked by. It felt like her stomach was going to leap out of her throat at any moment and she could barely hear her own thoughts through the blood that rushed through her ears.
"Ophelia, we need to find him!" she said quickly, her ears folding back as she glanced back and forth, whining to herself. Her paws shifted nervously over the ground as she waited for a sign, a scent, a call, anything!
Suddenly she heard something. It was hard breathing, and a low, tired voice.
"Logan?" she asked aloud, using her sister's previous calling of the male to speak now. New hope rising up in her little body, Echo quickly darted off and, after jumping over a few bushes, was staring straight at the bloody image of her love. The sight burned her heart, and she couldn't do much but stare and whine as her eyes began watering.
"Sister... he got here first." By he, she meant Croanyl. And suddenly she collapsed, fainting right there on the spot.
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 11:16 am
Ophelia watched as Echo leapt over the bush. Exhaustion kept her paused; but when a sudden rush of breath on the other side struck through her ears, her body suddenly tensed. “Echo?” She called, her voice raw as she jumped over it. Her feet snagged against the branches briefly, and she had to jerk her body free before she could get to the collapsed body of her sister.
Logan’s presence was all but completely lost upon her. She could smell the blood- she could even see him out of the corner of her eyes. And yet he was invisible as concern for her sister blinded her face. Nervously she licked the top of her head, her body quivering in nervous fear. “Echo-Echo, wake up- it’s alright–“
It was only then, that her yellow eyes fell upon Logan. A hush peep squeaked out of her throat, and it took a lot of willpower for her to keep herself from fainting.
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 3:40 pm
Logan still trying to breath soemwhat normally could hear teh rushling coming from the bushes just feet from him. Bracing himself against the tree he watched as Echo emerged from teh underbrush. A sort of weight lifting from his back Logan went to say something, but Echo collapsed on teh ground. The look in her eyes before she had fallen...tears forming in her eyes, then she fell.
Shock and horror fell upon his heart when he saw her fall, "Echo!" came from his maw. Gruff like usual, yet he almost choked on her name, hard for him to swallow for some reason. but he paid no attention to it as he tried to force his legs to work for him, even if it was this one last time. Only a few feet separating them he had to reach her.
Then Ophelia had emerged and gone straight for Echo, that was good. She had found Echo, he just hoped Croanyl hadn't done anythin to her, hurt her or something. When her eyes fell upon him Logan forced a faint smile on his maw, opening his left eye a bit so he could try to see better,
"Its alright...I-I'll be fine..."
Swishing his tail once and pushing himself forward, stumbling a few steps he stopped a couple feet from where Echo lay. He pushed himself a bit closer, but he didn't want to touch her, have his blood on her pelt. He didn't want that, thouh he longe to place a lick upon her cheek and nuzle her, to wake her up from her unconscious state.
"Is she alright?" he asked looking up at Ophelia, hoping that she knew whether or not Croanyl had hurt her. If he did...Logan would hate himself, he'd kill Croanyl...he'd be sure of that.
Gazing down again Logan was forced to lay his head on his forepaws, his neck felt strange and strained, his shoulder still stung, but teh wounds were beginning to seal over.
"Echo its alright...I'm here..I-I'm okay..." his voice was deep and rouch, but full of concern. The back of his throat tasted like blood, his own blood. But he tried to ignore it.
"Its okay Echo...he isn't coming back...I made him go away its okay..." his eyes showed he had a tender feeling ni his heart, his eyes beginning to water. He just wanted Echo to be okay, and smile for him again. He was so glad that pheli was okay too, he felt horrible for everything that had happened between the two when he wasn't around to help.
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Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 4:03 pm
Echo was out for a good twenty minutes. The shock from seeing Logan in his condition, that blow to the head from that male and just the stress from this whole ordeal had finally gotten to her. Eventually, though, she came around and began to stir. Groaning in slight pain, she lifted her head slowly and blinked a few times, unsure of exactly what was going on or what had happened. When she spotted Logan, however, everything came rushing back to her.
"Logan!" she cried in her head, wishing that she could speak normally like Ophelia could. The shock of him being in that condition still shocked her, but she didn't care anymore. She was nearly in tears as she crawled forward, closer to him.
"Sister... that male..." He had done this to her love.
Whining, Echo moved closer to the male until their noses were touching. Relieved with the contact, she sighed then nuzzled him and licked his face all over. She was just glad that he was alive, that he was here and she was able to see him again. But she was still worried about his wounds.
Rising to her paws, she walked around him and examined all of his cuts and gashes. Continuing her circling, she noticed that there was a rather large gash on his shoulder. It made her gasp and step back a little. But then she shook her head and stepped closer, sniffing the wound then tenderly licking it. If it wasn't cleaned, she knew, it would get infected.
"Sister, tell him I love him, please."
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 8:23 am
Every minute of those twenty brought Ophelia a greater rise in panic. At first she simply licked the top of her sister’s head- but when no waking came within five, she began to run nervous circles around her. Every now and then she stopped and rested her neck against her sister’s, swallowing nervously and whimpering. When it brought nothing, she rose back up again and walked another loop about her. “Echo-Echo-“ The worried sister repeated, and flailed about.
And then she was back-! The brown and white creature danced backwards, pared to help her sister should she have any trouble getting up. But it seemed Echo had a better grasp of the situation then even she did, and she felt a pang of unrest from Echo when her voice kept her silent.
There was a wound, and Ophelia was lured to help her clean- but that was before Echo asked her to tell Logan that. She froze for a moment and glanced at the bloody heap of a male. It seemed so awkward, suddenly, to be there.
“She says she loves you-“ Ophelia panted.
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 9:23 am
Logan's eyes softened when he saw Echo awake again. This whole experience must've been tramatic as of now, for both Echo and Ophelia. But Echo was up, and the slight touch between their noses even for that slight moment made Logan sigh in content. The connection between them in a grand scale, it made him feel like what he had done had not been in vein.
He watched Echo circle around him, then he felt a slight sting on his shoulder, but he tried to not wince. He didn't want to seem like he was hurt very badly, even though it was hard not to in his condition. He wanted to tell Echo she didn't need to, but he knew what she was doing was for the best, so he said nothing and smiled at her. Thankful for what she was doing.
Eyes softening when Ophelia told him that Echo said she loved him, and he turned his head slightly to look at Echo, and he strained his muscles but wagged his curly tail for her, "I love you too Echo..."
He wanted to stand up, perhaps go to the river and wade into the shallow end of it, to wash his fur as clean as possible. But he was also afraid he might be swept away. Turning back his head to rest it on the ground he was now looking at Ophelia, and spoke to her,
"I'm a mess huh?" he said with a faint smile, trying to lessen the tension between them, "But he threatened to come back...to find Echo and you...I didn't want him to...I want both of you to be safe..." He spoke that honestly, when Croanyl threatened to hurt Echo and Ophelia it enraged him. He was to protect them, no matter what the cost upon his muscles.
"He won't come back here now...is also sounds like Phib sounded the alarm..." Logan spoke, hearing the howl in the distance. "We're safe here..."
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 2:37 pm
Echo continued to lick the male's wounds despite the sour taste of blood and dirt that had edged its way into his gashes. She felt that it was her fault all of this had happened. Perhaps if she hadn't gone off on her own that morning...
Stopping for a moment, she frowned and just stared at Logan's shoulder wound. No doubt he had others, though hopefully they weren't as bad or as serious. Yet then he said that he loved her, and she tore her gaze away from his wound to look at his face, her tail wagging and her frown turning into a smile. It made her forget all their troubles when he said that.
Glancing over at her sister, she whined a little. "We need to get him somewhere safe," she said quietly, looking back at Logan's shoulder. It might have been painful for him to move around a little, but she knew that they had to get out of this place. It was too close to where she had been hidden and kept away. The three of them needed to get back to their den or some place.
"Will you help me move him, sister?" she asked, her small eyes turning over towards Ophelia again. Echo knew they couldn't actually lift Logan with just the two of them, but they could act as supports. Hopefully they would be enough.
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Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 4:12 pm
All of this was enough for Ophelia to yank her own fur out, but the calming tone of Echo’s voice, now revitalized by Logan’s speech, relaxed her somewhat. Thoughts were jarred and frantic- but her motions quickly became stated.
“Yes- of course–“ She garbed, and with a quick and cautious look around, took a step forward.
The lithe female moved towards her sister, and then the opposite side of Logan, and lowered herself so she could push against the wounded male’s shoulder.
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