-Silver River- Locked Inside... (Firestorm/Open)

It was strange to watch Silver River hunting right now. With the snow having fallen and Silver River being mostly white to start with, she seemed more of a ghost over the snow than a wolf or hunter even. It was a bad day to be prey with Silver River on your tail in particular. The particular prey that was being chased by Silver River was a large fat rabbit that would not be around for much longer. Anger and hurt was propelling the huntress and she snarled deep in her chest, a deep, frightening sound that sent the rabbit bolting faster from the angry huntress.

She was absolutely convinced that this rabbit had just now gotten the message and could swear up and down that this rabbit had spent that last 20 minutes screwing with her, playing with her. Though it somehow didn’t surprise her, seeing as others in the pack seemed to hurt her in the same way. Silver River growled again, her green eyes fierce and angry. ‘stupid pigheaded Summit Shadow’

The rabbit turned and twisted a moment before it ran into a bolt hole, a small abandoned fox den that Silver River would not be able to fit her body into. There was a reason that this den was empty, and it had nothing to do with the foxes leaving the area. There was some sort of shrub just above the entrance of the den. You couldn’t have asked Silver River what on Earth kind of shrub it was, because she would not have been able to tell you. The very entrance of the den had been saved from a bulk of the snow, and wilted long green leaves and tiny white flowers decorated it. Roots hung long from the ceiling from the plant above.

For Silver River though, she didn’t care about these things. That rabbit was her meal for today. She’d finished hunting for the pack, now this was her meal and she wasn’t letting the little pain in the butt get away. She drove her head and shoulders into the little rabbit’s bolt hole as she continued to snarl, gnashing her teeth while the rabbit tried dig away from the angry huntress, its little paws moving quickly but to no avail against the frozen ground. Her jaws gnashed against the roots, fighting to get to the rabbit that was cowering in the very corner of the small den.

Oh was she pissed!

Wriggling her body a bit in the entrance, Silver River reached a white and gray paw into the den, snapping it inwards fast enough to surprise the rabbit, which made such a racket in the small den that Silver had to lower her ears. The rabbit escaped her paws and made a daring attempt to leap out of the den by way of Silver River’s left most side. The enraged huntress followed her prey carefully and snapped her head to the left when the poor thing tried to escape, ending its life quickly and as painlessly as she could.

Once Silver River knew the rabbit was dead, she dropped the body for a moment so that she could pull her leg out of the small hole, twisting her body in weird angles; snapping at the roots that still hung through the roof when they irritated her in the process of extricating her body from the too-small hole. The huntress fell back only a bit when some dirt gave way and let her leg out.

She plopped backwards a bit before she craned her head in and dragged the rabbit from the small hole, dragging the dropped leaves and little white flowers with it. Silver River wasted no time in devouring the first side of the rabbit before she flipped the small thing over, eating everything on the rabbit, including the small flowers and leaves that had become stuck to the rabbit’s fur and skin. Little did Silver River realize exactly what this was going to do to her in a few hours.

Her hunger now satisfied, Silver River left the bones of the rabbit for scavengers to pick at. (Not that they were going to.) Turning to take her leave, she licked her chops; cleaning the blood from her white muzzle even though some still stained regardless. She had to admit that she didn’t really want to return to the main pack camp to have to deal with Summit Shadow. Well, she had awhile anyways; since she’d inadvertently chased the rabbit quite a distance away. Taking her sweet time, it took Silver River about an hour to reach the camp; by the end of her walk it felt as though her stomach had started doing backflips, and drool had started to hang from her jaws.

As she approached her den dug between the tree roots of a large tree, Silver River stopped and felt her stomach empty what she’d eaten only an hour ago. Her throat burned and she coughed; her mouth tasting of foul stomach bile. Apparently her stomach had made surprisingly quick work of the food from earlier and only about 1/3 in total of what she’d eaten remained on the ground.

Moving her tongue in and out of her mouth before she moved away from the disgusting scene and ate a mouthful of snow, relishing in both the cold and the rinsing effect it had on her mouth and throat. Perhaps she just needed some sleep, surely? Her vision of the world sort of trailed as she barely made it into her den through a disoriented and muddled mind. It had been a long day; she was entitled to some sleep…

((Firestorm for now, open in a bit))

Corvus had intended on stopping by Silver River’s den because she had brought rabbits down for a good chunk of the pack today and he wanted to know the best spot for hunting the swift prey. That and he had heard that Silver River and Summit Shadow had had a falling out earlier in the day. Being the ever curious wolf that he was, Corvus wanted to know what about. Instead of potentially waking Silver River and having her tell him to go track his own rabbits; he got something else that would freeze his blood and actually cause the duel souled wolf to honestly panic.

The slim lanky wolf had poked his head into the den to wake his sister when he found her writhing on the floor like she was trying to run but her legs and muscles had forgotten how to do so. Her eyes were half lidded but she seemed to be staring into something that Corvus couldn’t see, looking through him instead. He hurried to Silver River’s side, bright orange eyes as he called her name, trying to rouse her. All he received for his efforts was a paw strike to his chest. Granted it wasn’t a strong strike, Corvus was more than alarmed as he darted from the den, seeking one of the grey and brown healers, either Stone Fur or Cedar, it didn’t matter at all in the slightest.

The oddly marked wolf scrambled through the packlands, looking for either healer in a full blown panic; orange eyes darting past the wolves that gave him odd looks. Then he saw the healer that was unmistakably Cedar, with largely patched right side and front leg; Corvus called his name, getting Cedar’s attention from the root that he currently digging up.
Cedar turned to the sound of his name being called, looking at Corvus with a raised brow.

“Whoa there Corvus, where’s the fire?”

Corvus glared at Cedar, panting while he chest heaved with exertion.

“Something’s wrong with Silver River, she needs help.”

He panted, before he practically began shoving the younger healer in the direction of Silver’s den. Cedar took the hint for what it was and began running, his long legs propelling him further than Corvus and getting him there first. Corvus was many things, but he would never raise alarm like this without a reason.

When Cedar had gotten to the elite huntress’ den, to Corvus’ horror she was no longer seizing; but she wasn’t awake and walking around so that terrified him even more. The tall healer wormed his way into the den with Corvus on his tail, nudging Silver River slightly to see if she was sleeping first. No response. He tried calling her name next which yielded no reactions either. Her ribs were moving, she was still breathing; giving the illusion that she was simply sleeping. The young healer laid his head on her ribcage, signaling to Corvus to keep quiet. Her heartbeat was off rhythm. Moving to her head, he placed his brown paw on her face and moved her eyelid upwards. The green in her eyes was small, her eyes extremely dilated; looking for the most part black rather than the green she was known for.

“She’s not dead but she’s not responding. I’ll need to call my father. In the meantime, Corvus; I want you to find Sparrow and Black Stag.”

Corvus looked confused for a moment before Cedar explained.

“I want you three to scent track where Silver River has been today and do it quickly. I want to know where she was, how she got there, and even if she ate anything by sundown, understand?”

Cedar came off as surprisingly commanding of the lanky wolf; who took the order and fled the scene, looking for the other wolves while Cedar sent up a urgent howl for Stone Fur…

Stone Fur was grateful to see his son was growing into a fine young healer. Cedar had a good heart, and an eagerness to learn, but he still lacked practical experience, and it showed sadly. The old healer was in his den sorting through a number of black seeds laid out on a flat patch of ground. "Poppy, poppy, poppy," he muttered, "Cedar, how could you get Foxglove seeds mixed with poppy?" Of course, Stone Fur understood well enough. But for a small yellow tip the two seeds looked extremely similar, but the mistake could be a deadly one if Cedar didn't learn from it. He'd just finished sorting out the seeds when he heard the howling of his son.

Biting his lip, he pushed out of the den and tilted his head upward, howling back. He was on his way, but his bones ached. Stone Fur was running out of time, and he knew it... perhaps two winters left at best, if he could make it that long. It was part of the reason he was so hard on Cedar. He loved his son dearly, and wanted to see him be the best healer he could be, just as skilled in his craft as old Broken Light had been. Stone Fur was strong in his craft, but he didn't think very highly of himself. He felt as though he'd failed in the past when it mattered, even if there was nothing he could have done, even if he had delivered healthy pups and had brought numerous wolves through diseases that might have proved deadly otherwise... It still wasn't enough to live up to Broken Light's legacy.

He pushed the macabre thoughts aside and rushed toward Silver River's den. The smell told him all he needed to know. He pushed down inside. Without words he went about his examination, not saying anything to his son until he'd finished, listening for her breath, her heartbeat. It was labored at best, and her heartbeat was... inconsistent. The old healer looked up at his son. "Cedar, run back to my den," he snapped, "Put together a pultice of Yarrow, Juniper Berries, and Blessed Thistle. I want it chewed into a paste by the time you get here in case we have to force it into Silver River's belly. Hurry!" He snapped a bit. Stone Fur was a gentle wolf, but when it came to the point of saving lives, he was all seriousness.

"And be sure you don't disturb my poppy and foxglove seed piles. You brought some of those deadly things in when you last went out for me."

"Cedar, run back to my den,""Put together a pultice of Yarrow, Juniper Berries, and Blessed Thistle. I want it chewed into a paste by the time you get here in case we have to force it into Silver River's belly. Hurry!"

Cedar squirreled his way out of the elite hunter's den and took off like a shot for the healer's den, thanking everything in him that he'd inherited his mother's longer legs. While they made him tall and lanky; they were a boon to him in emergencies like this.

"Yarrow, Juniper Berries, Blessed Thistle" the young healer muttered and repeated to himself over and over before he skid to a stop in front of the den. Heading inside, he quickly looked over for the herbs they needed, grabbing them quickly and beginning to chew. Cedar picked up more than he knew they'd honestly need; since they didn't know what kind of poison that Silver River had ingested or even how strong it was until one of the three tracking her whereabouts for the day came back with what had happened. Snatching up a large leaf, the youth left the den, carefully lifting his large paws over the piles his father had sorted earlier due to his idiocy.

To say that Cedar thought highly of himself was entirely untrue. It was more apt to say that Cedar mentally put himself down quite a bit of the time. Though never aloud, always in his head.

By the time he'd arrived back to the huntress' den, the herbs had been well chewed into a paste and Cedar spit it out onto the leaf, even wiping his tongue off to get every bit of the paste out of his mouth.

A howl from outside alerted the healers before the three Cedar had sent away could be heard running in their direction. The younger healer could hear his youngest sibling yelling.

"Cedar! Dad! It's Lily of the Valley!" Sparrow yelled from outside the den while Black Stag appeared just outside of the den, holding the wilted thing that he'd dug out of the ground near the old fox den where he'd found not only Silver's tracked but the few remains of her rabbit meal that she'd left behind. A large leaf had been wrapped around the plant where Black Stag was gently holding it to avoid poisoning himself.

Black Stag looked concerned to be sure, but he seemed to be hiding it better than Corvus, who looked outright panicked and Sparrow who was concerned for her friend. Sparrow looked to the other two and moment before pushing them out of the way and getting out of the way herself. They needed all the light they could get....

Stone Fur did the best he could without leaving Silver River's side. He was all too grateful when his son returned with the pultice. The healer said not a word, but set straight to work. There was no way Silver River would be able to swallow in her current state. The healer took the herbs into his mouth and moved to the huntress' side. Working carefully he stepped over her, using one leg to push her head into a position so her muzzle stuck up in the air, while his front paw pressed gently down on her neck, just beneath her jaw, forcing her to open. Stone Fur leaned down then and parted his lips, letting the pultice drip into Silver River's mouth and flow down her throat. It was perhaps not the most pleasant way to do things, but it was essential to get it into her stomach.

Once his own mouth was empty, he stepped back and let her fall back into place. It was just after that when Black Stag and Sparrow returned and gave him the report. "Lily of the Valley," the old healer said, "I suspected as much. The mixture I've given her should cause her to vomit up the toxin, and help strengthen and steady her pulse and her breathing. Sparrow, could you see how she got into the plant?"

"Lily of the Valley,""I suspected as much. The mixture I've given her should cause her to vomit up the toxin, and help strengthen and steady her pulse and her breathing. Sparrow, could you see how she got into the plant?"

Sparrow looked from Silver River to her father before she explained.

"Black Stag and I found the area where she'd killed her dinner, a rabbit judging from the smell and remains we found; by an abandoned fox den. The entrance was torn apart and we found bits and pieces of this wilted Lily of The Valley around the entrance of the den. I'm guessing something got Silver River riled up when she was eating because when I looked inside the den, half of the roots from this plant that had been hanging from the ceiling were either ripped down or gone."

To say that the fox den was torn apart was something of an understatement, given the ferocity that the site had been dug and pulled apart with; Sparrow actually felt sorry for the poor rabbit that Silver had eaten. Hunters were bad enough in a prey mindset, an angry hunter was worse.

Sparrow couldn't help but jump a bit when the poultice that her father had forcefed Silver River caused the comatose huntress to vomit, rather violently (and all over Cedar's paws). Her eyes opened a bit but they didn't really see anything, staring forward without acknowledgement of her surroundings or the wolves that were now staring at her. Black Stag stared but Corvus was not paying attention to the immediate situation, given that he was some distance away in a patch of trees, pacing back and forth over and over.

Cedar ignored the vomit but moved his head down to look at the glassy green eyes that stared beyond him, into nothing. He called Silver River's name, finding no response in either movement or recognition in her eyes. She didn't move, didn't speak, didn't blink in fact; until her eyes closed. The young healer seemed to chew on his tongue for a minute before he spoke quietly on purpose; hoping that Black Stag above ground would not hear. It seemed the larger male had gone to calm Corvus down, with little success.

"Dad, we got the toxins but I'm afraid that the seizure Corvus witnessed locked her in her mind. She didn't even see me there; didn't recognize me at all. You don't think we were too late, do you?" he asked, his floppy right ear twitching a bit as he looked to his father, who as his elder; knew all Cedar could ever fathom to when he grew to be his age. In this situation, Cedar did not know what to do; something that he could not afford later when his father was gone; he knew. But right now, right here; this was the first time that Cedar had ever witnessed a comatose wolf locked inside their head.

"What are we supposed do from here, dad?"

(I would like to join in with the pup Bledri but I don't know if I should. I only suggest because she is his adoptive mother.)

((go ahead if you'd like to Zan))

(Thank you. I thought I would ask before posting)

(Bledri)

A male with light brown with lots of red patches and dusty gray neck fur and golden amber eyes let out a small whimper as he spotted Silver River not moving on the ground with several other wolves standing around her. She is dead! What is wrong? Why Silver River? Not knowing what was really going on, and having one of his few memories with this large pack he thought that she was dead and that they were about to bury her. Bledri let out a small, quiet howl and rushed closer. "What's wrong with Silver River? Is she okay? Are you going to bury her?" The 4 and a half moon old pup asked. Even though he was young, he did not approach the two wolves that had been crouched over her. He had seen every wolf in the pack but he had only met a few of the wolves and the two healers were not one of those wolves.

Of the gathered wolves, Stone Fur appeared the most calm, but it was all a facade, a veneer he painted over the inner turmoil he was feeling at the moment. He swore he wouldn't lose anyone else, but the truth was, he knew there was little he could do at the moment. He closed his eyes. "Broken Light," he prayed, "Please... guide me." She wasn't his mother, he knew. But the old healer had taken him in beside Fire Wind. They'd looked after him like his parents, and Broken Light taught him everything he knew. He opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Bledri, no one's going to bury her if I have anything to say about it," he promised the pup, "I'll do everything in my power to save her, but whether she lives is... going to be up to the spirits, and to Black Wolf himself.... but most of all, it will be up to her. The healer stepped closer and gently nudged Bledri so he could rest against her belly, knowing his warmth, and the feel of another living being might help to draw her back.

As the cause was explained to him he sighed. Silver River had always been impetuous, but even she knew better than to get into Lily of the Valley, so if she wasn't paying attention, something was definitely wrong. "Black Stag, Sparrow," he said, "I want you to go talk to as many of the pack as you can. Take Corvus with you if you need to. I want to know exactly what happened before Silver River got into the poison. Cedar, you'll stay here. I want you to help me look after Bledri and clean up this mess... and I might need you to run errands for me. Until we see some sign of life from her, we'll need to continue to provide her with pultices, water, nutrition, and we'll need to clean up after her."

He looked down at Bledri. "Bledri, if you want you can stay here. She's not dead, and you might be able to help keep her alive... Just keep her warm. Let her know you're here and how much you care for her."

Bledri was frightened but he showed determination on his face as he nodded to Stone Fur. "I will." Bledri vowed. The, now, 4 and a half month old pup leaned against Silver River's belly. I have to help save Silver River. I can't lose her and my mother. I have to make sure that Silver River does not give up. The young pup thought as he snuggled into her belly fur.

Black Stag looked to Stone Fur as he gave his commands of what he wanted the others to do. Between Sparrow, Corvus, and himself; he expected that they'd be able to find something out. It was Corvus that the eldest was most worried about taking with. He had stopped panicking, and not seemed something more deadly, more serious. The look in his burning orange eyes gave him the appearance that Black Wolf forbid he was going to hurt someone. Black Stag hoped it wouldn't come to him having to pry his adopted brother's teeth off of someone. There was no choice but to take Corvus with him, heaven forbid he did something stupid.

"Alright. Sparrow, start with the hunters and fliers; those that saw her most often. Corvus and I will start with Whispering Owl and work our way through the soldiers and then we'll find Corona. If all else fails, he may have our answer."

Sparrow nodded lightly, he green eyes determined as she ran off, the speedy little storm that she was. Black Stag watched the smallest wolf in the pack run off, hoping that her speed would help their cause. His black brow furrowed while his white ears twitched. Whispering Owl would be with his soldiers right now, mostly likely doing some lighter training. "Let's go Corvus." Black Stag said, before he left.

Corvus nodded lightly before he stepped towards Stone Fur, his orange eyes determined but seemed much more age-ridden than before; they could even be considered weary in some respects. "Thank you Stone Fur. Take care of her." Lost in his voice was the youth that Corvus had always seemed to have and it now was slightly deeper, more of a rumbling tone. The lanky wolf turned and followed Black Stag, catching up with him quickly as they set out to find the soldiers and the delta.

Cedar however looked to his father, nodding as well. He watched Corvus a moment with a quirked eyebrow before he set about cleaning up the mess in the den, using dirt to clump the vomit together before he used a leaf to lift it out of the den. Bedding would be best for the purposes of cleaning up after Silver River. It'd just be a matter of moving her body and pulling the bedding out and exchanging it.

"Dad I'm going to get some more dry grasses and whatnot to put under Silver River. It'll make cleaning up after her easier for us."

The long legged healer made his way from the den for some time before he returned several time with large mouthfuls of dry grass, what he could find at least before he moved Silver River's body this way and that, laying the grasses out beneath the comatose wolfess.

-Black Stag and Corvus-
They'd been stopping wolves as they passed by and questioning them. They knew nothing. Obviously they continued, but Corvus was becoming increasingly irritated while Black Stag was continuously calming him down and keeping him in check.

As they came upon Whispering Owl with his soldiers, Black Stag approached the Delta, dragging him from a mock fight with Summit Shadow in which the two seemed to be testing each other though truth be told, Summit seemed to want to take a piece of the large white and orange delta. Conversing in hushed tones, Whispering Owl informed to two that he hadn't seen hide nor hair of Silver River after Sage Ghost's burial until she showed up with a dead rabbit and all but threw it at him for food.

Black Stag nodded solemnly, his face seemingly impassive but he was beginning to worry. Corvus was still agitated; pacing nearby Black Stag before the eldest of Storm Raven's children called to his younger brother. "Summit Shadow? Can I borrow you for a moment?". Whispering Owl walked away to work with Twilight, who as a silent of a wolfess as ever, he still hadn't given up on.

-In the Mountain in the Sky-
-Storm Raven-
Storm Raven watched the events unfolding below, her calm blue eyes worried while she paced a bit, ears folded backwards. She wasn't panicking, she truly wasn't. But to be up here and watch one of her children nearly dead made her nervous, twitchy. It was something different for her to not be able to help when it was required; to not be able to confront Summit Shadow and Silver River for their fighting and arguing.

She sighed a moment, sitting down while her tail twitched to and fro in a nervous manner. Shaking her head slightly at the folly of her grown children; Storm Raven muttered to herself. "Why couldn't you two just manage to get along?" Of the four children she'd raised, Silver River and Summit Shadow just sometimes seemed to butt heads like rams. It seemed the biggest problem was that they knew the chinks and weaknesses of each other's armor. Most of them at least. Those tempers of theirs didn't help in the slightest; she supposed.

However, in watching Corvus; she hoped nothing bad would come of what she could see. The birds markings that were Corvus' alone had seemed to have mostly faded and the markings that had been Night Owl's had become far more prominent as the two males ran across the packlands. They stopped each wolf as they passed, questioning them. Most of them knew nothing about what had happened to Silver River. Most of them had only had interaction with Silver River after she and Summit Shadow had argued when she brought them rabbits for dinner.

--STONEFUR--

Stone Fur nodded at his son's eagerness. "Good thinking Cedar," he praised, but before he could say anything more, his son was gone. For now, the healer did what he could to tend to the huntress and the pup laying beside her. A soft smile crossed his face. Bledri reminded him so much of himself in his own way. "Bledri, do you know any songs?" he questioned softly. Perhaps hearing the voice of a pup so dear to her would help Silver River find her way back.

--SUMMIT SHADOW--

After his fight with Silver River, Summit Shadow needed to work off some steam. Despite their rivalry with one another, Whispering Owl did seem to enjoy testing himself in mock combat against Summit Shadow. As Silver River had observed, the two wolves were nearly evenly matched with one another, despite Summit Shadow's minor size advantage. The two tustled and snapped and snarled at one another until his brothers interrupted.

Summit stepped back and glared at them for a few moments, but he slowly nodded. He was not one to shirk away when someone had something obviously important to discuss. He muttered apologies and promises to finish the fight later to Whispering Owl before he approached his brothers. "What is it?" he questioned irritably. Summit was having a bad day.

--THE MOUNTAIN IN THE SKY--

Storm Raven was not the only one watching the proceedings below. Fire Wind had also taken an interest, though he took longer than she to speak. His unique red eyes observed the young wolves below with a keen interest, humming softly. Between Storm Raven and him, Cold Mountain was also watching. The father of the young wolves shook his head. "It's no use hoping they'll just get along, Storm Raven," he observed, "Silver River is too much like you, and Summit Shadow is too much like me. They've never been the best of friends, and they probably never will be, even if Silver River makes it through this."

"Oh?" Cold Mountain turned his head, noting the raised eyebrow of the young Fire Wind. The legend holder didn't seem caught offguard in the slightest, "Tell me something, Cold Mountain. How is it you know so much about the interactions of siblings, having never had any yourself?"

"And you did?"

Fire Wind smiled. "Not biologically, no," he admitted, "Sage Ghost was the closest thing I ever had to a sister. But my point remains. Look at the two of them. Yes, they fight and argue... Their tempers are strong and their heads can be thick, but that doesn't mean they don't love each other. The blood of the old wolves runs strongly in your family. They will fight, and quarrel, but I do not believe I have ever seen a closer pair of siblings, than your Summit Shadow and Silver River. Their paths might be getting ready to diverge. I cannot say for certain... but they will never be beyond each other's reach. You both did well in raising them."

(Bledri)
Bledri looked up at Stone Fur. "I might know one. My mom used to sing me one." The little pup barked, his tone changed a bit as he said 'my mom'. It became a sad tone as he thought about his mom. Over the half of a moon that he had been with Silver River, he did his best to not think about his mother. He missed his mom but knew that maybe life in this pack won't be so bad.

"It used to go..." Bledri barked before he began to try and sing the song that his mother would sing to him. As he sang he kept his eyes on Silver River.
"Cultivate your hunger, before you idealize
Motivate your anger, to make them all realize
Climbing the mountain, never coming down
Break into the contents, never falling down

My knee is still shaking, like I was twelve
Sneakin' out the classroom, by the back door
A man railed at me twice though
But I didn't care
Waiting is wasting, for people like me

Don't try to look so wise
Don't cry 'cause you're so right
Don't dry with fakes or fears
'Cause you will hate yourself in the end

Don't try to look so wise
Don't cry 'cause you're so right
Don't dry with fakes or fears
'Cause you will hate yourself in the end

You say, dreams are dreams
I ain't gonna play the fool anymore
You say, 'cause I still got my soul
Take your time baby
Your blood needs slowin' down
Breach your soul to reach yourself before you gloom
Reflection of fear make shadow of nothing
Shadow of nothing
You still are blind if you see winding road
'Cause there's always straight way to the point you see

Don't try to look so wise
Don't cry 'cause you're so right
Don't dry with fakes or fears
'Cause you will hate yourself in the end

Don't try to look so wise
Don't cry 'cause you're so right
Don't dry with fakes or fears
'Cause you will hate yourself in the end

Don't try to look so wise
Don't cry 'cause you're so right
Don't dry with fakes or fears
'Cause you will hate yourself in the end

'Cause you will hate yourself in the end
'Cause you will hate yourself in the end
'Cause you will hate yourself in the end"


((I don't know if I should post any lyrics or anything, let me know if you want me too.))

EDIT:
Its a long song called 'Wind' by Akeboshi
I thought that parts of it would be applicable to this situation and might speak a bit about Bledri's mother. I know certain words aren't used or knwn by wolves so we can pretend that those words aren't in there if you want. ^^

((Go ahead and post lyrics if have a song in mind. Bledri's singing it after all! [And I'm curious as to what he sings ]))

-CEDAR-
The young healer smiled at his father's praise, something that he always had trouble getting from him; it seemed. His floppy right ear twitched as he laid next to his father, watching the others in the den while he listened to little Bledri's song, smiling lightly as he finished. His blinked a couple of times, watching the ever still Silver River. It was uncanny, spooky, even creepy that she wasn't moving. Silver River always moved, always. Never was she not running or simply on the go.

Cedar had to admit that he wasn't very close to Silver River, but she'd always been a good wolfess, he certainly didn't wish her to die. A quiet rustling outside took Cedar's attention and he stood to look, sighing lightly and with some feeling of relief. It was just mom. He smiled a bit at his mother, though the pain of her joints were evident in her taunt muscles. "Hi mom."


-AMARANTH-
The aging wolfess poked her head into the den, her silvering face and slowly whitening muzzle the clear marker for her age, along with her faded black fur; which now appeared much more like a deep grey or even charcoal rather than the shiny jet black that it had been in her youth.

She smiled lightly, having heard Bledri's song from a small distance away. Sparrow had informed her of the situation with Silver River when she was seeking out the rest of the hunters and the fliers.

"So how's Silver River doing, Stone Fur? I heard Bledri singing."

It was interesting the change that had overcome Amaranth as she had aged. No longer was she so split in her personality. Aging had seemed to have mellowed her (along with having children) and it often seemed that nothing could shake the elder. Her bi chromatic eyes gazed on her mate and son with a slight smile on her face. Like Stone Fur, her aging body was complaining of it's time. Her muscles were often sore and tired but it was the joints in her legs that pained her most, making it difficult to walk. The elder's movements were stiff, jerky as she slowly sat down to watch from the outside the healers...


-BLACK STAG AND CORVUS-
Black Stag quirked an eyebrow at his brother's irritable tone, clearly not liking it. What had happened to have put him in such a bad mood? the elder brother wondered.

"We were just wondering if you'd seen Silver River earlier today?" he questioned, as Corvus continued to pace behind him, stopping to pipe in; though it didn't seem like Corvus, he seemed more serious and concentrated, rather than the scatter-brained wolf that they all knew. "We want to know if she seemed off, or if something was wrong and if she'd told you anything."

Corvus' voice was still deeper, more rumbling in it's sound; a clear sign that Corvus was not 'home' in a sense. Though he didn't seem to be itching for a fight, he did seem like he was already irritable as well; something that would undoubtedly clash with Summit Shadow in a horrid way.


-SILVER RIVER-
To say that she was terrified was an understatement. It was more apt to say the she was scared to death. What had happened to her!? She had gone to sleep, and that's as far as she could remember, everything else was simply....blank. There was nothing there. She could hear faint voices, but damn everything she couldn't respond to them! Every command that she threw at her body did nothing, brought no response. Her paws would not move, her eyes would not open, and her tail would not wag.

The one time thus far that her eyes had opened, her brain had not wanted to process the images. Nothing, no thoughts came to mind at the should-be familiar face of a young grey and brown wolf. Everything felt familiar, everything had a sense of deja-vu to it, but nothing could be placed; no names nor relations. It seemed as though everything was just...gone.

She had spent the time from when Stone Fur had caused her to vomit up the remaining toxins in her stomach into trying to move something, anything that made up her body that wasn't running automatically. Her tail, mouth, an ear, a paw, a damn toe for god's sakes! Inside her mind, Silver River screamed her frustration, wanting to move, wanting desperately to respond.

Her memories prior to the day remained intact, memories of her family and her life; true. Though they were difficult to recall, hazy and muddled. She remembered her brothers, as they were when they were adolescents. Their adult appearances had not yet lifted into her immediate recall. Others popped in her mind and remained in the forefront of her concentration, trying to expand from those. A slight silver and white wolfess with calm blue eyes; a white wolf with silvery patches with icy blue eyes, and a black wolf with a white 'snowballed' face and white chest and belly, with a line of orange separating the two on his belly. Only patches of memories seemed immediately there and able for her to call upon on demand.

What had happened? Silver River felt lost, like she was a visitor inside her own body that had no control over it.

'Mom, Dad. Please. Help me!' she screamed in her mind in what she believed was a futile effort.


-STORM RAVEN-
The huntress listened her mate and Fire Wind and his observations. Smiling lightly, Storm Raven could feel herself heat up beneath her youthful silver fur at Fire Wind's compliment of them having raised their children right. Looking down at the lands again, she turned her attention momentarily to Black Stag, Summit Shadow, and Corvus/Night Owl. She watched their eldest son as he questioned his brother, having a feeling that something bad was about to happen.

But as she thought on it more, it had always seemed the Black Stag had always been the peacekeeper of the children, stepping between the others that fought and keeping them in check (mostly Silver River and Summit Shadow). He had become ranked an elite warrior, but he didn't hold the same kind of ferocity that his siblings did, his patience never seemed to end; and nothing seemed to surprise him. Storm Raven could not think of a time when she'd seen her eldest bare his fangs to another wolf with intent to harm. Intimidate, sure; but not harm. He seemed more a pacifist than anything; but Storm Raven hoped the day he did fight another wolf with intent to kill would be in defense of something he believed in and cared about.

'Mom, Dad. Please. Help me!'

The scream from Silver River's mind echoed in her ears full force and she could not help flattening them as though it would've stopped the sound. A force of habit from life, it seemed. She looked back to her daughter's still form, finding it just as unsettling as Cedar did that she wasn't moving, running like she always had been.

Storm Raven looked on the verge of crying, the muscles in her back tightening as her hackles rose slightly in frustration.

"Fire Wind, tell me there is something that I can do from up here. Tell me there is something that I can do to help her."

Granted, Cold Mountain could've told her just as well how she could help; but Fire Wind had been here on the Mountain in The Sky longer than either one of them. "And if either of you say answer her prayer, I'm going to bite your ear off." She wanted to be there, she wanted to help wake Silver River up, help her get out of this somehow. Her role as a mother was demanding that she do something, anything!

A soft smile crossed Stone Fur's aged face as he listened to young Bledri singing so earnestly for his adopted mother. The little puppy had a heart as big as any Stone Fur had ever seen. With luck, his singing might provide a beacon to bring Silver River back... but this was far beyond even Stone Fur's expertise.

He raised his head as Amaranth entered the den and slipped toward her, brushing his cheek against hers. He looked back in at the young huntress and shook his head. "There's no change," he admitted, "The last time I saw a wolf this comatose, I was a puppy. Fire Wind had returned from Swift River Clan territory... or... had been found, I can't quite remember. All I know is that only half a day later he was lying unconscious on the floor under Broken Light's care. They're the reason I wanted to become a healer in the first place.

He sighed. "This though... I can't do a lot other than keeping her clean and comfortable. She got rid of the poisons easily enough. I just hope they didn't do too much damage... It will be up to the First Wolf to lead her home."

--SUMMIT SHADOW--

Summit snorted at the mention of his sister. Yet again it seemed she was going to make the attempt to ruin his day, this time by disappearing. "I saw her earlier, yes," he said, "She was moping because she was spying and overheard Alpha Hailstorm asking Corona to be her mate. Corona refused of course, but when I made my commentary about not being surprised, she went berserk. We argued, she left, and I haven't seen her since. There. Happy now?"

--THE MOUNTAIN IN THE SKY--

Cold Mountain was truly at a loss. Unlike Fire Wind, he had not yet come to the point where any of his descendants had called upon him for help. This was just as new to him as it was to Storm Raven.

Fire Wind bit his lip. He hadn't heard the call. That was for her parents' ears alone, but based on their reactions, Fire Wind thought he knew what was happening. "We cannot wander the ethereal plane of our own free will, Storm Raven," he warned, "That is the domain of the spirits, and Black Wolf himself. You might be able to call out to her, to help guide her... but any help you render must be from here unless she calls you to her, or Black Wolf sends you... You also might be able to convince Pulse Wolf to take you, but he is a busy spirit."

"I saw her earlier, yes,""She was moping because she was spying and overheard Alpha Hailstorm asking Corona to be her mate. Corona refused of course, but when I made my commentary about not being surprised, she went berserk. We argued, she left, and I haven't seen her since. There. Happy now?"


-Corvus/NIGHT OWL-
When Summit Shadow snorted at the mention, Corvus' lip visibly twitched, a growl slipping from his clenched jaws. Inside, Night Owl was forcing himself not to try and rip off one of Summit Shadow's ears off. His orange eyes burned fierce and his muzzle twitched before he spoke, his voice holding the growl in each syllable.

"No Summit Shadow, that isn't enough. What exactly did you two argue about? We need to know what it was!"


-BLACK STAG-
The eldest of the brother looked to Corvus before he stepped his large body nearer to Corvus, mostly with intent to keep the two from starting a fight. Hopefully. As their mother had observed, Black Stag always seemed the most level headed of the four that she'd raised; always being the peacekeeper between his younger siblings. He glanced to Corvus, his look telling the technically both younger and older brother to keep his mouth shut. Tensions were clearly running high and nothing was going to get done and they would get no answers if they pissed Summit Shadow off even more.

"Please Summit, we wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important. You said she was spying but that you'd commented on it as well. Were you there, Summit?"

Black Stag watched his younger brother with a gaze that could be considered stoic than anything, but it was simply that the eldest was doing everything he could to keep himself from having a weak moment and freaking out like Corvus had earlier. (He guessed that was why Night Owl had come into control of Corvus; to keep Corvus from hyperventilating both of them into unconsciousness.)


-AMARANTH-
She returned Stone Fur's touch with an affectionate nuzzle, a slight smile slipping to her features. All these years, and she still loved him as much as she had the first time they'd met all those years ago. Stone Fur had been close to Storm Raven for the years that he'd grown up in the pack, but Storm Raven had in some sense 'adopted' Amaranth like a foster sister when Aspen and Ebon Star had led the pack. So when she looked at the still form of Silver River, her bi eyes showed a certain attachment, much like how an aunt would look at her niece.

The arthritic wolfess nuzzled her mate again, her ears flattening against her head a moment while she thought; the thoughts in her mind fleeting before another one took it's place.

"Where are her brothers? Why aren't they here, Stone Fur? Have they been notified? And what about Corona? Has he been told?"

While Amaranth did her best not to butt into the business of others, she wasn't blind. It was as obvious to her as a white rabbit in a lush green field. There was some sort of attachment between Silver River and Corona that went beyond packmembers. Whether Corvus, Black Stag, and Summit Shadow had noticed it was an entirely different story. Corona did a good job hiding most things from the others in the pack.

"And what about you, love? How are you doing?"


-STORM RAVEN-
Storm Raven looked to Fire Wind, he calm blue regaining a look that hadn't been there in a long time; one of determination and frustration. Though the huntress looked upset in some extent, she seemed to be forcing it down. Looking back down to the world below where her daughter was having a freakout while locked in her body. (Though Storm Raven really couldn't find fault with her, she would've reacted the same way)

The silver and white huntress stood, before she paced a bit; thinking quickly. You could tell she was thinking because her eyes did not concentrate on one particular thing for too long and she seemed to be talking to herself; though she didn't speak out loud.

With Silver River being stuck where she was; panicking would do her no good in her state. She was safe, that was granted; but panic would do nothing to get Silver River back to the world of the living.

Looking up once more, Storm Raven walked back to the two males, standing and looking past the clouds at her daughter. A determined smile crossed her face and that look in her eyes hoped that this worked; hoping that it reached Silver River.

Standing on what could be considered the very precipice of the Mountain in the Sky, Storm Raven raised her head and took the deepest breath she could before she howled. It was a familiar sound, a mother's howl. The message contained within the rising and falling notes was simple. "We're here, we're watching. It's okay."

The howl was long, and loud; aiming to break through her daughter's panic and fear to allow her to think clearly. As Storm Raven lowered her head, she waited to see if the message had made it to her...


-SILVER RIVER-
If one could look into Silver River's mind and see a mental version of her in there; she would be pacing right now; growling, trying to figure all of this out while fear plagued her like a bad case of fleas.

Her efforts to try and move her body were still proving futile, but the reason was because she was moreso telling her body what to do, rather than fully concentrating on one thing at a time.

As her mother's howl echoed from the ether; closer than anything else she had heard so far, it brought a sense of calm to her as Storm Raven had intended for it to do so. Her mind stopped running in circles, with thoughts spinning like whirlwinds in summer. As she stopped her whirling thoughts, she could hear a distant pup's voice. It was Bledri, he was singing. She'd never heard him sing before. In her mind, her ear turned towards the sound of his voice and she nearly found herself crying. She wanted out of here! She wanted to be with Bledri again and her brothers, her family.

Silver River looked at her paws, breathing deeply inside her mind while she concentrated on her ear, her mind focusing on nothing but that. Come on! Twitch! Move! Anything damnit! She thought in her head, trying her damnedest to get the extremity to move even though her body did not want to respond...


-CEDAR-
Cedar stayed where he was, allowing his parents to talk as they did. Ignoring a good part of what his parents were talking about; he watched Bledri as he sang, smiling all the while. Bledri had a good heart, even Cedar could see it. The young healer glanced upwards, his green eyes drawn by a bit of movement, perhaps it was a bug? Looking upwards, Cedar watched with an increasingly growing smile as Silver River's ear oh so slowly moved; as though she were trying to turn it to hear Bledri better.

"Dad!" he called as he motioned to Silver River's ear which moved only a moment more before it stopped. "Her ear! It moved!"

When Bledri had finished his song, he looked at the Healer and then snuggled his face into Silver River's fur. He was quite sad after remembering that song and wanted comfort from his new mother. He wanted her back. He wanted to play with Silver River, to see her teach him the things that his birth mother never got the chance to teach him. To see her face as she watched him fall asleep. He would miss all of it. He didn't know if he could take being all on his own again.
Bledri was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice that Silver River had twitched her ear. It wasn't until Ceder had said her ear had moved that Bledri took notice. He lifted his muzzle from her fur and looked at Silver River's face. He felt great relief that she had moved even if it was just an ear. It proved to little Bledri that she wouldn't leave him and if she did she would at least be able to say goodbye first. Letting out a little howl of happiness, Bledri stood up and looked at the other wolves who had gathered to help Silver River.

((I added the song to my last post. So now you guys can know what he was singing))

((Aww... A sweet song, Zan.))

Stone Fur leaned into the affectionate nuzzling of his mate, taking a deep breath a few moments. Her scent brought with it so many memories of the life the two had lived together... good memories, memories of pain... yet not a one of them, Stone Fur would have taken back to do again.

"I am tired," he admitted, "but that is nothing new these days. Pulse Wolf has begun to call. I can feel it... but... He knows I can't leave... not until I know for sure that Cedar will have things well in his paws, but it will be good to go home, I think..."

He turned to look upon his son. "Cedar, keep an eye on things here. I want to go talk with your mother." He motioned for Amaranth to follow.

It was only then that Cedar's excited words reached him, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Black Wolf," he murmured, "I think she'll be alright... Cedar, keep a close eye on her."


--SUMMIT SHADOW--

Summit Shadow was truly fighting to keep control of his temper at this point. He would hear nothing of it... What business was it of his brothers what he and Silver River had argued over? "Yes, I was there," he said, "She and I were supposed to go hunting, but she chose to eavesdrop instead. Now... How about you answer some questions for me? Why are you interrogating me? Did our dear sister decide to come and rant about what a horrible brother I am? If it's important enough for you to prod me for every detail, I think I at least deserve some of the same courtesy, hm?"

--THE MOUNTAIN IN THE SKY--

As he watched the movement of his daughter in accordance with the sounds she heard, Cold Mountain understood... The howl of her mother... the singing of the pup in the land of the living... All of them, anchors to things she knew... things she could use to navigate the strange world in which she found herself.

The former delta stood and made his way to the precipice beside his mate and sat down beside her, an encouraging nuzzle following. He would then turn to look out through the void toward his daughter's wandering spirit, and he too raised his head, and howled. His howl was deeper than Storm Raven's, with more of a raw power behind it, the song of a warrior... A sound she'd no doubt heard many times in her puphood, her father's song.That sound would be like one more beam to guide her through the darkness.

Soon, even Fire Wind added his voice, not because of Silver River's familiarity with him, for she had never met him... but it was a sort of long, drawn out song... an encouragement to run, to keep on striding forward... Follow the sounds of her family... Follow them home.

-CEDAR-
The young healer smiled at Bledri before glancing at his parents when they left. His ears fell a moment when he thought on how old his parents had become. Though it was inevitable, no child ever seems to be ready to lose their parents when the time actually comes that they pass. Cedar sighed a moment before he looked to Bledri and smiled.

"You should get some sleep Bledri. I'm sure you can come up with another song for tomorrow?"

The flop eared healer gave a lopsided grin while he looked to Silver River a moment, like he was looking for other signs of life from her. Her ear remained in the same place as it had stopped, and Cedar smiled a bit. She'd come back, he was sure.


-AMARANTH-
"I am tired,""but that is nothing new these days. Pulse Wolf has begun to call. I can feel it... but... He knows I can't leave... not until I know for sure that Cedar will have things well in his paws, but it will be good to go home, I think...""Cedar, keep an eye on things here. I want to go talk with your mother."

The look on Cedar's face hadn't escaped her notice when she followed her mate from the Elite Huntress' den. Her faded face but bright bi-colored eyes watched Stone Fur with a faint smile adorning her maw. "Stone Fur, you've always been tired. Ever since we were young and foolish so long ago; you've been tired." She quirked her lopsided smile; the same one that Cedar had inherited.

Her old bones and joints seemed to creak and protest with every movement, though she did what she could to hide the pain; the way her tail flicked every so often was her giveaway; the only gap in her pokerface. "I'll be honest love, I've felt him calling me home too. But I fear his call for me is not as distant as yours is."

"But what do you want to talk about, Stone Fur? It must be important if you didn't want Cedar or Bledri to overhear." The elder kept her smile in place. For years, nothing seemed to have dampened her spirit after she and Stone Fur had become mates. She supposed that Stone Fur brought the better part of her to the surface...


-Corvus/NIGHT OWL and BLACK STAG-
"Yes, I was there,""She and I were supposed to go hunting, but she chose to eavesdrop instead. Now... How about you answer some questions for me? Why are you interrogating me? Did our dear sister decide to come and rant about what a horrible brother I am? If it's important enough for you to prod me for every detail, I think I at least deserve some of the same courtesy, hm?"

The deep growl that emanated from Corvus' chest was an unmistakable sign of his anger, as Black Stag could feel it rumbling through his body where he was touching Corvus' shoulder.

"She's lying poisoned, comatose and you speak ill of her, Summit Shadow!?"

Black Stag turned his head to Corvus as he spoke, seeming for a intents and purposes beginning to understand what exactly was going to happen here. That had been the wrong choice of words for Summit Shadow to use, it seemed.

"She wouldn't have been able to tell us what a horrid "big brother" you are, when she was seizing on the floor of her damn den! We want to know what the hell you said to her that would distract her and enrage her enough to cause her to accidentally ingest Lily of the Valley while she was hunting!"


-SPARROW-
The small female had been all but full pelt running through the packlands looking for other hunters and fliers when she happened past the brothers. Whispering Owl had dismissed the other soldiers awhile ago. The sun was setting now; though Sparrow still wasn't stopping. She had paused only a moment before she sped away fast as she could. It sounded like a fight was breaking out here...She needed to find Corona and quickly. It wasn't supposed to go this way. They were supposed to get the information and report back to Stone Fur, fights were not part of the plan.


-MOUNTAIN IN THE SKY-
Storm Raven leaned into Cold Mountain's nuzzle as she always had in life before she joined in once more; their voices echoing together from the ether.

Looking back down to the pack below, she saw the argument between NightOwl and Summit Shadow heating up. Black Stag was standing alert, ready to interfere, though Storm Raven feared he wouldn't be able to...

-SILVER RIVER-
As her mother's howl died away, it nearly brought tears to her eyes at the sound of her father's voice. It was known well to most in the pack that Silver River had loved her father so, but not in the same way that Summit Shadow had. Summit Shadow (then Black Ear) had looked up to him, wanted to be like him. Silver River hadn't wanted those things, she loved her father because he was "dad" to her. When Silver messed up a lesson with her mother, Cold Mountain was usually the one she went to.

The elite hunter could feel her chest seem to swell when she heard her father. Her courageous, dutiful father who had never managed to let her down. Fire Wind's howl was foreign to her, she had never met him and thus didn't know what he'd sound like. In her mind, the first thing she thought was maybe he was one of her grandparents.

She wanted to keep going, but she felt so tired. Her mind was muddling down, the seizure had taken a great deal of what strength she currently had at that moment. In her mind, she settled down for a sleep, listening to what she could while her mind and body recuperated.

'Thank you mom, dad, grandpa.' ((Remember, she doesn't know it's FireWind and that he's not directly related to her. This is who she thinks it is.))

Bledri looked up at Ceder. "Can I stay here with Silver River?" The young pup asked. He didn't want to leave her behind. He wanted to stay and sleep next to her so that she would know that he was there.

Stone Fur could not help but frown when Amaranth mentioned that she felt her time was shorter than his own. Though he knew what fate ultimately awaited the two of them, he still did not relish the thought of being separated from his beloved for any length of time, though it would be good to return to his youth again, to leave the aches and pains of his mortal body behind.

Nevertheless, he seemed to walk all the closer to Amaranth for now. "It's.. nothing important," he said, "It's just...there are some things far easier to talk about when we're alone, and I don't want to trouble Cedar further. I want to start putting more and more of the healers' duties to him, so that when I finally do go, it won't be such a shock, and you know that I won't keep you waiting long."

--SUMMIT SHADOW--

Summit's face fell when the news came of his sister... His bravado, his anger... all of it was gone. He didn't answer any further questions. Instead, he turned and ran off as fast as his feet would carry him. Summit Shadow, you fool, he berated himself. He never should have left her own her own, angry or not... it wasn't his fault, what she'd done, but if he could have stopped her...

He reached the healer's den just as Stone Fur and Amaranth departed, and immediately he turned, feet tearing up soil as he kicked his way into the dugout, only to find his eyes widening in horror as he saw his sister laying, unconscious on the ground. He stared up at Cedar. "S... Silver River," he panted, "Cedar, what happened?"

--CORONA--

The Beta of the Black Mountain Pack hadn't wandered very far away. His mind was still feeling rather flooded with thought and emotion. That Hailstorm had asked him to be her mate was... unbelievable to say the least. It was a great honor, and there was a time, he knew, when he would have accepted gladly, but that was no longer. Instead, she was on his mind... Silver River. All he could see in his mind at that moment was her crestfallen face if he'd said yes...

He knew then why he'd said no. He was in love, yes, but with Silver River. He wanted her for his mate. He wanted her to rule beside him as beta. He was blissfully unaware of all that had taken place, at least until he heard the rapid approach of young Sparrow's pawsteps. She was in a hurry... but why?

--THE MOUNTAIN IN THE SKY--

Fire Wind had no intention of even trying to correct Silver River. What mattered was that at least now she seemed steered in the right direction. He turned his attention to the two parents. "Keep your vigil upon her," he warned, "I would not put it past Chaos Wolf to make an attempt on her life while she sleeps on this plane. She will be in danger until she returns to her body. If anything at all looks out of place, you must wake her and urge her to return home. Am I clear?"

-AMARANTH-
"It's.. nothing important,""It's just...there are some things far easier to talk about when we're alone, and I don't want to trouble Cedar further. I want to start putting more and more of the healers' duties to him, so that when I finally do go, it won't be such a shock, and you know that I won't keep you waiting long."

Amaranth relished the contact with Stone Fur as she always had, still smiling her small crooked smile. "Stone Fur, you know Cedar better than that. He will take your going difficult. Sparrow much more to mine." She continued to smile. "Cedar is progressing and he's knowledgeable, but even you can't expect him be you or Broken Light." The elder's tone wasn't accusing or hurtful. But after years with Stone Fur, she knew he wanted Cedar to be the best he could be before Stone Fur passed and that was why Stone Fur put such pressure on their son.

-CEDAR-
The healer smiled lightly at Bledri. "Yes, you can stay here. I wouldn't dream of making you leave." He looked to the mouth of the den where his parents had been only moment before. When Summit Shadow came barreling toward the den, Cedar then understood why Silver River had chosen this particular spot for a den. When others approached, be they wolf or prey, you could hear their steps when they approached with a certain amount of speed.

When Cedar caught the sound of Summit's pawsteps, he stood up, positioning himself between Silver River, Bledri, and the entrance of her den. His ears folded back and his muzzle twitched to reveal his fangs, aiming to intimidate whoever was approaching with such speed. When he saw Summit Shadow wriggling his way into the den, Cedar hid his fangs and backed up a bit to let the larger male in.

"S... Silver River,""Cedar, what happened?"

The young healer looked at Summit Shadow for a moment with a raised brow. He could smell Corvus and Black Stag on the elite soldier, so it confused him that he didn't already know.

"From what we know, Silver River accidentally ingested Lily of the Valley while she was hunting and eating her meal. From what Sparrow had told me, she caught herself a rabbit from inside an abandoned fox den and judging from the destruction that Silver wrought trying to get the damn thing, she had ripped the roots from the roof of the den; and some of the flowers and leaves stuck to the rabbit's fur when she was eating."

Cedar paused a moment, looking from the still huntress to the elite soldier. "She was extremely angry. Over what, I do not know but it had her riled to the point of inattention; something far from what we know as usual for her."

Looking back to Bledri, he smiled lightly before he continued. "Corvus found her having a seizure and came and found me immediately. By the time we got back here, her seizure was done but she wasn't responding. We got what toxins we could out of her system and we're force feeding her poultices to keep her heart and breathing steady but we still don't know the full extent of the damage done by the poison. She hasn't responded to anything except for painful stimuli and Bledri's singing over here. Her ear moved in his direction earlier, but we haven't seen anything from her since."

The healer scratched at his floppy ear a moment before he sat down. "Dad and I sent Black Stag, Corvus, and Sparrow to try and find out what had happened earlier today to get her so angry but we haven't heard anything back from them. I had assumed that one of them would have already informed you of the situation?" Cedar quirked a brow at his last statement, confused as to why Summit Shadow hadn't been here earlier otherwise...

-Corvus/NIGHT OWL and BLACK STAG-
As Summit Shadow ran off at Corvus' delivery of the news of their sister, the lanky bird marked wolf bounded past Black Stag, his rumbling snarl echoing in the air. Black Stag watched his brother go, sighing heavily through his teeth as his lips twitched in his irritation at his two brothers. The large male wasted very little time in following Summit Shadow and Corvus at a decent pace.

-SPARROW-
It was sometimes a wonderful thing being such a small wolfess. For instance, you could squeeze in and out of tight spots easier than others. You could sneak easily, and you were generally speedy. However, after running for so long, even the energetic Sparrow was finding herself winded. When she caught sight of Corona ahead, she headed straight for and skidded to a stop a couple of feet away from him; her tongue lolling out of her mouth while her sides heaved in and out, trying to pull more air than her lungs would accommodate.

Being unaware of the fact that the near fight that Sparrow had witnessed was pretty much averted since Summit Shadow was now at the den, and of the feelings that Corona held for the poisoned and comatose huntress, she was also unaware of what kind of reaction the news of Silver River would elicit from the beta.

"Corona..." Sparrow panted between her words, chest slowing down but still not done. "I think a fight is going to break out between Summit Shadow and Corvus, or between Summit Shadow and Black Stag; I'm not sure which of them. But Silver River got poisoned and she's comatose and Corvus is pissed, and...and..." The small black and grey wolfess stumbled over her words, her brain trying to move faster than what her mouth could process at the time. Giving up on telling the story, Sparrow resorted instead to snapping at Corona's heels to make him follow.

"Just follow me!"

-THE MOUNTAIN IN THE SKY-
"Keep your vigil upon her,""I would not put it past Chaos Wolf to make an attempt on her life while she sleeps on this plane. She will be in danger until she returns to her body. If anything at all looks out of place, you must wake her and urge her to return home. Am I clear?"

Storm Raven gave Fire Wind a stern, even glare. She respected Fire Wind a great deal, maybe it was just the situation making her a bit on edge.

"Fire Wind, I'm her mother. I wouldn't dream of abandoning my vigil over her if Black Wolf commanded me to do so. You have no worry on that. We'll watch her."

--STONE FUR--

Stone Fur listened to Amaranth's words, and he knew she was right. He knew he couldn't expect too much of their son. He couldn't expect Cedar to be another Broken Light, but still... he saw just how much potential their son had. "We still don't know the full dangers of this place, even now," he said, "Cedar has a lot to learn... but I have faith in him. I simply hope he knows how proud I am of how far he's come.

He looked down. "After Little Doe disappeared, I'd given up on finding love again, or having a family of my own... Then you came along, and Black Wolf blessed me beyond my wildest dreams. I... I only hope that in time, Cedar knows the same blessings I have."

--SUMMIT SHADOW--

Summit Shadow was numb. Ever since Corvus and Black Stag had told him of what happened, he was in denial. It wasn't his sister laying comatose on the floor of the healers' den. It couldn't be her!

Yet... he could deny it no longer. The warrior's knees fell weak, and he would lay down, nuzzling against his sister for a few moments, not even responding to Cedar for the longest of times. He brushed his nose against her neck. "Sister," he whispered, "If I could take it back..." He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting to keep himself from crying, from showing any kind of weakness, even in front of a pup and a healer.

"Black Stag told me, but... I didn't believe him. I didn't want to believe him."

--CORONA--

Corona fought the urge to tell Sparrow to slow down. He knew how she could get when excited, but one thing stood out to him and prevented him from taking her to the ground then and there: Silver River was injured... or worse. He didn't have to be told twice. Sparrow had scarce finished speaking before the wolf was rushing off as fast as his legs would carry him.

--THE MOUNTAIN IN THE SKY--

Cold Mountain and Fire Wind exchanged glances, but the former legend holder simply gave a nod. "I know you will... I have faith in you, Storm Raven." He turned and walked away to tend to other matters, leaving the two parents to sit their silent watch.

Bledri had moved away from Summit Shadow. He wanted to give him some room, and, secretly, part of Bledri was slightly afraid of the large wolf. He had only met him once before and that was during the burial of Sage Ghost. He had a slight sense that Silver River and Summit Shadow did not get along and so being the innocent pup that he was, he only wanted to side with Silver River.
Bledri crawled around Silver River until he was lying next to her neck. He curled up and rested his head on her neck fur, all the while trying to tune out whatever Summit Shadow was saying.