A not so Silent Night

[Vivid]

Pausing, the large dark lion rose his head and inhaled deeply, bringing in all the different scents of the forest. Moss, rocks, mold; trees, grass, water, and... There! Daichi took off again at a fast pace, thankful the breeze that weaved in and out of the brush and trees was in his favour. He ran at a steady pace, and although he had only been running for a few minutes, he took frequent breaks. Not because he was tired, but to check on the wounded wolf that was laid out along his back, her comfort only important after he made sure she was still breathing. His goal was to find someone else, someone who spoke of demons, and who he needed to bring with him back to the pack dens. He had no idea why the wolf wasn't allowed to find his way to the Alpha and the strange winged wolf who gave him the directions, but he would do as he was told, provided it didn't take too long. Káshila's health was his only concern. So, he followed the scent of who he hoped was his quest, since it lead toward the rest of the pack anyway.

Large paws conversed silently with the dead leaves and logs on the forest floor, his strides smooth and filled with purpose. His ears were filled with the songs of crickets, the lion transformation giving him much better vision in the dark, where moonlight couldn't break past the thick canopy of trees. Funny how everything had come together, his night beginning with a simple stroll over the territory, now he was running for someones life. And for once, he wasn't the reason why.

Pausing again, he looked back at Káshila to check on her, then lifted his head once more, catching a solid wall of wolf, just a few more jumps ahead. "Excuse me, do you happen to know a gold, winged wolf?" He asked, coming into view of who he hoped was his destination, having no idea of a name to ask for, or a face to look upon.

[Mokobo]

It's a funny thing how well long-time friends can predict the movements of their companions. Companions wasn't a truly adequate word to describe the bond between Hawke and Icewulf. They had trained together as pups, revolted against their masters as adolescents, and spent their prime and waning years protecting the lands of the Imperii. Together they had fought in the Great War, and in the ashes of the aftermath had formed the Vorlfur to do what their aging bodies could no longer accomplish. It was sufficient to say the two had been through quite a bit together, so perhaps the accuracy of Hawke's prediction was not entirely noteworthy.
The battle-scarred veteran had spent the better part of the last hour stomping through the forest while he grumbled to himself in a repressed fury. He was anxious at the suddenly strong pull from the golden Mark set into his foreleg. There were only four such marks that he knew of left in existence. Both of the other two were upon hated nemeses, one who wanted nothing more than to kill him and one who actually had succeeded in doing the act. This sudden danger had him tense, so much so that he had barely given his beloved Antarctica any explanation before taking his leave. Looking back on his departure, the aging wolf realized his excuse had been shoddy at best, and he hoped his mate had not followed him off into the night. The last thing he wanted was for her to get caught up in any sort of confrontation.
For the dozenth time that evening Icewulf would pause to spit the name of a long dead demon onto the ground. He would turn his icy blue gaze to his back where two scars sat as the only reminder of his once glorious set of angelic wings. The demon whose name he continued to curse had taken them from him during a battle in the territory of the Imperii which was once Giaku, almost taking his life as well in the process. After lamenting this loss and wishing he had the stamina he used to, the founder of the Vorlfur would sigh and turn to continue his journey.
However, Icewulf would only get as far as a few steps before the sound of some creature crashing through the foliage reached his ears. Even though he could sense through the Marks that the others were still some distance away, the warrior wolf instinctively assumed a battle stance. When Daichi made his appearance the aged wolf would relax ever so slightly, quickly taking in the scene before him. He did not recognize the transformed creature, however he did recognize Kashila almost immediately. "Excuse me, do you happen to know a gold, winged wolf?" Very clever Hawke, but you better not get yourself killed.
"Yes I do. What has happened to her? And more importantly, who did it?" To one not familiar with this elder his voice would seem cold, uncaring almost. Even though this was far from the truth, such a voice expected answers. As he posed these questions Icewulf would calmly approach to inspect the injured female.

[Relairah]

Káshila found herself slowly becoming worse. She was angry. And also felt pathetic. Never in her life had she been in such a state and she was even more appalled at whose paws it had come from. And further, what good was her magic if she couldn't even heal herself?! She could heal plants and the wounds of those around her. But she could do nothing for her own injuries. As her emotions boiled and churned, she faded in and out of consciousness. And then she felt the poison gripping her, like a puppet or a doll in the hands of a master. 'No...' was her last desperate thought of her own consciousness.

Then anger became fury, and she no longer saw a fellow packmate in front of her. Shanto's face flashed in her mind only briefly.

A cough rose in her throat and Káshila's ears perked at the sound of Icewulf's voice. Her eyes met his, but she didn't see a friend. She let herself fall and landed on her paws. "Thank you for assisting me." There was a glimmer in her gaze; her words were directed toward Daichi. She glanced at him only briefly, and then lunged toward Icewulf with what became clear hostility. "You're mine," she whispered, words that were not her own.

[Vivid]

Daichi felt instant relief as the wolf in front of him answered in a positive to his question, sighing inwardly, relaxing in the slightest as he let his feline eyes do a once over of the male in front of him. His eyes were drawn to the marking on the others leg, having a brief flash back to the battle not ten minutes before, and the druin that gave enough of a distraction for allied forces to come aid the fight, more so, the same marking on his sword. Suspicion swelled in his chest and Dai took a step back, undecided. Was this an ally or foe? Either would make sense, as either would probably know the wolf he mentioned, but he seemed at least mildly concerned about Káshila. Gritting his teeth, the large feline decided to play his cards for what they were worth, knowing he had no time to waste.

"A wolf known as Shanto was caught on our lands, Zefirino, Káshila and I went to stop him. We began to fight, and Káshila was caught out, bitten by him." He explained, watching as the wolf stepped up closer, eyeing him intently as he surveyed Káshila, ready to get the female out of there or fight if things turned south.

"The golden wolf told me to seek you out on my way, she needs medical assistance as soon as possible, as you can see." His tone was serious and solid, trying to make his explanation more of a demand. He needed to get her help, and as quickly as possible, who knew when Shanto would activate his grip on her. Her cough made his round ears perk and his long tail flick, concerned for her, but relieved she was at least still alive. As she stirred Daichi grew concerned, lowering himself down in a crouch so that she didn't have as long a way to fall."Káshila?" He questioned, was she feeling better? He merely nodded in confusion as she thanked him, noticing something off, but unable to place it. After all, he had only known her a short time; maybe nothing was off at all.

Panic struck him and his jaw fell open as Káshila lunged at the wolf in front of them, his suspicions growing indefinitely in a heart beat. Was this an enemy, or had Shanto finally taken control? Knowing he had to do something, and fast, Daichi placed his weight into his back legs, pouncing forward with all his power onto Káshila, hoping his transformations weight was enough to keep her down until some sort of explanation was given.

"Control yourself!" He cried out, suddenly feeling like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. His markings took on a deep glow and his inner spark ignited into a raging fire, emotions in turmoil that had times before, proven deadly. His glowing eyes turned to the male in front of him, begging for an answer.

[Mokobo]

The grizzled veteran of a wolf would halt his approach at the mere mention of his most hated nemesis. Pure white fur stood on edge at the back of his neck as a cold breeze would push through the trunks of the nearby trees. As this feline creature who oddly had a wolfish scent began to explain what had transpired, Icewulf would take several steps back. His guard was thrown up the temperature in the forest would begin to drop, causing several nearby plants to swoon and whither. All too well did he know the danger that came with any wound inflicted by Shanto. On his steady march Icewulf had been drafting a scheme to deal with that vile poison, but the idea was far-fetched at best. Frost began to spread across the ground in spiderwebs stemming from the wolf's paws while he hoped to himself that the poison had not fully spread.
Káshila's sudden cough and departure from Daichi's back would cause a frown to creep upon Icewulf's lips as his aged muscles tensed. By now a thin layer of ice was splotched across the earth around him, and a few nearby bushes were beginning to grow icicles. Luckily the nearby fauna was full of moisture his magic could harvest, and the cool night air made the process of freezing all the easier. Even so, the aging warrior felt his already strained source of energy depleting. As the female thanked the other for his help, Icewulf would take another step backward, causing more frost to creep across a large root. The sudden attack came like a whirlwind, but the seasoned warrior had lain his trap.
With an agility surprising for one of his age, Icewulf would leap to the side as Káshila rushed forward. He hoped to himself that the frost he had lain would be enough to cause the female to slip and loose her balance. It was not his desire or intention to see her any harm, but he knew the more she moved the quicker her blood would spread Shanto's poison, if it hadn't already. Whipping around to continue his strategy, the wolf's brow would raise in surprise as the feline figure of Daichi would pass in a blur. Icewulf found himself feeling impressed with this youth as they attempted to pin Káshila beneath their weight. There may be hope after all.
"Don't let her escape!" Icewulf's voice would raise in a tone that mirrored the cold, biting wind which tore through the trees with growing intensity. "We need to slow the poison or she will be lost!" If she isn't already.

[Relairah]

OoC: Hey, Vivid, make sure that everything your character does is an attempt unless you've verified it's okay with the other person. Otherwise it's powerplay xD You won't know for sure if Dai does actually pin her down until my post ^^

iC:

Káshila did in fact slip as her paws met with the ice, and as a result, she tumbled under Daichi's leap. She growled low, pushing at him with her paws. "Let me go. You're not among the ones I'm after." She was panting, her eyes wild. "Icewulf," she said, the sound a mixture between a desperate plea and a hate-filled utterance. He was right. And her time as herself was quickly fading. The earth beneath the ice tremored as she attempted to break apart the ice from the ground underneath. Vines would pierce through, attempting to place a hold about Icewulf's body as well as Daichi's legs. If she were successful, she would attempt to simultaneously move Daichi from her while once more moving toward Icewulf, though this time without an outright lunge for his throat.

[Vivid]

Surprised that anything worked out like planned, Daichi was unsure of the ice that had helped him. Wasn't this just forest floor before? In his panic and confusion, he hadn't noticed the magic of Icewulf, and found it rather hard to stay on top of Káshila with all her wiggling. His time in his lion form was running out, and Káshila was quite a larger wolf than he was, would the plan still work if he didn't have this beasts weight behind him? His fire inside burned strong and the chilly wind hardly did more than ruffle his mane, one of his feet kicking out as something tickled the fur between his pads, all while trying to get a grip on the situation, and the ice.

"Wha?" He gave a startled sound as the tickling stopped and a solid object grabbed around his legs, his lion form slipping at the same time, leaving a startled wolf getting dragged off the female. His front paws scrambled to get a grip of something, only slipping on the ice under him in his panic, leaving long claw marks and small puddles from the heat radiating off his body. Frustrated and knowing he had to do something, Daichi let a wave of heat roll from his body, ideally trying to melt the ice around him. He knew very well that not all magic was affected by it's counterpart, but it was worth a try. If all went as planned, he'd have some wet grass and mud under his paws to grip and stand with, and no matter the result of the ice breaking or not, Dai would turn and begin chewing on the vines, fighting for his freedom.

"Easier said than done!" He mumbled, struggling to get a good grip from his angle on the vines. Having had enough, Daichi summoned two small orbs of fire, letting them settle on the vines and hopefully burn through. If he was successful, he'd kick off the remaining tendrils and look back over at Káshila and Icewulf, knowing and recognizing the name now from Káshila's outburst.

What do I do?

[Mokobo]

A grunt would be forced from the elder wolf's chest as the suddenly summoned growths snapped around his frame. Rather than attempt to free himself, the veteran wolf instead remained intent on his goal. Just as he prepared his last stores of energy to summon more water, the now transformed Daichi began to display his own magic in an attempt to wrest himself from his own bindings. Icewulf blessed the youth inwardly, for his was not sure how much more of this magic he could sustain. He found himself slightly impressed with the other, and made a quick note of this to himself. In his own youth such feats had been much easier on their own, and even he had performed more in past battles. As much as the elder hated to admit it, he no longer had the stamina of his earlier days.
The cold air gushed between the trees as rivulets of waters would race against Káshila across the ground. Just before the female would collide with him, a wall of freezing cold water would rise up a few feet in front of Icewulf. His hope was to thoroughly douse the female in the cold liquid, and that he could further chill her body in the process. He hoped there was a way to remove the poison of his nemesis from this poor soul, but the only way he could think to buy the time was to slow her pulse. After this summoning he felt drained from the effort, the wind slackening off slightly. With just enough time to lower himself into a braced position, another grunt would escape the elder wolf as the possessed female would collide with him. Despite the weight of her attack, the vines would serve to help keep Icewulf on all fours.
Still not desiring to bring any harm to Káshila, the seasoned warrior would refrain from using tooth or claw. Instead he would use what little slack he had with the vines to try and push the other creature from him. With any luck his summoned wall of water would have served to soak her pelt. Yet if it had, he would find himself equally covered as well. While he indeed had a resilience to extreme cold, the added fatigue from his earlier feats made Icewulf feel sluggish. In a desperate attempt to free himself, the wolf would begin to freeze the fibers binding him. A thin layer of frost began to meekly craw across the vines about his torso. He needed to buy some time. In a calm, reassuring tone his voice was raise toward his attacker. "Listen to me. You need to take slow, deep breaths. You can fight this."

[emil]

//Rel wanted to merge a thread of ours into here, since we were going to continue in the same area and she has some neat plot ideas. I apologize for the lengthy setup, but hope you enjoy the new additions <3 /LotR travel sequence music plays //

"Yes. Shall we, then?"

And with the sweep of his gesture came the sweep of time. With Erebus to guide her, Rykjudo's memory of the surrounding areas had been rekindled. Her feet moved along the path to their destination, almost of their own volition. The world of obfuscating and cloying forest began to thin out, progressively. The whole aura of this land was becoming very different, the wilds opening before her searching eyes. The air was clear, asking her to look as far as she wished, and the ferns gently caressed her time-worn pads, inviting her to cool her sun-heated body. And it did, as she drank in the rich, deep magic of the night, shedding the roasted herb-scent that had clung to her from that sweet trap of a forest that they had left further and further behind.

From where they had set out, their journey had spanned a fair amount of time; large creatures that they were, it never took long for a Druin to get where they were going, and Rykjudo's broad wings were used to lengthy flights. Shockingly enough, Erebus had wings to muster as well, and she had been fairly surprised when, upon reaching a wall of rock, shadowy feathers had rushed dramatically out from his back. She was embarrassed to remember leaping straight up into the air out of shock; thank the gods he was such a stoic individual.

Their flight was long. Forest gave way to mountain gave way to forest, all with progressively thinning ice compared to how far north she had really been. The realization was a little shocking; just how lost had she been? Thankfully, the northern spring meant the cold was waning, so it was safe to cross the mountains as the seekers moved south. Rykjudo was a survivalist, and a tough old wolf, but she was not immune to blinding snow, driving winds, or freezing nights. Their progress, consisting largely of winging their way over the harsh and valley-pitted wilderness, was not unduly hampered. Food wasn't unusually difficult to find, being that it was warm enough for the creatures of the north to be fighting over love and land. Large, horned beasts exhausted from their repeated, rut-induced clashes made easy targets for a pair of cunning wolves.

Eventually, the word became soft and warm and flat, and Rykjudo was a little relieved when they could look back and see the towering peaks, with their pitfalls and deep valleys and endless caverns, far behind them. And now, they seemed very close to... something. Her hide itched with anticipation as they landed; being so close to the packlands, they had decided to move on foot for a time.

Occasionally, she would glance at her companion. Thought she was grateful for his assistance, she wondered, if just a little bit, why he was going out of what seemed to be his usual way to help her. She wasn't overly suspicious of strangers, having been subject to their good will as often as she had their malice, but she would never quite shake that niggling curiosity. More often than not, it had kept her from wandering into the tangled grasps of the fair folk. But, given that he had become her traveling companion for countless days and had walked with her for a far longer distance than anyone ever had before, she felt that she could trust him. The bond shared by travelers was sacred. She had maintained her generally reserved and cordial manner throughout, and while she had no real knowledge of him beyond the surface, he appeared to return this respect in kind. That was all she needed to get along with someone, really.

As the southerly vegetation grew shorter and shorter, the shadows grew longer and longer, the world dipping into a night much like the one they had first set out on. Small slips of light and sound began to flicker in and out of Rykjudo's vision, soaked with magic. Her owl's-eyes, now glowing very visibly from the saturation, merely glanced in their direction now and then. Soon, the deepest hour of night would be upon them. Thought she'd been haunted by her usual specters, she wasn't sure if her companion had ever seen what she saw; she could probably write off the idea of it being a shared problem, the Druiness thought wryly, and start considering that perhaps her spirit had driven her a little bit mad. She wasn't quite ready to accept this as some sort of power, despite having lived with it for decades; it had yet to be useful. It ranged from more annoying to terrifying than anything else, though she would see what happened as they got closer and closer to the packlands. When they'd finally cleared the frozen world beyond the mountains, other creatures became more apparent; and Rykjudo had heard whispers. There was a font of magic in that territory. But, was any of it real? Did the Empire [still] exist?

However, there were more [immediately] important questions to ask; and, pausing at a sparse copse of trees, she spoke.

"Fair Erebus."

She punctuated her pause, to catch his attention. 'Fair Erebus' had somehow become his title one day, and it stuck. Well, if any one word could describe him, it was 'fair', a result of the attention he paid to his lovely coat. It was not an odd addition.

"What sort of... reception, should we expect?"

It had been a long time since Rykjudo had talked to wolves, let alone trespassed on their territory; and she was a Druin, with a heavy awareness of her people's reputation. And, well... her memory was a bit... fuzzy.
Speaking of fuzzy, what just rushed past her leg?

"What..."

Her surroundings began to smell wet, as though it were about to rain. Gesturing to her companion, she slunk ahead of Erebus quite suddenly, ears pricked, fixated on the sounds and scents that were now blasting her nostrils as the wind shifted. The scent of other wolves was in the air; she would attempt to be cautious. She was a stranger here. Creeping as low as a beast of her stature could go, she hastened towards what appeared to be a break in the trees, red lips parted. There was definitely magic in the air; it ran over her maw, and she could taste it, like a thunderstorm about to break. And she fairly did break through the trees, cursing her sudden bout of clumsiness. Rykjudo was a warrior, not a sneakthief; stealth was the furthest thing from her domain. So she straightened up, shaking out her massive mane, and proceeded to feel very puzzled by the scene before her [and a little embarrassed, as though she had walked in on something]. Vines were bursting out of the ground, there was mud everywhere, and she felt a blast of freezing air hit her right in the face as a pale and grizzled wolf summoned a wall of water, which seemed to break over both himself and his red blur of an assailant. Also, it smelled like something was burning. Oh, right. There was someone else here, also tangled in vines. It would've almost struck Ryjudo as comical, were it not for their generally pained expressions.
Was this... the territory of the Empire?
Goodness.

[Relairah]

OoC: muahahaha....

iC:

The vines holding Daichi relinquished their hold readily. Their purpose had already been served; releasing his grip on her, and her attention was now focused on her target. Káshila snarled, summoning more plants from the earth. But instead, the wall of water doused both her and the plants and they froze, fading away while she sank, panting and shivering. Still, it was clear she was being controlled by an invisible force. Despite her physical state, she continued to push toward Icewulf relentlessly. Perhaps it was because she was so close that Shanto had been so direct. He was not yet ready to pull his control back from her mind. Whatever the case, the red and white wolfess only snapped at Icewulf again, though her movements were indeed slowing down.

Erebus and Rykjudo had indeed set off some time before. Initially, Erebus had intended to head toward what was once his homeland. He was curious about its state and what had become of it... and the Druins. He had heard that they had come together with the wolves that once called themselves Shinkou in order to form the new Empire. But it had certainly been a long journey. They traversed mostly on foot... though now and then he had summoned his wings of shadow for convenience. They did not fly extensively, however. For to summon the wings cost him much in energy and he desired to retain his strength.

Erebus' own thoughts had begun to resonate with those of his traveling companion. He had been on his own path for so long. He felt welcoming of her presence. A somehow familiar comfort that he couldn't quite understand. But he accepted it nonetheless. As the terrain slowly changed, he set eyes on what was both the same and yet not. The lands themselves had changed except for ancient marks which were both timeless as they were great. How could so much have changed, he wondered?

He found himself growing more and more curious, and anxious. Though kept his feelings reserved. Despite their time together, he still did not quite become the carefree inner self which he so rarely expressed. There was simple peace in their intelligent conversations and their silent respect of each other. An unspoken understanding between the two that couldn't quite be expressed in words anyway. And further still, he felt the need to remain alert. Not because of their journey. But for what awaited them within the territories. The feeling in his gut had been there since the subject of the past had first arisen between them so many weeks ago. Had it been so long already? But it steadily grew as they neared the heart of the Empire's lands. Something awaited him, he knew. And he had thus far evaded it. But he knew fate would not allow him to forever. And here he was walking straight toward it.

Still... perhaps it might be prolonged just a little while longer.

They were on foot again, and he remained aware of his surroundings. His movements were steady, and near his companion. He was ever aware of her presence, even if his eyes and ears focused elsewhere. At the sound of her voice, a soft smile graced his pale lips. Yes. He had grown to fancy the name she had given him. No other, perhaps, might've gotten away with it. Or even thought of it. But they had formed a unique bond and he had grown to enjoy it.

He had suspected they would run into others long before it had happened. And the taste of magic was not so unfamiliar to him. But nevertheless, his reaction was similar to her own. He opened his mouth to answer her, and it was only a moment later they were moving swiftly toward the disturbance. Erebus stopped, brows furrowing over his face. He took everything in in an instant. Despite his days as a wanderer, he had grown up trained as a warrior. And it was only natural he memorize details quickly. Nearly all of the natural elements were called into play at the same time and it was a wonder there weren't more of a collision enough to create a terrible reaction. There was only one he recognized. The face of an old foe. At least... he had been. Erebus suspected things were different now. Icewulf of the once Defenders. The guardians of the great Shinkou pack before the war that had changed everything. The once Giaku prince had kept his distance. But had remained aware and informed.

Would Icewulf suspect hostility? Or would he be welcoming? But neither seemed to matter as there was a more pressing issue at hand. The red and white wolf smelled also of the Empire. Distinctly. Yet she lunged for Icewulf like someone mad with vengeance. Or something else. And he sensed it. Deep within his being. His very soul and magic resonated and twisted within him. There was more than the magic they visually saw at play. He could feel it, even if he wasn't certain quite what it was. The words the white wolf spoke told him it was the red wolf that was the problem. But he wasn't sure quite yet what the problem was. Was she mad? He stepped forward, his thick teal mane falling over his face as he dipped his head in the slightest fashion. "What is going on?" he asked, the tone even yet loud enough to carry to the others... that is, if they hadn't already noticed the presence of two Druins.

[Vivid]

The vines sizzled a little as his flames burned them away and he got to his feet without a problem afterwards, the small orbs of fire hanging around beside him in case he needed to use them again. Cold air hit him in the face though it did nothing to change his body temperature, continuing to slowly melt the ice around where he stood, his bright red paws wet and muddy. When Icewulf summoned the wave of water Daichi rose his flames so they wouldn't be extinguished, getting a good portion of his body wet, at least up to his chest as it hit the ground and splashed up. He wasn't against getting wet per say, it didn't affect his inner flames, but the feeling was uncomfortable and he rose his temperature higher, trying to quickly dry his coat while lowering the orbs back down to eye level. They were useful in the form of counter play to Káshila's plants, and a decent enough shield to Icewulfs ice, but he worried that the water might be used against him, so he kept the flames high, the orbs of fire dancing in the winds that Icewulf was creating.

It seemed obvious, but Dai wondered if Icewulf was affected by the cold or not, seeing as he was a magic wielder. Daichi himself was more or less immune to fire, but he could still be hurt by it in certain ways, certain ways gave him the idea that maybe a wet Icewulf was a bad thing. With uncertain steps he dashed forward to the elder wolfs side, as close as he could get without getting entangled in the vines, even though they were shrinking down; his heat radiated and he hoped it would be enough to help the elder, by warming him, if not drying him partially. Meanwhile, his flames stayed on stand-by, in case Káshila decided to try and vine him again.

“I don't know how useful I can be, but if you need help at all, just say the word! I don't want to hurt her,” He said from Icewulfs side, standing with his fur bristled. “The best I can do is maybe hold her down again.” Unaware of anything else happening around him, Dai was shocked and embarrassed to hear a strange new voice, snapping his head aside to look as two large wolves entered their little party. His ears lowered back and he bore his teeth but didn't growl, sending a message to keep back if they weren't here to help, trying to quickly explain.

“She's being manipulated and we need to get her to someone who can help, but as you can see, things aren't going so smoothly.” He wondered briefly if he should have let Icewulf answer instead, was it his place to speak about their affairs? For the umpteenth time today, Daichi felt like just a pup – not having any idea what was right and wrong, but quickly learning.

Today was one hell of a long day...


OOC: Weee new characters! Also, welcome Mana. >D Sorry this took so long, been a hectic week. x-x Kinda poorly put together, my apologies!

[Mokobo]

As Káshila sank to the ground and her newly summoned vines grew layers of hoarfrost, a sense of relief washed through Icewulf. While it was true that she still sluggishly advanced, snarling as she dragged herself through the mud, his strategy had worked better than he could have hoped. Now the elder warrior focused his energies on the process of freezing the bindings closest to his frame. Soon the vines were brittle enough that a few vigorous shoves proved enough to fracture their fibers at random points. Icewulf felt the tension holding him in place slacken, and had just begun to awkwardly disentangle himself from the ropy mess when he first heard the surprisingly close sounds of approaching beasts.
A small frown formed on the wolf's lips as he returned to busied himself with the labor of freedom. Now that Káshila was a little more amiable, if only while the cold dangerously sapped at her core temperature, there came the problem of what to do next. He had a few faintly hopeful ideas, but none that bore as much hope as one that really didn't settle well with him. With any luck one of these as-of-yet unveiled newcomers could be of some help, if not he could always find some other way to utilize any offered assistance. For a brief moment the calculating, militaristic part of his mind weighed the risks and rewards of helping this female. Quickly he stopped himself, finding the thoughts served only to strengthen his resolve to cure Káshila of her ailment. That bastard is using his own child!
Just as Icewulf bent his head to tear at one particularly offending binding, Daichi would dash forth and offer the warmth of his own power. Once again the elder found himself grateful for the actions of the younger, and made another note to himself to give a proper thanks when the chance arose. A slight smirk tugged at the corners of the white wolf's lips as he tore into another vine and listened to Daichi's eager declaration. When Icewulf raised his own voice in a whispered response, his tone was calm and (he hoped) reassuring. "Don't worry, we're not going to hurt her. Just do everything I tell you to and we might just save her." Almost as soon as he had finished this soft statement, a new and vaguely familiar voice rose from nearby.
What is going on?
With the speed of a snake's strike Icewulf would snap up his head to examine the two creatures. Lovely, druins. Before he could raise his own voice to offer an answer, Daichi took the initiative upon himself. While Icewulf would have been more succinct in his own explanation, he was grateful for the chance to examine the arrivals. They both had slight, yet familiar, scents of the north hidden beneath the other odors of their travels. The male of the pair brought forth vague memories, and yet Icewulf could not quite place if and where he had met him. The female was entirely unfamiliar to him, but no less intriguing. Under better circumstances such a meeting would have called for proper introductions and the exchange of the stories of travels.
Yet at that moment there was no time for such frivolous frolicking. The steady warmth offered by Daichi had indeed served to restore some of the elder wolf's vigor, if at the least bringing relief to his aching joints and rips. Feeling revitalized by this restoration, and the newly reaffirmed determination to foil his old foe, the warrior wolf would viciously tear at the last vines holding him in place. Rather than approach the unknown creatures, Icewulf would quickly stride toward Káshila. He would make sure to keep a healthy distance from her reach just in case she suddenly felt spry despite her soaked frame. The frown once more returned to his otherwise calm face as he at last spoke out to address the druins. "You two! Have either of you any ability to heal? She has a poison within her veins, but it can not be drawn like that of a viper. If not, then be of some use and help us to carry her." For a brief moment Icewulf would turn his head to give Daichi a quick glance, finding that he still did not know even this youth's name. While the words he offered the adolescent were just coldly worded as his most recent, his tone was not as rough as before. "Boy, come here. I need you to keep her from freezing to death, but take care not to thaw her out too much."

[Adurnak]

"Actually, hot stuff, you can just stay put." There was a sudden flash of bright light, and all at once there was a female wolf with blindingly white fur standing alongside Daichi. She was tall, standing a full four feet at the shoulders, and had a lithe, slim frame that gave her movements an almost ethereal grace. Her face, neck, shoulders, back, and sides were all adorned with shimmering greenish-gold runes that seemed to give off a faint glow.

She glanced at Daichi and grinned, her green-flecked deep blue eyes twinkling mischievously, before addressing Icewulf. "No need to give her frostbite, either, gramps. I've got this."

A moment later a low thrum filled the air as a series of translucent orange fields appeared, one after the other, in rapid sequence around Káshila, trapping her in a cage of energy roughly two meters across. Another flash, and the female was lounging on the top of the cage, looking around at the others with evident interest.

"There! Now that you all aren't trying to injure and-slash-or kill one another, would someone mind telling me what the heck I just interrupted? And since when do dragons have fur instead of wings?"

[emil]

"...as you can see, things aren't going so smoothly."

An apt statement, if any. However, they seemed to be pulling together despite the disturbance. The fire-user had managed to sidle next to his lord [at least, that was the impression she'd gotten], and his warmth gave them both strength. And now, they once again approached their foe-friend-foe?, moving as though they were readying themselves to pounce upon an unruly patient. But first, he turned to the twin peaks that had erupted quite suddenly from the vast forest.

"You two! Have either of you any ability to heal? She has a poison within her veins, but it can not be drawn like that of a viper."

Rykjudo broke the barrier of brush, calling out to the pale elder. As she knew not who he was, she felt it would be best to offer her assistance now, and make judgements later. However, she felt compelled to aid him; he didn't seem to be the deceptive type, and his demeanor was commanding, but fairly so. The inside of her head tingled with empathic magic.

"I have only the power to create and break suggestion. What is the nature of this taint?"

The Druiness approached their perimeter, unafraid of the fox-colored female. She was small, soaked, and impotent before the towering knight and her half-moon strength. Even cloven in two, magic swelled in her breast, drawn from the cold mercy of the moon.

"Well, it matters not. She is a pup to me, sir, in body and in mind. Shall I attempt to restrain her for you?"

She allowed her tongue to loll from her massive maw, exposing her pearlescent killing-teeth in a small show of prowess. Should they wish it, the pale harbinger would reach into her mind through her eyes, soothe her into a deep and slowing sleep. However, not knowing the nature of the poison, it was a risk. Would she start, suddenly, and rip into her friends as they stood over her? Would she be seduced by the owl's-eyes at all?
Well; first, she would hook her from the throat. In the seat of her voice, a potent magic roiled. Rykjudo stepped forward as the world melted into dream, opening her mouth to release.

"Actually, hot stuff, you can just stay put."

The scent of something searing hit her before anything else. She drew back reflexively, maw snapping shut with an audible click. While she was charging her magic, it seems, a new player had entered the game. She scoffed at such a presumptuous show of force, the smell of burnt earth causing her muzzle to wrinkle unconsciously. More importantly, however...

"Stranger, why do you come here? Are you aware of the nature of poisons, and their quickening?"

She looked up at the top of the flaming cage, eyes lidded heavy with restrained emotion. She was not a rude wolf. However, certain personalities grated against her own. This was one of them. People who did what they wanted, thinking they were helping when they were probably harming...
Rykjudo had seen enough of what happened to those who thrashed in the throes of possession [by venom], and set their pulse aflame with adrenaline and the misplaced passion of the survival reflex. They would surely die.

[Relairah]

OoC: Hey guys! I asked Monkey to post next with Icewulf to shed some light/clarity on the nature of Shanto's poison in my lovely Káshila :3 Vivid, sorry for skipping around! ><; but I promise we can resume normality... I just feel like someone needs to clarify what's going on to move things forward ^^ Also, my apologies for not being more clear about this particular ability in Shanto's profile << *coughsandgoestofix* I'll reply after, if that's okay, and then Vivid's turn, and then Adur and then Mana etc...