So Ends The Short Un-Productive Life

[✮ErInJaN✮]

Falcon opened his eyes. How long had he been lying here? He heard a crow in the distance. It's caw was torture. Every little sound seemed intensified.

Since being shot, Falcon had gone as far as he could, stopping to clean his wounds when he could. The bullet had grazed his right back knee, and continued on into his side. It had exited on his other side as well. The wolf hadn't known if his vital organs had been hit. He had begun to get a fever the day after the shooting, and had begun stumbling and thirsting for lots of water. He couldnt remember the exact events of the previous hours or how he got there. He attempted to lick his sore wounds, but hurt too much when he bent his mid-section and he yelped.

He lay there. From his throat escaped an involuntary whine.

I'll die here, He thought. I'll die here, alone. So ends the short, un-productive life of Falcon, son of-

He felt emotional pain, as he remembered that the father he knew was not really his father. His mother's affair had produced him. She had told him herself as she had lain dying, just as he was now. He did not know who he was the son of.

With this depressing thought, Falcon slipped back into the dark.

Although he did not know it, The injured wolf had stumbled into pack territory. The Sarcina pack.

[☾LUNA!☽]

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[atrb=background,http://i814.photobucket.com/albums/zz64/BLoobloo72/CaspianMiddle.png] Two bright, hazel-brown eyes peered through the gaps of a bush, ears erect, wet, black nose sniffing. His dark pupils were locked on the sight of a juvenile moose. He was ready to turn and run a distance before alerting his mate with a howl, when two other moose walked steadily out of the bushes on his far right. It was a mated pair, clearly parents to the calf. With a grunt of dismay, Caspian turned away from the opportunity, knowing he and his mate alone would dare not attack those beasts, for they would be easily defeated. The male’s swift, power-some gait spoke of his righteous pride and dominance, as any Alpha ought to have a right to in his own territory. His tail was flagged, ear upright, face sold and head high. He strode through the forest, seeking any signs of prey. He stopped only to sniff the air or mark his land, hoping to soon find food. At one particular pause as a scent-carrying breeze passed, he took notice of a certain smell. The breeze had brought the smell of a stranger wolf in his turf, but with it was a heavy amount of blood. He had also inferred that it was an adult male, but he could get little more information besides its general whereabouts. Thus, the Alpha headed towards it. It did not take him long to reach the wolf. Cautious, he stood within the shadows at first, taking on a stalking position as to be less likely to be noticed. But there was no need, for the wolf lay collapsed on the forest floor, unconscious. Retaining his proud stature, the silvery male approached the stranger, bending his neck down and sniffing from a short distance of merely inches. He circled the wolf, taking in everything he could. The first thing to catch his eye was the ghastly wound on the wolf’s exposed side – a wound unseen to the wolf. It was as though something had gone straight through him, shooting past and grazing his knee before entering the right side and exiting the left side on his lower torso. The male’s average timber pelt was stained crimson, as was the dirt beneath him. The Alpha was unfamiliar with said type of wound, as well as this stranger, so his raised his furry head to the sky and released an urgent howl, calling from his mate to arrive as swiftly as she could. He knew not who this loner was, but there was no doubt that he needed help, and that he would surely die there if Caspian and his mate did not help him. ”Speech” ”Penzy” Thoughts

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((OOC: Sorry, not my best, but I had to go 8( ))

[Kairis]

By the time the second howl had reached the ears of the female, Penzy had a slight chill run down her back all the way to the base of her tail. She could tell his tone was urgent and a thousand terrible thoughts flew to the mind of the respectable and strong alphess as she pictured him mashed into the ground bleeding to death from the moose they were hunting. It also would not be the first time she has seen Caspian bleed nearly to death in front of her. She was suddenly taken back to that summer night when they two strangers had been bordering on her territory... Penzy was not pleased as she came across them and she could never forget the smell of that male... At that moment the female growled at her thoughts and gathered all the strength she had and leaped forwards into a sprint.

She would not lose Caspian again and Penzy reached out with each stride, her light colored paws swallowing the ground as she followed the sent of her mate, and soon to be father. Although as she got closer to him she realised that it was not him who was hurt, but in fact the smell of blood belong to something or someone else and the female slowed her pace slightly being on the apprehensive and dominant side of things. The blood was not for sure from a wolf, a male one if she was smelling correctly and her brown ears tipped forwards and glanced questioningly at the grey wolf as she emerged through the green underbrush behind where her mate stood.

There lying on the ground in a tremendous amount of pain was a male. He was of mature age and was bleeding out of his hind leg and lower torso. Penzy snorted through her black nostrils once at the rancid smell of possible infection setting in and stepped closer to the wolf; her tail that was held high sweeped across Caspians side as she walked forwards and then sat there examining the odd and un-animal type of wound he had recieved. He smelled of odd and unknown lands so Penzy let out a low growl. It seemed that the wolf was unconsious but in case he wasn't Penzy wanted the male to know who was boss in this land as she placed on paw on the side of his face holding his head down, while contemplating if she should just leave him to die.

How could she? Had the alpha really become tat uncompassionate about others? Sighing loudly she stepped away and walked a circle around that male who was probably the same size as her as she eyed him up. Penzy desperately wanted the wolf to regain consiousness so she could adress him and then maybe, maybe speak of plans of helping him out. Her brown and silver coat swished in the breeze as she made her way back beside her mate and looked into his eyes. He was always the thoughtful one Penzy thought and it brought a smile to her face. There was not doubt that he would want her to leave this poor soul to die in their lands. Anyways, Penzy and Caspian would have to despose of the body if he did.

"My, my Caspian, what did you find for me?" She joked and raised her eyebrows in question, a question that silently asked what they were going to do with the injured wolf. Even Penzy did not feel like leavin a young wolf to die alone in an unknown land.

[✮ErInJaN✮]

Falcon's black existance slowly started to fade. Things became clearer though still very fuzzy. Pain still throbbed through him. This was real, not just a dream as he had hoped. He blinked as he realized the sunlight had been blocked for a moment. A shadow moved before him. He heard muffled sounds.

Something had found him. Perhaps something that would eat him. Or a smaller animal, who was simply curious. The fever made his head ache. He heaved a breath, but even that hurt. Falcon accepted his death. He now only wished whatever it was had come along to speed his end.

He heard muffled voices now. His nose picked up a wolf scent as something touched his face. A paw? So there were wolves around him. Understandable that a fellow wolf would be curious as to why and how he was injured, so as not to meet the same fate. He coughed.

"Leavm . . .todecketh." His words did not come out the way he meant them too and he choked on the last one. He wondered if they had even heard him at all, since he had been so quiet.

"Falcon."

The brown and black wolf's golden eyes strained to see through the blur. Someone had called him.

"Falcon."

Suddenly, from nowhere, a wolf stood before him. She was tall and white. His mother.

"Mothh-!" Falcon said, for that was all he could get out.

"Live," His mother whispered.

"Live."

And she blew away, like a bit of wispy snow.

She was obviously a mirage. A figment of his imaginings. But . . . to live. She wanted him to live. Well, thought Falcon rather plainly, I've never disobeyed her before. He had always loved his mother, but her dying confessions had darkened his loving memories. He had resented her. He sighed.

The wounded wolf, with all his strength, pulled his head up. It resulted in a hacking coughing episode, and he sucked in a clogging breath as a bit of blood dribbled from his black gums. As he worked to compose himself, he looked up at the two blurry figures who stood over him. He could feel unconciousness wanting to take him back. His vision got worse, he became light headed, but he forced it away with all that he had. To his surprise his vision then became clearer. He hoped his voice would too. He tried to speak again, but all that came was a gurgling hoarse whisper.

"Live"

[☾LUNA!☽]

((No Table Yet))

Caspian looked down at the bleeding wolf with pity in his carmel eyes. He couldn't just stand here and watch him bleed to death, but could he afford to bring the stranger, injured or not, into his territory? Certainly not with his young pups in the den... but yet, how could he just leave the wolf?

Making up his mind, he looked boldly at his mate. "Penzy, help my lift him onto my back."

He trotted up to the wolf's body, tenderly licking at his wounds before pushing his muzzle under the stranger's back, nosing awkwardly as he tried to lift it with the help of a paw. He knew it'd be a heavy burden, on both the journey back and on the journey to recovery, but he was going to help this young wolf, no matter the cost.

(really quick but I wanted to get this thread going))

[Kairis]

Penzy tilted her head slightly and listened intently for the sound of young pups. Nothing. That was a good sign knowing that every thing was still ok at the den since she had risked leaving it with her young that were still no of age to defend themselves. her long tail swished causing the dirt to rise and she rose to her paws and stood beside her mate.

Bringing a loner into the pack lands? Penzy felt a ripple of nervousness go through her and she whimpered a little and she put her head under the bleeding male and helped heaved his dead weight onto Caspians back. Hazel eyes burned into the fur of the injured male and she leaned in closer to his ear. "I better not regret taking you into our pack.." She growled not even sure if the wolf was consious enough to make out her words of warning. Though he was trying to make communication of some sort, Penzy just could not understand it. With a sigh she trotted alongside Caspian and gave him a worried glance, knowing that he must be feeling the same sort of emotions she was... They had never brought a wolf into their land before and what if it went wrong? What if this wolf was a killer? Or a member of a rival pack? Penzy sneezed and then moved next to the male and examined his wound. Penzy was still very unsure of where he had acquired such a thing and her brows furrowed with puzzlement. Instead, she nudged the slipping body back onto Caspians back and continued to walk along beside him to make sure the loner wouldn't fall.

[✮ErInJaN✮]

Falcon dizzily watched the blurry figure move around him, and took in their muddled speech. He winced in pain as he was jostled up and was folding over a broad back. The wolves, he thought. They must be . . . dare he think it? Saving him? A stranger on their turf? He didn't ponder on it long, because the wolf he was atop began moving, trotting along and jostling his whole body. Falcon was eternally grateful for the assistance, but the nice thoughts toward his rescuers did not numb the pain. His mouth opened and piercing loud whines fell out. It sounded terrible and haunting, even to Falcon, but he could not stop them from coming. His eyes felt swollen and heavy. They watered and blurred his vision even more. Salty fluids ran down his muzzle. The flopping did not let up, in fact the ride became rougher. The carrier was most likely in a hurry to dump the heavy load in a better suited place. His tongue hung loose, flopping and sometimes dragging in the dirt. He still could not make out his saviors, but he wanted them to know he was going to live, and thank them. He tried several times to get words out, but then decided to quit and focus only on getting where they were going. He thought of the song his mother had taught him, to distract himself.

"Thank..." He gasped through another whine, but it was all he could muster.

[☾LUNA!☽]

((I Love how none of us are bothering with tables or pics now lol))

Caspian winced every time the wolf that lay upon his back whined in agony. He tried to both quicken and soften his trot, but it was extremely difficult. The worst was that after his own agonizing incident not long ago, he could exactly understand what the stranger was feeling.

The loner wolf seemed to be attempting to communicate through his whines, but all Caspian managed to hear was a somewhat gurgled "Thanks". He found it best to respond with a simple tailwag, as he knew the wolf would hardly thank him once they got to the rocky region of the territory.

Not able to listen to the unbearable pain of the wolf, he stopped a moment to think of something that might ease the pain. He hardly knew a thing about herbs and how to use them, but he remembered a trick he used while going on territory marking trips in his early stages of recovery.
"Penzy, love, would you grab a thick stick and put it in his mouth?"
It might not help heal him, but Caspian found that biting down on something helped him deal with pain.

Soon as they were set, he continued a steady trot towards the mountain he and Penzy called home, still musing about the easiest way to get the wolf up with the least amount of pain infliction possible. At present time it seemed near impossible.

[Kairis]

Penzy frowned at the obvious amount of pain the wolf was in, she even felt the need to clean his wounds slightly, stopping the blood trail it may be leaving behind. The whines and yelps that escaped his mouth made her shudder, not just because of his pain but also for the threat of approaching predators like grizzlies and cougars. Hearing the sound of a very wounded animal would for sure attract the beasts as they would not hesitate to kill three wolves then and there.

She blew out a sigh of relief at her mates idea, brilliant it was and the grey alpha loped off into the bushes and emerged soon after with a stick in her mouth.. And her share of splinters embedded in her gums. Quickly she moved up to the male and awkwardly opened his mouth and gaged the stick out of her mouth into his. She then said something along the lines of "this is for your own good," and stepped back, giving her tail a wag. Penzy the moved up next to Caspian and saw his effort of trying to carry a very sensitive, injured wolf.... And it was hard.

"I can help carry him too Caspian, if we position him so that he is across both our backs it might work better maybe?" she questioned and bumped her mate under the chin before giving him a lick. Penzy was proud to call Caspian her mate and Alpha male, he was strong intelligent, and caring. Her hazel eyes lingered for a bit as she thought of their waiting pups and was struck with some anxiety.

[✮ErInJaN✮]

Falcon lost conciousness after something was put into his mouth. When he awoke, he promised himself he would not fade out again. He was on the ground now, still hurting. He pushed his tongue out to pant. Every pant hurt terribly, but he was desperate to cool. He looked around for the rescuers but his dizziness forbade him to look very much. He wanted to do nothing but lay there. He cursed his own stupid self, for not being more careful, and then cursed the stupid farmer, for shooting him. He realized he could really use some water.

If I can just rest for a while, he thought, I could stumble to a creek if it were nearby, with a little help.
Surely these wolves lived nearby a water source, it would be silly if they didn't. But then again they weren't hurt or handicapped. Walking for water would be no problem.

He pushed that out of his mind and concentrated on resting. He was going to have to use all of his strength.