TP: Missing Pup - Pt. 4 "The Day After"

[tanniyn]

Characters:
Maulisho - adolescent female cougar
Larkspur - juvenile female wolf
Unnamed adult male lynx (thanks to Ama for spoofing! )

Merging Tributary
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Here, the water merges in a somewhat rough manner, tumbling over a pile of rocks as it goes. The grass here is plain, with some cattails along the running river banks. The sky is open here, and a small bump in the grass makes for a fine stargazing spot at night. There are a few vole burrows along the banks, but for the most part this place is uninhabited by larger things.
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[missing beginning poses]

Maulisho seems to wilt as the pup talks, remembering all too well her own experiences. "I.. I know what it's like to wake up like that." Giving the pup a reassuring nuzzle, she adds, "But I also know that you're going to see this Haze again one day. In fact-" her expression brightens "-why don't you tell me more about him? You've mentioned him several times already but haven't really explained who he is and why you're looking forward to seeing him again." Not that the cougar can't figure it out, but she suspects it might do the pup some good to talk about it.

The nuzzle is gratefully accepted. Lark's demeanor brightens considerably at the mention of her best friend, a wide grin plastering itself on her muzzle and her tail whippping excitedly back and forth. "Haze is my best friend in the whole world. He's a little bigger than me, brownish fur and he has these eyes that just...when I see them, it's hard to look at anything else." The Lazuli girl pauses, an unsummoned blush rising to her face. Clearing her throat, she continues, "He's not from my pack, though, he's from the Viridians, in the valley. Daddy doesn't like me to see him." The fact that the girl normally attempts to sneak out in order to see him is carefully avoided. "But the other night Haze an' me were playin' in the river and...uh, I..the river...Haze tried to help, he told me to just keep my head up, not to go for shore, but the water...it was really strong and I couldn't get back to him." The boy's voice now rings in her head, echoing: "I'll come back for you!"

"Sounds like he's quite a friend." And probably overwhelmed with watching Lark float away. "Do you think he's trying to find you? Or your parents, for that matter?" Assuming that they knew she was swept away in the river, Maulisho is guessing that they will be tracking along both sides, seeing if any scent leads away from the water. A sudden thought strikes her--"You said that he's from the Viridian wolf pack? What pack are you from, then?" Please don't let it be the Durakh... the cougar is NOT looking forward to ever running into them again.

More nodding is Lark's reply to most of the questions posed. "Yeah, he said...he said he'd come back for me. My parents must've realized by now that I've gone. I'm from Lazuli," she adds absently, consumed with thoughts of her most likely frantic parents. "D'you know how t'get there from here?" The pup fixes the cougar with a pleading glance.

And unfortunately, the cougar has to shake her head. "I'm sorry, Larkspur, but I have never heard of either the Viridian or the Lazuli packs before. I've only heard of... well, nevermind. We'll figure it out somehow." As much as Maulisho doesn't want to consider it, she can't help but wonder if the Durakh would know how to get Lark home. Grimacing, she banishes that thought as best she can. Better to try and find the Lazuli herself than to trust Larkspur's life to those bloodthirsty fiends. "As best I can tell, we should only have to travel upriver until you start recognizing territory." And /hopefully/ there won't be any splits in the river that would require guessing as to which direction to go...

The girl's face registers both shock and sadness at Maul's answer. Obviously, it is common knowledge that grown ups know how to navigate from anywhere to anywhere. Maybe it's a wolf thing? At the suggestion of recognizing territory, Lark cringes. "Err, I've never actually seen that much of our lands." Being confined to the den has made excursions a tad difficult. Besides that, she hasn't paid much attention anyway- she's always had some sort of supervision and figures she has loads of time to learn this sort of thing later.

Maulisho also half-heartedly considers asking Paoro if she knows, as surely the Amaranth matron would have considerable knowledge of the surrounding areas. But once again, uncertainty of her reaction to learning of the pup's presence renders that thought a bad idea. If the young wolf doesn't even know much of her packlands, this will definitely require some brainstorming. But to try and keep the girl's mind on a positive topic, Maulisho asks in a somewhat lighter tone, "So what do you plan on doing or saying when you finally see Haze again?"

A blush immediately steals across Lark's muzzle. Maul is asking so many questions about her friend, it's making her feel flustered...but just thinking of Haze cheers her up. Pondering, the girl begins, "Weeellll...depends if Daddy's there or not. 'Cause he doesn't like me to see Haze. Doesn't like Haze, period." A frown twitches on her lips. "No- y'know what? I don't care if Daddy is there or not, I'm runnin' right over to Haze and nuzzling him till his fur falls out." A wide, toothy grin accompanies her promise, tail waving happily.

Having spent her early childhood with just her mother and siblings, Maulisho isn't really sure how to advise the young wolf on how to deal with her father. The thought of her just blatantly disobeying his wishes makes the cougar a bit uncomfortable, but then again... to not see your best friend? What a difficult situation to be in! "I'm sure that he'll be very happy to see you too," she says reassuringly, though she intentionally doesn't specify whether she's referring to Haze.. or to Larkspur's father.

Still smiling and tail wagging, Lark agrees, "Yeah, he will." She thinks for a moment and adds, "I wonder what the rest of the pack is gonna do. I mean, I wonder if they'll look, too. I know Daddy and Mama will, maybe Bodhi." The girlpup's eyes scan the trees. "I wonder how much longer still we bump into each other. It feels like I've been gone a while, y'know?" Hmph. Hastily, she continues, "Not that I'm missin' home or anything, I'm just sayin'." Right. She's not missing Lazuli lands just yet- this place still holds mystery for her. This place still tweaks her curiosity- for that matter, so does Maul. The idea of meeting such a creature that /hasn't/ tried to eat her yet is baffling. It goes against almost everything that the alphas told her about dangerous beasts outside the Lazuli borders. 'If it's bigger than you, it will eat you' was essentially the message. And here the girlpup is, entirely uneaten.

Maulisho ohs? "You aren't missing your home after all?" Perhaps.. just a certain someone /from/ her home. The cougar does her best to conceal her amusement, trying to mask it behind feigned puzzlement. "That's one thing that I've liked about living alone.. home is wherever you decide to make it. If you grow tired of an area, you can just move on. If you like a certain location, then stay! The freedom is rather nice.." ..but she does miss the warm and cozy feeling of /home/. Home where a family that loves her--and she loves in return!--waits for her. Her voice trails off into a faint sigh, ending with a shake of her head. "Nevermind. I just couldn't help thinking of... Anyway."

The idea of roaming is interesting to the girl. Not necessarily appealing, no, she's too attached to her family still. Lark dodges the homesick question, opting instead to ask, "Thinking of what?" Her ears swivel to face Maul, headtilting. No one can get away with trailing off if this Lazuli youth is present, no sir! Especially when they're an entirely different species and the girl is fascinated by almost everything about them. Heh.

The cougar's shoulders slump a little, and amber eyes look from the pup to the river to the sky to her own paws... and then to her memories. "I was thinking about my home.. back where my family lived." It's amazing that she can actually remember it now without it bringing on the horrendous nightmares that always used to follow. Not that her dreams are untroubled anymore by any means. It just isn't so.. constant. Like it used to be. Like she was afraid it would always be.

The cougar's silence after her answer is more informative than her words. Lark remembers that expression on her own face after the death of Rook. The girl isn't sure if she should prompt Maul to speak further or just let her be. Maybe she'll continue on her own? Finally, after a long pause, she replies with a high whine of sympathy. At any rate, if her friend doesn't feel like explaining further, she'll know that the shewolf understands.

Maulisho blinks at the whine, gaze coming back to focus on the young wolf. "I.. I just have always wondered what my sister would have been like, had she grown up together with me." A sad smile, followed by another retreat into memories. "Would she be anything like me? Would we have stayed together? Lived and hunted and played together as we grew older?"

Larkspur can't look at the cougar. She doesn't know what that would be like, can't even imagine a life without her sister. Her mind cannot muster the thought, the idea, of not having Hali there to play and argue and snuggle wtih. A few tears slide off her muzzle and she asks in a voice quieter than a whisper, "What happened?" Better question: can the wolf bare the answer?

After a long silence, Maulisho finally turns to look down into the river. "Look at the water with me, Larkspur. I want to show you something." Her voice is calm, surprising even herself. Amber eyes look down at the water flowing past the rock. Her reflection is significantly distorted, but at least she knows that it's there. And hopefully the wolf pup will have had enough experience with water to come to a similar conclusion.

Her friend's tone confuses her- did Maul just change subjects? However, after a moment of staring into the water, something clicks. A sad "Oh," escapes Lark. Peering into the water as it tumbles over the rocks, the girl contains a shudder. It's all too easy to remember the feeling of another wave crashing over her, pushing her into rocks and floating debris too slippery to cling to. "I..." She what? She's sorry? She knows how the cougar feels? No. Not really, anyway. It doesn't matter if it was an accident or not, or who did it. What matters is that she's dead, that the rushing water is no stranger to death.

"Can you see your reflection? That's what I was looking at. My reflection.. and my sister's reflection. And then.. then.." She can do this. Breathe. "..I..I..I saw another cougar's reflection--an adult male--appear and.." Tears. "..and tear into my sister's throat with his.. his claws!" Why had it been her sister, and not Maulisho? Why had the male gone after her sister first? Was it just their relative position to each other? Maulisho's eyes close. What would it have been like, had her sister not been taken?

Larkspur's ears pin. It would be so much easier to accept if it was the water. Then she could say that she knew how it felt and that it was the hardest thing in the world to overcome. But not now. Now she's out of her realm of experience and the only comforting words she has are, "I'm sorry." Because she is. She is sorry that she can't help, and now is unable to comprehend what the cougar is feeling by that much more. Feeling helpless, the wolf stretches her muzzle forward and nuzzle's Maul, a couple tears dropping onto her friend's fur.

If there's one thing that Maulisho's learned through the past several months, it's how to wrest back control of her emotions in times like these. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Maulisho opens her eyes and nuzzles the young wolf in return. "Thank you.." is all she can whisper. What would Paoro think if she saw the two of them like this? The last time she talked about wolves.. Wait. Suddenly the cougar leaps from the rock across to the grassy shore, intently looking off at the horizon.

A small gasp slips from the girl as the cougar bounds to the bank of the water. Peering after Maul, the wolf's ears swivel forward. What's she up to? Lark stands on the very edge of the rock and calls loudly, "Maul?" Something about this makes her nervous and the pup can't help a glance around her, just in case.

Maulisho turns back to look at the pup with an excited expression. "I just remembered something that Paoro told me! I had asked her where to find wolves, and she mentioned a pack that lived down in the valley. It just occurred to me that I ran into the Durakh wolves before I ever got to the valley... I didn't even realize it at the time, with fighting them and all..." Her voice has trailed off, distracted as her mind races with this new possibility. Could these valley wolves be Lark's pack? Or if not, maybe they would know where to find them?

"Who's Pao-" Lark interrupts herself by yelping, "The /valley/?!" /The/ valley?! The girl paces anxiously on the rock, tail a blur of happiness. If this is /the/ valley (how many could there be anyway?), then she's /that/ much closer to finding Haze. And getting home, but whatever. A thought strikes the shewolf and she stops walking. "Who's Paoro? And Durakh?" She's never heard those names before.

Interesting. Obviously the girl knows something of this. "Paoro's the matron--the alpha, if you will--of a cougar tribe that lives off to the south. She's been inviting me to join them, actually... though I'm still not sure." Oh yes. Difficult decisions. "Durakh is, well, another pack that I.. umm.. encountered." A very deliberate throat clearing. "Anyway.. you seem to recognize the valley pack. That wouldn't be the Lazuli, by any chance?" Maybe Maulisho did know where they were the whole time, just not their name.

Larkspur wants to press more about the Durakh pack and the cougar tribe, for that matter, but she figures she should answer the more pressing question first. Immediately after Maul asks the question, the wolf shakeshakes her head vigorously. "No, no, not Lazuli- that's where Haze's pack lives! Right in the valley! He told me so!" She can't contain a couple happy yips, tail thrashing excitedly. "Can we go there right now? How far is it?"

No way.. Haze's pack? Smiling broadly, the cougar leaps back to the rock, picks up the excited juvenile, and leaps back, dropping Lark down onto the grassy river bank. "I have no idea how far it is, Larkspur. Can't say I've ever been there myself." The girl's excitement seems to be contagious, as Maulisho feels a rush herself. Paoro had said to the north, so most likely it would be.. she gazes into the distance.. /that/ direction. "If you're feeling up to it, we can start right now. Only if you're really ready, mind you." She has a /pretty/ good feeling she knows what the answer will be.

Larkspur's tail hasn't stopped swaying with happiness. Barking excitedly, she nodnods and replies, "Yep! Yep! Really ready! Let's go! C'mon!" The girl's paws move restlessly, anxious to get moving. Surely it can't be /that/ far- and even if it is, who cares? She can see Haze soon! The girl watches Maul intently, waiting for her to lead the way.

And so the cougar starts off at a brisk trot, paws carrying her easily along the grassy bank. Still smiling at the pup's enormous excitement, Maulisho hopes that they won't encounter too much difficulty finding the valley wolves. Questions she'd like to ask the young wolf come to mind, but knowing that the girl is probably focused completely on seeing her friend again, Maul holds off.

A joyful howl heralds the start of their journey and Lark races to keep up. Her little legs are motoring, putting her just behind the cougar. The shewolf's tongue lolls from her mouth, tail still waving. As she runs she scents the air, straining to find the smell of her friend. "Maul?" she pants.

Maulisho slows down ever-so-slightly, allowing the wolf to catch up to the side. Swiveling her head to look at Lark, she gives a questioning "Hmm?" before returning her gaze to the territory in front of them. A brief sniff is given as well; the sharp smell of the lynx causes her to grimace, but it's not fresh enough to warrant immediate alarm. Still--best be careful, just in case. Even though Maul is still only an adolescent, she's fairly confident she could best the smaller feline if it came down to that.. though it would definitely be messy.

Panting, Lark continues, "When we see Haze-" her breathing interrupts, "-don't scare him, ok?" Though he might not be scared anyway. The male seems to know his stuff and maybe he's used to cougars. He certainly knew what to do about the river... The girl shakes her head to dispell the thoughts and focuses on running. A playful, crooked grin rests on her muzzle. However, after a quick glance at Maul's grimace, she asks, "What's wrong?"

An amused glance is given to the wolf pup; Maulisho would rather Haze not even notice her being there. As long as Larkspur's able to make contact with someone familiar who can show her where the Lazuli lands, the cougar would prefer to keep from being noticed by Haze's pack. If Lark's description of Haze is indicative of how his packmates are, maybe she shouldn't be /too/ worried. But even still, memories of her fight against the Durakh wolves bring about a certain... reluctance. At the girl's question, Maulisho shakes her head dismissively. "Just a scent that I noticed. Nothing to worry about."

A scent? This peaks Lark's curiousity. Is it Haze? Could it be her pack mates? Ears flicking forward, the girl finally inquires, "What /kind/ of scent?" A pang of homesickness strikes her then. Her mother would sometimes pick out odors on the breeze, take a breath and say, 'Smell that, Lark?' and then identify the smell. The girl's ears pin back down, smile fading as she remembers home.

"Just.. another feline." Maulisho is torn between wanting to teach the girl something new and trying not to scare her to death. Finally, she adds, trying not to sound too concerned: "It's a lynx. Smaller than a cougar, but definitely a good bit meaner." She snorts. "This particular one seemed to have much too high an opinion of himself." And quite a bit to say about how he was planning on slowly killing the wolf pup, but of course Lark doesn't need to hear /that/ particular aspect of Maul's knowledge of him...

Larkspur nodnods, remembering the term from before. A small chill of fear ripples through her- Maul made the lynx sound pretty ferocious last time she mentioned it. Speeding up a little, she nods, looking around her uneasily. "Issit real close, Maul?" the wolf asks in a whisper, inching slightly closer to her friend.

Is it close? He feels his lips twitch as a small, amused smile. "Why not look and find out, dear?" A smirk plays on the lynx's maw as he pad casually -- and with remarkable silence -- towards the cougar and her young wolf charge. Once he's reached a comfortable distance away -- a distance well out of the puma's leaping range for now -- he stops. His stump of a tail twitches slightly. "We meet again," he says to the cougar casually enough.

Maulisho stops dead in her tracks, mouth open to respond to the girl's question, but no words come out as her eyes register the lynx's arrival. Oh /great/. "Larkspur. Get behind me." Her voice slides from firm command to grim--yet annoyed--hostility. "I would have thought you learned your lesson last time, but I guess you proved me wrong." Ears are pinned flat against her skull, fangs are bared, claws are extended -- there is no way this lynx is going to see anything but Maulisho's best at intimidation. Tail lashing behind her, she snarls, "Leave us alone. We are of no concern to you."

Looking stricken, the young girl quickly scurries behind Maul. Ducking to avoid her thrashing tail, Lark peers at the lynx from around the cougar's leg. Her eyes are wide and fearful, ears slick against her skull. Unlike the show of bravado from her friend, the wolf oozes terror. She's scared for a couple reasons: one, the smile on that lynx's muzzle is unnerving; two, she's not sure what the smaller feline is capable of, and three, the transformation of Maul as she attempts to frighten the male are complete opposite to her usual manner. Still, no matter how scared she may be, she trusts that the cougar will set things right.

The lynx quirks a brow. Rather than reply to Maulisho -- no, he's saving that at the moment -- he directs his gaze to the wolf pup as Larkspur scrambles behind the puma. Then brings his eyes to the larger feline again. Lesson? Both brows raise as he grins, every one of his pointed teeth revealed. It widens -- if that's even possible -- when Maulisho states her final... order, is it? "You have nothing to worry about," he says calmly as he begins to pad forward a few steps more, his eyes boring into Maul's. "Nothing at all," his gaze whips around to the pup. His hackles raise. "...but you?" He'll tear that pup apart. Bit by painful bit. He's either crazy or just brave. Or cruel.

The cougar, adolescent though she be, lets out a terrible scream that would have rivaled any adult cougar she knows. "You would dare continue to threaten her?" Ooooh, she's ticked. Muscles trembling with anticipation, she remains where she is--for the moment. Larkspur needs a barrier between her and this.. this evil disgrace of a feline. Not to mention a hiding place too, apparently. Maulisho snarls again at the lynx, watching intently for him to make any sudden moves.

In Merging Tributary, Maulisho screams.

[tanniyn]

Ohhh, those teeth. Those fangs. As the lynx smiles wider and wider, a tiny whine comes from the girl. As he approaches, Lark trembles. She makes eye contact for one, horrible second. After that, she wrenches her eyes away and looks at the ground with a shudder. The girl wishes she could make a scary noise like Maul did. But she can't, not even close. Besides, she's so scared she couldn't muster a growl right now. The wolf tries to sink into the dirt, tail tucked between her legs and ears pinned down. All she wants is for the feline to go away, to just let her be. "I-I didn't do anythin' t'you," she yaps, voice cracking.

His grin vanishes instantly as Maul's scream splits through the air. His ears lower, and for a moment he cringes. When the ringing leaves his sensitive, pointed ears, they stand upright again and he crinkles his nose. "No need to be so /loud/," he says with something of a smirk, "...and besides. If you intend on frightening me away, well. Think again, cougar." That's when he looks to Larkspur. At once, his expression changes. His eyes become dark and his lips twitch, threatening to snarl as the pup speak. His tail-stump twitches as his demeanor all at once loses its casual "charm." Lips part, and his voice is virtually dripping with venom, "Your whole /exsistance/ is enough!" He can take no more of this taunting. He rushes towards the pair... but he's no fool. He won't run right into the puma's claws. At the last possible second, he darts the other way -- the way that won't take him into the water. He needs to get to that terrible, awful, mangy wolf! ...but first, he must draw away the cougar.

Lark's existence is reason enough for this lynx to try and kill her? That thought is reluctantly set aside as Maulisho has to focus on the sudden charge from the smaller feline. Painfully aware of her lack of combat experience, the cougar waits.. and furiously slashes at the lynx once it comes close enough, claws ripping into flesh and... except the lynx dodging to the side right at the last second means Maul's strike whistles through empty air, leaving her slightly off-balance, as she had expected to land a solid blow. Little --! Snarling furiously, she launches herself after the lynx, intent on either driving this threat away with a fresh terror of her, or just killing him outright and getting this over with.

Her whole exsistance? Oh. Lark's never had anyone hate her just for /being/ before. In any other situation, this would be where she'd start crying. Or tattle on them. But, this is a special circumstance so she does neither of those things. She instead scoots in the opposite direction, attempting to keep as much cougar between herself and the male. However, Maul quickly follows the other feline, leaving the girl standing alone. She looks around her quickly, trying to find someplace to hide. There's not a lot of cover- just some grass and dens dug by voles. Unsure, the wolf stays put.

Ah-ha! She misses! Just like he had wanted her to. Now she's off-balance, and he sees his chance to make an attempt on the little wolf's life... but alas, it cannot happen just yet. Maulisho is faster than he anticipated, and the lynx must keep running. A soft snarl frees itself from his maw. At least the cougar is away... and just because he's moving, doesn't mean he can't inflict damage. So he turns sharply, trying to move towards Larkspur. He only hopes Maul won't be able to move as sharply as his smaller body can... in the mean time, he dashes forward, claws unsheathed and prepared to slash at the pup as soon as he's near enough...

Maulisho does her best to overtake the lynx, but she simply can't keep up with the fast turns. Skidding as she tries to compensate, the cougar very nearly falls flat on her face, lacking her normal coordination. Attributing it to her very real fear for Lark's life, and realizing that her ability to protect her might very well not be good enough, she snarls again at the lynx, realizing with sudden horror that he somehow manuevered his way into reach of the pup. "Laaaaaaark!"

Oh. Crap. There is a very deadly, very fast lynx heading toward Lark. Maul is trailing behind. The facts race through the girl's mind and still she remains motionless. For a split second, anyway. As soon as she gets a good eyeful of the feline's claws, she decides now would be a /wonderful/ time to leap into action. And by leap into action, she means diving out of the way. The shewolf launches forward, trying to avoid both the water's edge and the brutal claws. She's prepared to hit the ground running- though something in the back of her mind waits for the pain those claws could bring.

The lynx smiles in spite of himself. He's got her. He's sure of it. Eyes full of bitterness and hate are locked on Larkspur's fleeing form. If it's even possible, he moves faster. His long, slender legs move like a blur, his large paws meeting the ground only for a moment before lifting away again. He focuses in on Larkspur... almost, but not quite, forgetting the cougar behind him as he extends his forepaws and leaps. The wolf-child is in front of him now... and if he's any good judge of distance he's certain it should bring him down near -- if not /on/ the pup. His claws are ready to sink into canine flesh, and his expression is filled with anticipation.

Everything seems to suddenly change to horrible slow-motion right in front of Maulisho. She can feel what seems to be every blade of grass beneath her paws as they carry her toward the lynx. Larkspur is dodging to the side, but it's clear she won't be fast enough. The lynx's claws are raking down, and Maulisho can almost feel their fiery pain streak down her own side. She must.. move.. /faster/! An idea suddenly comes to mind, random.. insane.. yet quite possibly the key to defeating this more experienced feline. Instead of preparing her own claws to slash at the lynx, Maulisho instead concentrates on simply reaching the fastest possible speed, hoping to catch the lynx by surprise and.. ram it. Into the river. She lacks the lynx's combat experience, but she definitely has the advantage when it comes to sheer size.

No! Nononononono! Lark made a gamble and lost and the male is right /there/, right overhead! Everything is eclipsed by the lynx, all she can see or smell or hear is the feline as he descends. The girl yelps and is frozen to the spot in terror, mind blank as she tries to think of how to save herself. So this is it, a voice in her mind says, this is when you die... If she were thinking, if she were herself, she would say something. Cry for help, beg the lynx to spare her, call for her mother, anything. But she doesn't. She can't look at him, can't handle it. So she stands silently, for what may be the last time.

As he feels fur between his claws, feels flesh, smells the stink of fear, a triumphant grin forms on his maw. But the pup doesn't move. No! He wants to cause her /pain/! But his thoughts are cut off, his desire to harm and his triumphant expression -- all gone as a shadow looms over him. There's a brief moment where his expression reveals fear. ...well. If he's going to lose, he's not going to before he does some damage! He moves to rake his claws along the pup's side... but at that moment he feels the weight of the puma pushing into him. A cry is heard, but soon cut off as the lynx tumbles into the water... he will be carried away quickly enough.

As the lynx's claws slice into Lark's side, Maulisho cries out in despair for the girl, hoping beyond hope that she survives it. And then she crashes headlong into the lynx, knocking them both violently off into the river, rough water instantly soaking her fur. Memories of last time she was in deep water.. but this time, it's the wolf who's been injured by the feline, not the other way around. Managing to take in at least /some/ air before she disappears under the water's surface, the cougar notes with deep satisfaction that it's not just her going under.

Death sails overhead, takes a piece of Lark's side with it and lands in the water. The force of the lynx's hit bowls the girl over. Not what she expected, but ok. The girl realizes she is not dead as she watches the male and the cougar hit the surface of the water. Straining to see Maul, she doesn't notice her side bleeding profusely, her fur becoming matted with it. The wolf struggles to get back onto all fours, tears rolling down her muzzle as she calls again and again for her friend.

Rough currents, rocks... and a lynx that never really was a great swimmer. The air had been knocked from his lungs before he'd entered the water... and he's only sinking deeper, now. But at the same time, the current pushes him, further and further away from the pup. Did he get her? He hopes so. But now... now he only drifts. Drifts and kicks as hard as he can, aiming for the surface. The water isn't /that/ deep... but the surface seems so far away! Too far. He gasps for air too soon, swallows water... and after that? Blackness overtakes his vision, his view of the surface. ...he's done for.

Everything has gone from frantic, loud, and horrible to sort of a dreamy haze. Water surrounds the cougar, an absolute prison of cold and death. Rocks press painfully into her side as she lands on the bottom, staring up at the wavering image of the sun... so far above. Bubbles escape her maw; she needs air, and she needs it now. Almost wanting to just relax and let the river have her, she finally gathers her feet underneath and springs upward as best she can, striving toward the water's surface. Air.. must have.. AIR! Her head breaks the surface as her feet touch the submerged shoreline, and precious air is gulped--along with a good bit of water. Choking, gasping, swallowing.. and breathing. Larkspur. Where is Larkspur? Amber eyes look frantically around the grassy bank, afraid they'll spot a corpse.

There! Lark is hit by a wave of relief and she runs toward the cougar. "Maul! Maul!" she cries happily, crying anew. "Maul, I was so worried that you weren't gonna come up. Are you hurt?" The girl has yet to acknowledge that she's bleeding, though her side is nearly completely coated in red. She looks all over the feline's body, checking for scrapes. Glancing at the water, she tries to see if the lynx is visible, if it's coming back. The wolf sees nothing...for now. It will be a while before she lets her guard down.

Still coughing up water, Maulisho tries to calm the wolf pup down. "I'm not hurt"-coughsplutter-".. but you.. oh, Larkspur!" The cougar knows that the girl couldn't have been terribly injured; only a sideswiping of the lynx's claws as it was knocked into the river. Still.. it looks bad. Weakly getting to her feet, Maul leans over and begins cleaning the girl's injuries with her tongue, stopping after a few seconds with the realization that it simply is too much for her. Time to think quickly. She's no more a healer than she is a fighter, but... how again did she survive the injuries inflicted by the Durakh wolves? "Larkspur, I need you to do something for me, something that will help you heal."

Lark gives the cougar a suspicious once-over, no matter what the cat says. Her search for injuries on Maul is interrupted when she realizes that her friend is trying to clean her side. Confused, she peers at her red fur and gasps. Maul doesn't look well either, causing the wolf to worry. She's both shocked with her own wounds and disturbed by Maulisho's weakness. Then again, after the shewolf was pulled from the water, she wasn't exactly in perfect shape either. Quickly, she nods and answers, "Yes, Maul, what is it?"

Will it work for the wolf pup as well? She can't think of anything else to try, so... "I need you to lie down on your non-injured side here on the riverbank. This might sound strange, but I think that covering your wounds with mud will help stop the bleeding. At least.. it did for me.. after I fought with the Durakh w--" Erf. No need to bring that up just now. The cougar indicates a spot on the ground next to her.

Lark is about to press for more information, but stops herself before she starts to speak. Maul is weak now. There will be time for questions later. Nodding more, the pup does as she's instructed, laying on her left side. Unbidden, an inquiry errupts from the girl, "D'you think he's really gone, Maul?" Oops. So much for not asking questions. She shoots an apologetic glance to her friend.

Her paws already soaked through, Maulisho starts scraping some mud together and scooping it very gently onto Lark's injuries, wincing as she knows that no matter how delicately she applies it, it's still going to be painful. "Unless he's a much better swimmer than he should be, I feel fairly confident that we've seen the last of him." She gives a tired smile, but then sighs. "I.. I am sorry that I let him hurt you like this." Looking down at the mud, she adds, "I should have taken that hit for you."

A strangled yelp rips from Lark as she feels the mud on her side. She looks a little ashamed of her reaction- she should be tougher than this. Grimacing, she looks up at the cougar. "It's not your fault. You tried /really/ hard. And you got him, in the end. That's what matters. You didn't hafta take no hit." Pausing, she looks directly into Maul's eyes, "You saved my life. There isn't anything greater than that...Thank you. If you hadn't been there, I wouldn'ta had a chance."

Applying the last pawful of mud to the wolf pup's side, Maulisho heaves a deep breath, examines her work, and then at last lies down next to Larkspur. Giving her an encouraging nuzzle, the cougar smiles mischievously and says, "Let's hope we don't run into anything bigger next time, or I might just bounce off of it." After a brief pause, she asks, "Are you doing okay? I know those cuts hurt, but other than that.. are you feeling okay?" Hopefully not still terrified to death.

A quiet giggle escapes Lark and she returns the nuzzle affectionately. Mulling over the question, she finally answers, "Yeah, I'm ok. I kinda miss home, though. And Haze. I'm real glad that the lynx is gone." Sighing, she closes her eyes for a moment. Hesitantly, she continues, "...Are /you/ ok?" One eye cracks open to watch the cougar. Fighting that lynx must have been scary-the shewolf isn't sure if her friend was as petrified as she, but no doubt that cruel beast would have been a handful even for her parents.

"I'm okay.. just a bit tired, I suppose." Maulisho gives the girl another nuzzle. "But don't you worry about me. I want you to just concentrate on getting better as quick as you can, so then we can be off to try and find Haze!" Later on she'll go hunt something for Lark to eat, but for now, she's just going to remain next to her to give encouragement and hopefully some feeling of safety. And, if the pup feels like talking or asking any questions, she's perfectly happy to do that as well."

Squirming and wiggling, Lark works her way over to Maul's side and snuggles in close. The cougar's fur may be wet, but it will dry soon. The girl just wants to cuddle with someone, it soothes her. Tail thumping the ground happily, she nods enthusiastically. "Wait till we tell Haze about this! He's not gonna believe it!" A crooked grin flashes across her muzzle at the thought of his reaction. She dwells on that thought for a while before asking, "Before you were talking about a Paoro person and you mentioned a cougar tribe. That's like a pack, right? And Paoro's the alpha? Why aren'tcha with them?"

As the juvenile moves up next to her, Maulisho drapes a comforting paw over top of her, giving her another nuzzle. It's almost like having her sister back, were she a little bit younger... and a wolf. Turning her thoughts to Lark's question, she hmms thoughtfully, trying to think of how to best describe it. "Paoro leads the Amaranth tribe, and yes, she's tried to get me to join. I.. I guess I'm not really sure why I haven't made up my mind yet." She shrugs fractionally. "They seem friendly enough, I suppose. At least friendly enough to assist me in finding the Durakh pack, and Paoro did help me recover from my injuries afterward..."

Lark playfully licks Maul's paw, giggling at the sensation of the wet fur on her tongue. "Yeah, what's the Durakh pack? How come you had injuries?" She rolls over onto her back, feeling better already and enjoying the stretch. "Is Paoro a healer? My mama told me about those." Now it seems the girl is full of questions. It seems she's taking advantage of the time she has, finally releasing all those bottled up questions.

Maulisho is initially concerned as the young wolf rolls over -- did the mud fall off? A brief glance provides reassurance; enough stayed caked on to contain the bleeding. Still, enough red shows to make the cougar wince again. That really had to hurt. At the barrage of questions, however, she does smile, happy that the pup is at least cheerful and not upset anymore about what's happened. "Paoro's not the Amaranth's healer, though I suppose she's learned some techniques herself. She knew enough at least to help me make it back to the tribe lands, after she found me." Sigh. This is going to be yet another difficult topic of conversation. "I was injured because I fought several wolves. They left me to die on the riverbank."

Larkspur yips! "Why were you fighting? How many were there? And Paoro helped you? How did she find you? What happened?" All these questions fire quickly from her muzzle, almost blurring together. The thought of Maul having to fight /more/ is a distressing one, but the girl is distracted from inquiring any further when she notices a clump of mud fall off. Oops. "Oh well. It's stopped bleeding anyway," she says conversationally, trying to dismiss it so the cougar can tell the story.

How can such a young one possibly understand why Maulisho did what she thought she had to do? She /could/ tell this in an easier way to understand... but that would make the wolves look at fault. Okay. Maybe Lark will understand, and maybe she won't, but Maul will at least try. "This probably will make no sense to you, but I don't know how else to explain what happened. I asked Paoro where the wolves were located because.. because I wanted to get them to attack me... and kill me. I found several Durakh wolves and begged for them to fight with me, and even had to be somewhat aggressive in order for them to really fight back." She closes her eyes, voice very quiet. "I wanted the memories and nightmares to be over with. I.. I just couldn't take it any longer." A long pause. "They didn't kill me like I had hoped, but just wounded me. Paoro found me and helped me get back to the cougar territory."

Wanted them to kill her? Lark headtilts, brow creasing with thought. But...why? She struggles with the idea for a while, looking increasingly frustrated by it. "You wanted them to kill you..." she says, thinking aloud, "...Because..." She pauses, almost confused. "...Because you were sad?" The shewolf ponders hard, wondering what could make Maul so terribly sad. Out of the corner of her eye, she see's the water. Something clicks. "Because of your sister?" At least, the Lazuli girl knows that made the cougar pretty darn sad.

Maulisho nods slowly. "After I escaped from the male cougar, I kept having nightmares about what I had seen and experienced. Sudden visions during the day, too.. especially when I would see water." It had also happened when she had seen Paoro's cubs, now that she thinks about it. "Yes.. you could say that I was very sad." Quite the understatement, but the girl seems to be able to grasp that much, at least. A note of firmness creeps into her voice. "But that is past. I've.. dealt.. with the fears and memories"--she hopes!--"and moved on with life." The cougar gazes at Larkspur, yet again reminded that she's helping a /wolf/. And why?

Larkspur is rather proud of herself- and Maul said she wouldn't understand! She nuzzles the cougar's paw and mhms in agreement. "Yup, when Rook and SP died- a couple of our packmates, Mama told me that that's what you gotta do. Move on. Sounds easier than it is, huh?" A chuff of laughter escapes her with the last sentiment. The girl notices the look from her friend and her ears perk up curiously. What is she thinking now?

Sounds easier than it is? The cougar lets out an amused snort. "You could say that..." Certainly wasn't easy for her, that's for sure. "I just hope that when you see loved ones die, you'll be stronger than I was." It'll happen eventually. Lark's parents, siblings, packmates... all die in time, and Maulisho just hopes that this young wolf will be more ready to face it than she was.

"No matter how strong you are, it still hurts when someone dies." Lark points out. "I dunno what I'd do if I lost Hali or Toby. I think you were plenty strong. That'd be hard for anyone to take. The important thing is that you worked through it, right?" Right. The wolf looks at the dirt and her paws twitch restlessly. All this talk makes her anxious to get going, to find Haze. She wants to talk with him. She misses him. But the girl can't go anywhere, not with Maul still recovering.

Maulisho chuckles, rolling over onto her back as well to gaze up at the expanse of sky. "Y'know, Larkspur.. you're the first wolf that I've ever really gotten to know. And, honestly, you are quite a bit nicer than I would have expected." Between what Paoro said of wolves and her own encounters.. "I guess I thought you'd be hostile toward me or.. or something." Granted, the pup wasn't really in any condition to be hostile when Maul found her. But still. Amber eyes glance over at Lark, studying her.

The girl can't contain a grin as the cougar rolls over, just like her. Normally it's the girl imitating her elders, not the other way around. She mulls over what Maul says, unsure how to reply. Certainly she blushes at the compliment, tail sweeping in the dirt. "Y'know, Maul, you're the first cougar I've ever met and I'm surprised you haven't tried to eat me yet. Daddy said that if I met something bigger than me, it was best to assume it was going to devour me. You've done the opposite." A wide grin splays across her muzzle. "'Sides, why would I be hostile t'ward you? You pulled me right out of the river. Wouldn't be very grateful of me. I know I was /scared/. But that passed."

Maulisho isn't really sure how to respond except to give a mock-ferocious face and growl, "Not yet, hmm? I can eat you right now if you want!" But then it's back to the smile of one who really can't believe how happy she is at the moment. Briefly she tilts her head around to test the wind; the faint smell of the lynx still lingers in the air, but thankfully it's passing. Nothing else of concern, so the cougar turns back to Lark. "So what're you going to tell your parents? Or even Haze? Think they'll believe everything that's happened to you so far?"

Larkspur yelps, playing along, but it soon collapses into a giggle. Copying the cougar, she too smells the air. Besides the smell of wet feline, not much is on the breeze...Hmm, now /that's/ a tough question- Will they think she's making it up? "They won't believe me at first, but if I keep tellin' them the same stuff over and over, they'll get it. That's how they tell if I'm lyin'- I can't keep the story straight. Haze might believe me right away. He's not like my parents." She doesn't elaborate, tail still swaying slowly. "Once this is all over, who're you gonna tell first? Will /they/ believe you?"

The counterquestion takes Maulisho by surprise. Who is /she/ going to tell? It's a moment before she can answer, and it's with a slight shrug and wry smile. "I wasn't planning on telling anyone, actually. No need for any cougar who doesn't like wolves to know what happened." The words 'all over' cause her to sigh, though she tries to suppress it as best she can. Of course she knows that Lark will get back to her pack eventually, but.. will they ever get to see each other again? It's no exaggeration to say that this young wolf has been the closest thing to a friend Maul's had since.. since her sister was alive. But once Lark gets back to her own pack, and is able to see Haze again... it'll truly be all over. But it's for /her/ good, not Maulisho's. That's why the cougar decided to help the wet bundle of fur in the first place, when she found it caught on a branch in the river.

Not tell anyone? Wait- "Why wouldn't cougars like wolves?" In her opinion, wolves are very amiable creatures. "It's not like we hate cougars." For all that she knows, anyway. Any other questions are forgotten as Lark notices Maul's expression. Seems she's thinking about something... "I think my parents will like you, when they finally meet you. Hopefully that will be sooner, rather than later, hm?" The girl hopes that the gentle inquiry might be enough to pull the cougar back into the present.

The cougar swallows hard at the mention of meeting Lark's parents.. would they even let her speak before attacking? Would they simply prevent her entering Lazuli lands? Or.. would they be as friendly as Lark turned out to be? Lots of things to think about, to be sure. In the meantime, though.. "Like I told you before," she smiles, "we will find them before too long. Once you're rested and healed from those cuts, we'll start out again and try and find these valley wolves." A thought comes to mind: "And who knows? Haze might just be keeping a lookout and waiting for you to arrive!"

The idea of Haze waiting for her is an exciting one, and Lark makes a move to get onto her paws. However, the effort strains her side and she gasps. Grimacing at the fresh pain, she look apologetically at the cougar. Gingerly, she rolls onto her stomach. A yawn blossoms from her maw and she turns her head toward the adolescent. "Sorry, Maul. I'ma take a nap. I think I'll feel lots better after, ok?" The pup settles down, her eyelids quickly drooping shut.

Brief concern over the pup's injuries turns into a smile as Lark seems to doze off. "Sleep well, my friend." Maulisho drapes a paw over the girl again, careful not to touch any of the slashes on her side. "Sleep well... dream of home. Dream of Haze. Dream of seeing your parents and your pack again." She's got plenty of thinking to do herself. Not that she minds the conversation by any means; the peace and quiet simply allows for more mental concentration on what's to be done.

The warmth of Maulisho's paw spurs Lark deeper into sleep. The cougar's words are barely heard, barely processed. "Mhmm..." The girl replies sluggishly, her breathing soon becoming deep and rhythmic.