That's The Way Life Works, Right?

[Therdde]

Characters:
Roulette – Male Adolescent Dog
Lykaios – Male Adolescent Wolf
Jackrabbit – Male Jackrabbit
Kasim – Male Cougar
Halidari – Female Adolescent Wolf
Toban – Male Adolescent Wolf

- Cluster of Fir Trees -

Roulette pads in through the forest, breathing in short, grunting exhales. This was the first time he'd ever come /this/ far; the sudden lack of underbrush made him wary, and he was moving at a fairly quick pace, ears and tail perked, nose twitching side to side as he sniffed the air. Suddenly, he pauses, perfectly still, head moving quickly to the left and then to the right. There's something here. He sniffs louder, heavier, emitting a low growl. It's not entirely threatening; the end of it trails up into a perplexed whimper.

Lykaios is lying on his side, in between two fir trees. His eyes are open, but he is incredibly still, right up until he hears a growl, at which point his ears fold back. The young wolf hasn't eaten since he fell ill, and he's in absolutely no condition to fight or to run away, but he drags himself to his feet all the same. After he does, he crouches and bares his fangs before sniffing the air. It's all about posturing, and if he can convince whatever creature in the area he's not as ill as he is, maybe he can avoid some unpleasant repercussions. Notably, he's silent. This is not his territory, and he has no pressing need to defend it, only to defend himself.

Roulette is immediately on the offense, raising both his hackles and his lips to expose his canines right up to their pink gums. From whatever stock his mother had been bred from, he had inherited an even temper, none of the spark to immediately attack a snarling opponent, as his father would have. Instead, he sniffs at the air again, trying to get a good idea of who this animal is. He'd only seen a wolf once before in his life, and for now, curiosity was taking over. He takes a tentative step forward, then another, snuffling the air loudly.

Lykaios quickly gets a clear bead on where the sound is coming from, and he spins to face that direction. Unfortunately, the rapid movement doesn't set well with him, and he stumbles, falling back onto his side with a surprised yelp. He immediately scrambles to get back up on his feet, but chances are that the damage has already been done, as he sincerely doubts whatever potential threat is out there will perceive him to be the big bad he was trying to be, after he let out that yelp.

Roulette yips back in surprise when the wolf moves so suddenly and awkwardly, yelping like that. He jumps back nearly a foot, tail still straight up in the air, and he watches the wolf with wariness once again. It's about his age, but there's something... /off/ about it. Confused, he does the only thing he can do, and lowers himself down until his stomach is resting on the thick bed of fir needles. Slowly, he thumps his tail on the ground, though he keeps his ears pricked and his gaze steady.

Lykaios is back on his feet quickly enough. At least, quickly enough to ward off an attack, if whoever was behind him intended to attack. A far cry from the avoiding an attack entirely that the young wolf had desired, but better than nothing. He is greeted with an odd sight, though. Being this close to Lazuli territory, he assumed the growl was from a member of their pack. This creature is definitely not a wolf, though, or rather, like to wolf Lyk has ever seen. He can recognize the passive gesture, though, and his ears and posture straighten as he tilts his head, looking at the odd canine.

Roulette's tail thumps louder against the ground, and he flattens his ears back against his head. Tongue darting out, lapping up over his liver-colored nose, he emits a low whine. He's curious again, shy even, wanting to talk but not wanting to scare off or worse, enrage this distantly familiar creature. Though by the look and smell of him, there isn't much fight in him.

Lykaios responds well to Roulette's friendly behavior. Or, at least, that's the way it appears. He no longer makes an effort and posturing aggressive behavior. Rather, he lays down, very slowly in an attempt to not look as weak as he feels. He ends on his stomach, facing the other canine. Not a sound has left him since the yelp. He has often been accused of not talking much, as he spent several of his formative months off on his own, since he was run off from his own pack. Speaking just doesn't come naturally to him. Now, though, he asks, "Who're you?" His tone isn't too demanding. It mostly matches the curiosity Roulette expresses, and it's a little weaker than he'd like it to be.

Roulette's ears perk up once again when the wolf speaks. "Me? I'm, uh, Roulette." He tilts his head to the side, eyeing the wolf up and down. "Who're /you/?" Wolves were more doglike than he had previously realized; they always seemed so supernatural to him. But he had seen some Arctic dogs before, various Huskies and Malamutes, and they weren't much different from the wolf lying before him.

"Lykaios." The young wolf rests his head on his forepaws. If he were less ill, this would have played out much differently. However, he lacks the strength to do anything but pretend to be aggressive, and once the threat has passed, even that strength drains. Only a small portion of that is his actual dizziness. Most of it is his lack of meals. "If I were you, I would be careful walking through here. There are more wolves, and everyone is on edge." One only has to sniff the air to know that. Lykaios has not interacted with anyone since he became sick, though.

Roulette huffs. "I've smelled wolves around here, lots of wolves, but you're the first I've seen." He's almost cocky, as if to say, 'Is this it?' He narrows his eyes slightly, trying to catch Lykaios' gaze. "Are you sick or something?" This isn't right. A wolf that age would either attack or be long gone by now, not actually lay here making nice with a farm dog.

Lykaios's vision is slightly blurred. Hence, he doesn't attempt to make too much eye contact with Roulette. "Yes. For several days, now." It's the first time in his life that Lykaios has been sick, and he has no way of differentiating between this unusual illness and normal illnesses that animals sometimes contract. At any rate, he can see why so many die when they become sick. This has been absolutely miserable, and he has had no luck in catching even the easiest of prey. Just one more reason he wishes he'd never been run off from his pack.

Roulette's ears lay back, and he looks scared for a fleeting moment. No animal is immune to sickness, and he ponder fleeing. There's some pity, though; it's a dog, still a puppy, it's sick, it's by itself. It took him a while to catch this, and strikes him as odd. "Hey, where's the rest of you guys? Aren't you always in packs or something?"

Lykaios shakes his head slowly, laying his ears back. "They're not my pack." And through hunger and loneliness, he has never regretted being away from a pack so much as he does now, a little bit of which escapes in his voice. Of course, he has his friend, Halidari, and her friend, Seven, but for all he knows they're sick too, or dealing with their pack members, who may be ill. He thought about searching them out, but with tension at an all-time high, it wouldn't be very safe to go roaming too far into Lazuli pack territory.

Roulette stretches his forelegs out slightly, still not satisfied with the answer. "So you're a lone wolf, huh?" Lykaios is the only other canine Roulette had seen since he came out this way, and he's enjoying the company. "I mean, I haven't seen any wolves, or coyotes, or even any other dogs..."

"There's lots of them around here. At least two wolf packs that I know of." Notably, Lykaios doesn’t answer the dog's question. He tries to avoid talking and thinking about it too much, so rather he addresses Roulette's statement about not having run into many canines, after which he asks a question of his own. "I've never seen a dog like you before. Where did you come from?"

Roulette snuffles. "I'm from Texas. My dad was a fighting dog, and my mom was just kept on the farm. I think they tried to make me be like my dad, cutting my ears and tail like this, but I don't see the point in fighting just to fight." He yawns, a high-pitched whine before his teeth click together. "My sisters and brother were kept for hunting, I got sold and then sold again and finally I ended up out here. I stick around the farm."

Lykaios narrows his eyes. The young wolf has never been in close contact with a human, and he doesn't intend to be. As such, he really doesn't understand this animal's background, or the name of where he's from. he has seen horses and farmers and all manner of animals locked up and toiling under the direction of a species, and eh just doesn't understand it. Finally, he asks, "So what do you /do/?" Humans only keep animals who do something for them. The rest are hunted down or ignored.

Roulette blinks. "Well.. I stay around the property. I catch the rats and the pests, I chase the foxes, I bark at the coyotes." To him, it all sounds very important, and he prides himself on his rat-catching ability. "What do /you/ do?" He asks, curious as to what, exactly, a wild animal has to keep themselves occupied.

Lykaios rolls his shoulders up and down in an underplayed shrug. "Whatever I want, so long as I am fed. Otherwise, I hunt." It's possible that there is not that much difference between Roulette's life and his own. Except that, when he's down and out, Lyk is much more likely to not survive the challenges he faces. Then again, that's largely because he's on his own, unlike many other wolves.

Roulette's lips pull back in a wide doggy grin. "See? We do about the same thing." He climbs to his feet, tail wagging, and he approaches Lykaios slowly, head down. "We should go hunt."

Lykaios is desperately hungry. Nevertheless, he offers Roulette more than a thin grin. "I'm no use. I would only slow you down, or worse, scare all the prey off." The young wolf doesn't even attempt to stand up. he would have to get really lucky to catch a meal right now, though at the top of his game he can reliable catch a rabbit within a few hours. Hunger and illness have combined to strip his hunting skills away from him.

Roulette lifts his head, sniffing the air. There's no scent of any prey, not even a rabbit or a squirrel to chase down, and he lets out a low whine before pacing back and forth in front of the wolf. "You really can't get up? Not even to show me where all the rabbits and stuff are? I don't really know my way around here..." To Roulette, finding prey in the wild seems incredibly easy, just like it's incredibly easy to catch the rats that corner themselves in the barn.

Lykaios pulls himself to his feet slowly. Of course, he can show Roulette some places where he has had luck hunting in the past. Heck, he might even get a meal out of it, which would be profoundly welcome. "I usually hunt to the east of here. I've had some luck there recently, but it might be best to keep a low profile, with this sickness sweeping through the land.

Roulette can't hide his puppy enthusiasm, and he bounds around Lyk, whimpering and nosing at his muzzle and ears. He's excited to have made a friend, excited at the prospect of chasing down small, terrified prey through the endless woods.

If he got this far with another canine, he might normally join Roulette in a playful tussle. In his illness, he does little more than bump his nose against Roulette's muzzle once in an unverbal indication of friendship. He just lacks the strength or mood to engage in normal playing. With another thin smile, the wolf begins padding off towards the east. Other than the fact that his pace is very slow, he seems to be doing well enough moving, right now.

The nosebump is enough for Roulette, who slows his pace accordingly to keep up with the sickly wolf. Docked tail wagging happily behind him, he keeps his senses as sharp as he can, turning his entire body towards every small snapping of twigs or rustling of leaves. He's excited, eager, though maybe just a little too much so.

- Rock-Strewn Soil -

Lykaios is wise enough to ignore some of the more common noises of the area, though his ears do twitch in certain directions. As they cross onto soil that doesn't sustain plant life as easily, Lykaios is capable of picking up his pace a little as he can clearly see there's nothing immediately in his way, though he still placed his feet carefully as he walks along.

Roulette is an eager and apt learner, and he pays less attention to the noises of the forest and focuses almost entirely on Lykaios; how he moves, what he chooses to ignore, what paths he takes. It excites him in a primitive way, following a leader and learning, the (hopefully) eventual spoils of their efforts. All his life, he lived around dogs of the most domesticated variety: companion dogs, benign farm dogs. His father was an anomaly, a dog that belonged to a man passing through town. Everything was in play, even the chasing of cats and chickens. Now, though, he was hunting for the sheer sport of it, still only dimly aware of how much of a necessity it is for the wolf.

- Fallen Log -

Lykaios sniffs the air as he reenters an area with heavy foliage. The young wolf again slows his pace slightly to avoid running into anything or making any noise that might scare off a potential meal. Quietly, to his domesticated companion, he says, "Prey becomes more plentiful as we get nearer the water. Keep your ears open." Under better circumstances, he could actually 'teach' the dog how to hunt out here. The best he can manage now is to show him some areas where prey congregate.

Roulette responds with only a low "wuff", sniffing the air intently. His short, triangular ears are perked and slowly twisting his ears forward and back, scoping the area for the sounds of scurrying paws. The scent of prey is fresh, and he emits a low whimper, almost unable to contain himself. He wants to flush the animal out of hiding, but needs to pinpoint it first...

Lykaios finds a new place to lie down and again rests his head on his paws, but he keeps Roulette in sight. Watching the overly eager dog, he says, "You won't be able to corner your prey out here. Try not to let them know you're coming." It requires a lot more stealth than catching rats in a barn, but Lykaios knows how hard it can be to be patient when a potential meal is so near.

Still sniffing eagerly, Roulette pads over to Lykaios, lowering his body down next to the wolf's. He thinks he knows where the prey is, but he doesn't want to spoil this; he looks over to his lupine companion, bumping his nose against his with a little lick. "Okay," he whispers, ears perked forward. "Wheredoyouthinkitis?" A hurried breath; he doesn't want to scare the prey away.

Lykaios sniffs the air and keeps his ears perked. Heck, even Lykaios wants to take off tearing after some small potential food. It'd be no wonder if Roulette, who is not used to what Lyk would call 'real' hunting, couldn't contain himself, though a large part of the young wolf's desire comes from his hunger. The wolf pulls himself to his feet and begins stepping along slowly, keeping his nose to the ground in search of a fresh scent. Once he finds a strong one that leads in a definite direction, he looks back to the dog, then points with a turn of his head. "This way. Can you smell it?"

Roulette whimpers excitedly, then silences himself, glancing apologetically at Lyk with drooped ears. "Yeah, I smell it." Licking his lips, he slowly moves forward, measuring every step. It's clearly a technique he isn't quite used to; his muscles are visibly tense under his fur, quivering wildly, and his tail is sticking straight up. He desperately wants to crash into the bushes, snapping and scrambling, and he repeatedly glances back at Lykaios for reassurance.

Lykaios does not lie back down. Rather, he travels behind Roulette, perhaps just a few paces slower than the domesticated dog, partially to make sure Roulette doesn't lose the trail. It stays strong, and one time when Roulette looks back at him, the young wolf says, very quietly, "You're getting close. Don't start running unless it does first, or you see it; you'll waste a lot of energy that way." Great advice in theory. Lyk still has trouble with it, if he hears a nearby animal or is just feeling particularly impatient. It's hard to correct what you're doing wrong, even when you know it's wrong.

Roulette is tense, and his pace quickens and the trail gets warmer; he's whining more frequently now, occasionally lowering his nose to the ground to reaffirm the trail, pausing even less frequently to reevaluate it and alter his course. Pink tongue dangling from his mouth, he's panting, checking himself when he moves too quickly, trying hard to heed the wolf's advice and save his energy. They're even closer now, and soon they come upon a bush; Roulette pauses a good twenty feet from it, attention focused on it. "That's it," he whispers, tail stiff but still wagging ever so slightly.

Lykaios may manage to be of some help after all. Of course, the young wolf has never hunted in a pack, but it's supposed to make things easier, right? Speaking up, the wolf says, "Wait here. I'll travel around and try to chase it towards you." And hope like heck that he doesn't trip or stumble or do something to ruin their chances at getting a meal, which he desperately wants.

Roulette nods once, tail wagging now, and he lowers himself into a crouch. Team-hunting was proving to be a fun new sport, and he raises one paw off the ground in anticipation of the flushed prey. It smells like a rabbit, but he can't be too sure; the forest is undoubtedly full of animals he has yet to find out about. Jaws trembling, he awaits Lykaios' move.

Lykaios moves slowly through the area, watching his footing and his position relative to Roulette and the bush closely. When he has completely circled the bush, which takes several minutes, he suddenly growls loudly and leaps at it. He would never be able to catch a running creature, and he won't chase after it. All he is trying to do is flush it from hiding, into the waiting jaws of his companion.

Dozing underneath a bush near the river, the jackrabbit has apparently not learned his lesson enough to just flee the riverside entirely. The sound of a growl jolts him awake, and as soon as he realizes /he/'s the one being hunted (again), he sprints from beneath the bush - and almost directly into a canine's waiting maw. He agilely adjusts his angle, turning on a dime and diving for the open end of the large log next to the bank, hoping to reach safety before danger reaches him.

Roulette springs forward with a loud, bellowing cry, jaws snapping shut inches short of the jackrabbit's fur. The rabbit is fast, /incredibly/ fast, but he can be fast too; the adrenaline's pumping now, and Roulette digs his claws in the ground to help him sprint forward more quickly. It doesn't work; as quickly as the burst of energy came, it was gone, and Roulette begins to whine as the rabbit slips away from him. He comes to a panting halt, hacking, swaying back and forth. He's so dizzy, and he doesn't know why.

Lykaios does not run, but rather makes his way around the bush. For a second, he can't remember what he's doing. The sight of Roulette jars his mind a little bit, and he remembers food. Growling, he crouches slightly, as much to prepare to spring for a meal he really needs as to keep his balance. he has to remind himself he can't blame the dog, and hence he overlooks Roulette and tries to spot the creature that darted from the bushes.

The jackrabbit miraculously manages to make it to the relative safety of the log, immediately crying out with a pleading: "Please don't eat me!" Which may only serve to give away his new location, but hopefully these canines can be reasoned with.

To say that he was feeling bad would be a complete understatement. Kasim woke up today and immediately felt like he was going to throw up. Not only that, he also noticed that his nagging headache seemed to be getting worse. Obviously, this sickness that he has is getting worse, and at a faster rate than he had anticipated. Slowly, Kasim lifts his head to survey his surroundings. It's then that he notices a white blur coming straight at him. He tries to get to his paws but is quickly stopped by his pounding headache and the loud screaming of the creature doesn't help. Giving a moan of annoyance, Kasim says to all around him, "Would you mind keeping it down a bit?" Grumpy much? Maybe but who can blame him; he isn't in the best of moods right now...

Roulette is trying to keep on the rabbit's tail, but it's hard; he's strangely out of breath, and he yelps in surprise when the big cat lifts its head. He skids to a halt, hackles raised, and begins backtracking immediately. Fatigue be damned, he's not going to run up on that big cat.

Lykaios's ear twitches towards the log. The starving wolf takes several steps towards it, not willing to let a meal get away so easily. He doesn't speak to the rabbit, and he has to fight to stop growling, an attempt to hide how near he draws to the log. Of course, his weakened body betrays him, and he stumbles on his way to it, betraying his nearness all the same and causing him to let out a subdued growl of frustration. He will starve to death before long at this rate. He's also more willing to do stupid things, like, oh, challenge an animal he can't possibly beat, as shown by his glare in the direction of Kasim and Roulette before he stubbornly continues towards the log, sniffing cautiously.

Kasim is having a bit of trouble seeing straight since the world seems to be slightly spinning but he can see enough to tell that the wolf near him doesn't look to well either. Oh no, not /him/ too! Just what kind of sickness is this! Giving a shake of his head to try to clear the dizziness away, Kasim says, "Hey, take it easy there. It looks like you've got the sickness too so you should save your energy." Without bothering to get to his paws, Kasim then looks over at the dog he seems to have scared and gives him a reassuring nod. "Don't worry young one, I'm not going to hurt you." Not like he has the motivation to anyways.

Roulette is hesitant to trust the big cat; he's never a fighter to begin with, but it seems now that he's getting sicker by the moment. Shaking his head, he lets out a long, low whine; the rabbit's shrieks that had just excited him into a bloodthirsty chase now caused a sharp, piercing pain in his head. Following Lykaios' lead, he sniffs at the log, scratching at the entrance with one paw, looking back warily at Kasim every so often. He's whining louder now, terrified of the big cat, wanting the rabbit... he begins pacing, ears back, tail tucked, back and forth in front of the log.

At the sounds of sniffing and scratching at the entrance of the log, the jackrabbit only cowers even more. "Please don't eat me!" he begs again. "I've only begun to find the most delicious flowers to nibble on - and there's so many more out there I have yet to try!"

Roulette is hesitant to trust the big cat; he's never a fighter to begin with, but it seems now that he's getting sicker by the moment. Shaking his head, he lets out a long, low whine; the rabbit's shrieks that had just excited him into a bloodthirsty chase now caused a sharp, piercing pain in his head. Following Lykaios' lead, he sniffs at the log, scratching at the entrance with one paw, looking back warily at Kasim every so often. He's whining louder now, terrified of the big cat, wanting the rabbit... he begins pacing, ears back, tail tucked, back and forth in front of the log.

Lykaios scowls at the whimpering from the rabbit. Whether or not they want to eat him is beside the point. He's safe inside that log. Succumbing to the illness that only got worse with movement, Lykaios stays upright long enough to climb on top of the log, at which point he lies back down on his belly and rests his head on his paws. "We're not going to eat you as long as you're in there." That's surprisingly honest. With a drawn out sigh, Lykaios actually does not look down at the entrance to the log, but rather towards the nearby Kasim.

The yelling from the rabbit and the continuing whining from the dog isn't helping Kasim's mood one bit. Still, he isn't one to yell at other so, after taking a few deep breaths to calm him down, he says to the rabbit, "Please, stop your yelling. I mean you no harm either but if you continue to yell that loudly I might reconsider." True, it's unlike Kasim to be making threats like that but his headache is enough to make him do that. Looking over towards the dog, Kasim also notes that he doesn't look well either. "How are you feeling young one?" The stare from Lykaios is, for now, ignored...

Roulette has been circling, whimpering, and finally he sits, throws his head back, and howls. His head hurts, he's dizzy, and now he feels as though he's going to vomit. This is the first time he'd ever been sick, and he whimpers helplessly, though not as loud, looking from the wolf, to the cougar, back to the log. "I don't know," he whimpers. "I was feeling fine and now, now, I just feel lost and dizzy and scared."

In Fallen Log, Roulette howls forlornly.

[Therdde]

"...you're not going to eat me?" the jackrabbit repeats, the rest of the sentence falling into background noise - that's the only important part of what the wolf said, after all. He ever-so-carefully pushes his nose outside of the log when he judges it safe enough, trying to peer out at who all is around -- and notices a new cougar about! He shrinks back inside momentarily (even though he says he won't hurt him, best to play it safe), but tries to watch the goings-on without making himself vulnerable. His long ears lift at the dog's comments about feeling sick... "You know, I know of some flowers that might help make you feel better - but only if you promise not to eat me!"

Lykaios flattens his ears against his head when Roulette howls, only to perk them again to listen to the rabbit. He's not so sure about eating plants, but if he's desperate enough to do something stupid, he may be desperate enough to try anything. "What kinds of flowers?" The young wolf's tone is skeptical, but he doesn't have the advantage he only imagines the domesticated dog does. He can't go 'home' where food would be provided to him until he got well. And anything that would allow him to hunt again may be worth letting a single rabbit go.

Success! He's managed to keep their interest long enough to avoid being eaten right away. But now he just has to remember exactly where and what type of flowers he ate that made him feel better not too long ago...which may be more difficult than he'd hope. "Well, I can't exactly remember, because I've eaten so many different ones since I started feeling better myself," he starts, speaking slowly so as to stall any angry snaps from the predators. "...but I do remember that the red ones made me feel even worse!" he practically shouts, his nervous words echoing inside the log. "And maybe I can try and retrace my steps and find out which flowers made me feel better, and let you know when I've figured it out?" Hopefully that will make up for what he /doesn't/ remember.

The rabbit's words catches Kasim's full attention. "Wait, you were sick and now you’re feeling better?" he asks. So this rabbit might have found a cure for this sickness and it's... flowers? That can't be right. Plus, didn't Sister Deer say that the cure was found over two rivers? Although a bit skeptic, even the possibility of feeling better has Kasim's vote. Looking down at the rabbit, Kasim nods thankfully and says, "Thank you rabbit. I don't know if you've heard but there is a big sickness going around and it's infected many, myself included. If you could find this flower that would be much appreciated." His attention is drawn back to Roulette when he suddenly collapses. Huh, that sickness must've worn him out. Looking up at the younger wolf, Kasim says, "Don't worry about him, he probably just got tired. He should be up sooner or later."

Yeah, because that doesn't sound at all like the ploy of a rabbit who is desperate to get out of the influence of canines who had previously threatened to eat him. The wolf folds his ears back when Kasim appears to approve of this. The wolf begins to suggest that the rabbit allow one of them to tag along, but that would be stupid. The rabbit could just easily escape, once in the open. Perhaps more skeptical than Kasim, the young wolf asks, "How long do you think it would take you to find this flower?"

- Time Passes –

Shortly after Roulette fell asleep, the rabbit and Kasim seemed to follow suit, leaving the still-hungry Lykaios on top of the log, trying desperately to sort through his muddled thoughts. This is his first time being ill in his life, and he /really/ doesn't like it. His ears twitch and his eyes are open, but he doesn't move much, lacking that energy and will to try to hunt again so soon after one failed attempt.

Returning to just outside the undergrowth, Hali places herself near the thinned trees, leaning up against them. Dizzy from the evenings raising heat, she sits to regain herself, eyes closed an head down. Having planned to warn her family of the troubles of a sickness, Hali finds herself unable to think straight. With only so little land left to cover, she has no idea how to start without forcing confusion upon herself when it came time to explain herself. Upon reopening her eyes, Hali looks around the area.

Lykaios perks his ear as he hears someone nearing. He's too weak to fight of any potential threat like, say, Toban, or some other member of hi and Halidari's pack who thinks the same way. Nevertheless, he forces himself off of the log to try to stand at his full height. His posturing may have worked earlier, with the dog, expect for that he tripped. This time, he's more careful. He's scarcely gotten himself upright, though, before he spots Halidari, and a weak wolfish smile crosses his face. "Hali." His voice suggests that he's highly relieved. Who knows who the disoriented wolf expected to be walking through, but he's glad to see his friend... And then he notes that she's not faring too well.

Halidari looks half dazes as her scans the place, but upon hearing the low notion of her name from what appears to be a familiar voice, her look brightens. Though, why would someone being calling out to her now of all times. Pushing herself from the tree she which she leans on, Hali catches sight of Lyk; dizziness gone for the time being. Slowly making her way to him, she lets out a soft smile. "Hey there.

Lykaios walks towards Hali, oh so carefully. The youthful male attempts to nuzzle her when he gets closer, while saying, "I'm glad to see you're... Well, kinda okay." Alive, is what he means. Though, of course she would be, having that social support group, though he wonders how many of her pack are ill.

Least he didn't say well, that would be an understatement. Looking at him, she follow in with his nuzzle when she too has drawn closer. "As with yourself, ifs it’s not too late to say." Clearly finding the right words here is going to be quite the task.

Lykaios is still breathing, and even almost caught a rabbit today. That's saying something. He is definitely not well, though. Searching through the thoughts in his head, he says one of the first things that comes to mind. "Everyone in your pack... Are they okay?" He's concerned for her and for those she loves. Funny how the hunger seems to have taken a backseat in the confusion of his mind,

"Nose to ground, one paw in front of the other". The steady chant whispers just under Toban's breath. Despite the repeating pep talk he can't seem to keep on paw in front of the other, much less be certain of how far he's gone. Staggering back and forth he has his eyes closed for long intervals. Panting heavy he sits his rear down abruptly choosing to focus on breathing, and only breathing. Shivering slightly, though not because of the weather he whines and whimpers like a pup.

Huh, what does that have to do with anything; a lot actually. She too wants to know how the pack is, but she just hasn't gotten that far in her task yet. Peering at him she blinks confused for a moment. "I, uh. Their alright, I guess." She hasn't been there yet.. however, a voice behind her draws her ears back. "Toban.." she says to herself. Looking back to her brother the first thing that comes to find as to what he is here; it’s like she's forgotten why anyone ever comes here. "Are you... your shaking." Like she can really see that he is from here.

Lykaios recognizes that name, and the associations with it aren't pleasant. He takes a step to the side to see the oncoming wolf, and frowns. Too many have been affected by this thing. Lyk sits where he's at, torn by indecision and confusion. Pleasant or unpleasant, he harbors no lasting ill feelings towards Toban for attempting to protect his sister, and he's desperate for this illness to go away, both for himself and for others.

Laying down on the ground to steady himself. Stretching his paws before him he crawls forward to a small patch of grass. Looking up to Hali, he winces and closes his eyes tightly shut once again. "Hali...something wrong with me..." The words are followed with another whimper.

Halidari keeps a looking to her brother has he whimpers, head tilting as she wonders why. Sure the sickness could possibly have a great deal to do with it but she's yet to run into anyone who was whining because of it. What if he had it bad, this she'll have to find out. "Something wrong..." she repeats. If she has it, how did he get it.. wait what if he got it from her. Running through many conclusions, she ends up with the one everyone has been telling her. "You got it too, then?"

Lykaios watches Hali and her brother. Of course, Lyk has seen animals reacting far worse to being sick, possibly for the first time in their lives. He's trying to take it stoically, but he understands how Toban feels. Taking a deep breath, he opens his mouth, but he can't think of anything to say, feeling rather out of place in addition to his fuzzy thinking process.

Toban looks up with a tired expression, "My heads spinning..." He heaves a deep steady breath, ears pinned back tight against his skull. Forcing a glance at his surroundings finally he offers a small smile to Hali and even attempts a tail wag. "I'll be okay...I just need to eat some grass and get some sleep."

Why didn't see think of that; grass and sleep solves everything right? One reason could be is that she can't even think right at the moment and she's suffering from her own ailment. Nodding to his words, not even sure why anymore, Hali take a seat. Looking to Lyk, she sits there in silence wondering about things until her head hurts.

Lykaios takes several steps up to Hali and sits beside her, his expression somber. Prevalent above all the confused thought is a profound worry, and he's not used to being this worried, even as rough as things have occasionally been for him. To Toban, he says, "I'm sorry this sickness got you." He is reminded how miserable he felt, being sick and with no social structure, and he wants to remedy that. And, in his confused mind, it may be possible with just a few words. Silly wolf.

Toban doesn't hear the sympathies. At the moment he won't hear much of anything. His breathing has evened out and his face has relaxed. A slight snore can be heard beneath his breath....he fell asleep.

Gazing toward the ground, Hali doesn't even notice her brother fall to sleep in the grass. "I am worried for him." It’s one thing to have your friends ill but knowing that part of your family is as well is another thing entirely. "I had hoped that my family would be untouched, but it seems not even they could escape it." She sighs, looking upward. If only there was something more she could do. Finding this cure is just taking too long. "I don't know what to do."

Lykaios brushes up against Halidari's shoulder with his nose, whimpering softly. She has helped him so much that he feels terrible that he can't help her in return, except... "It'll be okay, Hali... I'll find a way to fix it." Big claims for a half-starved wolf, but he means it. In his head, it plays out perfectly. Boy meets girl. Girl's family falls ill to some horrible sickness. Boy finds the cure and saves the day. Girl is eternally grateful. That's the way life works, right?

[Therdde]

Roulette had crawled into the underbrush to take a nap; the sickness had come over him rapidly, and he had hoped a nap would set him right. It didn't, of course; it only worsened. In his sleep, he twitches, whimpers, paws scrambling in the dirt. He finally awakens with a loud yip, shaking his head back and forth violently. Roulette staggers through the bushes, pawing at his eyes and muzzle in an alarming fashion. He drags his nose on the dirt, shakes his head back and forth, whimpering and yelping the whole time.

Halidari looks over to Lyk as he brushes up against her shoulder. Taking by a bit of surprise, she blinks at him. "I hope your right." Leaning against him she says, twitching an ear, "Though, I don't want to have to see you hurt trying." If there is a cure out there, she'd want it to be found together. "Your life's not worth losing over it." Aww, that so sweet. The whimpering and yelping does cause a certain shift in attention, but she's uncertain where its coming from.

Lykaios is well on his way to starvation as it is. With no mind to whether he'd be accepted by her pack since the first time he met Hali, he says, "It's worth it if it helps you and yours. I like you, Hali." A lot. The wolf who isn't used to speaking a lot isn't sure how to phrase it, though. All he knows is that the fact that her thinking his life is worth anything gives him warm feelings. Awww. And then the whimpering, and the dog who is making the noise, reenters his muddled brain, and he turns to look at the log, where he last saw Roulette and abandoned his watch for the quiet rabbit once Hali and Toban entered the area.

Roulette is salivating wildly now; he feels as though ants are crawling over his face, into his nose, ears, mouth, eyes. He drops to the ground, rolling onto his back, still pawing violently at his face. "Get them OFF," he yelps, rolling onto his feet and turning wildly to face Lykaios and Halidari. Though one of them is vaguely familiar, the other is a new creature, a /wild/ creature, and his fevered mind doesn't quite know how to process this. Roulette narrows his eyes and pulls his lips back into a toothy snarl. The sound that escapes his throat would be quite fierce if it weren't for the retching cough that interrupted it; he stumbles slightly, eyes trying to focus on the wolves.

Well that was sure abrupt. He what... likes her; is that even something to say in a time like this. Not even sure what to even say, she just look at him in utter silence. Hali's eyes glisten as if she were going to cry just from what he said. Like is the most she has gotten in a long time from anyone; sure Seven has said he loved her, but it was different between them. She doesn't know what to think right now, that she just looks away across the way and says. "I don't know what to say." The obvious. Seconds later the yelping dog catching her divided attention. What is he talking about, get what off?

Would he have said it any other time? Unfortunately, any conversation they may have had from that is interrupted by Roulette. As cautious as he was to avoid a fight earlier, he doesn't think a moment before jumping between Roulette and the young wolfess at whom he's snarling. The young wolf bares his teeth and barks out, "Roulette!" He understands the dog is sick, confused, and probably scared to death, but Lyk is prepared to get his undivided attention real quickly. Roulette was helping him hunt, and that's cute, but the dog was doing it for fun. If Lyk has to choose between the friendly dog or his one true friend who is his own age and species... Well, there's really no contest, but he hates it all the same.

The name rattles something in his brain, and for a split second, he's calm again, gazing apologetically at Lyk. "M'sorry," he murmurs, lying down on the ground. His head is almost down on his paws when the "ants" start biting again, and he cries out, leaping to his feet and backing up into the bushes. This only serves to terrify him more, and he begins to thrash about wildly, finally losing his footing and falling clumsily to the ground. The forest is spinning in front of him, and he can't tell how many wolves there are; for all he knows, he's surrounded, and he bares his teeth in a feeble attempt to ward them off. Slowly, he stops struggling to get up, and exhales with a low whine.

Halidari isn't sure if it’s best to react so harshly to one who clearly doesn't look to be oneself, but then again, she doesn't know this dog and that could very well put her in more danger. Taking heed to the snarl, Hali stands taking a few steps back only to blink at the sudden normalcy made a single name. Confused, she looks to Lyk then back to Roulette wondering if perhaps... Then just as things seem to appear well, the thrashing starts up again. Wincing at the fall, Hali takes a step forward, halting the moment bared teeth are shown once more.

As soon as the snarling stops, Lyk approaches Roulette in the bushes. Once he's close, he gets on his belly, all friendship again, only to inch closer. His tone is no longer harsh, as he attempts to console his new friend, "Close your eyes, Roulette, and breath. There's nothing on you." If the dog were to snap at him, he'd be unable to defend himself quickly enough to avoid getting hurt, but he takes that chance rather than taking the chance that his aggressive act will work again, like it did to subdue the domesticated canine the first time.

Roulette merely whimpers, tail thumping apologetically on the ground. He sorely wants to believe Lyk; he /knows/ the wolf's telling the truth, but then again, Lyk didn't feel the insects crawling through his head, biting him inside and out. The forest seems to have stopped spinning, but he's still physically exhausted. "What's wrong with me?" he whimpers, squeezing his eyes shut against the throbbing pain in his head.

Letting Lyk deal with the situation at hand, Hali sits back in observation feeling a bit tired suddenly. Closing her eyes she can feel her head spinning, but cannot see it when they are open; could that be her weariness, or had she forgotten about her condition for a period of time and its only now coming back to her. Listening to the two, she tries to focus on them rather than herself.

As it turns out, maybe Seven's favorite prank will have some usefulness. It's certainly the only thing that comes through in the wolf's own confusion, the only thing he thinks might help to take Roulette's mind off of his troubles. That's all he's doing, attempting to distract the poor dog so that the misery doesn't seem so severe. "You're sick, Roulette, but... It'll be okay." Will it? "I want you to keep your eyes closed, and just listen to the wind. And sing. Let nature hear that you're hurting. Just let it out." hopefully not loudly, but if it gets Roulette to settle down, it'll be worth it, no matter how ridiculous the words seem, coming out of Lykaios's mouth. How did Seven get him to believe this was a worthwhile activity again?

Roulette continues to whimper, trying to listen to Lykaios' soothing words. All he can do is lay there, breathing heavily, occasionally lapping at the air in a friendly gesture. he can vaguely remember a rabbit, a big cat... something about flowers. "What about all the flowers?" It's a silly question, and he lolls his tongue out, panting.

The rabbit finally recovers from his panic attack at the dog's sudden freak-out, and slowly peeks out from inside the log at the mention of flowers. "Oh yes, right, flowers...I have to find the good flowers again for you," he says tentatively, hoping his ears won't get bitten off right away by the surely-rabid dog.

Halidari furthers her listening of the open, opening her eyes to a stare at the ground to the mention of something oddly familiar. Was Lyk doing something that Seven would; No, her.. huh.. has been corrupted. Looking up from the ground, perking an ear, Hali blinks at the sudden mention of flowers. Now she's missing something here.

Lykaios stands again when it appears that his vague idea has begun to work. His ears perk back, towards the rabbit, who he had half believed snuck away in all of the chaos. He was reluctant to let the jackrabbit leave, earlier. Now, he's just relieved they're all still in one piece and none of them are bleeding terribly. Worn out, the young canine says, "We appreciate it." What's that about, you get more flies with honey than vinegar? Nice or not, Lyk really doesn't expect the rabbit to ever return, one he's safe.

From below on the ground, Kasim starts to stir once again after his sudden fainting. He lets out a tired moan and opens his eyes once again. Wait, how did this happen? The last thing he remembers was talking to a rabbit about flowers and... now he's suddenly fallen asleep? Picking his head up slowly, Kasim looks around to see that he's in the exact spot he was before. Ok, now he's confused. Looking around some more, Kasim spots the wolf and rabbit again but also notices... Halidari? Looking up at her, Kasim tiredly asks more to around him than to anyone in particular, "Hey... What happened?" It's all a blur and his pounding headache isn't helping much.

"Of course, of course," the jackrabbit answers. He seems honest enough, perhaps afraid that if he doesn't help them out later, they'll hunt him down and eat him out of spite. "I do believe the good ones were to the south of here, if you follow the riverside until the fork and then go beyond. Just remember, if you find any flowers on your own in the meantime, don't eat the red ones! They're usually the nastiest ones of the bunch anyway."

Halidari mind is blank now as she just looks at everyone. If anyone can get any more confused, it’s her. Getting up to move closer, the room begins to spin and Hali nearly finds herself on the ground. Wow, that came on suddenly, and rather quickly to. She knew she shouldn't of moved.

Lykaios tries to store the jackrabbit's instructions in his hazy mind. To the south, along the river, beyond the fork... The wolf attempts a solemn nod, but the exhaustion of the past few minutes and trying to keep himself, Halidari, and Roulette all safe is wearing on the sick wolf. He notices Kasim's wakeful state, and manages a slight grin. He's okay, which is good, because the wolf was worry. All that worry is starting to fade, and leaving him tired. "You fell asleep, like Roulette fell asleep. I'm glad you're awake again." Finally, crises averted and potential end in sigh, Lyk looks back to Hali. "Hali?" Utoh.

Kasim is trying to focus back into what was going on before he fell asleep, and it's proving rather difficult. What's this about a fork in the riverside south of here and beyond it. Wait a minute, that sounds oddly familiar. "The flowers?" he asks more to everyone around him rather than to anyone in particular, still trying to bring things back into focus. After a few minutes of blinking away the tiredness and ignoring his headache, Kasim turns towards the wolf at his response. He... fell asleep? Well, that would explain why he's suddenly so tired. The next part of Lyk's statement catches Kasim's attention and he look around him to see Halidari, and she's not looking to well either. "Hali! Are you ok?" Well, duh! Of course she's not ok but it's a normal question to ask, right?

Halidari is fine if you take her near fall as an act of clumsiness, but right now she is far from fine. Taking to the ground under her own will, she tries one last time to regain her senses but to no avail, she only makes things worse by trying to focus on those around her, and herself. After a moment, she retakes to all fours, and heads away from the group. "I'm fine.." is her response. "I just need to... My head." A place with less noise, that’s what she needs.

Lykaios isn't sure if he should follow, and he's not sure it's safe for her to be off on her own. He looks back to Kasim, indecisive. Not only should someone be with her; someone should be with all of them. So why is it in his head to travel south along the river all by his lonesome in an attempt to find flowers that help and bring them back here, also by his lonesome?

His job here done for the moment, the jackrabbit hops out into the clearing before bounding along down the river, both to make a speedy getaway from the predators as well as with the hopes that he'll find his way back to the flowers faster.

Leaving Halidari to her own trek is neither good or bad. She is either going to be back, or find herself face to the ground under the pain of sickness; both senarios are likely. Coming to a stop and looking back, Hali barely shakes as she stands there, wondering slightly what they’re going to do should she depart.

When Hali looks back, Lyk decides. Searching for a cure or for the jackrabbit who claims to know where a cure is can wait until tomorrow, after he's had some sleep. For now, he walks to join the other young wolf. Somewhere in his jumbled thought, he hopes his presence will help to make her feel safe, even if he could serve her and her family better by going out to search. Then again, he probably couldn’t. He'd likely just fall over into the river once his exhaustion finally overtakes him.

Oh no, this can't be good. It looks like the sickness is getting worse in Halidari as well. Quickly, Kasim puts those words of the rabbit into his memory before he forgets them, just in case he needs it. Seeing Hali start to walk off, Kasim tries to get to his paws to walk towards her, but forgot to take into account that he's pretty weak and quickly drops back down onto his stomach and passes out again. Somewhere south of here beyond a fork in the river; it's not much but it somewhat matches Sister Deer's description of where the cure would be. At least he got that information from the rabbit before he passed out again. He'll check that out later, or when he actually has the strength to...

Waiting for Lykaios to join her, Hali looks out across to Kasim who she knew was there. It was too late now to give greeting or throw out worry, he has collapsed the moment he tried to approach. This worried the wolfess; but what could she do. She has no idea about these flowers everyone has mentioned and she's to disoriented to even know which way she's going. After a moment, Hali continues on.

Lykaios falls into step beside Halidari, not speaking a word as he walks. He holds his head low to the ground, an attempt to minimize his dizziness, but he's still walking well enough to keep up with any reasonable pace. His thoughts are on nothing specific. His brain is too fuzzy for that. But the information about the flowers seems to be securely stored away, to be acted upon when he, too, has more energy and clarity of thought.

Halidari looks back, slowing down so she is right next to Lyk; bumping into him as she walks. She's glad he's here with her.