Ashes to Ashes We All Fall Down (wolves)

[::Fox::]

Exhaustion pulled at the figure of a rather large, thick furred female grey wolf. Her pelt, once grey, white and black, was now dark grey-black and gritty with ash. White portions seemed singed and her pawsteps were heavy. Rough-throated and tired, her blue eyes were bleary with ash and exhaustion. The farmhouse, for that was all this could be, loomed at her, as if it were laughing at her. A human dwelling, the closest thing to shelter she had been able to find outside of the national park. The fae looked at it with tired bitterness. Humans had surrounded the park with their water snakes and wailing lights. Monster humans had been running hither and thither making escape almost impossible. Breeze had had to risk howling near the humans, leaving a trail of calls for her pack to follow. She had glimpsed Sky and Autumn coming out of the smoke along with Robin once she'd cleared the humans and had howled again. Now her throat was too raw to croak a howl or whine, lungs itchy and irritated.

Moving to the bushes that had grown wild near the house, Breeze wearily put down the precious burdens she had carried through the fire and smoke. Shade and Rain whined pitifully, the pups squirming unhappily in search of their familiar, safe den. Within moments the pair was joined by their smaller counterparts, Wren and Blaze. Breeze curled up around her children, rasping her tonuge over their soot-covered bodies to soothe them, she pressed them to her belly in an attempt to get them to nurse and sleep, forget the worst event of their young lives.

Raising her head, Breeze let out a whispery, raspy howl that grated at her throat but needed to be sung. The pack needed to find her, she needed to find them. She was desperate for Sky to appear and tell her it was a nightmare, lay down beside her so she could hear his heartbeat, hear Autumn and Robin banter, even hear Sage say how much she hated Breeze. It didn't matter what they said but she needed to hear it. Their answering calls, barks, yips, whines of pain. Anything. Proof of life, not of death. Silence was a proof that Breeze could not stand.

Letting the weak howl go, Breeze let out a whimper, the first one she'd made in a long while. She wanted her family, not just the four pups and four adults she had now. She wanted Cedar and Blizzard, Tangle, Boulder, Star. She wanted them, all of them. The silence was killing her, burning her insides worse than any flame and swallowing her heart whole. They had only just settled in, made the park theirs and now at least a good portion of it was burning. She had had a safe den to raise her pups and now she was laying outside of an abandoned human home in the bushes, bathed in partial moonlight with her soot-coated little ones. How much lower could Breeze sink?

Curling tight around her little ones, Breeze licked them all again, trying to bathe as much of the ash off as possible while anxiously waiting. She couldn't howl again, she knew the sound wouldn't come. She was too emotional, her throat too raw, lungs too irritated. No song would come from her, neither in mourning or desperation. In joy, perhaps, but she knew that if the night remained silent, she would not howl again. A heart, even the tough heart of a wolf, could only take losing everything so many times. She had lost it once, was she destined to lose it again?

A dry whine came from Shade as Breeze cleaned the bitter ash from his face. She nuzzled him in an attempt to soothe before moving on the Blaze. The pups were too anxious and frightened to nurse and would not be soothed. They were young, so very young, too young to be out of the den.

Breeze's heart broke and bled for her precious babies, dreading their future but hoping with all it was worth they'd have one.

[Evkav]

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

** this is our life ,
IT'S ALL THAT WE GET

Not for one second did the young femme stop running. She could still hear the crackling of the fire in her ears and it made her all the more terrified. She had no idea where she was headed; all she knew was that she had to get away from the National Park. As she ran she vaguely knew she had crossed into the human territory where wolves where no longer safe but, she didn’t care. Anywhere was safer than Greystone at that moment and so she just kept on running. Her legs stung and there was ash over her entire pelt but neither fazed her at all. Her eyes were burning from the smoke and her throat felt dry and soar. She could not find it in herself to howl or even let out a small bark. Instead she just knew that she had to continue on. There was nothing she could do but run.

Still at a loss for where she was she decided to finally stop and rest her paws. Dropping instantly to the floor jagged breaths took over and her tongue rolled out of her maw. A sharp pain stabbed at her as she wondered where the others were. She hoped desperately they weren’t hurt, or worse. After almost a lifetime she had finally done the one thing she had sworn never to do: she had broken her promise. The night was dark and the moon only showed partially through the smoke and clouds that coated the skies in a harsh and bitter blanket. A shiver rushed down the long figure despite the fact that she was still burning from the flames. She had managed to get out without many injuries but her leg was still hurting from the fight she had gotten into with Sage less than a day ago. It seemed like a lifetime ago and Autumn wished to be back at the den with her friends and to see the little pups. She had not yet seen Breeze’s pups and she prayed with her life that they were still okay. She would kill herself if anything had happened to anyone.

Just as the fae was finally about to give up and let herself be forgotten an almost sour note took to the air. Ears pricked she listened carefully, trying to identify the caller. Even through the croakiness and sadness she could tell exactly who it was. Never in her life had she been so happy to hear that sound. Jumping up she winced as the pain shot through her front leg. It was still painful but she had to follow the sound. She couldn’t find it in herself to reply but instead she just tracked the sound. It’s a good thing wolves have directional hearing because without it Autumn would have never made it to the old farm.

When she arrived she did not realise it was a farm for it had long been abandoned and there were no sheep or cattle to feed on in that area. Lifting her nose she scented the air, trying to look for any signs of her friend. At first she could smell a few different scents, those she did not know, but they seemed to be mingled with another smell that she knew all too well. All five of the scents were covered with the stench of ash and smoke but she had been trained to identify her Alphess in any condition. Limping slightly she ran over to the source of the scent, wild bushes that were near some kind of human structure.

Autumn knew she should not try and venture straight into the bushes because Breeze would be with her pups. A mother would only let her near the pups if she was ready. So instead the fae simple walked over and sat near the bushes. A little whine escaped her maw and it made her throat sting as it did. Lying down was good because her wound had become worse with the run and ash coated it. Looking towards the bushes she sucked in the soothing scent of her Alphess, happy that she was no longer alone. One thought however entered her mind and that caused her to wonder whether Breeze was even alive. She could not smell death around her and her mother had always told her that death had a very distinct smell. After the massacre a few years back she knew the smell quite well, it was one that haunted the fae in her dreams.

Nuzzling the bush she moved closer a bit so that the smells became stronger. “Breeze?” she choked out softly. “It’s me.” That was all she could say and hopefully the wolfess would be able to recognise her enough through her voice. Letting her muscles relax she turned her head and started to lick the ash off her weak body. Her pelt seemed to be at least three shades darker and it was heavily tinted grey from the smoke. Showing particular attention to the wound she licked it clean and tried to stop herself from whining in pain. A few times she did let out a small growl or bark but she tried to keep it soft so she wouldn’t scare the pups or their mother. She still had not seen Breeze or the pups yet but she knew that if Breeze wanted her to enter she would let her know. Until that time she just had to wait and lick herself clean.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

[Mercy``]

The stars lean down to kiss you,
And I lay awake and miss you,
Pour me a heavy dose of atmoshphere,
Cuz' I'll dose off safe and soundly,
But I'll miss your arms around me,

Sky

Paws meeting Earth in a rythmic step, the large grey wolf made his way through the burned remains of what use to be Fen Forest. He had been frantically searching for several hours now and his muscles were beginning to scream in refusal. Breathing heavily as he pounded into a large open field full of tall swaying grass, Sky wondered if he would ever find Breeze and the pups. Their scent had lead him here so hopefully they were near or at least within the general area. If he went any further his legs might give out and that worried him. If he got too weak and their scent faded then he would never find them. Stopping at the edge of the lush field, the brute allowed himself to smell the air in case he was going the wrong direction. Instead he found their scent to be stronger and took off into a long strided run towards what seemed like a small building.

Approaching the unfamiliar figure, the grey wolf crouched down with his belly rubbing gently on the earth below. Although he was never this wary, he was in panick mode and at the moment his mind felt unaware of who he really was. Taking in a deep breath before peering into one of the broken glass windows, the brute wondered where his mate and pups were. Just yesterday they were all together and happy and then the fire started. How the forest had been engulfed in flames he didn't know but he had ran as far away from his home as he could get. Even venturing around the outskirts of the city, he had been afraid of the one place he had ever felt was his rightful place to be. No longer was the Greystone park his home and now the city was his prison.

Finding the building empty, Sky carefully made his way back out into the field of grass. Once again picking up the familiar scent he was filled with relief to smell it so strongly. Flaring his nostrils slightly he inhaled several times to comfort himself before picking up a lofty gate and heading back into the maze of nature. To his surprise it only took a matter of minutes before he spotted two figures laying in the grass with four noisy pups crawling around. Giving a sharp howl, the grey brute barreled into Breeze, making sure to hurt neither her or the pups as he tumbled into the thick earthy bed. Blinking his eyes several times before burrying his muzzle into her scruff, images of the flame covered forest dragged back into his mind. Her pelt smelled of ash and charred wood instead of the familiar rain washed and pine scented earth perfume.

"Are you alright?" He murmured, looking up into her ice blue eyes he wondered how his mind had ever survives not knowing where she was at or if she was okay. Laying his head on her shoulder he glanced nervously at the pups but only smiled in relief as he saw they were in prime condition. Leave it to Breeze to bring her family safe and sound to a nice quiet place. He already knew she was the perfect mate but not to his surprise, she was the perfect mother too. Sighing heavily, the brute nudged the nearest pup, the largest of the two femmes in the litter. He had named her Rain but he had yet to figure out why. Her personality had began to show yesterday as did the rest. Blaze was still the runt while Wren and Shade were growing better than ever. He was proud to call these pups his own and blessed to call Breeze his mate. "I missed you." Sky murmured, before gently licking her jaw.

[( cazaril )]

R O B I N

Show me the window I want to look too, I'll take the glasses and cover for you.

Robin’s paws padded the soft ground as he paced aimlessly around the city. The fire was not too far behind him, but he couldn’t run. His heart wouldn’t let him. Where were Breeze, Autumn, Sky and Sage? Would the pups be fine? Were they not far too young to be brought out? Robin was worried, upset and outraged, all at the same time. He worried for his packmates, he was upset about his home, and he was outraged at the fire. How could this have happened?

The male wolf found himself on a wall a little way from the forest. It was still burning in front of his eyes, and all Robin could think was how he couldn’t do a thing about it. He looked up at the top of the trees, or rather, what was left of them. Smoke was billowing over the mountains and little sparks from the flame splattered into the gray sky. It was dying down now. How could this have happened, just when they had settled in? ”If my earlier theory of me being insane was right, I hope more than anything, that this is nothing but a dream.”

Robin’s hazel brown eyes scanned the black forest, resting his head onto his paws. Nothing... family... trust... betrayal... why didn’t you turn back Robin, why? The voice rang through his head like the howl of a wolf. The voices whispered, yelled and accused. ”Why hadn’t I?” he thought to himself, shaking his head. Robin stood on the wall, about to make his way down when his paw, the one he had caught in a root earlier on, slipped and made him fall onto the ground with a thud. The drop was like an electric shock to his mind.

He, Robin, was the optimist and the joker. Why was he giving up so fast? Why was he making it sound like there was no hope? Of course his pack members would be alright! He trusted them, and he knew that they were strong, brave and independent people. Sky would be fine, and he knew Autumn would too. They had to be. Breeze, Robin was certain, could save herself, as she was a great wolf, a wonderful alphess. But now that she had pups...

Shoving the thought away with all the strength he could muster, Robin decided from then on to keep himself positive, and keep on looking for his beloved packmates. And at that very moment, what should he hear but a faint, distant howl. The voice was raspy and rough but Robin could identify it as Breeze’s very quickly, because deep down he knew he was searching for that very sound. He howled with as much voice as he could.

He tracked the sound to a farm not too far away. He followed it, as well as the scent of, would you believe it, Sky, Autumn and Breeze. There were other scents as well, scents that Robin assumed were Breeze’s children. It was amazing how quickly Robin rushed there, where he found Autumn by the bushes, and Sky going closer towards Breeze. Robin stood beside Autumn and nudged her shoulder with his muzzle, smiling down at her. ”You alright?” he asked her, his voice quiet. He turned his head to the inside of the bush. ”Breeze? Sky?”

[::Fox::]

A scent came to Breeze, bringing the soot-covered alphess from her exhaustion daze. Muscles wound tight though Breeze doubted she had the strength to get off and fight even the weakest of mongrel dogs. She would have to find the strength and defend her pups because they were all she had left. Blue eyes, hazy with ash and tiredness, sharpened a little as Breeze focused on the night around her and her pups. The bushes shielded them from view but the winds were active tonight and surely someone would scent them? Curling her tail and hind legs to help shield her squirming little ones, Breeze let out a low, rough growl. It was quieter and less threatening than her norm but, it would do the trick well enough and ward off any unknowing strays that thought they'd found an easy target for some senseless violence. The pups whined, sensing their mother's fear and anger but Breeze didn't bother to shush them. A voice, calling to Breeze, came through the bushes. The voice was so familiar and one Breeze had never thought she'd hear again. Heart thudding, Breeze cut off her rough growl and perked her ears.

"Autumn?" Breeze rasped. "Autumn!" Elation shot through Breeze, her heart thudding fast. Autumn had escaped and found her! Breeze had taken quite a liking to the young she-wolf, finding her much more like a young sister or growing youngster. It was impossible not to like her and Breeze admitted to falling prey to the young femme's charms. The fact that she had escaped the flames lightened Breeze's mood, hope flaring in her blue eyes. If Autumn had escaped, the others could have as well. "Autumn, come here with me, please, I can't move and leave the pups but I can't see through the bushes."

Admitting the weakness of being unable to see and too tired to get up took a lot for Breeze but, she said it nonetheless. She was exhausted and felt horrible. Her silver coat was now a cinder-grey, throat raw, lungs aching and legs weary. Breeze probably couldn't have stood up to save her life. The thing was however, she couldn't just lay there. She wanted to see with her own tired eyes that Autumn was alive and well.

Before Autumn or Breeze could really make a move, foliage crunched. Ears alert, Breeze growled again, ducking low around her children to cover them as pawsteps thudded in the yard beyond the little thicket she'd found. The branches moved and Breeze snarled louder until...

A warm weight settled on Breeze's side as someone collapsed beside her, their muzzle burrowing into the thick ruff of fur around her neck, rough wolf fur pressed against her back and side. Breeze blinked in surprise, snarl cut off in mid-note. The muzzle borrowed in her fur nuzzled one of the pups, Rain, with the utmost gentleness as Breeze blinked at the newcomer. It was Sky, the one she'd been most anxious to see alive and well but guarded herself to find dead. Weakness seeped through Breeze, making her glad she was already laying down or she would have fallen over for sure. Leaning back against Sky's solid body, Breeze let out a low whine, rough and half strangled from her smoke-abused throat. Pressing her muzzle into Sky's smoky fur, the alphess looked up only when she heard a new voice added to the chorus of her pack. Robin, voice rough from smoke but sounding whole.

For the first time since her pups had been born into the world, Breeze smiled and then it slipped. Where was Sage?

"Robin, Autumn, come here with us," Breeze said, beckoning the pair to come into the bushes with Sky, the pups and her. If nothing else it would keep the pups warm and assure the alphas that most of their pack was in one piece.

Blue eyes skimmed each pack wolf as they appeared. Robin was soot-smeared and looked exhausted, trailing behind Autumn whom was at least three shades darker than even the fem's winter coat ever got. Turning to get a good look at Sky, Breeze saw he also was covered in ash but looked little worse for the wear.

As the wolves gathered around, the pups at Breeze's side squirmed and began yipping, stumbling around half blind as they still were. While their eyes were open, Breeze knew none of them could see properly yet and was glad for it. This would be a sad way to see their pack for the first time, missing a member, covered in ash and exhausted.

"Did...anyone see Sage?"

[Evkav]

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

** this is our life ,
IT'S ALL THAT WE GET

Hearing her own name spoken in such a tone had never felt so good in the young fae’s life. It was great to hear the Breeze was speaking and it soothed her so much. At least the Alphess wasn’t dead. If anything had happened to her all of the others would have been devastated. That’s when she remembered about the others, they were all still missing. Hopefully the pups were with their mother otherwise all hell would most likely break loose. Although young she knew well enough that a pup being separated from their mother at such a young age was definitely not a good thing; especially since a fire had just magically spread throughout their entire home.

Autumn was just about to stand up and crawl through the bushes when she was nudged in the side. A low growl came up through her throat but stopped immediately once she knew who it was. If her throat wasn’t completely dry she would have shouted out his name to the world but that was dangerous. Instead she just nodded calmly and let a big grin cross her maw. He wasn’t really her brother but Robin was the next best thing. Ever since that horrible massacre Robin had taken her under his wing and treated her like his sister. Sometimes they even fought like siblings but that was all part of a family.

The wolfess headed into the bushes and sighed when she saw that Sky had collapsed there. At least he was alive. She walked over and lay beside the pups, moving over to let Robin beside her. The pups were all so young, still blind and what they had been through was terrible. No pup of their age should have to endure that, not one. But four pups had survived the fire and as far as she knew there had only been four pups to begin with. As she looked around their little circle she was astonished at the sight.

Breeze looked like she could simply pass out then and there and her coat was significantly darker. Sky looked weak and tired as he looked upon the pups with care. Each of the pups looked very dark in colour and even Autumn could tell it wasn’t their natural shade. Her eyes became watery as she looked upon each of her friends, warn out and terrified of what was to come. It even scared her to death. She didn’t want to know what happened to them now; she was frightened that something even worse was coming. They had been driven out of home twice now and it was something no wolf should have to go through. What scared her the most was the fact that after all this time she had actually broken her promise. Shaking her head to clear the thought she craned her neck to hear Breeze’s raspy words.

Looking down at the ground she growled at the name that was spoken. As much as she hated Sage right now she still didn’t want anything to happen to her. Sage had badly hurt herself in their fight and that would certainly affect her speed. Autumn had only come away with a deep gash in her leg that was now starting to throb painfully. She really had hoped that no one would mention this topic. She hadn’t wanted to tell Breeze what had happened between the two of them. She didn’t want to get into trouble when it really wasn’t her fault.

Looking up at each of her friends in turn she sighed and turned her gaze on Breeze. “I’m sorry. I really should have told you earlier but I knew I couldn’t go into the den because of the pups,” she started off in a tired voice. “Earlier on we kinda got into a fight. She was saying all this stuff about you and so I got angry. I told her that if she hated you so much why she didn’t just challenge you. Then she just went crazy,” pausing she wondered how she would continue. “She said something about how she would prove herself to you by beating me. So she leapt at me. I told her I didn’t want to fight but in the end I had to defend myself. She got my leg pretty bad and I have a few claw marks on my back. Apart from that I was fine but I think she might’ve broken a leg. I definitely heard the distinct crunch sound.” Tears formed in her eyes and she turned away from the many eyes. “I’m so sorry Breeze,” she whispered. “It’s all my fault.” She couldn’t say anymore. Instead she just kept looking away. She could feel their gaze on her back and she just wanted it to go away. She wished that everything would just go back to the way it was. That they were all still young and it Cedars pack up in the mountains. But as much as she wished she knew it could never be.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

[[F] aint]

Panic rose in the young fae's body as the strong scent of smoke came to her nose. She had just found a place where she could see everything around her, where she could be alone to tend to her broken paw, and a place where she could yell to the stars in anger. It was just her luck that the scent of smoke would make her feel uncomfortable again. Pushing herself up with one foreleg, Sage looked toward the thicker forest where her pack mates lived. A bright orange color came from that area, and thick, black smoke rose high into the sky. Blinking, the young wolf wondered if she was just seeing things, but she had smelled it first. Again, panic rose in her again, and she lifted her backside off the cool ground and turned to face the different scene. Never in her life had she seen something like that before, and that's was worried her the most.

Limping away from her comfortable spot, Sage began to go toward the fire, instead of away from it. Something in her started screaming that she had to go find her family. Even though she hated all of them, with almost everything in her, she had to go see if they were okay. Taking a deep breath, the fae began to walk, with three legs, toward the smoke and fire.

- - -

Smoke poured into her lungs as she came out of the burning den that once held her pack mates. Blue eyes looked around the clearing, and over to the tree that Sage had fought her best friend under. Ash feel down from the sky, like rain, and the young wolf felt her heart break. They had left her, to die. Anger poured into the fae's mind, just as a tree began to groan. The wolf turned quickly and watched as one of the largest trees in the forest began to fall, its limbs and leaves on fire. It landed yards from her, with a loud crash. 'Run!' Her mind screamed at her, and she bolted from the clearing, her broken paw taking the most weight.

The young wolf ran as fast as she could, only looking back once to see the flames coming up on her. She began to cough as she ran, trying to get the ash out of her lungs, but it only slowed her down. Just as she was about to give up hope, a low, weak howl came to her ears and she lifted her head up. "Breeze?" The young fae questioned to herself. The loud roar of another tree falling made her snap out of the daze she was in, and placed the broken paw down to get her going again.

Pain flashed through her leg and into her shoulder, but she didn't stop. Each paw hit the ground as she ran, and she time the broken one hit, it made her want to stop running and give up, but that howl...

- - -

Bursting from the trees, Sage sucked in a breath of the clean air. Lungs filled and she could swear she felt the ash move within them. Coughing, the fae fell to the ground. The feeling of being alone came over her, more than the will to live. She knew that she was away from the danger zone, but something in her wanted her to keep going, to keep looking for the pack mates that had left her. Standing, the fae shook her pelt out, and lifted her broken paw off the ground. Blue eyes looked down at the limp appendage and sighed.

The fae walked for an hour, listening to every noise she heard, and before long voices came to her. She stopped, and pricked her ears forward, wondering if she was really hearing it, or if her mind was too filled with smoke-oxygen. The voices came again, and her heart began to race. 'I found them.' She thought to herself, and she limped forward, coming through long grass.

Blue eyes landed on the wolves that had come from the National Park, and a grin appeared on her maw. Autumn's voice came to her first, and she heard what she was speaking about. No anger flashed through her this time, only longing to see her family.

"My ears are burning." The young fae barked, with a sense of sarcasm in her tone.

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