Time for a Drink?

[shhdawn]

Balid's scared eyes looked up to the rogue leopard... he had settled himself down by the little dog. His whole body was shaking.,.he had never killed another canine before. It felt terrible, and he now knew that he had done this. But he didn't understand why the leopard was so mad..was he in love with a wild dog? How strange...but his mind flashed, and he saw the forest the way it was when he was a pup. Green splotches of grass on the ground, him playing with himself. Chasing his tail.

Then he saw him self grow, into a one-yeard-old pup. He saw the small wild dog enter his presence. His father had urged him to surprise attack it. To learn how to hunt. He didn't want to, he didn't understand why his father wanted him to attack another canine. But he ahd to listen, what else could he do? He had definitely caught the little dog's attention. And he had chased it, until he had leapt so far he landed on her. Straight on, and he started chewing on her ear playfully. She was scared to death and he started backing up. Then he had had a certain urge to attack it again...his body roared with rage and he had grabbed her by her paw, she was kicking his head and howling. He had let go, not understand what had happened to her. And he saw her paw, gushing with blood, as she hopped away..

It was like that again, he had some sort of strange rage go through him. he didn't no what it was, but now realized that it was dangerous to be around other animals. He couldn't go off again with so many around him. So many lives in danger. He was so powerful in this sort of rage, and never realized what happened after it happened. He just had an urge to kill. And he didn't know why. His mind spun and spun with thoughts and his head hurt thinking about all the things he could have done to other animals. And then he realized the limp body infront of him, how she was so scared when she saw him. He had hurt her in her past, and now he had almost killed her...he looked down at her, tears squeezed out of the corners of his eyes. Where did he belong? If he was a danger to other creatures..would he ever be able to live? Or was he just a killing machine...a monster...

[Haptic~]

Jaali bared his fangs, looking at the fearful eyes of the wolf before him; then, looking through them. "Leave if you know what's best for you." He said after the wolf refused him an answer. The nerve of the animal, hurting his friend and not having the decency to speak for himself. It seemed the crazy look was gone from his eyes, and the foam had stopped dripping from his maw. "If I ever see you again, I'll do to you what you did to her you mangy animal." His low growl had lost it's loudness, but the danger that reverberated throughout it was ever present. He still held no feeling for the mutt, but his priorities had shifted. "Dayten, wake up." The leopard purred, his voice strained with panic but as gentle as he could make it at that moment.

He shivered, the night suddenly cold. How could someone hurt another like this? When they didn't even know their name? Right about now, Jaali wanted to blame it on the fact that the wold was canine. That they had different morals. Different standards. That what his father and his instincts told him were right, that dogs were heartless and cruel and only cared about their ego and their status in their tyrannous packs. But Dayten isn't like that at all. "Come on, I-I won't let him hurt you again, I swear it." But he had promised that before, hadn't he? And look how that turned out. She was dying because of him! Because he wasn't strong enough to protect her.

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Aiden folded his ears back, the sight before him rather pathetic. He hardened his ruby eyes to the sight, looking up at the cowering dog that caused the trouble. He could see that the bigger canine regretted the action, and he expected the wrath of the leopard... but didn't seem to care. "Come on, no matter how sorry you are now; he isn't going to hear you." He said with as much compassion as he could muster with his little heart reaching out toward the odd pair beside them at the same time. But it was stupid to be angry at the mutt when he looked so... scared. So angry. But that anger seemed to be attacking no one but himself. That simply won't do. Aiden wasn't much of a do gooder, no. He actually would have rather found his little stream and had a drink than run into a situation like this. But now that he had seen it, he couldn't just forget about it.

[shhdawn]

Balid strained his eyes to look back at the leopard..I-I didn't mean..I mean I would never.. His body shivered, he decided the best would be to walk away...but he couldn't. After all, he had done this to her. The least he could do would be to stay with her...but then she probably wouldn't want to see him? But he had to stay, he just had to tell her he was sorry. He wouldn't be able to live without telling her..


A heap of air flew to her lungs, and gushed out in blood. She kept coughing, and all that was coming out was blood. She couldn't really see around her, just she knew Jaali was with her. He would be, until she got through this..she just had to...for Jaali.And soon she saw blotchy colors, of white, green, and browns. She sat her head up, but then let it fall back down.


Balid saw her, coughing blood... He couldn't look at her, he had done this to her.. He had never felt so guilty in his life. He came closer to the dog, his tail was low, but not between his legs. He nudged her soft head with his muzzle. And softly licked her large ears. He moved his muzzle to her ear, and he knew she could feel his hot breath in her ear. He whispered..I'm so sorry...I-I'm really sorry..

[Haptic~]

Jaali folded his ears back, not listening to the wolf beside him any longer. He didn't want to hear his apologies, didn't care about the answer. The lupine was a jerk before and a monster long enough to nearly kill Dayten and now he wants to apologize? Now he wants to make it seem like he attacked on accident? As sentimental as his words were starting to sound, Jaali... wouldn't let himself hear a word of it.

When Dayten moved a bit, the snow leopard let himself release a breath he didn't know he was holding. She was breathing, and doing well enough to open her eyes even if it was just for a moment. That's right Dayten, just hold on. He frowned, nuzzling the wild dog before shivering. This time, from the cold. "We have to move her somewhere else." He said, looking at the ground and wondering just who he was talking to. There was no way that he'd let the wolf touch her after what he did... but that left... the fox. Jaali snorted, the little fella wouldn't be of any help even if he wante-

"Dayten led me to a little dig out earlier. It's big enough for a few bigger animals." Aiden added, standing by the wolf's side. For some reason he was worried about him as well as Dayten. Jaali didn't look pleased at the prospect of sharing anything with the wolf in question, and Aiden quickly added, "But it would be a good shelter from the cold." If you really want to apologize to her, I'll hold off the big guy's temper until he calms down alright? The fox whispered. Worst come to worse, his... was this trust? Well. the trust he had in the wolf to not attack again anyways... would be betrayed. But hey, he had gone a bit mad earlier.

[shhdawn]

Balid looked desperately up at the leopard. He didn't no what else to do..he hadn't meant for this..but how could he tell them? They'd never believe him, he was having trouble believing the truth himself. He shook his head, and squeezed his eyes tight. This couldn't happen to him..out of all the animals around him...it had happened to him..but he had to quit thinking about himself...there was the dog. And her name..was Dayten.

He looked at the fox, and tried to look at him friendly, trying to tell him that he was thankful with his eyes. He usually didn't thank people, but he had to..the little fox was making him less stressed. His ears were laid back on his head, as he slowly got to the ground next to Dayten. He wouldn't leave her. Even if the leopard got angry and tried to attack him. He just couldn't. He had too much love for this animal, and he wasn't sure why. He just had to stay with her, she meant a lot to him right now. He had almost killed her, and now he needed to show her he didn't want that..

Dayten closed her eyes tightly...she heard Jaali's soft voice in her ear...wait that wasn't Jaali..it was the wolf? She couldn't make out what he said...but he sounded pleading. She flinched, and breathed heavily. She tried curling into a ball...it was very cold out and she could feel the cool air and it was going to get colder...there would be snow. She could sense it...and she wasn't in shape enough for cold weather..there would be no way she could survive...no she couldn't think like that...she was awake now...she had to think positive..that was all she could do...was all the strength she had to do.

[Haptic~]

{name:Jaali#|#picture:9}

Jaali scooped Dayten onto his back, carrying the female best he could. "Lead the way Fox." He said simply, not trying to be rude, but starting to get cold himself. Once they were at the cave he could clean the blood off of the wild dog's neck... it could get infected if he didn't. Aiden quickly complied, looking over his shoulder for the wolf to come along. He wasn't too bad a big guy; he couldn't be to want to apologize so badly. You just needed to give him a chance.

Jaali on the other hand, wasn't going to do any such thing, growling as he walked beside the fox, warning Balid not to come along. The wolf wasn't wanted around Dayten or himself, and he doubted the fox wanted him to come either. "Go away." He seethed, his jaw clenched and his expression hateful as he turned around. Aiden paused, skittering --because that's what his run looked like around such big animals-- inbetween the two and yipping barking. "Hey! He only wants to apologize. Besides, we should be worried about the girl, right? If you both have her interests in mind, shouldn't you get along pretty well?" He growled, defending the wolf by defending the wild dog on the leopards back.

Jaali's eyes widened, for a moment rather wild in nature before he turned his head and kept walking forward. For now, the both of them could follow or leave or whatever. For now? The fox was right, Dayten should be his only focus.

[shhdawn]

{name:Balid#|#picture:4}Balid's hopeless eyes watched as the leopard told him to leavev, and just scooped up the wild dog. he couldn't move, he couldn't follow the leopard...that was just asking for a death-bed. Please...I-I didn't want this... He squeezed his eyes, and a few tears trickled their way down his rough cheeks sticking out with large jaw bones.

He cleared his throat..the little fox was sticking up for him? Really? After he had been so rude to him...he was trying to be kind? His expression softened for the little fox. He had misjudged, and he realized how people could be in this world. They didn't have to be like monsters..even if they were..or had those days...they could still learn to be kind. And noble. The fox had taught him sometehing that day. And he got up, confident, and followed them.

[Haptic~]

{name:Jaali#|#picture:9}

Aiden led the bigger carnivores to the cave a few minutes after that. Jaali was slowly growing tired, the canine on his back light, but heavy after a long walk. "Finally." He let out a sigh, a bit of releif that they had gotte there. It was getting cold, and starting to look like it would snow.

He carefully sad Dayten down, leaning down and licking the blood from her neck. The wound was deep, and she seemed to have lost a bit of blood. It would heal; but the process would probably be slow... and Jaali could only hope that the wild dog had that kind of time.

Aiden stood beside the wolf, wondering whether he would come inside. Jaali knew that it was freezing out, and even a wolf got cold through those thick coats of theirs. As for Aiden himself? He worked terribly with the cold, already shivering a bit. His nose was an uncomfortable cold to go along with it. "Well?" He said, wagging his tail a bit. "You coming?"

[shhdawn]

{name:Dayten#|#picture:6}

Dayten soon felt herself getting lifted up, and she felt Jaali's soft fur on her as he carried her away. She slowly opened her eyes as she was let down, and Jaali licked her neck. She looked up to him, and smile. She tried licking him back, but couldn't move her head, so her tongue flopped to the ground and quickly went back inside her warm mouth.

Her legs tried curling up..she couldn't really move, but it was freezing out. And her whole body shook, her ears laid back against her head, trying to warm it the best she could. She moved her front paws towards her small muzzle, trying to warm her nose, as she could already feel the ice form on it.

Balid follwed them confidently, but then when the leopard invited him in...he couldn't help but hesitate. He didn't want to discomfort the little dog, so he just sat down and curled up outside. His large fluff of a tail easily covered his head. Wolves were made for cold weather, and Balid loved the cold. He didn't mind being outside near them. And if he really needed to, he could dig himself a den.

He didn't feel quite comfortable snuggling with a fox, a dog, and a leopard in -15 degrees. But, he was fine. He'd stay here as long as needed, with the little dog. The poor thing, she was already almost frozen. And the little fox looked just as worse. Balid couldn't help but get up, and go near to the little fox and settle down as far away from the leopard as possible. He curled up letting his tail drift over the fox and over his head. His tail was so warm, and he could last forever with his amazingly broad coat. He was meant for winter.