(( Decided to get back into rping Ti, though I may end up killing her off, dunno yet... ))

The sun was high in the sky when she opened her eyes. It's bright rays were painful, sharp and sudden as they pierced her foggy mind. Where was she and how had she ended up here? And why did her limbs feel so heavy, so cold despite the brightness of the sun? Squinting those mis-matched eyes in utter confusion, the she-wolf raised her weary head a short distance, scanning her surroundings. They seemed vaguely familiar but she couldn't remember where from, or even when. She hadn't got a clue. With a hoarse cough, the old wolf dragged herself into a hunched sitting position, trembling with cold and weary exhaustion. Her body was thin, her fur patchy and tangled. And, with a little spark of alarm, she noticed dried blood tainting the leaves where she'd been laying.

Panic stricken, the golden cream she-wolf sat frozen in place for a few moments, blinking rapidly, mouth dry and sore. Eventually, her head cleared a little and she calmed, squinting down at herself in an effort to find where the blood came from. Several deep gashes laced her left side and she could feel the pain of a broken rib as she breathed. Her hind leg was covered in blood and also twisted at a funny angle, any pressure made her whimper in agony. Turning her head to scan the surrounding area, the elder found her memory slowly coming back to her. She could remember her name, Tjikiju. She could remember faces and names as they slowly swam into focus. She remembered her home and suddenly found herself desperate for the company of her pack mates. And their safety.

Struggling to her paws, Tjikiju gave a hoarse whine as pain wracked her whole body. She took a few moments to let the pain ease, getting her bearings and figuring out which way was home. It took all the energy she had, all the willpower, just to force each painful, laboured step, but she was both desperate and determined to get home. All the more as her memory returned and showed her the gory details of why she was in such a state.

She'd been away from the pack for quite a while, taking some time to wander and explore. She knew full well that her end was nearing, she was long in the tooth and she could feel it in her bones. Thus, she'd wanted to see as much as possible in that short time. She'd already accepted that she wouldn't see her family again, she wouldn't see her dear brother, but she was happy to keep him in her thoughts, proud to be his sister. Besides, she had a new family to keep her safe and warm, which she would return to once her travellings were done and over.

But that idea had been brutally extinguished a few nights ago. She'd been dozing in a mountain recess, dreaming of warm, delicious meat. Hunting was a struggle for the old girl and she was thin through lack of food, though that certainly hadn't dimmed her enthusiasm. She could remember a sharp and aggressive tang, one which had woken her with a start to find two pairs of cold green eyes. She had shot to her paws, ignoring the squeaking protest of her joints, facing the eyes which were now connected to two large, male bodies. She could see their intentions clear in those sneering eyes, the excited tremble of their limbs, the teeth exposed as their lips curled upwards. They taunted her with sharp words and harsh insults, circling her with threatening closeness, their black and grey fur stained with the blood of recently killed elk.

Tjikiju faltered as she remembered the attack, never having known such fear. The males had lashed at her, their teeth biting and snapping like relentless monsters. They'd thrown her to the ground, tossed her around like a ragdoll, laughing at her attempts to defend herself as they dodged her teeth with ease. And then, then they forced themselves on her, several times, breaking her down until she collapsed in pain and exhaustion. Only then did they leave her, when she was too weak to be any fun, they left her cold and bleeding and broken in that little grove, where she lay for several days.

The old wolf whimpered softly to herself as she remembered, limping through the undergrowth in desperate need of her packmates. She wanted to find her dignity and her pride, she wanted to find them and cling on and never let go. But she was old and it was harder than it used to be. She was failing and she knew it. But now, now she had to focus on one single target, it was the only way to momentarily forget those hauntingly cold green eyes, the pain in her bones and her mind. She was going home.

It was a long journey for the elder, she could feel her body resisting every single step she took, each one becoming harder and harder. But finally, with a spark of momentarily delight, she smelt the border scents of Andere Seite. She was home. She was safe. But she was also cold, weak and exhausted, a shadow of the steady, cheery elder she had been before. Her aching legs took her a few pawsteps into the land before giving way beneath her, depositing Ti in a muddled heap of skinny wolf and bloody fur. She didn't have the strength to drag herself further, at least she was here, she was home and someone would find her. Of course, she hated to appear before the pack in such a state, especially the young queen whom she had begun to love almost like a daughter, though she never admitted as such. Seline, indeed many of the others of her large family, were tough and resilient. And here she was, too weak to get to her paws, the howl she now uttered dying away within seconds as her voice was broken by coughing. Tjikiju sagged, weary and tired, she closed her eyes and let the darkness wash over her.

1020 words

T J I K I J U

sixteenish | female | andere seite | no rank | no mate | no pups | ~ morfie