A deep, dark growl ensued into the world. Pain this deep was not something I wore well. My head tilted to the side, keeping the blood from pooling in my skull. Dizzying waves of nausea and a massive, throbbing head ache accompanied the swelling, pressure, and nerve damage in my eye. These were not even half of what I felt coming away from Tavoria, I could not even pin my ears back in agitation from the trauma I have sustained. My face is swollen and startlingly devoid of one glorious jade orb, my breaths were short and hard to come by. My nasal passages had been swollen mostly shut, the right side of my face unrecognizable due to swelling, blood, and the puckering of open wounds on my eye. That young bastard was tough, he had tried to kill me in our fight, directly resulting in the quarter sized hole in my chest. Even that paled in comparison to my face. The cuts on my side even seemed inconsequential in comparison. My front was covered in blood, saturated down to the skin, passed both thick layers of fur.

If I recovered from this, I would kill that son of a bitch next time I fought him. He took my beautiful eye, and so he would pay dearly for his mistake. I manage to stumble and drag myself all the way to Enocura's edge, knowing Lacuna would be waiting here for me as was the plan. Amoxtli's voice rings out victoriously, and I let a weak, stiff raising of my lips in response. I paid for my short-lived display in a blast of electrifying pain throughout my face, as though he had me by the eye once more. Oh yes, that bastard would pay for what he did. Though, there is a satisfaction in my loss. Tavoria was fucking beautiful, and now I know the male I would face is equally as confident and cruel as I am. He can be, at least. The land was worth a second eye if that is what it took, I would be a blind queen, but no less deadly once I grew used to the lack of sight. I would be sure to protect my good eye next time.

Lacuna's worried tune does not escape my perked ears, but I know I cannot make it much further passed the treeline. I call back to her, after a second and more urgent call came from her. Perhaps others cannot tell when this woman is worried, but I know her, I can read the subtleties between the lines. My own solemn cry answers her once more, assuring her that I am alright though badly injured. Finding a well-protected thicket, I lay down in the middle, exhaustion and blood loss taking their tolls in equal measure. I would not spare him a second time, laying my tender head on my paws, I wince at the pressure on my chest and I lay more toward my left to keep off the pressure. My paws are cold, head tilted to the right to keep blood from pooling in my eye socket, and I am unrecognizable due to the swelling and blood.

This will be quite the shock for my Lacuna. As soon as she shows, my eye lights up some, though I do not move as I usually would. "Our happy tree friend is rather fierce. Something kept me from killing him, I should have killed him." I state it simply, quietly though my tone suggests amusement. I do hear the sound of disappointment and delirium setting into my voice. Hopefully, she will not be as Seline. I worry over the loss of a wolf I have come to view as a confidante, a sister, a friend. To lose her would be to lose myself at this point, and I would definitely not survive the loss of either of us.