so you can throw me to the wolves

"Alder?"

Cypress paused, the silence of the Henge pressing in at her from all angles as she lifted her lantern higher and pushed her senses as far as they could go. Far off to her left she heard Olive repeat the call, followed a few seconds later from somewhere on her right by Torram. The dogs ranged between them, moving quietly and quickly through the underbrush with their heads low to the ground. It reminded her so much of their search for Koalie, back in the Omni's false world, that she found herself constantly seeking out the large white form in the dark to reassure herself the dog was still there. But even her worry for Koalie paled in comparison to her fear for Alder at the moment.

"Alder?" she called again, hating the desperate edge in her voice. No matter how many times she tried to convince herself that all this worry and fuss was for nothing, that Alder had probably been caught in the rain and decided to camp out somewhere dry for the night, she couldn't stop her racing thoughts. Her head felt... full, as if it had been packed with thick white cotton, and her gut wouldn't stop twisting. Had he been caught by the guards? Even if he had... what reason would they have to keep hold of him? The letters she exchanged with Thoth weren't particularly remarkable, nor would anyone have reason to think anything suspicious were going on. She supposed it might have looked bad if he'd been caught putting the letter in the hollow, but Alder was smart, quick, and he was beginning to know the Forest quite well; he should have been able to avoid anyone following him - or gotten away quickly if he had been caught. He would have headed right for home, too, to warn them. Unless. The word echoed in her head like the deep, ominous tolling of a bell. She swallowed hard, clutching her right arm in a steely grip. Her gaze skittered through the darkness towards the faint light of Oli's lantern. The man who had harassed her hadn't been back, at least not that they'd heard or seen, but... Alder still woke screaming sometimes, and the light was always burning in Olive's room from dusk to dawn.

Don't worry, Cy! came the peppy voice in her mind, Useless' little tail wagging like a banner at her side. We'll find him. And when we do, I'll give him a pounce for scaring you so. Like this!

With a soft yip, Useless hopped forward and gave the air a light snap, as if nipping at someone's shins. Cypress felt her lips twitch a little, shaking her head at his antics. A warm confidence and reassurance oozed through their bond, strengthening her a bit, and with a slightly shaky sigh resumed her walking. Her light fell on something shining dully on the path ahead a few moments later, and she felt her heartbeat begin to gallop before she'd even processed what she was seeing.

Blood! Useless shot back through their bond, his tail slowing as he turned frightened eyes back to Cypress.

Is it-? she asked breathlessly in reply, storming forward with dread curling in the pit of her stomach. The clearing before her was a mess, the signs of a brutal struggle obvious even in her flickering torchlight. A bloodied corpse lay still and silent on the far edge, sending her rushing forward, on the edge of sobbing as she fell to her knees. Her trembling fingers brushed against feathers sticky with blood, and she let out a shaky groan of relief. Not human, not...

Alder... was here, Useless whispered tentatively. Cypress pressed her trembling lips into a firm line, shaking her head.

"But he won, obviously. He's got to be around here somewhere," she said firmly.

VENARAPTOR, Olive's voice boomed in her mind, so loud that she yelped and slammed her hands over her ears unconsciously. The howl-scream of a fyren, followed by a booming roar, came from her left a second later as Olive engaged in battle. Venaraptors always travelled in packs of three, which meant she and Toram needed to get to her now. Cypress shoved to her feet, whirling towards the other direction when she heard Torram's shout on her right. The shadows from his lantern were growing and warping, dancing threateningly. Was it another pack? Another one of the bird-creatures? Or had...

Before she could process any further something slammed into her back at full speed and sent her flying. She lay still for a second, gasping and flopping like a fish on land as she tried desperately to push air back into her lungs. Useless took up a position before her, barking ferociously and drawing a number of her other dogs from the brush: too many.

"No," Cypress gasped, gesturing furiously as she pushed herself into a half-crouch. "Them too, THEM TOO!"

The pack split, some rushing towards Olive, some towards Torram, and some staying by her. She saw the creature tense and shoved Useless out of the way a second before it kicked out, its sharp claws slicing her from shoulder to elbow in one swift movement. She gasped but found the pain blissfully brief; she knew that wasn't necessarily a good thing, Danny had lectured her plenty of times that the deepest wounds often ceased to hurt, especially when adrenaline was involved, but she couldn't be without her arm so soon in the battle. She stood, trying to ignore the way she was shaking as she slid her good hand towards the sword sheath at her hip. She'd never been overly strong, and her height didn't loan her any powers of intimidation. Olive was an even worse fighter, but at least she had her Fyren form - and an intimidating familiar - in her favor; Torram was a decent fighter, probably the best out of them all. Cypress clamped down on the pool of her magic, shoving it outwards towards the venoraptor. Several times now she'd accidentally transformed someone into a domestic dog, but she'd never tried to do it on purpose. Why hadn't she tried it before?! She thrust her magic out at the creature desperately, over and over again as they squared up against one another and her own blood joined her twin's on the ground. Her tongue slid over her dry lips, her breath shuddering in and out between her lips. Her magic rolled right off the creature, as if meeting some invisible wall of glass.

The realization curled in her belly like a punch: it wasn't going to work. It couldn't work. Because the raptor wasn't a fairy, or she wasn't strong enough, or maybe she was just under too much stress. The why didn't matter just then, only the knowledge that she was on her own, entirely. No magic, no family, just her and her sword and her dogs against this predator. One of the dogs lunged forward; in her terror - fear of it being hurt, the mental picture of its death replaying violently in her head - Cypress turned the full force of her voice against the dog.

"NO!" she barked, the command so sharp and stern that the dog stopped mid-leap, backing away in confusion as the raptor wheedled around to face it.

"Don't you dare!" she shouted, stomping her feet and dragging the creature's attention back to her. Against her will the dogs circled the creature, dashing in for a snap or bite before racing out of it's reach again.

Use us, Cy! Useless squeaked in her head. He stood at her side, trembling like a leaf but standing his ground just like the bigger dogs. This is what you've made this pack for, isn't it?!

Cypress started to object vehemently, trying to get the dogs to back off again, but she couldn't deny it for long. The Warhounds were just beginning, true, but... they were trained to stand at their master's side, to defend them with their life if it was required. To be a full partner of their fairy, not just a bystander. Their training made them efficient, strong, and smart, more than just casualties. She could feel it: they wanted to fight for her, to defend her. They strained against their loyalty to her commands and their loyalty to her person, and if they stayed torn between the two they would be cut down.

She issued a few sharp orders, finding confidence as she deepened her voice with command. The dogs began to change up their pattern, sharp nips causing pain and discomfort but not real damage so that they could continue to dodge the creature's responses. It was getting more annoyed by the second, a series of sharp, irritable clicks audible as its movements became more erratic. When it was thoroughly distracted Cypress rushed forward with her sword, aiming for its chest.

She realized too late that it had seen through her plan: it reared back, one strong leg planting right in the center of her chest and sending her flying again. Her grip on her sword slackened, her ribs screaming in pain, but her mother's training echoed in her mind and her muscles - a lost weapon was of no use to her now! - and she managed to keep the sword even when she slammed into a tree. She tightened her grip, turning to follow the raptor as it began to circle her. One of the larger dogs took advantage of it's unprotected back, slamming into it with all his weight and making the creature stumble. He narrowly avoided a slash from the raptor's right leg, but the distraction allowed for two smaller dogs to rush from behind, sharp little teeth digging into the raptor's left leg, which it was using for balance. It screeched in pain, shaking its leg to dislodge the dogs; they were thrown a short distance but recovered quickly, rolling back to their feet and dashing quickly to stand behind the line of larger canines ones again. Cy wet her lips again, trying to ignore the stinging in her arm and chest.

She waited, her patience growing tauter by the second, for a fresh opening, this time feinting towards the right before attacking on the creature's weakened left side. She felt her blade strike flesh, but before she could discover where she'd struck or how much damage was done, she found herself falling to her knees - tripped by the bird carcass she'd forgotten about entirely! She gasped, her arms coming up instinctively to protect her face and throat as the raptor charged for her. A series of sharp yips had dread curling in her belly; she chanced a glance and found Useless standing in front of her, barking and growling like some mad creature. The raptor had drawn to a halt, cocking its head from side to side as it studied the small dog through slit pupils dilated with hunger. Spit frothed at Useless' little mouth, bright against his dark fur. In the flickering light of her dropped lantern - somehow still bright - his gaze was as focused and ferocious as any of the larger dogs.

Terrified what the raptor might do to him, she threw herself at him, ignoring the screaming in her body as she did. But it was too late... the raptor's head dipped, snapped up Useless around his midsection, and with a sharp toss of its head, sent the little dog flying. He landed with a whump somewhere to the left, but not even a yelp of pain was heard. Cypress felt her gaze go shaky and gray around the edges, her temples throbbing as she fought to breathe. Something was... very, very wrong. She gasped, trying to force air into her lungs, feeling as if she'd had the air knocked out of her all over again. What was happening to her?! It was like someone was pinching and pulling at her bond with Useless, as it were a thread being squeezed through the tiny eye of a needle. She lay prone, her hands digging into the cold, moist earth as if she were hanging on for dear life. She felt her stomach twist, her heart flop in her chest, and looked up into the cold, contemplative eyes of the raptor standing over her.

Rage suddenly swelled in her chest, burning away the pain, the confusion, that terrible sense of disorientation. She roared with it, her grip on her sword strengthening, and she threw herself up and at the raptor with all her strength. Her sword lashed out to strike...

And three arrows hit the raptor's head in quick succession. It went down quickly, its death throes brief and ineffective. Bloodied, battered, and utterly confused, a shaky Cy looked towards the direction where the arrows had originated, and found one of the outlaws rushing from the brush. She didn't recognize them, or at least, she didn't think she did. The brush to her left moved, shivered, and some large black beast appeared. Cypress stared at the creature, and it - no, she - stared back. Knowing sliced through her, sharp as the raptor's claws, and tore her heart in two. The world went dark, and she welcomed it, pitching forward towards the ground. Strong arms wrapped around her, but she lost the sensation - and everything else - seconds later.

Cypress;