Sing a Song for Me (OPEN)

[Ärï]

Song's slender red-gold form was shadowed by the darkness of night as she ran along the bank of the Twilight Lake. Coming to a higher point in the bank, about a five foot drop to the water, Song came to a smooth stop. Pale grey-blue eyes scanned the vast silver-shining lake. This was a land she had only recently come to call home, since meeting the aging crippled healer, Snowstorm she had been trying to learn from the ailing femmora. Sadly, it seemed Snowy didn't have much farther to go. She had sent Song away so she could die in peace and Song didn't disobey.

Turning her muzzle skyward, toward the vast ocean of navy and sterling, Song let out a high silvery note. It took wing and broke through the quiet lying over the forest, ringing against the mountains and trees, breaking the silence of a dark-glass night.

Moments passed her by as Song let her lyrics soar through the crisp night air before the red femmora let the tone die away. Pricking her auds forward, Song listened to the last whispered notes of her tone. The crunch of snow made her look around. It seemed she wasn't alone afterall in this dark clear night.

[Kismet//Accalia]

Akemi padded out of the forest and towards the lake. She heard the howl of another wolf there, too. She stopped and pricked her ears. She looked at the other wolf curiously. A threat? Maybe not, she doesn't sound like it. She shrugged and padded over to the other wolf. "Hello," she said calmly. "I see I'm not the only one out and about tonight." She did a small, friendly smile.

[Ärï]

"I suppose the same goes for me as well" Song barked, nodding her head toward the newcomer. "My name is Song, I'm fairly new to these parts." Song flinched internally as she thought of how new she was. Without Snowstorm, whom was well on her way to dying of the sickness, Song would be all alone again. It was a sad thought but the femmora tried not to think of it. Perhaps someday she could help find a cure for the disease taking hold of this place. Turning so she could better face the new femme, Song sat back on her hunches, ears swerved politely toward the other wolf.

[Kismet//Accalia]

Akemi nodded. "Nice name. You can call me Akemi. I've been living here for a while now." She decided to sit down and let her black tail swish calmly back and forth. "So did you come here alone? Or was there someone else with you?" Her eyes flickered back and forth like another wolf would come out of nowhere.

[Ärï]

"I'm with another wolf" Song barked. "But not for long. She's fallen ill and is in a den somewhere around here. She wanted me to leave her in peace until dawn." Song sighed softly and tried to focus on the present rather then what her task was likely to be in the morning. "She's a healer and has been teaching me some things, plants in this place and other things."

[Kismet//Accalia]

"Oh..." Akemi frowned slightly. "I guess she must be ill from that disease going around, then? It's unfortunate to see wolves dying because of this disease." Her frown turned into a curious grin. "Are you going to check on your friend to see if she is okay. I mean, is the sickness she has that bad?" She had seen many wolves with the sickness; they coughed blood, lost fur, and sometimes went mad. Although, so far, Akemi has seen very few wolves going mad.

[Ärï]

Song shook her head. "No. Her daughter will come for me at dawn and we'll bury her together." Song hadn't really thought about what she said. She was only repeating what Snowstorm had told her and Mirage, Snowstorm's daughter. Song felt like part of their small, broken up family but still. She was sad to see Snowy dying and apparently in Mirage's view, Snowy was dying twice since she had thought her mother dead in the mountains.

[Kismet//Accalia]

"Oh, okay." Akemi flicked her right ear. "So what brings you here anyway? I always thought as soon as someone heard there was a sickness going around, they would leave." Even though I have a slight urge to leave myself... I still can't. I have friends here. If they don't wish to leave, then I won't neither.

[Ärï]

Song shrugged slightly. "I'm a healer. I came here to help I suppose. They say there isn't much a healer can do against this sickness but I'm going to try." Song flicked her ears, a little embarrassed. She was a humble, modest wolf by nature and didn't like talking about herself for long. "Are you part of a pack or are you also a loner?" As nice as she was, Song found it hard to believe that Akemi was a roughened loner, even if she had been in the past she didn't seem like it now.

[Kismet//Accalia]

Akemi sighed. "A loner. I try to join packs, but they're just not for me. Don't know why." She quickly groomed her shoulders before continuing. "I was always curious at being a healer. But to tell you the truth, I just wasn't that eager to learn about herbs and stuff. All I know is the basics." She chuckled, smiling again. "I wish you luck, though. It seems like there is no cure for this disease. And if there isn't.." She shook her head. She didn't want to believe that there wasn't a cure. There had to be a cure to everything. Right?

[Ärï]

Song nodded but before she could reply to Akemi, her ears pricked. Paws beat against the ground and through the trees wove a willowy long-legged brute, panting and rushing toward her. Skidding to a halt, Remy sent snow all over Song, making her yelp in surprise.

"Remus! He's...I think he's dying!" Remy stammered, completely oblivious to Akemi. "You have to help him!"

Song flinched at the thought of the brute she'd met only breifly he. He was a sweet wolf, Remy's brother and only family. One was never without the other. Song shook her head sadly. "I suppose I could try Remy but....Remus's days are counting down. I'll help you." Song rose to her paws and looked over at Akemi, smiling. "Can you help me? I need to find some herbs along the way."

Remy looked over at Akemi, shifting his weight impatiently from paw to paw.

[Kismet//Accalia]

Akemi looked at Remy, then at Song, and back to Remy. "Sure, I'll help. I guess you could say that's just how I am. I don't fight, but I do like to help others." She stood up and shook her left paw before stand straight up. "Shall we get going now and find those herbs?" She really had no idea what they needed to find.

[Ärï]

"We'll need juniper berries for his breathing, Remus has always had rather bad lung infections" Song barked, thinking fast. "Tansy, poppyseeds and chickweed may have some effect" Song ranted, eyes flicking around thoughtfully. "We won't find much in the winter but we can try. Akemi, I know where poppy seeds can be found nearby but I need you to look for tansy or chickweed, perferably both." Song locked eyes with the other she-wolf for a moment before flicking her tail to Remy. The long-limbed brujo took off toward the den where his brother was laying, ill and possibly dying. "Follow our scent trail when you've found them" Song barked before turning and bounding after Remy.

[Kismet//Accalia]

Akemi just nodded and started sniffing at the ground. I've seen chickweed before. My friend showed me what it looks like. She lifted her head and started running into the forest. She had caught onto a slight scent of chickweed the wind had blown. As for tansy... I think I may know what those look like. I haven't seen them for awhile now. Maybe they're not even around right now. She shook her head, trying to not believe what she just thought. She quickly found the chickweed, but now it was time to find the tansies.

[Ärï]

Song skidded to a halt outside the den where Remus was sheltered. Remy waited outside the den impatiently as Song slunk inside to examine Remy's larger brother.

The brute was laying on his side, eyes glazed with sickness and panting. Remus's breathing rattled through the small space making Song wince. Snowstorm had told her that Remus often suffered from lung infections but Song knew from the stench that this sickness wasn't like what Remus had suffered through before. No. This was far worse and far more deadly. Bending closer, Song touched Remus's neck, feeling his breathing.

Remus, lost in a haze of half-dreams, turned his head away, rasping something she couldn't hear. Song tried to soothe him but knew he was lost in a fever's grip. Pulling a leaf bundle toward her, Song carefully managed to get Remus to swallow four poppy seeds to at least knock him out until she could get the other herbs.

Pulling herself out of the den, Song looked around for Akemi.