Falling Behind (Tumbleweed and Family)

[Ärï]

Snowstorm limped along the mountain path, Mirage padding slowly beside her. The deep snow had come almost up to their bellies, both of them struggling now. Neither had any advantage here, Mirage being small for her age and Snowy limping with her scarred limb. Snowstorm was almost lost in the sea of white all around them, only her pale topaz pools letting Mirage know where she was. Mirage however, still stuck out like an ink blot on a peice of pure white paper or ivory but her fur was coated with ice and snow making her look dark grey. They had fallen behind Liviana and her pack but neither really minded. As long as Mirage could sense them, she could follow them. Snowstorm was just slower and refused help. Mirage was used to her mother's stubborn ways.

Just as they paused to catch their breath, Mirage raised her head. "Someone's coming" Mirage barked, looking back. She sensed someone, two someones and they felt familiar, their minds tasted so familair....

[mudfang]

"Finally we found you two!" called a familiar voice. It was Illusion. She yipped and bounded across the snow to the two faes. Tumbleweed was right behind her. They both caught up to the other half of their family.

[Ärï]

Snowstorm turned her head to one side and sent an icy glare at Tumbleweed and a low growl rumbled in her chest. Turning, Snowy continued walking. Mirage glanced from father to sister to mother, measuring their emotions. Her father and sister were happy to have found them but Snowstorm was doubtful and angry. Tumbleweed had run off somewhere nearly two moons ago. Mirage had sensed her mother's growing dislike toward him, less dislike and more hurt. Mirage turned and started after her mother. She glanced apologetically back at her father and sister, tail hanging low.

"Mother..." Mirage began.

"Hush" Snowy barked sharply.

Mirage sighed and bit her tongue, keeping quiet as Snowy had ordered.

[mudfang]

Tumbleweed shrugged and went on. Illusion padded up beside Mirage. "What is wrong with her?" Illusion whispered. Her voice was inaudible to anyone but her sister.

[Ärï]

Mirage looked at her sister and sighed. "Tumbleweed ran off. That's what Snowy thinks. Now she's...."

Snowstorm shot a glare at Mirage that made the empath stop in mid-sentence. Her jaw snapped shut and stayed that way. Mirage knew better then to mess with her mother when Snowy was in this kind of mood. Snowstorm limped along faster then she had before though Mirage was fairly sure that finding SilverMist was the last thing on her mind. Mirage would like to catch up again since Liviana seemed to need the support of a friend but she'd promised not to leave Snowstorm behind and she hadn't. Snowstorm shot another deadly glare at Tumbleweed, the ivory fur along her shoulders bristling slightly.

"What are you doing here?" she growled with such venom Mirage had to stop herself from flinching. Yep, Snowy was mad.

[mudfang]

"Trying not to get killed by Verlust. Why should I be questioned when I've done nothing?" Tumbleweed said, his voice growing harsher.

Illusion glanced at Mirage with a look that said. "Yuh-oh"

[Ärï]

Snowstorm glared at Tumbleweed, no longer walking or limping. She simply stood and glared, a statue built of ice with topaz caught in her eyes. "Get away from me" Snowy growled, snapping her jaws. "Go run off like you do everytime. I'm done waiting. I knew it was a waste of my time." Snowy turned and limped along the mountain path.

Mirage sensed something. "Snow...!" she couldn't finish.

Snowstorm's paw had touched a patch of ice. Caught off balance the white femme slid. Half a yelp was all that could escape her as she slid down a slight slope onto a ledge below. A soft grunt was all they heard. Mirage sprang forward, trying to grab her mother before she fell but she was too late, almost falling herself.

"Snowstorm!" Mirage barked, looking down at the narrow ledge below them, barely wide enough for Snowy to lay on.

[mudfang]

Tumbleweed lept down the ledge, with Snowstorm. He sighed. "You hate me. I get it. Now let me make sure you don't die." He grabbed onto her scruff. Illusion scrabbled down the slope halfway. "Mirage, grab onto my tail!" she said. She grabbed onto Tumbleweed's tail. Tumbleweed mumbled through fur. "Pull when I tell you to."

[Ärï]

Mirage hesitated. Oh you're kidding Mirage thought. She looked down at Snowstorm and smirked. Apparently Snowy wasn't as old as Mirage had always thought. She still had some fight in her. "Um...Tumbleweed, you might want to let go...."

Snowstorm writhed free, careful not to fall into the valley below. "Back off mutt" Snowy growled. "I've told you before, cripple but not helpless. Since I had to do things one-pawed I figured out how to help myself no thanks to you."

Snowstorm looked up at Mirage, her wounded leg held gingerly as if it pained her. "Can you handle it?"

"I think" Mirage murmured.

Snowstorm had to be careful though. One wrong step and her and Tumbleweed could go tumbling off the cliff. Though she was angry and hurt, Snowy didn't think she wanted Tumbleweed dead. Snowstorm leapt, pushing herself with her good leg. Mirage lunged forward and grabbed Snowstorm's scruff, bracing her hind legs and pulling, hurling her weight backward. Snowstorm's front paws caught the ledge, hind legs scrabbling for pawholds. Mirage pulled back again. Snowy pulled herself up though her crippled leg seemed to be useless now, not that it was much help on a normal basis.

Mirage looked down at Tumbleweed. "Sorry about her" Mirage murmured. "Um...she kind of...trusts me I guess...." Mirage hated this. She understood her mother's hurt but still, it seemed a little rediculous.

[mudfang]

Tumbleweed grunted, clearly hurt. He scrambled up the ledge, pulling Illusion with him. He walked off, dragging Illusion with him. "Back off? Fine! I'll back off." He walked fast. Illusion looked back, at Mirage. "Sorry." she mouthed.

[Ärï]

Snowstorm laid down in the snow and simply let it drift over her. Mirage sat near her mother, eyes dark and sad as she watched the snow continue falling, growing thicker and the wind louder. Another storm was coming to ravage the mountains. Honestly it always seemed like the same storm, one continuous flow of howling winds and whipping needles of ice. For a while Mirage managed to sleep but when she woke, Snowstorm was buried in the snow. Snowstorm felt calm though it was too calm to be simply a dreamless sleep. Mirage dug until she found Snowstorm, her eyes closed and sides moving slowly in shallow breaths. Apparently she had hit her head but Mirage had failed to notice.

"Snowstorm?" Mirage barked, nudging her mother's head lightly. "Snowy? Wake up!"

Snowstorm didn't move.

"Oh no" Mirage murmured. Snowstorm's mind was empty, blank, fading. "No no no no" Mirage barked again and again. "I shouldn't have fallen asleep! She hit her head, she shouldn't sleep!"

Mirage looked around wildly. No one to help them now. Tumbleweed didn't want them anymore. Snowstorm had driven him off. Illusion was with Tumbleweed. No one to save them this time. Mirage let out a long mournful howl, the kind sung for a dying wolf. It blended beautifully with the crying of the wind as it whirled on, blowing the storm along.

[mudfang]

Tumbleweed looked up. He heard the howl. He whipped around and flew through the snow, Illusion screeching in protest. She ran after him. He came to a stop infront of Mirage. "W-what's wrong?" he stammered.

[Ärï]

Mirage turned and nudged Snowstorm's side. The femme was nearly lost in the snow again, still breathing lightly. Mirage looked at her father sorrowfully. "I let her fall asleep" Mirage murmured. "I...I didn't know. I woke up when her mind went blank. I...." Mirage couldn't finish. She looked away, bottling up another howl that she wouldn't let loose.

[mudfang]

Tumbleweed hurriedly sniffed Snowstorm. He looked up. "She has chillshivers. Illusion, go fetch red roots. Make sure you don't put them in you're mouth. Mirage, help me move her onto a dry rock." Illusion sprinted away to gather the spicy peppers.

[Ärï]

"Umm...dad...I..oh nevermind" Mirage muttered. She padded forward and grasped Snowstorm's scruff, pulling her mother toward a crevice in the rock that would be just big enough for the three of them. How they had missed that the first time was mystery to Mirage but it was a question for later thought. Snowy put up no fight though Mirage felt a glimmer of her mother's old fight send a buzz straight to her mind. Mirage smiled as she set down Snowstorm. She wasn't gone.