Falling Behind (Tumbleweed and Family)

[mudfang]

Illusion soon returned with the peppers. Tumbleweed grasped them in his claws, ripping them open and pulling out the hot pulp. "Now, Mirage, stuff it in her mouth with your paws. Believe me, they warm ANYTHING up."

[Ärï]

Mirage approached her mother and touched the part of her neck just under her jaw. Snowstorm's head jerked out of sluggish reflex, her jaws parting. Mirage put the pulp into Snowy's jaws and used her nose to close her mother's mouth, licking her throat to enduce Snowstorm's swallow reflex. It worked. Snowstorm swallowed the hot pulp.

Fire shot down Snowy's throat and pooled in her belly, making her paws tingle and tail twitch. A low groan escaped the crippled femmora, her paws twitching as some feeling returned to her though her eyes only flickered before remaining closed though her breathing seemed to speed up a bit.

[mudfang]

Tumbleweed smiled. "There ya go... now... I must leave before she wakes up, to ensure my safety." He trotted, off, Illusion behind him.

[Ärï]

"Dad stop it!" Mirage barked sharply. She was glad to feel her mother's mind beginning to rouse but her own anger was starting to flare and flicker. "This is why Snowstorm was so unhappy all the time. You kept disappearing. She told me all about it. She doesn't know if she can trust you. She was mad and tired but she'll be ok now." Mirage stared at her dad with innocent blue eyes that somehow still managed to look haunted by the tainted feelings of wolves around her.

[mudfang]

Tumbleweed didn't glance back. It was her turn to cry. She's been accusing me of false things forever. Forget it.

[Ärï]

Mirage snarled angrily and turned to look back at her mother. Snowstorm's mind had always been a haunted one but Mirage had always thought of Snowy as her mother, kind when she needed to be and always understanding. Snowstorm never argued if Mirage said she needed to be away. She never called Mirage a freak or insulted her in anyway, only taken it in stride. Mirage glared back at Tumbleweed. "You're blood isn't in my veins" Mirage growled. Mirage curled up next to her mother, burrowing into her mother's fur, ignoring the slight burn she felt. "Why'd you save her if you didn't care?" Mirage growled. It was still up in the air. Snowstorm still may die.

[mudfang]

She won't care. Tumbleweed snarled in his head.

Illusion trotted back to her sister. "Sorry, but I have to agree with Tumbleweed on this one. She shouldn't jump to conclusions so drastic. And FYI, Tumbleweed was away mourning Ragweed. I thought you and Snowstorm would have more respect than that."

[Ärï]

Mirage glared at Illusion. "We can't understand what we don't know. Snowy thought he'd vanished again like before. She worried and then he didn't come back so she gave up but she kept fighting, like a mother should. At least she never left me behind to runoff with the perfect pup" Mirage snarled, her temper and energy shot as she curled up beside her mother, hoping the sensations she felt in Snowy were her coming around or getting better. Mirage leaned her head against her mother's soft white fur. Snowstorm had never left her behind, never. She'd always been understanding. Don't leave me behind Snowy Mirage thought.

[mudfang]

"He never 'run off'. HE WAS ALWAYS WITH A PATIENT LIKE ANY DECENT HERB HEALER SHOULD BE! Goodbye, Mirage. And good ridance." Illusion spat, venom in her voice. Tumbleweed kept trotting and Illusion caught up to him.

[Ärï]

Mirage closed her eyes and curled close to Snowstorm. The sound of Snowstorm's heartbeat lulled Mirage away to sleep as the tempuratures began dropping, a storm approaching again. Mirage woke when she felt Snowstorm's mind. Mirage raised her head. "Snowy?" Mirage murmured softly. Her mother's hoarse breathing made her heart tighten and her stomach knot.

"Its fading Mirage" Snowstorm murmured.

"What is?" Mirage asked softly.

"Everything" Snowy murmured. "Go. The dying don't wish for an audiance."

Mirage rose slowly, unwilling to leave her mother.

"Go" Snowstorm murmured hoarsely. "It will be better if you don't feel this. If you see him....tell him I'm sorry."

Mirage already felt it, a strange, foreign numbness, like she had felt when Liviana's mother had died. Mirage turned and left the cave and started running, blindly. She didn't care where she went and barely heard the wind howling in her ears. It didn't matter. Snowstorm was dying. Tumbleweed didn't care anymore and Illusion hated her. They had fallen apart.

[mudfang]

Tumbleweed just kept walking. Illusion set straight foreward, never looking back. Her feelings flickered with malice.

(I'm going to have them join Black Mist)

Tumbleweed saw a pack ahead. Black Mist. He could possibly join them.... He trotted foreward.

[Ärï]

(mirage is with silvermist)

Mirage saw SilverMist up ahead. Liviana. Mirage sprinted toward them, fighting through the snow. She was alone now. No more understanding mother, always sad but always there. It was over. She'd lost it all.