Closed After All is Done... [Kaden]

[Spirit Frostfawn]

--Fall 70th, 513 AV – (Continued from After the Storm) After Kaden had shifted, Spirit and her cousin had aided the exhausted Kelvic onto her mare, and made sure he was secure. Once the other hunters had arrived, making their kills safe from any other attackers, the trio –girl, horse, and Kelvic- made their way back to the city, the Frostfawn leading Silver gently all the way there. It was a long walk, much longer than the way there, where they’d been riding… well, she had. Her companion had been running in his cat form. Still, movement had been much faster then… but not now.Still, they walked in amiable silence, Spirit occasionally speaking to Kaden, or asking him a question or two, just to check that the man was conscious. Luckily enough, he was for the entire journey, and they reached the doors of the Whitevine healing center without a problem. A doctor- probably a Whitevine- spotted them outside, and rushed to help calling for more to aid the injured Kelvic. Together, the groom and the doctor helped the man down from his perch, after which Silver was utterly relieved. She had not been enjoying the smell of blood on her back, or carrying some unknown cat-like thing. It had taken a bit to get the mare calm enough in the first place, especially after all the frights she’d been through. After tying up the horse outside the building, the doctor helped her half carry half support Kaden into the icestone building, before finding an empty room to care for him. ”I’ll need to find an assistant to help me… unless you know anything?” he looked critically at the Kelvic’s ramshackle bandages. Spirit had managed to glean some extra clothes and cloth off her cousin –she promised to buy him more later- and used those to wrap up the wounds as best she could. ”Yea… I can help….” she waited for more instructions, knowing that the doctor would like to be in charge. He nodded, before sending her off for something to clean their wounds with. The Frostfawn was familiar enough with the healing rooms after her two days here during the Summer, so knew where she was going. As she headed off for a bowl, alcohol, cloth, and water, the doctor began to interrogate Kaden… if he was conscious enough. ”Right. You. What happened to you? You look like you’ve been attacked by a very large cat.” He wasn’t the most compassionate of people, but he was oddly spot on in his metaphor. He had short, blackish-brown hair, with a faint highlight of green in it. His eyes were a plain brown at the moment, and his face stern. As he waited for his patient to reply, he fetched some bandages out of a nearby cupboard, leaving the Kelvic to explain his surprising condition. Spirit had easily collected the necessary items, and returned to find the doctor searching for his current item. She smiled widely at Kaden, wanting to reassure him, before taking the bowl up to his shoulder- the worst injury she could see. It had re-opened in the second fight, not like it had closed, and could easily hold any kind of germs or infection… who knew what were on those massive teeth. It’s sight made her stomach roll, and honestly she just wanted to run away from the blood covered man. Still, she felt it was her duty to help the Kelvic, after he’d helped her… she couldn’t just leave him with the strange doctor… that would be almost cruel. Instead, she warned quietly ”This will hurt. A lot. But it’s going to clean your shoulder, so it doesn’t get infected. Try not to move, ok?” That done, she slathered the clot h with a little bit of oil, before rubbing the gash with said fabric. Whatever Kaden did, excepting hitting her, she would attempt to finish the job, rubbing around in the red area until she was sure she had covered everything. ”Does this sting? I mean… other than the usual pain” she pressed a fresh cloth onto the wound again, to check. Cuts like that only stung with alcohol if they were still dirty. If it didn’t sting, it was clean, and she could wrap it up with the bandages she’d been given by the doctor. That man had started tending to a medium sized cut on the Kelvic’s neck, wiping it with the same thing, though with less warning. All he said, voice blunt, was ”Don’t move.”

[Kaden Swift]

He wasn’t a happy cat. Not when he was put on top of a giant animal that could jump and kill him because he simply fell off it. So he was tall, it didn’t mean he liked heights and in fact Kaden liked his feet on the ground. If he wasn’t so tired and so sore he would have refused everything and just walked. Now and then he would doze, but he woke or snapped from a haze to answer some odd random questions. Like his thoughts on the weather. Kaden no more cared for the weather then he did the smell and feel of the horse.

He hated horses. It wasn’t the animals fault but it didn’t stop him from hating them all the same. Now he had a perfect excuse to hate this one. Every time the mare moved or dipped she jostled him and his wounds. As the city came to view Kaden swore he felt as if a blanket was cast around him, a welcome if he had ever received any. It was with relief that he was getting off the horse; even if some strange man touched him. If he were not so tired he would have snapped at them, as it was; Kaden knew when he couldn’t afford to start a fight.

So as he was forced to keep standing and moving he kept his jaw clenched tight and his threats to remove bowls to himself. He was more than happy to sit and get the hands off of him, memories of his stripes being stroked sending his scruffy frame shivering. Then Spirit left and he blinked trying to clear his mind as the man spoke. “Two cats.” He wanted the man to go away, he wanted to shift and sleep so he could heal. Looking down he saw Ticker had snuck in beside him. Least his puppy was fine. Reaching down he stroked the soft red fur; watching as Tickers tail wagged hard enough to shake his whole body. Kaden’s attention to his puppy was a false one.

He was watching the man very carefully; his eyes sharp an attentive despite wariness. The whole of the building they were in smelled of sick death and something that stung his nose fiercely. “Ice cats hungry from the storm smelled our kill. Killed the female, then the male.” He was never more relived to see a human as when he saw Spirit duck back into view. He could trust her. Seeing her do that facial tick he flashed his own even as he continued to pet Ticker and reassure his pet that he was fine. He wasn’t however happy. Again the stink of the room made his nose sting and the bright walls and floor were frightening.

Kaden was surprised as Spirit didn’t just leave again but went to him. He looked at the bowl she carried before his head reared back at the scent of it. It hurt, it was like someone poured it right into his nose and it trailed to his head. Don’t move, she said it as she brought that foul smelling concoction closer to him. He didn’t move, even as the cloth touched his wound. Instead the Kelvic barred his teeth and hissed. Even as a human he retained the ability to hiss; and with his sharp teeth it was still a good threat as any. He didn’t strike out at her; it hurt but he had felt worse. It was simply the smell. “It hurts. Like the undrinkable water getting into a wound.” Salt water rolling over his lash marks.

Kaden thought he was done with that. He was watching Spirit and when the man touched him that was the end of Kaden's rope as the he said not to move. He snarled and leapt to his feet; striking out fast to try and hit the man. “Get away.” His pupils were blown and his nostrils flared as he backed away from the healer as if he were a leper. Kaden’s hand went to his neck, not to the wound but simply feeling around his throat. His eyes flicked to his chest then to the healers hand. Shivering the Kelvic looked around the room. He wanted out; he didn’t want to be here anymore. Ticker had snuck out form his hiding place under the chair, the puppies hackles raised and his small teeth barred to try and protect Kaden. “No touching.” Kaden growled it more than spoke.

Imploringly he looked at Spirit, and sounding like a lost child he spoke. “Can we go now?” He wanted to go outside in the sunlight, out of the smell of sick. Imploringly he made a small sound close to a dogs whine. “No more touching me.” His hands went back to his neck as he whispered the last. They could leave and things would be fine. He wondered if his bag was still on the horse. “We can go buy sweets and go outside, with the sun.” He looked at the man again; still his gaze wondered to the healers hands. He didn’t see any collar but Kaden didn’t trust him. The wound where the man touched stung terribly still; burning worse than the one on his shoulder had.

He wasn’t going to let the man anywhere near his neck. Men had collars and cages; large biting horses and ships that reeked of death. Men counted your stripes every day and forced you to move impossibly to get just a bit of food or water. Men didn't let you out. Spirit would, she said kill the cat and he killed it; she wanted him to kill the other and he tried. "Please," he didn't care that he looked odd without clothes and cuts and bites littering him, or how strange it was for a big cat Kelvic to ask any human for anything. She would know if he could go out.

[Spirit Frostfawn]

Spirit frowned when Kaden moved away from the doctor’s touch. It made sense, however. The man wasn’t… comforting… at all, not really the nicest doctor she’d met. At all. Honestly… he wasn’t making this easier. The Kelvic also didn’t seem to like the man touching his neck in particular, and if the Frostfawn looked closer… he had some pretty nasty scars around his neck. Circular scars. She shuddered, not wanting to think where they came from, and turned her disapproval onto their doctor, who had taken a surprised step back from his patient. His look was one of mingled irritation and repulsion, and his eyes were a murky yellow color because of it. ”Kaden…” she muttered, wanting to deal with the man’s want to go outside. ”I wouldn’t recommend going outside. I still need to treat your wounds, and doing that in the cold… you’d probably get frostbite, making everything worse. Just hang in with me for a little longer, and we can go do other stuff…” She grinned at her companion, in an attempt to calm him. She worried about him, honestly worried about him. Even though they’d only really known each other for… bells, at best, she felt… motherly to him. Like he was one of her dogs who’d stepped on something sharp… but it was time to deal with there other problem. And she’d have to do something she would have never dared to do otherwise. Insult a doctor. ”Excuse me… doctor… I don’t know your name. I have to admit, Kaden is a little….” she waved her hands around, hoping he got the meaning. She didn’t want to say the word ‘tender’ in front of the Kelvic himself. He wasn’t tender physically of course, his wounds would verify that. However, he was just a puppy mentally, and Spirit didn’t want to put him through anything more than needed. ”He’s not used to you, and he’s been through a lot today. You’re also not very… comforting.” She winced when the full force of his glare hit her, but kept going. She wasn’t going to give up now… ”I’d prefer it if you let me deal with his wounds, and we’ll be out of here immediately. You can go deal with more… important… work.” She gave him a wry smile, hoping he took the sucking up. Of course a big doctor like him would have lots of incredibly important work to do. Luckily, her opponent simply snorted and stalked out of the room, leaving the pair… no, trio (Ticker had snuck in) alone in the icy room. The groom gave a big sigh of relief and relaxed, unclenching her tight fingers. Well that had been oddly… scary. She was really getting out of her comfort zone today. Leaning down and patting the puppy once or twice, she took in all the work she had to do with her patient. She felt an odd sinking feeling as she realised how much Kaden had been through… and all the wounds. This would take more than a few days to heal. She suddenly wished she hadn’t sent the doctor away, so he could help, but dismissed the thought. He wouldn’t have helped at all. ”Ok! Now that we’ve gotten rid of him, let’s fix you up proper… I’ll deal with the bigger wounds first, the one on your side… you upper arm one looks bad too… and your neck.” She had quickly returned to her happier tone, and was talking more to herself than anything. She would probably have done his neck first, since it was in a vital location, but she wanted to give him time to… relax. That spot seemed to have been very tender for him, maybe not physically, but mentally. It probably reminded him of where he’d gotten those scars… Fetching her cleaning instruments, skipping bandages for now, she set them down by the Kelvic’s side. ”Remember, this will sting. But tell me when it stops hurting, ok?” She planned on wrapping up that section when she cleaned out all the other wounds that covered the area as well, so she could get them all in one bandage… though it would probably take several rolls, considering. She wiped alcohol onto a clean cloth, before rubbing it gently into the wound, careful not to press too hard, but just enough to make sure she actually cleaned it. It wasn’t as deep or bad as the one on his shoulder, but both would probably leave him with more scars… which was a sad thought indeed. At least he was alive, rather than in either of the cat’s positions. Thinking about it, she was actually quite… proud… of him, managing to take down both of the monsters almost on his own. When notified, she would move onto the next wound, the one on his left arm, right under the neck wound. As she repeated the same actions over again, she gave herself another good look at his neck injury and scars. She had spotted some others on his wrists as well, and it was pretty disconcerting. The neck wound was a long cut, and maybe half an inch deep, but at least the doctor’s minute touched had stopped the worst of the bleeding. Most of the worst had, but Spirit was amazed her companion was still conscious, after losing so much blood. She quickly finished the arm wound, fetched another cloth and preparing it and took a deep breath. ”Now for your neck, ok? I’ll be gentle.” Calmly, she began dapping at the cut, reflecting mentally how funny it was that she’d stopped feeling uneasy at Kaden’s wounds… or his mostly-nakedness. She’d dealt with it enough times to feel comfortable… or at least not uncomfortable. If the Kelvic shied away, or tried to move from the cloth, she would stop immediately and frown at him, before asking what the problem was. Otherwise, she’d keep going until she felt the wound was clean (and Kaden told her), before putting everything down. Finally having cleaned the worst of the wounds, she gave him a good look over before cursing mentally. It wouldn’t do just to bandage all of these wounds and hope they healed. They needed stitching… and she couldn’t really do that. This would be… complicated, to say the least, especially if the Kelvic didn’t take another doctor. ”Kaden…” she muttered to him, taking a seat. ”You’re going to need stitching. So… someone will take a needle and thread and stitch your wounds closed, like cloth.” She didn’t know if he understood what stitching was, so decided to explain it anyways. ”Sadly, I don’t know how to stitch… at least, I’ve tried once, but failed miserably. What I recommend we do is… get another doctor… not that last one, and they’ll stitch up your wounds. But Kaden… it will hurt. A lot. More than the alcohol. So… you have two choices for that. You can remain conscious while we do it, and take the pain… or we can put you to sleep, and wake you up when it’s done. Which would you like to choose?” She gave him a critical look, the worry obvious in her face. She didn’t want to move him out of his comfort zone, but some things needed to be done. She’d also pay attention to the stitching as the other doctor did it, so maybe next time she would be able to handle this on her own…. OOCLongest post in a non-solo thread ever!!! *cheers* …well, that’s not a starting post. I feel really good about this… wow.

[Kaden Swift]

He looked at her imploringly, even as she explained that he shouldn’t go outside. He had Morwen’s mark sure, but it was still cold with the wind and snow harsh and thick. It didn’t matter though; he liked it outside where there were no walls. He could decide to walk and go somewhere completely new if he wanted to. Spirit was saying no, and Kaden couldn’t help the falling feeling in his stomach. He looked away from her and to the floor, watching hiss toes move and being very briefly distracted by them. “I want to go outside.” It was a sullen statement but he made no move to leave. He didn’t even know what frostbite was.

Seeing her smile he visibly sighed, but as Spirits attention went back to the doctor he moved just a bit further from the healer. It was interesting to see Spirit scold the dodgy man, even more when Kaden caught the man’s eyes changing colors. It wasn’t the first time he had noticed the people here had eyes that changed. Spirits were often different shades of blue. When the man left Kaden relaxed just a bit. That was one less thing for him to worry about. One; with dozens more warring for attention. The stinging pain of all his wounds or that many were itching was just one more. He wanted to know where the prey went.

Ticker merrily wagged his tail; calming down as everyone else had. Kaden on the other hand was still silently sulking and looking at the door which led outside. Stiffly he moved back to the stool and grudgingly he sat back down. “They are fine, I just have to sleep.” He ignored the fact that the wound of his neck was still bleeding. It had slowed but a wound so big wasn’t about to just stop. He watched Spirit gather back the items from before, warning him it would still hurt and he was to say when it stopped. He was unsure why that was important but the Kelvic nodded.

As the rush ebbed from his near panic attack, Kaden felt the need for sleep settle heavily on his shoulders and dulling his eyes and ears. With as much grace as a grumpy tiger could have; Kaden sat silently as his wounds were cleaned. Dutifully he told her when one stopped stinging from the cloth and simply hurt all on its own. It was hard telling one pain apart from the other. Yawning suddenly; he gagged then coughed as the smell went into his mouth. He was glad when Spirit was done with his arm and he was sure that meant they were done till she informed him of cleaning his neck.

Tensing he looked at her; his eyes were slightly dull and his movements slow and jerky. Finally he just grunted and looked away from her. At her first touch he tensed and very nearly lashed out at her. It hurt worse than all the other cuts and things but it was made worse by him just not wanting her to touch it. He flinched and jumped every time she moved the cloth away only to put it back. She seemed to question him what was wrong, and Kaden couldn’t start to explain it all “Don’t like it.” He felt something brush his legs and looked down to see Ticker sit at his feet. Reaching down he stroked the puppy and felt himself calm somewhat at the gentle and warm presence of the red dog.

He was finally able to tell Spirit that her touches had stopped making the wound sting. When she stopped prodding him he reached up to reassure himself that there was nothing there. At his name he looked up, watching as Spirit sat down on the stool beside his own. Cloth? It hadn’t hurt last time Spirit wrapped it around him; he didn’t remember a needle but it never hurt. Why would it hurt now? Tilting his head Kaden tried to puzzle out why it would hurt. That he was given a choice to sleep or stay awake. He didn’t want to sleep like this and be inside. “Why will it hurt, will I be able to change?” Was it something that would trap him?

He stroked Ticker’s ears still feeling the weight of the day pressing him to sleep. He wasn’t even sure what alcohol was but he was going to say it was the foul smelling stuff. It had hurt but he was use to more. He didn’t understand the need to push at the wound to start with and now this stitching. It would heal, everything always healed if he could keep in clean. Looking at Spirit he gave a sigh, wondering how many times he had done so just in that day. It was a wary and tired sound. Kaden was finding it hard to think enough to form even a sentence. “I am tired, can’t we leave now? I have to hunt and get Ticker food, and make a hole.” He was looking forward to neither.

The tiger Kelvic stood up shakily but he still stood up. Gingerly he moved his arms then his legs and finally his neck. Everything was stiff and sore. “Outside.” It wasn’t a question anymore. Kaden moved to leave, Ticker quickly getting up to follow. He had sat through the foul smelling thing that now clung to him; he wasn’t about to sit through more. He moved with determination born from gritting his teeth and plowing ahead of any situation no matter his hunger or pain. Thanks to the cleaning his wounds had stopped bleeding and for him that was good enough. He was forced to stop however, brow furrowing in confusion. “My bag?” it held his fur, worn and slightly ragged but it was his most special thing. Too large to fit in the bag it was rolled up and tied to the top. He couldn’t lose that. Yet it meant he was now still inside the horrid white room.

If it weren’t for the fur he would have left but now he was to stay and wait for Spirit, hoping she would let him go outside and show him where his bag was taken. His sleepiness was quickly turning into a grouchy feeling. Just a few more steps and he would be outside. A few more and he would be away from the humans. They wouldn’t see him weak or hurt and he could afford to just lie down and stop moving for a little while. Then he would get Ticker his food and dig a nice place to sleep and they would be safe and he could sleep and heal some.

ooc :

Congratulations! It was a very nice post at that; a lot of little details to keep note of for later. Spirit is stronger than she thinks.

I am having trouble writing since I have to keep rewriting things. Someone so worn and tired would hardly be up to speaking a lot but I keep finding out that Kaden has a lot to say even as he normally doesn't talk that much. Good on Spirit for being super patient with such a fussy Kelvic!

[Spirit Frostfawn]

Spirit wasn’t able to stop a small smile creeping onto her lips as Kaden spoke. She couldn’t help but think how innocent he seemed sometimes. His question about being able to change made her frown. ”Nothing will stop you changing, technically…” she muttered, thinking for a moment. ”I really don’t recommend changing during the process. It would mess up the stitches. And…” she took in a breath, realizing a complication. What happened if he shifted after the stitches? He really didn’t seem to like the idea of not being able to take his feline form, but the stitches might break if he did. The Frostfawn pursed her lips, before stating slowly ”After the stitches… I’m not sure if you can shift… the thread used might… break…” she gave him a hopeless look, hoping he knew that she hated it as much as he did. It pained her to trap and hurt him like this, it really did. It felt like… betraying him. Like offering a dog a treat stuffed with sleeping pills so someone could perform surgery on it. She hadn’t done the surgery herself, but she’d helped in one or two cases like that. The animal trusted you, and you lied to them. One thing she knew about animals: they didn’t understand lying. She doubted Kaden did either, and the amount of trust he put in her… it made her feel like a monster. When he asked about Ticker, and a hole, she stared at the Kelvic in confusion, before grinning. ”Oh, you don’t need to worry about that! After this, I’ll get you food… as much as you want. You can even eat one of the bucks we killed out there, since the meat is ours. They’re just skinning it for me… since I’m hopeless with that. Thank Morwen for second cousins…” She’d only recently realized that the two older hunters were Maroah’s own cousins, meaning they were related in a way. ”I’ll also find a room for you… somewhere… maybe in the Frostfawn Arvinta, or at least in the Savinta Warrens. You won’t have to sleep in the Wastes… that’s just silly. And my cousin has the bag- the hunter who finished off the second cat? He’s keeping it safe, don’t worry…” She hesitated, worrying about his want for sleep. She hoped it wasn’t any fever or infection caused need, or blood loss…. Just exhaustion. She really worried that if he went to sleep… he might not wake up. But they needed to deal with this. ”I’m just going to find someone to help stitch, then you can sleep while we work… ok? So just stay awake until then!” That explained, she slipped out of the room, and ran into the best person possible. ”Sarah!” she exclaimed, grinning at the familiar doctor. The woman looked at her in surprise, before mimicking the expression. ”Spirit! What can I do for you? Is there a patient in there?” she tried to crane her head around to see through the closing door. The Frostfawn shook her head, before dragging her friend and mentor into the private room. She had no doubt Sarah could do the stitching, and she was just the person to keep Kaden comfortable. Confused, the Whitevine followed, and took in a sharp breath at the sight. ”What happened?” she demanded, sounding a little scared. It was bad, thinking about it, but Spirit had gotten used to it. She quickly explained their situation, and the woman nodded in understanting. ”Well, Kaden…” she’d told Sarah the Kelvic’s name and condition ”I’m Sarah… and I’ll be stitching up your arm, among other things…. Spirit, can you grab a bottle out of the cupboard? Blue, and stubby. It had chloroform in it… it’ll put him to sleep.” Nodding, the girl dashed to the storage area and found the labeled bottle. She knew what the stuff did, but only vaguely… It would certainly put Kaden to sleep. Despite the need to help her friend, she couldn’t stop feeling… guilty. So guilty about what she was doing. Sarah, on the other hand, was kindly helping the Kelvic lie down on the provided bed, giving him a pillow for comfort. She also handed him Ticker, having noticed the two’s relation. She put the puppy right behind the man’s head, and whispered ”You can pet him, but use your left. Now… we’re going to put you to sleep by putting a cloth over your mouth… it’ll smell funny, but you’ll have a relaxing sleep, and feel no pain, ok?” She was trying her best not to make Kaden panic at the strange events, apparently having dealt with people like this before. Spirit quickly returned with the bottle and the cloth, before glancing up at the doctor. ”Just add a bit- he’s nearly asleep anyways” she whispered, and the Frostfawn nodded, adding a few drops onto the fabric. She smiled at the Kelvic, trying to relax him but feeling so… so… guilty at the same time. Then, she held the cloth over his nose and mouth for a few seconds, and drew back. Kaden was asleep. Sighing, she gave Sarah a sad smile. ”I feel so bad” she admitted, and was returned with an equal smile. ”It’s ok… you’re not doing anything bad, after all.” She winked at the girl, before setting into business. ”Ok… I can deal with the wounds, I want you to clean all of the other injuries. He’ll probably sleep for several bells, maybe even a day, depending. After that… we’ll carry him into one of the more permanent rooms, so he can spend a night or two. Make him as comfortable as possible- give him this puppy of his, and any of his stuff. Now… let’s start!” Both of them grabbed the needed supplies, and set to work. Spirit cleaned the other larger wounds, switching cloths every once in a while. She went over every minute scratch as well, wiping the injuries, hoping she didn’t miss anything. She really hoped no infection set in, as that could mean loss of a limb at best, or death at worst. Sarah was also working diligently, and every once in a while the Frostfawn would stare and watch the doctor work. She used a fine, white thread, and a needle that looked very sharp. She moved slowly, literally sewing the two sides of the wounds together. She seemed practiced at it, her fingers gentle and soft. Nearly a bell and a half later, Sarah had finally finished her stitching, and stood up with a stretch. ”Alright… we’ll move him upstairs, and… do you want me to send for anyone? I can always call for an assistant doctor.” She grinned while washing her hands in a sink, red staining the clear liquid. The Frostfawn did the same, nodding. ”That would be great. There’s a mare outside… could you send someone to take her to my cousin, Maroah Frostfawn… and come back with a bag he should have. It’s Kaden’s. He really wants it… oh, and is there anywhere I can get some food? Meat, preferably…. Plus something for me.” The doctor nodded, noting these down on a sheet of paper. ”Right… horse… bag… meat, and food. Asilen!” She said the last loudly, sticking her head out the door. A young girl, probably a few years younger than Spirit herself, came by, and Sarah sent the Vantha off with the list. That done, the pair, with a little more help, carried their patient into a room a floor up. Ticker followed, tail wagging excitedly as he tried to jump up at the Kelvic. Once they were all settled in the room, Spirit took a chair and waited for the things to arrive… Kaden looked so prone on the bed, and everything was oddly white, even the red-headed man. The bandages they’d put on at the end were all over him, from his arms to his legs, and one or two had red splotches on them. It was kind of depressing really, sitting here all alone… except for Ticker, of course. The puppy was watching his friend with the same worried expression, letting himself be pet. Soon enough, the items arrived, and she thanked the girl. Her own food was set on a nearby table, a little bit of the meat given to Ticker. The bag was heavy, full of other things, and the large red fur on the top caught her eye. On a whim, she stretched it out over the sleeping Kelvic, hoping it would make him more comfortable. That done, she ate her food, and settled down to wait…

[Kaden Swift]

He listened to her, he really did but as she hesitated over him changing he frowned. She wasn’t sure but he didn’t hear her say no. He looked back to the door, willing himself to go. He shouldn’t have left his bag then he wouldn’t be stuck here. He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring the twinges of pain and the fierce burning in his shoulder. “I don’t want it then.” He was waiting for her to get up and just show him where his bag was; then he could go and everything would be fine and no more touching. He really didn’t understand why they kept poking at him and he didn’t know what the fuss was. He was never fussed over while hurt before; he was ignored or kicked to get him up. That he understood, this was something strange. He suddenly scratched at a bite mark on his stomach, his fingers causing it to bleed again.

He didn’t even look at it. Everything hurt or was itching. At Spirits confused look Kaden tilted his head back. Even as she explained that they prey was still around and just being skinned. “I am not hungry, I have to feed Ticker.” He wondered what the humans would do with the bones and organs. He liked those. Doubtfully they would be kept. Maybe fed to the dogs around the city as they seemed to like them to. Cousin was a new word, he wondered if it meant they were siblings and decided silently that it must be it. The one hunter did remind him of Spirit if she wasn’t so jumpy. “No.” He glared at her, his arms tightening around his chest. “I like outside, inside is.” He trailed off. He didn’t know. He was in a building when he had to be but he never slept in one.

It was walls and more walls. People were loud and often slapping each other’s backs doing that face thing. “I can’t go to a hold, I am not proven.” He had to grasp for the word. The holds had been explained to him but he decided it was like a family that wasn’t a family. He wasn’t part of the family so he wasn’t allowed. “The wastes are home.” He stared at her, not pleased that the hunter had his bag or that she did not like the wastes. They were wide open and filled with lights and sounds. He had watched giant animals tend to smaller versions of themselves with such care despite their size. The wastes were not gentle but they were where he belonged; home. He didn’t have time to tell her he didn’t want to sleep here and didn’t want stitches, she was gone.

He doubted her brother would give him his bag either. Looking down at Ticker Kaden chuffed and the puppy gave a low little bark in return; but it was staring after Spirit. Wrinkling his nose Kaden turned away from all of it. Traitor dog, not that he blamed him. He wasn’t able to even feed the puppy right now. He heard Spirit call a name then the sound was gone. She must have moved too far for him to hear. With no one around Kaden slumped and winced. Only Ticker was around as the Kelvic ghosted his hands over various wounds. “Hurts.” He wanted to sleep, in sleep nothing ever hurt. Then he heard them coming back and grimacing he straightened and looked to see another female human. He took a step away from them both at the woman’s exclamation over him.

What was with these humans? It was fine, he was fine! “I don’t want them.” He growled at her but it held no force behind the noise. When he heard something would make him sleep he twitched, it might have been a flinch if his muscles had cooperated. “Don’t want to sleep.” He snapped his teeth even as he allowed himself to be moved to a bed. He didn’t even know what it was but as he was made to lie down he sighed as his abused body relaxed against the mattress that was as nice as or even better than the snow outside. He glanced at Ticker who was set beside him and tiredly he stroked the puppy with his left hand as told. “Okay.” He was already falling asleep despite the need to get up and not lay down where people could get close to him.

He couldn’t defend himself in his sleep. He looked at Spirit as she came back and was confused as she smiled then put something over his mouth and nose. His eyes widened in panic and shock and he gave a harsh shake of his head before the drug slammed into him and his eyes closed. Finally the last of his tensed muscles relaxed and he started to dream. Colors swirled around him and a soft gentle voice he didn’t understand. His mother crooning to him, promising him his first hunt would be spectacular. She was excited, she had given birth to a son but not just a son; a tiger. She was telling him stories of her past hunts and stories of his father’s foolishness with trying to use a bow and shooting his own foot. Kaden didn’t understand it, only heard her voice as she held him.

Even in his dreams Kaden never saw her. His dreams were quick to change and his world turned dark. He saw people with faces of monsters jeering through bars. Even in his sleep Kaden growled and twitched as they sewed and cleaned wounds. Yet even those dreams didn’t last and soon he settled down as his dreams changed to the light in the sky. The aurora changed colors and shapes and Kaden didn’t twitch or make another noise as he was moved. He was finally sleeping and his body wasn’t going to give it up just because he was picked up and moved to another room smelling of other things. It was the smell of blood that was pushing the Kelvic to wake until something warm and heavy settled on top of him with his own smell and memories of a long faded scent.

Once more he settled and dreamed of nothing in particular. Colors and odd animals, tree’s he had never seen with green leaves that reached the clouds. He slept for nearly the entire day before suddenly he jerked and was awake. He remembered that horrid thing pressed to his face but it wasn’t there now. He turned his head and spotted Spirit. All sorts of things battled for his attention one being anger over what she did; but it settled as fast as it came. He didn’t care, he knew how humans were. He realized Spirit was sleeping and wondered why. Pushing himself up Kaden shuttered as the pain made itself known again. Once more he was forced to remember everything hurt and wished he had stayed asleep longer. Reaching up he felt his neck but it was blessedly free of a collar; only more cloth like from before.

He spotted Ticker on his lap and the puppy was sleeping as well. He reached down to pet him, careful not to wake the sleeping animal. Ticker must be very tired, normally the puppy would have been barking and demanding him to get up and play or go hunting. At the thought of meat he became aware of the smell of it and turned to look at the meat that had been set close by. He made no move to touch it, not knowing what it was for. Maybe it was Spirits food. Thinking of the woman he looked at her again. Since she was asleep Kaden didn’t feel bothered by truly looking at her. She was young and soft, he couldn’t tell human ages apart but she wasn’t really old. Pale skin and brown hair, he wondered what color her eyes really were, or if the human even knew herself. She didn’t seem to have any markings but humans rarely did.

Tattoos of things; small spots on their face. Spirit was just pale, like snow. With a sigh Kaden looked away and to his own lap to see the thing that was keeping him warm was the red fur. He brushed his hand across it. He had always had it, it was the only thing in the whole world that had been his and the slavers had never bothered with. His mother’s fur, a red dire wolf. Not that Kaden knew who or what the fur was from. He peered back at Spirit, wondering what he was supposed to do. Everything was quiet and slow. Night time he supposed. He moved slowly out of the bed and saw his bag. He was trying not to wake either of them. He rummaged through it before grabbing his pants and putting them on. he was thinking of leaving till he looked at Spirit again. Humans slept lying down; he doubted she was feeling too good to sleep like that. He looked at the spot he had been. Before he could change his mind he moved to lift Spirit up and put her on the bed.

Surely that had to be what it was for if they put him there. She could sleep there instead of the chair. Kaden bit the inside of his cheek as he lifted her up and the stitches pulled against his wounds. He had to be slow though and careful. He set her on the bed and pulled the fur over her. Ticker had woken up but Kaden looked at the puppy, willing it to go back to sleep. Surprisingly Ticker did; Kaden having used hypnotism to make him. It was only the puppies own willingness to sleep that made it work so well. Shivering Kaden set himself in the chair Spirit had been. He was tired again, and he wasn’t sure it was possible for him to sleep sitting. He shrugged and got on the bed. He was mindful of Spirit as he slipped under the fur again. He wondered what to do with her, but thinking of Ticker he wrapped his arms around her and started going back to sleep.

He hadn’t even noticed the stitching, but he would as soon as he tried to shift. It was different holding Spirit instead of Ticker. For one she was bigger, for another she was human and smelled of human things. It didn’t matter much to the Kelvic as sleep finally claimed him again, the thought of slipping outside abandoned for the moment.

[Spirit Frostfawn]

Kaden had taken a lot longer to wake up than Spirit expected. She’d waited all day, until it grew dark outside the single window in their room. Someone had brought dinner for her, and she’d eaten it greedily… the other meal just hadn’t been enough. By then, all adrenaline from the fight earlier in the day was gone, and instead pure exhaustion hit her. Her eyelids were fluttering closed, and her limbs were weak. All she wanted to do was sleep… but she had to be conscious when Kaden woke up! That was the only thing keeping her from falling into darkness. Still, as bells and bells passed, she eventually gave in and fell into a deep, dreamless slumber. She didn’t wake up when the Kelvic picked her up, nor even when she was lifted into the bed and its glorious warmth. She didn’t even notice Kaden wrap his arms around her like a puppy, her exhaustion so deep she couldn’t resist the beautiful urge of warmth. Ticker had sleepily picked himself up and lay between the pair, though above the pelt, wanting to be part of the big group hug. When the Frostfawn woke up, however, she didn’t notice anything was wrong at first. She was… warm, and comfortable. There was something furry above her, but she wasn’t quite sure what it was… probably a blanket. She then remembered what had happened the previous day, and a sudden worry for Kaden gnawed at her, and made her open her eyes to check on the Kelvic. She’d fallen asleep! While watching! That wasn’t right... and she was also horizontal. Why was she horizontal? She was on a bed… Kaden’s bed. Why was she there, where was Kaden? She tried to move, to get up and find her friend, panicking slightly, when she noticed another sensation. Arms. There were arms around her. Squealing in surprise, she rolled away and off the bed, slamming into the floor hard. Ticker yelped when his bed was disrupted, and stood up, tail wagging, wanting to join in on the fun. Spirit’s heart was pounding, eyes wide in shock and confusion. What was Kaden doing? He’d been… hugging her?? Or… something? Ack! But… she tried to ignore the little voice that said ‘but it was comfortable’ and shook her head. She doubted he’d been trying anything… weird… but that hadn’t been obvious at first. Regaining her composure, she stood up, wincing as all her muscles complained. She backed up and sat, luckily on an armchair that had been conveniently placed near the bed. Waking up do quickly had left her dizzy, and tired, and she yawned once before remembering what she planned on saying. ”Kaden.” she began, voice stern but a little shaky. ”Please don’t do that. With Ticker it’s fine, but… I’m not Ticker, ok?” It was funny to think that she’d done similar things with Wind, but still. She shook her head, feeling a little shaken, and sighed. Then she paused, realising something.”Wait… did you carry me there? Kaden!” The last was said with a slightly hopeless tone, as if to say ‘really? You shouldn’t have done that…’ ”You shouldn’t do too much exercise… you don’t want to strain the stitches…” She hesitated, but smiled at the Kelvic. ”Anyways… how was your sleep? Do you feel more rested?” She stood up and moved over to the food that had been left for him when he awoke. She passed a portion to Ticker, who ate the meat heartily, after following the girl with his tail wagging. Full, he returned to his friend and hopped onto his lap, licking a few of the bandages curiously. Spirit picked up some of the food brought for Kaden, holding it up so he could see. It was smoked venison, so he could eat it either form…”I thought you’ prefer meat. Hungry? I’ve already eaten…” That was mostly a lie, since she technically hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, but she would survive. The Kelvic, however, hadn’t eaten since the day before… and he was probably starving after all the excitement. She sat in a chair again, legs crossed, and thinking. ”Do you still want to go outside again?” she asked after several chimes. Hopefully by then her friend would have eaten the food given to him. She’d felt guilty about not letting him go outside when they’d been treating his wounds… but it wouldn’t have done well to go into the cold then. Now… if he was physically up for it… she could maybe take him for a short walk… but not too much, since it might strain the stitches. ”And are you up for it?”

[Kaden Swift]

He was dreaming of soft squishy meat when Spirit screamed and Ticker copied it. Jerking awake, Kaden looked around wildly but he didn’t see anything wrong. No giant cats no humans; nothing. In fact he didn’t even see Spirit. Heart beating madly he peered down to the floor and then saw her before she stood up. Confused and wide awake he stared at her as if she had grown a second head that decided it would sing. Watching her sit down, Kaden reached down to pet Ticker still staring at Spirit somewhat fearfully. It wasn’t everyday someone was woken up to someone screaming.

When she finally spoke the Kelvic just stared for a bit more. “Why? People sleep with animals all the time.” Sleepily he rubbed at his eyes only to jump when Spirit snapped out his name again. Eyes wide he just nodded, some small survival instinct told him not to mention that he had been planning on just leaving. "I didn’t do anything but pick you up. You’re small.” He picked at one of his bandages willing them away as he thought about his sleep. “It was nice, different. Normally it is very cold to wake up.” Of course now he wasn’t all too sure about what to do when he felt as if he were being scolded.

He pet Ticker as the puppy played with the bandages along with him. He gave it a small tug to try and see under it but they were wrapped well. Meat. Perking up he looked to what Spirit held before he took a sniff at it and wrinkled his nose. “I don’t have to eat for a few days.” He hadn’t been able to eat all the prey so that gave days not weeks. That wasn’t to say he couldn’t eat but eating smoked meat wasn’t that appetizing. No he wanted livers and hearts. Those were the best and what he had been dreaming about. Not dead meat that tasted like fire ash and was chewy.

Moving on from his day dreaming he hurriedly nodded. “I want to go outside.” He looked around the white room, only then noticing it was a different room then before. Last night he hadn’t noticed. His brain foggy with sleep. Moving the fur aside Kaden pushed himself out the bed. No way was he being kept inside again. Having gotten up he noticed once more a tugging feeling on his skin. Not understanding it he looked down to a section not wrapped up only to freeze at the sight.

There were lines on him. Mesmerized he poked at it only to jerk his hand away at the shocking pain that irrupted. “What?” He looked himself over and saw more of the lines. His eyes were wide as he searched out more of the lines and vainly he tried to see over his shoulder to his back. “What are these?” He couldn’t help it; he poked at another one and watched as it pulled his skin. “Did my stripes get stuck?” He was pretty sure they were the wrong color, and pretty sure he had more of them and they weren’t so small. He felt Ticker behind him and jerked when the puppy licked at something on his back that hurt, another scratch probably.

Grunting he let his hand drop to his side before looking at Spirit excitedly. “Outside now? We can go get some sweets.” Since finding them Kaden made it a life’s mission to eat them every chance he got. It was just meat glazed with sugar. Maybe not everyone’s idea of a sweet but to him it was perfect. Salty and sweet at the same time, and yet still meat. He turned around and shushed the puppy off the bed then rolled the fur up. He bent down and yanked his bag up before tying the fur to its top. “Ready.” He tossed the bag over his shoulder, ignoring the fact he just hit a lot of things that hurt. He moved to the door nearly skipping. Outside in the sun, no more walls and poking people.

[Spirit Frostfawn]

Spirit sighed at Kaden’s complaints, not wanting to answer… mostly because she just didn’t have a good excuse. She frowned at his refusal of the meat, but she passed some more to Ticker, just in case the puppy wanted more. Of course he did, and he gobbled up the offered portions happily. He bounced around, dashing between the Vantha and the Kelvic, tail wagging wildly. When the latter finally pushed himself up and grabbed his bag, the canine yipped in joy, apparently knowing that this meant they were doing something. When he asked about his stitches, the Frostfawn laughed. She couldn’t help it. ”Those aren’t your stripes, silly… those are stitches. They hold your skin together while it heals, so it fixes itself faster. Don’t pull on them, and if they start hurting… stop. You don’t want to break them, or you’ll have to do everything all over again… ok? Shifting is the same thing.” As he seemed prepared and excited to head out, she shoved on her boots and grabbed her jacket, before hesitating. ”You need a jacket…” she said, before making a split decision and passing it to Kaden. ”Wear that. When we get you some sweets, we’ll get some clothes as well… especially after I ripped up your shirt…” She grinned, happy now that her companion was. She was perfectly content to stay inside, but… maybe they could stop by the Frostfawn hold on the way to the city, and see her dogs… she missed them, even though it had only been a day. She trusted her Uncle and Maroah to take care of them of course, and she still worried about Silver… the poor mare had been through quite the scare. As she led their trio out of the Healing Center, a thought occurred to her. ”Kaden… you say you want sweets, right? What do you mean by that? Flavored Snow? Or…?” She doubted the Kelvic would like flavored snow, knowing his preference for meat. Maybe sweetened meat? She hadn’t tried it, but knew it was a decent treat. So… they’d head to the market, buy food and clothes, then –if Kaden was up to it- go to the Frostfawn Arvinta to see her dogs… then they’d head back here to rest. It was a good, logical plan… and though she was excited to see her ‘pack’ as she called them, she knew that straining her companion was a bad thing… the minute he wanted to sleep, they were heading back here… well, he could sleep in her room in the Arvinta if needed… It was a thought. She still had to figure out what to do after this… but they could deal with that later. As soon as she walked out the doors, however, a whole stage of her plan crumbled. There stood Maroah and her Uncle, with… 5 dogs. Her dogs. Silver, Wind, Apple, and the two puppies she’d kept that she had yet to name. All five, spotting their friend, dashed forward and tackled her, sending Spirit crashing to the ground laughing. They were so happy! Wind was a little less… physical… and when the younger four backed up, he took his place in front of her and licked her hands vigorously. She tried her best to pet all five equally, but soon enough Wind left to sniff Kaden, and check the new guy out. She was more easily able to handle four dogs… but barely. It was like having all the puppies here again… except these were so much bigger. The two puppies moved off to play with Ticker, as they’d quickly noticed their sibling and started a big family reunion. Fog quickly joined the mess, leaving a relieved Spirit with only Apple to deal with. He sat amiably on her feet, begging for pats. ”We thought you’d like to see them” her Uncle commented sarcastically through the wave of dogs. Maroah nodded, a massive grin on his face. It was a hilarious scene, considering. ”We also brought breakfast… but… you guys are heading out?” he glanced over at Kaden with a raised eyebrow, curious about the Kelvic. The Frostfawn nodded absently, before taking a package handed to her. It contained a parcel of food and money, mostly stuff for her. She thanked her family, glad that she had so much of it, with a wide grin on her face. Soon enough, the pair- along with Apple, Fog, and the puppies- left for other things, though Wind stayed stubbornly behind. Him and Ticker gave each other a friendly sniff before taking their places beside their respective human. ”This is Wind” the groom said, introducing the Zypherian sled dog. He was nearly 10, with grey around his muzzle and a slight limp in his step. Still, he looked fit and well groomed, his coat a shimmering black and white. ”So… shall we?” she asked, before setting off in the general direction of the main city… at least now she could scratch out the Frostfawn Arvinta off her list.

[Kaden Swift]

Kaden didn’t like that Ticker so readily ate the meat handed to him. The Kelvic knew that meat not brought from the source you killed; could have anything wrong with it. Thing put in it to make you dizzy or sick; sleep. His small wariness turned to a huff as Spirit laughed. No shifting? Kaden felt his muscles twitch, the urge to shift making him itch. How was he to get around without shifting, or protect himself? He took the coat up and sniffed the material. Smelled of Spirit horse and dogs, not a bad mixture. Lifting the coat up, he swung it behind him and tried putting his arms in; but quickly gave up.

The sleeve was much too short. “This will never fit me.” Kaden was staring at the fact the sleeves cuff came close to his elbow. Tugging it off he handed it back to Spirit; he didn’t want her to be cold either. He was happy to follow her out, to follow rather than lead. It was easier; he didn’t have to think what might happen or what to do. He missed a step as Spirit questioned his sweets. “Chewy orange meat,” he looked at her confused. “What is flavored snow?” He knew what snow was, but after a mouthful of the white stuff he knew it was nothing sweet about it. He looked down at Ticker, but the puppy held no answer to his question.

As wind buffered him, Kaden closed his eyes in pleasure as it carried the smells of fires and food, of the cold bite of snow. He loved the smell of snow; it was close to smelling of blood and of rain but it never quite made it. His pleasure was nicked when a whole lot of animals and people stood in the way. He grimaced as Spirit was plowed over. He knew she wasn’t hurt as she laughed, but he didn’t like seeing it. It was like an attack. Looking down he spotted Wind. A calm old dog it seemed. Staring at the animal for a while he bent down and stroked his head and ears. As Ticker barked and plowed around, he only wished his own dog was as calm as this one.

As the new man spoke; Kaden looked up to see him glance his way. Glaring at him Kaden returned his attention back to Wind and continued to gentle stroke his soft ears. When the old dog moved away he straightened, pleased the humans had left. Spirit was human, but she didn’t smell much like one. He understood why from the large show of being bowled over as she had been. Kneeling down a bit he pet his own dog as Ticker returned to his side. The puppy’s tail wagged and Kaden stood up to look back at Spirit and Wind. “He is a nice dog, quiet.” He perked up and nodded. He wanted those sweets, and the lady who ran the stall liked him.

He followed slowly as they walked through the city. Now and then he would shy away from someone or tense at a noise. He had never walked in his human form and all his scars on show put him ill at ease. Finally they reached the food district and Kaden moved a bit faster so that he was now leading Spirit. He kept walking pass stalls and stores; then reached the end where a plump aging woman sat on a stall behind a small stall; but a roaring fire was beside her and a spit with brown glistening meat was slowly being turned by a kid. The woman looked up and at seeing Kaden she smiled. “Hello dear, this is a surprise.” She stood up and started moving things behind the stall.

“You’re walking upright and all, such a pretty face you have.” She pulled out a bucket, the meat inside slightly frozen; and vastly different from the gleaming piece on the fire. She simply handed it to Kaden and the Kelvic chuffed before reaching in and pulling out not meat; but a bit of organs. The woman looked at Spirit and her warm and friendly smile never wavered or dimmed. “Hello honey, would you like some of this meat here?” She gestured to the slowly rotating meat over the fire; it gleamed and glistened like brown ice from the layers of sugar and spices basted on. “You won’t be wanting what he has.” Indeed Kaden was pulling out chunks of organs and even bones; but all of it had been mixed with the animals own blood and the spices the woman made.

The woman winked at Spirit and smiled widely. “Poor thing, saw him a few days ago looking shabby. My sons throw that out for me but he likes it, so I always save it for him.” She was looking at Kaden closely, her eyes taking in his scars and new wounds. “Never saw him change to human, be guessing that was you who made him?” The boy was already cutting the meat on the spit and the woman held out a sheet of ice where the meat was placed causing it to spit and hiss then cool as the ice held beneath the heat. She held it up to Spirit to take. Kaden was ignoring them both; he neither understood nor spoke much Vani and had little interest beyond the food he was holding anyway.

“You a friend of his, or are you someone the guards finally send to watch him?” She eyed Spirit again, now a slight frown tugged at her lips. “You better not be thinking of harming him, child’s done nothing wrong just cause he’s accidentally scared a few folks with his other form.” First time Kaden had met the woman was very early in the morning. The Tiger Kelvic was wondering around in his animal form as he smelled blood; but a few of the vendors got a fright from him and cursed him to go away. The woman had heard the commotion and seeing Kaden picked up the bucket and tried coaxing him away from her fellow vendors thinking he might have been an escaped pet.

It only took her a little bit to see it was a Kelvic; pets could be smart but not smart enough to look at anyone with such calm eyes. Since then she saved the bucket of organs cleaned from whatever meat her sons hunted for her fire and Kaden always came back. She was thankful her eldest had been late in picking it up that day.