stuki raised her head a bit. "oh there is. some plants floueish in such heat. my friends'll help me." a few rabbits and other animals rose from thier watching posts. their scent was coverd by her blood. "thankyou for thinking about me."

Shifting Winds looked over the she-wolf yet again; she looked as if she could stand, maybe even walk. If they could take her to the base camp, then she'd be able to rest; away from the flames.

"...can you walk?" the Alphess asked, her voice sober, "We can take you to base camp, and clean out those wounds of yours." The yellow wolf looked nervous, she could see that the fire was spreading, and she didn't want to stay out here much longer.

The grey wolf with the pup in his mouth, looked the injured wolf, then to the small animals, as she mentioned them. Personally for him, he found it unacceptable that she would deny any wolf aid, for all in that kind of condition.

Kotie placed Ciriaco on the ground, who padded a bit closer to the white wolf, as he was curious about her. “After that you can be on your way.” He said to her gently, in the hope that she would accept the offer. “I am Kotie by the way, this pup here is Ciriaco. And what is your name?”

tsuki sighed. her fur ruffling as she began to get up onto her scrawny feet. she was tall, but weak, her fur used to be pure white but was burned in patches. dust was hiding within the blood dripping from her side.

she remained calm. "pardon my rudeness. i am tsuki. i am from the north." her brght green eyes shone like emralds. how weird.....a wolf with green eyes.

she lowerd her head in respect. "yes i can run and if you want to assist me, it would be very rude to not take up your kind offer."

Ciriaco looked at the not so white wolf, getting up slowly and wagged his little tail, for seeing that the wolf could stand up and saw that she was injured from the blood on her side. But if it is worse, he doesn’t know yet, as he is too young to understand it.

Kotie kept a close eye on the pup, as it is his responsibility for him, while he listened to the she-wolf. Rudeness? Well, perhaps not in this situation as the fire has made lots of casualties and they are just picking up the survivor(s) of it, pack or no pack, saving a wolf is a life saved.

Hearing that she can run and wanting to have also assistance with it. Raises the question of who is going to help her. Them both, or only one of them?

Kotie turned to the Alpha Shifting Winds and saw in her eyes that she is nervous to stay any long on this place then is necessary. “Who is going to support Tsuki to the camp?” Kotie asked her. Then he turned to the little grey pup. “Come here Ciriaco, we are going and Tsuki is coming with is.” He said to the pup.

Slowly Ciriaco acknowledged for what Kotie said to him with a nod, turned around and padded towards him with his tail wagging.

"I will," Shifting Winds replied to Kotie, "You already have to carry Ciriaco...it's best to keep our work even. Lest one of us get too tired and fall behind." She looked at this wolf...'Tsuki'. She looked a bit weak, and the last thing both Kotie and her wanted was for her to collapse from loss of blood...or something.

"Tsuki," the Alphess said calmly to the white wolf, "I will escourt you to the rest of the pack. There, our Medicine Wolf will fix you up...if you feel weak at all, feel free to lean against me." She then yipped to Kotie: "Are we ready to move out?"

tsuki looked up. the alpha was very fair. "yes, and thankyou." she shook her fur to get the annotying dust out. she analized the movement of th stars to see how much time she had left.

then her eyes signaled the herbivores to leave the area, then moved to get ready to run. everyone seemed so ready t help, she must keep up.

The male nodded in her decision, that she support Tsuki and he carries the pup. Even you would think that a pup of two months old is not really heavy… just wait till you have to carry one for a whole day. Then you are starting to feel it.

Just before picking up pup Ciriaco, who just arrived beneath him Kotie looked at Tsuki and saw that she is ready to go. “Yes ma’am, we’re ready. And I take the rear.” He replied with a yip to the Alpha. Then gently picked up the pup by his scurf and gave a nod, might she look behind to do a check.

Shifting Winds then yipped to the three others and started walking. She felt really uncomfortable around these parts, and just wanted to leave. Maybe it was because of the fire under her feet, or the stench of death in the air. Nonetheless, it wasn't a pleasant place to be to begin with.

When the reached camp, she noticed that most of the wolves were already asleep. 'Curses,' she thought, 'Muddy Paws is probably out gathering herbs or something...'

tsuki looked around the destolate area. she spotted an animal here and there. most of them were hurt but okay, the grass was burned but she knew it wasnt a long enough fire to burn the roots. everything will be well.

tsuki averted her eyes to the path that they were taking, little spots of light leaving patches on her fur. she saw some sleeping wovles, tired but content. she knew that she would be cared for, but she would have to leave soon.

Like he had said that the took the back, he did that. But he was also looking around to see if he could find the missing wolves from the pack. So far he saw only high yellow plains, and on the right side the forest that is still burning. From that last direction is a smell death the air, good enough to make you sick from it, if you can’t handle it.

As they got closer to the camping site, Kotie and Ciriaco, caught faint scents from their wolf pack. Those faint smells can be just enough to go give you or any other wolf from the pack, who got lost, a boost and wanting to run to them, barking and perhaps saying in a yipping voice ‘I am home.’ But this group didn’t do it, and Kotie couldn’t even do it as he has his mouth all full of pup.

‘This is a nice welcome’ he thought as he looked, ‘being greeted by a bunch of sleeping wolves….’

Shifting Winds sighed gruffly as the party entered the camp. "I guess you can't blame them..." she told Tsuki and Kotie, "They escaped the flames from where we came from. A welcome sure would have been nice, though..." She padded over to a small ditch, inside was a tannish colored wolf with what looked like brown legs and face. "This is who we need," she replied stiffly as she nudged the sleeping she-wolf, "Muddypaws, our healer..." She barked loudly at the older wolf, irritated enough by the pack's inability to sense that their packmates had come back alive.

The smaller wolf shifted a bit, then looked up at her alphess. "Oh...good evening," she murmured, stretching herself out, "What can I do for you?"

"I was on patrol," Shifting Winds barked, "And found thses two wolves. This wolf, Kotie, found the lost pup Ciriaco, as well as the white wolf Tsuki. I need you to examine them and treat any injuries you find. Am I clear?"

"Yes," Muddypaws replied, standing up.

"I will be patrolling the borders of the camp," Shifting Winds replied gruffly, "Kotie; you will recieve your totem tomorrow." She then turned around and trotted off into the ever-fading light.

ki settled down. yearning to go back to the feilds, but she must rest first........

If you only knew that the sleeping wolves had ran all day, for staying ahead of a raging fire, and pushing their own physical strength to the maximum or perhaps over it. Then you need all the rest you can get, for regaining your own strength. The gray wolf gave a nod of understanding, for that there was no ‘welcome home’ greeting by your fellow pack members.

Kotie remained on his place, while Shifting Winds walked over to a small ditch where a wolf was sleeping in, and woke the wolf up. On the way of how she spoke to wolf, it made him clear that she irritated by the fact that no one is awake, let stand alone that there is no border patrol.

When the Alphess addressed them by name, Kotie gave a nod to Muddy Paws, when his name was said and placed Ciriaco, who remained on his place.

“Okay, take care Shifting Winds.” He said to her, before she left to start the patrol duty. Self he started to think what she meant by ‘receive your totem.’ Perhaps a pack symbol, to indicate that you are an official member of The Tall Pines Pack? What ever it is, he shall find that all out tomorrow. Now first the medical check-up, and hoping that his own injuries would only a few burned spots, nothing serious. Even he has been in the burning forest for a long time, but the wet coat trick had protected him from severe burns.

Kotie looked at Tsuki and noticed that she is eagerly to go back where she came from, after that she is treated for her injuries then. Then looked to the tannish wolf and said “Muddy Paws, isn’t it? You can better treat Tsuki, first. If you need some assistance, I am here.”

Then he laid down and Ciriaco laid down on a front paw of Kotie for warmth and sleep.

"I will then, thank you," she replied to Kotie, grinning, "Hello there, Tsuki. I'll be checking over you and asking you a few questions, okay?" She padded around the white wolf, sniffing her occasionally; "OKay...so, where does it hurt? You feel burned or have seen any bleeding?" She could tell that her coat was singed at some parts, and some blood was spotted over the white fur. It could have been from anything though; another animal or herself.

tsuki smiled. if a wolf could. her eyes were warm from humbleness and simple contentment. " jus her and there put it hurts mostly on my left side and its a bit hard to breathe. other than that im fine." tsuki looked around the sleeping animals yet again. seeing their feelings across their singed faces. the younger ones were of simple pleasure to sleep, but the elders were harder to read. so twisted with feelings inside they looked almost like a blurred forest. going so fast you cant see the true beuty. she turned to mercury and stared into the packmate and said this: " thankyou yet again for caring about me. its been a long time since another pack even came across me."

The grey wolf gave a nod in acknowledgment to Muddy Paws, then looked at the pup and found him asleep on his right front paw. He self felt also very tired and wanted to get some sleep also, as he had travelled a long way from his previous resting place, plus that he had to run for his life while saving Ciriaco from the fire. Conclusion, it has been a long day for him and he could hardly stay awake anymore.

He closed his eyes and just listened to the questions and the answers on it, till he was asleep.

"You're probably all bruised up," Muddy Paws replied softly, "Most of us are all banged up by this fire. It was a stampede back there, of wolves and other creatures. It seems like we were the lucky ones, able to cross that river." She nosed through her medicines, finally finding a green paste. "This should help with your soreness," she said softly as she rubbed it onto her joints.

"Now...for your breathing, you probably breathed in some smoke. That can't be fixed by medicine...only rest. If I were you, I would rest up at camp and see how you feel in the morning."

tsuki bent her head even more. her blue eyes seeing the wisdom and releif in mercurys eyes. she was glad that she was being taken care of, though felt pity that they were in this situation. "thankyou. i hope to see you tommorow." she silently walked to a brush a little ways away from everyone else and layed down there. she fell asleep with a squrrel on her head.

His breathing slowed down and was asleep, before Tsuki got released from Muddy Paws. Kotie kept in his mind that he could be woken up for an examination and possible heal some injuries on him, but would she wake him up for it, or waiting till morning? That’s the question, as they both are just now peaceful asleep....

Anyhow, what the outcome will be, he would take the blame for it, if she needs to delay the examination till the morning.

Ciriaco rolled off to the inside of the right front paw of Kotie, snuggled against it to get more warmth.