Nighthowl Tribe

With shaky legs Padme stared at the ground. Two bags stuffed to the brim with herbs lay before her paws, but they looked more blurry by the second as her eyes started to fill with tears. «I have to go back and save her...I have to save my sister!» The sight of the ruthless killer attacking her had burned itself into her brain and whenever she closed her eyes, she saw his light blue mask, gracing the dark pelt and those piercing, yellow eyes staring right at her. She bit her lip and the pain brought her back to reality. «But first I have to bring these back or it will have all been for naught.» After all, she thought, this was what Kaheana and her had set out to do. The remnants of their tribe depended on these herbs to recover from the injuries sustained in the fight with the monster or the following hasty flight to safety during the storm. She pushed all the dark thoughts aside, grabbed the bags and rushed back to the cave where Rheagal and the others had found shelter. 

At the entrance she spotted Elijah talking to Avianos who seemed to have just returned with some prey from a hunt. Back when Meteora and him had caught up to their group, Padme had felt a wave of relief. While they had all agreed to split up as they fled the territory to be less noticeable, the slow and pregnant Meteora would've been an easy target for the killer. Although so far it seemed like nobody got attacked once they left the outer wall of the camp, as if there was an invisible wall surrounding it. Without another word the cream colored female put down the bags in front of her mate, who looked at her in surprise once he smelled what was inside. He obviously wanted to ask her where she got that from, but one glance at her swollen eyes was enough for him to know that this was not the time nor place to talk. He nodded in thanks and quietly picked up the ressources before he quickly trotted over to his leader.

Elijah was worried beyond imagination for his mate, but it had to wait for now. Almost everyone in their group needed medical support in one way or the other and he had to help as much and as fast as possible. Rheagal was badly injured from the battle with the stranger and lay in the back of the cave. Many times he tried to get up, because he didn't want to feel so helpless while his tribe members did their best to keep going, but Naara, who sat right next to him, always firmly pushed him back down into his nest. «You need to rest.» «No, I need to save our tribe!» «You won't help them like this. Please, if you won't do it for yourself, just do it for me!» As Elijah stepped closer and unpacked the herbs that Padme and Kaheana had collected from their former garden, the viscountess let out a sigh of relief. «Oh thank Kydos. I'll bring some valerian to Ivy. I'm sure she'll feel better with this after the exhausting birth. If you need any help Eli, let me know.» The healer nodded and proceeded to examine Rheagal. As he touched the largest of the wounds, the blue hob flinched, but only for a moment. The ice had already been scarred when they first met – a remembrance of his past he rarely spoke about, but Elijah knew enough of the fighting pits and the harsh life he had led before. The Nighthowl tribe was his chance to leave all of this behind, but it seems like he was only able to escape from it for so long...

Carefully the sunmasked hob applied various pastes on different areas and bandaged what he could. He was sure the male had also sustained some internal damage, like a bruised rib or two, but he was unable to do anything about that for now. «Thank you, Elijah. Now please, take care of everyone else who needs you. I'll be fine.» But the lime was not done yet. The body could only recover if the mind let it, and he could tell that Rheagal's mind was anything but ready for healing. «Listen, I know you want to go out there and make this right but pushing yourself is not the way to do this. Nighthowl WILL reunite and we'll be able to find a new place to live in, but let everyone just catch their breath for now.» The alpha snarled. «Find a new place to live in?! This was our home and we need to take it back!» «But you saw him! You fought the stranger yourself, you know we cannot beat him. In the past you had to fight anyone who was put in front of you because it was kill or be killed, but now you can choose your battles, and this is not one you want to fight.» Rheagal clearly was not happy with this, but at least it made him think. When Elijah turned his head and glanced back to his partner, he saw her quietly talking to Avianos.

The shepherd had just told the tall caramel everything which had happened earlier as she nervously shifted her weight from one leg to the other. «She should really be here already, so the stranger must’ve gotten to her first. I need to go, I can distract him so Kaheana can run away.» «No way, don't be stupid. You know this is a suicide mission. He'll tear you to pieces.» «But I can't just sit here and do nothing!» «YOU will. But I can go and look for her. After all, I'm a passage keeper. It's my job not to let enemies into our tribe, and while it's too late for that, at least I can go find your sister. I know the area better than anyone thanks to my patrols.» «Avianos...you can't do that. You have Meteora to take care of and soon even a litter that needs you. You said it yourself, it’s suicide.» At that moment, the other ice jill walked up to them. While they didn’t think she had overheard their discussion, they both immediately fell silent. «I’m glad you’re back» she said with her soft voice, then the round jill booped her partner’s cheek with her nose and smiled. Avianos' face looked as stoic as always, but Padme noticed that his tail twitched for a second. Since he'd always been stationed on the edges of the Nighthowl territory, she didn't know him very well, but the two blue jills had talked to each other occasionally. Thanks to these conversations, Padme knew that while he seemed cold, the caramel was a loving hob who cared more about Meteora than himself or anything else, even if he didn't show it to anyone other than her. But perhaps that was a good choice too. Love could be a strong power, but also an immense weakness for others to exploit. In this case though his scheme would not work. Padme would not risk him dying and his partner having to raise her whelps without him. Then the pregnant female turned towards the former shepherd.

«Padme…I was wondering something. Since Avianos and I were too far away to realise anything while it was going on…you know, during the fight. Do you perhaps know which of our tribe members didn't make it?» She seemed more sad than worried as she posed this question, so the cream wasn’t sure if she tried to hear about anyone in particular. But either way, she had to shake her head. «I’m afraid I was too far away as well. I only found out we had to run because Elijah came to get me and Mabel. He might know more.» At that moment someone else stepped closer to their little group. Kitovu had overheard their conversation and decided to join in. «Majula is dead and Kain ran away. Egoistic prick.» He muttered the last part more quietly, but they all heard it still. Then he continued. «I saw it happen before the stranger attacked Rheagal. While they were both not exactly good company, Majula was strong and loyal to the tribe. She deserved a proper fight...sadly the stranger didn't give her this chance. There are probably more who succumbed to the monster, but we didn’t have much of a chance to survey the area, and with everyone scattered, it’s hard to tell who made it out alive.» Knowing that nobody who tried to had even remotely managed to pose a proper threat to the killer so far, the present crowd felt helpless and defeated. Padme didn't know Majula well, but these news shook her nonetheless. It hurt her to think that some of the more unpopular tribe members were just eradicated from everyone's thoughts once this was all over, as if they never existed in the first place. She promised to herself not to forget the names of those who lost their lives that night. If they ever found out their names that is. This made her think about how nobody would be able give them a proper burial or say goodbye. How many had been lost to the sunmasked killer? Either way, their legacy had to live on with the survivors who only made it out because of their sacrifices. And Kaheana couldn’t be one of them. Padme would not let her. It’s been a couple hours since the sisters got attacked, but there was still time. She got to her paws and left the cave, but Avianos ran after her. It was raining again and their pelts were quickly soaked, but thanks to the noise, nobody else heard them talk.

«I told you, I’m not letting you go!» «This is none of your business! Don't treat me like a whelp!» «You ARE with whelps! Don't think we didn't notice.» For a moment Padme was too stunned to speak. She thought she’d been able to hide it well enough. «It doesn't matter!» «Do you think that’s what she would’ve wanted?! She gave you a chance to escape, if you die now her sacrifice was in vain!» Padme knew he was right. Of course he was. But she still couldn’t let it go. The feeling of helplessness was too strong. «You’ve done enough. You've brought the herbs and given Rheagal a chance to survive.» Rheagal. His name still made the ice cream jill uncomfortable. For all they knew, he could’ve been the reason the stranger had attacked the tribe. She didn’t trust him and possibly never would. She hadn’t done it for him, but for the tribe, and now Kaheana had to pay the price? He should’ve been the one in her place…

«Padme!» a voice called out from out of the jungle and they both turned their heads towards it, ready to fight. It sounded like… «Kaheana?!»