Awan mumbled something to Raven and eased her down under the big oak next to Miska. He sniffed her shoulder before turning away and scampering over to his rock to gather herbs. Cypress trailed after him, his face taut with worry and anger.
Fawna pressed herself between Raven and Miska, running her tongue along Miska's injured face and pressing her warmth into Raven's trembling body.
Once Awan and Cypress returned with the herbs Awan began layering them over Miska's tail and face. He found a few more minor injuries and treated them before instructing Fawna and Cypress to coax her into eating the remaining plants.
Awan disappeared behind the rock again and started dragging something out, the skins Raven and he slept on each night.
He hauled them over, tugging harder when they got caught in a snowbank.
Together he and Cypress pushed Raven closer to Miska so they could layer both pelts on top of them.
When Awan saw Miska hadn't taken the herbs yet he shoved Fawna away and grabbled Miska's mouth open.
Miska hardly reacted when he shoved them down her throat.
Fawna lunged at Awan, furious that he had been so rough with her daughter.
He dodged her by shoving her into the snow. His tail raising and his fur standing on end, he dared her to try that again.
"We don't have time to be gentle." he snarled, "The longer we take to get medicine into her the less of a chance she has."
He huffed and dropped his tail, "If you want to help, dig out this snow so they don't freeze to death, and be quick about it."
Fawna opened her mouth to retaliate but thought better of it and started to pull out the snow from under Miska.
Awan nodded and turned back to his rock.
Cypress started digging on Raven's side and together he and Fawna started clearing the snow from under the tree.
Awan returned with more herbs and dropped them in front of Raven.
He didn't bother to stay and see if she took them, he turned to Miska and checked on her before pulling Cypress and Fawna away and talked to them a hushed voice.
They must have figured Raven was too weak to care to hear what they had to say, but she needed to know what was wrong with her sister.
"Blind in one eye...damaged hearing...emotional damage."
With each diagnosis, Raven's fury grew more. With each herb, they stuffed down her throat she thought of a new way to end Islode's life. With each day, she grew stronger.
She was no longer afraid of them, they were not going to take anything else from her, and she would take everything from them.
YOU ARE READING
Great Wolf Children Book one: New Beginnings
General FictionRaven was never fond of Fawna and her father being together, but she held no grudge against her younger half-sister when she was born. She'd do anything to protect her, but the wilderness doesn't discriminate on who lives and dies.
