Rose lay like a tiny regal statue on top the rocks, tail stretched out behind her, head up and ears pricked, staring out across the ocean as the chill breeze ruffled her fur. She gazed across the gentle waves, the peacful lapping and the birdsong dying down calming her mind and heart. She watched for the first beams of moonlight before getting to her paws and standing at the edge of the ourcropping, chest out, head up, tail curled, ears back, as she opened her muzzle and began a song to the Moon Goddess. She sang a song of being betrayed by the ones she took in and nursed to health, of being chased and snapped at, of stumbling into the ocean and swimming away and away, of finding Raven and of hiding from him, of them joining up and racing, and of their plight to find a new land to be safe in. She sang of her missing mate and of her best friend whom she was still searching for in hopes he had survived by all odds. And she sang of her longing for a place to belong and of her desire to help all living creatures feel loved and cared for despite the life they may be living. Having finished her song, she dropped her head and tail and turned to climb down from the outcropping and return to the den to sleep.

Raven opened an eye as a beautiful howl sang to the moon. He raised his head, only hearing Rose and not seeing her even in the moonlight. Her song was beautiful, but he didn't understand most of it. There was a bit of grief in it which he would guess was for a mate or something. As she finished, pawsteps sounded above him as she came into the den. He yawned before tucking his paws underneath of him. "That was beautiful Rose," He murmured to her before tucking his nose back under his tail, falling asleep.

Rose stumbled a bit, and stuttered out a shy "T-th-thank you." If a wolf could blush, she would be now. She puffed up with happiness that he had enjoyed her song, and not considered it strange or unnerving like some wolves did. She knew her beliefs were different from most, but she was okay with that. After all, her belifs belonged to her and no one else. Curling near the back of the den, she fluffed her tail and buried her nose into it, letting out the tiniest whimper as she thought of her moss stuffed hide toy she used to cuddle to sleep every night. When she had been chased, it had gotten ripped from her jaws and she had been uable to get it back. She had snuggled JJ often as well, but now she was left without anything to hold and she felt empty, alone and scared suddenly. Back when her, Grizzly and JJ lived as a small family, she had felt whole and safe. She had her toy, her mate, and her best friend to snuggle with. She squeezed her eyes shut and knew it would be another long, sleepess, pain-filled night for her as she tried to remain silent and still so as not to disturb the wolf she was sharing a den with....

Rose's eyes snapped open and her head shot up as memores flooded her mind, of other male wolves, and in a blind panic, struggled to her paws, teeth bared in fear, and bolted from the den, flat out running as fast as her aching paws could take her, into the sea where she dove underwater and dissapeared from sight.

Raven was asleep when sharp rustling and pawsteps woke him up. Raising his head, he saw the outline of Rose bolting out of the den. He quickly got up, running after her, unsure what had stirred her. He stopped at the edge of the water as she plunged in. He waited a moment, blinking confused before shaking his pelt out. Maybe she felt safer in the water or something. Raven took another look at the water before padding back towards the den.

Wrapped up in his thoughts, he almost missed the scuffle in the bushes. Turning, not fully comprehending the sound, he watched the bushes as they went silent. Flicking an ear, he shook his head yawning, oh he did not need to be woken up right now. He padded towards the den entrance when a splitting growl rang through the silence. A sudden weight pushed him down, making him fully awake. He rolled with the impact before throwing it off. He got into a defensive stance just in time to see the panther roll to its feet. Raven flattened his ears, growling while baring his teeth. The panther did the same before swiping at him. He dodged under it before biting the paw, the panther screeching.

Pain went through his soldier as the cat bit him before throwing him. He rolled, coming back on his feet before scooping up some sand and throwing it into the panthers eyes. It clawed at its eyes, not seeing him pounce on it. As it was blinded, Raven sunk his fangs into its shoulder, hanging on even as he tasted blood. The cat yowled, shaking him off before sprinting into the forest. Raven let out a growl, warning it not to come back before licking his shoulder. Yowch, that hurt. He limped into the den, laying down before starting to clean the wound. At least Rose got to the water safely before the panther had time to set its sights on her.

Still in a panic, adreniline pumping through her veins, Rose pushed her body as hard as she could to get away, vision blurred by what was danving in her mind. Feelings of paws holding her down and teeth sinking into the scruff of her neck as a male wolf held her down, the agonizing pains they caused her over and over, limping away bleeding after and being unable to tell a soul, having to scream in pain alone as she collapsed later, only for other wolves to drive her away , not understanding what was wrong with her, not knowing it wasn't her fault. Slowly, as her lungs began to scream for air, the present pain cutting through to her through her remembered pain, she slowed down, and relaized she had swam who knows how far out into the ocean away from where she was supposed to be. Quickly she surfaced and gulped air, pausing only for a second to consider another alternative, but didn't follow through. She couldn't.

For what felt like several hours, but was really only a few minutes, she paddled in place, trying to even her breathng and talk herself into going back. She hoped her panick attack hadn't woken Raven. She didn't want to have to explain that to him, if she could get herself to muster up the courage to go back. She looked to the moon and whimpered, wishing Grizzly was able to hear her. He had always been able to calm her down.

At long last Rose turned reluctantly back towards shore, feeling heartbroken and lost. She swam up to the beach and listlessly nosed at the pawprints that had followed her own. He definatly had woken up and looked like he had chased after her even. Her head hung low as she snuffled the sand, considering dissapearing into the night to suffer alone, but then the smell of blood and wild cat tickled her nose, and she snapped her head up, ears pricked. Padding forward, she appraoched the den and summed up the story quickly. Turning, she nervously peeked into the dark hole, and looked closley to see if Raven was in need of herbal help.

Raven licked his wound clean before laying his head down. Well, that was tiring. Shuffling outside made him get up with a growl before he spotted Rose peeking in. "Oh it's just you. Where did you go?! You fled the den, bolting as if your life depended on it!" Raven said, limping forward to look her over for injuries ignoring his own in the process. "Do you have a fear for dens or something? You could have warned me or something." He asked, flattening his ears before perking them back up again. "Do you Sea Wolves sleep in the ocean?" He asked curiously before tilting his head back at the den. "We still need rest before dawn though, and we better get inside or to your ocean before the coyotes come around. Not that they will stray this far towards the water but not really wanting to find out." He said, turning towards the entrance while listening for her to answer.

Rose stared at him with dull eyes as the questions washed over her. He was injured, he needed help. Cat bite wound on the shoulder, she needed to get a Bleeding Heart root patse compress on it for pain, Self Heal leaf paste onto it for healing and a hide or leaf and vine wrap once she dressed it to hold it in place, in case of any infectious bacteria in the panther's bite. She also needed a shell for water to wash the wound. "I'll be back." She murmered without ansering a single question. "Stay here." She whirled around and dissapearred into the blackness beyond the den.

Raven watched annoyed as she turned, disappearing into the night without answering a single one of his questions. He growled to himself, "You could at least have told me where you were going so I wouldn't worry all over again." Shaking his head, he limped back into the den before laying down in one corner. His shoulder hurt but it wasn't like the pain from past wounds. He ignored it as he laid his head down, waiting for Rose to return while arguing with himself why he cared about the Sea Wolf.

Rose slipped through the bushes, using her nose to find the herbs she needed. Quickly digging up the roots and plucking leaves, she then hurried back to the beach, not wishing to run into an already angry panther. She trotted past the den, popping in to lay the herbs down, "Be right back" She said again, and rturned to the water, diving in and plucking an oyster from the sea floor, prying it oen and gulping the insides before washing the shell throuroughly and filling it with water and carefully carrying it back to the den. She laid the shell by the herbs and left once more and collected a couple flat stones, carrying them back as well. "Back in my old pack, i had better equipment." She commented to Raven before seizing the roots and placing them on a rock, then clitching anothe rock in between her jaws, and beginnng to grind the roots. She glanced up at Raven. "What were your questions again?" She asked around the rock, her eyes sad.

Raven opened an eye when Rose peeked in the first time before raising his head as she came in with the herbs. He watched her work through narrowed eyes before asking stiffly, "What are you doing?" The herbs smelled like. .well herbs, but different from what one of the mothers used with her pups. Probably the only one in the rogues that knew her herbs. Not that she usually helped the others, there was no such thing as healers even though the elders always told stories of them. He flicked an ear, uneasy with the herbs that was beside him. "What were your questions again?" Rose asked, and he raised his eyes to meet hers before saying quietly, "Just know that if you need to do something, or don't like something, let me know so I don't worry."