downhill — joining , open .

[truce.]

[align=center][div style="width: 430px; text-align: justify; font-family: verdana; font-size: 6pt; letter-spacing: 1.5px; word-spacing: 0px; line-height: 12px; color: #262626"]tw. mention of animal injury.

It had been nearly three years.

Features scrunched up into a light grimace as Lucia squinted at the ski village in the near distance. It’d taken her long enough to travel here in the first place, she wasn’t sure what she’d possibly do if her family was not residing here. It’d been the plan for for as long as she could possibly remember — if the Stirling enterprise were to collapse and they’d lose touch with one another, Flintlock Lodge would be where they would all eventually reconvene. And now, she had lost almost everything that had kept her away from this wintery mountain in the first place. First, she’d lost Walker, and soon she would lose her regal hound, Ripley, if she couldn’t find help for him soon.

She couldn’t imagine that Flintlock would be home to a veterinarian, but maybe there was a medic who’d be able to help stop the heavy bleeding. Ripley was all that Lucia had left, her large hound brave enough to save Lucia’s life after a wolf stalked the pair for what felt like miles. The wolf was starved, desperate enough to seek its next potential meal in the form of a small woman and her dog. Without Ripley, Lucia would probably have been easy prey to the vicious wild beast. Now, the shepherd dog limped along beside her, Lucia gently praising him with a wobbling voice for how strong he was to continue hobbling on despite his extensive injuries.

Ripley was beginning to slow down, heavy pants of stress as feeble whines passed his lips every few minutes. He pushed on valiantly, even whilst he was in pain. ❝ You’re doing so well, boy. Almost there now. ❞ She began to walk into the village, sucking in a sharp breath to avoid the tears that welled up in her eyes. Glazed over eyes darted around, searching for any sign of life until her gaze landed on someone a short distance away.

❝ Hello?! ❞ She called down the path, arms up as she tried to wave them over. ❝ I need help — my dog and I were attacked a few miles back. ❞ Never mind the puncture wound on her hand from where the wolf had initiated the attack; she’d prioritise saving Ripley any day. 

[cygnus]

[align=center][div style="width: 400px; text-align: justify; line-height: 15px;"][font=calibri]It was not unusual to find Wren in the forest, regardless of the weather conditions. She always persevered, she always pressed on. For Victor, she would never stop looking. Today was no different. Wren was mostly healed from her own injuries she had sustained entering Flintlock Lodge for the first time, in search for Edmund Stirling and the stability that Victor had promised. Nightmares still plagued her sleep about her time alone in the forest, knocking on death's door, it seemed.

The forest was calm. The winter months were beginning to set in, but no drastic snow just yet. Not the snowfall that makes Flintlock virtually impregnable to her unfamiliar enemies, not yet. Wren was alone today. No search party, no spotters, just herself. She needed the time to think and reflect. A shouting voice interrupted those thoughts. Reasonably alarmed, her fingers laced the hilt of a small dagger she kept strapped to her thigh. Looking around, she scanned the area, but saw only silhouettes of tall evergreen trees. She was close to the outskirts of the village- who was calling for help so close to civilization? A few steps forward though, and she spotted the source of the distressed call.

Wren broke out into a run once she was able to recognize that someone needed help. Approaching the woman, she began to observe the scene and gather what was going on. "What happened?" she breathed, coming to a stop a short distance away. Her cold gray eyes trailed down to the injured dog. As the woman spoke about the attack she and her dog had endured, Wren nodded quickly. "I'm close with the medic. We're near her home- do you think he can make it?"

[ASPEN B.]

[align=center][div style="width: 400px; text-align: justify; font-size: 11px; font-family: calibri; letter-spacing: .6px; color: #494949;"]today is a bar day for bowie bloom. not to get drunk, just to get a little tipsy and have some fun with whoever is there. but, he's hit a lull in the pub, some people have cleared out and he decides to make his way back to his little cabin. grabbing his glass from the bar and downing the rest of the beer, he nods and flashes a smile to the bartender before getting up. he puts his beanie on as he pushes out of the door.

met with an unusual sound, it's usually pretty peaceful in the village, but yells fill the cold and thick hair. aspen's brows furrow, starting to head in the direction of the noise. finally, it registers what is actually going on, a woman and her dog made it to flintlock, but were not in very good shape, but wren has already gotten there, so he doesn't waste his energy in running, just a light pick up of his pace to see if they need any help.

" my dog and i were attacked a few miles back. " and the gravity of the situation hits him. worst case scenario, it's bluestem, but it could also be a bear or pack of wolves or something. “ [color=#80bfff]what attacked you? is it following? “ bowie inquires, " [color=#80bfff]i can help your dog to the medic's house if you need it, "