"Oh… okay." Nich fell quiet as well, focusing on staying upright for now. He kept his hand where it was, feeling cold and dizzy as he made his way forward on false legs. His prosthetics definitely didn't make it any easier to keep his balance.
Ember nodded suddenly going quiet herself as the made their way closer to her packs home
Nich tried his best to keep up with Ember, and his gaze was distant. He only looked up when they seemed to be arriving somewhere. "Mm… did we make it…?"
Ember nodded again "yes we're here be silent just follow me and keep your head down and you'll be fine I assure you. " as they continued to walk they reach a open area surrounded by trees and a huge cave in the middle back protected by the pack members that were spread out around the the area and a few smaller caves on each side of the larger one that's where they were heading to talk to the alpha embers father, a few pack members sat up looking over at the two walking a few growling at the new character following the alpha's daughter she snapped at them her amber eyes glowing as they reached the entrance "here go inside don't get to close to anyone. "
"Alright…" Nich followed Ember quietly, glancing around at the werewolves as he walked. He kept his ears flattened back against his head and his posture submissive so that he wouldn't be seen as a threat. He clearly didn't belong here, and his prosthetics made a dull, metallic clunking sound as he walked that wasn't natural. Even without trying to, he drew attention.
(Sorry I didn't mean to make it that long lol I'm just used to it now I guess 🤣 I'm working on my next reply rn should be done soon!)
(It's fine! Dw about it lol)
Ember shifted as soon as they entered the cave she was rather large and looked very intimidating her coat was black and shiny, looking back at nich she gave him a side eye and Continued into the cave quietly they eventually made it into the inner sanctum that was filled with wolves one among them looked similar to ember he was the alpha his sleek black coat stood up as he glared at nich as soon as he entered
After a bit of hesitation, Nich shifted as well, figuring his presence would be marginally more welcomed if he wasn't in a humanoid form. He seemed very small next to the large werewolves since he really wasn't much larger than the average fox, but he was lighter in color and had three tails. The injury to the back of his head and his unsteadiness remained, however. He followed along, keeping close to Ember's side as he stumbled. Once they were closer, he attempted a bow, but wasn't really in much of a state to do so.
A loud booming voice rang through the air "why have you brought this thing here ember? " the alpha was now standing along with a few other wolves which where now snarling at nich
"he was caught in one of our traps he's injured I would rather not hide a body I brought him here to save him. " ember stood her ground staring at her father growling at a few wolves that started towards her
Nich winced at the loud sound and turned his ears back, straightening up as well as he could with how disoriented he was. He still had false hind legs as a fox, and with his injury, he was at a very clear disadvantage if Ember's father decided he didn't like Nich. He stayed low to the ground so he wouldn't be seen as a threat, although he wasn't particularly intimidating compared to the wolves anyway.
(I might make ember and alpha for this one… Instead of an omega…Maybe)
"We have no use for him you should have left him there or killed him. " embers father wasn't one for outsiders especially outsiders that weren't wolves
"father it would be easier that killing him and less hassle! " a low growl escaped the alpha's throat at ember raised her voice
"QUIET PUP! or I will not hesitate to-" he took a breath and looked at the wolf standing next to the odd fox and he sighed "take him to Samuel he should be able to help. " and with the the alpha walked back to his area where he slept and laid down again as did a few others ember turned to look a nich
"Come along, Samuel will help you heal that wound in a matter of minutes head just outside. "
(Yeah it would probably make more sense since her father is the alpha lol)
Nich definitely didn't like the suggestion of killing him, but he didn't say anything for fear of hastening that fate. He swallowed nervously and glanced up at Ember, shivering at the feeling of his blood coating his fur. He seemed more at ease when the alpha had seemingly decided not to kill him, but still not in any better condition.
"Uh… right…" Nich hesitated before turning around and following Ember back outside of the den. He had no idea who Samuel was, of course, and couldn't think especially clearly while concussed anyways.
(Well alpha's have Omega children too lol)
Ember looked down and smiled a little "don't worry everything is under control, Samuel is our healer he'll have you fixed up in no time I promise. " she lead him out of the bigger den (also that you for calling it a den I forgot what they were call XD) and into the smaller one next to it " this is where he stays it's probably best to prepare for him to yell…. He's going deaf " she chuckled a little as they headed inside
"Right…" Nich followed Ember as well as he could, still dizzy and in pain. He was very small compared to the dens intended for large wolves, and it made him a little uneasy. At the warning of Samuel being loud, Nich turned his ears back and kept them flat, hoping that would muffle some of the sound. He looked around for Samuel, not sure whether he would be in wolf or humanoid form.
Ember laughed a little bit as they reached an area of the denbthat looked as if a witch was residing there and then out of nowhere and white and orange wolf jumped out from the shadows "EMBER! YOUR BACK! " Samuel screeched as he butted heads with her he was a bit younger that her not entirely out of the puppy faze but was extremely experienced with elixirs and potions healing properties
"Yes Samuel shh I'm back but I need your help with something you think you could help my friend here?! "
Nich jumped and cowered at Samuel's yelling, evidently not completely prepared for just how loud he'd be. His ears were ringing and his head hurt badly, and everything seemed like it was spinning. All the same, he took a couple of wobbly steps forward so he was more visible.
From off to the side, Finn and Teagan in their wolf forms looked at the newcomer curiously. They were good friends with Samuel considering how frequently they were in here; the twins fought with each other constantly.
Ember winced a little out of sympathy for the fox as Samuel jumped away from ember and to nich he sniffed the fox before stepping back
"my my what did you do get into it with ember?! Come along I have just the thing! "
and as he said this he began running to a shelf like this before shifting so he could look through the viles "aha! Here it is ember catch this! It should help!"
at that he threw the vile towards ember who had just shifted and luckily caught the bottle
"nich take this I'm sure it will help with the headache he's giving you. " she said as quiet as possible and opened it for him
Finn shifted back as well since it seemed to be the right thing to do at the moment. "Got caught in a trap… hit my head in the process of being violently yanked into the air." He explained, trying to get to his feet, but resigning himself to sit on the floor for now. "Mm… thanks. How long will that take to work?" He asked softly as he accepted the potion and swallowed it without hesitation. He figured if they were trying to kill him, they probably would have done so already and not bothered with poison.
Samuel turned to them both "oh that should take an hour to heal you completely by the way! " his yelling caused ember to laugh
"Yes thank you Samuel you can stop yelling now! " she shifted back to her wolf form as she looked over at her brothers (we agreed they were her brothers right?) "Finn, Teagan stop staring it's rude if you wish to meet nich introduce yourselves. " her voice sounded though as a natural leader commanding but not mean
(More adopted brothers/sibling type relationship than actual blood relation, but yeah)
"Cool, thanks…" Nich shuddered and adjusted so he'd be a bit more comfortable where he was on the ground. Finn and Teagan flustered when they were called out, but stood nonetheless and approached. They were both bandaged up in places, and in their wolf forms, they were nearly indistinguishable if it weren't for Finn's heterochromia. Although Nich still didn't know which was which since he'd never met them before. They came up and sat before Nich, who'd shifted back into a fox for the time being.
"Um… I'm Finn." The wolf with different colored eyes announced. "That's Teagan. We're brothers. Twins. You're not a wolf." He stated bluntly. Teagan rolled his eyes and headbutted his brother.
"Dude, shut up. You're being stupid." He said to Finn, who growled back. It only took a couple seconds for them to tackle each other and start fighting again. Nich stared at them, clearly confused and surprised, and then moved back to get out of their way.
(Right I figured as much lol)
Ember roles her eyes a low growl escaping her throat "knock it off both of you. " she barked sounding more like her father as she stared at the two wolves "you'll have to excuse them their both idiots. " she stood up grabbing one of them by the scruff of their next to pull them apart
Finn and Teagan looked up when Ember barked at them, Teagan's teeth still sunk into Finn's shoulder. Teagan, since he was on top, was the one pulled away by the scruff. They were both a good bit smaller than Ember since they were lanky adolescents and not fully grown adults. Finn was bleeding again, but neither twin appeared concerned about it.
"Oh, it's fine." Nich replied. "I had friends like them when I was younger once. And my nephews are a bit like that too… not quite as violent though."
Ember nudged them out of the way "why don't you roughhouse somewhere outside so your not in the way " she suggested sounding a but annoyed as she looked at the two boys before her "go on get lost I'll come find you later just don't leave the pack " she sat down eyeing them both waiting for them to leave be for standing up herself "now nich what's a fox doing all the way out here last time I checked you were far off from this area because of us. "
"Okay!" Finn and Teagan ran off out of the den and could be heard roughhousing elsewhere outside. No doubt they'd land themselves back in this den in no time, but for now they left Nich and Ember alone.
"Oh, I was just wandering… I like to walk in the woods. I don't live here, though." Nich replied, looking up at Ember from where he was laying on the ground. Hopefully the potion would kick in soon.
Ember looked at him curiously "that's a long trip to just be wandering nich, but enough interrogation are you hungry we send out a few from our pack to go hunting they should be back by now " she stood up from the place she was laying before and shook of her coat from the dust and dirt from the ground
"Well, I like to hike. I don't think I was too far in, anyway…" Nich replied, pulling himself to his feet. He hadn't really recovered yet, but he felt a little bit better than before. "Yeah, I guess I could eat. I suppose you guys mostly hunt for food and eat out raw?" He asked. "Rather than cooking, I mean."
She chuckled a little at his ignorance "hm no we don't cook the meat mostly just for the children that can't shift into their wolf forms yet, why do you ask fox? "
"Wouldn't it be easier for children who can't shift to not eat raw meat? Typically people can't have it without getting sick. Animal forms, sure, but…" He shrugged, getting a little closer to Ember so he could follow her. "Human teeth aren't built for eating things like that."
"You misunderstand we do cook the meat for the children until the age they can shift . " she laughed a little bit realizing she could have worded that better