Well hello there. I have yet another idea for a story and it is singlehandedly destroying my ability to focus on this one. My love for AUs is ruining my life T_T

Howler was waiting for them on the water's edge. The jungle still loomed ahead of them, far enough ahead that it would take them about another half day, at Zelda's guess.

Zelda staggered to a halt, casting a glance behind her. Mania and Sunset struggled to keep up, but as a whine made her turn, thoughts of her companions flew from her head. Howler was staring at her, chest heaving, tongue lolling from his jaws. He came closer, till he was a few inches away, and Zelda's heart slammed against her chest.

Howler held her gaze as his nose pushed into her shoulder. Another whine slipped from him, and Zelda closed her eyes, savoring the warmth from his proximity. She trembled slightly, though whether it was from her exhaustion or his closeness, she wasn't sure.

In a moment it didn't matter, for Howler had shifted. Zelda followed suit, collapsing at the river's edge. "We should be there in about a half-day," Howler guessed, squinting at the tree-line in the distance. Zelda nodded tiredly, her mind a jumble of emotions.

Howler glanced at her, then scanned their surroundings. His mouth screwed to the side. "I don't like it," he muttered.

Pawsteps heralded their companions' approach. Mania arrived first, but Sunset--

Mania skidded to a halt and growled low in his chest before he set his paws and shook himself violently, and a ball of orange was dislodged from his back.

She landed on the grass and shook herself, glaring golden daggers at Mania. The lion just snarled and huffed, pacing away to plop on the ground. Zelda and Howler shared a bemused glance.

Howler's expression shifted into a grin as Sunset shifted, brushing off her dress. "Before you say something stupid, no, I did not ask for permission, and no, I don't care if he's pissed off. There was no way I was going to exhaust myself chasing after you, so I settled for a ride."

Mania snarled from where he lay on the grass. Zelda felt her lips turn up, unable to resist teasing the fox a little. "You know, he doesn't give out free rides like that for just anyone," she said, ignoring Howler's snort. "I think you've made an impression on him."

Sunset made a gagging noise. "I'd rather die."

Silence descended, but only for a second. Zelda swallowed, Faylen's body flashing through her mind, and opened her mouth, but Howler had beaten her to it. "I'm sure someone can arrange that."

Zelda glanced sharply at him, but Sunset was snickering, albeit morbidly. "I'm sure."

The two forest anima then sat down on the grass and began talking, planning their next move while they rested, and Zelda felt entirely, suddenly extra. She dithered for a moment, missing how Howler's eyes darted up to hers.

"Don't think you're skipping out on us now," he called, and now Sunset turned her head to level a dry look at Zelda. "Come here, Spitfire."

Clearing her throat, Zelda did so, wondering what the hell it was that made her heart pound. Was it the way he said her call sign? Was it his voice--deep and rich and full of heat? Was it the way she imagined him saying Come here in an entirely different setting--

Zelda sat between the forest anima, hoping her face wasn't as red as it felt. She hoped Howler, if he noticed, simply attributed it to the exertion of her run.

I'm always looking.

Gods. Did he know what those words did? Did he know that she made every move wondering if he really did watch? She couldn't tell, and it made her stomach alight with butterflies every time she glanced at him to see.

"Hey, lion," Howler called, breaking Zelda from her thoughts. "Get over here. I don't wanna have to explain this twice."

Gods. If her father had known what she was thinking, of a wolf of all things, he'd have a heart attack.

And then, of course, she remembered.

As Mania plopped down, still in his lion form, between Howler and Sunset, Zelda fought down sudden fear. "We need to figure out one thing before anything else," she said, earning everyone's attention. "Running Wind and Gold Leaf Pride are still looking for me. And now that Mania hasn't returned, they'll assume the worst."

Howler was nodding. "That we've killed Mania and kidnapped you."

"If only it were that easy," Sunset mourned, though for once, it was without heat. Zelda rolled her eyes anyway.

"Putting aside our desire for simplicity," Howler said, raising his brows, "we've got a serious problem to deal with. Spitfire can't return to the tribes, and we can't go to their territory and explain. We've got enough shit to deal with here."

"But we can send a message," Zelda said, scanning the horizon. She recognized this terrain. She stood. "There's a tribe called the Seven Sins nearby that we can use to relay a message to my father and Blazing Sun."

Mania had stood, and now he shifted. "Spitfire, that's not a good idea."

She sighed. "Mania, what would you suggest? You and I both know they'd be more than willing to--"

"Spitfire, that's not what I mean." Mania's face was grave. Zelda blinked, her heart sinking. Howler and Sunset stood as well, catching on. Overhead, clouds billowed in, blocking out the sun. "It happened after you left. It was part of the reason I was sent to get you."

Zelda felt a chill steal over her. She rubbed her arms, feeling the gold bangles bite into her palms. "What happened?"

Mania shifted on his feet. "The Seven Sins were attacked. Camp was destroyed, no signs of any survivors. No bodies, but it was pretty obvious what happened."

Zelda felt the blood drain from her face. Howler came in close, his shoulder pressing into hers. "Any scents?"

Mania shook his head. "Whatever it had been was wiped away. Blazing Sun thought the Sins may have just packed up and left, but that doesn't explain why the camp was trashed."

Zelda's mind was turning. "It may not have been whoever's spreading the virus." she looked up and met Mania's gaze, and saw her reflection in his eyes. "It may have been Sharpclaw."

But Mania shook his head again. "Sharpclaw hasn't been seen in three days, Spitfire. That's what I'm saying. The Outliers are gone. If we want to tell your father you're safe, we have to go to Running Wind ourselves."

"That's out of the question," Howler said.

"He'd just as soon rip out our throats," Sunset added, frowning. "What's to stop an entire cheetah coalition from killing us once Spitfire is deemed safe?"

"My brother will," Zelda said, feeling a bravery she wasn't sure would carry her through. "Spots will make sure no one attacks you two."

"What about Mania?" Howler asked, and the lion's eyes flicked to him in . . . surprise? Suspicion? Zelda couldn't tell. "What's keeping the cheetahs from attacking the lion?"

"They wouldn't, if Blazing Sun is still in an agreement with Last King," Mania said. "If nothing else, they'll wait until the truce to find Spitfire is null and void before attacking."

"So then how do we get your brother from attacking us?" Sunset asked. "Last we saw him, he threatened to tell the whole coalition that we kidnapped you."

"And I made sure he wouldn't," Zelda said, feeling ill at the memory. She felt Howler's shoulder press further into her. "I'll make sure of it again."

"No." Howler's voice surprised her. She looked up to see the wolf watching her, an unidentifiable expression in his golden eyes. "I won't ask you to do that again, for us," he said, and the vehemence in his voice sent a shiver down Zelda's spine.

"We may not have another choice," Zelda said softly.

"We'll make another choice. There's no reason to force Spots into keeping quiet this time."

"Oh, but there was before?" Mania muttered. Howler and Sunset ignored him.

Zelda sighed through her nose, not quite able to hide her relief. She really, really didn't want to force Sheik into staying quiet. She hated using names. Last time, she'd done it out of fear and desperation, and this time, she thanked the Holy Three that Howler had put his foot down.

Howler was watching her. I'm always looking. Zelda took a deep breath. "So when are we leaving, then?"

Mania grunted. "Not now. I want to see where this scent leads. After we figure it out, then we can--"

The wind was blowing from the west, carrying a scent they all knew too well. Without another word they'd shifted and broken into a run, in perfect synchronization, and from behind the fear Zelda wondered at it, at the ease with which they operated now.

Then the breeze blew that horrid scent into her face, and she found she could think of little else anymore.

It wasn't long before they found the source of the smell. A patch of woods off the river's edge was awash in it, and Howler broke off with a sharp bark. The four of them slowed to a cautious walk, their paws leaving imprints in the soft soil. The trees were quiet, but their scent was drowned out by--

Howler growled, low in his throat, and stopped. His tail lashed, his hackles rose, and he crept forward again. Zelda followed, Sunset and Mania pressing close to her shoulders. Then she saw it.

The body was even worse than Night Vision's had been. Zelda started forward but jerked slightly when Howler snarled at her, an apology in his eyes, right beside the warning. He licked his jaws and kept growling, turning his gaze to the body.

Zelda swallowed and closed her jaws. The smell was making her eyes water. She crept closer, each pawstep carefully placed, and kept to the edge of the circle of death in which the anima lay.

It was shriveled, the grass under it completely black and dead, and it hadn't been decomposed yet. Meaning--

"It's fresh," Sunset muttered. She'd shifted and now she strode around the trees, plucking a few leaves from the branches. With her on guard, Zelda shifted and came as close to the body as she dared. Immediately she noticed something off.

"That's . . . odd," she muttered, crouching. Howler shifted and pressed close, his warmth making Zelda shiver. "What?"

"There's no blood," Zelda said, making Howler squint.

"How can you tell?"

She pointed to the body. "The skin. It's wrinkled, but it hasn't decomposed yet."

Howler still looked at her like she wasn't making any sense, so she explained, "In a body, the loss of blood volume in your arteries and vessels makes them shrink. Then the skin over them wrinkles, or shrivels."

"So, either this guy was dumped in a pool and left there, or the virus sucked all the blood from it and left it like this, because the only other way the body loses all the blood like that and shrivels the skin is when it's so decomposed that the blood has literally dried up inside the vessels."

Howler grunted, eyes narrowing. "And it's far more likely that it's the virus."

"Now you've got it," Zelda murmured, and Howler flashed her a smile.

Not a smirk, not a twitch of the lips, but a smile. He still had that look in his eyes, though, that lowered brow over narrowed eyes, and so Zelda felt a shiver run up her spine and back down.

She cleared her throat, forcing down the blush that came roaring to the surface. "Right," she said weakly. "So that means the virus has acquired a new facet."

But Howler frowned. "How do we know the virus has this effect, though?"

Zelda frowned at him. He elaborated, "I mean, it's been established that there's a carrier. Night Vision was shot, and two members of mine and Sunset's tribes were dead within minutes of one another. So who's to say that the carrier didn't somehow suck the blood from this guy and then injected him with the virus?"

"But what would the carrier need with some random anima's blood?" Zelda argued. "And why inject him with the virus anyway if he's dead from blood loss?"

Howler shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know," he snapped, then flinched. His hand rubbed at his chest as if it was in pain. Zelda swallowed and looked away, working her jaw. She didn't want to snap back at him, knew he was only defending himself, but still . . .

A moment of silence descended; vaguely Zelda wondered where Mania had gone, but then slim, calloused fingers slipped into hers. "I'm sorry," Howler said softly. "I'm just confused."

Zelda took a deep breath. She squeezed his fingers, turning to look at him. "It's okay. I know you're just trying to help."

They sat quietly for a long moment, simply holding hands. Zelda couldn't decide if she wanted to pull away or not; every time she thought about it, something inside started aching. But--

Footsteps crunched the leaves and Zelda snatched her hand from Howler's, ignoring the sharp pain lancing suddenly through her. She stood hurriedly as Mania and Sunset entered, now in their human forms. "We've got a problem," Sunset said gravely.

Zelda opened her mouth to ask what, but then Howler had shoved her behind him. She let out a startled hiss, but then she'd seen what entered the trees behind Sunset.

A black wolf, even darker than Howler, with searing red eyes. Or were they gold? Zelda squinted, forgetting herself for a split second. They seemed to shift regardless of the light--

But wait. Zelda reined in her curiosity and turned her attention to the sudden fear pounding at her chest. A black wolf, obviously part of Howler's pack. So why was it here? Clearly it was bad, or Sunset wouldn't have been so grave, and Howler--

He sighed, breaking Zelda from her thoughts. "Should have known," he muttered, and slowly reached back for Zelda. She allowed him to pull her forward and looked from him to the wolf, who watched with those curious eyes.

At the sight of Zelda, the wolf let out a growl so low it rumbled in Zelda's chest. She narrowed her eyes and stepped beyond Howler's arms, ignoring his exasperated sigh. "What are you doing here?" she asked, trying not to make it a demand.

One moment, the wolf was five feet away. The next, Zelda was in the dirt with an 'oof!' and the wolf's jaws were inches from her face. It snarled loudly, spittle dripping from its perfectly white fangs. Zelda fought back a wave of panic, her eyes wide, heart thudding against her ribcage.

"Black Sage!"

The wolf didn't respond, didn't spare a bit of attention for Howler. It pushed its face into Zelda's, making her press her head into the dirt. Then, ever so slowly, it pulled away, removing its weight from Zelda's chest.

Zelda took a few short breaths, feeling abruptly as though she'd come within inches of death. She came to her feet with Mania's help, a sort of shock mingling with the firm thought, I'm never doing that again.

Howler was speaking. ". . . sent you a message, I told you that I was with--"

A short burst of light signified the shift. "You did. You failed to mention, however, that your companions would cause the packs to decide whether you get to live."

Howler winced. "And you," the wolf didn't move, but Sunset flinched nonetheless. "You have always been reckless, Sunset, and I and Shadow Sight have let that recklessness pass before. But you are going back to Haze of Shadows, now."

Sunset stepped forward, extending her hands. "Black Sage, wait, I can--"

A snap of the head, mixy eyes flaring, and Sunset paled. "You are not a part of my pack, Sunset," the wolf said, voice low. "Therefore, I cannot force you to submit. But this is your last warning."

Sunset swallowed, sharing a look with Howler. He opened his mouth, but Black Sage cut him off. "The packs are in a fury, Howler. Blue Fang is calling for your head. Silver Scale and the Lightpaws are not so riled, but they will be soon if you do not come home now."

Zelda decided to step in. "Black Sage, I--"

Those eyes whipped to her, but she refused to be intimidated. "We are here for a reason," she said. "This virus is not a coincidence. Night Vision was killed just hours ago. Members of all of our tribes are dead, and we have evidence that they are planned killings. Please just hear us out. We're trying to help."

"How? By pushing the forest and plains tribes to the brink of war? The plains are already in enough turmoil as it is--"

"The war is on hold until--"

"Until you are returned, yes, I know." Her voice was sharp, and the look she threw Zelda made her want to shrink away. It took every ounce of strength Zelda had to stand her ground. "But as long as you remain here," Black Sage continued, "they remain at each other's throats. So tell me, cheetah, what exactly are the benefits of you staying with Howler?"

Zelda was silent. What were the benefits? The mysteries surrounding the virus solved. A chance to explore the world, to save the world. Her soul not feeling like someone was dragging claws down its length every time she was away from Howler.

Regarding Howler himself, there were quite a lot of benefits. But for the sake of her sanity and happiness, for any fantasizing about a future with him would inevitably be torn away once this was all over, and for Black Sage's patience, she simply said, "I don't want to watch my friends die."

Black Sage's face didn't change, though Zelda may have seen the wolf's eyes soften, just a bit. "What's to stop them from dying from the war? I'm told you're a healer, Spitfire. You could be home, healing those who are struck with the virus. But instead you are here, gallivanting across the country with my beta. So tell me again, why are you here?"

Zelda had nothing. A leaden weight dropped into her gut as she recognized this, and she stared at Black Sage, trembling.

She had nothing.

Nothing beyond the look in Howler's eyes when he begged her to come with them, nothing beyond a promise. She swallowed, hating the tears that sprung up at the thought of her family dying, while she was here, gallivanting.

"I promised," she whispered, the tears leaving hot trails down her face.

Sunset bit her lip, closed her eyes. Mania, despite asking her these questions dozens of times, did not speak, subdued. The grove of trees whispered with the wind's voice between the leaves, the only sound in their patch of quiet misery.

Black Sage was silent a moment. Then she turned to Howler, who looked like he'd been punched in the gut. ". . . You damned fool," she said, at length.

Howler didn't respond; his gaze was fixed on Zelda, and all she could do was look back, stricken with the pain, with the force of her promise, with the fear that she was abandoning her family. Her father. Sheik.

Black Sage's voice cut through it, barely. She sighed deeply. "I will try to keep the packs off you, Howler. Try not to waste my efforts. You damned fucking fool."

Then she turned and shifted in a flash of light, and then she was gone.

No sooner had she done so that Zelda fell to her knees with a broken whimper, and buried her face in her hands.

It was inescapable--the fear. Had she abandoned them, truly? Had the virus reached Running Wind? She had no way of knowing--no way to know for sure if they were safe, if she hadn't doomed them all--

And to top it off, Black Sage was right. She was right, Gods damn it all. No matter if the virus hadn't reached Running Wind itself--it was only a matter of time, after all, but more to the point, Zelda was dooming them anyway by putting the tentative truce at risk. She'd known it, gods damn it, and had gone traipsing along anyway. How could she be so selfish?

"Hey."

Zelda didn't move. Couldn't. Her knees were numb, her body, her heart were frozen. Hands wrapped around her wrists, gently pulling, then prying with greater force until they were ripped away from her face, and Zelda found herself looking blurrily at a familiar pair of golden eyes.

"It's okay," Sunset murmured, pulling Zelda close. She stared over the fox's shoulder, crying silently. "It's okay, Spitfire. We're all in the same boat here."

How untrue. She sucked in a breath, pushed her tears back, enough to say, "none of you are healers."

Sunset heaved a breath. "No, but we did leave our tribes. We're all here, Spitfire. For a reason, like you told Black Sage. we can't leave now."

Somewhere in Zelda's mind, she knew what Sunset was really saying. They couldn't give up the search, not now, but also . . . they were in this. Together. As terrifying as it was, as much as they bickered like children, they were a group.

A pack, as it were.

Zelda closed her eyes, seeing her own family. Sheik, playfully bantering with her, laughing when she scolded him. Her father, smiling while they played, a hint of sadness in his eyes. Faylen and Sirela when they found out they were to have cubs. Saori and Tetra, teasing the males about showing off, giggling when their backs were turned.

She sucked in a deep breath. I am doing this for them, she told herself. They are my reasons. If I leave now, I will abandon them in truth.

It was with the greatest mental effort she'd ever engaged in that she pulled away from Sunset and wiped her face, taking measured breaths to remain calm. "Okay," she said, and her voice came out hoarse. "Okay," she tried again. "I'm fine now. I'm sorry."

Sunset eyed her before raising a brow. "I did just say we were all in this together. What's the apology for?"

Zelda opened her mouth, then recalled a similar conversation she'd had with Howler at the House of Skulltulla, and shut it again. She shook her head. "Nothing. Just . . . force of habit, I guess."

Speaking of Howler. Zelda scanned the grove and found no sign of him. Sunset followed her gaze and cleared her throat. "He went on ahead. He didn't want to lose the scent."

Zelda bit her lip. "Makes sense."

Of course he had. And of course Zelda was running through other possible reasons for leaving early, not the least of which was his reaction to Zelda's conversation with Black Sage. Zelda wasn't stupid; she'd seen the look on his face.

But she didn't say any of this, not with Sunset's knowing gaze on her. So she simply turned on her heel and shifted, opening her jaws to find Howler's scent. Then she broke into a trot, choosing to ignore the two identical sighs from behind her.

Howler stopped so suddenly that Zelda nearly ran into him from behind--or at least, she might have, if she'd been anywhere near him to begin with.

He was pacing in a circle when she finally reached the front of the jungle. Zelda bowed her head, chest heaving. She hadn't sprinted all the way there--there was no way she'd ever be able to do that, consequences be damned--but she'd broken into bursts here and there when she had the energy.

Which meant, of course, that she had no such energy now.

Stupid wolf, she thought, glaring at him through half-lidded eyes. Sunset skidded to a halt beside Howler, followed by Mania a few minutes later. She pawed the ground, yipping at Howler.

He huffed a few times, shaking his head. Zelda assumed he'd either lost the scent, or couldn't tell where it had gone.

She decided on the latter. It was so overpowering; it encompassed the clearing, shoving itself up her nose. It had a weird, overly-sweet scent to it, and an even stranger fruity smell. Night Vision's testimony came to her, and she pushed herself to her feet.

She staggered a bit, but a large, golden shoulder met her, and she sighed in relief. Pushing her nose into Mania's shoulder, Zelda stood up and shook herself, forcing herself to put one paw in front of the other. She didn't have time to rest.

Howler was whining, pawing at the ground. He paced in circles, sniffing with his nose to the dirt, sneezing a few times. If Zelda had been human, she'd have snorted. Despite the trouble earlier, despite his apparent avoiding of her, she had to admit that he was cute when frustrated.

But they were getting nowhere. Zelda paced around the area, scoping the terrain. The jungle loomed behind her, but ahead there was an open plain--small, populated with several streams and vibrant green grasses. They gave way to bushes and finally trees the closer to the jungle, and a few watering holes punctuated the green.

But there were no other anima, as there should have been, especially this time of day. It was the hottest part of the day, in the afternoon, and yet Zelda and her group were the only ones present. Even the cicadas were silent.

Howler knew it, too. He was growling at the treeline, and Sunset and Mania had flanked them. Something was coming--Zelda could smell it on the air. She took a few steps forward, but before she could reach her group, the jungle exploded.

The treeline burst outward with a screech, and dozens of large shapes flitted towards them. Zelda braced her paws as the shapes came as close as they dared, revealing themselves to be--

Monkeys, Zelda snarled in her head. My least favorite anima.

Their coloring was slightly off. Mostly black furred, but there were some streaks of red here and there, and their faces were pure white. They danced around the group, pressing them tighter and tighter, and their swinging arms caused Sunset to hiss viciously.

One arm swung too close and nearly hit Howler. He responded by snarling and raking his claws down the monkey's arm.

That only made the monkeys more frantic. They pressed even closer, gnashing their teeth in Zelda's face. She hissed, swatting them away, but they danced out of her range.

They were playing with her. She felt rage build up, such that she almost didn't register the scent wafting from them. It was overpowering, making her eyes water, and she felt bile rising in her throat.

It was the scent they'd followed here.

Zelda danced out of a waving arm, avoiding its blunt nails, and bumped into Mania. He roared in a monkey's face, but the anima just waved its arms and gazed crazily at Mania.

They were running out of room. The four of them bumped into each other every other step, and there was no space for readjusting.mania stepped on Zelda's paw, Zelda bumped shoulders with Sunset, Howler barked sharply when Sunset smacked into his side. They had to break out, or they'd be crushed. The monkeys seemed to realize her train of thought and grew even more wild, so loud that she pressed her ears back.

Zelda was so distracted with finding a way through the writhing crowd, pressing ever closer, that she didn't see the slim, black-clad archer taking aim from one of the treetops.

But Howler did.

A sharp bark and something slamming into her side were the only warnings before a howl rent the air, chilling her to her bones. Then a black shape fell at her paws, and Zelda leaped back in fear, invisible claws raking down her soul.

A long, crudely shaped arrow stuck out of Howler's shoulder, and soft whines slipped from his jaws. Zelda stared, her heart caught in her throat. She trembled, and her muscles were full of tension, and something inside her burned, stealing her breath.

Sunset flashed past and barked sharply in her face, and she jerked. Then she grabbed Howler's scruff in her jaws and supported him, aware of Mania roaring and snarling at their audience. Howler struggled to set his paws, slipping even with Sunset's shoulder helping him up, but by then the monkeys were shifting, corralling them from behind. They pushed, insistent, hands and arms knocking into the group.

The group had no choice but to go in the roughly prodded direction--toward the jungle. Zelda snarled and, releasing Howler, snapped her jaws at one of the monkeys, rearing back. The look in their eyes . . . it was of mad bloodlust.

They shoved them toward the trees, and too soon they were almost within its shade.

Zelda glanced up, shaking, but the archer had disappeared.

Then they were in the jungle, and their noise fading into the trees, the monkeys were gone.

Zelda whipped around to see Howler, her heart thudding against her chest, and let out a sharp chirp. She nudged him with her nose, but he didn't react more than a low howl. Something deep within arched in pain.

No. Not him.

She shifted and took his forelegs, hefting him half onto her side. Sunset stared at her before shifting. Without a word she took Howler's back legs and they carried him through the tangle. The heat of the jungle was oppressive, and the fear beat like a drum, chasing them past twisted trees and across tiny streams, the silence absolutely weird. Somehow, it made everything worse.

The sun struggled to shine through the trees, but here and there it broke through, illuminating four anima, gasping for breath, trembling, casting glances behind them.

Zelda's breath seared her throat, but her fear wouldn't let her stop. It pounded like a drum in her chest, imitating her heartbeat, in time with the flares of pain on her soul. She glanced around her, nearly sobbing. Sunset struggled beside her, and when they looked at one another, they could see the other's fear, clear as day.

Mania followed close by, snarling and growling at anything that moved. It kept the more curious anima away, but they could hear the monkeys in the surroundings, and the sounds of the jungle had not been deterred with the anima's presence. Chitters, caws, screeches, growls and roars punctuated the dying sunlight, made them jump and search the trees for minutes at a time, achingly aware of the wolf between them.

For hours, they walked.

When the sun had retreated for good and the monkeys had finally dispersed, Zelda stumbled through a thick patch of ferns and tripped on a root. She fell, half of Howler's weight landing on her, and the breath burst from her lungs. But she could hear running water, close by--

She staggered to her feet, dragging Howler with her, and tried not to cry at the sight of him.

She broke through a wall of branches and found tiny clearing, just big enough for the two of them. Behind it was another, both of them surrounded by a thick wall of trees. A stream cut through the first.

Zelda dragged Howler through it and threw herself down beside him. Stifling the sobs that wanted to break through, she dug in her bag and drew out the most important items, her mind falling into a numb sort of calm. Sunset stared at her, eyes wide. "Spitfire--"

Routine. Find your routine. Don't panic.

Do not fear it.

Her hand stilled, circling the arrow shaft. It was buried deep in him, and she could smell the virus on it, the same as the one that had killed Night Vision--

Zelda bit her lip hard enough to draw blood and gripped the shaft. "Hold him down," she managed to Sunset, and the fox, white-faced, held Howler's shoulders.

He's not going to die. He won't. I won't let him.

Zelda couldn't explain the pain that ripped through her at the thought of Howler dying, but she knew it hurt. She knew it was real, as real as the fire in her soul, searing her right down to her essence, as real as his labored breathing beneath her hands. Breathing that was already slowing.

She forced herself to calm down, to take slow, measured breaths. To focus her energy inward, and not on the dying wolf at her feet.

Come to me. Please.

The power came, freely and willingly, as if it could sense her urgency. She breathed a sharp breath, almost a sob, and pressed one hand to Howler's leg while the other gripped the shaft.

"Stay with me," she whispered, almost too softly for her own ears, and pulled.

I think I'm going to post Harsen's naming ceremony (mentioned in the last chapter of Empire) as a separate story, sort of as a lead-up to the Saval/Harsen/Tessen fic. The tones don't really mesh well to be in the same fic, and neither does the name I've grown attached to. It's called In Your Shadow, btw.

For the interested, the AU mentioned above is about link, who witnesses his parents behind murdered by a gang and goes on a three-year manhunt trying to administer justice while also staying alive and out of the gang's clutches. Then it's over and he meets Zelda, who helps him through the obvious trauma and all the accompanied burdens from his journey. Sound interesting? For the record, I have approximately zero experience with mental trauma/illness, so if I write it improperly then my bad. Advice is welcome, just don't go all ultra-specific ranty on me (lookin atchu, James) [dont take it too seriously, it's a jOKe]

Anywayyyy oh, before i forget: that bit with the shriveled skin? I looked up what causes the skin to do that, and that's what I got, but whether or not that happens as a result of death/decomposition, I have literally no idea. Sooo. . . Sorry if I botched that, but I mean, it doesn't really matter *coughs incredibly pointedly* *you know who you are*

SO. With all that being said, let's get to the fun part.

Review replies.

To StJames1: WHOO YEAH BRO. I love them. Have I mentioned that? Probably not enough. *sigh* I just love them. And stubborn MCs are simultaneously wonderful and head-smashing-against-brick-wall-infuriating to write. Why am I addicted???? Yesssss I'm glad it was smooth. Did you catch the hints of her BOTW struggle? Easter eggs are my actual favorite part of life itself. And I've been toying with the idea of her being sent away to Gerudo Town after her mother dies, instead of the game canon, and have her actually figure out her powers with the help of Urbosa, an idea I absolutely 100% got from Lyxie's Order Up! Series, which is fabulous, by the way, and should be read by literally any Zelink fan ever. I'd commit atrocities to have her talent.

Also wow that was long but whatevs. *shrugs* see ya Thursday.

To MasterKohga: They really should've. They're like the Hyrule-verse version of America, smh. AND IM AMERICAN! (We're literally idiots lmao)

America: oh, there's a virus??? HAH, YOU CANT MAKE ME WEAR A MASK FUCK YOU

Literally everybody else: . . . Oh my god.