<span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family:Open Sans">Blue sent food down to him and the first thing Eivind was attracted to was the dried and salted meat. The smell of it spiked his hunger and he tried to take it slow, though easier said than done. Blue wanted him to keep talking and he would try though he wasn't always fully lucid. Not being alone any longer helped.<br/>
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“You couldn't have known,” Eivind told Blue, not wanting Blue to blame himself. “It's not unusual for hunting trips to take a week at a time. I don't usually make such stupid decisions.” Eivind had been pretty good about keeping himself alive after a few key learning experiences in his younger years. This was just another lesson. “I'm not a cat. Don't need to be scaling these mountains like I'm trying to be one.” There would likely be other chances. Lofgren's pack wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, and really he hadn't been thinking of the consequences if they found out one of theirs had been killed by another of Sieger's packs.<br/>
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“I told him to keep an eye on you and to not let you wander off.” He'd told Sig the same thing but the little wolf didn't feel it necessary to listen. Eivind didn't doubt now that with Blue's determination he would have found a way, even without help. It might have put his mate in an even worse situation and he couldn't be mad that Sig hadn't heeded his words. Especially when he was gone trying to find a way to get him out of the mess he was in. Eivind chanced more water but it proved too much for his body to handle after being deprived. He leaned over to wretch, vomiting up the contents of his stomach that he'd pushed too far. He was achy and feverish, a sudden bout of nausea overtaking him before he crawled away to lay flat. A sheen of sweat clung to his skin, though he felt chilly while his body was hot.<br/>
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“Ate too fast,” Eivind said, swishing out his mouth before taking a few more sips of water. He laid his head back down, looking up and trying to see Blue. It was more difficult with night descending upon them, even with his vision.<br/>
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“All this'll be okay,” he told Blue, trying to put him at ease. “I'm fine. I'll be out of here soon. Nothing is broken, I don't think. Just bruised.” It could have been a lot worse but he didn't say those words. He kept talking to Blue, ignoring the cold, hoping his mate wasn't uncomfortable either.<br/>
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Sig rushed back as quickly as his legs could carry him. He was tired but so was Blue and he'd left him out there to wait with Eivind. He didn't knock when barging into Alaric's home, though the other wolf did look up over the couch in askance. He'd been napping apparently.<br/>
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“Get your ass up. Eivind <i>is</i> hurt,” Sig told him and Alaric sighed, asking how bad. He'd gotten up to gather medical supplies.<br/>
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“I'm not sure. He's stuck in a crag in the mountain. We're going to have to pull him out,” Sig explained. Alaric thought about this for a moment, then shook his head. He handed Sig the bad of supplies and then motioned the other wolf to one of their equipment sheds that held their excavators and logging tractors. His eyes scanned them in consideration, picking a smaller tractor that would provide good traction, was relatively fast, and most of all, not very top heavy. A wench was already attached to it and there was plenty of thick, flat nylon tow strap at their disposal.<br/>
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“If we can't make it all the way at least we'll have a way to carry him home efficiently,” Alaric said, though was competent enough at driving the logging equipment that he was confident he could find a path. He only had to get so close and the winch would do the hard work. Alaric got in and turned the key, already set in the ignition.<br/>
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“Lead the way,” Alaric told him, and off they went. The forest was no problem to get through. The mountains, on the other hand, were a different story. Sig kept going higher with Alaric taking paths that didn't require such dangerous climbing. The machine was loud, signaling they were near.<br/>
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“Jesus fuck, where was he going?” Alaric growled as they continued, it getting increasingly more difficult the further they went. Alaric had to get out and bring the tow rope over to where Eivind was, both so that he could get started securing himself and so that he could figure out where he needed to be. Flipping the machine was not going to do them any good and the paths were dangerous enough. He found a path closest to where Eivind was at, a straight line beneath him. He fed the winch wire up to attached to the toe rope, but communication would be important.<br/>
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“Talk to me. I'll go slow. Both of you need to get to a secure area, but close enough to relay messages back and forth,” Alaric said. Eivind would understand. They shouted at one another during their work anytime something got hung up. They had to be even more delicate with a body. “Eivind, you strong enough to push off the sides? I don't want to be scraping you up on your way out.”<br/>
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“Yeah,” Eivind said, though he wasn't sure on that either. He didn't really care. He wanted out, and he'd secured the tow rope around him, distributing the wide straps so that he wouldn't fall back down this time. “I'm ready to get out. Go, Alaric.” The winch started at a snail's pace before finally catching and the real work began. Eivind did his best, saying when he needed a break to rest his exhausted body. It would have been a problem if they were trying to pull him by hand, their own bodies not so precise as the machine. Taking breaks was just a matter of pulling a lever and there was no risk of losing purchase and accidentally dropping Eivind down a few more feet. Alaric had threaded the nylon up against one of the smooth areas, hoping that it would remain secure and no loose rock would come down on Eivind. He had said very little to Blue, though imagined he would suffer his ire soon enough. Once to the top, Eivind used the last of his energy to get to solid ground before laying flat out again, his muscles quivering from overexertion. Sig had shouted to stop the machine, and Alaric locked the winch down, not willing to give any slack until they'd brought Eivind away from the precarious area.</span></span>