Silence.<br/><br/>It was so complete and so consuming that it became deafening and snapped Eidhin out of whatever dream he had allowed his mind to hide within. Slowly, the shock wore off and every one of his senses decided to assault him at the same time.<br/><br/>Copper, it was everywhere. The scent was thick in the air and the taste coated every single one of his taste buds. Eyes cast skyward at the now silent and still canopy of trees, even in the warmth of the season; his heated breath produced a fine mist cloud before his muzzle. For how long he stared up at the greenery above he could not be sure, but it was the sound of his sister as she struggled to breathe that brought his gaze back down to the earth.  Back down to the pain he had caused.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">E…..no…no…no…</span><br/><br/>A whimper like one would hear from any canine started, but he seemed to struggle for his own breath which caused the sound to cut short. The next time it came from his muzzle it was louder, consistent and resembled the pained whines of an injured dog. A sound that only got louder when he lowered his muzzle to her cheek and nosed it gently.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">I hurt her…I…killed her….</span><br/><br/>Already his mind made the jump from hurt to death, even if he could faintly hear her heart struggle to pump the vital fluid through her body he still thought he had killed her; his sister, his life…the other half of his soul.<br/><br/>The whimpers and whines continued even as he licked gently at her wound, the wolf felt it would help and at this point Eidhin was not in the mood to refuse or rethink the idea. Even if later he would retch at the memory of how he licked the wound, how it tasted….and felt. What happened next the details are foggy for him and even if he tried to explain himself later, there would be no answer to give, no explanation he could think about that caused him to act this way.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"> Hold on E….</span><br/><br/>As careful as he could manage, the hulk of a beast lifted her up in his arms, cradled her like a baby to his chest and then began to run. The forest about them became a green and brown blur as every ounce of his strength and speed he poured into this run. His moment, no matter how brief, of weakness and defeat passed. It was replaced by a man who was determined to save his sister, to protect as she always protected him.<br/><br/>Even if he had been the one to hurt her…<br/><br/>The edge of the woods came into view and yet he continued to run. Up and over a parked car, down a back street and onward he ran through the city until he reached his destination. Night had fallen and used it to slip up to one of the ambulances that were parked and laid her on a gurney.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"> Here….they will take care of you….</span><br/><br/>More whimpers and whines, as he nuzzled her neck and licked her forehead. He stayed there until he heard someone and disappeared back into the shadows to wait and watch them wheel her away.<br/><br/>“What the fuck!? Where did she come from?”<br/><br/>“Oh my God! What the fuck happened to her?”<br/><br/>“Looks like some kind of an animal attack….but how did she get here?”<br/><br/>“We can figure that out later, in the mean time we need to get her stable and checked  out…”<br/><br/>In the darkness he knelt in the brush and watched them wheel her away, before, unable to take it anymore, he threw back his head and howled.<br/><br/>A mournful bay at the moon, many would comment on how that night they heard what sounded like a wolf with a broken heart.