WINTER WONDER LAND // vigil

[number nine.]

To say that Rhinestone's death had come as a surprise would probably be the understatement of the year. No, the century. Even if Number Nine hadn't known the other as long as some members of the clan, he had still come to respect the leader, as well as everything that he did for his group.the other had been unwilling to give up even in the worst of odds, and that had been something that Nine had admired about him. Unfortunately, that had evidently been what had led to his demise, if his injuries were anything to go by. The leader had already been a sickly mess beforehand, but considering the canine scent that had clung to his pelt, and the once dried blood that had scrubbed from his neck... it was clear that his determination had done him in. If he had just remained home, and not gone hunting when something was so clearly wrong... perhaps he still would've ended up meeting his end, at the hands of the sickness rather than an outside threat. Hell, there was always the chance that Rhine had seen this as the more favorable end, considering it was much faster than just laying around and waiting for the sickness to finally claim him. Number Nine chose not to linger, however, finding that those thoughts only brought more pain, and more desperate wishes that fell on deaf ears.

The vigil had been beautiful, although that beauty still didn't take away from the strong sense of remorse that hung in the air. The jaguar had stayed at the back of the crowd, tail curled neatly over his large paws as he watched others grieve. He had cared for Rhine, yes, but he knew that he hadn't been as close to the other as his family, or his best friends. It was because of this that Nine kept his distance, his feathered wings practically hugging himself in a comforting embrace. In the back of his mind, he wished that Lewis was around at the moment to hold him properly. As the warrior took in a shuddering breath, he allowed tears to slip freely down his cheeks, staining his fur and splattering down against the sandy earth below. When he had been younger, Number Nine probably would've tried to keep his tears in at all costs, unwilling to show even a scrap of emotion and make himself look "weak." Now that he was older, however, he knew that emotion was natural. Grief was especially natural, when one had lost someone as important as their friend and leader of their group. Eventually, the winged feline was no longer able to take it, turning and shaking his head as he walked off. He needed something else to do, in order to get his mind off things.

By the time the morning had come, Nine could tell that he was exhausted, a pleasant ache in his bones that reminded himself that he was alive. He had spent most of the night hunting and training, doing anything to strain his body and his mind, so that he wouldn't be consumed by the darkness lingering inside. As he partially stumbled into camp, the jaguar was sure that it wouldn't be long before the eventual crash, when the energy would drain freely from him and he would fall into a deep sleep. Before that, however, he found himself pausing when he saw Foamkit's prone form. The boy looked miserable, and it wasn't hard to tell why, especially since he seemed on the very edge of vomiting. Frowning worriedly, Number Nine moved forward to lay a large paw against Foam's spine, questioning, "Foamkit...? Are you alright? Do you need me to get Vaas?" Without waiting, the jaguar turned and let out a call towards the boardwalk, hoping that it would be enough to attract the medicine cat. That was, if he wasn't already hanging around camp due to the vigil.

HELLBENT ON MAKING YOU LOVE ME TOO