Hehe – here we go!

She blinked, brilliant turquoise eyes clouded and watery, aching as the bright afternoon sun bore down into them. All around her, everything seemed a blur and nothing made any sense. Her ears rang and hurt; deaf she felt, the world around her seeming muffled and silent, yet each sound was more excruciating than the last. Her joints ached, her limbs leaden and her muscles uncooperative. There was the constant thirst, too. No amount of water could sate the ravenous thirst that possessed her constantly, plaguing her even in sleep. Sleep was something of which she did not seem to get much, and more often than not she just got up and left the den so that her mate could catch a few hours of sleep without her tossing and turning, sniffling and shifting beside him.

What on earth had possessed the lands? All around her, the white wolf saw fellow canines falling ill to some unseen plague, some sneaky intruder in their lands that attacked from nowhere. Sphinx could not recall having done anything out of the ordinary, and she had been just as healthy as always before this mess had hit. Whatever it was, it was swift and widespread. She had heard reports of more and more infections throughout the packs, and it worried her. What if this disease was lethal?

That was as far as her thinking went, however. Which was the farthest it had gotten all day, really. Logic just wasn't happening right now, because whatever this...thing...was that was wreaking havoc in the bodies of the wolves was also highly effective at wreaking havoc on their minds. Sphinx's thoughts and processes were muddled and slow, her perceptions skewed, and her understanding greatly diminished. As the white queen made her way stiffly toward another water source – the Lake, for about the hundredth time in the last hour – she had to keep reminding herself of why she was seeking water, despite her overpowering thirst.

As she approached the lake, she spied another wolf nearby. Large and tawny-coated, burly and muscular in build, and looking rather rough, he seemed to be suffering from the same crap that she was. She was too mixed up and scatterbrained to feel much sympathy for him – hell, she did not even recognize that he was her mate, for crying out loud – and without much further adieu she made her way toward the water. Walking right past the wolf, she stopped only when her toes were wet, dropped her head, and stared at the liquid before her. What was this? Where the hell was she?

Who was that wolf staring back at her in this moving liquidy stuff? What the hell was this moving liquidy stuff? Panic suddenly overtook her. What was going on? Her heart suddenly raced out of control and she felt terror grip her chest, tightening her throat and constricting her entire body. Sounding a yelp of alarm, the white wolf sprang backward away from the water, sending up a spray. She moved in a flash, sheer instinct and survival dominant in her. However, her paws slipped on the slick rocks beneath the water's surface, and she went over sideways onto the ground, half of her body in the water. Her claws scrabbled frantically at the gravel as she pulled herself up again and darted away from the shoreline, ears flat and tail tucked, sides heaving from shortage of breath. The evil wet stuff soaked her fur and dripped from it, dirt caking that which had not been submerged, and she shook her coat out frantically, attempting to get it off of her. She got a bit too hysterical with her shaking, though, and grew dizzy and fell over sideways into the dirt again. Rising up again, the world spinning around her and the ground seeming to move beneath her feet, she shook off and bucked and kicked around, attempting to rid herself of the (yet more) dirt that clung to her coat.

She had completely forgotten about the other wolf nearby.

Lol – Sphinx is way out of her wits, so don't mind her too much. She's got a spot of amnesia, lol. xD

No matter how hard she tried, she could not rid her magnificent white pelage of the water that soaked her. Worse yet, she also fought – unsuccessfully – against the crusty, clingy, gritty dirt that clung to the water that clung to her and it was generally just a really clingy situation and Sphinx didn't like clinginess and I really think we should see other people because you're just being too clingy. I need some space – let's just be friends. Anyway, it sucked. She gave up and stopped, panting and exhausted, and felt quite dizzy from her efforts. Foaming at the mouth from thirst, she turned to make her way back to the water. Yes, this was one of those relationships, in which she just couldn't stay mad for long. Plus, the benefits were nice, too.

And then she stopped short.

There stood before her a hulking, heavy male wolf, standing almost a full head over her and baring his teeth at her. Though she could not place who he was right away, she knew his face from...somewhere. And she also knew that he was subordinate to her...and baring his teeth. Somehow this...just didn't point toward a fun, happy meeting. It just didn't give Sphinx a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. It did not make her want to sing a merry tune in the shower and dance in her bathrobe afterward, either. The wolf spoke a menacing threat, and that was when Sphinx totally lost it.

Rising to her full height – which could be pretty imposing despite her lean frame – and locking eyes with the other wolf, she stood her ground. Her white hackles bristled menacingly like an arsenal of white quills as a deep, guttural snarl rumbled low in her chest before tearing its way up her throat and out between bared fangs. Her turquoise eyes flashed with brilliant, malignant fury, her ears lay flat against her skull, and her tail lashed irritably. "Fucker." She swore, her voice coming in sharp, snarling indignance. "Speak to your Alpha like that again and I'll shove that 'fate' of yours right up your ass." With that she lashed out with her teeth, snapping at his muzzle with blinding speed and, in spite of her condition, careful aim.

Lords, would there be drama to answer for when all of this sickness business cleared up. Good thing she probably wouldn't remember any of it. Or was that a bad thing? Who knew. All that could be said for the whole situa....oh wait. What? I forgot. *confusion*

Good heavens is there going to be drama after this, lmao. xD

What on earth was going on? The very fabric of love and devotion had been upheaved, it seemed, as the two mates drove for one another in a series of snarls and snaps. At first glance it appeared an uneven match. Kimoto easily had fifty or sixty pounds on Sphinx, much larger, heavier, and stronger than the smaller white female. His jaws alone were large enough to crush the neck of a moose, and his muscles rippled magnificently beneath his earth-toned coat. Yes, it might have easily seemed that the male could effortlessly destroy the white female before him. However, what Sphinx lacked in strength she more than made up for in speed and agility. The smaller white wolf was fiercely fast in her movements, able to dodge and dance around even the most dexterous opponent, and able to land a blow with deadly accuracy in almost any situation. So in all reality, it was a fairly even match.

But the oddity remained that it was still mate against mate. Sphinx, who had sacrificed her life and her family to make the dangerous journey back here again for this one male, was now defending herself against him. Was it the disease affecting him? It had to be. Kimoto was far too gentle-natured and kind, and certainly far too loving and devoted to Sphinx, to do something like this intentionally. Or so it was hopeful.

But none of this went through Sphinx's mind as the ordeal continued onward. She had been abandoned completely to the sickness, just as lost as her memory, and all she knew was that right now some big, strange wolf – who she assumed was from her pack – was threatening her and now attacking her. As he lunged at her, giant jaws open and large white teeth gleaming, the white wolf dodged quickly away from him. But not quickly enough, as his teeth briefly caught her flank in passing and she yelped in pain. It was a small wound, but it had been painful, and she whipped her head around for a quick look as she danced away from the big Mexican. Bright red blood oozed slowly from the wound and stained her white fur, but it wasn't anything major.

Enraged and indignant at the violation of her personal space and the mar upon her body, Sphinx snarled again, an whole new surge of anger and hatred boiling forth out of her chest and through her teeth. She charged at Kimoto again, flying through the air straight toward his shoulder, aiming with two rows of daggerlike teeth for his large, exposed shoulder. She was beyond words, and in such a state it was generally best not to waste time with petty insults anyway. All she wanted now was to bring this jackass down and show him that he had crossed paths with the wrong wolf today.

Lol – Hahaha, yes. LOTS of explaining, hehe. Poor guy! Don't worry, she'll forgive him for it – she loves her 'Moto. :) Sorry for the wait on this reply. My muse has been a bit slack lately, but I'm getting caught up now. I hope I didn't powerplay Kimoto too much – if I did, just let me know and I'll edit. <3

There was a certain dancing grace to the way Sphinx fought. Like malicious poetry in motion, she glided and darted, parried and jumped, turned and whirled to match her opponent with seemingly choreographed elegance and ease. She was a natural fighter, her senses coming together and joining forces along with her nimble mind and her quick, strong body to create a formidable and destructive machine well-concealed beneath a soft, pretty white coat. Combat was nothing new to her, even to opponents as large as Kimoto, and she was more than capable of holding her own in such a situation.

But skilled though she was, her finely-tuned equation was thrown completely off by this illness that possessed her. It slowed her reflexes, dulled her senses, and confused her mind, making it difficult at times to ward off the attacking wolf. Speed was on her side, making it relatively easy to avoid being directly attacked, but making attacks herself was a bit more of a challenge. Her leap toward his shoulder had seemed to go well at first, but the wolf caught on before she struck and braced himself. She landed her attack, teeth boring into the soft flesh of his shoulder, and tasted hot, metallic blood springing into her mouth. Too late though she realized that he had seized the opportunity, taken that split second in which she was distracted with her own attack and her senses were too dulled to anticipate his intentions, and suddenly she felt large, heavy jaws close on the back of her neck.

It was agonizing, a crushing force seizing all movement from her while knifelike teeth punctured the soft skin on her neck. Fortunately it was on the back of her neck, so her jugular vein was not immediately jeopardized, but that made it no less traumatizing. A shrill, high outcry escaped her as the pain blackened her vision and all but rendered her unconscious right there. As she found herself immobile in the grip of this wolf's jaws, her mind suddenly cleared and she realized all at once what was going on and, worse yet, who this wolf was. Terror gripped her with such violence that her breathing quickened to a heart-racing wheeze and she shook noticeably, ears flattened against her skull. She whined and tried to struggle, but the teeth in her neck held fast, and in a frenzied, shrieking, half-snarling voice she screamed, "KIMOTO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?!"

Eek – I'm sorry to hear about your inspiration running low. If there's anything I can do to help you boost it, just let me know! :)

The more she struggled against the jaws clamped traplike 'round her neck, the tighter their grip seemed to become. Was she to die at the teeth of her own mate? Was the very essence of nature to turn against her now and end her life in this most unnatural of ways? As she felt her neck muscles give way and tear beneath those crushing teeth, hot blood running thickly from the wound and staining her white fur hideously, she gave up. Such was the force on her neck that she could scarcely move anyway, so what was the point? This wolf – the one she had chosen above all others to run alongside her as her mate, to rear her puppies with and to ensure the future of Silver Creek – was crazed beyond all recognition and would not realize what he had done until it was too late. He would awaken from his madness with the limp, frail body of his mate clenched in his jaws...

She had all but resigned to the inevitable death when suddenly Kimoto dropped her. She lay there, weak and dazed for a moment, ears flat against her head as she trembled from fear and pain. The next thing she knew, she felt cool water being trickled onto her wounds. It stung and burned, especially on her neck, which was no doubt a hideous mess right now. She had regained her senses somewhat by now, and she shuffled away from the male, snarling as she did so. She did not trust him and was loathe to have him near her again. Her fur bristled threateningly – much of her neck appearing like red, bloodstained quills – and for a moment the thought flashed in her mind that she should attack again. But as soon as it came, it went again. She stopped, once again seeing her mate before her, and as she did she heard his words.

She felt the pain in her neck, the stiff agony of damaged muscle and the searing burn of torn flesh, and she wanted to hate him for it. She wanted to banish him from her pack and never look at him again for what he had done to her. But he was right – something was wrong with him. Something was wrong with her, too. She could not remember anything that had happened before coming to her senses there in his jaws. All of it was a blurry haze of consciousness that did not make any sense. But one thing she did see was the bleeding slash in his shoulder – did I do that?

Her expression softened and all at once she felt a wave of sorrow wash over her. What had nature done to them? Why had she seen fit to pit mate against mate? Padding slowly toward Kimoto, she licked him tenderly on his chin as she spoke, "Yes, something is indeed wrong...with both of us, I think." She moved to his shoulder, gently licking the blood from his wound and noticing with relief that it was not very deep. "It would seem that nature has forgotten who we are, my love. Mates should not be brought against one another." She still felt passing ripples of hazy confusion pass through her mind as she washed his shoulder with her tongue, but at least for the moment she was coherent. Coherent enough to realize that her neck was going to give her problems if it was not tended to soon.

Sorry for holding this thread up. Life's not been too kind to me lately, and inspiration's been hard to come by as well.

She wasn't sure what was going on, why the wolves around the valley were sick, or even why she and her mate had just clashed. But one thing that was for sure was that if this mess didn't clear up soon, everyone would be plagued by it. It would be the end of the entire Valley as they knew it. Such thoughts were chilling, and Sphinx cringed inwardly at the mental images of Silver Creek wolves killing one another. Nature was a strange one, no doubt. Like many said about the gods, Sphinx liked to say that Nature always had a reason for the way things were. She liked to think that eventually this would all be resolved and somehow they would all be better off afterward than they were before, but she wasn't so sure about that now.

"No," she began, pausing her attention to Kimoto's wound as she considered his words. "I do not think it would be wise to abandon the Creek at a time like this." Why? Would it not be smarter to remove oneself from the possibility of attacking others again? Perhaps. But then what if this was contagious? Leaving the lands, trekking outside the Valley with it, would surely be taking the plague to other areas where it had not reached and spreading it further. Also, there was the issue of him being more vulnerable to attack when he wasn't in his right mind. "It is safer if you stay here. Going outside the lands will mean spreading the disease to others who have not yet caught it, and you are also more vulnerable to attack when you are not thinking clearly." She gave him a tender lick on his muzzle, followed by an affectionate bump on his lower jaw with her nose. "Perhaps it would be best if we just tried to avoid other wolves."

Going to go ahead and wrap this up so we can get it finished and move on. Fun thread as always! :D

As much as the white queen wanted to agree, she knew she could not abandon her pack. The last thing she needed to do was leave Den by himself in this fray of madness and chaos. If what she had heard was correct, her sunkissed co-Alpha was faring rather well in spite of all the illness around him, which sadly made him a very largely-outnumbered minority in the Valley right now. As much as she wanted to run away with Kimoto and hide out until the craze passed, she also knew that she usually had the presence of mind to remain and help with the running of the pack. She wouldn't forgive herself if something were to happen to Den while she was away in hiding.

Kimoto, however, was a little more questionable. The male obviously had an aggressive streak in his illness, and given his size and obvious fighting skill, he could definitely be a real danger around the lands. Sphinx shuddered at the thought of her Epsilon running around killing wolves in the Creek. Or worse yet, killing wolves of other packs. It was a horrifying image – lords, how would she deal with the other Alphas then? Shaking such images from her head, she grinned slightly as her big mate licked her face tenderly. "Of course I'm always right," she began, a note of humor in her words. "That's why I'm the boss." She grinned a bit more now, looking up at him with a hint of that ever-mischievous gleam in her eyes. "But I cannot leave Den, I'm afraid. It is my responsibility to see that the pack recovers and to help where I can...when I can." Though madness consumed her mind quite frequently these days, she could at least try, right? "Though I do not think it would be a bad idea if you yourself evaded other wolves. You seem to be a rather...formidable madman, heh." With that, she stretched her muscles, feeling a stiff, painful soreness already starting to take over her neck. That was going to hurt in the morning. Turning toward the direction in which their den was, Sphinx gestured for him to follow, "Come, Kimoto. Let's rest and tend to these wounds we've dealt one another." Another small smile came over her white face as she extended her invitation to him, hoping he would accept. While her clarity of mind lasted, she really wanted to be comforted and snuggled.