A Lonely Walk (Open to all)

[LadyHarpy]

Shin jumped at the sudden appearance of the bear for. She stared at it silently for a moment unsure if it was Koma or another bear. She tried to clear her throat but her voice refused to work. Tears or sadness spilled down her face and in her desperate state she reached out to the the creature, her eyes pleading.

"Koma..." She finally forced out between her horse sobs.

"Koma...please..."

[TheMountainScene]

Koma was lost in the desire to help Shin. It didn't matter, he could be all 4 Spirits of the Nature Bound and it wouldn't matter. She needed him. And that was enough to make it work.
Gently.
Koma inched toward Shin, making sure he didn't come on too fast or too aggressively. He looked down at her face. Her teribly sad face, and Koma couldn't help but feel responsible for it. He nudged her cheek as lightly as he could with his warm wet nose, even as lightly as he could turning her head about a quarter of a turn. He held his breath, nervousness was not something accustomed to his bear form, but it couldn't be helped.

[LadyHarpy]

Shin let go of her bleeding leg, her hands stained red, and hug Koma tightly. She squeezed him so tight that she could possibly squeeze the life out of him. She started to cry again, her tear catching in his fur, but she didn't care. He came back and he was by her side. It didn't matter that she lost a lot of blood or the she looked a terrible mess. She took a deep breath and let out a hallow laugh.

"Y-you had me thinking t-that you would b-b-brake you-your promise, Koma."

She leaned her head on his shoulder and hiccuped a bit, the crying starting up again.

[TheMountainScene]

((FLASHBACK TIME!!))

[LadyHarpy]

Shin flinched at the feel of Koma licking her wound, It was hot and the injured muscle twitched painfully with each lick. She subconsciously rubbed her hands on her dress, removing the leftover blood, and then wiped her tears. She need a plan, no, they needed a plan. Her injury was bad and could get infected or worse if left unchecked. She watched Koma for a moment while she thought.

"Koma..."She said softly. "I need proper medical attention, it's still bleeding pretty bad."

(lol it's ok)

[TheMountainScene]

Koma stopped licking to think.
He couldn't go with her like this.
He couldn't help her like this.
He felt his blood run cold at that realization. More than ever, for the first time in a long time he longed to be human again.
He layed at the ground by her side, eyes closed. He'd figure out a way to help. He just needed to relax and get rid of this cold feeling.
Koma felt so small in the face of the world. So tiny and unable to help in his large exterior.
He hadn't noticed that in his cooling off he had become human once more, complete with his newly tattered kish after tromping around in the woods.
He turned his head and looked at her, licking his lips and revealing her blood coating his tongue and teeth.

[LadyHarpy]

Shin watched him change back with amazed eyes, it was truly a wonder. She placed a had gently on his cheek and wiped away a bit of blood. She was silent for a long time before her vision started to get blurry. She started to get scared and turned to Koma, now close to a mass of color.

"Koma, i need to get back now!"She said panic in her voice.

[TheMountainScene]

Koma grunted, rising to all fours, having not realized he had become human.
He spat blood in the dirt, trying to rise energy out of himself.
However, after forcing something he'd never done before, Koma was a little worn out.
Stand up.
I am standing up. Koma replied to Instinct.
No, you're down on all fours, get up on your two hind legs.
Koma obeyed, and realized when his eye level was higher than normal that he was human again.
"How..." Koma didn't understand, but he shrugged it off for more important matters.
Ever so gently, Koma reached down, and lifted Shin with his light but muscular arms.
He avoided any contact with the bloody knee.
In a flash, he was running out towards the edge of the forest, his now human legs overpowering any underbrush that got in his way.
He stopped at the edge of town at their creek, realizing that he was moving a little too well for a human carrying a girl.
"Uh... where to?"

[LadyHarpy]

Shin lifted her hand and pointed down a side path behind a row of shops.

"Down there and take a right, the shop with the sign with the red cross on it is our stop."

[TheMountainScene]

Koma turned, obeying her as if she was her own instinct.
A red cross? How is that recognizable for injuries in any way?
How complex...
He turned to look at the large building.
Besides all the others, it appeared... sterile. Clean.
It reminded Koma too much of his "home". It gave him a bad taste in his mouth and in the pit of his stomach.
When a lady in a white uniform saw Shin on his back, she rushed out to take her from him.
Koma suppressed a defensive growl, sending it rumbling through his body.

[LadyHarpy]

Shin's head was swim by now her vision going slightly dark. She let her self be taken from Koma and lifted away, slumping a bit onto whoever had taken her. Before she could make it to the door how ever she blacked out with a simple murmur.

"Koma...."

[TheMountainScene]

Inside his head, Koma was lost and confused in an ocean of argumentation.
Are you going to let her take your woman like that?
Back off, Hunwut. He doesn't have a choice.
Ha! Where I am from, we Northerners fought till our arms refused to move for the ones we cared for, desperate or otherwise.
She could die if he doesn't let her go. And you don't even have a caring bone in your body! You are a heartless demon of pain and destruction!
I'm truly flattered, Instinct. I thought you never noticed sometimes.
Pshah! Ignore this beast, Koma, he's just trying to get you in trouble and thrown out of this village.
Why would I do that? I try to take care of my host, making sure he is strong, limber, and able to maintain his well being. What have you done for him, Instinct? Constantly buzzing in his ear like a fly in a basket.
I. Am. His. Concience. I am what's keeping You from taking Him and ruining what life he has! Trust me. Koma, you need to finda place to rest, a lot has happened today in a very short while.
No, Koma, it was this cretin's quick-thinking that got you into this mess. You need to go in there and claim your mate. Only you can attend to her. You know what's right. Not these people in their clean coats and red symbols. What does that even mean, anyway? Trust me, Koma, get in there and get her out before something you really regret happens and you really never see her again.

Koma had no idea what to do. His vision began to spin and he began to lose control over what was up and what was down. Or left or right or backwards, for that matter.
Should he go in, and trust his culture as a Northerner to claim what is his, or listen to his human concience and find a place to rest to plan for the future?
Koma tried to stumble in a direction, any direction at all when he came in contact with something unpleasant. Something greasy.

[LadyHarpy]

Rolo stumbled into Koma with a rather unhappy look on his face. It looked as if he were about to explode at any moment.

"What. have. you.done . to. her!?"

He leaned in and got really close to Koma's face.

"Pen pal my ass, Shin's grandmother said Shin never had contact with the outside world since her parents disappearance. I don't know what you are trying to pull but Shin is mine. So pack up your bags and leave forest boy Shin will have nothing to do with a mongrel like you."

[TheMountainScene]

Okay, I am not letting that one fly.
Koma's back straightened up instantaneously like a puppet on strings.
He spun to face his greasy adversary, fire burning in his eyes, flaring in nostrils, and growling in his throat.
"I. AM NOT. A MONGREL."
Hunwut managed to give a grunt of satisfaction before Instinct suppressed him underneath Koma's subconcious, the pit from whence he came.
Like the strings on his marionette were cut, Koma's arms and back fell limp again and he reverted to being lost and totally clueless.

[LadyHarpy]

Rorla backed off instantly and slinked away into the now staring crowd. Then the nurse from before came over to Koma, hesitantly putting a hand on his shoulder.

"P-pardon me s-sir, but could you c-come inside? We need to a-ask you some questions a-abo-about the girl..."