Ban's body ached, like she'd been crushed by a pile of rocks. She wondered, breifly, if she had and just forgot. She pulled in a breath through her nose and breathed slowly out through her mouth, trying to push the pain away.
Pain wasn't a new thing for Ban. She always had this throbbing headache and a mild ache throughout her entire body. She couldn't breathe properly through this pain, it hurt in her lungs and in her back. She huffed out a breath and shakily stood. Maybe, just maybe, she could just walk it off.
A small groan pulled from her throat as she stumbled through the tunnels. Her mouth watered with the threat of vomit but she continued down and past the common area. She paused for a moment, pressing her head to the cool wall of the tunnel. She shook wiht the effort to stay standing.
She wasn't even sure what brought this on. She felt like she couldn't remember the last hour of her life. It happened, sometimes, but never this badly. She couldn't remember a time in her life that she felt this much pain. Not even birthing a litter of seven pups could equate to this pain.
She huffed again, trembling.
She wasn't sure how long she stayed there. It wasn't until she head a soft voice by her side that she pulled away from the wall. It took longer than she would have liked to focus on who it was.
"Tiki," She whined softly. Her brother was at her side immediately.
The blue hyena made a soft distressed noise. "Let's get you to your den, Ban," Tiki murmured. He was careful not to let his voice rise above a whisper. He pressed a bit further into his sister, using his weight to keep her standing. He walked her along the tunnels, whispering small encouragments to her as she walked.
"Hurts." She breathed out after a moment and Tiki frowned. He'd never seen his sister react this badly after a vision. He was fortunate that Ilifu was with her when the vision started. The ratel had raced from Ban's side to fetch him, nearly barrelling into Tiki as he worked.
He was sure the little Ratel would catch up eventually, but Ban was his first priority. He couldn't wait for the badger to get there, he needed to get Ban some water.
A small stream flowed into the caves through a hole that was present long before the pack could remember. Fresh water bubbled up from deep within the earth. No one touched it in fear of the caves flooding even further. He carefully walked her to the water's edge, encouraging his sister to drink. "You'll feel a bit better," He promised her softly.
She did drink a bit, lapping at the water weakly. When she refused to drink any more, he jostled her into motion again. She sighed tiredly, leaning against his side. "Come on, just a bit further, I promise," He encouraged her. He needed her to be somewhere safe.
He brought his sister back to his own den. It was quiet and away from the bustle of the pack. He picked it especially for situtions like this. With his sister being the Queen, he was afforded certain privledges. He tried not to abuse it, but this was one thing he would not give up on.
Ban's safety always came first, and he would be damned if anything would jeopardize that. He took a deep breath as he eased his sister down into the furs and moss he had collected over his time in the pack so far. He wished he could have collected more, but this is what he had.
He'd be sure to get more.
"Rest," He encouraged. Ban closed her eyes and he gave a small sigh of relief. Ban was the youngest in his litter. She was sheltered far more than any of them, being small and almost helpless for the longest time. It didn't help that these visions plagued her greatly.
It didn't help that Ban looked strikingly like their father's first love, like she'd been reincarnated in her body. He knew that wasn't the case, but the fear their father had of losing Ban was heartwrenching.
Perhaps that was why Tiki did so much to protect his sister. He didn't want to lose her either. Ban didn't deserve this life she got, and if he could do just one thing to make it easier for her, then he would do just that. He wanted to find his father, bring the wandering male back to their pack and keep him there.
He knew it would make Ban happy.
He wondered, breifly, if he could send out a search party and have their father brought back here, but he knew that he would have to find his father himself. Young Saule was learning how to care for her mother, as well as Ban's other children. He would have to trust the cubs - now adults - with their mother's help.
He knew he still had to teach Toza to do the same.
He hummed softly, pressing his head to his sister's side. She had fallen into a fitful sleep as he pondered, and he didn't dare wake her now by moving. He pulled in a slow breath, releasing it even slower to try and calm himself and his thoughts. He'd been doing this his whole life, and he wasn't young anymore.
Ban wasn't young anymore, either.
He swallowed, laying his head down next to his sister's. He would have to think about this more after a nap, after Ban was her usual self again. He missed her smile in moments like this, it hurt his heart when she was hurting.
There wasn't much more that Tiki could do right now though. He watched his sister for several moments longer, wishing he could do more once again. The colorful hyena gave one last sigh before closing his eyes.
Everything would look better in the morning. They had to, right?