Adam gasped, staring down at the stain. He moved her aside roughly and placed his head on Tynan's barely moving chest. "He's alive," he breathed with some relief. "But... barely... Whatever his mind is in is hurt badly. It's like... a tunnel now. Tynan's feeling the injuries of his host, and his mind here believes it's real and like... recreating those injuries." The boy was pale as he looked up at Feather. "But that shouldn't've happened! He's carefull! He never takes the bodies of anything that's prey!" He clutched her hand, his eyes wild and wide with worry suddenly filled with tears. "If the animal he's in dies, he dies with it - his mind will be lost. Please, Feather... Saress, help him please..."

Feather stared helplessly as the boy as he whispered the Araawan word for 'sister', something she'd never have expected to hear from the lips of a human.

===

The wolf hit the tree with a dull thud, leaves shaking from the branches to rain placidly on the wounded body that Tynan posessed. He was fighting for control. The wolf wanted to do panicky things, animals things. It wanted to fight, to bite - anything to save itself. If he let the animal instincts of the wolf overwhelm his mind, he'd loose control and end up very very dead. He couldn't have that - he was too attached to his life to die.

The wolf lay still, tongue hanging out of it's panting maw, one forepaw twisted and broken. It's fur was matted with dirt and blood. The man approached, grinning manically as it raised one foot back and brought it forward hard.

The wolf suddenly sprang up and brought it's jaws around and the man screamed as the teeth dug into his leg deeply. The hot taste of blood filled his mouth as it hung on, tripping the man. Then it lunged as hard as it could with only three good legs and went for the throat.

It would have worked but for the sudden shock that sent him hurtling sideways, bouncing over the ground. The pain of the wolf was filling his head with a red mist. He saw the other four walking up to him, their faces amused, all except the child's at least. He couldn't leave the beast, he hadn't the energy after just trying to keep control and the pain was binding him to the mind. It was like drowning... drowning and being ripped apart at the same time.