Heron Lake Plateau Is it better to die than live another day
Fear is the heart of love
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Ooc — Starrlight
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#1
She had been gone too long - it was too quiet here, and the lack of the ocean's dull roar had her deeply unsettled.  Not to mention, her role in the pack was to be there - not here.  If they didn't wonder, they may brand her deserter soon, and like as not Sandpiper would re-assume her rank. Not the worst of things - Rosalyn's feelings about the Captain's sister were complicated at best - but a waste of work and not the outcome she wanted to see.  All for a damn cat.

She needed to get home.  So she tried.  And she made it about fifty feet before her legs decided for her that this was a dumb decision and refused to work any longer.  The injured one had stiffened to be practically useless and the other three weren't strong enough yet to transport her far alone.  She fell forward, her teeth clacking uncomfortably as her chin hit the ground.

"Pisser," she growled, tremulously pushing herself to a seated position.  In this shape she'd be easy pickings for anything she was unlucky enough to encounter on the way.  She was stuck here, least a while longer.
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Ooc — Houkie
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#2
Mobile posting, man. 500 edits later... XD

Raven had studiously doctored Roz’s wounds with all the skill and knowledge she possessed, and so far the results were looking really good. There was no sign of infection whatsoever, and the tissue seemed to be healthy and knitting together quite nicely. Roz would certainly have some hellacious scars to show for it, and Raven wished she knew how to make those go away. But scars were sort of a thing for pirate types, it seemed, so she didn’t think it’d be too big an issue in the end.

She was on her way to check on her patient when she caught Roz trying to stagger along on her leg. It was still too early, of course, and the she-wolf quickly pitched forward and crumpled into a cursing heap. Raven rushed to assist her, but Roz managed to get herself back upright and seated on her own. The healer approached her with a waving tail and a grin, although she shook her head admonishingly. ”You shouldn’t push yourself like that — you’ll only slow the healing down more. Now let me take a look at that hip and see how it’s doing.” She stepped closer, glancing at Roz for permission to inspect her wounds.
Fear is the heart of love
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Yikes, busted.  And even worse, the healer had seen her near-face plant into the ground.  "Just thought I'd... go for a jog, y'know? Stretch the old muscles." She smiled, but then shook her head.  She didn't need to lie, she knew it.

"Honestly, I'm anxious to get home.  Got a Captain and crew to keep my eye on, and I can't do that from here."  She was right, but it was easier said than done.  She nodded though, and shifted so that she was leaning on her good side, displaying the bad for easy access.  It looked gnarly, and she knew they would just be more scars to join the old, and more recent, that even now marred her.  She didn't mind overly much, but a small vain part mourned the loss.
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Ooc — Houkie
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#4
Raven made no mention of Roz's awkward fall -- she preferred to spare people's dignity wherever possible -- and she grinned as the she-wolf quickly abandoned her attempt to downplay what she'd actually been doing. The healer didn't blame her. Had she been the one injured and stranded at the mercy of a strange pack, she probably would have done exactly the same thing. When Roz shifted to present her torn hip, Raven stepped close and leaned in to peer at it.

She was pleased with what she saw. The wound was ugly, sure, but it appeared clean and well, with no swelling or odor. She noticed there was some clear fluid discharge around the site, but that was normal. "This is looking really good," she commented as she poked and prodded very gently. "I think tomorrow we can try going without the medicine poultice and see how it does." The timing of the lynx attack was very lucky for Roz; had it been a month or two earlier, none of the plants Raven needed to treat her effectively would have been available. As she continued to do her medic thing, she commented, "I heard you were looking to send a message to your pack...Ironsea, was it?"
Fear is the heart of love
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Ooc — Starrlight
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Rosalyn nodded, and the favorable outlook lifted her spirits considerable. Going without meant she was that much closer to bein patched, and that much closer to home.

Which, the next statement brought even more into relief.  "I spoke with one of them about it.  Niamh?"  She thought that was the name she'd been given.  "Pretty sand-colored thing.  She said it might be possible."  She looked at Raven intently, hoping this wasn't a denouncement of the offer.  She'd figured out that the black wolf was one of the firsts of this pack, and that meant she likely had veto power.
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Ooc — Houkie
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#6
Raven nodded -- Niamh was the one who'd informed her that Roz was in need of a messenger (Houkie is assuming things here, just let me know if it's not cool Jess). Raven briefly considered the options they had available. Tegan had proven himself a very capable and trustworthy message-runner, but she didn't want to send him or Niamh back out on another lengthy excursion so soon after returning from Drageda. She then recalled the conversation she'd had the previous day with one of their newest recruits: Ceara had mentioned she was looking for some scouting work, and had even expressed interest in this particular errand.

"I've someone who could carry a message for you," she commented then. "Your pack won't attack her, will they?" She knew some packs were hyper-aggressive about their borders and didn't want to risk putting Ceara into danger.
Fear is the heart of love
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That was great news!! Rosalyn shook her head reflexively, then stopped, second-guessing it.  "Actually, there's one.  As long as she's sure to not trespass, the rest will be fine.  But for him, she might need to make very clear her message is for the Captain." Tetsubo was a loose cannon in her mind... she'd already seen him attack a wolf on the border once.  Hopefully a call for Smoke would allow the messenger to avoid this.

"Tell then to watch for a big guy though."  Frustration at the man burned in her gut, and she wondered if Raven would still allow her sending to go.  Damn him... but she couldn't lie.  She had no idea what he would do if he found them first.
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Ooc — Houkie
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#8
She listened to Roz's warning, wondering if it was wise to risk one of her own for the sake of an outsider's standing in a pack that had no relation to the Redhawks. The rational side of her argued not to do it, and she almost obeyed it. But the softer, more compassionate side of her empathized with the injured woman, knowing that if she found herself in a similar situation, she would be desperate to get word back to her family about her whereabouts and well-being. She seemed to reach some decision, then replied to Roz, "I'm going to call her here. Her name is Ceara. You can explain everything to her -- who she should call for, what she should say, and so on -- and give her a detailed description of this wolf that she needs to watch out for. I don't want her harmed."

Her golden eyes were serious as she stated that last part in particular, then she stepped aside and tossed up a summoning howl for @Fire.
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Ooc — Athena
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#9

Raven had said she'd call when she had more details about the scouting trip, and although that was probably what she was calling the Mu for since there were about a thousand other higher-ranking wolves that could do ... pretty much anything else Raven needed done, but she still headed over quickly just in case the Alphess was in trouble and Ceara's name just so happened to be the first that came to mind.

When she arrived she saw both Raven and the stranger, her nose assaulted by the sea salt that still somehow lingered in Rosalyn's pelt.  It wasn't so strange that Fire didn't like water, but she made sure to keep her expression smooth and casual.  Hey there.  You called?

Fear is the heart of love
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She was still going to let them go, thankfully.  She felt relief flood her again, and thankfulness.  Still, though, it was mixed with a sprig of ire, and her gaze grew cold as Raven spoke of harm coming to the messenger.  She gave a definitive nod.  She did not know why Smokestep permitted his father's lackey to remain, but she'd put down mad dogs before.  If problems arose, well... she didn't know.  But she would attempt to at least deal in fair justice.

She waited, and when Fire arrived, deferred to Raven to explain.  Once she had presumably done so, Rosalyn nodded again.

"There's a wolf on our land, loyal it seems to the Captain but not many others.  He might give some trouble, but make sure he knows your message is for Smokestep.  And make sure you keep back and keep an eye out.  I've had to intercept him on the border before."  She recalled her own first impression, and then her intervention with Slick.  "Might be callin the Captain by name will help."
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Ooc — Houkie
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#11
You guys can feel free to skip me until the end of this thread. Raven would just hang out and let the two of them discuss specifics/etc. without much comment anyway. :)

Raven explained to Ceara that this was the wolf to whom she'd referred at their last meeting, when they'd picked yarrow together, and specified that the pack to which she would be traveling was Ironsea. After giving the Blackthorn directions to the pack -- it was a relatively easy trip right up the coastline, thankfully, with no other packs in between -- she let Roz take over to explain the specific information she wanted relayed to her packmates as well as the warning about the troublesome wolf that Ceara needed to look out for. While the alpha remained present, she kept quiet and listened without interrupting.
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Ooc — Athena
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#12


this took literally forever for me to respond to, omg
ceara doesn't have much to say / will just do what she's told, so we can wrap this whenever you'd like so you can get it out of your threadlog

She gave a short nod with an inquisitive furrow of her brow.  Thank you, that's good to know.  Is there anything or anyone else I should watch for?  She gave Raven a questioning glance; she wasn't out to get ripped to shreds but she had agreed to go on the mission.

Fear is the heart of love
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Ooc — Starrlight
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#13
As Raven watched, she explained, and Ceara seemed to take the advice to heart.  When she asked if there was more, Rosalyn shook her head.  He was the only rogue member... the rest of Ironsea seemed a fairly lax and friendly crew.  They'd tear a trespasser to shreds, no doubt, but a border messenger shouldn't have much to fear.

When they departed, she thanked them again, then resumed brooding.  She felt slightly more at ease knowing a message was going to be on its way, but she wouldn't really be happy until she was home.