Jade Fern Grove Command me to be well

Set around +24 hours after this thread

Sebastian stumbled forward once more, though this time he stayed down between the ferns. His body was drained of all the energy he recharged when he licked his own wounds and rested between the trees. most of his wouldn't his tongue couldn't even reach. Sebastian didn't rest for a long time, afraid that the Rise wolves would hunt him down and find him in those woods. He traveled more south, staining his body with his will to live. Sebastian didn't think he wanted to live so badly after what happened to him, but apparently he wasn't ready to die yet. Although, now the tank of a male was laying down he might feel like this was his end. His shoulder was hurting and his neck too. His muzzle hurt less since that was only a minor cuts from Citali's paws. There were several gashes on his side and chest. That last attack was brutal. Sebastian tiredly laid his head down on the damp ground. The bleeding wasn't really stopping on the bigger wounds and he was afraid for infections. 

His breathing was shallow. Sebastian was so thirsty, and water was so close. He could hear it. Once again the male pushed himself to his feet with all his effort. He looked broken. No wonder since the young male was limping and covered in bleeding wounds. The sharp ice had ripped open one of his pads, it hurt with every step. Maybe he shouldn't have ran from the fight, that death would probably have been far kinder. Sebastian fell over again, his muzzle dipping down into a small stream as he landed. He laid his head down, drinking bits of water and his throat hurting in the process. His vision seemed blurry, and his hearing seemed distanced. He just needed rest. Yes, resting would be a good idea. Sebastian moved his muzzle away from the water, his neck protesting in pain when he did, it did mean he could close his eyes and sleep. 

The smell of wolf's blood drew him. It drifted past his nose on a crosswind as he walked, and he turned toward it, compelled by a blend of instinct and curiosity. He found the source after about thirty minutes of tracking: a gray male laying on the ground. He was wounded, still bleeding. It appeared he was sleeping, or passed out. Rhett was not entirely sure. He chuffed as he stepped closer, sparing only a few feet between them. He said nothing, intense eyes focused for a response, though he remained on guard, taking his breaths through his nose to scan for scents, and swivelling an ear at any sound. Someone, or something had done this damage, and Rhett was not keen to be surprised should it still be around.

Edit: Totally forgot to read the timestamp on the previous thread, which took place before the fire at BDP :x There goes messing with timelines *slaps own wrist*

The snaking arms of woodsmoke had tried to embrace her, but she had run. Far from the flatlands, forcing herself over mountain and valley and refusing to stop. There wasn't distance enough that could separate her from the fire; the smell of smoke still clung to her and brought memories she'd long put to rest, and new ones she trembled to think on. Mordecai - to die like his brother. Her jaw clenched, and her heart writhed in her chest, but she refused to turn back. The phantom wail she'd heard on the air haunted her still, and the unknown took the face of her mother as the fire stole her life away.

Her fear set her on edge, and though she searched the air for a sign the fire had pursed her, a stronger scent hailed her attention - the sting of blood. Ears locked forward, Andalusia inhaled again, then lowered herself. Unmistakably wolf. When she moved again, she walked at a slower pace. Whether rogue prey or a ravenous wolf, her silvery eyes scanned the array of trees for any motion that could signal a threat, and not long passed before her gaze locked on her company - two. Andalusia felt her hackles rise, though not a noise escaped her.

Sebastian was more passed out rather than sleeping. It was almost like his body was rebooting for moment. He had spilled a lot of energy by running so far. He wanted to travel to his home, at least there he would be safe. In his passed out state the large grey male did not worry. Frankly no emotion was felt for a moment and it was great. He only passed out for a short while, though Sebastian had lost sense of time. It seemed to be the same light as before but it could have been a day later. Sebastian blinked open his pale eyes and only saw what was before him and low to the ground. 

He saw the stream and the ground so unclose even a few paws. Paws. Not good. Sebastian turned his head a bit but was then reminded of the wounds on both side of his neck. A low whine came from the grey male, feeling defeated he placed his head back on the ground where it was before. He didn't trust his senses, still more out of it than alert. He wanted to ask the wolf its name or at least maybe possibly ask for help but the wolf just stood there. The other wolf was too far away for Sebastian to even notice. He tried to look from the corner of his eyes to the dark grey male, wondering if he would see his end because another wolf thought that this would be his last day. No! He couldn't! Sebastian started to struggle to his feet almost given away a zombie like vibe. A grunting sound coming from his throat. It took him a moment to find his balance, legs trembling and nose almost against the ground. He was fine. Caldera. He had to get back.

It's so hard not to cross timelines sometimes lol

His attention to his surroundings was not unfounded. His experience thus far had taught him that where there was one in this area there was bound to be another not far behind; the wolves were as thick as flies, and true to that, another slowly encroached on them within mere minutes of Rhett's arrival. He cast her a sidelong glance. She said nothing, and did nothing, waiting some distance from them. He sensed no threat from her. She was likely drawn to the blood the same as he had been, and returned his gaze to the fallen male as he began to stir.

Rhett took a step backward, allowing the other space as he writhed and painfully gathered his feet, commanding him to "sit down." He did not look to the female, but his next statement was directed to her as one ear spun to face her. "Help - find cobwebs, or find your way elsewhere." Rhett made to do the same, but he did not stray far. He kept the other in his sights, snapping a dead branch from a tree and using it to gather whatever web could be found in the immediate area. He was no healer, but he knew enough that it may keep this one alive until one was found. For all he knew the girl was one, but she had made no move to assist which lent him doubt.

He drove his stick of clotting material bare end down into the dirt, to keep the web free of debris. He then moved to cleaned the worst of the wounds with his tongue. His movements were quick, deliberate, and he made no effort to be gentle.

Andalusia was a healer only by necessity, an outrider with the skill to heal herself of ailments she faced on the road. What she knew she had gathered from fellow sojourners, and not usually from ones formally trained. Yet unless the grizzled greyscale was a healer himself, what they offered together would have to do. Neither wolf appeared a threat (and one could hardly be one even if he'd tried), and when the grizzled man sent her for cobwebs, Andalusia jerked a sharp nod before turning to the woods.

Her movement felt jittery as she hustled through the throng of trees. A number of branches littered the ground, and she snuffed around until she uncovered a sizeable one half-hidden amongst a cover of debirs. Like the greyscale, Andalusia clasped her jaws around the wood and began to gather every cobweb and silken strand she could find. Webbing, to stop the bleeding. Andalusia hadn't been close enough to see the extent of the injured one's wounds, but better to gather plenty than to come up short. The wildfire fell to the recesses of her mind, and after gathering what she deemed a sufficient supply of cobweb, Andalusia rushed back to the snaking river where the wounded one lay.

She jammed her stick into the ground beside the greyscale's and turned to pass a sharp look over the injured. "How deep are his wounds?" He seemed to bleed from all over. Whoever had attacked him had done so to kill, and she hoped they were right in saving him now. "Has any infection set in?" The greyscale seemed to have a firm grip on cleaning the wounds, so Andalusia stepped to the wounded's other side and stretched her muzzle forward to check for fever.

It didn't take long, even with the loners command to sit down, for Sebastian to fall over again. The male laid defeatedly on the ground. He didn't expect the stranger to care for him. Then he realized that there was another. A couple? Sebastian was so out of it. He just laid down and awaited what they were going to do to him. Once the male came back. "T-Thank.. Thank you," Sebastian forced out of his throat. He then remembered the use of goldenrod. "G-Goldenrod," he stammered. If they would find something in this valley then it would be great against his infections.


The wounds on his neck were probably the worst, along with the one on his upper leg. Sebastian couldn't tell if they were deep, yet since how much they hurt they must be deep. Sebastian grunted when the tongue started licking his wounds clean. He didn't want to make sounds of pain, because he was so thankful for these two wolves to help him. He kept chiming it over and over again, like 'thank you' was the only thing he could even say. 

He finished removing as much debris and old blood from the wounds as he could, and with no protest or fight from the male. Not that it would have mattered; he was in no condition to argue and Rhett would not have listened. Resistance would have been met with strong limbs holding him down and teeth threatening more wounds if he did not cooperate. The male thanked him, and uttered something about goldenrod. "We'll get some. Quiet." He turned to the webbing just as the female returned with more of it. He acknowledged her assistance with a small nod.

"A few bad ones," he answered her. His eyes flicked to the worst injuries on the wolf's neck and leg. He gathered a chunk of web, and started to pack it into deepest wound. He shook his head to the female's question. There was no infection yet, but it would not be far off without treatment. "Not yet." He paused. "He wants goldenrod," whatever for, Rhett was not sure, only that it must be beneficial - a remedy against infection, perhaps.

"Keep packing the web in." He left them, and scoured the surrounding area for the plant, which fortunately was not hard to find. He clipped the plant off at the stem, and made a swift return. He expected no other instruction from the weary male and so set about chewing bits of it into a pulp without waiting for one, which he then applied onto the wounds. Already, there was an improvement as the web worked to stem the flow of blood. 

Her ear twitched to catch the grizzled man's response and she drew her snout away from where she'd made contact with the injured's body. No fever yet, and with the news of no infections, all signs looked up, but that only made her work quicker. They had to seal the lacerations before infection set in, and Andalusia hurried around to join the grizzled man in stuffing the wounds.

Her brow set at the mention of goldenrod, but like her grizzled companion, Andalusia couldn't identify them with the knowledge of medical use. Her limited knowledge was more abstract, a collection of remedies found even in the coldest months - honey from the comb (with the additional gift of beestings), or if one fancied a more exotic cleanse, buffalo dung. Yet the injured man seemed to know his herbs more than she, and if he could be aided by picking flowers, she was grateful he at least had the sense to speak up before she and the grizzled man ended up with snouts half covered in manure and beestings enough to send them both to kingdom come.

She acknowledged the grizzled man with a nod and kept her ear open for his return, all the while placing web over web into the deepest of the cuts. Blood flowed slower from the wounds already packed, and when footfalls signalled the man's return, she shuffled aside to work on his untended cuts while the man spread the freshly ground poultice over the ones she had turned from. When her supply of cobwebs ran dry, she fetched more. The trip took her further from the river, but the distance she travelled mattered little in the grand scheme, and she returned to continue her steady work alongside the grizzled man.

The only thing Sebastian could do is trust the other two strangers and let them tend him. The licking of his wounds hurt but it was good to hear that there weren't any infections. Sebastian himself started licking his ripped open pad. Though the male couldn't be really efficient since he would have to strain his neck for that. One returned with the goldenrod, which was bitter sweet since it was Citali that learned him about that. He wished to become a healer for the Caldera so even with his hazy state of mind he paid attention. Cobwebs for stopping the bleeding. Perfect, the goldenrod poultice would help against infections. 

Sebastian felt so grateful for these two wolves that helped him. How could he even repay them? Maybe they were in need of a home and he could offer the Caldera as one? But he was no alpha and seeing how disliked the Caldera was well that meant that they would only be in danger. The young male laid as still and quiet as he could. His worry was a bit soothed now his wounds were taken care of, the tiredness of his fast traveling made his eyes fall closed again. Sebastian felt a lot better with his wounds bleeding less. Now he just had to deal with the drying blood in his fur and the aftermath of recovering.

With the female's assistance, soon each wound that required it had been packed with cobweb, and goldenrod had been spread over all of them. Rhett stepped back. His focused gaze roamed the battered male. There was nothing more he could do for the injuries. The wounds were clean and the bleeding stopped. With that taken care of, it was question time.

"So." His eyes settled on the male's face. "Who did you piss off to end up like this?" His interest in knowing was for his sake and no one else's. He was independent, and had no side in whatever conflict had lead to this. It was simply a good practice to be aware of what was happening around you, especially if you may be considering a more permanent stay.

Andalusia backed away from the injured one, satisfied with the work she and her grizzled companion had done. The question remained, however, as to who had been angered enough to inflict his wounds. Her gaze sharped against the extent of damage littered across the young man's body. Andalusia would have probed the boy if the grizzled man hadn't cared to ask the same questions that concerned her thoughts, but it seemed she and the loner were of the same mind.

"I'd like to know that as well," she added, and cast the other loner a glance before she returned her gaze to the boy's face. If there was a pack to avoid, she'd rather learn second-hand than through a beating like this herself. Her eyes fell to the wound on his neck - the deepest and most concerning. "These wounds were obviously made to kill you." Her voice was grim, and she hoped they hadn't made a mistake in saving the boy. No one killed without reason, yet until the boy gave them one, she would try to give him the benefit of a doubt.

Sebastian slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. He looked at the two wolves, knowing that he owed them an explanation. The young wolf looked at the two of them and then grimaced. "I was at the wrong location at the wrong time, carrying the wrong scent," he spoke, which was the most easy explanation and the shortest. He wasn't sure if the two wolves cared for pack politics. Sebastian drank some more water with his dry throat. "I ran into the daughter of my alpha. You can say that my alpha and his daughter don't go along so well. I was just visiting a friend in the North. I ran into my alpha's daughter and she wanted to sent a message,' Sebastian spoke miserably. 

He wanted to go home to his pack and never leave his home again. He felt horrible. The large male lowered himself again and sighed. "Thank you for helping me."

"Hm," he chuffed lowly as his tail flicked idly. Skepticism was readable on planes of his face. There was more to that story than the battered male was letting on. Daughters who simply did not get along with their fathers did not try to murder their fathers' packmates to send a message. However, the exact details did not concern him. What he needed to know was simply the packs involved, to be aware of the tension, and nothing more. His muzzle tipped to acknowledge the thanks the male extended, then he pressed for the information he required. "The name of her pack and yours. What are they?" The intensity of his stare demanded an answer.

Andalusia let her gaze cut across the young man's haggard body while he spoke, and every time her eyes returned to the deep gash that marred his neck. A lethal blow for a family dispute? She loathed to think on what these packs had done to each other to warrant a death penalty, but she imagined the situation was irredeemable in both their sights.

When her grizzled companion dipped his muzzle to the young man's thanks, Andalusia merely gave a twitch of her ear. Her thoughts were preoccupied, and she let the older man's words take precedence over anything she might have said. The names of the packs and their locations - that was all any wolf would need. She had no intention of getting involved in their politics or their lives; the risks far outweighed the benefits here.

Sebastian kept his head against the ground but he did turn his eyes to the male who asked the question. "I don't know, I think 'Rise' something. The Rise Wolves. I'm from Redhawk Caldera," Sebastian spoke to the other two. The grey tank wasn't sure if it was smart to mention that he was from the Caldera but he was proud to be from the Caldera. The female was rather quiet but he didn't mind. Sebastian didn't want too many questions to answer. He was tried and he wished to go home. Maybe he would rest for a short moment and then head back to the Caldera.

The large male wanted to thank them again. But maybe that would be too much thanking. He went to Nochtli to thank her and see where it had gotten him. He hadn't expect this. Naturally he didn't know what would happen in his life. He hoped the rest wouldn't be so shitty as what happened. Still it didn't want to die even though how shitty it had been so far. "What are they?," he repeated since he didn't understand the question.

Rise something. Redtail Rise, perhaps, the pack a young boy named Oliver had told him about. It was in the area, that much he knew, but he could not assume it was that pack as there could be any number of rises, however unlikely. So, this information he merely catalogued, along with the name of the injured man's own pack: Redhawk Caldera.

He was not sure why his question was repeated, as it was answered exactly as he had wanted, so he ignored the parroting, and asked one final question: "Is home far?" it may have sounded like an offer to help him there, and it could very well be depending on the answer.

Redhawk Caldera, the Rise. Though he didn't provide a plethora of information, a rush of relief flooded her chest, for neither names were close to the Sunspire or the Plateau. She repeated the names in her head several times, but her thoughts turned when the boy repeated the man's question he had just answered himself. She eyed him again, now with a touch of concern. His eyes looked clear, but his words made his mind seem hazy. Their help would prove little good if they left him to find his own way back to his pack alone - especially if he showed signs of confusion already.

The grizzled man had perhaps the same idea as she, but while she had her suspicions, his words were vague and she couldn't tell for sure. And as much as she wished to stay far away from both these packs for her own safety, she wasn't about to abandon the injured boy to a solo trek back to his Redhawk Caldera. It wasn't like she had anywhere to be as it was, so she added, "You're in no condition to travel alone," as her own unspoken commitment to seeing the boy home safely. Even if he persisted against them both, she was set, and nothing he said would budge her from her decision to help.

Sebastian kept his eyes on the grey male and then nodded. "It is a bit. With normal conditions it is about three days traveling," he admitted. But he would be fine! He would just take it easy and rest a lot of times. And maybe he would stumble onto some carcass, filling his stomach a bit while he couldn't hunt. He could totally do this! The large male then turned to the female who spoke. "I am! Or well, sort off. But I just want to get closer to my home. I can't ask you to travel with me," he let out, almost embarrassed now. He didn't wanted to be a bother to them. They had been nice enough as it was. Plus he wasn't sure how his pack were to greet them.

But perhaps having them around the first few days wouldn't be too bad... Sebastian was doubting now. His pale blue eyes looked torn. He couldn't ask for more help he felt like he owed them his life already. On the other hand, if he would die during this trip back home he would do foolishly by himself then their effort would be gone as well. Sebastian wasn't one that was good in making decisions. Now he was a bit at loss what to do or say.

last post for me!

Three days was indeed respectably far, even more so for one as battered as this male. It begged the question of why he was so far from his pack, especially if there was even a whisper of tension in the air, but Rhett was content in knowing that it was nowhere near his current stomping grounds. Thus, he could continue about his business without much concern.

He was not in the habit of running an escort business unless there was something in it for him, but there was a conviction in the female's words, so it was unlikely the injured male would find himself travelling alone anyway. He dipped his muzzle to them both, and walked away. "See you."

He was running on delusion or pride, both of which would kill him in the end. In his condition, Andalusia guessed the length of the trip would double to six, perhaps seven days, depending on how well his wounds held up. Five at best, though as it stood, the boy would still need time to rest before he even thought of travelling again. The journey would be slow and painstaking for sure, but Andalusia had gathered this before she'd offered her help.

Andalusia turned to the grizzled man when he departed with a cordial dip of her head. She hadn't gathered his name, but she committed his face and scent to memory. Perhaps they would meet again on less frantic terms than this. "Safe travels," she said, and watched her company depart for a moment longer before returning her attention to the boy at hand. "Look, you don't have to ask me to come - I've already decided I am." She hadn't missed the indecision in his eyes, even as he so quickly dismissed her help. Well, if he couldn't make up his mind, then she would make it for him, and her verdict was that she wasn't about to let him wander off into the Wilds alone in the state he was in. "And don't try to argue. You're stuck with me 'til we get you home."

I will wrap this up and get this archived <3 Thank you guys 

Sebastian was secretly glad that the female would join him on his travels. The large male knew he wasn't invincible. He felt his shoulder's sag, knowing that he could finally rest. "Okay," he spoke obediently. He wasn't one to be too dominant specially not while suffering from his wounds. "Thank you. Thank you," he muttered once again. Sebastian wished he was home but that wasn't going that easily. He would need to suffer but that would be okay because in the end it would be worth it. He knew that at least he had a bigger chance of making it home.

Sebastian decided that he would need a rest before traveling. He glanced at the female before letting himself sink in oblivion. The large body breathing out with a slight wheeze but other than that the male seemed to finally get more than a hazy sleep. He trusted the female after patching him back up.