Dawn creeps slowly over his shoulders as he's immersed in his round of the borderland. Without the company of others, and their respective ranks included, he's shameless in hitching a leg up high to mark his targets. He's managed to cover a good span of ground already through the night, as evidenced by the trail of fresh scent in his wake. Thuringwethil had asked that the borders be addressed even before they had embarked on their mission, so he continued to uphold it because it seemed as if a good a place as any for him. It's becoming a routine of his, almost, and does seem as if he has adjusted decently enough into the fray of Sleeping Dragon.
He spares the lightening skies a lingering look as he musters the last of his bladder's contents for a concluding marker. Then, while contemplating if he is more hungry for interaction than food, he ambles slowly up the Dragon's elevation to see what he could find along the way (unless something found him first).
While on their expedition to inspect the positioning of neighbouring wolves, Lucani had met Lorne and Dio, but had communicated with neither. Her teammate had been Thuringwethil; it had been with the young Heda that Lucani had exchanged observations. But that had not stopped the sharp-eyed healer from making a silent observation of her own. In a moment when the light had caught Dio's pale fur, Lucani had noticed a considerable gash. In the few seconds she'd seen it it had looked like it was on the mend, but concern for the male had lingered slightly — and now that the expedition was done, the middle-aged wolf had made up her mind to speak to him about it.
It was easy to track him down, as he was marking his scent on the territory's considerable borders. Good morning, Dio
, the tall female greeted as she met him travelling inland.
He cranes his head towards the sound of approach, and turns to face her not long after her greeting. Upon seeing that it is Lucani, a wolf he recognizes as closer to the dark commander's favor than most, his ears fan back and his tail is kept lax. He is ready to defer to her higher rank since she had at least proven herself deserving of it to him in their brief time together, but not sure where she drew the boundaries exactly. He's not going to overshoot if it isn't necessary, not right here and now. "Morning," he drawled in return.
Dio doesn't know very much about the tall female.. besides what little he'd been able to observe on their expedition. But, she'd stayed with Heda while he and Lorne had done their own thing for the real grit of the event. Besides that, it had only been a lot of comfortably silent traveling, so he knew she was at least acceptable enough company by that impression. "Busy with something?" he asked upon giving her a quick once-over. He is curious.
She did not know the large guardian as anything other than a dutiful packmate, and wanted to get to know him. Lucani had a great interest in unraveling the stories of those around her, finding their lives considerably more interesting than her own. But she wasn't about to quiz Dio on his backstory just now, as a more important subject was at hand... though perhaps the scar and the backstory were one and the same.
Yes
, she replied, I was looking for you actually. It's a rather personal matter I'm afraid, but I couldn't help notice the scar on your neck...
She's quite to the point and he's left not knowing how he should feel about that point of interest being, well, him. Dio's ears begin to splay but he fights it off, although it is momentarily worrisome to find it may be a personal matter. He's not sure if he is ready for that -- and not with a wolf he scarcely knows, no less. Thankfully, it is something any individual with eyes could observe for themselves: his scarred neck.
Although it did not take an overly sharp eye to notice it (since it is not exactly the most subtle of scarring), she was among the very first to ever ask about directly. To him, it almost feels like old news now that the Rise feels as far away as it does. He's getting used to it. "Well... what about it?" he asks, keen to let her see it as he stretches out his neck to feel how the flesh still pulls tight when he thinks about it. He considers it one scar, but it's a few different events that had all come in one evening hatched together to almost encircle his neck. Some of it is more jagged than others, and more plainly the work of teeth.. but some of it links it together more cleanly than that. As one singular piece of work, it reminds him of his and Matteo's final moments together. Almost, he is proud to wear the gnarled flesh, even if the meaning would go beyond all but him.
Although holding a fairly neutral stance so not to be any deterrence to proud wolves who dwelled on hierarchy, it wasn't an invitation for others to speak to her disrespectfully. Lucani didn't think it appropriate that Dio respond to her curtly when she'd been nothing but courteous so far, but she let it go this once. If it looked like he was trying to turn her into a doormat, the large Gamma wouldn't allow it, but her priority wasn't actually his manners but his physical wellbeing. And so she made no comment but to answer his question.
I specialise in healing physical wounds
, she explained, and I've seen that type of scar before — the type to get itchy, uncomfortable or even painful, especially in cold weather, no matter how much time passes. If you'd like, I can help.
"You're the first to ask about it so directly.." he says now that her explanation as a healer does fill in that question for him, and while he fights his curiosity hard, he maintains his ears angled back in vague deference. She did appear knowledgeable, so she had his attentions though because he could learn too. Heda had mentioned a healer he could see when he'd joined, and he had brushed it aside somewhat then since he didn't think it was all that bad himself; he'd not expected her to come find him about it anyway. "The worst of it is the itchiness, really, but I reasoned that was still not too abnormal. It's not that old," he explains as if a timeline of it may help make his case any. He had been a loner for much of it, too, and Dio was never exactly perfectly attentive about tending in when traveling through lands unknown. "What do you do for that?"
She nodded, showing she understood the way he'd dealt with the surprise of being asked about his scar so directly. But doing so was quite literally her job, and so Lucani didn't backtrack. You're quite right, it's not abnormal
, she agreed, once more blinking to look at the gash marring his impressive figure. But that doesn't mean you have to bear it. What we can do for it depends how old and deep the scar is. May I ask how and when you got it...?
He thinks for a moment, hopefully successful in judging how much detail would be wanted. "A bad fight," he said. Some of it was a bit more deliberate than what one may expect from something like that, but that was still an accurate way to peg it. "Then there was a fire after," in which he'd only been grazed over fresh, pre-existing injury but there had been smoke and debris everywhere to account for as his home went up in flames. Dio's recollection got admittedly fuzzy in that area and he hoped he wouldn't be quizzed any on what had happened immediately after that.
"It was right around the solstice," he frowns thoughtfully as he answers this rather readily. While he may not have it down to the exact day, that is a good of a marker as any for wolfkind as he considers himself a decent timekeeper -- be it by the length of the day or when certain scents persisted, he was confident in his abilities if nothing else. It had only ingrained further when he'd counted the days as they turned to weeks after his loss, lingering in the dark days of winter alone after having so very much.
One grey ear twitched with interest — not just as a healer but as a lover of other peoples' stories. Lucani was now more curious about Dio than she had been previously. With whom had he fought? Or with what? How had a fire been started? He must be from a land much warmer than this one, or else one where humans were not just a myth. Did he still bear a grudge against the one with whom he'd fought? How did he feel about it now? She wanted to hear his story, but he had seemed surprised enough at being asked about his scar. She did not believe he'd react well at this stage to being asked more.
That's recent enough for treatment
, she decided. The solstice seemed like half a lifetime ago to young wolves, but to Lucani it felt like yesterday. And flesh did not react to time the way the mind did. There's a comfrey tree beyond this ridge
, she nodded upwards, and began to walk, gesturing that she join him. The roots may be of use — I'll show you
.
He licks the backs of his teeth and finds himself satisfied that she presses forward. It would probably seem abrupt otherwise, and all he was left to do was vaguely nod at her before his feet were following in the direction she had gestured. She'd made up her mind and he was somehow or another at her disposal as he strode alongside her, somehow a bit more inclined to be cooperative now.
Comfrey tree. It didn't mean a whole lot to him but he turned his eyes towards that ridge. "Right. What could they do?" he asks about the roots. He'll learn. "Where did you learn about this?" he questions in the interim with a quirking brow. Dio could make his assumptions -- such as it playing off of Heda's battle tendencies and maybe just long enough time in the right company, but he was curious to know what it really was.
They walked together towards the tree, and while Lucani was strong and tall she saw by his shadow alone that Dio was even more the warrior type. Since joining Sleeping Dragon she had come to have more respect for fighters, seeing their value more than ever before. All the more reason to tend to his comfort.
I don't know the intricacies of how the roots provide their medical benefits
, she admitted, but I believe if you apply the chewed-up root to your scar, its properties will soothe any aches and itches — especially in the cold weather.
As to his question, it was rare that Lucani got asked about her past, but she answered out of respect for the man who had just now spoken of his own personal history. I learned herbalism and botany where I grew up. A woodland pack called Weatherside.
He listens and walks on, most interested in having his itches soothed. Having any healer to attend to him does still feel strange to him, since it was still something new to him here.. but he is generally pleased. All the more since a nearby tree can do this for him, and she's in possession of the knowledge to put it all together where otherwise he could have walked right on by, none the wiser.
For a beat, he considers asking on more about her learning but he soon decides her answer is concise enough. He nods, accepting and willing to be respectful of it.
Anyway, his focus drifts back to the application of these chewed roots. In so far, it was not seeming very difficult. "So how often would be good enough, you think?" he asks, although wonders if that may vary by the case which he may need to find that out as he goes.
As they progressed over the ridge, the comfrey tree came into view. Lucani had her own theories about how such a tree had found its way into the wilds of Sleeping Dragon — namely that the seeds had travelled here via bird droppings. It was quite spectacular to think that such a medical marvel as this tree could come from such everyday simplicity.
I would say three or four times a week for now, and less as it gets better
, she advised, then halted near the pale tree's tangled roots, some of which protruded from the soil. She pulled tightly on one and a few inches snapped off. She placed it gently at Dio's large paws. It's soft root. When you're ready to apply it, chew it to a paste then place it over your scar. So it doesn't fall off while you're moving around, I suggest you do this before sleeping for the day. If you're finding it tricky to apply, ask a friend to do it — or call on me, Dio, and I'll help you as I can.
feel free to fade this out with your post considering all the.. new happenings *eyes curiously at*
Together they reach the tree and he glances up first, then down to the tangled roots as she takes a piece. He was making note, because now, the details were coming through more by the second. Dio nods slowly alongside her words, and he finds it to make sense, so his trust is bound to deepen.
He eyes the roots and repeats the steps to himself, now beginning to get curious on how effective it may prove to be.
Hard-headed as he was, he knew to be appreciative.
"I'll do what I can," he chuffed, a touch reluctant to rely on her to help but he probably couldn't con anyone else into doing it (he did find a moment of humor in imagining making Lorne help him somehow, and how much she'd hate him for it). He'd try it on his own first.. in private, in case it was a horrible failure.
"Thank you," he dips his muzzle in a nod and hopes she picks up on the depths of it. With that said, he sections off a piece of the root for himself and prepares to stow it away until he is ready to undertake the application.
Hehe, righto~ Thanks for the thread!
There was often a temptation (in Lucani's experience) to think of warriors as hard-headed as well as hard-muscled, but Dio was refreshingly open to advice. She gave a nod in reply, herself appreciative for this, and then let him be, though she did have every intention of meeting him again. Not simply for a medical check-up, but to hear more of his scarring adventures. A friend to be made, yes, but also a book to be read.