Roughly a week had passed since the cougar had trespassed on their lands. Fox had been holed up in her den for the duration, snacking on the rabbit Sveinn had brought her along with the cache that was closest to her burrow. Slowly but surely, she was beginning to feel her body heal itself. Perhaps it was not as quick as it could have been with the help of a medic, but there was improvement, and that was a good sign. She had heard that Lecter knew something of medicine, although she was loathe to let him near her. Still, it would give him a chance to prove his worth to Swiftcurrent if he was able to mend their wounds. The scent of Clarice had all but vanished from the creek, otherwise Fox would have sent for her. It was possible she was merely outside the lands of the pack, but the fact that she had been away so long ushered Fox into thinking that she had left entirely. Strange, considering she seemed to have a close bond with the abomination that was Lecter.
The yearling's wounds had scabbed over, though inevitably they opened and oozed from time to time. Thankfully, both Tuwawi and Haunter had helped her reach the more difficult spots, allowing her body to heal more quickly when it would have been more prone to infection. It was a miracle that their saliva held healing powers in itself, and sometimes Fox wondered if medics were really necessary at all. As long as her caretakers had a tongue and a gentle touch, she was willing to keep them around. It was possible Tuwa would take Clarice's place in this, should the white girl not return.
Fox stood outside her den, blinking in the freezing drizzle which caused a shiver to roll up her spine. It had coated the ground with a thin layer of ice in every direction, leaving the world one big, wet, icy mess. Eager to stretch her legs, Fox trotted
very carefully toward the creek for a drink of water.
Unlike Fox, Jinx had allowed nobody near her in the aftermath of the cougar attack. Ira had come the closest, but she viewed him with a level of affection she reserved for no other. Despite her best effprts, she had been unable to prevent herself from developing a relationship with the young Red Keep prince. She had no doubt in her mind that the boy still viewed her with inherent distrust. She didn't hold this illusion against him, if only because she knew he would one day acknowledge that she had helped him.
Any other wolf that came near her, she warned away. She had taken to wandering through the wooded part of the Creek like a spectre, staring from a distance at the wolves present but never getting close. If they started in her direction, she was quick to turn and walk away. Jinx still wore the weight of her pregnancy, for it would take a few weeks to work it off... But her stomach was hollow, bereft of the children she might have given to Sos.
The regret that clutched at her most often wasn't that her children had never been born, but that she hadn't appeased Sos. The Dark Bear hadn't come to her yet, but she didn't doubt His wrath when He did. Part of the reason she wandered in isolation so much in the aftermath of her miscarriage linked to her fear that Sos would find her. He would kill her, and any other with her, or he would command her to kill her companions. Although she would never say it aloud, Jinx had no desire to bring down her pack mates, even though she felt it was their fault she had lost her pups in the first place.
It was her intention to wander again today, always in eerie silence brought on by a combination of grief and anger. Fox thwarted her plan early on, however, for Jinx had chosen to haunt the creekside that morning. She walked along it in something of a stupor, and before long found herself almost face-to-face with her leader. Though her initial anger at Fox challenging a mountain lion had faded and left room for emptiness to take its place, the Gamma stiffened nonetheless. She had no words for Fox at that moment, and wasn't ready to face what had occurred (nor the relief the young Alpha likely felt). Nor could she turn away. She was held in thrall by the very laws of wolf that made them all follow their Alphas with utmost devotion, but she was speechless.
I posted this from my phone so I'm really sorry
A cat had come to them, less sibilant and torturous than Lynx, but destructive nevertheless. Stubborn to the bitter end, Lester refused to move his den from the outskirts of Fox's territory, but he had found his way in among her wolves, to proffer his services as healer if need be.
His daughter had been scarce as of late, and he felt a guilty pang stab him as he admitted inwardly that her absence made it less difficult to question the paternity of her growing unborn.
He caught the trail of Fox's scent and frowned; there was blood laced through her commanding fragrance. Lengthening his stride, the pale shaman soon beheld her with his eyes; he drew nearer to assess her with a practiced stare.
He did not like the woman past a basic, grudging respect for her assumption of the Creek after Lethe's suicide, though he would have preferred Jinx in her place. His feelings toward her notwithstanding, Lecter did not wish for her to die from infection.
"Your wounds will fester and sap your strength if they are not tended," he muttered to her, knowing that she cared little for him also. "My den is not far from here; let me tend you. Or, if you would prefer, wait and I shall bring you the medicine. "
His inner cataloging of what he needed was broken by a sliding glance; Jinx stood nearby, and he was pained that he had not noticed her. But she had not allowed him close, she had spurned him, and worry mounted again in his breast for her.
The space between them did not allow for the shaman to smell the bitter end of her pregnancy, but the vibrant eyes had dulled and his ears swept back for a moment, icewater eyes watching her silently. For the moment, Fox was forgotten in Lecter's overwhelming desire to step toward Jinx, to embrace her and remove the thorn of her pain.
I think Fox lacks some social skills. <__<
Also, thank you both for replying!
If Jinx had placed blame on Fox, the yearling had not been aware of it. Having not seen Jinx since that day, the fireball had no idea what the Kesuk's thoughts were since then (or even during the brawl). Fox had never been the observant type, although she did occasionally pick up on bits of information that others seemed to glance over (such as Jinx's pregnancy). It had not occurred to her that all the fighting would have made the Gamma lose her brood, nor that Jinx had lost anything at all. But just as Fox had been quick to notice the glowing of Jinx, she was just as quick to notice the dullness that now accompanied her. Something had
changed and Fox could feel it through her bones.
A wash of concern flashed over her features, but before the young Alpha could speak, the haunting figure of Lecter made himself known. A twitch of her ear gave away her annoyance at his presence. Not necessarily because he was here, but more because Fox suddenly wished she could offer something to Jinx. While she'd had every intention of making sure the puppies she carried were killed the moment they were born, she worried that this way would hurt Jinx more physically. A litter lost at such a stage had to cause some internal damage. What was done was done, just not in the manner that Fox wished it to be so.
Not wishing to make a scene, Fox nodded to Lecter.
"Lead the way," she replied. No words to Jinx were spoken, for Fox was not sure she had anything to say at all. Even if she had spoken to the white wraith, it would have been inadequate.
It was a strange thing, this loss in her. Her previous scuffles had resulted in injuries that pained her, but her external pain now was largely unnoticed. She limped at times when her scabs stretched and split, washing her chest and the insides of her legs with blood and transparent pus whenever they did, but she hadn't acknowledged the pain that the cat's claws had caused. Internally, she was ruined; aborting the pups so unnaturally had ravaged her body, so much that she would likely never bear a litter again. She was unaware of that and the internal ache she constantly felt, too, unfeeling of anything but the acute sense of loss.
Despite being the world's worst candidate for mother, the instinct was very real in Jinx, and the inability to successfully birth them struck a deep, lasting wound.
Neither she nor Fox said anything, and when Lecter arrived, Jinx was devoid of her usual joyful reaction. She watched them dully, for the moment not interested in their concern for her... Their pity was unwelcome. It wasn't pity that the Kesuk warrior needed. She needed a replacement for the sacrifice she had lost, someone to give to the Dark Lord, someone willing...
Her mind surfaced from its dark, self-imposed prison long enough to see the wolves departing. She hadn't quite heard what they said, having mentally distanced herself from her physical body to heal and mend the loss that beat at her emotions. Whatever they were doing, Jinx fell in behind them after a lengthy pause to let them get ahead, stalking them like a silent spirit, unsure why she followed or what she would say if they asked. Perhaps she would say nothing, and just continue on past them in that eerie stupor... Or perhaps she would open her mouth and scream, and let all her anguish flow out and surround them. Perhaps she would just stop and stare, as she had initially.
Whatever the case, the empty Jinx followed.
no prob!
so just so i'm clear on wounds, and please correct me:
fox - wounds to ribcage and side of neck
jinx - wounds to flesh between shoulder and throat, sides of neck, and inner thighs
also there is mild powerplay, please let me know if you don't care for that.
Surprised that Fox would follow, Lecter turned reluctantly, fighting the urge to glance back at Jinx, who followed with a distant look haunting her once-fiery eyes. He quickened his step, then slowed, remembering their injuries as he led them into the dark heart of the woodland.
Entering his bone-strewn clearing, Lecter looked back toward Fox. "Wait here." His eyes slid past her for a moment to the ethereal form of Jinx, before he disappeared into the musty log that housed his herbs.
Comfrey for binding, spiderweb for bandages. "Feverfew," he muttered through a mouthful of plants, glacial stare traveling over the plants he would need for Jinx. But there was more that needed to be done for his lover; he had the sinking sensation that the children in her womb were the cause of her obvious misery.
The slyph needed warmth and rich food, daily infusions of yarrow and angelica — but she had held him away. And yet he would attempt to heal her, if she would allow it.
Returning to the redwolf, Lecter lay his burdens upon the loam of the forest floor. "Lie down," he ordered, needing the best possible access to her wounds, but he was at her side before she had presumably complied or refused. Rough prods of his muzzle against the punctures in the flesh of her ribcage brought blood to the surface; Lecter inhaled deeply, scenting for infection. Sensing none yet, the madman lipped a bolus of feverfew, chewing quickly before spitting it onto a wide oak leaf on the ground before Fox. "For pain," the shaman mumbled.
The bright scent of citrus filled the air of the clearing as he bit the stems of lemon balm in twain, before chewing them into a loose paste. Ears sweeping back momentarily, a glance of his icewater eyes to those of Fox, Lecter leant close and swept his tongue over the punctures, forcing the fragrant plant into the wounds. Her neck also he ministered to, disliking the intimate proximity, and the pale shaman was relieved when at last he could pull away from her.
Lecter grunted to himself, grinding comfrey leaves into a bolus between his backteeth. This he set upon Fox's wounds, atop the lemon balm; the sticky plant would pull the edges of the lacerations together. Deftly he worked, finishing the bindings with a thick layer of dusty spiderweb.
"If you have more pain, come to me. I have stronger plants. Leave your patrols to another for three days; lie still and rest." Lecter did not know if Fox would attend his words; that was her own affair, and he turned his full attentions toward Jinx.
She would need the same, but the wind had shifted; pus had set into her wounds. Ideally, Lecter would have her bathe before applying medicine, but it was imperative to tend her before fever set in, bringing with it the deathly teeth of deeper infection.
"Jinx," the pale witch murmured softly, padding across the loam toward her. Halting a scant few feet away, Lecter regarded her with worry bright in his eyes. From here he could smell fully the blood and the oozing fester of her wounds. Her scent no longer carried the undercurrent of children, and his heart sank sickeningly. "Jinx, my love, let me help you."
Close enough! Fox is going to duck out so these two lovebirds can do whatever it is they need to do. <__<
Fox was surprised when Jinx followed them, though she was not sure why. It was clear that Jinx needed attention as well—perhaps even more-so than Fox. Obediently, Fox followed the old man's commands. While she was still suspicious of his every move, she did not feel she had much of a choice if she wished to be back on her feet sooner. If she had still been but a follower, Fox would have denied his efforts. She was a leader now, and the quicker she was back to fully-functioning, the quicker she could get back to being a strong figurehead for Swiftcurrent.
At least the citrus smell took away from the scent of the shaman, though Fox winced every time he touched her. It was unlike her experiences with Tuwawi and Haunter, which had been bonding. Instead, Fox felt like she was a mere toy to her healer. Something that had to be fixed because that was just the way things were. With both Tuwawi and Haunter, she had felt their compassion. With Lecter, she felt nothing. Still, he
was an asset in that he knew what he was doing. He just needed to work on his bedside manner.
The yearling nodded at his words, and glanced to Jinx. It was pity that she felt for the older female, but when Lecter spoke to her, Fox knew it was not her place to linger. Looking pointedly at Lecter, she spoke.
“Take care of her.” Fox had been completely unaware that he had been the father of her now-dead children. In fact, she'd had no idea that they were even close to one another. Now, though, she at least knew the latter. While she thought Jinx's taste was a strange one, she did not protest.
With no more reason to stay, Fox gave a final thankful glance to Lecter and went on her way.
She stood unmoving in the background, watching with a glazed stare as Lecter worked his diligent magic on Fox. There was no voodoo involved, she noticed, but she was in no state of mind to point it out. She was in no state of mind at all. She was, for all intents and purposes, catatonic as her shaman worked on the Alpha's wounds, only stirring when he seemed to have completed his task, and only a little at that. Her head lifted a mere inch when he approached, her eyes boring into his but devoid of feeling and understanding. Jinx heard him, the faintest twitch of her ears betraying that she was still alive in there. The part of her locked away behind impossibly thick walls responded to his address; he had never really called her that before. It would have made her feel queer and warm if she hadn't been so distant.
He wanted to help. They all wanted to help, but they all looked at her with those sad, pitying eyes, feigning sympathy but incapable of understanding how she really felt. Their mannerisms gave them away, so that the fiery Jinx on the inside recoiled from their advances, believing them all to be false. Perhaps, as unorthodox as it was, Fox was the only one who was honest. She had not come with condolences for Jinx, not like the others, though in fairness, neither had Lecter or any other. Not really. Unbeknownst to the Kesuk, Fox was relieved the pups had been aborted, and it was best for all involved if that fact remained hidden.
Unlike the few days prior, when Jinx would scuttle away from the advance of any wolf, she remained inanimate as he drew nearer. She picked up the concern in his gaze, recognized it as something other than pity, but failed to reach out to him. She was cocooned away to deal with the grief, and in the meantime, her body went through the motions of life, without any semblance of life behind those motions. There were still signs, however, that she hadn't completely slipped away from sanity, for as Lecter neared her, though she refused to pull away this time, her body trembled wildly.
Fox was given a cool glance before he returned his attentions to his lover. She did not move away, and Lecter heaved a breath of relief. Backing away from her, the shaman whirled to lip into his maw the things he had piled on the ground outside his den. Returning swiftly to her, Lecter paused for a moment. "The poppy, Jinx." A push of his paw moved an oakleaf before her; the dosage there would cause her to slumber and remove all pain for the time being. She was in need of a deeper healing than Fox.
When she had presumably lapped up the seeds, Lecter murmured that she should lie down upon the loam, encouraging her onto her side so that he would be able to inspect the wounds between her thighs. Again he gathered the comfrey, the lemon balm, the spiderweb, but first he chewed yarrow and angelica together, placing it aside for when she awoke.
The wounds upon her neck and shoulders were ministered to in the same way that he had done to Fox. At length, he rocked back onto his heels to shake out the tension in his nape before leaning close to inspect the pusfilled lacerations between her legs. The lemon balm alone would not do; Lecter was in need of an astringent.
He loped back to his den, albeit somewhat stiffly, and returned with a precious mouthful of crushed chamomile. Mixing it with clean mud from the forest floor, he smeared it with nose and tongue across the worst of the slashes, layering the wounds with lemon balm, comfrey, and cobweb.
A cursory glance of icewater eyes beneath her tail assured him that the bleeding had stopped, though he was still struck with a pang of shame for inspecting her in such a manner.
"Warmth," the shaman muttered, struck suddenly with exhaustion. Unsure of how she would receive him, he laid down beside Jinx nevertheless, lying muzzle across paws. He would merely lie alongside her, bodies in close proximity to monitor her breathing.
Lecter slept.
Her deadpan manner did not cease when Fox departed. Her shaking persisted despite being alone with the shaman. No words could pierce the tight seal of her lips, even though a dreadful pang of fear shot through her when he moved away from her. Jinx had been fiercely protective of herself and her privacy up until now, in a strange trance brought on by shock, but now that she had let him in, she was loathe to let him go. If she left him go, he would never come back. He'll never come back he's never coming back...
By the time Lecter had mouthed the required ingredients to her, her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest and her eyes were wide and wild. Anxiety gripped her though outwardly she was still and silent, trembling aside. When the poppy was deposited in front of her, at first she resisted his command, staring past him in a fog of grief, but at length she lowered her lips to the seeds and pulled them slowly in.
Within moments of chewing, the haze of hallucination took over, but it was soon deadened as sleep overcame her. Anything else that happened from that point onward were entirely unknown to Jinx, who slept the sleep of the dead until the next morning when finally, the makeshift anaesthesia wore off.