For Bazi! Set following the joining thread. :)
When she was satisfied that Scimitar's wound had been packed, she urged him to rest for the remainder of the evening and through the night. He needed to step back and take it easy for a time, or else there was no point in her efforts to spare him a hideous scar. The newly-formed flesh would continue to split, and tissue replacing it would form an obvious and hairless blemish. Worst of all, the infection would only continue to run riot in the area, perhaps even venture in a more sinister manner.
Paar left her patient and made her way swiftly to the area where she'd been granted permission to stay, and when she arrived she sniffed the earth to recollect the scent of her young Alphess. When she picked up the scent, the crimson she-wolf tilted her head back and announced that she was on her way to find her, then continued deeper into Swiftcurrent territory.
Above her, the sky burned hot shades of orange and pink as the sun set at her back. Fireflies danced among lengthy blades of grass along the riverside, but Paarthurnax barely acknowledged them. She flicked an ear in the direction of the flowing water as it rushed by, and then trotted through the pebbled shallows to wash off the bright remnants of crushed berries from her paws all the while looking around for any sign of the leader's approach.
Knowing Paarthurnax would soon return with supplies, Bazi was slow in leaving Scimitar's side. She didn't like the idea that some.. sweet, golden beauty would touch him.
Nurse him. But she did not possess the skills - Blue Willow had once taught her a few bits about poultices and yarrow, but that time was long gone and she could scarcely remember how to pronounce either of the two words.
Bazi heaved an actual sigh of relief when Paarthurnax called. It meant that whatever touching Scimitar's wounds had required was now
over. It also prompted the little Alpha to remember Danica's limping, and it was this wolf she called on now. The newcomer could touch
her all she liked, Bazi thought.. and promptly, possessively snatched it back.
I will watch, she decided with an affirmative nod as the healer came into view.
"How is Scimitar?" she asked, trotting in a small arc around Paar to get a view of the female from another angle. Leggy, skinny thing.
Her fur looks so soft.
quickly done since I am at a work function lol
Danica heard Bazi's call and rose to her feet, pain shooting down her leg at the movement. Her walk would be a slow one. Her lack of finding a healer was coming back to bite her.. What had once been a simple slashing pain was progressing to a burning ache that stretched up to her shoulder. Her lack of rest wasn't doing her any favors either. The pain made her irritable, but she went without question, a sort of fatalistic drive taking over.
As soon as she reached Bazi she sat down with a whump, casting a somewhat apologetic glance at the rudeness but unable to bear standing much longer. Ame and Ferdie's teeth had caught deep in the muscle of her leg, tearing a sizeable gouge out. The wound hadn't gotten too infected yet, but the process was starting. Danica wasn't fond of healers nor did she know of any within the Creek who had the skills. She gritted her teeth, once again feeling the anger at herself for getting into this stupid situation in the first place. She had let Ame best her quite thoroughly, for the other female came out much better in that fight.
Wondering what in the world Bazi could want her for, she waited, albeit a bit impatiently, for some inclination.
Stepping clear of the water's edge, Paarthurnax padded across the shore and promptly shook her feathery two-toned pelt free of stay droplets. She paused in her tracks on the grass, her ears erect and her bright eyes alert as she awaited Bazi's arrival.
She couldn't deny the nervousness that built in the pit of her stomach. Paar was so eager to impress the young Alpha, and already she was expected to take on her second challenge of the evening so son after her acceptance. She was drained, mentally and physically, and longed for the first good night's sleep in what felt like forever.
When the ivory wolfess appeared from between the foliage, Paarthurnax pressed her ears back and lowered her crown in submission as she spring to attention and loped gracefully across the clearing to greet her leader. When close enough, the crimson beauty ducked her head with a low whine and bumped her muzzle to Bazi's chin, before pulling back to offer a warm smile. "He is resting, " the sleek Frostfur said in response to the question regarding her patient. "His wound looks worse than it really is. With the right treatment it will heal, I'm confident that we caught the infection in time."
The arrival of a golden she-wolf with an uneven stride did not surprise the aspiring medic, and she watched quietly as she fought the urge to go to her and spare the ache that movement obviously caused. Paar had learned from experience that it was wrong to baby her patients; if they could walk, it was best to let them walk. On many occasions she caused offence to warriors who'd been injured during fights, and had faced the brunt of their sour moods by thinking she was doing best by them. So this time, she simply stayed put.
What did concern her, however, was the fact that the other Creek wolf did not bother to even acknowledge her with as much as a glance in her direction. Paar swallowed her hurt and waited for instruction from the little Alphess, her copper eyes trained to h the younger wolf's alabaster features.
Paarthurnax's qualified reassurances brushed ineffectually against Bazi's ears, but she nodded all the same, briefly licking the side of her medic's muzzle to show that she appreciated her efforts - even it meant touching Scimitar. But even knowing that he was no longer at death's door did nothing to soothe her. The tension inside the young leader had reached a point where nothing short of a brain reset and teleportation into childhood would ease it - or time. Lots and lots of time.
Danica answered her call despite extensive injury. Bazi's ears rolled forward, watching the hobbling wolf advance. She recalled a limp, but the fleshy hole in the girl's golden shoulder was as new as it was horrifying. Bazi stared at it when Danica sat down, lips forming a hard grimace and ears wilting back against her head.
It quickly turned to anger.
"That bitch.." she rumbled in the vicinity of the wound, meaning Ferdie, or perhaps Fox - one for claiming to bum peace but harbouring cannibals, the other for .. well, everything else. After a deep, shuddering breath to let the swell of rage settle, she caught Danica's half-glaring, golden eyes with her own ice-blue gaze, where it melted like butter in the sun.
"This is Paar; she's a medic. She fixed Scimitar and she can fix you, too. Paar, this is Danica. She's one of the wolves that fought at the Sunspire." The exact details of what had happened were irrelevant - Paarthurnax had not been there, and it was better to paint the Creek wolves as heroes rather than pests. Without further word, Bazi moved swiftly to sit at Danica's uninjured shoulder, pressing herself as close to the patient as possible.
It was no personal stab at Paarthurnax that Danica ignored her. Fickle even in the best of times, she couldn't really be bothered to care at this moment about meeting the new members of the Creek. She just wanted to get this done so she could go back, lie down, and dream of training up and besting the ebony girl next time they met (if there was a next time).
Bazi's anger on her behalf took Danica by surprise. It elicited a small chuckle from the golden Theta. "My fault, really. Gotta learn to keep my defense up." She was aware that her defensive fighting needed some work. She also was aware that she probably shouldn't have gone into the Sunspire alone. It had been a stupid move, but what was done was done.
At the word 'medic', though, Danica's ears flattened. She'd known this would have to happen sooner or later but had been hoping later... much, much later. Purely a warrior, she had no knowledge of healing, nor did she have any interest in it. Thus she would essentially be trusting this strange wolf to poke around her injuries, putting strange things on them. That thought had never sat well with her, even when it was a healer who had been a part of the pack for a while. "You know, I think I'm good, or I will be after a couple days off my feet." She looked at Paarthurnax nervously. She would have moved to back away but Bazi was pressed up against her uninjured side, holding her in place. She'd needed healers before, but every time it was a struggle within her to conquer this mistrust.
Bazi seemed to study one of the golden she-wolf's wounds, and Paar followed the pallid leader's gaze with her own. The injury which caused the limp looked incredibly deep and painful, and at once she was racking through her thoughts in silence for the correct balm to help soothe and begin the healing process. She had not given Scimitar pain-killers, for it was important that he took care in not to ree-open his wound; this one, however, would certainly benefit from a dose of something to ease the ache.
She did not register her Alphess' cursing, for she was so caught up in her own thoughts of how to tackle this tricky injury. Paarthurnax was a skilled healer, but she could not work miracles. If the tendons had been damaged, it was very possible that this wolf would walk with an uneven gait for the rest of her life. When introductions were made, the rusty medic blinked back to reality, and dipped her muzzle politely with a warm smile for her wounded pack-mate. And then Bazi moved as though to stabilise her, and Danica eyed her nervously while spouting that she felt fine.
Paarthurnax did not proceed at first, but whined softly and looked up at her companion's face. "Let me help," she mustered, almost a question, and waited patiently.
Danica's ears fell flat against her skull, and Bazi felt a tremor of indecision move through the girl's healthy shoulder. "You know, I think I'm good, or I will be after a couple days off my feet."
The Alpha utterly failed to hold back a surprised laugh, turning a bemused expression on Danica. "What do you mean, OK? Don't be an idiot, there's an entire crater in your shoulder! Hold still and let her fix you," she ordered, and moved her delicate head around to rest across Danica's shoulder blades. From there, she could watch Paarthurnax as she surveyed the damage - it was impossible to tell from the healer's concentrated face what the verdict would be. "Well?" Bazi prompted, crinkling her brow. "Salvageable?"
Danica let out a hefty sigh but stayed where she was, closing her eyes and trying to ignore the healer as best she could. She wasn't sure what it was or where this had come from... she was completely fine with getting the injuries, but having a medic poking around in them was a bit much. She supposed it was because the initial cause was quick, too fast for thought. Currently, though, she knew exactly what was coming, and while the pain would be bearable, the thought really bothered her.
She held stock still, though, stoic through it. Bazi's presence and physical proximity helped a good bit with that. She was sure Paarthurnax was a good healer and a wonderful being, but that didn't change how she felt. And how she felt was that she would rather be anywhere else, doing anything else, than here right now. Only served her right, though, for losing. Karma could be a real bitch after all.
She was truly interested in Bazi's question, though, and listened for the response with some trepidation. Though it wasn't apparent she was a bit nervous... the leg hurt something fierce and being lame wasn't really something she wished for herself. She was odd in that way.
Truthfully, Paarthurnax was worried that this golden wolfess might take a chunk out of her ear for even daring to touch her. A nervous wolf was an unpredictible one - a wolf in pain, even more so. But Bazi had asked her to tend to Scimitar's wound, and now she was expected to see to Danica's. The very last thing she wanted to do was disappoint her new Alpha.
The bi-coloured medic fixed Danica with a concerned stare before, when it looked like she'd given up her little display of reluctance, Paarthurnax inched closer. She averted her copper eyes to the inured leg, swollen and with the beginning of infection setting in. She furrowed her brow thoughtfully, her gaze scrutinizing.
"It's deep," she observed, blinking up to look over Danica's shoulder and briefly at Bazi. "But the tendons have been spared." This time she looked at her patient, a little hopeful smile springing to her dark lips. She lowered her head toward the wound once more. "You'll walk with a limp for some time, but it will gradually get better and you should walk as normal. I can find you an anti-inflammatory and pain-killer to help with the swelling and to mask the ache, but you should not let the decrease in pain trick you into thinking it's healed. New flesh needs time to grow, and the tear in the muscle needs to bind."
She moved away, her ears perked, and she sought the approval of her leader: "I'll go collect the things that I need," Paar announced, "I won't be long. I know exactly where to find them." And she turned, heading swiftly in the direction where she'd found some of the ingredients for Scimitar's poultice.
Bazi didn't like the expression on Paarthurnax's face. She stayed close to Danica, stretching to see what the medic was talking about. What did they look for, anyway? All Bazi could see was red, slimy flesh and glimmers of off-white ooze. It didn't smell particularly bad yet, and perhaps that was why the healer's face broke into an uncertain smile. Bazi smiled back, relieved, and nodded in response to Paar's request.
"Hear that? You'll be fine - if you do exactly what that girl says," she murmured to Danica when Paarthurnax was out of earshot, nudging her pack-mate's cheek. "Are you afraid?" Never mind that Bazi would be squealing like a pig if the roles were reversed - she wasn't good with pain, or scars.
The poking and prodding hadn't come yet, and she listened for word from the healer. She did not take note, as Bazi did, of Paarthurnax's expression, her head still down and her eyes closed. A mantra to the likening of 'inner peace' was marching through her mind as she attempted rather forcibly to keep her calm.
She heard the healer's report with relief. So she would not walk with a limp permanantly... thank heavens. Then she heard, with even more relief, the healer's departure, sparing her some moments. Her head lifted and she watched the other golden one stride off in search of supplies.
At Bazi's nudge, she turned to her, somewhat abashed. "I've never been much of one for healing. Not that I doubt her I just... something about it." She shrugged helplessly, then winced at the motion.
So sorry for the delay... I'll admit that I totally forgot about this one. Finish up in the next few posts?
Paarthurnax hurried through the territory and along its outskirts, plucking the required leaves and berries as she went and holding them gently within her mouth. Promptly she veered around and made her way back to the site where she'd met with Bazi and Danica, her tail flagging enthusiastically as she considered the best way to apply her medicines. Along her way she spotted the cottonwood tree she'd been hunting for, and made a mental note of its location to return to as she could not carry everything at once.
She found the duo right where she left them, and lowered her crown to place the fruit and greens on the ground at her feet. Paar looked upon the golden wolfess' wound again, scrutinized it carefully as she tried to gauge how painful it might be for her to scrub out the debris. Thankfully there was not much, but Paarthurnax hoped those involved had strong stomachs.
"You need to clean it out, and thoroughly," she said, flicking her copper eyes briefly in the young leader's direction,
"and it's going to hurt. If you could go do that in the nearest stream, I'll get the paste ready. Here," she nosed the red elderberries in her patient's direction.
"These will ease inflammation, and some pain. You'll need to eat a small portion every day for a week and I'll show you where you can find them."
Gonna go ahead and wrap this up ^^
At least the cleaning would come down to her and not Paarthurnax. From her (not limited) experience with healing, healers had often done the cleaning themselves, a painful and downright awful experience. She was no stranger to pain, but to not be in control of the invasive practice herself was ten times worse.
"
Alright," she responded, downing the berries before setting off to make her way painfully to the stream. If she had dealt with this sooner then it would not have been so bad. Hopefully with some cleaning and rest it would get better in time.