Flakes of gossamer fell from the heavens, drifting slowly like tiny feathers being shed from angel wings. She always liked to watch them fall, how they glitters with any light that might hit them. How they could turn against anyone that was not careful, blocking their sight, or melting in one's fur to create a bone chilling cold. Luckily for her she was built for this, the snow gathering in her similar colored fur. She shook once to remove the excess wait before her gaze shifted back to her protector, her friend. The sharp crack of ice was evidence enough without his words but she always liked to hear his voice, and this time, he had warned about the very problem that his pressing had shown.
Brows furrowed as she noticed the cut that had formed from the task he had just performed, her lips parted to speak but he had began to leap onto into fallen log. She huffed, following him to the downed tree before she pressed her body smaller frame to his own. This usually worked to stop his movements.
"Yuu, let me have look at that injury you just gave yourself." her voice was soft but held a demand, she gave him a smile for good measure.
He raised his brow at her, raised his brow at her! She was simply wanting to look after him, wanted to make sure he wasn't hurt any worse than it might seem. Okay, she might be a
mother-hen at this point but she felt useless as they traveled. She was no longer the duchess to Reiko's princess, she was no longer the healer that helped gather herbs and treat those that might have been hurt by the
queen Hime. Who would treat them now?
Shaking her head she gave him a stern yet affectionate look, trying to hide how she felt about being nothing more than a simple girl alongside a samurai. She saw the small smile and dropped her eyes quickly to his leg, looking over the raised limb with determination. Hopefully to hide the blush forming over her pale fur.
He
was right, of course, it was a scratch but a long one. An aberration that mostly left the skin irritated and a touch angry. Non the less she gave it a few licks to clear the tiny drops of blood that usually accompanied these types of scratches, noting the slightly deeper part where his paw first rendered the ice. She will make sure it does heal without inflammation. Tiny and simple scratch be damned.
"It might be but you know things can go down hill relatively quickly if you ignore something as simple as this" her voice was soft, gentle like a healer's voice should be but had a tiny air lilt to signal that she was of high birth.
As she cleaned the scratch she thought of things that could help speed up healing on it and other would she had seen him get over the past few months. Honey was always a good one but that was not an herb nor was it easy to come by, she had to figure out an easy source for that someday but right now she was curious of the herbs that this frozen marsh might give her. Lavender was often too delicate for the winter months, for it to thrive in a garden it would need to be covered with dried grass and heavy twigs. Oh, maybe there were from calendula around here. They were hardier, and quiet pretty.
It was then that she looked up to meet his eyes, he had heard something she was too preoccupied to listen for. She gave a nod just as her gaze fell on a frost covered orange flower that had a similar look to a daisy. Calendula!
"oh, one moment Yuu!" She said with an excited lilt to her tone. She jumped from the fallen log they were on to another one that was more broke down, the ice under it made a sharp cracking sound. This made her pause for a short moment before she lowered her frame and inched closer, the cracking came again and she stretched to clip the few blooms.
Got them!
With a soft yip and slowly backed herself up, her tail swaying and arching to help with her balance. She jumped back onto the log that her friend was on and beamed at him, okay, they could move along now!
she did not always like the taste that carrying herbs in her mouth gave her but these frosted tangerine colored blooms were not bad, as long as she did not clamp her teeth around them too hard. It did not smell as good as other flowers, instead of a sweet aroma it gave off a more musky, tree sap like scent. Earthy, slightly damp but the moist smell could have been from the ice that clung to the petals. Her nam had been called while she concentrated on getting the herbal petals but she only had eyes for the blant and ears for the slintering ice.
When she returned to him with glee she wanted him to be happy with her find, they were a bright contrast to their fur and the snowflakes that continued to fall from the heavens. Ah but he was not a healer, he would not know that these could help make sure inflammation and infection did not set in. Sure it was a small scratch but even that can cause trouble, she had seen a fever come from a kid getting a little scrap from a thorn bush.
Oh, oh, there was that brow raising again. It was a good find and it wasnt like she had fallen in or put herself at any real risk but she still lowered her tail in subpication. She gave him a look of apology and sorrow that he was not happy for her find. her ears lowered, pusted her nose at his neck and chin as well to convey the point he wanted.
I wont run off again, I am sorry.
She gave a submissive whine as he remained rigged against her embrace, that seemed to help as he thawed like the flakes that settled into her fur. Then he asked.
Flowers? She gave a soft chuffing sound, a replacement for laughter to prefect the damage of the stems in her mouth. He was always confused by her picked leaves, dug up roots, and
flowers. For a moment she had not responded, she leaned into his touch but before long she had to answer his question.
She gave an exaggerated nod before she gentle set the colorful blooms at their feet so that she might speak without hurting them.
"Flowers." Her tail swayed and her ears lifted before she continued,
"these help with inflammation and keeps infection from forming." The healer explained, her eyes twinkling as she explained parts of her trade. At last, she was no longer useless.
wrap up
Before she could protest he had grabbed the bright blooms by their bitter stems and carried them in his mouth for her, she was please with how gently he held them. She gave him a gentle smile before he flicked his head in a motion that meant she was to go first, okay, that worked for her. She moved very close to the samurai before brushing the entirety of her frame against his won as she passed him, the fallen log was wide enough that she could have avoided touching him but why would she? She moved ahead with her tail swishing back and forth to both balance and to show her happiness, she looked back frequently to make sure she was going the right way. She wanted to make him proud, so she followed his instructions.