Wolf RPG

Stryx had gathered bits and pieces of herbs, fresh and dried, from Mosskeep and carried on her way. They were a mixed bag, but she didn't exactly know what was necessary yet.

The first scent trail she found that carried strong blood musk, drew her further than she'd have liked. When she stopped it was to inspect the herbs and rub her jaw.

Someone was out here bloodied, probably inviting infection too, and making her traipse across the valley just to suss them out (rude). With a huff Stryx picked up her bundle and continued on until she found someone.

The other healer would find the bruin-heart near a stream, attempting to clean the wound on the back of her neck. She had managed to find a place deep enough that if she lay down in the water, the cool liquid lapped at her angry flesh.

She would likely need to request Stryx's help applying anything to it, and she planned to find her later after checking in on Aves and Merrick. 

For now, she would try to pretend the cool water offered enough relief.

As she came upon a waterway she stopped again, placing the herb bundle between her paws while she surveyed the area. She almost missed Arielle, who was a gray-stone creature; only taking note when she moved and the striking ochre of her various markings shifted in a way that leaves wouldn't. Most of the trees in this area were bare or holding snow, which helped make Arielle stand out.

Hey, girl. Unfortunately for Stryx, the old woman had momentarily forgotten her superior's name. She insisted by tone alone that Arielle stop what she was doing. What're you doin' in there, fishing for rot?

Stryx was frowning and visibly bothered by the sight of the girl wading in to the water. It wasn't too deep; it wasn't even that terrible of an idea, however Stryx did not want to risk losing her bundle of herbs just to treat the wayward wolf.

I've got some ah, hell, she wasn't even sure what she'd grabbed at this point and had to look at the spread on the ground. The herbs had unrolled from the strip of birch bark she'd used to keep them together, like a scroll. Chickweed, dried up old man's beard, and some berries for taste. Come over here, you need to be checked out just as much as everyone else. It'd be better to soak all these things in some water to soften them, or give them to Arielle to chew herself, but, Stryx wanted to keep back from the edge.

She looked over when she heard the other healer's voice. She asked what she was doing—called her girl.

Arielle stood and shook out her coat as carefully as she could manage. Then she limped from the water and stood before the woman as she described what she had brought. Arielle, she corrected. Or bruin-heart. Not girl. 

She took a seat on her non-injured side. I was trying to clean the wound on my neck, she explained. Do you have anything to keep it from getting infected? I can't apply it myself. She assumed Stryx would help her, being a healer and all.

The girl was bothered. It didn't affect Stryx much; she made note of the name for the future but kept her head bowed towards the herbs she'd brought, waiting until the patient was closer. Then she was looking over the neck wound as described and, seeing the cut of it and the way the fur matted with the water, gave a little nod of her chin.

It pleased her to be of use. There wasn't a change to the expression on Stryx's perpetually sour face, though. She gathered some of what she'd brought and lay it close to where Arielle now situated herself. Suppose now is the first lesson. She remarks, dipping the withered old man's beard in to a depression of melting snow, just enough to weaken the fine white of the lichen.

This stuff - this beard plant, you can find it all over the woods. Its more green when fresh but you don't want to use it until after, when its come off the tree in clumps. By the time she'd finished explaining this, the mess of beard was soaked through enough to manipulate. Stryx hoisted it, cold and dripping and likely smelling a bit musty, to the wound with her teeth and applied some pressure.

She couldn't talk after, giving Arielle time to adjust to the sensation or ask questions - or, just as valid, make note of Stryx' poor bedside manner.

Arielle listened closely as Stryx explained what the plant she was using was called and where she could find it. It seemed like it was plentiful. She noted that it needed to sit off of the tree until it was no longer green before she could use it. 

She might have warned her own patient before applying things to their wound as it would cause a spike of pain at the site. The other healer was gruff, though, and apparently cared a lot less about her patient's comfort. The bruin-heart wouldn't comment on it. They had their own ways of healing, and there was no problem with that as long as wounds and sickness were treated.

She winced as the stern woman worked on her wound. Can you find it any time of the year? she asked. She immediately followed that question with another. And what all does it do for wounds?

If there had been blood to soak up then the mass would've been useful for that, to a point, but there wasn't. Arielle's attempt to clean it with the water had worked - and Stryx only worried now for the potential detritus getting in there after the fact.

She pressed a little harder for a moment as she listened to the questions. With a small grunt of annoyance she drew the matted plant away and placed it carefully upon the ground, trying to turn it over to the clean side.

Its all year 'round from what I've seen, which makes it valuable in winter. Its best to keep a lot of it hidden so the cold doesn't rot it, just in case. Which wasn't something Stryx had managed yet, but they were fortunate that Ursus was housed in such a massive valley.

The woman licked her lips, eyeing the stream as if she might ignore the next question and get a drink instead. She didn't. Helps the most with fighting infection. Dunno how, just does. With that said, she grabbed for it again and applied the less-soiled half of the cluster to the wound and held it there.

As an after-thought Stryx murmured around the bundle clutched in her teeth: Mmbee beth-t t'theep mith it wrop'd.

Arielle winced again when Stryx pressed the plant harder against the angry skin of her laceration. 

The pain was quickly pushed aside as her focus moved to what the other healer was saying. The plant grew all year round; that gave the healer some hope. She would be sure to gather some for her own stash. She needed to keep it hidden but out of the cold, which would prove difficult in the winter. She would have to think about how to store it. It was worth the work considering it fought infection.

Another wince when the plant was replaced. Then Stryx said something unintelligible that had a frown crumpling the bruin-heart's face. What? she asked. Also, how long do you have to keep it against the wound?

The girl hadn't understood and Stryx shouldn't have expected her to. She withdrew from this second attempt and with a loud ptuh spat the used-up, soiled mound of lichen in to the snow. If she had the energy she'd clean it and try again.

It might be best to bind it to the wound at night. I've thought of making a tincture with it too - soaking it for long hours - but I haven't tried that yet. For all I know, eating the stuff could be bad. It wasn't but, Stryx didn't know everything - just a lot of things. She was less an herbalist and more a hands-on trauma specialist at this point.

There's the chickweed there and the bark, they're for pain relief if you've still got aches'n things. And the bearberries. She motioned towards the remainder of her gathered herbs and things, moving afterward to the water's edge to clean her own mouth.

So it needed some time to stay on the wound for full effect; she noted that in her healer's mind. She intended to try this on Aves' wounds. His healing was solely up to her for now because she didn't trust anyone else to do it, nor did she want Stryx around him while he was so vulnerable. Maybe he would feel differently, but she had control over the situation for now. When he was more mobile, then it would be safer for him. She had almost lost him, and she refused to let that happen again. 

The word tincture was a new one. What is a tincture, she asked.

And when guided to the bark, bearberries, and chickweed for pain, she studied them closely. She knew the bark would help but she was interested to see how it would work with the other two things. She took a piece of bark, some of the chickweed, and a few berries into her mouth and chewed then swallowed.

So many questions! Had this girl not recieved a single moment of real training? It would have impressed Stryx to think of someone so young yet self-taught, on another day. Her mood was fickle lately.

A tincture, she licked her lips and spat some of the water out, then licked them again. It is a medicine that is more water than anything.

We would need a place for water to sit undisturbed. Then some herbs for soaking. They soak for a day or more and the patient drinks the water. As she outlined this her voice droned a little bit, as if it were a chore to explain.

Who taught you your medicine? Stryx asked after, deciding she should find out more about the woman who was now her student. She cast a quick glance to Arielle and watched as they investigated the pile of plants, eyeing the way the back of her head bobbed.

The other healer described what a tincture was. The bruin-heart could tell that teaching was not what she wanted to be doing. Arielle would ask questions anyway; it would be stupid not to learn valuable information that could be used to help Ursus. 

Stryx wanted to know how Arielle learned her medical knowledge. No one taught me, she answered calmly. I have learned through the bear and through experience. She had never had any formal training.

When would you use a tincture rather than just having the patient ingest the plant by itself? If it was watered down, wouldn't it be less concentrated?

She was right, then. This girl was self-taught. Impressive as that was - it meant that Arielle might have the wrong idea about some plants or treatments, or maybe some bad habits, and depending on how ingrained they were in the style of the healer's work, Stryx would have to make her unlearn them.

Some plants only express healing qualities after being soaked. Some of them even require warm water, such as from a hot spring, versus a cold river. It was something learned over many years; it helped that Stryx came from a commune of people whose whole life revolved around such knowledge.

If there is an abundance of a certain herb then, maybe I would prescribe eating them. Making poultices. In leaner times I find it easier to extend supplies by using tinctures instead.

Another thought came to her as she spoke these things, and after a breath she adds, It would help with regulating doses and efficacy as well. If I were to take a lot of that bark there, she motions to the white strip of birch skin and then soak it for a day or two, the water would have a concentration of pain relief qualities. It might take only a sip or two to be effective, versus making someone chew for a lesser effect.

It was a lot to speak about; Stryx had never been a fan of teaching, or having to speak at length about anything, but she found some lingering enjoyment while watching Arielle grasp at these seemingly simple concepts.

Arielle knew what hotsprings were, at least. She had spent some time there when they were living in the mountains. 

And to hear that making a tincture could make her plants go further in hard times, such as the winter, gave the the healer some relief. She would definitely start experimenting with this. 

The bark was a good suggestion. It was all she had for pain right now, and she wondered if she could make it more effective by soaking it in water. She would return to mosskeep immediately after this to get her own tincture started. 

In your experience, what other plants have worked better as a tincture? the bruin-heart asked.

Stryx breathed deeply. Whether she was thinking of all the plants she'd used in her medical history, or just getting some much needed air (as this was the longest convesation she'd had in a while), she was thoughtful.

I don't keep track, She ended up answering. Maybe that makes for bad medicine. I'll have to study up on the local plants here before I can answer that. That was the end of the lesson.

Dandelion root can work better soaked. Not chewed up, though. Broken to pieces and soaked in cold water for a day or two - for a tincture or a tea. That wasn't much to offer as an answer. Stryx knew that. Her tone indicated she was growing tired.

The treatments for everyone - from the raid - are going well? I checked in on Merrick. He... Kept talking about someone named Evien. The redirect was blunt. Said I should... Meet them. Stryx knew they were dead; Merrick had said as much. What did Arielle think? Was her psychosis as strong as the one-eyed man's?

Dandelion root—she committed that to memory. She had much experimenting to do, and she planned to get to work immediately. 

Stryx asked after the healing of those injured in the raid. It is going mostly well, she answered, then she frowned a little. The bruin-jaw—I think his rib is fractured and he is in a lot of pain. I have been having trouble managing it. This was a failure on her part that she could not accept. 

Do you have any suggestions on something stronger? She would definitely try soaking the bark in water, but she wondered if there was something even better.