antha heard the call, and arrived quickly - in part due to the tinge of familiarity to the voice. the stranger called for aid, but as antha approached, she realized he wasn't quite a stranger. she recognized him. he smelled of another wolf, heavily, leading her to believe that this had been a fight among brethren.

who did this to you? the witch questioned, first and foremost. her tone was not unkind. she held sympathy for him, but she would not drag atautsikut into a war by treating him. first she must know what trouble he had found.

he refused to answer; instead he pleaded for help. antha swallowed, steeling herself for what would come next. her heart ached, but her loyalty lay with atautsikut.

i can help you, but not if it will endanger my pack. tell me who did this to you, and if they would seek revenge against those who aid you. speak truly, and i will help you as much as i can, if he refused, or if antha felt he was lying, she would wait until one of her leaders arrived to render him any sort of aid. he won't die, she reminded herself, feeling ill as she weighed her options.

his story brought more conflict to antha than it resolved. she was inclined to believe that he was telling the truth, but she could not abide his secrecy. and she knew now that the decision could not be left to her. in lieu of a response, she howled for @Lane with a faint note of urgency.

when the beta arrived, antha wasted no time in explaining what she had called her for. this man has come to us seeking aid - i've met him before, when he stumbled into our claim while it was fresh. veteran and heda found him first, and i do not trust him, her eyes said as she looked at lane. it was important to her that the beta understood this, but she felt she could not say it aloud. he has been attacked by another wolf, but he tells me he cannot give us the name of his attacker. or his name. i am hesitant to get involved under such circumstances - atautsikut does not need conflict. he says there will be none. i'm uncertain, but the decision is yours, lane.

Lane surveyed the damage to the stranger as Antha debriefed her. Antha's hesitancy was understandable; hell, it probably made her a better pack wolf than Lane, contemplating the possible ramifications of extending aid. 

For Lane, the decision was simple. She was raised under the tenants of Asklepion, and she could not turn her back on a wolf in need of medical attention. 

"I think it's wise to withhold trust, Antha, but I can't withhold treatment in good conscious," Lane began unpacking her portable medkit, which she brought along whenever she answered an urgent call. She laid out some horsetail and marigold, which could be chewed into a poultice once the bleeding was under control. 

"I'll treat him here, in the glade." Antha could help if she liked, or she could wash her paws of the man. Lane wouldn't judge her for deciding either way. Hopefully by keeping the man out of Atautsikut's borders, Lane could shield her pack from the consequences that concerned Antha. 

She moved forward with a hunk of cobweb, and she pressed the makeshift gauze to one of the wounds that was still actively bleeding. As she put pressure on the wound, she turned her gaze back to Antha. "Atausikut is a peaceful pack. We avoid conflict, but only in situations where it would be inevitable." Such as inserting themselves in the war between Ursus and Rivenwood.  "Since in this instance, an outcome involving conflict is only a remote possibility..  I think it's worth the risk, to do what is right by our neighbor."  He was clearly a local, if they had already stumbled across him once already. 

"If you listen to your heart, Antha, and do what you know to be right... I will always back you up. I promise you that." Whether Antha became alpha or not, Lane wanted her to know that she would support her decisions. Antha had a good heart, and she need not worry about second guessing herself, or choosing between the pack and doing what she thought was right.

She finally turned her full attention to the man in her care. "So, what's your name? I'm Lane." Small talk always felt a little odd when her paws were soaked in blood, but she knew that being treated like a person would put her patient at ease.

the decision was made. relief was foremost among the unexpected flood of emotions that followed lane's conclusion, but antha was concerned to find herself regretting her decision to give lane control over the situation. lane had seen all that antha saw, and she had chosen to help.

antha had not. she had made no choice at all. and now, despite the kindness and sincerity of lane's words, she was forced to question what she might have done if it had been her decision alone. would she have chosen as lane did? or would she simply have walked away?

it would have been another sin to add to her growing list, another drop in the ocean. she had always done what was necessary. but what sort of healer did that make her? what sort of person did that make her?

thank you, lane, she murmured, visibly troubled. but it was clear that it was not lane's decision that troubled her; she moved readily to help, turning her attention to one of the other wounds while lane worked on the first. and you will always have my support, as well. antha had shown as much already, had she not? when lane had made her decision, the witch had not hesitated in joining her. she never would, not while lane remained her friend and packmate. her status as beta mattered, of course, but had little to do with antha's willingness to follow her lead.

The man declined to give his name, although he did seem rather apologetic as he gave his his explanation. Lane shared a meaningful glace with Antha. The intuitive enchantress had been correct-- this man and his family were certainly less than trustworthy, given that they felt the need to conceal their identities. Lane did allow that there were probably some good people out there who were forced into hiding by unfortunate circumstances, but in general she believed that people who lived their lives honestly and with good intent should have no reason to hide. 

Antha jumped in without hesitation, although something about her bearing told Lane that she was still uncomfortable with the situation. It meant a lot to Lane, that Antha was willing to trust her. In time, they were able to staunch the bleeding well enough that they could take a moment to mix the poultice. 

"Well.. if your family ever decides to step into the light, you could have friends here at Atautsikut. Life is a good deal less dangerous, with friends at your side." She smiled knowingly at Antha. She then bent to take the horsetail and dandelion leaves into her mouth, preparing the poultice for the wound she had been doctoring.