Despite his skill at healing, his experience as a healer and vast knowledge, Dimka still could not do the impossible. He had been running after prey the night before but before he knew, his paws had slipped from the snow and suddenly, he was rolling down a hill and had smacked straight into a sharp tree. It had struck a glancing but painful wound on his left shoulder, just far enough that his tongue couldn't reach the wound to clean it or apply anything to it.
So, it explained his current position. He had been told that the pack had another healer, though she was due to have pups any day now and would retire from her duties as a healer to care for her family just days from now. So Dimka had wanted to get in quickly and discuss whether she could apply something to his shoulder to clean it out and perhaps an antiseptic... And something astringent as well would be a good idea, as the scab often cracked open with his movements and bled into his fur rather irritatingly.
He approached the den where he had been told to find the beta, his wound smarting a little from his movements to make it here and he barked to announce his presence, before dipping his head down low as was respectful.
"Excuse me... I am Dimka, a new member but I need your help. I've injured myself but I can't reach it to clean it, or to apply any poultices. I would have saved you the trouble but I need a little help to fix this."
Blue usually could not heal herself either, mostly because it was just in a inconvenient place. She could certainly heal her own aches and pains, and sickness. She too held a vast knowledge of healing and other things. Any that knew her could tell anyone this. She was not only an expert healer, but she was also an avid collector and teller of stories and legends. She sat in thought while she rested from a rather rough cramp that had rippled up sides.
Blue had no intention of completely giving up her mantle of healer. She would take some time off to care for her children, but after they were old enough to care for themselves, perhaps even before while they were little she planned to continue to heal and help where she could.
Blue unfurled herself from the inner recesses of the den and she came out with a small smile. Hello Dimka I am Blue Willow. I can gladly help you. Let's see. She moved forward and gently looked over his wound, it was not a deep one. She had some Yarrow and some raspberries. They would be good for astringent. And the goldenrod that she had, could help with keeping it safe. Those seemed good enough. I can put some Yarrow and goldenrod on it if you want?
Dimka nodded in greeting to the beta female and smiled at her words, running the list of herbs through his head and cataloguing their properties. There was an astringent, an antimicrobial but perhaps... an antibiotic would be in order, as he was rather unsure of what he had gotten into the wound, despite his best efforts to the contrary.
"Yes, they would be very good. Though perhaps a small amount of Ashwagandha would also be beneficial. The yarrow can irritate skin sometimes, so the Ashwagandha would be good to keep it soothed and also to fight biotic parasites. The goldenrod does it also but it's more an anti-microbial, so it's good to have a back up." He realised he had gone off on a tangent and grinned sheepishly, stepping forward.
Blue returned the dip to her head. She watched as he went through her suggestions and she was a little disappointed at his one look. As if he didn't fully agree with her. She prided herself on being a good healer, and when another questioned her choices she was a little upset by it.
When he continued on she spoke softly Would you prefer different herbs. And I'm afraid I don't have any Ashwagandha with me She wasn't being nasty she was just merely asking. It was strange to have another come up with an idea and for a moment she felt as if she would be thrust aside by this wolf. Perhaps they would find him a better healer and leave her in the cold. SHe wasn't sure if she could handle it, healing was...well it was what she was. She was a healer, it defined her. However, she did not let him see that secret nay sayer part of her. Rather she gave him a warm smile.
He immediately picked up on the disappointment on the healer's face and almost immediately rushed out an apology, not wanting to offend the healer in the slightest. "I didn't mean it offensively... I just used different herbs and such in the north, so I am not too familiar with things like raspberries and I haven't used goldenrod myself... I just... Sorry?"
He blinked and returned the warm smile, though his was shaky and he was still upset that he had offended her, even in the slightest manner. Dang it, he was supposed to be making allies, not even more enemies. "No, that's all good. Those herbs will be great. You have way more experience with the herbs one can find down here, so I shall of course heed your expertise. You've been a healer than me as well, so I think you've got the upper hand here."
Blue was not offended par say. And it wasn't even fully rational where he mind was going. She found that as hormonal as she was, she often overreacted of late. You are fine Dimka really. I am just a bit hormonal. Perhaps we can share herbal knowledge yea? Goldenrod will help to stop the bleeding. And Raspberries are an astringent among other things they also taste good if you need to have a snack on an empty tummy.
Blue chuckled and shook her head. Dipped her head back into her den she looked through the nearby niches and pulled out what she needed. She wished she had something else to chase away any infection. Perhaps some honey? I have some honey. I believe that would be good to stave off infection. Motioning him forwards he gently crushed some of the things, not to hard yet as she did not wish to ruin them until they were in his wound.
At the healer's behest, Dimka moved forward a little and nodded to her brief explanation of the various herbs she was using... They were foreign to him but obviously of great use here, though he had never used them, this was a good chance to test the effects and if they worked, perhaps incorporate them into his own practice. "Yes, I would like to share information... You seem to use many different herbs that I do not regularly use... But you also don't have what staple herbs we used up north. It's fascinating, to see the change in healer techniques... Marvellous!"
He grinned at the last and watched as the other gently ground up the herbs she was collecting and nodded at the honey, though he knew it would be a pain to wash out. "Honey will do excellently. I have noticed, much to my chagrin, that there are very few ashwaganda in this area. It is a pity, for it has many uses but there is a far amount of ginko growing, especially out on the borders of the mountains."
Blue chuckled at his good natured words and as she worked to make the different herbs into a pulp to slather. Truth be told with the honey all she would need to do was crush them slightly and rub it all in with the honey. So that is what she did, her paws though swollen from pregnancy doing their work as they always did. It is, my mother was adept in many ways. We were traveling healers before I came here and my mother knew so many different herbs. She tried to teach me, but it would have taken a lifetime to know all she did.
Blue blinked I'm not sure if I know what Ginko is. And the honey will come out if you use some mud I believe it is, let it harden and it will fall off or you could always try the old fashioned way which may take longer and simply take a bath. I'd say lick it off, but well theres more than just honey. She grew quiet grinning sheepishly at her proverbial regurgitation of words.