Whitefish River You're going to get what you deserve.

The river was ever present; the wolves appeared to have claimed more of the riverside than Firefly ever would have, although now that he has injured himself he is appreciative of the cold water. He sought it out after confronting the badger; whether the pale girl ghosted behind him or not, Firefly sought the embankment and didn't hesitate to plunge in to the lazy shallows. As the water soaked in to his charcoal limbs they darkened; soon he was up to his chest, and that was deep enough. The man took a long, deep breath - and then plunged his hot-to-the-touch snout in to the clear water. Anyone watching might've found the entire thing comical, whether or not they noticed the crimson streak that tainted the water source thereafter.

She visited the lake whenever she could, taking care of her four children demanding most of her time. Today, they were spending time with @Emrik again, and she sought out a much needed break. Well not really a break, she guessed; she really was looking for @Vercingetorix to check in on him. She worried about him and his family, and she wanted to see how he was doing. The smell of blood distracted her, though, and she followed it down the river until she saw what she could only assume was a new packmate. She watched him curiously as he held his nose in the water, her expression turning concerned as she noticed the blood blooming out from where his muzzle was submerged. 

You're injured, she said, forgetting to even introduce herself; she was too concerned with tending his wound. Once you've finished cleaning it, come here so I can take a look at it. It may have sounded more like a demand if her voice wasn't tinged with worry.

Y--r -nj-r-d, Came a voice from the shore, or at the very least, from adjacent to where he stood. The water was seeping in to both of his ears and distorting things a bit, making the comment unclear. Prompted to lift himself free of the water by the sound of it, Firefly did so - a flick, a splash as his snout raised from the surface, and some dribbling water were all that characterized the moment until the woman's voice came again. Clearer this time, and almost insistent, in a way that appealed to Firefly deep down but also irritated him. Who was this woman? Who was she to command him?

Rivulets of pinkish water continued to drip from his chilled face, running off his chin. He almost didn't move. The cold of the water gradually lessened though, and the ache came back; the pink turned red, staning his dark snout with a crimson gleam, and he knew he couldn't stand in the middle of the river all day like an asshole.

So, dragging his heels a bit, Firefly returned to the shallows and hoisted himself to the bank, only to stop and sit almost like a petulant child and glance towards the woman. She looked healthy (perhaps even pretty, except with a little more weight than would normally appeal to him). He dragged his tongue over his nose and winced slightly when his tongue caught the end of the gouge where it bisected the top of his nose - and with a huff, stood up and approached her properly.

This time as he neared he stopped and watched her, and moved his head so she could get a look. It reminded him so much of his visits to Erzulie that his chest hurt - but Firefly refused to let himself miss anyone, or anywhere, even if Rusalka had been the last proper home he'd really had.

He, thankfully, didn't give her request any resistance, moving from the water to sit in front of her and present his wound. She hadn't quite realized just how much taller he was than she until then, but then most wolves were; she never paid much attention to such things since they hardly ever had any affect on how she treated the sick or injured. His injury appeared to be from maybe some kind of claw, and it looked swollen and painful. Her face wrinkled a little in concern, and she looked up from his muzzle. How did you get hurt? she asked. Curiosity was only a small part of the her reason for asking; she was more interested in knowing how likely it was to get infected. Depending on his answer, she might have to gather more than just the marigolds in the field not far from where they were now. Even so, she thought she might like to give him something for pain too, but she waited for his answer first before springing into action.

The water gradually dried across his coat; he sat there listening to crickets on the other side of the river. It still felt like summer despite the gradual shadow of an overcast sky overhead, and it was calm, sort-of like a hot spring vacation compared to all the places Firefly had been before. He thought about leaving the woman behind to go for a proper swim while he waited for her to inspect his face, but it did not take long. Her question brought a twist to his ears.

I was doing a patrol when I thought I smelled fox, but it turned out to be a badger. Firefly explained. He didn't feel the need to mention that one of the pack's cubs had been nearby - no doubt that tidbit would've been of value to the girl's parents and, fatefully, prove to be an issue for Firefly since there was an edict in place demanding he steer clear of the youth. He wrinkled his nose at the thought of seeing Vercingetorix hot-and-bothered, but the slightest movement of his snout caused him to wince and lift his head sharply.

Grimly, he adds: I was going to hunt down camomile and willow if the season permits. It wasn't like this was his first scuffle, after all.

Her eyes widened a little in surprise. A badger? she worried suddenly about her young pups. She didn't think a badger would necessarily seek them out, but the children were growing curious and becoming too brave for their own good, and she grew anxious thinking about what might happen should they run into such a large, grumpy creature. Well, I hope you took care of it, she added. 

She inspected his wound again as he spoke of seeking out plants. Was he another healer? She could use the help. I have willow bark, plenty of it; you're welcome to use as much as you need. She wondered, though: Why Chamomile? Have you had luck using it to prevent infection? She was genuinely curious and always interested to learn why others use different plants than what she liked to use.

She sounded concerned when he spoke of the badger, but by the look on his own face ( grim but placated ) he presumed she'd understand that it was no longer any threat. By the state of his face though, the badger had put up quite a fight. It didn't even enter Firefly's mind that the slaughter of the creature might've scarred Isilme for life, or something - but he wasn't all that invested in children or their wellbeing. Had Firefly let his mind wander he'd no doubt return to thoughts of the coast and the family he'd left there, but as it sat - he refused to let himself drift away from the moment.

The woman explained what was available but questioned him too, and Firefly shrugged his broad shoulders. It has been used on me before. It helps stave off infection as far as I know, and mostly distracts from the urge to scratch at the skin as it heals. For me, anyway. He had plenty of scars to show for it, so if anyone was to be a walking advertisement for skincare routines of course it would be him.

His expression answered her question. Good, she said with a nod. Although, she was sorry that he had been injured in the process. The wound looked deep and painful and would likely leave a scar to go with all the other scars that covered the man's body. 

Hmm. She considered his words for a minute. Chamomile apparently had a soothing effect on wounds as well helping with infection. She wondered: I'd like to monitor the way your wound heals with this plant if you don't mind. If she liked what she saw, then maybe she would add it to her current wound poultice recipe. She was always searching for better ways to heal wounds. A good medic was always learning new things.

Hope this is ok!

Considering most of his mending had been done by a collective of herbalists, and their typical toolkit included chamomile, he saw no harm in letting this healer experiment. It would help her learn, right? And in the end the pack would benefit from one more tactic discovered and mastered. So he grunted and gave a nod, then after a pause he followed up with a grim (but sincere) comment. Thank you, he said with a glance at her young face.

It would take some time for her to find enough chamomile, but he'd wait patiently; there was nowhere else he needed to be, and such a wound needed tending. Whenever she did encounter him again he would sit calmly while she administered it; no more talk of his previous experience would pass his lips, even if she would ask. It was a part of his life that was well beyond him now, and it pained him to think about the easy life he'd left behind with Nettle.

He agreed to let her oversee his healing, even going as far to offer his thanks. She smiled. You're very welcome. Thank you for letting me learn something new. She always loved furthering her healing skills. I'll be back in a few, she assured him before turning to head back to her herb den where she knew there would be willow bark. Chamomile would take her a little bit of time to find, though.

It turned out she had to search pretty far to find some of this new plant, so it was a while before she returned with her mouth full of willow bark and chamomile. She worried he wouldn't even still be there but to her relief, there he was, still sitting next to the water. She dropped her mouthful on the ground at his feet. Here, eat some of the bark; it will help with any pain, she instructed as she got to work chewing the plant to place as a poultice on his wound. Gently and efficiently, she applied the chewed plant matter to his wounds, making sure to cover every spot. The healer was quiet while she worked, concentrating on her task so that she made no mistakes. She had collected just enough chamomile, thankfully, but it meant she would need to gather more to store for future applications. Okay, all done, she said, taking a step back. You'll need to meet me here tomorrow so we can clean your wound and apply fresh chamomile. She hoped he would be compliant.