Blackfeather Woods wildcards, men from mars

When she and Zephyr crossed eastward through the mountains, Meerkat did something funny to her ankle. She ignored the dull twinge as they resumed their trip, refusing to let it slow them down. But when her companion split, she took a day to rest in the foothills on the far side. And when she woke the following morning, her foot was painful and swollen.

As she turned around and began to climb, Meerkat grappled with some difficult emotions. She was frustrated and sad that she must quit her search, likely for a while. But she was also relieved to be going home. Frankly, though, the pain wiped her mind clean of almost everything else as she simply focused on getting there.

She made it up and over the crags, only to stop on a patch of ground between a creek and stretch of woods. Meerkat gasped and flopped to her haunches as her ankle throbbed. The cold water had soothed it but now it was more agonizing than ever. As she sat there, her left foreleg cradled carefully to her chest, she remained oblivious to fact she was very near to Zephyr's homestead.

gonna slide into this one

 


Eldritch was patrolling, as was the usual nowadays. While she did set aside time to bond with the Daedra and read her divination teeth, she was mostly helping care for the pack. 

Today, El caught the scent of a stranger, and prowled with near-silent steps to investigate, eventually coming upon the brown-furred female and canting her head calmly to the side. 

"You're hurt." The Seer confirmed to herself, looking to the nursed foreleg.
"Come, I will help." She urged gently, turning a bit to invite the stranger in. 
From there, the Seer sent up a call for @Rowan, seeking his aid as well. More than one healer would do well here.

The kindness of strangers would never cease to amaze her. When a pitch black she-wolf with mercurial eyes approached and offered her aid in the space of a single breath, Meerkat could only exhale on a twinge of pain. Before she could formulate a reply, the woman called for someone else to come assist.

She hadn't moved, mostly because she couldn't. "I think I might've sprained my ankle," she admitted, "and then I aggravated it—a lot—by climbing mountains." Meerkat let out a dry laugh. Almost home, though, she thought before admitting, "I didn't realize there was a pack living here. I'm Meerkat."

With an ever-calm gaze, El listened to the mouse-furred female as she explained what was going on.

"I am Eldritch. Welcome to Ivory Rose, Meerkat." She responded to introductions first with a gentle smile. A sidelong way of saying the error is forgiven.

"As for your leg, feel free to lean on me while I move you to a better spot. I'll get you a close as I can to a stream." 

Her introduction was almost lyrical, both her name and the pack's conjuring notions of druidism. Meerkat didn't have much time to ponder on that, though, as Eldritch indicated she wanted the yearling to learn on her as she guided her toward a stream.

"I just crossed one back there," Meerkat supplied, pointing with her good foreleg. Looking at it now, she could see that it forked, with the more southerly branch heading directly into the forest. She wondered if Eldritch meant to escort her into Ivory Rose's domain.

She appreciated the trust, though the yearling would be more comfortable remaining outside the borders and said as much. "I don't want to intrude. And I'm not actually far from home. I live on Redhawk Caldera, just southwest of here. Are you familiar with it?"

The Seer listened idly as Meerkat explained her desire to not intrude, and told of her home. 
Ah, the Redhawks. 

Eldritch nodded slowly, deciding then it may be best to just ask. 
"Ivory Rose is a sanctuary for all, but I understand your concerns. Yes, I have heard of the Redhawk Caldera. I assume you want to return home without any stops?" Her voice remained patient and soft, eyes inquisitive.

Eldritch seemed familiar with her family's home, though she didn't have anything more to say on the subject other than to feel out whether Meerkat wanted her help or to simply head home. The yearling paused, chewing on the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. She sensed that the woman truly wanted to lend her assistance, just like Zephyr had offered to help her find her missing loved ones. Ever the diplomat, Meerkat didn't want to snub her or the opportunity at outreach.

"I think I'll rest here a little longer, if that's okay? Would you happen to have anything for the pain?" she queried before tilting her head and making conversation by inquiring, "Who's Rowan?" No such wolf had materialized, at least not yet, but Meerkat wondered if he was perhaps the healer and Eldritch was simply a guardian.

"You may stay as long as you need to. Rowan is the Alpha of Ivory Rose. I am his Beta." The Seer responded. 

As for having anything for the pain...

Looking around the immediate area, Eldritch saw nothing that she could use so far. 
Thinking, she trotted over into the trees and sniffed for an herb cache. She could've sworn she put one around here once...

Aha!

Pulling out a small bundle, the Seer returned with a leaf full of poppy seeds, setting them down before Meerkat. 
"Poppy seeds. These should do for now."

So Rowan was the leader, alongside Eldritch herself. Meerkat nodded to acknowledge this information, then went still as the black-furred woman began searching the area, presumably looking for a natural painkiller. Meerkat sighed and tried to relax as she waited, putting her bum leg back on the ground but leaning so she didn't put too much weight on it. Even if Eldritch could help treat the pain, she was pretty sure she would have to do a three-legged limp the rest of the way home if she wanted to avoid aggravating the injury further.

When Eldritch returned, she unwrapped a bundled leaf to reveal a small heap of black seeds. Meerkat looked down at them in interest. "Poppy seeds," Eldritch said. Perhaps she was a healer, after all. The yearling smiled gratefully at her, then hesitated.

It wasn't that she didn't trust her new acquaintance but if she was going to swallow a strange substance, she wanted to know, "Are there any side effects I should watch out for? Could it make me sick?" Neither the sight of them nor the idea of swallowing them bothered her, though it was entirely possible the seeds themselves might turn her stomach, among other things.

El understood the caution. She didn't mind answering, either. 
"Not that I've ever seen." She reassured. Though she was a bit rusty right now, Eldritch was quickly catching back up on her medical skills. 

sorry for shortness!

She hardly knew the woman, though she had no reason to second guess her either. Meerkat only paused a moment longer before carefully bending down to lap up some of the seeds with a curled tongue. She wasn’t sure of the dosage, so she straightened out after a single lick.

Thank you, by the way, she made sure to say, tail thumping softly on the grass. While I wait for this to kick in, I’d love to hear more about Ivory Rose. How long have you guys been here?

No worries! Post as little or as much as you like. :)

Eldritch eased herself into a sit as well, thinking for a moment.

"We've been claiming the Woods since late autumn, before the snow fell." The Seer replied, glancing fondly to the trees and the corvids littering the branches.

They'd been around a while, then. Surely Towhee and the other Redhawks knew of their presence. Meerkat was only oblivious because she was a relatively new transplant to the neighborhood. She pressed her lips together and hummed lightly as she mused.

Quite quickly, the pain began to ebb away. Meerkat felt a little lightheaded and a lot sleepy, though neither was so bad that she felt she couldn't continue the conversation a little longer. "You mentioned it's a sanctuary. Is this what you do?" She gently waved her good paw. "Help the injured and sick? Take them in, even?"

The Seer nodded to her guest's question, patience ever-present.

"Yes. A pawful of us also worship the Daedra, but nobody is forced to. We are willing to give every wolf a chance, and a space to pursue their interests."

Soon, it felt like there were weights on her eyelids. She had hoped to resume her trip as soon as the pain ebbed, though Meerkat realized a nap might be in order first. She blinked hard against the sleepiness, hating that she would have to delay her homecoming when the caldera was so close.

"The Daedra?" she echoed, her tone indicating that she would be interested to hear more. At the same time, she relaxed forward into a sprawl, making sure to ask, "Would it be okay if I took a nap here, just for a little bit?"

Meerkat seemed both Interested and increasingly tired. 
Which made the Seer smile softly as the brown-fur sprawled forward. 

"Of course. I will stand guard nearby, as you rest. You are safe here." She confirmed with her usual gentleness, backing up a step to give her new acquaintance some space to take her nap.

Eldritch assured her she would be safe while she rested, though she did not oblige the yearling's first question. Meerkat really did want to hear more about this Daedra, though for a moment, she prioritized finding a comfortable spot and settling into a restful position.

By then, the poppy seeds were dragging her under quite effectively. "The Daedra...?" she repeated, almost slurring as her eyes fluttered closed. Before she could listen for an answer, Meerkat fell fast asleep.

Thank you for the thread!

of course! <3

 

The Seer watched as the yearling drifted off. Silently, she promised to explain the Daedra when she woke up, if she still wished. 

Till then, the Nightfur stood guard nearby, a silent beacon of protection.