Redsand Canyon i will always think about you,

having been introduced to mereo’s physician @aquene, qiao wasted no time.

her first order of business was to assess their medicine hall; she assumed wolves of such violent deportment must often need treatment.

and second — but far more important — was the lady ruenna’s hideous shuffling. qiao’s gaze passed over the dark features of the physician. she was handsome in an athletic way, dark of pelt and hale. what is the nature of lady ruenna’s limp? and what have you prescribed?

Admittedly, Aquene felt uneasy when the woman stepped into her home, the question falling from her maw in a curious manner as Aquene turned her head and tilted it to the side with a mild curiosity. This woman was a healer? Or was she simply curious of the Matrona’s ailment? Aquene was not certain that it was her place to speak, so she left it in vague terms. “It’s an unfortunate side effect from an accident she suffered before I came to know her.” She admitted with a soft hum as she went about restocking the stores with herbs she had just managed to collect. They were difficult to find this time of year, she just prayed for an early spring.
 
The question of prescription was trickier depending on the woman’s own medical knowledge. “Stretches and therapy to help with mobility, scrub pine or poppy seeds for flareups, a prairie crocus poultice for any inflammation and joint, muscle, or skeletal pain that comes from the weather or overuse. Ideally I’d also give her hints of aconite root. The flower aconite itself is toxic, but small amounts of the root can help with circulation which ultimately will help her with her daily pains. Alas, I came to Mereo after the first frost, and so certain herbs I do not yet have in my stores.” She started to list off, and similar to when she had met the Lady Ruenna, Aquene almost felt like she was being tested. Perhaps that was leftover conditioning from when she was with her mother. Her mother would always ask her random questions.

qiao followed after aquene, taking note of the stores. she sympathized: winter was no season for a healer.

she wished to press more questions, but held her tongue as aquene gave a sample of her knowledge. it was but a small taste, but a sufficient one nonetheless. qiao was satisfied germanicus' esteem in aquene was well placed.

it alarmed qiao these treatments showed little positive prognosis. she wondered aloud: "and the lady ruenna, is she taking all of these?" poppy seed surely would have softened a stiffened gait -- and aconite would have sufficiently helped day-to-day errands. "perhaps the injury involves a joint." in qiao's experience, those had the worse prognosis. "i wish to help the lady ruenna. what else is it you have here?"

The question came and Aquene hummed. “When I can get her to sit still long enough. The Matrona is a busy woman.” She offered with a sigh. She knew she could be more assertive, still she shifted her gaze to the strange and almost demanding woman. “I think it is more than that. I think it’s an injury that did not heal properly… the pain is recurring, even with my course of treatment… I’ve included the supplements that should help with joint pain even in this weather.” She wished to simply find the right mixture or tincture in order to help the woman who had offered her a home.
 
It was frustrating, to say the least, and something the younger healer would continue to work for.
 
“I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced?” She offered when the woman offered help. Aquene knew nothing of her background. “My name is Aquene. I’m Mereo’s healer.” She offered, though she had a suspicion the other woman already knew that, at least the occupation she carried given the questions she had asked and the way the woman had answered. She had never seen the woman before nor was the scent on her pelt terribly familiar… she was grateful for help, though she preferred to know just who was helping her before she agreed to anything.

when i can get her to sit long enough; well, that answer may as well be never. qiao suspected the lady ruenna was a woman of great purpose, unhindered by the shackles of minor inconveniences like mortal pain.

her gaze flickered up in surprise. i am qiao, healer of akashingo. she supposed that word had a querulous effect here. would aquene be the same? germanicus spoke of your talent. i came here to see for myself. she sighed and extracted herself from her inspection of leaves brittle by cold. you may be right on the lady's wound. is she amenable to it being discussed?

Akashingo. That was a name she was familiar with, even if Qiao was not. She knew things were… complicated, and the nature of the woman being there made her curious. She hummed softly at the mention of Germanicus. “I am pleased to hear he has sung praises of me to others outside of Mereo. I’ve trained most of my life in my craft.” She knew the importance of her role here. She remembered mentioning to the Matrona the value of another healer around, she just had not expected one from Akashingo to fill the void. She wondered briefly if it were a permanent fix or how long the woman would be there.
 
“I believe so. I was hoping to approach the topic with her after the thawing, when my stores are better apt to her treatment plan.” She had to be cautious and scarce with what she had for the moment. Everything was fine for now, but she needed to keep it that way until winter faded away. Going into the next winter, she would be better prepared.

aquene spoke of the lady's care, of her planned regimen -- even with winter heavyset upon them, qiao found the lady's gait unpromising.

truth be told, qiao trusted healers little. ithey knew the secrets of her own trade. they were often viciously protective of such knowledge. like a cherished recipe, their antidotes, potions, and tinctures were shared with seldom few -- and some at the cost of their own lives or others.

aquene earned a sympathetic nod. "my own stores are bare, coming to akashingo in the height of snowfall. it is most unfortunate we choose to live in a place with four seasons. is there any herb in particular you would like me to find? for lady ruenna, of course."

Aquene trusted strangers very little… it was one thing if they had been accepted into the ranks of Mereo. She found merit and trust in those that the Imperator and Matrona trusted, but this woman was a stranger from another pack and the healer had yet to live in a pack structure where outside packs were simply allowed to meddle in her affairs. She knew she ought to seek out @Ruenna in order to fully ascertain the purpose of the Akashingo woman’s presence in her medical den.
 
A sympathetic nod was offered and Aquene hummed, nodding before politely declining. “Anything I’m currently seeking out, my apprentice, Malila, is out searching for. I have little doubt she will return shortly with what I currently seek to acquire. I appreciate the offer, however.” Even with her apprentice, the herbs were brought to her and carefully examined by her before she placed them within their crevices to mark them ready for use. She had seen far too much misidentification of plants in her lifetime and she was not keen to see more.

some time ago, qiao had worked for a medicine woman who traveled from camp to camp trading her skill for useful herbs. life then had been different. chaotic. men were quick to flit in and out of her life and sometimes die, and the blood flowed quicker still. aquene awakened something of that buried past in qiao.

qiao accepted the refusal gracefully, despite the thin flare of distrust she sensed under her skin. "if you change your mind, perhaps we can set up trade to benefit both of us." a quick smile flashed like a knife between her teeth. "i myself am always looking for devil's claw and gaultheria."

she stepped away, sensing a disturbance. "what else needs to be done? i have much time to spare, and would like to be of use to you."

She seemed to accept her words, and Aquene did not feel prone to opening up more to the other proclaimed healer until she’d had a chance to speak to Ruenna about the nature of her role lurking about Mereo. Perhaps it was paranoia, perhaps she was simply anal about how things were done around her tablinum, either way it had not changed her answer. “That does sound lovely, particularly after the thaw. It could save us quite a bit of legwork needing to travel for such things.” She offered gratefully to hopefully ease the rejection she had previously offered.
 
The mention of much time brought her interest. “Oh? I admit I have not spoken to the Matrona since your arrival… are you staying long?” It was an innocent enough question, looking to ascertain how long she might have to entertain her guest. “I could use help. I’ve been carving slots into the wall for expansion of my stores… it’s a bit of legwork, but another set of paws will make it easier. The Auxillia have been bringing sticks and other tools to assist with the process.”

another quick sweep of the place: rocks, dirt, the rich scent of drying plant matter. 

long ago qiao had learned trade was how kingdoms mutually prospered.  not blood, or marriages, warhungry generals or whore-thirsty kings — each paid their pound of flesh happily for easy spoils and fat bottomed women. it started, simply, with a need. 

 qiao considered aquene’s query with the knowing bob of a wolf used to subservient life. i am here as long as i am needed. implying she could be sent away at any time, on the whims of the imperator or her king. 

she turned to the walls, thinking. once she had built a cache in an ancient room of stone — the work proved difficult but in the end rewarding. here? qiao pointed to a row already half impressed into the earth — ready to dig upon aquene’s confirmation.

Trade gave her a sense of control over what she put on her shelves; trade was more manageable than paws she did not yet trust tampering and placing things without her oversight. It became complicated when the woman was already claimed to be an accomplished healer, and Aquene knew she had to tread lightly as a result to not offend, especially with what she understood the relationship between their two packs to be.
 
She admitted that her timeframe was indefinite and Aquene nodded respectfully to acknowledge her answer before she turned back and moved into the work. There was a hum, and a nod. “Yes, the natural shelving has already been claimed, I’m simply digging out more.” She had a grand vision for everything to be laid out, even a place for spiders to spin webs and abandon so she might take the substance and use it for injuries as well… though that would be far trickier than simply digging. In this sense, she was quite grateful for the woman’s help. She started to tend back to her own work.

the natural shelving aquene spoke of was a boon to this room, qiao thought. many an inconvenient stone she had found mid-excavation in past dens. this one would serve mereo just fine. 

qiao returned to the indentation, thumbing it with long rakes of her thin paws. for a while they worked in silence — a comfort to the herbalist who had long ago learned to endure lulls in speech. after probing two roughshod cells, qiao spoke. i came by my trade as a mistake. i fell to lean times and — ah, an aembu woman took me in and taught me much of what i know. there came across her face an expression that could be called sentimental were it not for the ruthless wear of time pressed against it  m’waki. your mazoi arsenio reminds me of her. how was it you fell to such? healing is a ruthless calling - many do not seek it of their own accord. qiao’s gaze slid from the loam to aquene, flickering with interest.

For awhile, they worked in tandem and in silence, both of which Aquene preferred. The work gave her time to settle thoughts in her own head, and she was eager to be afforded such opportunities. She started to admit that her trade was accidental, and it caused Aquene’s ears to perk in interest. There was a part of her that craved to know more about this mysterious woman. A woman had taken her in and taught her what she knew. Aquene wanted to ask the extent of her knowledge, but she did not.
 
The question came in turn and Aquene hummed. Not everyone understood the pains that came with the healing profession as others did. “I was born.” She stated simply before turning her gaze to the other woman. “In my birth pack, women were trained from the youngest possible age to heal, and men to fight…” She offered a little more context with a soft sigh. “I was good at it… and a good thing too. As a child of the alpha I was expected to take lead of the healers upon my mother's passing.” She left it at that, her tone implying she would not take more questions about why she was not still there or how she came to be about Mereo. “My mother used to wake me up in the dead of night with stems, their leaves ripped completely off, quizzing me until I could not identify a plant or it’s properties wrong. I treated soldiers returning with gaping wounds, amputees, mothers delivering children… I saw it all from the time I could walk and comprehend what my mother said to me.”

the memory of m'waki rose like fire and then faded, darkening to smoky embers in the old halls of qiao's mind. she continued her work of arranging cells. aquene's upbringing was so very different. qiao tried to visualize what it was like to be a child woken from slumber to be quizzed; to be young again, with gleaming parents proud and brave.

ah, another world. certainly not her own. and now you come to mereo. she pointed out thoughtfully. there was no need to probe for further details -- qiao sensed in aquene a shutting door that would not budge by traditional means. no matter; often, the events leading up to fate were irrelevant -- it was the path of the road cut through which mattered. and strangely enough, qiao found herself walking aquene's road. for a time.

she was silent again, working the earth as if it were a familiar friend. moments passed. the cells grew in numbers until qiao reached the end of her work. what else?

She always had to strive to make her mother proud; she offered it in moments between lessons. Her mother had given her all of the tools that had allowed her to survive. Her father had never offered love or support, merely expectations she was to uphold. It was not the pretty picture that she painted, though she did not feel comfortable revealing details to even friends, much less strangers from another land.
 
She hummed and nodded at the question. “And now I come to Mereo.” She stated in certainty. “The Lady Ruenna was looking for a healer. She found me. It was fated.” She offered again simply. She never considered it a coincidence that the woman had found her while searching for horsetail, and she saw the effort she could put in. “My entire life has been treating soldiers… and so treating soldiers is what I will continue to do.” She did not mind opening up in that way.
 
They worked fast and efficient and she hummed, feeling herself start to loosen up at the non-confrontational aspect. The woman merely wanted to help, and she felt bad for her earlier mistrust. “I was going to establish which herbs will be a priority to stock once the thawing and budding begins.” She stated, pulling her towards the stores she had already filled. “I have remedies such as scrub pine fully stocked due to the robust nature of the plant. Praire Crocus and Yarrow that I’ve found persisting in sheltered cracks in the canyon, but with the nature of soldiers, infection must be prevented for any injuries they might endure so I will make it a priority to stock those. I have poppy seeds but prefer not to use them unless emergent due to their addictive nature. The last thing we need are strung out soldiers.” It felt nice, being able to walk through her strategies with another trained healer.

aquene's mother had been hard but loving. qiao's mother had been traitorous. what a pair they made!

"fate is a round stone moving downhill." qiao offered, filing little holes with her claw. fate - red ribbons - ka - it all moved like a river. it all pulled them downstream.

there was no question aquene was studied in her craft. qiao glanced at her approvingly. "very good things to have in store." if she could add but one: "hmm. devil's claw or bearberry. could help. it is tough in midwinter." qiao understood the reluctance to use poppy; while she loved the high, it clouded the mind -- and was in high demand.

She did not feel she could begin to fully understand the woman’s psyche. Despite the allied nature of Mereo and Akashingo, she felt a shifting in tones… and she was not sure how to feel about the woman, but she did find herself relaxing in her presence the more they spoke. Besides, she could rely on her own knowledge to know if the woman was trying to cause her or her pack ill will, right?
 
She hummed quietly and nodded at her offering. Indeed it was, a round stone no one could escape for. “Try as you might to avoid it’s path, it will flatten you.” She offered to continue it. There was little say in fate; fate had brought her to Mereo.
 
She offered an approving glance, and for a moment the other healer reminded her of her mother… supportive, not afraid to praise where Aquene had gone right. It helped her relax. “Aye, I just have not seen any around. I’m still fairly new to this climate and was not sure I’d see either bud come the thawing.” She offered back, this time with a kind smile. “The Matrona, when she found me and recruited me here, had been looking for horsetail, though it is not my herb of choice. I prefer it as a last resort.”

try as you might, it will flatten you. qiao followed with a nod. there was no escape from the scrawling hand of fate.

she pushed a nailprint into the dirt absentmindedly. at this time of the year, everything was in short supply. the months of harvesting were often summer and late fall -- with the doldrums of winter subsisting entirely on reserves.

horsetail. it took the herbalist several seconds to place the herb: how long since she had used, or even seen it? "i do not see them here." qiao admitted with a frown. "what did she wish them for?"

They understood each other, at least in the philosophical sense… and she could appreciate that. Aquene hummed at the statement and nodded. “Even if it were something I’d regularly prescribe, there would have been no place to create a good store of it.” She confirmed, tackling the question with what she knew.
 
“It can be used to treat infection… it’s not as potent as some of the other options out there, but it works in a pinch. I know of a few healers who preferred it, it just wasn’t my choice of plant.” In her experience, it was harder to use in treatment than something else that could be ground into a poultice and slapped on a wound.

horsetail. qiao would add it to the budding book that was her stored knowledge. if nothing physical could be traded in the spring, at least the knowledge of certain plants and their properties could. that, perhaps, was more powerful than any fistful of leaves.

i will keep an eye out for them. qiao noted, although she was inclined to trust aquene's preference on the matter.

dusting her paws, the herbalist stood up. the stores were a far cry from finished, but her work here was nearing a conclusion; her stomach growled and a fatigue had set into her bones. well, i am done for the night. i can come back tomorrow, if you would like.

Aquene hummed and offered a nod. She had not found a need to store any horsetail. It was not durable enough to survive the snow and she had been quite blessed with what she had been able to find. “They typically grow in forest environments. You won’t find any in the canyon… they have been known to grow in more grassy areas as well.” She knew very little of Akashingo compared to seemingly everyone else in this pack, but she was simply giving the information she did have. It was that which she did not mind.
 
She offered a smile and a polite nod at the statement. “Same, I believe.” She did not have much steam left in her to go and was more than willing to pause. “That would be lovely. Thank you.” She offered with a smile. She made a mental note to speak with Ruenna about the role of this second healer, even if she was only visiting so she did not cross lines she was not supposed to.

this horsetail seemingly preferred better climes than the red clay of mereo. qiao could say the same, but she kept her quiet joke to herself. at the very least, it was one more herb for the herbalist to learn of and study.

i wish you a pleasant night, lady aquene. the herbalist rose and dusted dirt from her pelt.

she would sleep soundly tonight. tomorrow, her chores in the dusty keep resumed.