Moonspear Things Are Better If I Stay

Anyone welcome! Scooting this forward to avoid timeline issues! We'll say she's been a little scarce since her and Judas had their exchange.

To say she hadn't wished to go with Judas would be a complete lie. She worried for him, and she worried for others. Oddly, despite the scabbed-over wound on her face she hadn't feared for herself. She had sobbed the night away in her den, then slept restlessly through the early morning. She worried that she should have gone after him, should have joined him. Yet, she felt she was needed here. Judas was the only other wolf who knew herbology. She couldn't abandon the wolves who had given her a home.

So she had stayed. Perhaps it was better this way, safer. Perhaps alone Judas could find out how to control the voice. Despite staying, and despite her intentions to tell Charon and Amekaze that Judas had come for help...she found herself avoiding the pack. She kept near her den and the herb cache, away from where the other's would roam. Her face was slowly healing, the skin scabbing over and knitting back together. Occasionally she'd go to rip into a kill, or pull the muscles of her face a certain way and tear the wound again. Though she was treating it daily, she knew she would scar.

On this day she rose from her den in was late afternoon, the evening would soon be nipping at the heels of the horizon. She felt weary. Still her mind was worried for Judas, wondering about him. Where had he gone? Where would he go? She assured herself that this was the answer they both needed, and the feelings that had been brewing in her chest for Judas before all this were not important. Her own worry too must be pushed aside for the greater good of Judas, and the pack.

She made her daily trip to the cache and carried her needed supplies with her to the nearest stream. Once there she first dipped her muzzle in, whimpering at the sting of the cold water on her wound. She wanted to wet the scabs, but not take them off. She knew they were a layer between her body and infection, but the scabs too could keep out her medicine. So she dipped her muzzle, then rose for breath, then dipped it again. She used her tongue to feel the wound, and when the scabs felt less stiff, she turned for her supplies. 

She rose and shook, sending water flying, before heading back to her herbs. She'd saved herself the trouble of struggling with chervile root and instead chosen marigold leaves. Thankfully the pain had died to only an occasional thing, typically when she pulled at the wound or rubbed it in the night. It did not bleed anymore either, which she thought was a good sign too.

She bent to grab the marigold and began to chew, wincing now at the bitter taste. Sadly, none of these herbs would heal her heartache and worry for her friend. Time, it seemed, was also proving to simply make her worry more. She thought eventually she would make her peace with it, but soon she'd need to tell Charon and Amekaze. Would they be angry she had waited so long? She hoped not. It wasn't truly out of deception, but embarassment for her own emotions. At first she had cried often, and did not want to face her leaders in such a state. Too, she had hoped her wound would heal some.

Judas had gone, though it didn't surprise Charon overly much. He hadn't exactly been a loyal little snowflake in Charon's book; he had been a bit of a weirdo, truth to be told, and often antisocial in situations. Most of all, he hadn't been there when Charon needed him, so perhaps it was for the best, for now. In a broader perspective, he worried more for the lack of Pyx that he had seen about than Judas.

Today he was out playing with @Alya @Hydra @Lyra and @Korei Julia near the den. He'd told one of them to count to a hundred (knowing full well they couldn't actually count to a hundred) while mama @Amekaze held watch and he and the rest had run off in search of a good hiding place. Yet as he made his way to the nearby creek he ran into Pyx instead, finding her from the back so he did not see her face yet. "Pyx!" he called out in (somewhat delighted) surprise, likely within earshot of his daughters.

tagging for reference, but feel free to join in, any of you :D

Won, toooo, freeee, her sister was counting to one hundred! Whatever that meant. But she needed to hide. She followed daddy through the bushes and departed from him shortly after, taking her spot among the bushes. She hid and waited. Tail thumping wildly against the ground and her heart beating hard in her chest. 

Soon, daddy's voice reached her and she whipped her head around, scampering out of her hiding spot. The game was forgotten as the name Pyx was exclaimed. She shot over like a little white bullet with a hysterical tail. Korei tumbled into Daddy's forearm and rolled back into her bottom, looking up at the strange wolf before her.

The pale puppy and got to her paws once again and slunk forwards, sniffing the woman. She smells foreign and new. She liked it! She remembered the name uttered from her father before, so she decided to talk to this woman. "You Piss?" 

She spat the marigold carefully onto the back of one of her paws and gently pressed it over the soggy scabs. She held it there for a moment, standing awkwardly with one foot pressed to her face. Finally she pulled it away, wishing there was a better way to accomplish the task. She shook the remaining marigold from her paw, knowing that even if it hadn't stuck there the juices of the the plant would have been absorbed a little. 

Charon's delighted voice surprised her, making her start and jerk where she stood. She was happy to see him again too, she hadn't liked holing herself up like she had. She knew though he would have questions when she turned. Another, smaller voice, questioned her suddenly. The puppy tongue stumbling over her name in a gross, yet utterly adorable fashion. She turned, distracted for the moment, to lay eyes on the child. The white one was K something, she remembered. Korey? Kora? She smiled widely, but the suddenly poking sting of her scabs drew her eyes from the child to it's father, waiting for him to notice and react.

"Hello there," Pyx breathed with a small breath of surprise, delighted and nervous all at once, glancing between father and daughter unsure of who to address first. "My name is PICKS, little princess, but that was a very nice try." She over emphasized the syllables in her name, hoping the pup would catch on. She knew too easily that she could be "Piss" instead for a while. "Like you pick a place to lay, or...pick a toy to chew." She smiled softly at the girl. 

She couldn't ignore Charon forever though, so she looked at him, her expression similar to the way a child might look to their father when they know they've misbehaved. "I'm sorry I've been so distant lately, Charon. I've been meaning to find you I've just been...embarrassed, depressed even." It was true, she was embarrassed by her wound and embarssed by the fact that she couldn't help Judas. Depressed by the loss of a friend, unsure that he would get better. She didn't launch into it yet, though and instead she waited for Charon.

Not long after he arrived at the stream Korei Julia followed behind. "Hey Jules," he greeted her fondly and he reached out to nose the soft fur behind her ear. The game was momentarily forgotten (and his children couldn't yet count to a hundred anyway, so they'd never even manage), though when she turned around he looked startled at the scabs on her face. He was about to comment when Julia called her 'Piss', distracting him from serious matters as he let out an amused laugh.

She tried hard to explain what her actual name was, but Charon chimed in with a mischievous grin; "Yes Julia, this is papa's friend, Piss." He winked at Pyx, but soon the playful mood was dropped when she said that she had been keeping away purposely, out of embarrassment. He moved closer and gingerly sniffed the scabs on her face, then asked: "Have you been fighting?" Pyx didn't seem the type to, but who knew — mostly, he hoped to decipher from her reaction whether she'd got into a fight or if someone'd hurt her.

The new woman turned to her and KJ's face grew bright with excitement. She was going to talk to her!! Daddy's nose brushed across her head, just behind her and she she twisted to swat at him. "no!" She declared. She wouldn't allow this, not during a conversation.

Her propellar whirled about behind her as she listened with keen ears to the new wolf. PICKS, that was her name. Korei opened her mouth to try again: "Pisss," she said confidently. It sounded much different to her, so she was proud of her improvemet. Picks told her about picking a place to lay and Julia nodded. Then she mentioned picking a toy to chew and she bounced up and down, clearly not catching the memo. "I like toy chew!" She yelped.

Though she was nervous about telling Charon of Judas, she couldn't help the expression she shot him as he encouraged the princess to call her Piss. She expected no less from Charon, however, and she smiled softly, rolling her eyes at him. The little princess did attempt to say her name correctly though, and Pyx smiled softly at her for the effort. So this was the one Amekaze had called Julia. She made a mental note to remember this better in the future. "Very good, Julia." She was unwilling to crush her spirits and would rather go by Piss, much to Charon's amusement, she was sure. The sweet little thing's cry about the chew toy made her laugh."Perhaps I'll bring you one soon, then. So we can be friends." She raised her brows at the child, wondering what reaction such an offer would bring.

Charon's question couldn't be put off for forever, though. "No, no I wasn't fighting. I was...trying to help Judas." The words that she'd anticipated saying for so long finally fell from her lips and she rushed to began her explanation. "He didn't do it on purpose though. He's...sick." She shook her head and glanced to the ground, worry covering her face. Guilt glittered in her eyes, for she still felt that she could have done something more than she had.

"He had a kind of...fit." She glanced back up to her alpha, for she was not telling a lie. "He struck me during the fit, he couldn't control his body. I was trying to help him with herbs, and was too close. Have you seen a wolf have a seizure before?" This question was asked with open curiosity. Did he know what it was? She wouldn't ever saw Judas had had one, but she would compare the two. 

"It was...frightening. I was worried for his health and I just..." She sighed, shaking her head. It was clear she was troubled. "I didn't have the skill to help him, so I told him he should see if other packs might have answers. It's not safe for him to live like that, it could kill him." She wouldn't say that the reason it would kill him was because he'd hurt the wrong wolf and they'd come for him, nor did she say she'd worried about the health of the pups. "I didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea about my face, that he had attacked me or something. I also just...felt like I should have done more." She looked to Charon to see if he understood, what he thought of Judas and his absence. "So that's why Judas is gone, I told him he needed help and I couldn't provide it. I think he was scared too, so he left not long after."

Just as Korei Julia twisted to swat at her father with a pointed 'no', a growl bubbled in Charon's throat and he lashed out to grab Julia by the scruff and press her to the ground. After letting her go he said strictly; "Behave, Julia. Nobody wants a bad pup." And by that he meant, I don't want a bad pup, and maybe part of him thought I don't even know if you're mine. He had no idea how much Julia resembled his mother, for he didn't know anything about the way she had looked other than that she was white. He loved all of his daughters, but it was undeniable that he was better able to handle his triplets' shenanigans than Julia's and his patience more easily wore thinner with her. Especially when it came to such blatant disrespect in front of one of his friends and pack mates — he couldn't allow such behaviour, not even from the triplets, let alone from Julia.

The Judas story was kind of sketchy to Charon. He didn't really get what she meant. He'd never seen anyone have a seizure. The only thing of all the things she said that made sense to him was: Judas hurt Pyx and then he left the pack without a word. He felt his hackles prickle and a dark frown fell across his previously pleasant face. "He won't hurt you again," he said confidently, though perhaps he did not intend those words in the same line of thought that Pyx was following. He did not intend to help Judas with his problems; he intended not to let him get close to Pyx again. He'd left without a word, and he'd done so after hurting one of his wolves. To Charon, it was easy enough to say that he wasn't welcome anymore.

He gingerly nosed the wounds to see if they were well, but they looked good enough; healing, at least. He didn't really understand how close he had been to losing Pyx alongside Judas, too, really, or he may've been feeling more grateful for her presence here now. "Glad to see they're healing," he shared with a somewhat curt nod, his hackles falling and the frown slowly fading from his face.

Gonna have a try at getting this character right...

Korei flinched at her father gripping her scruff, wriggling for a bit in Charon's grip. She whimpered at her father's words a little, but then put on a brave face. She humphed after he let go, pouting. But when Charon turned his attention back to Picks she looked up at the female, tail wagging while still thinking about this 'chew toy'. All attention on the woman, who had talked to her.

She had no idea what all this conversation was about. She did pick up something about someone being hurt, and her father wasn't too happy about that. And something else about someone being sick. "Who sick? Who hurt?" she asked Pyx, interrupting again.

Sorry, couldn't get a chance to reply sooner!

Pyx watched Charon growl and grab Julia. She was surprised by the suddenness of the action, but did not disapprove of it's meaning. A pup must learn how to behave, and that included seeing the parent as more than just a parent. A parent was your elder, and therefore higher in the pecking order. These pups would have to learn that though their leaders were also their parents, they were leaders firstly and to be obeyed.

Julia took it in stride though, soon wagging her tail and watching the adults talk. Pyx occasionally let her gaze drift to the youngster, drawn like a moth to flame. Soon though Charon had her full attention as a dark frown crossed his face. Pyx frowned as well, realizing that Charon was hearing her message all wrong. His concern was touching, of course, she was glad that he did care...but she also didn't want him to hate Judas. "No, he wouldn't hurt me again. He didn't mean to at all. It wasn't his fault. I'm the one who sent him away from the pack, to help him. To find a better healer." She tried to clarify, but didn't feel she was doing an overly good job. It was hard without fully spelling things out.

Charon reached out to examine her wounds and she stilled her mouth and turned so that he could get a good look at them. "I've been caring for them, trying to keep them from scaring if possible." Her voice made it clear she didn't think it would be possible. Julia's voice interrupted what she was going to say next and her gaze fell back down to the pup, and happily so. She'd much rather focus on Julia than on the idea of Judas being barred from the pack, or Charon getting the wrong impression.

"No one, no one." She said gently, bending low to the child's level. She turned her face to show Julia the marks. "I had an ouch on my nose, see? But it's all better. I made it better with my special plants. Just like if you ever get an ouch, I can make that better too." It was good to mention healing in a good light to the young, to make them no so fearful should they ever need treatment.

Charon heaved a sigh as Pyx said that Judas wouldn't hurt her again. What guarantee did he have that his friend was safe at all? He felt like he needed to make sure she stayed away from Judas, but hopefully it wasn't necessary and Judas would just stay away from her. Charon had had enough of crazy males in his pack. He had killed Nishu when weak, and he wouldn't hesitate to do the same to another if he needed to.

Julia broke their serious conversation by asking Pyx about her getting hurt, and Charon just frowned darkly as Pyx answered, trying to think about it all. He decided not to say any more about Judas, because he'd just get mad and then Pyx'd just get mad because she didn't seem to understand the danger that she was in.

"That's right, Julia, Pyx is a doctor," explained Charon. "That means she's all about making wolves who get hurt better." He was on Pyx' page as far as the healing thing was concerned; better his daughters wouldn't complain if Pyx ever needed to treat them because they knew it was necessary.

Korei looked at her father when he sighed. Who was this Judas? She was ever so curious. But before she could ask, Charon began to explain to Korei Julia what Pyx did. "So if I get hurt, Picks will help?" That was good to know. As a pup, there were many dangerous things out there. Many that the young wolf was oblivious to. 

She felt a grumble in her stomach before she could say more, and it upset her. "I'm hungry, Papa. Let's get something to eat" she whined, pawing at her father's leg. Now all she cared about was getting her tummy full of something tasty.

Charon sighed at her, and she was torn between wanting to convince him to believe her, and being flattered at his concern. They both gladly accepted the distraction that Julia eagerly provided. Pyx nodded as Charon spoke, smiling down at the little girl. "That's right! No matter what hurts, I'll do whatever I can to fix it for you." For a moment she hoped that the child would ask how, and then she'd get to explain plants, even as she grinned slyly at Charon's boredom.

Sadly, Julia's stomach gave a grumble and she turned her eyes to her father again. "Well, that's an easy fix. Don't need a doctor for a hungry belly, just a daddy who's good at hunting." She looked up to Charon, willing to help if he wanted to catch the girl something fresh. She didn't know if he had anything stored back at the den.

Charon nodded when Julia asked for confirmation, but before he could verbally answer the question had already been answered by Pyx herself. The conversation seemed to have turned from the more serious issues to Julia, though Charon didn't mind. He didn't think there was much left to be said about Judas or the situation, and if not for Julia they might've ended up an uncomfortable silence.

"That's right," he said after Pyx had finished speaking. "Let's go get something to eat." Charon then nosed Pyx' cheek in good bye, said, "Come, Julia," and turned away to make his way back to the rendezvous site, where he had a cache with some food for his daughter stashed.

Korei Julia nodded to Pyx, eyeing her father after as she waited for his response. He responded just how she hoped. But before they left, Korei went to give Pyx a nuzzle on her foreleg. "Bye bye, Picks!" she shouted back as she started to move with her father to get herself something to eat.

Pyx returned the nuzzle with a smile and then turned her eyes to Julia. She smiled even wider as the little one came and nuzzled at her legs. She dipped her nose down to gently return the gesture, rubbing the white pup's shoulder affectionately.

"Bye bye Julia. Be good for Papa and Mama." Pyx watched them leave, and though she wasn't sure the conversation about Judas had gone as she had wished...she was still pleased with the interaction. Her own yearning for children was slightly sated by the interaction with Julia, though not completely. Perhaps she would need to spend more time with the children.