Bramblepoint yesterworld

@Rannoch~

Bramblepoint had always been a place of peace for her, and a particularly plentiful source of plants she used in her medicine. Some could only be found in the cool, damp shade of forests, and this dense stretch of woods -- the far side of Bramblepoint that faced Moonspear -- was prime. Of particular interest to her was fungi, a new line of research she was conducting to add to her already extensive medical knowledge. One of these days I'm going to get myself killed, she thought as she nibbled on a dried-out piece of bear's bread, remembering the tragic way in which her original mentor, Tiger, had died. The bear's bread tasted dry and woody -- terrible, really -- but there was a compound in it whose smell reminded her of some of the plants she used to treat infection. She chewed the fungus gingerly for a few moments before spitting it out, disgusted, reminding herself for the millionth time that she was enduring this crap for a good cause.

Despite Rannoch's disinterest in upholding his Guardian duties full-time, he figured it didn't hurt to patrol now and then. It also didn't hurt to keep an eye out for both Cypress and Rian. A majority of the day had passed before he came upon the fresh scent of the Caldera. Curious, as the scent smelled fairly recognizable, Rannoch's path diverted to check in on whoever was nearby. This was his first time out of the territory since his assault, and the blue-eyed yearling took extra care as he navigated through the familiar territory. Though he was ultimately following a recognizable aroma, he was more mindful of the other scents that were around. 

It did not take Rannoch long to come across the scene of Raven spatting up a muddled mound of herbs. When he realized what was going on, he stopped a comfortable distance from the dark wolf and called out, "Hey, are you okay?" 

The bear's bread was a terrible thing to chew up. It had a gross texture that was somewhere between styrofoam (not that she knows what that is lolol) and dried, porous wood, with dusty spores that dried out her mouth and made her feel like she needed to sneeze. No amount of spitting got all that crap out of her mouth and she found herself longing for about twenty gallons of water. "Ugh!" she shouted at the hunks of fungus that littered the ground at her feet, as if somehow they would hear her and be ashamed of themselves for causing her such revulsion.

Just then, a voice rang out and broke the silence around her. His voice and face were vaguely familiar, but Raven couldn't quite place where she knew him from. She squinted at him, with weird fungal shit all over her face and her nose twitching as a sneeze persistently teased her. She probably looked completely insane...or totally ridiculous. Probably both. Such was the life of a medic. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ She answered his question, "I...I think so?"

And then a gigantic, earth-shaking sneeze nearly rocketed her to the moon.

She fell back on her ass, a little dazed by the force of that sneeze. But her sinuses sure felt a heck of a lot better. Looking up at the rather handsome young male, she grinned sheepishly and said, "Er...uh. Sorry. I know you from somewhere."

When Raven turned, the fungal residue that lingered upon her chops was the first thing to catch Rannoch's attention, and he wondered what she had gotten herself into. From the context clues that were scattered at her feet, the Iota easily deducted that she had not ingested any prey. But, if it wasn't prey, what was it? The question lingered on the tip of his tongue as he listened to what she had to say in regards to her wellbeing. 

As Rannoch opened his mouth to reply to what had been said, he was met with a ginormous sneeze that startled him. Out of instinct, his head jerked sharply away from the blow. The feeling that followed this motion was uncomfortable. It felt as though the tender knot of flesh at his gullet had torn and in the wake of the re-opening of the injury, the scar flared with a pain he recognized almost instantly. Gritting his teeth, the Iota flattened his ears and looked to his company pitifully. Unbeknowest to the yearling, and visibly to the medic,  blood began to fill the creases and slowly trickle down his pale chest. 

Despite his pain, Rannoch uncomfortably forced out an answer for the sake of being courteous, "Y-Yeah, I think we've met." 

He seemed to be in the same situation she was -- trying to figure out out where he'd seen her before but unable to make the connection. Before she could ask her next question, though, her attention was pulled to his neck as a line of scarlet stained the pale fur there. Her eyes widened in horror, and she sputtered, "Oh! Er, uh! Oh no! You're bleeding!" She started to rush to him, her medic instincts kicking in, before she came to her senses and she remembered that an injured wolf was likely to lash out at her even if her intentions were good, especially since they still weren't sure they knew one another. "Um, your neck," she said tensely, anxiety clear in her face.

Raven's sputtered remark rapidly evolved into to the moment in which she lept to rush to aide his injury, and until she moved, Rannoch meekly watched on as he attempted to negate the pain with a clenched jaw as he found himself at a loss for what to do. 

The other wolf approached swiftly, causing a new sensation to surge through the yearling: fear. In tandem with Raven's advance, Rannoch retreated a few steps backward in an attempt to keep his distance while a startled snarl escaped him. 

"Yeah, some stranger got me good a while back," he remarked sharply through the pain, his heart racing. "He rushed me just like you did, went right for my throat, and almost killed me." He fell silent then, his body tense as he watched the other wolf. Whether Rannoch would flee or stay would be determined by Raven's reaction to the information that had been disclosed.

Raven immediately felt abashed, inwardly kicking herself for her lapse of control. She tended to be a very emotional and reactive wolf, which sometimes spurred her to act first, think second. But she knew better than that, which was why she felt so stupid just then. She smiled meekly at him, her voice apologetic, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. It's just...I'm a medic, and my immediate thought is always 'must treat now!' Do you... is it okay if I take a look at your wound? I can help." She hoped that he would trust her enough to allow her that close to such a vulnerable area. If not, then maybe there was a medic back at whatever pack he was from that could take care of him. But from where she was standing, he was bleeding pretty profusely and that was worrisome. If there were any doubts about her word, then perhaps the genuine concern in her eyes and on her face would make it clear that she meant him no harm.

Rannoch realized that Raven had a lot going for her in regards to whether or not she could be trusted. Not only was she from Liffey's birthplace, but, her explanation seemed heartfelt; as concerned as he was, he couldn't deny how genuine she had appeared. He watched her for a moment as he contemplated the risk of the situation. 

"Alright," replied Rannoch with a look of concern lingering in his ocean-like eyes, "I trust you." But even with his confidence in her trustfulness expressed, his body remained rigid.

A little minor PP here. Let me know if you'd like me to edit anything, love. :3

After a moment of truly serious consideration, he capitulated to her. He told her that she trusted her and given how truly vulnerable a spot that wound was in, she believed that he really meant it. She smiled warmly at him and said, "Okay, give me a minute...I need to find something." She quickly began searching for a plant that would slow or stop bleeding -- any type, really. As slim as pickings were starting to get with winter so close, she had to settle for what she could find.

Fortunately, she was in luck today. Without even having to leave eyesight of the young male, she found the very plant she was hoping for. Its tiny, clustered white flowers were a dead giveaway against the dark green foliage around it. She quickly pulled up every stalk she could find. She rushed back to him then, and asked him to move his head so she could inspect his wound a little more closely.

What she saw made her wince. It wasn't a terribly serious wound, but she knew it had to be very painful. There was dirt and hair in the wound along with the dried blood and scab remnant. Because the neck was one of the few parts a wolf couldn't reach to keep clean, the risk of infection was extremely high. Raven was very glad to have found the plants that she did. Taking a step back, she explained to him, "The wound is very dirty. I'm really worried about infection. I'll have to clean it, and it will probably hurt. Is that okay?"

Rannoch did as he was told. He stayed put and watched after as Raven leaped away to search for the necessary items that she needed to remedy his discomfort. Thankfully, given the amount of pain he was in, Raven returned quickly to where he stood and promptly went to work. 

Within moments of Raven's initial inspection of Rannoch's wound, he was informed of the not-ideal condition of it. He was appreciative of the report, despite its negative news, and knew that it needed to be clean. "Yes," he agreed as he inhaled sharply, "Please clean it." He braced himself then for the impending spike of pain.

Her eyes remained on his face for a few beats as she -- like he -- calculated how much he could be trusted. While he would be in a far more vulnerable position than she, he could still do serious damage to her if he decided to turn on her while she was working. It only took her two or three seconds before her mind was made up, though. Raven had never been one to question the integrity of a wolf or, based on it, whether he or she was worthy of her attention and skill.

She eased closer to him and gently, so gently, began to clean his wound with her tongue. She could feel the tension in him, and did her best to be light and gentle. Her soft tongue brushed away dirt and debris, cleansing the dried blood and hair until only clean flesh remained, a livid red slash in the downy white fur. The bleeding had slowed a little, but not by much, so she worked quickly. "Okay, I'm going to make a poultice -- a thick paste -- with these plants. They'll help stop the bleeding and stave off infection so your body can heal the wound more quickly." She set about it, chewing plants until they were a thick, sharp-smelling mash held together by saliva. She turned back to her patient and warned, "This might hurt. I'll try to make it quick. Don't bite me." That last part she said with a grin, only half-joking. He had bled more, so she cleaned that up quickly and then, as gently as she could, stuffed the wad of medicine into his wound, using her tongue to pack it in tightly so it wouldn't fall out as soon as he moved. When she was satisfied that it was secure, she stepped back and looked back to his face again.

As Raven spoke, Rannoch became all the more aware of how knowledgeable she was about her craft. The manner in which she spoke, coupled with the care in which she took with his wound, allowed the Iota to trust the Medic easily. By the time that she had physically and mentally prepped him, Rannoch found himself smiling at her remark. "I won't," he promised, his voice surprisingly upbeat. 

Given the information that Raven had provided, Rannoch had mentally prepared himself for the pain that the paste would cause him. Fortunately for the former-Alpha, it wasn't as bad as he had initially anticipated. Rannoch gritted his teeth and winced as his wound revolted against the paste, and remained quiet as he attempted to combat his discomfort. In time, when he had found his pain diminishing, he looked up to the dark woman with a smile. 

"That feels a lot better," Rannoch admitted with a wave of his tail, "Thanks, uh--" he hesitated then, finding himself at a loss of what to call her. "--what's your name?" Rannoch looked to Raven with evident embarrassment as he clarified, "I want to know who I'm thanking." 

The young wolf was a marvelous patient, and he sat still and quiet while she worked. When he commented that his wound felt better, Raven felt an enormous sense of satisfaction. This was what she loved about her work -- bringing together her knowledge and skills to harness the power of the nature around her and bring others relief from pain and suffering. To hear her efforts validated in comments as simple as the one he had just made was wonderful and gave her a sense of fulfillment and self-worth. It also motivated her to keep learning and experimenting, broadening her knowledge of health, anatomy, botany, and medicine.

In thanking her, he asked her name. While she'd been working, she'd detected a scent that she hadn't encountered in a long while but nevertheless still recognized: Liffey. And at that moment, she'd understood why this guy looked so familiar. "I'm Raven, from Redhawk Caldera. I remember you. You're Liffey's friend...um...Runn...Rennick?" She smiled at him, her face only warmer with the recognition. What she knew of him was only limited to those few brief passings as he came around to visit her alphas' daughter, but he'd been a nice boy.

"Rannoch," he confirmed. His certainty in their previous meeting was growing more concrete and with this came more confidence in his trust in the medic. "I really appreciate you helping me out, Raven." 

With the procedure done, Rannoch found himself curious to know how to avoid dirting his wound in the future. "Is there anything I should do to make sure my neck doesn't get like this again?" he asked.

Raven grinned as the recognition became mutual and he corrected her mispronunciation of his name, and suddenly she was glad she had chosen to explore out here today. To his question, she replied, ”Try not to roll around and get it dirty. Have someone lick it clean from time to time. And,” she nudged the little clump of extra plants she’d pulled toward him with her paw. ”If you have a medic in your pack, or even just someone who’s willing to deal with the funky taste for a bit, ask them to chew some of these into a paste like I did and stick it on there. It’ll help keep it from bleeding or getting infected.”. She’d been planning to take the extras back to the caldera, but it was clear that Rannoch’s need was more immediate.

Now that business was taken care of, she turned to more personal matters. You know I have ask — how is Liffey? Last time I heard, you guys were at...was in Northstar Vale?” And she’d also heard that Liffey was a beta, which had come as a surprise to Raven. She wondered how that was working out for the young Blackthorn.

Rannoch listened to the advice he was given and took note of what she shared. "I'll be sure to do all of that," he promised with a wag of his tail. He didn't want to do anything that would further irritate the wound and would be more careful in his care of it while it healed. 

The inquiry that followed Raven's instructions caused Rannoch to nod knowingly as his thoughts wandered to the woman that had stolen his heart. "She's great," he admitted with affection. But, as happy as he was to talk about Liffey, Rannoch found the mention of the Vale sobering and his smile vanished as the subject matter shifted. "The Vale... is a different story. We no longer live there," he informed Raven as his ears fell. 

He figured that she would want him to elaborate, and with this assumption, Rannoch saved her from having to ask. "While looking for my brother, I was ambushed by somebody who reeked of blood and bones; he's the one that gave me the scar. Thankfully, Hydra and her sisters, from Moonspear were in the area, saved me, and brought me to Moonspear to heal. It was while I was healing that Liffey tracked me down and she decided to stay with me here." Rannoch paused briefly, before adding, "This is actually my first time out of Moonspear's territory since the attack." He stopped then, allowing Raven to comment on the incident if she wanted.

Raven smiled approvingly as he promised to follow her directions, and she was confident that he would. A neck wound like that could be a death sentence if one wasn't careful, particularly with winter right around the corner. Rannoch seemed like a smart young wolf who took care of himself, so she didn't think there would be any issue in that regard.

As he went on to provide a rather unexpected answer to her question -- thankfully following it with an explanation -- the smile fell from Raven's face as she considered his story. A wolf who reeked of blood and bones had attacked him, and it had to have been somewhere in this general area for Moonspear wolves to have been close by. Her eyes lingered on the livid cut that marred the pale fur at Rannoch's throat as she wondered: could this have been the work of the same wolf who had been responsible for Wildfire's torture? Regardless of whether or not that was actually the case, Raven thought it best to warn him: "There is a pack at Blackfeather Woods that captures and tortures wolves...for fun, I guess. They nearly killed my sister. I've been doing my best to keep her from dying after what they did to her. I wouldn't be surprised if the wolf who attacked you was one of them." Her eyes were earnest as she looked at him and beseeched him, "Please be careful if you go traveling away from your pack, especially if you go anywhere near those woods. You may even want to warn your alpha, just to be on the safe side." And protect Liffey, she thought, though she knew there was no need for her to voice it aloud.

Raven's warning immediately caught his attention and as she elaborated on her experience with the wolves who stank like death. Enthralled by the similar experience, and counting his lucky stars that the Cerebus had been near, Rannoch nodded as he retained the information he was given. He knew that all of this would be crucial to tell Liffey and the leaders of Moonspear of what had happened in the Caldera and he made a mental note to do just that as soon as he returned home. 

Though he knew that he would act upon her request, Rannoch found it necessary to figure out how her health was progressing since she had returned home. "But, your sister will live, right?" he asked, feeling inklings of concern and frustration creeping into his subconscious.

His question brought a look of worry and sorrow to her face. "I...hope so." She had always considered herself a pretty good medic, and had dedicated herself so completely to her work that she had few friends and had never even had a crush on anyone in her life. Normally she would have been confident in her skills and her ability to help someone recover from just about anything. But she hadn't been able to save Nightjar. And Wildfire was in such bad shape...

"What they did to her...it's awful," she said softly, shaking her head as thoughts of that kind of brutality darkened her thoughts. "They kept her imprisoned, starved her nearly to death. Beat her. Poisoned her. Broke her leg. We didn't even recognize her when she dragged herself home." The one thing that Wildfire had going for her was that she was a Redhawk, and if there was one thing that could be said about Redhawks, it was that they were some seriously stubborn asshats who didn't die easily. Wildfire had fought her way through her captivity and she was still fighting now.

Rannoch wasn't fond of the emotions that his question evoked and silently, he begrudged himself for making Raven feel the way that she did. "I'm sure she will," he assured her softly with a smile.

As Raven elaborated on what the wolves of Blackfeather had done to Wildfire, Rannoch's smile dropped, and he felt suddenly frustrated about the situation. "Something needs to be done about them," he concluded as he felt the hairs on his nape rise in response to his sudden bought of passion. Rannoch's tail gave an irritated flick as he attempted to redirect his enthusiasm elsewhere as he knew that it was not beneficial in its current state. 

"I-I'm sorry," he said after he felt more in control over his emotions. "I just hate hearing about that. I'm sure your sister did nothing to deserve such treatment, and it's just... not fair." Rannoch frowned, deciding that he would leave it at that. If anything, he was all the more motivated to support those who opposed the wolves of Blackfeather Woods, despite how helpless he felt about the situation.  

Wishing to shift the conversation to a different topic, Rannoch offered, "Do you need somebody to walk you home? I'm not comfortable with you traveling alone when it's so dangerous out." 

I've contacted an absolutely amazing artist about the artwork I bribed you with promised you in my "help me with my mastery" thread. She is always pretty booked up so it may take some time for her to get to it, but trust me, it will be worth the wait! ;) ;)

Raven nodded her agreement with his statement that something needed to be done about the wolves at Blackfeather Woods. She had never been a violent or vengeful wolf by any means at all. Truly, Raven was the biggest, fluffiest, love-muffin of a teddy bear that ever called itself a wolf. She wouldn't hurt a fly. But she wanted to destroy some Blackfeather fuckers. She'd even found herself contemplating the various poisons she knew how to make...

Her mind was wandering, so she drew her full attention back to Rannoch and smiled appreciatively at his offer to walk her home, but shook her head. "No," she answered, gratitude toward him spreading through her like warm honey. That he would be willing to put himself at risk to ensure she got home safe said a lot about him as a person, and it meant a lot to Raven. Suddenly she had a small glimpse into why Liffey fancied this boy so much. "That is so sweet of you, but I wouldn't want you traveling back alone. Especially not with you being wounded already. I'll be okay, don't worry." As she prepared herself to leave, she reminded him, "Don't forget to take these plants back with you. Get someone to help you treat that neck and keep it clean, okay? And tell Liffey I said hi." That last bit was added with a fond smile and a wagging tail, and Raven suddenly regretted that Moonspear's alpha wasn't a fan of Redhawks because she thought it would be nice to visit them sometime.

<3 <3 <3!!

 

Rannoch nodded to Raven's response, respecting her answer despite his disagreeing with it. He smiled, noting her remarks silently as he began to feel more comfortable in her traveling alone. "Well, if you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to call," he offered, leaving his concerns at that. 

"I'll do all of that," Rannoch promised as he was reminded of what he needed to do in the coming days. With clear motives to go back to Moonspear, Rannoch grabbed the fragrant bundle, and the dipped his head in Raven's direction, showing appreciation for what she had done. He would not forget this and, in time, he would find a way to repay her for her kindness. 

The two wolves parted ways once there was no longer anything for either of them to say, each of them returning to their respective homes before the day turned into night.