Blacktail Deer Plateau Healers unite

Let’s meet @Raid

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Now that Pema had cleared out her den of her expired herbs she needed a bit of a refill. She wasn’t sure what would be around now that the weather was getting colder, or what was still around but wouldn’t only be around for much longer. She thought the best way to figure this out was simply by looking around for still vibrant foliage. Rather than try to find one specific kind of plant, only to find it withered away.
 
But without trying she came across a frosted lavender bush. Covered with frost causing the once perky flowers to now sag and appear more whitish green then purple. In a way it made her sad to see it in its current state. But on the other hand, its appearance now had its own level of beauty. She went to take a whiff, but there was very little left for her to smell.

Other than patrolling and hunting and all the traditional duties of a pack wolf, Raid supposed that being a potential medic, she should also begin to gather herbs and plants to store for the winter. But as she wandered around, amber eyes scanning the ground for any trace of familiar herbs, nostrils flared in an attempt to catch even the faintest scents of potential plants, she soon realised that it was going to be a much harder job that she'd initially thought. 

Instead of plants, however, Raid came across an unfamiliar wolfish scent as she padded through the pack lands and seconds later, her gaze landed gently on a stranger sniffing a now near-frozen lavender bush. For a moment, the girl wondered if she should turn around and leave, suddenly overcomed with a strange feeling of anxiety but she supposed that the stranger would've scented her by now as well and there was no point.

In the end, Raid just stood there, her teeth wearing into her lips, torn between approaching the lavender bush and leaving to find something else.

As she tried to smell the faint scent of lavender, a much easier to smell scent swept across her nostriles. She looked up to see an unfamiliar wolf alittle ways in the distance. She smell of the pack was on her faintly, which eased Pema's mind as to weather this was another tresspasser. But with it not being too strong she figured that she much have been a new member that joined while Pema was way. Eager to get up to pace with recent news and new arrivals, she without hesitation went to greet this wolf. 

"Hello. Are you one of the new wolves that joined in the last month?" she asked, wanted to make sure her suspitions were accurate before moving on. 

Thankfully, or perhaps not so thankfully, the stranger makes the decision for Raid. "Um-yeah, I mean, yeah, I'm new," the aspiring medic forces the clumsy words out of her mouth, silently cursing her lead-like tongue. She smiles sheepishly at the other girl - who Raid realises is about the same age as herself - as if that would magically erase her inherent awkwardness.
The girl shuffles her feet and just as her amber gaze grazes the stranger's, she looks away immediately. "I'm Raid," she offers after a beat of silence. The moniker sounds strange as it rolls off her tongue, but she ignores it. "What about you?"

This new wolf began to stumble over her words, but she did confirm that was was new. Pema thought it was rather sweet that she would be so shy around her. Even though it looked as though she was the same age as Pema, she still seemed to have a level of childish hesitation. She then gave her name. Even though Day had told Pema that they might have a new healer in the pack, she couldn't remember the name that went with that news.

"I'm Pema. I've been with the pack for some time now, but I just recently returned from a month long scouting trip. Looking for some wolves that could help me increase my medic skill." she explained to Raid. Giving a reason as to why she might not have seen her around. 

Pema. Silently, Raid commits that name to memory though why she even bothers trying, she doesn't know - she feels that whether she tries or not, she will still remember Pema's name, if only because her mind was so empty of memories that it would be hard not to remember...because there was so much space to be filled. Did that make sense? Well, it did to her.
"Ah, that's nice," Raid replies awkwardly and shifts her weight between her paws, gaze carefully averted. "I'm an aspiring medic, as well," she adds a moment later, amber eyes shifting quickly to gauge the other girl's reaction. "I..kinda lost all my memories...but I still remember medicine stuff. I think Grayday took me in because he pitied me though, because apparently I've met him before."
Word vomit.
Raid cringes internally and wonders if this is what happens when she lets her tongue run free. She doesn't know why she told the girl - this stranger - about her amnesia but well, she can't turn back time. Almost nervously, she chews her bottom lip.

So this was the other aspiring medic in the pack that Day had mentioned. The one that had taken care of Lavender right after the insident. Pema made a note to remember to thank the girl at some point for everything that she had done.

When she spoke about her memory loss, Pema thought it was interesting. After all it's not everyday that wolves simply forget everything about themselves. She also thought it was insteresting that the only thing she seemed to remember was medical knowledge. Maybe it was like riding a wolf bicycle, something that was never really ever forgotten. 

"I'm sorry to hear that. Everything much feel so stange to you I bet." she commented thinking about what it would be like to have to learn everything she knew over again. Remember all the members of the pack over again and how weird it would be to have them remember you, but for you to have no recolection of them. "But I doubt Day brought you in because he pittied you. From what I hear you have been very helpful in helping Lavender recover while I was away. Thank you for that."

Raid smiles. It is an awkward smile, because she doesn't quite know how to navigate the roads of social interaction gracefully just yet - something which even her pre-amnesiac self would understand - but it is a smile of gentle relief and soft edges because Pema seems to understand. Well, maybe not so much understand, but she's trying to understand and that's what matters. 

"Yeah," Raid agrees then, amber eyes softening just a fraction. She likes Pema, she decides. At least, for now. "Uh, no, it's fine. It's an honour, to, you know, prove myself. I mean, like, it's an honour to be of help to them." She winces internally at the utterly ineloquent word vomit but forces herself to push forward. These days, Raid tries not to dwell on these things. They rarely ever appeared to help. "Maybe, if, you know, we have time, you could show me around the best herbs spots here? Or teach me. That is, if you don't mind of course. I'm just, y'know, still learning..."

Pema felt alittle bad to her the girl stumble over her own words. She wasn't sure if it was some sort of side effect from the amnesia, or simply a level of social awkwardness. Looking back, Pema fit in rather well right off the bat, but she was much more warry and conserned back them. Now she was more open and strong. Maybe not in a physical sence, but mentally or moral wise. She always had room to improve, but it took her awhile to get where she was today. Raid might still be nervious, but Pema thought she would do all right in the end. 

"Well you're doing a good job." she said complimenting the girl, hoping it would put her more at ease. "I would be more then happy to teach you what I know. With winter comming around it's getting harder to find viable herbs, but maybe we can find some together. 

Raid smiles, feeling some of the tension in her shoulders easing away slowly. She thinks that even without her amnesia, she probably would've felt similar - awkward and and wanting to prove herself but somewhat scared and unsure of what to do. Still, she feels like she's doing okay for now, and maybe with time and memories, she'd end up alright. That is, if she makes it through winter alive. 

"That sounds great," Raid says, the corner of her lips quirking upwards into the faintest shadow of a grin. "Do you have a herb cache, by any chance? I have some herbs and I was thinking of starting a fresh cache, but if you have one, I can, you know, add it to the store?"

There were two places that herbs could be stored. The main cache held everything from food to feathers. But the other place that came to mind was Pema's den. In one of her side chambers. But that was where she and the pups slept, a place that wasn't very easy to simply pop in and out of. But she seemed nice, so security wasn't the issue. "The main cache holds some herb, but the majority of the herbs in the pack are in a side chamber of my den. But it's crouded most of the time, with either patients or pups. It might be easier to keep some in the main cashe. But either location should alright. Would you like me to show you?" she asked. Refering to both of the places. Both for the herbs and for food. She wanted to make sure she knew where the cache was so she could take from it whenever she felt. 

Two main locations. Raid listens intently and stores the information in her mind. It's easy to remember these things, she realises, and in a somewhat detached manner, wonders if it is because of her amnesia. Maybe her lack of memory has freed up some space in her mind. She shakes her head, as if by doing so, she can shake those troubling thoughts aside. "Yes, please," Raid smiles at Pema, and shuffles her feet, shifting her weight between her paws. She's glad to have met the fellow healer - she seems nice enough, though Raid remains wary. After all, she does not know this pack enough to trust them. Niceness can be faked, and although Raid doesn't necessarily think Pema's kindness is a facade, she does not dare to toss that suspicions aside.

With Raids agreement Pema nodded in the direction of the rendozous site and thus in the general direction of her den. She thought that she might give her alittle tour of the terriorty while she was at it. She could look for herbs another day, this seemed to be more important and she didn't think it would take that long anyway.

At this point in time Pema wasn't sure if Raid was allowed to visit at the rendozous site on her own. Day was usually particular about who could come near the pups when it came to new members. But with Pema at her side there should be no problem with her being there. She slowed her trot when they neared the site, giving a quick introduction to the area. "This here is the rendozous site. Most of the pack hangs out here in their free time and it's where Day's kids spend a majority of their time. My dens just over there." she said gestering alittle ways past the site to where then entrance to her den was beneath a slighly uprooted tree.

Truth to be told, Raid honestly wouldn't mind not being able to see the pups. She isn't good with kids - that much, she knows - and has always felt awkward and out of place around the smaller creatures. She just doesn't know how to act around them and is completely fine with not meeting them until they are older and more like..dunno..adult wolves? 

Raid follows Pema quietly and nods at the other medic's brief introduction as she introduces the rendezvous site. "That's where your herbs are, yeah?" the amnesiac gestures at the den beneath the tree in the distance with her muzzle, and swings her crown back to look at Pema, amber eyes wide and inquisitive.

"Yep" Pema replied when Raid identified her den. She walked over to it and stepped in to it. "I've got a few chambers. This is for herbs and that one is for patients or the pups when the pack is fully healthy." she explained gesturing to the different parts of her den. "I think this is the only den in the pack. At least for now. The others like to sleep in the open most of the time. I made this one shortly after I joined." she said. Giving Raid a feel for the sleeping arangements within the pack and showing her options as to what she could choose. 

Most likey once breeding season showed up there would be at least another den for Cat. Assuming that Day and she would have a new litter of their own. Dawn was too young Pema thought. But she was getting off track. After showing Raid her den she exited said "The cache is just over this way." ready to continue their tour once Raid had finished looking Pema's den over.

Raid follows Pema to her den and quietly examines the area, amber eyes wide and keenly observant. She thinks that it's nice that there are different chambers in the den reserved for different things and different situations. It reminds her of - a sharp pain erupts in her skull and she inhales sharply, features contorting into something like a grimace. It's gone a moment late, as is the faint recollection of a memory. It's frustrating, but Raid has learned by now that it's better to just relax and go with the flow than get all agitated over it. It only makes things worse.

"It's really nice," Raid tells Pema sincerely. It's a nice place, really, and has a nice design. Looking over it one last time, the chocolate yearling follows the other healer towards the caches.

She smiled a confident smile at Raid's compliment. Her and Dauntless had spent a long time making everything perfect. Just the way she wanted it so it could be a place of her, those she loved and those she was caring for. It was a place that often she found other getting use out of it and not just her. For something as little as a den it had a significant impact on many of the pack.

"Thank you." she said before gesturing for her to follow along as she walking the remaining distance to the cashe. Filled with recent kills, herbs and some of Grayday's feathers he liked to collect. "Here we are." she announced looking for her reaction. 

"Is there anything else you'd like me to show you?" she asked, not sure if there was any other big parts of the territory she should know about, but was willing to show her something if she could think of it.

Raid likes the den well enough but she doesn't think she'll be able to sleep in one for sometime. There's something about the whole thing which makes her claustrophobic - it's manageable, she just can't stay within one for too long. She doesn't know the cause of the whole thing, and her lack of memories makes it difficult to know if it's because of the amnesia, or if she already had this little disorder before the amnesia. Not that it matters now, but...well, whatever, really.

Raid pads after Pema, her head swinging left and right as she observes and scans the surroundings. Thoughts wander unbidden through her mind, most of them completely unrelated to what she's seeing, or what she's doing, but rather jumbles of random thoughts ranging from what to eat to the strange girl from the last piece of memory she's recovered last night. Raid's shaken from her thoughts when Pema speaks again, and she blinks, somewhat bemused when her eyes land on a couple of feathers. 

"Feathers?" she meets the other healer's gaze, the corner of her lip quirking upwards into a smile. She shakes her head, however, when Pema asks if she has anywhere in particular she wishes to see. "I'll explore the rest," the girl explains as she peers into the cache.