Sun Mote Copse Run Down

"This is it, here," Niamh explained to @Rasalas, as they came to the edge of the forest. She paused to sniff along the borders- she knew hoping to catch Alyx's scent in this very particular spot was a fool's hope, but she checked regardless, gaining a bit of information, at least, about those who had patrolled recently. She glanced up into the boughs of the trees that sheltered them and noticed a few leaves had begun to turn. She told herself it was simply the evening's golden light, as the blonde female was not willing to think fall was on its way so soon. She squatted to mark the borders, and then tilted her head back to howl, announcing her return. She wasn't sure Phox would rush to greet her, given the way their last conversation had ended...But she chose not to think too much about it, and directed her attention to the child instead. 

"I'm hungry. You hungry?" She asked, turning to gaze softly at the boy, who had been fairly quiet throughout the journey. It occurred to her, then, that she ought to seek medical attention for him as soon as possible, and tilted her head back- calling @Eljay for medical help, and adding in a plea for sustenance as well. She wasn't sure if their caches would have survived the flooding, but surely someone in the pack had some food to bring. She was still quite frustrated with her packmates, having allowed her daughter to go missing- and hoped they might try to at least appease her with food upon her return.

whatever bravado rasalas had summoned as they neared their destination began to wax and wane with each step. it sputters to a stop as niamh announces they’ve reached the firebirds. his shoulders slump in exhaustion that he fought hard to keep out of his steps — though niamh had seen that he’d had food and a bath, he couldn’t deny that their journey had been far and sucked his energy out of him greedily. his injuries smart as she sends up a call. mhm. is all rasalas has the will to rumble; thought of speaking too much when his wound burns. he’s disturbed whatever healing process had begun; probably not a bad thing given the stirrings of infection setting in.

mis-matched gaze studies the strange territory yawning before them as he hangs near niamh’s hind leg. if his pelage is moondappled, her’s is cloak of draped sunlight: they couldn’t be more different and though she is bigger than him ( for now, perhaps ) she offers him no actual camouflage. still, she is the reason he’s here and he glimpses ‘round her leg at her face before his gaze flits to the shadows, waiting to see if anybody else would appear.

As he gazed past her shoulder, flicking his eyes from the shadowed forest's secrets and back to her again, she sensed his trepidation and moved toward him, to touch the top of his head with a reassuring nuzzle of her chin. "It's OK, you don't have to worry." She said. "I'm a Regent here, a leader. If I say you're welcome here, you're welcome here. If I say you're a part of the pack, you're a part of the pack. An' if anyone's got any beef with me bringin' you home- an' the chances of that are slim to none- I'll just pound their sorry ass into the mud." She said with a simple shrug, and a sweet smile. She moved to swathe her tongue across the crown of his head, smoothing the fur down, as though to make him look a bit more presentable.

she assures him that it’s ok, stating that she’s a leader and that what she says goes. distracted by the tremor in his legs; from the weakness of malnourishment and fear ( because, despite her attempt to reassure him he’s still understandably weary ), the pain and the hunger, rasalas doesn’t grasp just how fortunate he was that she found him. the thieves had claimed something similar, and then turned on him. he looks to her again as she says that if anyone had beef ( a term he hadn’t heard before ) with his presence she’d ‘pound their sorry ass into the mud’.

he doesn’t, for a second, doubt her words. she is stern enough that it is easy enough for him to picture.

despite his hesitation, a small chortle rumbles in his chest at her words.

there is something about her — perhaps, he thinks, it’s in the reassuring nuzzles that remind him so much of his amma — that makes him want, desperately, to believe her even as he hesitates. it is a constant war with his distrustful nature, which given prior experience, is the louder of the two warring conflicts in his mind.

When he heard the call, he felt hope momentarily that maybe Niamh had found Alyx and she was hurt -- but soon after he realised that it couldn't be the case, because she did not sound upbeat enough for it. Even if Alyx or Niamh were hurt, if she was bringing home her daughter then surely she'd sound happier. Eljay remembered very well what that felt like, to lose a child to a disaster like this. He just hoped they'd see Alyx back alive and well, unlike Elfie back in the day...

The caretaker went on his way, taking no time to search for food because he didn't know how urgently the medical care was needed and he knew finding something to eat in the territory's current state might be a time consuming business. He made his way to the borders immediately instead, where he found Niamh with someone he hadn't seen before. Eljay glanced at the boy, studying for injuries -- assuming that was why Niamh had called him anyway -- while he nodded at Niamh. What happened? he asked, hoping to figure out more about who was injured and in what way while looking over the boy's body for signs of injury.

Apparently someone was hurt.  Fennec trailed in slowly, hesitant to show her hand, but morbidly curious too.  How bad?  Eljay was being summoned, and she'd never really actually seen him work.  Well... heard him work, anyway.

There were a few there, so she didn't push forward to interrupt. Instead she lurked, listening.  She wasn't trying to pass unnoticed, per say, but she knew better than to interrupt.

feel free to skip if you wish! Observing ^^

*squishes everyone together* FRIENDS

A little chuckle came from the child, which thrilled Niamh to no end. She hummed a soft chortle herself, and reached down to kiss the top of his head. "That's my little lion boy," She said, pleased that he'd found a bit of a sense of humour. She'd surprised herself- what with calling him hers, but refused to think much of it. She'd found him, and was caring for him- and whoever his parents were, they were obviously negligent. Of course, she was in the same shoes- having a lost child herself- but hers hadn't been lost on account of her negligence; her packmates were guilty of that one. 

Eljay was the first to show, and while he didn't bring food with him, at least she'd be able to check one thing off her list- and that was to get the boy checked out by their medic. She could excuse Eljay for not bringing food because it was more important that he meet them there as quickly as possible. To make Rasalas feel protected, she kept herself between the two- so he could continue to hide behind one of her hind legs if he chose to continue doing so- and she greeted Eljay with a bob of her head and a warm, fond growl. "Eljay," She said. Yes- she still harboured resentment for her packmates for having lost Alyx- but that could wait. She needed him to treat Rasalas, and if he was worried about her snapping at him, he might be distracted. 

"Eljay, this is Rasalas; I found him along the way. He doesn't talk much, 'cause of the wounds on his cheek." She explained, before she stepped her haunches to the side, and swept her muzzle closer to the pale boy's uninjured cheek. "Eljay is our medic. And-" She said, breaking off as she noticed a pale figure in the distance, that caused her to smile faintly. "That pretty girl over there, is Fennec," She said. "Now let's have Eljay have a look at you, hm?" She prompted, and moved back, so that the mild-mannered medic could get a better look at the boy, but she remained close by in case Rasalas sought comfort.

it doesn’t take long for someone to appear; followed by another. their appearances cause him to shy away from niamh as she openly shows motherly affection to him, calling him ‘her little lion boy’. he blinks owlishly up at her as the male approaches. mis-matched gaze studies eljay fiercely, hesitant and muscles pulled taunt beneath his pelage, before he takes a tentative step closer. rasalas swallows harshly, against the fear that is like teeth clasped ‘round his throat. this is the medic, he knows from niamh’s introduction, and with a slight tremble in his muzzle, holds his ruined face up for eljay’s inspection. like a doe’s gaze caught in the headlights, his gaze flickers to the pretty girl she introduces as fennec, whom lingers on the outskirts, before it flees back to niamh where it rests; wild and unsure.

these wolves are not like the thieves, he tells himself.

rasalas’ still young enough to want to give into the belief that they really just want to help him. niamh’s been nothing but kind and gentle and motherly to him. he stays silent, attention focusing on what ever assessment eljay makes of his wounds.

Eljay hadn't even noticed Fennec was there until Niamh mentioned her. His gaze swept around briefly, then back to Niamh and the boy. She mentioned his injured cheek, but Eljay did not see it until the boy turned his head towards him. He frowned and studied the wounds. You don't know what happened? he asked Niamh, wishing he knew at least what had caused the wounds. It's a bad place for wounds. I don't know if.. He trailed off, not wanting to say that the boy might never recover physically from these wounds, that they may always leave a scar. Instead, he said: I'll do my best.

Eljay turned to Fennec and said, Fennec? Can you clean the wounds on his face? Be careful not to be too rough. I'll collect some herbs. Eljay was not confident he could find the ones he needed, but he needed to try at least. He was glad for the assistance so he had someone to clean the wounds while he searched. Eljay rushed off, leaving no space for objections, to find plants.

Niamh flicked her tail, feelnig as though Eljay might potentially be questioning her methods with the boy, for having not asked how he'd gotten his injures. Honestly, that information wasn't at the top of her priority list; she hadn't wanted to pry, and part of her wanted to turn a blind eye to wherever it was he'd come from. He was hers, now. So she hadn't asked questions. The boy had been too sore to speak, anyhow, and she hadn't wanted to pain him by forcing him to speak. He would, on his own good time. 

When he trailed off, Niamh realized that he might have caused the boy to worry. She gave him a soft nudge, and regarded him with a soft, proud smile- making sure to tilt the side of her face raked by cougar claws toward him for him to see. "Then he might end up with some scars? That's no problem. Scars are pretty badass." She said. 

He then left Fennec in charge of cleaning Rasalas' facial wounds, which baffled Niamh. Let the blind girl try to not be too rough with wounds she couldn't even see? Eljay ran off, so Niamh took no shame in changing the plans. "C'mere an' help me keep him warm an' tidy him up. I'll take care of his wounds," She said to Fennec, should she choose to help out...But Niamh wasn't prepared to chance the pain it might cause Rasalas to have someone who couldn't see his injuries to know which ones were more painful. "I'll take a look at your mug, hmm?" She said, tilting her muzzle back, to cue him to do the same so she could clean the wound better.

Fennec heard Eljay call to her for help and, though she wouldn't admit it, pride swelled in her.  She couldn't... wow.  She couldn't remember a time, ever, when any packmate had casually asked for her help.  She'd intended to lurk, and to listen, and instead she already was being given a role to play.

One that was immediately removed by Niamh, who instead relegated her to what she normally was.  A stand in, a body.  Instantly pride changed to insult and a low, choking rage that surprised even her.  It was so sudden that she couldn't even hide it like she usually did.. the hurt showed clearly on her face, flashing before disappearing into neutral annoyance.

No.  He told me.  You're the one who doesn't know what you are doing, move.  She stepped forward with a confidence that wasn't really warranted and made for Niamh, nudging her (with more force than was polite) to try and do as Eljay asked.

The move served two purposes... it gave her the excuse to let out a sliver of what she'd bottled, but it also showed her the direction that Niamh was facing.  She could use that, and the scent of the blood, to carefully find the boy's face.  

It was just as likely Niamh would shut her down, especially since Fennec's words had a cold authority to them that belied Niamh's rank. But she wasn't about to let that insult go without a fight.

with his belly full — or as full as it could be at the moment — rasalas has a clear mind to focus on the constant smarting of his infected wounds. the pain cobwebs in his brain, spreading throughout until it was near all he could think about. he doesn’t pay much attention as eljay examines him, and though his ears flick with hesitant turmoil at the mention of the wounds being in a bad spot and that he’ll get ‘badass’ scars, he can’t decide how he feels about it. it didn’t matter, really. he didn’t have a choice in the matter of how his sinew and flesh healed and so he would have no choice but to accept.

presently, though, the pain consumes him.

at niamh’s address, he obediently tilts his muzzle towards her, teeth clenching only to recoil from them as the pretty girl comes forth and snaps at niamh. he doesn’t want to be involved in their fight even though he was, more or less, the catalyst for it in the first place.

No.

No?

The blunt reply caused Niamh to stiffen and jerk her head to stare, suddenly, at the young, gilded woman who flatly displayed an indignant annoyance that Niamh would have recognized had she ever taken a moment to consider how she herself looked whenever she felt an injustice had occurred. The impudence, however, struck a chord with Niamh who took Fennec's persistence as an underhanded way of saying that Eljay's word was held in higher regard than hers. Perhaps if she'd taken a moment to reflect, she might have realized that in this situation, of course, Eljay was the one to defer to, in terms of medical opinion. 

She felt a flash of restraint pass through her mind as she reminded herself that this was Towhee and Phox's child, albeit a young adult now. She didn't realize how much of an affront she'd created, in redirecting Fennec's help- so it surprised her to have the girl draw near and give her a command. She was still stunned when Fennec gave her a gentle but well-placed shove, accented by a command. 

Move.

When Rasalas moved away, shying from Fennec's abrupt gesture, Niamh went into Mama bear mode. 
Driven by instinct, Niamh did as she was asked- and backed up a pace. Soundlessly, she lowered her head, crouched, and returned the gesture- but with much more force, intending to headbutt Fennec square in the shoulder, hoping it would send the girl sprawling and teach her a lesson about disrespecting her superiors, without having to use her teeth. She reflected for a moment that Towhee and Phox might've hated to see the display- but Niamh was in no mood to be trifled with, and was still disappointed with her packmates. Keeping the sour girl in her peripheral vision, should she decide to get rough again, Niamh calmly turned back to Rasalas, and gave him a soothing lick to the top of his head, and gently began to tend to his wounds.

since this happens quick, going to skip Eljay <3 let me know if that's a problem!

Niamh not only didn't listen... but she shoved back.  Fennec was in no way expecting this, and since she couldn't see it coming, Niamh's movement did just as she intended.  It sent her sprawling.

Her mind went absolutely blank for a moment.  She'd gone from feeling important, needed, to feeling like a pup cast aside in an instant and it was too much for the blind girl to take.  She wasn't great at taking insults on the best day, but this was not a good one.  Not anymore.

Fucking bitch, she spat, feeling her breathing begin to quicken as the anger rose.  Fennec's jaw was tightly clenched, but she knew better than to get into a fight with her step-mother right now.  Instead, she got to her feet and stalked off, refusing to stay and do as Niamh had told her.  Maybe Penn was right to leave when he did.  Maybe she should have gone with.

no problem, since he was off anyway!

Eljay was gone so quickly that he totally missed the fight happening, so consumed was his brain with the injuries and finding the right herbs. Had he been present he might've completely uncharacteristically interfered, as he wouldn't have stood for Fennec's dismissal nor questioning of his authority as caretaker. But as it were, he had no clue what was going on.

It took him some time to gather the right stuff. He didn't really find what he wanted, but he found something to chew on against the pain at least. They'd just have to clean the wounds really well other than that. It was what it was -- the flood had ruined most of his stocks and the plants on the ground to boot.

When he returned, presumably with Niamh having cleaned the wound, he was surprised to find that Fennec had left. Eljay first turned to the boy, inspected the wounds to see how they looked clean and if there was any bleeding, and then put down some plants in front of him. These are for chewing on, it should ease the pain a bit. He smiled softly and reassuringly, hoping to put the boy at ease a bit.

Then he turned to Niamh and asked, Where's Fennec? with a mix of worry and confusion in his voice.

the fighting needles at rasalas’ fight or flight instinct that hinders too much, presently, on flight. it reminds him of how the wolves of the thieves had bickered and snapped at one another; frequently. they often left each other bloody and with bits of ear of chunks of flesh missing — evidenced by the wounds on his face. initiation they’d called it. punishment, rasalas knew they’d really meant.

fennec and niamh didn’t draw blood but it ends with hostility snapping in the air with cruel words the blind girl spits at his caretaker. the male returns, inspects his wounds, and sits some plants in front of him assuring him that they’ll help ease the pain. rasalas sniffs at them curiously, uncertain, but eventually begins to nibble on one cautiously.

Indignantly, the beige yearling swore at her and stomped off, but was given little mind by the ruffled Regent. "Teenagers," She sighed softly to Rasalas as she quietly continued to fuss over him, exhibiting all the tenderness of a mother tending to a newborn child. He seemed tense, but following the conflict, Niamh's own anxiety level dropped back down to normal, and she dismissed Fennec as easily as she might've ignored a pesky fly. 

Eljay returned and she deferred to the medic, allowing him near the child without any fuss. He brought some medicines with him- plants Niamh didn't recognize, at least not in fragments. Eljay questioned Fennec's absence, but she would wait until Rasalas had nibbled a bit at the herbs before she answered, calm and cool. "With all due respect to you, I dismissed her. He's a child- he's lost, and a bit overwhelmed right now, Eljay," She said softly. "I've cleaned many wounds before and felt it better if I did so, rather than someone who is both a novice and a stranger to him." She said, with as much respect as she felt was due. But in her opinion, it hadn't been a sound decision to ask Fennec to treat Rasalas, as she had no idea that Fennec was in training.

The first priority was to get Rasalas' wounds cleaned and to get him warm, fed and comfortable — all else could wait. When he was sure there weren't any matters of life and death he could further reflect on whatever else. Niamh said that she dismissed Fennec, which sounded strange to Eljay. Why? a voice in his head asked, but he didn't say it out loud. Niamh elaborated nonetheless and in the moment and the adrenaline of hurrying back and forth to fetch the right things to heal the boy, Eljay just said: Oh... Okay. He felt a weird knot in his stomach that he couldn't quite place in the moment, but something that made him feel anxious and flustered. It was plain to see on his face that he felt taken aback, but Eljay didn't say any more on the matter; it would take some time for him to reflect and to realise how hurt he was, himself, in his judgement not being taken seriously enough.

For now he just nodded and inspected Rasalas' wounds. That's about as much as we can do. It'll take regular cleaning and rest from here on. Eljay wished there was more he could do -- apply herb mixtures or whatnot -- but honestly, this was the worst possible timing for something like this. He opened his mouth, curious where the boy had come from and who his parents were, but in the end he shut it again. Now wasn't the time for these things. Eljay glanced at the boy and said: I'll check up on you regularly to make sure the wounds are clean and give you more of that, if you need it, alright? He smiled softly, hoping to reassure him that everything was going to be alright. They could handle finding his parents and home at a later time.

WC: 289. Archiving this due to inactivity.

She didn't want to go into any more detail about what had transpired between herself and Fennec, and fortunately, Eljay seemed as though he wasn't terribly inclined to ask. Not just yet, anyway, and not in front of the shy child who'd wandered home with her. The quiet boy was somewhat hesitant to ingest the herbs- and she couldn't blame him, they often tasted fairly nasty, especially if they were dry. But he was a good lad, and did what he was told while Eljay had the time to check him over and come to more of a conclusion. As far as Niamh could tell, it was quite likely that these scars would scab over and then leave scars that might never really give him a normal smile. She doubted that some parts of his lips would even heal enough to cover his teeth- but she, as well as anyone else knew, that it was more important they fight the infection that had set in, first.

“There, that's a good li'l man,” She said, as her new ward finished the herbs he'd been given. She nodded to Eljay, taking in his advice and agreeing to it. “I'll keep it clean. Now let's get you somewhere warm, hmm?” She said softly to the child. She felt bad, making him move again- but he would be safer, warmer and more comfortable in her den. “Thanks Eljay, for the help. I'll call you again soon, or feel free to stop by and check in on him, but we'll be at my den,” She said, extending an open invitation for the medic to continue caring for the young one while he healed, before she escorted the young lad to his new home.