Bearclaw Valley buffet froid

The regions in the north were ripe with illness. There was flooding down south, beyond the Wilds. Here, in the happy middle, Stryx could be found toiling against the snow, embittered as per usual. Her thin limbs looked all the more haggard for the tuck of her belly. She hadn't had a proper hot meal in some time.

Stryx had journeyed far in her search for an untainted bit of meat. It was unfortunate that she should arrive here, to this valley of bears, unaware of the return of its original inhabitants.

Her hope to find something to fill the empty hole that was her stomach went out the proverbial window when she came upon a fresh marking in the snow — yellow and steaming, a potent reminder she was not actually alone.

the last joiner who had come to ursus had not gained entry.
merrick watched from his place among the long cold shadows of the primeval forest.
she stood staring at an ursine blot on the border and his lips skinned back in a silent smile.
"who seeks the bearwolves?" merrick intoned, his voice filling the air but he himself still hidden for now.

If a raven could speak, that's what this voice would have sounded like. Cutting through the air in a way that was unnatural. Each fricative too harsh; and somehow also, reverent. An undercurrent of threat.

Stryx wasn't oblivious to the nature of the world. She kept herself as alert as she could be, given the weakness caused by her hunger, and the pounding in the base of her skull from an ever-present migraine.

I seek lunch, she all but groaned, looking for him. As her eyes sought a shape but found nothing, she steeled herself. But the name is Stryx. I'm a physician.

The way he looked at her, she wondered if she'd gotten that backwards.

"lunch could be arranged," merrick called conversationally. he bounded from the underbrush as though it had been nothing more than a game. the woman was skin and bones to his eye, and starvelings often made desperate servants.
"a physician. we already have one of those, stryx." his single eye burned over her. "what else can you do?"

The voice was housed within a one-eyed vulturine man. He could have been in his prime, or older, given the condition of his body. She could not be certain at first glance and was not inclined to let her eye linger upon him.

The woman scowled upon hearing her name upon his tongue, which wasn't much different from the general look of disappointment she wore at all times.

I have delivered children for countless women. It was part of the package. Some physicians specialized in one thing or another — not Stryx, if she could help it. Perhaps this slight difference would be worth something to the creature.

How old is your physician? I could teach them plenty, then be on my way once the winter eases. It would be some time before the thaw came, but spring was right around the corner. Rare enough to have one with medical knowledge — but one such as crotchety old Stryx? A bargain, for a bite.

merrick chuckled. he enjoyed the way her face shifted from dour to sour. there were no women before her. merrick's potential to give birth was sorely impossible.
"it won't be me to make the call then," he decided, his single eye filled with a new light. he called for @Arielle then, summoning their bruin-heart to the border for her regard of a loner with a good offer. "you can meet her for yourself."

The call pulled her from her den where she had been mulling over her plants and how best to mix them for various wounds or sicknesses. As she often did, she wished she had someone who knew more about healing than she did; it was difficult to learn by trial and error. 

She appeared silently at the borders, moving to stand beside Merrick. The healer looked over the stranger; she was scarred and wore a grumpy expression. Arielle wondered if she was in need of medicine, although there was nothing obviously wrong with her. The bruin-heart smiled at the woman before looking expectantly to Merrick to explain why he had summoned her here.

Oh? That this one deferred to another was surprising. He did not seem the type to follow anyone. The call went up, and a girl emerged quickly enough.

She was much younger than the wraith at the gates.

You are the physician? Sighing with open disdain, Stryx did not wait to see if the man would sell her like snake oil, and spoke for herself. This was not the first time she had made a deal with pack wolves.

Your grandfather here, a pivot of one ear towards the one-eyed thing, thinks you need teaching. Girl, what do you know of mothers? Childbirth? What plants can make blood quick to flow, and what can stop it? These she asked in rapid succession; but she did not wait for answers.

I am Stryx. I can teach you these things - for a price. Food, shelter from the season.

It was frustrating enough that she had to sell herself this way, but there was little choice.

merrick chuckled. "i did not say this," but he was more bemused by stryx than anything, and did not correct the stranger's use of grandfather. the young bearwolf would know that he did not question her. "arielle is our bruin-heart," he told the woman. "she has seen war and devised her own medicines."
"but," merrick went on, "we haven't had a need for midwives. yet. that's something new."
he was making a case for stryx, but ultimately he would leave it to arielle. the yet tested the ursus wolf as well; he wanted to see if her face changed, opened, revealed her intentions, her wants.

Arielle was humble enough to know she could benefit from a more experienced healer. More than that, she never wanted any of Ursus to suffer because she did not know how to fix something or cure an illness. So, the woman's offter intrigued her greatly. Of course, she didn't need the bruin-witch to clarify; she knew he did not doubt her abilities. 

She did, however, find it highly amusing that Stryx referred to Merrick as her grandfather. Val had assumed she was his daughter. The healer was neither, though. 

The other healer rattled off questions, her own doubt in Arielle's skill very apparent. But even if she had been given an opportunity to actually answer these questions, the bruin-heart would not have; she was not the one on trial here. Clearly Stryx needed a place for the winter, and she had hoped to barter her useful skills for a place within Ursus. This gruff woman also knew about childbirth, which was not only of interest to her, but also to Merrick. Spring was still some time away, and it was impossible to know how their pack would grow before then. They might have expectant mothers in need of Stryx's vast knowledge. Without invitation, Aventus came to mind then; she suddenly imagined him having children with another and a jealous spark briefly lit her eyes. But she shook off the distracting thought, her expression turning thoughtful. 

Finally, she spoke. Your skills are valuable, she told the other healer. That is obvious. It would be helpful to have her around. But you are wrong to assume that we are the ones in debt to you. We will allow you to stay within Ursus only if you are worthy. She could use their protection and resources in return for her loyalty and willingness to serve the bear; her healing knowledge would only be a bonus. To live here, you must be willing to live with the bears we share the valley with. We can teach you to know and respect them only if you are willing. We can no longer afford to allow closed-minded wolves to live among us.

This girl reminded Stryx very much of herself, but younger. When pyre of cult worship had enflamed her back at home; that was years ago now, lifetimes beyond her. Yet here was this fire-touched girl speaking sharply to the physician of bears and respect and of all things, demanding that Stryx not be close-minded.

A taut look came across Stryx then.
I am willing to live anywhere so long as I can work.

It did not matter what they believed; they could think the bears were gods, they could think themselves walking deities, or that the trees spoke to them. It did not stop the work from being done. Stryx was as devoted to her craft as these wolves were to their own faith, it seemed.

It is my purpose to find those in need of aid, and to aid them. If I can do that here a while, I would very much appreciate the chance to. Even if it was specifically to wait out the worst of the cold to come. How will you know if I am worthy? Stryx looked from girl to grandfather and back, tired of the discussion.

merrick watched between each of them as the bartering was made. he could see how annoyed this stryx was with them both, and he had not missed the brief sheen in arielle's eye before she became smoothed once more.
the healer at their border would not commit to the bears, but she had not outright refused as the last joiner. "are you willing to learn our instruction if you are given a place to practice your craft and a pack for the winter?"
if arielle looked to him now, he would give her a small cold and knowing look, deferring completely to her as final decider upon which skilled leaf-menders could come inside their borders.

The older healer's answer danced around Arielle's question. She was willing to live here but was she willing to be truly loyal to the bear? Only time would tell. The bruin-heart wasn't so sure, but she was willing to see how things would play out. In the meantime, she could learn whatever Stryx was willing to teach her. 

She was at least curious enough to ask how she would know if she was worthy. Merrick answered, although Arielle caught the subtle look he offered her that said it was ultimately her choice. 

Her sunlit gaze studied the other healer's face for a moment before she added: If you can do that, then you can stay here. Only time will tell if you are worthy. If Stryx accepted their terms, soon they would see how serious she was. In the meantime, the bruin-heart would search for answers in her own way.

There was a tense moment between the three of them. Perhaps only Stryx felt it. Her need for food and shelter outweighed anything else at the moment, from her ideals to her loyalties, and she would have said anything. That desperation could've been what drew the wraith to her in the first place.

But it wasn't the wraith that would make the call. It was this girl. The girl who did not appear pleased with whatever Stryx had said. When they began to speak again the physician was all ears — and released a small breath of relief when things went her way.

Good. Thank you. She lamented that she had signed herself over to some cult for a few heartbeats, but moved on. It would not be forever.

A look from girl to man and then, tentitavely, she surveyed the path ahead which wound towards a boulder; everything frosted with snow. So, I'll... Go get settled then. It felt strange to ask for directions; Stryx wasn't used to asking for much of anything.

last for merrick!

it seemed as though stryx had written her mark on the proverbial line.
so far as he was concerned, her tour, her setup, all of that was under arielle's control.
the bruin-witch himself would linger back, standing at the mouth of the valley where dirt became the valley of the elk. and there he would remain after the bruin-heart and the newcomer had disappeared among the trees, thinking unsaid, unheard thoughts to astara.

Stryx was agreeable to the terms, and once it was final that she would be part of Ursus, the bruin-witch left them.

I can show you around if you'd like, she offered. She seemed the type that would want to explore on her own, but she wanted to make sure. If she declined, then the bruin-heart would excuse herself. If she accepted, then Arielle would motion for her to follow as she made her way from the borders.

The woman paused when she heard the girl's voice and appeared to deliberate over what to do next.

Stryx was accustomed to figuring everything out herself — she was independent and resilient because of that. But, in an effort to play nice with the locals it would be good to have an escort.

She moved to make room for the girl, and when they were on their way across the threshold the woman murmured, thank you.

I'll archive here?