Blackwater Islands I won't unfold

only if you like, otherwise this is totally aw!

This also might be the wrong sister lol, let me know if so!

Bridget hadn't forgotten her promise to @The Listener and, finally, spent some time seeking out @Cerulean. She didn't know many specifics outside of the fact that she meant to train. It would be interesting to see what she knew since Bridget herself was pretty new to this region of the wilds. Part of her delay had been doing her own research, finding replacements for remedies she'd already known and waiting for the weather to warm some.

There was still a slight chill to the air as she slipped through the deeper parts of the island's growth, but spring was definitely breaking.

growth was abundant both around her and inside her.  she felt better about her worth as an ambassador after learning of redtail rise on her own.  she would need to meet with the listener soon.

it was bridget she found instead, silhouetted against her surroundings.  she had been meaning to meet with the girl after visiting brecheliant.  she offered a noise to grab her attention and made her way over. 

hello, bridget. she says.  i don't believe we've been formally introduced, but i am marina.

Bridget was startled when she didn't find someone, but instead, a wolf found her. She swung around to face her, smiling, but overbalanced herself in the process and had to awkwardly correct for it. She ended up nearly eating dirt and laughing for a solid moment at how stupid that probably looked.

Shit, sorry! Hey, Marina. That's a really gorgeous name. I'm Bridget. And, actually, I think I was looking for you? The woman was one that the medic hadn't met, and the only real specifics Bridget knew at the moment was that the girl she was supposed to train was unfamiliar. If you are looking for training? I'm a healer, and the Listener asked me to teach you.

bridget begins by apologizing, though cerulean doesn't understand why.  she glosses over bridget's clumsiness, offering her the space to get used to balancing.

she hums instead, offering a soft smile.  it's okay.  thank you.  it's good to meet you.  it had felt awkward to deliver her message to brecheliant without having spoken first.  oh?  i think you're looking for one of my sisters.  there are three of us, and we all look pretty much the same.  different enough you could tell them apart if you knew who they were, but same enough that their blood could not be questioned.  they are healers.  i'm the one who isn't.  but i am the one who delivered your message to brecheliant.

she pauses.  that's okay, though.  i travel often, and it would be good to train under you, in case anything happens while i am away.  she hoped she wouldn't succumb to some injury out in the wilds ... but she truly never knew what this life had in store.

Oh. Shit. Well, I'll have to track them down eventually. She waved a paw off-handedly, then focused back in on Cerulean. Not only was she lovely, she was perhaps the first openly friendly wolf Bridget had met aside from the Listener. But she also lacked that masked, enshrouded feeling that set the medic somewhat on edge around the latter.

Even moreso when she mentioned delivering the message! Her face lit up with relief to hear that they had heard. Did you see a wolf named Teya there? Gods, thank you! I hated the thought of them thinking I just up and vanished on them. Let alone looking! It was embarrassing enough as it was.

And honestly, I'd be happy to show you some basics. It'll give me a break from running circles around this island. Literally and figuratively. Bonus that, while they spoke, Bridget could tease out bits of news from back home.

her tail gave an eager wag as bridget mentioned teya.  cerulean quite liked teya, from what little they had spoken.  yes, i did! everyone was thrilled to hear that you were safe.  she offered a smile that was perhaps less reserved than she might have otherwise displayed.  i have been meaning to speak with you. i am not sure when you would like to return home, or when she was capable, for that matter, but i offered to escort you halfway to at least visit with some members of brecheliant. i told them we would hold off until spring, when we do not have to worry so much about ice and snow.

she returned to the subject at hand. where would you like to begin?

Halfway to visit. Bridget wasn't expecting the surge of homesickness that overwhelmed her, hearing that. She had found a purpose here, but in a few ways, it was still hollow. I've already been gone too long. It was hard to imagine how much time she had already lost. She'd considered the idea of staying, for a time, but she'd always known in her heart that she couldn't.

I'd really appreciate that. When spring comes, I'll make it happen, whenever you can. She added, smiling with a flicker of competitive resolve. The spring allowance was for her sake, she imagined, but she wasn't about to admit to needing anything more than that. She'd get there one way or the other.

What do you know about pain treatments? That one could be useful, especially if they were looking to take a long trip. If her legs got sore, there were things she could take at night to make travel the next day easier.

cerulean could certainly empathize.  though their situations were not remotely similar, the feeling of homesickness spread like contagion from one woman to the other.  it was not too long ago that the sisters had fled their homeland.

the difference was: they'd never be welcome back.

she wears a pained expression until bridget finds her solution, then turns her attention to the task at hand.  the distraction would be useful for them both.

little, she admits.  the only cure i know of are poppy seeds.  but i know you have to be careful with them, and i don't really understand what they do.

Bridget nodded when she mentioned poppy seeds, internally wondering what kind of experience she'd had with them. It was odd for a wolf's only knowledge to be in medicine that was so powerful and so dangerous.

It's a last resort. She replied. While that likely varies depending on the medic, Bridget was steadfast on it. Poppies were not something to be given lightly or if anything else was possible. They can hurt more than they help otherwise, and I've seen wolves destroyed by it. There's less powerful things, like willow and ginger roots, that also work.

That did sound a little over dramatic without an explanation, maybe. Poppies can make a wolf sleep more easily. But they can also make them lose touch with reality, and a lot of wolves who take them have a hard time stopping. Especially if they need the escape. Normally Bridget wasn't quite this serious, but there were certain things that she couldn't joke about or take lightly. As a doctor, her number one task was to help those in need. And anytime she gave poppy seeds, she had to accept the fact that she might be subjecting another wolf to a lifelong struggle.

fear struck deep within her heart.  they were to be used with caution.  did zuli know?  she had realized this kind of ignorance could be fatal — it's why they were here in the first place — but how many herbs held harm within them?  how could she ever know?

thank you, she said.  i didn't know.  she sounded almost ashamed, but pivoted quickly back to the topic at hand.  are willow and ginger roots easy to find?  could they be used for my legs?

Your legs? There was nothing apparently wrong with her but you never could tell. She could have been speaking of something chronic, like an old injury, or the soreness of travel. It depended. If it's muscles, I would use willow. That and heat, if you can find it. If you can't, sometimes the cold will help similarly. She'd soaked sore muscles in the river before, but it had been a while since she found a place with heat.

Medicines are tricky, though. Sometimes treating a problem is as simple as helping a wolf to sleep easier. And sometimes it takes something more. It never hurts to start small. She definitely sounded like she was lecturing now, and as soon as she realized it, Bridget laughed. Sorry. I have a lot of opinions, but you can thank the wolf who taught me. She'd have skinned my tail if I even thought of mistreating someone with too strong a dose.