Wapun Meadow Bigscale

After a patrol along the edges of the creek, Swordfish had ventured out into the free land. His mind roamed to Riverclan and the blue-eyed girl who lived there. He had not missed the times her scent had crossed into their land, had mingled with the creek wolves. She was familiar with them, he’d found. There was an easy pleasure about her.

Pausing in the stretch of meadow, the young seafarer lifted his head to the blowing wind and drank in the scents that it carried. Swordfish hadn’t visited the wolves of Kvarsheim. He’d considered going to their pack to ask about their purpose, about their members. The boy couldn’t muster the social effort. It would exhaust him to go and exhaust him further if he had to make small talk with strangers.

A rabbit caught his eye as it raced across the snow.

Swordfish thought of the cliffs and the beach.

dont mind me....

being away from home was easier than waiting for the next conversation with gunnar.

now he had even more to press her about! which kept her even more distant. a vicious cycle in which she preferred the open spaces beyond kvarsheim. she consider going to riverclan for a time. if crowfeather might teach her for a day or two.

something to occupy her mind.

but here she was. far from kvarsheim and riverclan, in a meadow.

faced with a familiar boy.

this time she did not meet him with a flare of protective energy. an almost tired, melancholy air about her now.

a rabbit ran and she looked from it to the boy. did he intend to take it?

<333!!!

The rabbit was not the only creature moving on four paws.

Hooded eyes fell on a pale-furred girl. Her features were striking enough to remind him that he had seen her before. It had been with Germanicus. She had not wanted them near-

Swordfish sniffed at the ground again. His ears swiveled, uncertain. Without the strength of the other man, he didn’t feel as bold, as willing to approach the girl. She had been firm with her desire for them to leave. She had not carried the same friendliness as the wolves from Riverclan.

Ya gonna bite? he chuffed in a drab voice.

she did not understand.

hooded blue eyes looked at him. then looked sidelong towards the meadow. wondering what it was like to be a rabbit. free and bouncing.

bite?

her own voice was soft, uncertain.

The girl echoed one word of his question.

Swordfish sighed through his nose, wondering. She didn’t look at him with the same ferocity. There was a softer approach to her paws, to her spoken word. Even though she did not give him an answer, she didn’t appear to seek battle.

Yeah, are ya gonna bite… me?

Had she forgotten their last meeting? Swordfish thought it might have been too fleeting for her to hold his face in her memory. If her adrenaline had been racing, it wouldn’t be a surprise that she would forget the tense encounter they had shared.

bite.

me.

she still did not understand what he meant with the first word, but somehow it involved him. was it a name? a title?

there was an awkward anxiety in asking for further explanation.

so she allowed herself to just...assume! for better or for worse.

she raised a paw to her chest. bjarna. then turned to motion at him. bite?

Bjarna she said with a paw to her chest.

Swordfish squinted at her, deciding that it would be her name whether it was accurate or not. He had already lost a great deal of his patience for the language barrier they seemed to have. Yet she carried on and repeated the word bite when pointing back to him.

The boy with the red tail nodded his head.

Bjarna no bite, he urged her in his dry voice. Swordfish didn’t want to scuffle with this one. He didn’t need to stir up trouble for one of Akavir’s alliance packs.

no.

so whatever bite was, he did not wish bjarna (her) to do it (bite) — which...she could only supposed was a fair request.

truthfully she did not know.

regardless she continued their tired exchange of wary olive branches.

need halp?

The boy was almost exasperated in his look to her.

Swordfish thought the question was too vague to give a proper answer. Of course, he needed help. The look of him alone would bring that question to the forefront. Claws that had raked his ribs and put the fear of all beasts in the pit of the young wolf’s stomach would be the next to inspire such a query.

The better question was – could anyone help him?

No, just lookin’ fer a- he didn’t even have an excuse for his actions or his presence.

Ya heal? he asked her without finishing his original statement. A curious tilt of his head was made.

heal.

this word she knew and it showed in the soft lighting of her tired features. it inspired a good feeling, warm and positive in place of all the confusion she felt lately.

bjarna heal.

she offered back, a soft shifting of her weight between large paws. a tentative swing of her tail.

now she looked at him as a healer, wondering what ailed him most in this moment.

The defensiveness of his features gave way to something defeated, something hurt. 

Bjarna said that she could heal. She looked at him expectantly. The girl’s eyes were softer than before. Swordfish understood that she had only been protecting her home, before. Their gap in language could only add to the difficulty of the scenario. 

Could Bjarna heal what had been severed inside? He did not think so. 

The redtailed boy shifted to show his ribs. Torn open by the bear and tested by the fear that had chased him from home. Sadness swam in his heavy-lidded stare.

she was reminded of coming upon silvertongue.

of caring for the sick woman, of tending to her until she was well enough to return home. she thought of how she could do this for the boy too.

that she might keep him near for some time, mend these things as long as it took.

bjarna heal.

words repeated but her voice was soft with a carefully placed confidence now.

she motioned for him to settle upon the earth — and she dared a step closer. hoping to sniff softly over the wounds and see the depth of them upon his flesh.

The pale girl repeated herself. In this, her voice shared confidence. It was placed softly in her words. It did not overwhelm the message, only solidified. Then, her paws drew her nearer to the wayward boy. Bjarna motioned for him to take a place on the ground. Her snout reached out to inspect. 

Swordfish eyed her for a moment. He complied with a quiet grunt, sinking to his elbows before his belly pressed to the earth. He had experienced the touch of several healers since the bear had attacked. They had each cared for him in their own way. 

Broken, he muttered to the girl. Swordfish could not meet her eyes in saying this. It felt pathetic. He felt weak and wrong. The kindness she had shown on her face would surely break him, and he could not allow himself to be broken down further. What would remain?

selfishly, she thought of bringing him to kvarsheim.

of laying him to sleep in her empty space, of tending to him with herbs and a soft touch. to heal him as long as it took.

for the damage was far greater than anything she had seen before. at once she thought of her mother and it softly scrunched her features. somebody had come for her in her time of need.

now bjarna passed this along like a hereditary claim.

she did not touch it in fear of hurting him, but she did not have any herbs upon her now to pack wounds with or offer him for relaxation.

bjarna need — ah, what was the word? planta. jurt. she said to him now.

for you.

and still she wished to coax him back to kvarsheim.

There wasn’t much to be done, it seemed.

Swordfish looked to the pale girl as she gathered her thoughts. She spoke that she needed something – plants and then another word that he thought was hurt. It was silly to think that she would mend him as she was, that she carried the power inside her.

Aye, alright.

What did that mean?

Y’want me to come visit ya? In yer place? Swordfish asked. He was certain she wouldn’t understand. Truth be told, the young seafarer wasn’t confident what she expected. The boy wasn’t keen on laying in the dirt until she found her way back with what was needed. Akavir would wonder where he’d gone. Worse yet, Moss would expect him for their lessons. He didn’t wish to find out what happened when he never showed up.

she did not grasp his question in full, but there words she picked up on.

enough to nod softly and then she gestured back towards kvarsheim. where tall stones would loom like a beacon. a series of lighthouses to guide those who needed it.

kvarsheim. you come.

he would be welcomed, this she would make sure of.

bjarna heal.

im very down for something up to date if u'd like <33

I will make it right now! <33

Just as he had allowed himself to sink, Swordfish pushed himself to rise. Too young to mask the pinch of pain, he winced as he found his footing.

Bjarna said that he should come to Kvarsheim, that she would heal him there. He had already journeyed to the Riverclan wolves to see what they could make of his wounds. They had done some work and asked him to return. The boy thought he might seek assistance from whoever could offer it. Bjarna, the clan wolves, it did not matter. Swordfish needed to heal so that he could kill the bear.

Alright, he agreed in his sullen voice. I’ll bring ya some meat.

It would only be fair, if she was intent on helping. The redtail pointed himself toward the creek. The walk back would eat his remaining strength. If he was lucky, he could rest for a few days, hunt, and then return to the pale healer.

Thanks, Swordfish offered to Bjarna, glancing over his shoulder to get one last look at her.

he gave thanks.

she watched him with a warm, careful gaze. she continued to look as far as she could see him.

the direction he went off in was not one she knew and yet she felt she might soon. one day, perhaps.

it was time for her to turn away to kvarsheim and prepare a place of rest for him.