Firefly Ravine Bittersweet Berries and Stinging Nettles

Intended for @Pepper and @Kekoa

Feeling bitter from previous events, Phobos lay splayed out on the opposite side of the ravine in a corpse-like fashion.

His tired eyes stared at the water below, gaze unmoving.

The river was only a short way away, roughly a half-hour walk. By the time the two arrived, their wounds had scabbed over and fresh blood no longer dripped. 

He had the advantage of a pack with knowledge on how to treat a wound. He figured the kid did not. This is all he could offer. 

As they approached, he smelled someone familiar. Had he really stayed here? Pepper had warned him more than once that he needed help. 

They approached the river, and the black and white wolf laid on the other side. He looked lifeless. 

Pepper turned to the kid. "Stay here. I'll be back." 

He'd rather not have the kid present. He crossed the chest deep water, wading toward the black and white wolf. "Phobos?" he said, searching for any sort of reaction.

He gave a slight nod in response to the request, staring across the ravine as Pepper approached a wolf he did not know.

There was little else to do, so he sat.

His head shot up with the sound of a familiar voice, but his expression remained dull at the sight of Pepper.

"Oh - you." He offered a purposefully, and clearly forced grin, with a furrow of his brow. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"You look rough," he said. "Still ain't eatin'?"

He really hadn't wanted to run into Phobos. He figured they'd left things neat and tidy last time. Pepper wanted something and Phobos wanted something else. Nothing else needed saying.

He raised an eyebrow at the question. "I've ate when I needed to - I'm trying to stay trim."

An attempt at humor - though it may not be the best time for it.

"You like you got ripped into though - did you lose a fight to a squirrel?" Somewhat rude, but more of a rip into Kekoa if anything.

We can skip the kid till they're back across

Pepper hardly found the wolf's joke funny. 

"No." He turned his head to glance at the dunce that sat across. Was he really just going to sit there? Did he need Pepper to tell him how to clean himself? 

"Kid was pissin' me off." He turned back to face Phobos.

"You aren't here to see me then I'm assuming, since he's tagged along."

He glanced to the young wolf sat across the ravine. Big - lot's of fur too. Had to be a pain to bite around.

"Why's he just sat there? Is he waiting for you?"

"No. Thought you would've been smart enough to find a place to stay," he said, bluntly. 

He glanced back again, the wolf still sitting still. He rolled his eyes, returning to Phobos. 

"Far as I can tell. He's just a dumb kid."

"I'm smart enough to know how to live on my own." He responded. He then stood, nuzzling his head into Pepper's side - supposedly forgiving him for whatever had left him so bothered.

Something was different.

"Dumb kid aside, your scent has changed." He furrowed his brow, confused by his findings.

Pepper let him, but he didn’t reciprocate. Not yet. 

”Unlike you, I know my limits. Found a pack, since this leg thing won’t clear up.” And hip thing, and neck thing, and..everywhere. Including his face, now, which burned uncomfortably. 

”You know I wasn’t jus’ tryin’ to woo you with a meal, right?” 

Sure he wouldn’t have said no. But the two things were..well, almost entirely unrelated.

Ignoring the initial response, he focused on the second comment. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, those words were nice to hear.

"I thought you were taking pity on me more than anything, but no, the sudden leap forwards didn't help my mood."

He felt a slight twinge of guilt. He hadn't exactly been understanding that night.

”I was,” he started, am, taking pity on you. But I’m not s’ good at readin’ others.” he’d told him that already. ”An’ I thought it was pretty clear we were both wantin’ the same.” he’d said that too, but Phobos hadn’t seemed like he’d respond in insult this afternoon. 

He glanced over to see the kid still sitting there. At least he was obedient.

His eyes darted away as he thought his response through. He had been scared; scared that if he gave it up Pepper would have taken it as compensation and left him. But he couldn't say that, it was humiliating.

"How about we call it a misunderstanding and move on then?" He decided, looking back to meet the other's eyes.

"Though if you didn't have company today I might have given in. Too bad!" He made his teasing a bit more obvious this time, a smug grin returning to his muzzle.

He stared across the shore. Just what were the pair talking about?

They must be good friends, he decided. Nothing more to it then that.

Pepper let his weak tail sway behind him. It was a misunderstanding, and he was glad they could agree to call it that. 

He offered Phobos a bloody lick across the muzzle, purposefully lingering for a moment. 

"Told 'im I'd show em where to clean up. How 'bout you patch 'em up, send 'em on 'is way." He'd let Phobos piece together what he was implying. Though he also hoped the wolf knew Pepper was fine simply being alone with him, if he'd rather that.

Phobos considered the offer momentarily before nodding, returning the display of affection with a lick of his own.

"Sure. I have some time on my hands."

It was good for him to let his guard down - he knew that. He should let himself enjoy this.

"An' after, I'll get ya some food." 

No strings attached, really. 

"I banged him up pretty good. Got anything to clean out wounds? He's a dumb kid. Wanted to teach him a lesson, not give him a deadly infection."

"Get yourself something too - I'd rather not eat alone." He responded.

"There should be something I can use nearby - but he's young. He'll survive."

He had to admit, he was excited to spend some time with Pepper. He just needed to treat the kid and send him off - it was irritating, but worth it.

He figured he should also take whatever Phobos scrounged up for Kekoa. Unlike him, he was not young, and wounds weren't as quick to heal up. They liked to sit for a while. He hoped it wouldn't be cause for questioning with Sapphique. He'd rather not tell them he got annoyed and bit a wolf. 

He waded back across to meet the kid. 

"This is Phobos. He'll patch ya up." he said, introducing the black and white wolf.

A healer - that was lucky. He looked over the stranger in front of him; he was thin. Too thin.

"Do you not eat?"

It came out a bit rude, but his intention was to show some form of concern.

He furrowed a brow at the question. He could see why Pepper had given him a beating now.

"Do you want me to help you or not? Are you looking to lose a limb?" He responded.

This was a favor to Pepper - otherwise he wouldn't bother to help this child. He had nothing to offer him, and he should be old enough to care for himself.

He quieted down quick with that, ears dropping. Offering a nod in response, he decided that his questions could be saved for later. Now didn't seem to be the best time.

The big wolf glared at the kid, letting Phobos handle it. Though if there were to be any limb removal, he’d be on standby. 

He was still hungry and already quite irritated. It wouldn’t take a lot for Kekoa to push him too far. 

He decided to lay on the river until the two were finished.

Speeding through this bit

He trotted off, foraging for what would look like little more than miscellaneous leaf's to the pair.

Returning from a patch of trees close by he carried a vine of leaves, a brown mushroom, and what looked to be cobwebs. Without a word he began Kekoa's treatment as he approached him - carefully grinding the leaves with his teeth and rubbing the poultice to his wounds before using the cobwebs to seal it in.

Once he was satisfied he pushed the mushroom towards the young wolf. "Take this."