Heron Lake Plateau Is it for the best? My reputation's never been worse

Fiadh's words struck a chord inside Raven as she found herself agreeing with the girl. The medic missed the place of her birth more than she could really find the words to describe, and while she had thought Towhee's reasons for moving them here were pretty solid -- she certainly didn't want to spend the rest of her life worrying about Blackfeather terrorizing them further -- she still wished they could have stayed. When Fiadh asked her how she felt, she shrugged and answered, "I feel the same way you do. It's nice, but it's not like home." Now that she was alpha, she did have the authority to move the pack wherever she wanted, and it was something that lingered on her mind quite a bit. But Fiadh's little brothers were too young to make that trip again, and if Raven herself was pregnant now, she didn't think that journey was feasible anytime soon.

The girl's next words were on an entirely different subject but the alpha's ears perked with interest, especially when she inquired about Raven's own trade. Now that was something she loved to talk about, and anytime someone showed an interest in it, the medic was happy to share. "Deciding which trade you want can be hard," she agreed with a nod. "But you don't have to choose just one single thing. I'm a medic, but I'm also a midwife -- that means I help with pregnancy and puppy-birth. I also know a lot about plants so I'm working on becoming a botanist too...or I might be a counselor, who knows? If there are a lot of things you're good at or you're interested in, there's no need to restrict yourself to just one."

She paused for a beat to ensure the girl understood, then continued, "Personally, I think the caregiver trade is the most valuable one in the pack. Warriors and hunters are all necessary, sure, but when they come home all banged up, someone has to patch them up or they won't be able to continue doing their jobs. Caregivers treat wounds and sickness, manage pain, tend to pregnant and nursing mothers -- which also means hunting for them to ensure they can continue feeding their pups -- babysit puppies, and pretty much anything else that's needed to keep the pack healthy and thriving. It's a tough job and you don't get a lot of glory, but it's so rewarding. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a wounded wolf get back on his feet, or a sick wolf eat again for the first time in days -- all because of my help. There's no better feeling." Raven became aware that she was rambling on, and she smiled a bit apologetically. Fiadh had unintentionally blundered into one of her favorite subjects, and while she tended to be a somewhat quiet person, when it came to the subject of her trade, Raven could jabber on forever.