Blacktail Deer Plateau The road outside my house is paved with good intentions

"No need to thank me, love," she murmured, freckled muzzle sweeping across his dark back comfortingly. "I'm just glad that I can be of some use," she added, a wry grin twisting her lips against him. 

"We could try giving you small doses once a day? If it's not strong enough, we could then bump it up to two doses a day," she suggested softly. 

"I have some stored in the atrium," the healer whispered, gently untangling herself from him. With a soft brush of her muzzle, she quietly slipped from their den and padded beyond the pool of water. The moon was reflected in the mirror-like oasis, its pale light guiding her to the stone cairns. 

Quiet as a mouse, the leader carefully maneuvered the stones about - withdrawing the herbs she required. The healer was careful to move them into the light and examine them, sniff them, in order to assure herself in the dark that they were the proper plants. 

She returned to the den, her gaze meeting Kavik's briefly as she rested a scrap of willow bark and a small bundle of borage leaves at his feet. 

"You can wait til morning to take it if you'd like," she offered as she stretched out by his side, "but I thought you might like it now to rid yourself of any lingering pains."