Hideaway Strath khamsin

edit for unexpected post lol

It was true enough, she had missed a few things once her heat struck but now that said state had passed The Priestess had resumed her former duties. Almost. Formerly she had resigned herself to the role of a Medic even if she had not held such a title but since coming out of seclusion and receiving her promotion, Aerin had taken the new role fairly seriously. 

Arlette was out of commission (and she had never met Hemlocke) for the time being which meant the sighthound and her mate alone were working together to look after the health of the Sainthood, though they had slipped into the trend of sending Vein to work with any medical patients and deploying Aerin for anything regarding the multiple litters borne this season. Aerin was not just a healer, however, she was also expected to support her superiors as a warrior in her new rank. 

In time, Vein would probably prefer her to steer clear of the borders for safety -- and she would have to begrudgingly agree with him on that one -- but for now there was no guarantee that she was even carrying. The midwife thought she ought to be fine patrolling, a quick call and her kin would swarm any interlopers or challengers who might think to harm her anyhow. Imperia's trespass had proven how quick -- and savagely -- her pack would respond to such threats.

When the sound of distant voices, not all familiar, carried to her on the wind, the Saluki priqued alert auds of snow wisps and took off on darting steps towards the sound. Her gait lengthened naturally into the leaping, deer-like bound known of her kind -- lending her an otherworldly speed as she tore through the forest towards the northern opening of the borderlands. 

She slowed when the white figures, and an all too familiar brindle one, came into sight -- galloping up and pattering to a prim halt on Kynareth's opposite side. The midwife knew a moment of apprehensive fear, restraining the urge to allow her moonstones to flicker towards Nyra's distended sides. The Grandmaster wouldn't let amything happen to their Overseer though, and neither would she, Aerin promised as she turned her flinty optics of cool quicksilver instead towards the man with sapphire eyes. 

She was sure her higher-ups had already beaten her to the punch with some witty lines and thus, fell silent from her place by Kyn's striped side. Perhaps the seelie was not as intimidating as the much larger warlord and shieldmaiden but if she knew this, she didn't show it. There was a regality in the way the scarred doe raised her pale diadem, dominance in the raised flag of her tail and auds as she approached. 

The ghostly spectre had already crumpled upon the ground beneath her leaders' displays, causing the halfling to shift on her paws uncertainly. There didn't seem to be any need for violence. He did not seem entirely lucid to the once-druid -- reminding her of those amongst the star-worshippers who had been afflicted by usage of potent plants. Plants that enabled one to see other dimensions or speak with beings not of this plane. But it was his words of the gods, though she did not yet know that they were not the exact ones Vein taught her of, that caught her attention -- gibeon orbs of mercury glinting with sudden fascination. 

The Priestess stepped forward lightly, catching the gaze of both leaders before murmuring softly: "'e is nae coherent. I do nae think 'e even knows 'e 'as trespassed. I 'ave seen zis before, sometimes in patients who 'ave 'ad too many seeds of poppy fer pain." 

"But 'e speaks of ze gods...perhaps ze very same zat brought @Vein to us. Maybe ve should take 'im to ze Chambers so my 'usband can look at 'im..?" The girl suggested hesitantly, unsure how her superiors might feel about such a thing. The Saints were well known for their brutish behavior but surely they had some measure of mercy -- even for drugged fools.