Hoshor Plains Come on girl, don't leave me hanging

@Speedy backdated to March 9th

They had made it. With a heavy sigh Emrik was glad to be home, his leg throbbed in time with his pulse. And his cheek burned with a searing fire. But, despite it all, Emrik had made it back home from the River. The scouting trip finally done. Waving off the other scouts, Emrik started the limp back to the den he had been sharing with Speedy. Hoping she was home. He paused only briefly to raise his head and call for his beautiful mate.

HONEY I’M HOME!

The scouting group had been gone for a while, and she had filled her days with productive activities to try and ignore how much she missed her mate and how much she worried about the group and their safety. Each day that came and went without their return tightened the knot of anxiety in her chest. But she continued to do what needed to be done, caring for her children, tending to her remaining herbs, and performing various other tasks required to keep the pack running smoothly. She was, of course, beyond excited to return home, but the feeling was tainted by her worry and longing to be with Emrik again. She missed his warmth and comforting presence; she knew she was safe when he was around, and she couldn't wait to feel that security once more.

She had spent most of the morning sifting through her herbs, cursing the quakes and the cold for her low supplies. She had been as sparing as possible, so she still had some things left to treat wounds thankfully. Remnants of dry plants were stuck in the fur of her chest and neck, but she paid little attention to it; she never minded anyway. The call from the borders made her whip her head up and in the direction of the sound. The plants that had been gently held between her jaws dropped to the ground near her paws. She had wished for that sound so often since Emrik had left that she was almost afraid it was in her head. But she shook the thought away, shaking off some of the plant pieces as well. Then she sprinted to the borders to meet him. 

She found him on his way to their den and sprinted even faster towards him, a grin spreading across her face. She wanted to throw herself into him, fill her nose with his scent and feel his warmth against her fur. But as she got closer, a certain tinge to his scent beat against her excitement and relief. She came to a skidding halt in front of him, her grin quickly turning into a worried frown when she realized why he smelled different. Infection. She knew the scent well. Her gaze locked on his wounded cheek. The gash was angry and festering. Immediately she looked him over for more wounds, her gaze freezing again on the scabs covering his leg; he wasn't putting a lot of weight on it either. You're hurt, she said, her eyes watering a little. She was always calm in these situations, but she was finding it hard to be the medic right now. She loved him and he was injured and hurting. Her heart stuttered in her chest and her blood surged through her veins. Somewhere deep down in her mind, she knew she was overreacting; she latched onto that thought and forced herself to calm down. She stiffened, her expression becoming unreadable. Your wound is infected, she finally said with the tone of a doctor assessing a patient. And your leg looks painful. She looked him over again. What happened? she demanded. She needed all the details to know how to move forward.

He caught her scent before she arrived, the scent of medicinal herbs and fresh air floated on the air long before his ears caught her delicate paws brushing through the grass, and turning to catch the hesitation in her step. The instant she realized something wrong. A sad smile dawned on his lips, knowing she would be upset and hurt by his injuries. Angry even.

True to form, her words came off as accusatory breaking slightly in their inflection, tears pooling in her vibrant golden gaze. Knowing that words were of little use at the moment, Emrik nodded. Yes, he was injured.


She came forward, expression leaving her eyes, professional in her assessment. Emrik nodded again, Yes, it is infected. Although he had had no idea, he simply accepted her words for fact. And again he nodded, Yes, my leg does hurt. Because it did, and he knew that Speedy not only needed to know it hurt, but also wanted to know. She wouldn't want him to keep his injury to himself.


She fell quiet for a moment, eyes assessing the rest of his frame. Seeking her own opinion on his condition, noting anything out of place and compiling her thoughts. And then the thinly veiled furious worry came forth. Her final demand requiring him to the find his voice. "I fell." Emrik started, keeping his tone neutral, and offering the story without much probing. "I was hunting, and stumbled into a field of holes." There was no other way to describe it. The weaker ground having given way, underneath the roots of the long standing grass; the only thing keeping the field from collapsing. There wasn't much left to say, and he waited to hear her other questions. Gaze soft and understanding.

He remained silent while she processed things, nodding here and there when she pointed things out. He probably expected this kind of reaction from her, especially with the conversation they had right before he left. And when she asked for an explanation, he offered the story without any hesitation. He had fallen. In a hole. She could only surmise that it must have been accident. surely he wouldn't have wandered into a field of holes if he had known how unstable the ground was. Instantly, she realized how much worse things could have been. Her eyes glistened again and she drew in a deep breath to calm her racing heart. She closed whatever space still remained between them, and very gently tucked her head beneath his jaw. She was careful not to press against him too much, afraid she might hurt him. But she needed to feel him and reassure herself that he was here and was, for the most part, okay. How far did you fall and how long ago did it happen? she asked next, her words quiet and her tone softening quite a bit, although heavy with worry. What if he had internal injuries? Things she couldn't so easily heal? She couldn't help but feel like he might be taken away from her, and it terrified her. But he didn't need to know that right now. She just wanted him to feel like he was taken care of. 

She pulled back a little. We should go to the den so I can work on your wounds, she suggested. Meet me there. I'm going to get some water to clean the one on your face. She turned and hurried away, not wanting to be away from him any longer than was necessary. There a small stream nearby, thankfully, and she pulled a few pieces of moss from a rock near the water's edge. She dipped each one into the water and held it there for a few seconds. When each piece was saturated, she clasped them all gently between her jaws and quickly headed back to the den.

Assuming Emrik had listened to her instructions and was waiting there for her, she stopped in front of him and dropped the soggy moss at their feet. Can you sit down and lower your head some? she asked. I want to rinse out your infected wound before I put anything in it, she explained. I'm sorry, she added gently. It's probably going to be uncomfortable. Assuming he continued to do as she asked, she picked up a piece of moss, held it over the angry wound and clamped down with her teeth so that the water ran over the festering tissue. She repeated the process two more times. When she was done, she met his gaze, her own filled with concern. Are you okay? she asked, eyebrows drawing together a little. She hated that she had to cause him more pain, but she needed to clean the wound or her plants would do no good.

The tears that sprang in her eyes softened his heart. He smiled at her sadly, trying to be reassuring. He was fine. There was no need to worry. But he knew the moment he tried to voice those words she would rebuke him. Because she was the medic, and he honestly could not tell her that he was 100%, he obviously wasn't. "Ummm I'm not sure how far the drop was... maybe a couple of feet? I think it was a week ago now...maybe a little longer." If he was being honest, he could really remember. All the days had blended together, with the scouting and the cleaning they had started, Emrik had lost track of how long it had been since he fell. He was sure Speedy would not like that answer.

As she pressed herself against him gingerly, he bowed his head, wrapping around her in an odd hug. "I'm here." He murmured softly. Giving her the only reassurance that was completely true. He wasn't going anywhere. Not for a very long time.

She gave out her instruction and he followed them. Heading to their little temporary den site. He waited for her patiently, a lopsided smile on his lips. He was happy to be home. Or at least beside Speedy again. But soon, soon they would be home for real.

His wife returned shortly after, again giving him instructions. Emrik wasn't sure if she wanted to talk or not, so he kept his lips shut for the most part. Letting her do what she needed to do to feel reassured. He lowered his head, and hissed as the water hit his cheek and his cut. The man tried to keep any discomfort from reaching her, but of course she knew. Her concerned eyes, met his. He nodded at her, "I'm good Speedy."

A week ago? So he had gone on with the mission while his wounds got all infected? It was very frustrating to learn that, considering his gash would have been easier to manage had she been able to take care of it before it was infected. But the fact that it had happened that long ago meant that he was most likely free of any internal injuries, especially if the fall was only a few feet; she let that thought dampen some of her frustration—that and the feeling of him wrapped around her. She drew in a deep breath and blew it out slowly, trying to calm herself and focus on what all she needed to do now. At his reassuring words, she pulled back and kissed his cheek, a grateful smile slowing appearing her face. She was incredibly thankful that he was here. 

She had seen the pain in his expression as she cleaned the gash, so even when he assured her that he was okay, she still fretted internally over it as she reached down and picked up the golden flower pedals to begin chewing them. She applied the chewed material to his wound and then nosed some bark closer to him. Eat that, she told him. It will help with the pain. She gave him a chance to do as she asked and when he was done, she reached down and began to chew some more of the flower, applying it to his wound once more. She repeated the process a few more times until the wound was completely covered. She took a step back then and looked him over. Does anything else hurt, she asked, concern making her frown. She had given him something to help with the pain aspect, but she wanted to make sure she didn't need to inspect anything else.