Blackwater Islands Wish that you could feel the water come pouring in

makin some assumptions <3 and editing to reference the storms. Forward dating this to whenever they are done, I might adjust the date depending

You're okay, Bridge.  It's just a leg. You only use it for... everything.. She hadn't spared the stump much of a glance since realizing;  She was a medic but even she could barely look at it without getting nauseous.  They'd taken her leg and, by doing so, saved her life - but destroyed a good part of it too.  I'm a little ruined now.

She was glad she was a stranger here.  She didn't want anyone she knew seeing her like this.

Fuck.  C'mon.  She gritted her teeth as she pushed herself slowly up into three shaky legs.  This entire thing was fucked but she'd been bedridden for long enough.  It had been storming practically nonstop since... who knew. But now the place had finally quieted; It was time to get her shit together, at least the shit she had left. 

A few hops, that was all it would take.  Her eyes were trained on the stump's entrance, beyond which lay fresh air and some kind of sunlight.  She could get there and she could do it without help.

She wouldn't be alone long.  The Listener had been watching over her the past week, keeping a close eye, and as her senses had returned to her she'd taken note of it but hadn't engaged much.  She still found something a little unnerving about the other wolf.  Maybe she was actually that quiet and stoic, but Bridget wondered, and she'd never been all that comfortable around wolves who seemed to wear masks.  Morgana was slightly easier to deal with but she owed both of them (all of them) her life.  It was her own fucking fault she'd lost a leg as a result.

She eventually got near enough to lean heavily against the rotting side of the stump and poke her muzzle out into the mid-morning light.  She'd never been one to worry all that much about her looks, but the image of herself hopping and tottering along had to cut a pretty ridiculous sight.  While she knew that was far from her biggest problem, it still didn't feel great.  She hated to think on it.

Bridget inhaled a deep breath, then started to attempt to make her way outside.  Fuck how she felt about it.  She wasn't wasting away in some hole forever.

she’d spent the majority of the early morning hours gathering whatever remedies she could find. the stash she’d collected was not abundant.

it is enough. she decided as she carried the supplies in her jaw. strips of bark and spider’s webs woven tightly around a stick. it was enough to keep the newest girl’s wound from becoming infected once more.

she was surprised to find her out and about.

good morning. morgana nodded briefly.

Morgana was intimidatingly gorgeous in a way that Bridget was extremely aware of. Older, wiser, and clearly competent. Not even Bridget was sure if what she had was envy or a crush, but either way, she appreciated the hell out of her.

They went by titles here, right? Speaker, she replied with a smile, slightly out of breath. Her legs burned with the effort of getting her this far but she was happier than she'd been since they found her. Gods, it was just good to be [i]out.[/]

She looked closer at the supplies, trying to sort out what they were and might be for. Bark of some kind? She didn't recognize it right away. Good morning. Glad to see it finally stopped raining. Small talk, sure, why not.

ah, yes. she looked towards the clouds and lifted a paw as though to double check. it has been raining quite a while, hasn’t it?

but she didn’t come here to discuss the weather. morgana dropped her supplies, spread them beside her paws.

i see you’re on your feet. she meticulously scanned through them once, twice, three times. she hummed under her breath. good.. that’s very good..

her eyes rose to where bridget’s leg once was. how does it feel?

Bridget knew better than to lie out of bravado. It hurts. But not like it did. It didn't hurt less, necessarily, but it wasn't the burning pain that she remembered. She noticed Morgana looking at it, but she turned her own attention to the supplies instead.

What are these? She gestured at the supplies with her muzzle, then slowly leaned back into an awkward sit. She was still overly careful anytime she shifted position anywhere in the vicinity of the missing leg. She didn't want to risk anything that might jeopardize the healing work they'd already done.

Bridget recognized a couple of things from the area but didn't know the names or the uses. The coast had a vastly different offering than the forests back home.

there was progress.

good, she thought to herself once more. and she hummed. and she nodded. her eyes were still fixed on her supplies.

but then they rose, only for a moment, when bridget inquired about the remedy.

bark from alder. the trees were few and far between here. her stash would surely run dry soon enough.

it’s good for soothing wounds. i’ve used it many times before.

she grabbed a few pieces between her teeth, then carried them to the woman and dropped them at her feet.

it must be chewed into a paste. morgana looked at her expectantly.

Bridget grimaced, then looked at Morgana with knowing humor. Tastes that bad, huh? Despite the joke, she bent over and picked up the bark, chewing it carefully so that she would not swallow much (if any) of the resulting pulp. She'd had plenty of practice with this part.

She hadn't ever used this variety of bark, but it reminded her of another. She made note of the color, feel, and scent so that she'd be able to find it again, filing it away for the future. When she was mobile enough to begin exploring the island more, maybe she could look for some.

When she finished she spat it out, then looked at it reluctantly before raising her eyes back to Morgana. She wasn't fond of the idea of treating the area herself, but she wondered if she was being tested here. If so, she might have to, and she could feel the perceived challenge beginning to push at her already.

it’s not a pleasant taste, i admit. morgana was grateful she’d chewed it without a fuss.

it’s bitter. something she’d surely know now. but it becomes a bit more tolerable with time.

as she spat the paste out, morgana moved towards it. she dipped a paw into it and began to rub it into bridget’s wound.

does medicine interest you?

It's my trade. Bridget shifted to stretch the limb for easier access, looking to the side as Morgana worked. I didn't think I would enjoy it at first, but it grew on me. Now I can't imagine doing anything else. That made it a calling, yeah? Cheesy wording, but it was appropriate.

Clearly you are a healer. But are you the only one, here? Bridget had wondered that. She knew that The Listener and she spent a lot of time together, but she hadn't really seen the other wolf actively participate the way Morgana had.