Swiftcurrent Creek Restless Dreams

Night had fallen upon them in an arch of color. But Arric had woken swiftly as the first snowflake touched the earth. Ears forward, head erect, a smile split his face, as the white pieces of snow fell upon his black head, holding fast to the eyelashes of his sky blue eyes.

He breathed in and out, breath turning the air in front of him into smoky gray. The stars shining through the gloom, only just as the sky spit frozen rain.

He held out a paw, letting the snowflakes land upon it, and there was a lift of cold to his eyes to further study. A small smile on his face.

it had been a while.

he figured if maybe he went out and collected a bunch of stuff, by the time he came back she'd be back too. it was what led him here. picking along the creek in the night.

scents gently scattered but he didn't think he was actually waltzing through a real claim.

until he saw a swarthy man. seemingly enjoying the light drifting of snow that veran had come to hate. for it seemed to kill a lot of the good plants.

awkwardly he hovered, watching the man for a long moment.

He was not alone. Blue eyes snapped to the man in front, shoulders lowered. He stared, placing his large paw quickly to the ground. A lick along muzzle and he shifted again.

You're trespassing. Are you nose blind? Or are you one of those other fools that want to lose fur and flesh?

Arric moved closer, crowding and pressing. Hoping to push the other past the territory line without incident. he was tired himself of losing fur and flesh for ignorant bastards. that watlzed where they pleased with no mind to where they had been and what they were doing.

trespassing?

here?

i'm not nose blind, but i wouldn't call this a claim either. and the man didn't look the best either. maybe he was mad or...delusional. hopeful? veran couldn't tell the differences these days.

do you need help? and it was sincere, despite his earlier sass.

Arric's eyes glowed with a gentle humor. A smirk lit up his face. But he kept it in check. 

Despite what you or I may call it, it is a claim. Whether small or not and you are indeed trespassing.

Arric's ears stood to attention. This wolf was a strange one. Help? With what? Claiming the territory?

with claiming the territory?

i meant...you look banged up. blunter than he intended. yet it was the unavoidable truth. i can help with injuries. unless you're offering a lot to help with claiming. will you be the leader?

his head cocked gently. softly he moved to put a few more feet between them, so that he may not be in immediate striking distance.

Arric snorted dryly at the man's absolute penauch. He was a fast one, this one. A little bit greasy, already trying to bargain. Blue eyes traced him over, looking and searching.

I cannot offer you anything. It is @Akavir that leads this territory. I am merely his subordinate.

Arric looked over his shoulders, keen gaze taking in the wounds. I suppose i do look a little worse for wear.

well what did he offer you?

veran had to know what the base rate was around here, if he was going to let himself be bargained for.

and what happened? blue eyes roving over the injured shoulder.

Arric smiled a bit sharply. Nothing more than a home near the river and a loyal packmate.

Arric looked around, perhaps it had been foolish, but he had always liked the river, his father had liked the river. It made him feel close to him. It made him feel safe.

Some others who also wanted to stay here, and got a little rude. It is one thing to request assistance, it is another to request assistance rudely and then set upon someone.

nothing more.

he felt bargaining here likely wouldn't be in his favor. not presumably, especially if magda was waiting on him back at the basin.

he hoped she was.

maybe they planned to challenge for it? maybe they didn't really want assistance, they just wanted it. a soft shrug of his shoulders. it didn't sound like an assistance situation.

are you hurting?

Arric tilted his head up. Looking like a young male again, the way he tilted and lifted his ears. He gave a small smile, just listening.

Perhaps they did, and that was their folly. There were more of them, than us and yet we still came out triumphant.

Arric didn't normally like to think that way, but currently given their current ways. They had done well fighting as many as they had. And the two had come out of it with actually rather limited wounds, where the others were almost dead.

At times, yes. My one shoulder mostly. He moved the shoulder Gun had also torn into to show it.

it's bad to be injured in the cold. plants are harder to come by.

this went without saying, yet still he spoke it. wishing he had those seeds that he had only just begun to test upon! there had been the man, a slumbering corpse half-alive on them. he bet that would ease this man.

alas.

will you kill them if they come back? as if it was small talk about the weather. he motioned softly for the man to show off his shoulder further, if he cared for an aspiring medic's opinion.

He gave a sardonic grin. Don't I know it.

Then he grew quiet and still. The next question drawing his chest tight and his head thumped painfully as he turned and beared his shoulder to the man to look over. It seemed to be healing fairly well, but he was no medic.

If I have too. yes.

the wound did not seem foul. merely taking its time to heal without the help of much of anything. veran supposed that was for the best and he wondered how much energy (and knowledge) he wanted to expend on this.

regardless —

i'd say do it first, before they can.

he shifted a bit, tempted to poke at the injury but refraining. have you been keeping this clean? in the creek or by somebody else's help?

Arric had been doing his best to care for the wound that colored his shoulder. He knew enough to keep it clean, and some of the herbs, though he used them sparingly given it was winter and they were hard to come by even with help.

A bemused expression lit up his face and he shook his head. Why? It would be easy to kill them. And I don't like easy things.

He nodded. Both ways.

he snorted, a sound of amusement mostly.

that's obvious. a warm tease as he tried to assess what he could beneath clumped fur and scabbing.

i could try to find something for the pain, if you wanted. it's overall a hard time to get hurt if you don't have a medic with established stores — and all of my stuff is holed up far from here.

A cheeky smile lit up his face. If he'd been human his eyes would have danced with mirth, and dimples would have cut deep grooves in the corners. 

Really that obvious, eh? I guess i better work on that, hmm.

I'm good on pain, really. It's most just itchy and irritating.

just healing then, i imagine. as long as it doesn't feel too hot.

he imagined the man couldn't have been feeling too terrible if he was willing to be up and working.

i can stay in the area, if you'd like. keep an eye on it when you call.

a soft shrug of his shoulders. it would not matter either way to him.

Arric moved forward and pushed his shoulder forward. The other could feel it with paw or nose to see. He wasn't a medic, so he knew nothing other than the basics, really.

Sure would appreciate that. I may bring a packmate and a prisoner to see you. They're worse off than me.

And he would if he could talk them into it. HE wasn't sure if Akavir would be willing, and Indra was difficult on her best day.

I am game if you want to decide if it's a little warm or something :)

the man was trusting. veran allowed himself to place a damp nose softly along the healing edges, feeling the warmth of it. not feverish, but most certainly something to keep an eye on. as he had promised...

i'll start charging if you do.

but his voice was light as he offered a last few gentle touches to the shoulder, then pulled away.

doesn't seem dire. yet. i'll need to go find some things, but i can come back in a few days. check-ups and with whatever i find...deal?

He didn't mind the man touching it so much. And he supposed in a way he was trusting, but that was because he trusted himself and his abilities. Perhaps he wouldn't win if someone tried something dire, but he would hurt them.

Arric chuckled. What you gonna charge me doc?

Alright i'll be here. Don't plan on going anywhere.

fading!

that'll depend.

he snorted with good intentions. prepared to send the man back off for rest and veran would strike free of their little claim here.

it felt good to be a bit useful again.