Lost Creek Hollow Giggle and the flames grow higher

The stream ran through the maples, curving south and feeding into the larger waterway that would eventually swell to become Mudminnow River. Atreus could’ve drifted west at the fork and come to rest at the bottom of Witch’s Marsh, preserved forevermore in the peat bog.

But the current mercifully swept him eastward, through a fern grove lush with early summertime greenery. He wound back and forth in endless meanders and oxbows through the night into the following dawn, the flow slowing to a plod until it gently deposited him on Riverclan’s doorstep.

He remained oblivious throughout this strangely baptismal journey, the cold water washing his wounds and clotting his blood. When he bumped ashore, he came to rest on his back, the extent of his injuries on full, gruesome display.

Both Atreus and Masquerade had believed him eviscerated, especially due to the sheer amount of blood he’d lost, but it wasn’t his guts she’d opened. Atreus’s genitalia had been mangled beyond recognition before being wholly torn from his body. Hunks of what had once been his manhood were surely drying and shriveling on that distant shore even now.

The gaping wound began to bleed again as the early summer sun dried him. Despite the warmth of those morning rays, he started to shiver. Atreus groaned as he stirred, gradually rising from what felt like death.

Ash Paw moved throughout the pack lands borders msrked and fixed. And she'd have continued on if her nose after years of healing didn't smell the bitter tang of blood.

So anxiously, but concerned she moved forward. And what met her wasca gruesome discover.  A boy, young had been mangled beyond repair. This was not good. She'd heard of this happening had even seen it, bit this, this was not the way it should be. If such a surgery should be done. It should be with care, precision and well less blood.

Hello. I'm Ash Paw healer. Let's stop this bleeding.

Looking around she saw reeds luckily they were near a river so she hrasped them and pulled tufts of the white softness from the brown plants. (Totally stole this from Arlette. Thank you Mar)

Eying the boy she spoke. This is gonna hurt like hell. Grab a stick and bite down.

Then with care, but precision she pressed the cottony substance down onto his wound caring not where it was. She was a healer and he needed help.

He felt as if he was burning. Atreus moaned this time, fighting to open his eyes, only to squeeze them closed against the morning glare. His breaths came in shallow gasps as the memories of the day before came crawling back to him.

He had crept into the stream convinced Masquerade had gutted him and he was finished. Atreus had simply hoped to remove his remains from her reach. He hadn’t expected to survive.

In agony now, he wasn’t sure he wanted to live. When someone came along to render aid, he thought about pushing her away. He weakly raised a leg and brushed it against her, yet he lacked the strength. It dropped back to the ground like a limp noodle.

She vanished for a moment. Atreus heard her say something but didn’t heed her words, so when she began to dress his wound, he let out a great holler. His entire body jerked.

That, he gasped weakly, hurts.

He rolled his upper body just in time to vomit onto the grass pillowing his head a moment before. What seemed like a gallon of water came out of him, burning his throat like acid.

Maybe he hadn’t survived. Perhaps he was burning in hell.

Ash Paw was a healer, but filled to the brim with warm and cozies she was not. Unless she cared for you. Unless she wanted to treat you well. But she had found that in healing and blood. Niceities didn't always work and it was better to be blunt and honest, tempered with grace.

He tried to push her away. She wasn't surprised. He was probably in a great deal of pain. But she had very little in means to offer him for pain at least here. In her den there was rosemary and mint, Lavender, ginger and cloves. All of which would ease infection and ease some of the pain. For the rest she would need to give him poppy much to her irritation. For not the first time nor the last she wished she had yarrow.

She nodded, her voice soft. Of course it does. Someone neutered you.

She backed up and looked him over. I have very little to help with pain here, but if you come with me to Riverclan. We have herbs that can help with infection and pain.

Mature Content Warning

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The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning: suicidal ideation.

He cracked his eyes open to squint at his helper, her pelt immediately reminding him of @Ancelin.

She spoke again. This time, he caught what she said but it took several beats for Atreus to comprehend.

He didn’t register anything else she said as he grappled with those three words: “Someone neutered you.” Masque hadn’t torn out his guts like he’d thought, she’d shredded his manhood. That was somehow even worse.

The physical torment was nearly unbearable and now the psychic pain of being violently castrated by his cousin made Atreus’s blood feel like it was boiling. He slumped back, eyes closed again.

Kill me, Atreus sobbed. Please, just put me out of my misery.

Had she known there was another with markings and colors as she. She probably would have been interested in meeting them, just because. She was a far cry from the normal wolves that inhabited this place. 

She was sure he was hurting and what she had just said. She knew he would spiral. Everyone always did when missing a limb, or in this case something that men falsely put all their hopes and thoughts of who they were into. Which really who would want to claim to be man when these small sacks of skin and fat and other just great juices got hurt so easily. 

She felt that was not entirely the best way to claim to be a man, but what did she know. She was in fact a woman. But she didn't claim her femineity by the teats that colored her underside or the fact that she could push life into the world. It was something innate and personal.


She settled to her haunches knowing for now the pain would be bad, but at least the blood would stop. And he clearly needed to calm down before she even attempted to move him.

Well I could if you really wanted me too. But I think that would be cowardly. I have the herbs to do that too if you so wish it. Foolish though.

She called his pleading cowardly and foolish. Atreus let out another, wordless sob. Did she have any idea of how horribly everything hurt? He had already accepted his own death, so this didn’t feel like a miraculous rescue. It felt like purgatory.

I mean it, he mewled.

He wished he had the strength to take matters into his own hands but he was too weak. He was a pathetic mess, his autonomy and dignity stolen along with his masculinity, and he was at this strange woman’s mercy. Atreus began crying harder before throwing up again.

Small note that all of Ash Paw's thinking is not my own.

It was not his pleading that she found cowardly or foolish it was that he wanted to die. That was something she could not accept, and perhaps that was a cruelty she shouldn't have offered, because such a thing was often a mental illness, but in this case. He would survive and live a long life. He just couldn't sire children and though that was certainly distressing and hard, it was also not the end of the world. Again perhaps she was being overtly cruel in her thoughts.

You have to come with me. I will not carry such herbs out in the open. Come I will give you something for the pain and when you are clear headed and you still want to visit with Sos I will give you the herbs to do so.

She pressed to his side, offering her own small body for him to lean upon. Not caring if he got blood or bile in her fur. There was water she could clean it. She simply wanted to get him somewhere to rest and to relieve the pain he was in.

If he’d possessed the strength to go anywhere with her, Atreus would’ve hauled himself back into the stream and let the water take him, like originally planned. He couldn’t stand, much less walk anywhere. The mere thought tormented him, sending shooting pains down between his legs.

Please just make the pain stop, he begged now, mindless of whatever came after that.

No worries!

I was reading and I was like omg she sounds horrible. I am not that horrible goodness gracious me.

Unf she groused and then nodded. SHe could imagine he was in pain. They weren't far from the pack lands and she quickly assessed her environment. 

There was blue Cohash no that was for staving off pregnancy and getting rid of babies. Angelica, and Blue vervain, but it was more for breathing and internal headaches. She continued to peruse. 

There was some stinging nettle, but it was summer now and spring had brought it's hairs and she had no water to steep it in. Gah she was getting antsy. She thought about briefly calling for Crowfeather with demands of pain meds on her tongue, but could he hear her?

Then she saw it willow. It would be better to steep in water, but he could chew on it and beside it Valerian for sleep. He couldn't have much of either, but at least it would help a little. She rushed away from him and grasped them . 

Chew on this and then eat this. The willow will help the pain and the Valerian will put you to sleep and I'll call for @Crowfeather to help me carry you back.

Once the boy had been given her herbs. She called out to her leader. Hoping that they could get this boy to the dens.

Short but mostly out of my shock for this poor boy wow… ;w; Atreus. Someone’s evil to their characters! I approve. And hate it.

 

The dark wolf responded to the summons with an answering howl. His legs carried him swiftly through the familiar terrain. Through the brush and the protective shade of the trees until Crowfeather happened upon the scene. 

His eyes were trained on the young wolf who pitifully waited for treatment. Riverclan’s healer tried to tend to him. Crowfeather wondered if she needed help, if she wanted to move him. 

Here, let me- let me hold you up, he breathed shakily, drawing up to the side of the wounded thing. Crowfeather’s snout touched the boy softly.

Atreus laid there and sniveled, his fate in this strange woman’s hands. She disappeared for a few minutes, then returned with some greens in her mouth. She set them near his face and offered instructions. Atreus wondered if they would put him to sleep or put him to sleep.

He didn’t care. Shaking and moaning, he lapped up the medication, which stung his throat. As soon as he finished the dose, he rolled back with a gasp. Despite himself, Atreus opened his eyes. They were only slits, though from his position, he could see endless blue skies.

By the time the medic’s assistant arrived, Atreus was out of it. He dimly registered a man’s voice speaking near his head, yet he didn’t react to it. Not entirely certain he would ever wake, Atreus gave himself over to sleep, his last conscious thought an apology to Amalia.

Fortunately for Atreus, I’m handing his fate over to you guys! Feel free to tag me in any followups or references. I’ll keep an eye on things to see what happens to him, lol. :)

Ash Paw sighed when he ate the herbs and then met Crowfeather with a blazing look. Crowfeather. Thank goodness. I've given him Willow and Valerian small doses because it was all I had and he was in so much pain. Unfortunately it also knocked him out. Will you help me get him back to the dens.

She looked him over with a sad look and spoke softly. I can heal the physical, but I am unsure if I can help the mental. Someone neutered him Crowfeather. Badly. He asked me to end his suffering permanently. I told him I would heal him and when he was clearer of mind we'd talk about it, but. i don't like the thought.

She looked to the dark leader beseechingly. Do we need more? Sandy is usually around?

Ash Paw was thorough in sharing the steps she had taken to help the young wolf. Crowfeather nodded his head, features creased with worry. His snout brushed at the boy’s cheek to be certain that he was still breathing, that he had not slipped away to the death he craved.

Knowing this, the dark star felt his heart sink. Crowfeather had wished for death, too. He had known the pain that would spur this desire all too well.

No, we do not need Sandy. Here- a small stumble as the shadow dropped his frame toward the ground and pressed his shoulder to the wounded boy’s body. Help me get him onto my back. I- I’m certain I can carry him to the dens.

If Germanicus had carried Crowfeather from the mountains to Akashingo, then the shadow could carry this wounded boy to their place of healing.