Sleepy Fox Hollow But the words they'll always remain

@Ava Amara

Etienne moved further into the pack lands. Fiona was not wrong. He shouldn't have moved her, but he also couldn't have left her to run as far as she was and there had been nothing to help. He wished the other healer could see that. But he had doubts that she would and they didn't have an easy way of it now.

So Eti settled her, hoped he hadn't done irreparable damage. And he began to work. He would not be able to sew, he had no thumbs, but what he did do was soak a piece of rawhide in water and bind it around her head to hold the wound closed. He'd have to remove it in just a few minutes. It could not stay to full dry.

He cleaned her face and wound with gentle tongue. The tang of bitter copper on his lips, but he did as best he could. Then aloe and honey to help bind and keep infection out.

Then it was a matter of watch and wait.

only if you want to join in

it was the smell of honey that brought her back to the waking world. ava's eyes opened slowly as she tried to make sense of the sudden, offensive brightness of the world.

a blurred shape bent over her, lapping along the ridge of a new cut.

she bolted straight with a strangled cry, scooting back and flinching as the sudden movement caused her head to spin.

where was she? who was this stranger? her gaze became cloudy as the world began to simmer and contort.

The girl began to move and stir. Eti tried to bwck up so as not to startle her, but he wasn't quick enough.

A gentle tsking in his throat. A gentle hum to try and show peace.

Easy. Easy.

He backed up further to give her space. I be Eti. I found you in de river, broken 'ead. I broug't you 'ere to try and 'elp. Den we try an' fine your family.

Surely a young one like this had mother and father nearby.

ava's vision was wobbling. she nearly collapsed, the sweetsong of the stranger surrounding her.

his voice had a melodic quality to it. she tried to find his face in the swimming shadows, but the world pulled away.

a growl, inconsequentially small and feeble. ava lunged for him in a low grab, but her limbs held no strength to them. she fell short with a yelp, eyes watchful as a cornered animal.

Etienne didn't take offense. On the contrary he understood. She was somewhere unfamiliar with strange faces and hurt.

So instead he bscked up further and settled to his haunches. Picture of calm and collected. Though he was anything but. He didn't wish to cause her more issue.

He could wait her out.

he backed away from her feeble lunge, a softness in his gaze ava was unfamiliar with.

she regathered her limbs under her with a scornful look, one paw raised to the splitting bruise on her face. it took time to collect her balance; ever so slowly, ava set on her thin haunches.

if he did not want to hurt her, why was he here? ava's mismatched gaze flit about them. they were in a small clearing. somewhere nearby, she heard the rush of water. the landscape was unfamiliar and her head hurt beyond anything she'd felt before.

feeling sap along her fur, ava slowly placed her paw to the ground and focused etienne with a dull stare.

what did he want?

Eti licked his maw and shifted a soft sigh. You were 'urt. So i be bringin' you 'ere for 'ealin. 'Oney and Aloe on your wound. I 'ave sage and poppy for pain if you need.

Etienne was unsure what else to tell her. I will go an look for your family soon. Bring dem 'ere to you.

hurt. ava blinked, nursing the wound along the side of her head. as she examined etienne's work with physical touch in lieu of sight, she was amazed by how wide the wound felt. touch was a sorry replacement for sight, but as ava worked her way down the fresh knotting of angry flesh, her mouth parted in silent surprise.

a new wave of dizziness knocked her back as he spoke of her family. she slid to her elbows in defeat, bewildered and still no less confident that etienne was there to help her. she tried to fight off sleep, but her body was tired and demanded it -- while she watched him warily for a time, eventually her eyelids drooped and ava drifted to sleep.

Eti didn't move as she felt along her wound.
Though he winced a little. He couldn't imagine what she was going through. How much it must hurt. And how scared to be somewhere. A place with strangers and wounded.

She was fighting sleep and stared at him with wide mistrustful eyes. Could he blame her. She didn't know him from anything. He would be wary too. So he stayed in his spot not moving while she stared.

When she would finally nod off, he'd finish cleaning it if he could, putting more herbs on. Then curl up nearby to keep watch over her.

<3 fade here with a new one soon?

ava could not keep her eyes open much longer. she tried -- jolting awake only to find her eyelids growing increasingly heavy.

eventually, the little girl fell asleep. etienne moved alongside her, painstaking and gentle with each new ministration.

she woke only once during this time, just long enough to see the silhouette of his shadow cast against the cave wall.

and then she was whisked away again, this time dreaming of a wave that rose higher than any tree.

sure <3

The girl bless her heart. Tried to sleep really she did. He gave her honest A for effort.

He cleaned what he could set the healing area to rights. Then curled a few feet away. The hard work was up to her. He could only guide.

He would slip between the waking and the sleeping. But always where she could reach him should she need.