Swiftcurrent Creek And curiosity

Cygnet's teeth caused her pain. She ground them against sticks, and chewed everything that came close to her salivating mouth to try and get rid of the nuisance baby teeth. She fussed loudly while she ate, not knowing whether it felt better to alleviate all pressure from her teeth or to keep chewing on things to make the pain go away. In places, she had two rows of teeth where the baby teeth had not yet fallen out. Along with the chronic drooling, she looked more shark than wolf. 

She liked the look of it, though. She gazed down at her reflection in the creek's dark surface, noting the sharp points of the little teeth that refused to fall out, hiding amongst the larger adult teeth that had come in. In her eyes she noticed a difference as well- a slight sliver of neon green in each eye. She wondered if her whole eyes would become that colour, not knowing that she'd inherited a genetic trait. 

Once her thirst was satisfied, she began to rove along, grabbing at sticks and grasses as she passed, until she passed by a thicket of juniper. She chewed on a branch of it, and found the tickling, prickling evergreen satisfying against her aching gums. Without considering for a moment the plant's possible toxicity, she began to chew at the branches ravenously- nettles, berries and all.

LMK if this isn’t okay and I’ll edit!

In moderation, juniper berries treat belly aches and anxiety—but not in the surplus in which Cygnet ate them. Thankfully, Eshe happened across the scene before it could escalate any further.

You’re coming with me, sweetling! Eshe said. Thinking on her feet, she scooped up the child’s nape in her jaws and began powering back to the medicine den.

Those berries will make you sick if you eat a lot, she said, her voice muffled. So I’m going to give you something that’ll make you better, okay?

Sweetling?

Cygnet had been too preoccupied with munching on the prickly plants to do more than bat an ear at the term of endearment that she felt certain wasn't for her. Maybe the grey lady was talking to someone else, she didn't care- these bushes were finally doing something to her sore, stretched gums that nothing else had managed to-

well, they were working until she was abruptly grabbed, lifted, and pulled away from them. She clenched her jaws shut, stripping a long limb of all of its prickles and berries, but they all fell from her mouth which opened with surprise. They fell to the ground, trailing behind her as she was carried off.

She tried to fight once or twice, but the most she could do was simply swing her bottom to one side or the other, as the rest of her was more or less immobilized in Eshe's grip. Without any real way of fighting back, she set to screaming, jaws locked wide open as the whale-eyed child objected fiercly to being carried; something she associated with her earliest memory and trauma. 

She'd be torn apart next, she just knew it. But she wouldn't go out without taking Eshe's eardrums with her.

Although she knew her efforts would be in vain—and they were—Eshe tried to console Cygnet. She shushed, murmured words of encouragement, and walked quickly, hoping anything would stop the screaming.

She was panting, and her ears were beginning to ring when they arrived. She placed the girl on the ground and gave herself a second to take a few deep breaths. Alright, she said as her sides heaved, Lets get you some yarrow. She knew this would be difficult, but it was necessary given the circumstances. She searched through her piles until she found the small stack of herbs and made a note to herself to find some more before the fall's harvest was complete.

Here, eat this, she said, placing the herb at the pup's paws.

Once placed on the ground, she scuttled away from Eshe a few paces, back hunched, and the grey fur along her spine bristled. She bared her double-rows of fangs at the woman, still growling softly as she watched her sort through several clumps of what looked like dried and fresh plants until she found something. Cygnet remained rooted to the spot, out of breath from screaming, half curious to see what it was Eshe was even doing with the plants. 

Still hyper-vigilant, she did not react kindly when Eshe came her way with something in her mouth and the moment it was dropped she struck- aiming to bite the very tip of Eshe's nose if she was fast enough!

Cygnet was on the offense, leaving Eshe to the defense. She opened wide, exposing sharp, almost shark-like rows of teeth, and the botanist’s eyes widened. She’d never seen anything like it before; she quickly turned away from the sight to seek the herbs she needed.

Although Eshe was on edge and prepared to protect herself, she didn’t anticipate Cygnet to attack. She felt teeth take against her nose, and she yelped in pain and surprise as she stumbled back a few steps. That was not very nice! she scolded, holding her paw against her nose as she began to bleed. Ouch!

She couldn’t help but feel thankful that she hadn’t taken guardianship over the child.

She tasted blood, and licked it hungrily from her lips. Eshe backed off, which satisfied the girl who figured it was only fair, considering the fact she’d been grabbed and carried about without permission. 

She blinked in response to Eshe’s comment, and could sense that she was disliked. She didn’t mind it. At least Eshe didn’t scream back at her in her face like Arric had- she was made of better stuff, Cygnet thought. 

But then, no sooner had the taste of blood left her lips than a rumble stirred in her gut. Her face pinched, and she looked to her side to see where the fur lifted and muscles rippled. It felt like her guts were twisting. 

She shot a look back at Eshe- thinking it must have been the wolf’s blood that caused her stomach to turn.

She inched back, her little ears flattened, and she might have been more resentful had the pain in her gut not begun to worsen. She flopped to her side and began to nibble at the skin along her belly, hoping somehow to alleviate the growing pressure and pain.

Cygnet crumpled at the first indication of her tummy problems, which gave Eshe a chance to reason with her. She wiped away the blood on her nose as she watched the child flop onto her side and gnaw at her side.

Does your belly hurt? She asked, her voice soft despite the throbbing pain on the tip of her nose. Here, she slid the herbs towards here, eat these—they’ll make you feel better.

She paused, glancing down at the medicine with a sigh. Here, I’ll take it with you, Eshe took a microdose, knowing that it’d upset her stomach at best; she had to do something to make Cygnet eat the herbs.

A sneer and a growl, bared gums and rows of fangs would answer Eshe's question, before she hastily turned to start gnawing at her side again, though it was hard to reach. Part of being a puppy was being fairly round in the middle, and while one might think that'd make it easier to reach, it simply meant she often rolled over sideways a bit whenever she reached. 

She looked down when she heard Eshe coming closer, pushing the herbs toward her. Cygnet sneezed, as though offended- despite having been chewing on a literal plant only moments ago. 

But when Eshe took a bit for herself and ate it, the child stilled and watched her with a hawkish gaze. No, that wasn't alright. She'd offered Cygnet the herbs- and now she was just going to eat them herself?! Not bloody likely. 

Cygnet pounced forward, pulling the herbs to herself with a growl, and began to scarf them down as quickly as possible, so she would not have to share.

Success! Eshe watched, withholding her delight from her expression, as Cygnet gobbled down the remainder of the medicine. After watching so many children, some as aggressive as the one she was dealing with, Eshe knew that they tended to guard their resources and have an aversion to sharing.

Alright, she said, noticing that everything had been eaten. Let's go outside and get some fresh air! It wouldn't take long for things to kick off, and she wanted to ensure they were far away from her herbs before the throwing up began. She motioned towards the door, hoping the invitation to freedom would entice the child.

She didn't mind the taste, so long as it meant that she got everything that she was offered. She sniffed and snuffled around, picking up every last piece of dried leaf, twig and stem, flicking one ear idly toward Eshe as she was beckoned to go out. She sat and itched at her shoulder with a hind foot, pausing to sniff her toes before she continued again, moaning lightly and leaning sideways in satisfaction. That felt better; now- what was it that the grey lady wanted? 

Outside. 

Well, fine. Cygnet stood and sneezed- an aftereffect of having collected a bit of dust in her whiskers- and trotted out into the open, blinking pale lashes in the bright light. After shaking her pelt out she ditched a clod of fur that had come loose while she'd been scratching. She turned to look at it, a little bit disgusted that a chunk of hair had just come out of her like that. Soft puppy fluff- not something permanent, but she would lose it bit by bit. 

With a snort, she began roving around, looking for something else to chew on- nibling on buds as she passed like a moose in springtime as she searched for the perfect chewing stick. She kept one ear turned toward Eshe, but otherwise wasn't inclined to include her in her plans.

No! Eshe snapped harshly, watching in horror as Cygnet began to nibble at some bulbs in the garden. NOT THE GARDEN She didn't even know the child's name—what was it again? It didn't matter now.

Her mind raced as she thought of something she could give her, and quickly she sputtered, Are you hungry? Do you want to eat? Anything to save her garden.

No!" 

Cygnet startled, sprawled with her paws wide, teeth bared and eyes wild. She glared toward Eshe, not understanding why she'd be yelled at so suddenly, only to make it clear a moment later that Cygnet wasn't supposed to be where she was. Her gaze dropped to the plants around her, but she wouldn't know the difference between a poplar and a pansy. What she did know was that Eshe was trying to lure her out of it, and she'd take that as a challenge. 

She grabbed a mouthful of whatever was closest- Eshe would likely recognize whatever it was- and dashed off with it, a screeching giggle pealing past her mouthful of plant as she made to run off with it.

Ugh—not the mint! Although Eshe was relieved that Cygnet had grabbed something non-toxic, mint was usually in high demand during the colder months. She took a shaky, deep breath, thinking of Arric and trying desperately to get her flaring nerves under control.

Breathe in … she wanted to scream; her mind raced, … and breathe out.

And then, a eureka moment: she didn’t have to do anything about this. The child was safe with a mouthful of mint, and there was very little she could do not to make any pursuit into a game. Cygnet was bubbly and giggly; there was very little she could do to shake it. So, instead of racing after, she sat, watching as the young wolf raced around with a mouthful of herbs. If Eshe were lucky, Cygnet would keep running and find somebody else to harass.

The plant had a pretty vibrant taste to it, not unpleasant but strong enough to make her eyes water a little bit. She wondered if it was worth it, and found her answer when she glanced back to see if Eshe took offense.

She didn’t. Clearly, she didn’t care very much about whatever it was that Cygnet had grabbed.
 
Nevertheless- she gobbled it up, staring at the woman while she came to the conclusion that this plant was obviously safe for her. Her eyes darted back toward the garden, and then back to Eshe again. 

Her stump of a tail wiggled and she sidled just a bit closer to the collection of plants again.

Do you want something, Cygnet? Eshe asked, seeing Cygnet sliding closer to the herbs. She could feel her anxiety rising once again, so she took a deep breath and tried to ground herself again.

Maybe … a bone? There was a hitch in her voice; she couldn’t risk losing any more herbs. Or some other sort of toy? With her herbs involved, she wasn’t handling this situation gracefully—her siblings had never gotten into them.

What was it that she sensed? Was it something she smelled, or was it in the way Eshe's pupils narrowed? Was there some minute tightening of her muscles that Cygnet could see? The muscle that jumped in her jaw? Numerous signs, all quite tiny, really, but real enough that the child could essentially smell Eshe's fear. She could see it, almost taste it. When Eshe spoke again, she could hear it in her voice and she felt even more adrenaline course through her. This was thrilling; this was her first taste of what it was like to hunt. 

If only it hadn't been for the herbs ingested minutes ago, she might have caused a great deal more destruction or toyed with Eshe's anxiety. Fortunately for the medicine-woman, it was at that moment that the girl's stomach began to clench and gurgle. All of the fierce, unnerving conviction dropped from her gaze when she felt her throat grow uncomfortably warm. 

Her eyes widened, and she turned away from Eshe, the little stump of her tail now clamped against her backside as she realized what was about to happen, and she managed to stumble away for a few steps before she opened her jaws as wide as she could, and began to regurgitate several rounds of stomach contents. Everything from the mint, to whatever Eshe had given her to the juniper berries and nettles, the bits of stick and plant and a little bit of meat that hadn't gotten through her in time. 

She regurgitated several times until nothing else could come up. She burped, licking her frothy lips, trembling slightly. 

That had come from nowhere, and she felt deeply ashamed and confused.

Cygnet was about to strike again, but the herbs from earlier kicked in in the nick of time. Her own stomach began to squirm as she watched the child throw up, and a frown pulled at her lips. Despite everything that'd happened, Eshe couldn't stay mad, especially when she'd been the one who'd caused her to throw up.

Oh, sweetling: she crooned, pulling up beside the child and pulling her into her arms if allowed. It's alright, you're better now, she assured her. What can I do for you? Do you need any water?::

She flinched at the word 'sweetling.'

The last time it had been spoken, she'd been grabbed, carried, and dumped in a den. Reflexively, her ears flattened and she bared her teeth in an ungainly grimace, as if triggered by the offering of sympathy. Any limb that came within reach would earn a snap, but she did not necessarily pull away. Her downy hackles bristled, when she felt another little ripple of discontent gurgle in her stomach. 

An intrusive thought popped into her mind, and as she was already overwhelmed and anxious, she could do nothing to stop it. Without a second thought she lunged for the still-warm pile of vomit and began to wolf it back down.

Cygnet's anxiety was palpable, and Eshe knew that it would be difficult to wrangle the nervous energy. So when the child went to eat her own vomit, she allowed it and watched, cringing and feeling her stomach churn.

Everything will be okay, she assured her, leaving out the term of endearment for now. You'll feel much better after some cuddles and rest.

It would not take long for the vomit to resurface- and this time, she seemed to have learned her lesson and turned to kick scuffs of dirt over it, scowling at the bitter taste it left in her mouth. Feeling quite sorry for herself, she pulled her lips tight, trying to keep the acid-breath to herself. 

Eshe was given a quick, but earnest glare when the word cuddles was mentioned. A warning, but not one that needed to be taken too seriously. With her stomach muscles aching, she felt inclined to rest- and since warmth had been offered, she moved reluctantly to Eshe's side, circled twice, and flopped to the ground at her feet. She squeezed her eyes shut, and shuddered once. Cuddling was often uncomfortable and unwanted- but at a time like this, her body begged for it.

Fade with your post?

Cygnet seemed reluctant to cuddle at first but eventually gave in. Eshe moved carefully, as not to spook the girl, and curled herself around her. Once in position, she resisted the urge to preen at the girl's fur and instead asked, Do you want to hear a story?

sure! <3

The woman was warm- and boy, was she ever soft! The comfort put her into a milder mood, and she curled her forepaws and settled her head down, so that she could press her lips against her leg near her dewclaw. She tilted an ear back, to listen of Eshe spoke- and suckled gently on the soft, short fur of her ankle, slowly drifting to sleep in the kind woman's embrace.