Moonspear ^___________^

The sky darkled over Moonspear, promising afternoon rain showers. Treepie observed the moody clouds from a perch midway up the mountainside, her tongue absentmindedly tracing her lower lip. Her gaze drifted downward, watching the wind ruffle the treetops in the neighboring glen, just as she imagined it had a few nights past. She felt a stirring in her gut, prompting her to rise onto all fours and begin her descent.

When Pie reached the foot of the mountain, a cold drop of rain hit her square between the eyes. She blinked, then raised a forepaw to swipe it over her face. She looked to the forest, now at eye level, and knew the trees would provide shelter from the elements. She strode toward the tree line.

She stopped suddenly when a bout of queasiness assailed her. She swallowed convulsively as saliva pooled in her mouth. Her yellow eyes darted around until she spotted the healing ulaq. Driven by some instinct, Tiuttuk trotted toward it, ducking inside and slinging herself to the dirt floor as she continued fighting the inexplicable nausea.

Pie shut her eyes and focused on her breathing. The soft pattering of raindrops on the wood soothed her and the urge to vomit began to ebb. She cracked open one eye, then the other, and found herself staring down at stores of dried herbs. Perhaps one of them might further settle her stomach, though she didn’t know which, and slowly turned to look out at the rain instead.

Bridget arrived back at the healing den, drenched, to find it was already occupied. The wolf was young and clearly one of the Moonspear children. She wasn’t sure whose, but that wasn’t immediately important.

Hey, is everything alright? Her demeanor shifted immediately to concern, as judging from the young wolf’s expression, they were here for a reason. They didn’t look well.

I’m a healer, she explained afterwards, hoping to put them more at ease. She didn’t think the term medic was used here as often, though it was the title she usually gave herself.

Water dripped from her fur to the ground, but she didn’t bother to shake it off just yet. Fortunately the cold rain was still a welcome change from the heat of the summer.

An unfamiliar face appeared in the mouth of the ulaq, dripping with rainwater. Treepie blinked in surprise, though quickly recovered and smiled. She didn’t know this woman, though her scent—amplified by the damp—was slightly familiar.

Hello, the youngster chirped, shuffling to the side to make room for Bridget. Yes, I’m okay. I had a stomachache but it’s going away now, Pie added, blowing out a breath.

Her own words made her think. Why had she felt ill, and so suddenly? Sialuk had explained what might’ve prompted her nausea the other day, though Treepie had eaten a balanced breakfast this morning. And she hadn’t really traveled anywhere, not really. Pie hadn’t even really made it to the glen.

Just as abruptly as before, her mouth filled with saliva and her stomach rolled. It wasn’t quite as severe as earlier, though her breath grew ragged and shallow as she fought this second onslaught of nausea.

Bridget smiled back as she was assured it was fine. Then an expression of nausea crossed their face again and the healer moved closer, putting a comforting paw on their shoulder. If you need to be sick, that’s alright. It’s better to get it out if it’s something you ate. She didn’t want to hound her with questions.

Bridget was already running through remedies. There were things that could settle the stomach generally, but if the root cause was something ingested, that would need to wait. In either case, the problem didn’t appear urgent. She could wait until their stomach settled enough to talk a bit about possible causes.

Treepie loved being touched, though the weight of the woman’s paw made her skin flush hot and prickly. And though the words she said were both comforting and wise, they seemed to provoke another wave of nausea. She couldn’t think of what she might’ve eaten to cause this, though perhaps the stranger was right: better out than in.

She pushed past the she-wolf and vomited on the doorstep, where the rain might quickly wash away the evidence. A little shakily, Pie wiped her at her mouth and made to retreat… only to freeze. She usually hated being any combination of cold or wet, though the mist on her face felt incredible just now.

Bridget remained back and allowed her some space. Even after she’d thrown up, the medic waited patiently, sitting down and also glancing out of the entrance.

Does this happen often, or is it rare for you to feel sick? She asked finally, not moving but turning her attention back to the new patient. The symptoms didn’t seem like a stomach bug or any kind of food poisoning. She didn’t appear to be in pain, or to feel poorly outside of nausea. Bridget had seen stress cause feelings of illness and wondered if that might be the case instead.

She stood there until a little shiver passed through her. Treepie withdrew into the ulaq, taking a seat and wiping the wetness from her face. Her mouth tasted sour and she wondered if there might be some water stored in here, or perhaps an herb that might freshen her mouth.

No, it doesn’t happen often, Pie replied, bright eyes flicking up to the healer’s face in the dim interior. She shook her head, saying, It’s only the second time. Anang said it was because I didn’t eat enough last time…

The youth shrugged, just glad the feeling had passed for now. She smacked her lips a little bit and realized she could probably ask the she-wolf if there was anything in these caches that might get rid of the terrible taste in her mouth. Only, Tiuttuk realized she didn’t know her name.

What’s your name? I’m Pie.

That can be it, but not always. Bridget turned to look at the stores, hoping to spot something she could use. No… no… no… there! She plucked a sprig of mint and placed it between them, then continued. Sometimes it can be nerves, or some event or thing that is causing stress. It’s harder to tell still because that can also kill someone’s appetite and make things worse when they don’t eat. Mint, like this, can help settle the stomach. But if there’s a cause, fixing it will mean finding that.

It had only happened twice, so maybe the one she’d referred to was right. Bridget wasn’t familiar with the term but it sounded similar to others she’d heard Sialuk use. My name’s Bridget. It’s nice to meet you, Pie.

Tiuttuk gave the mint a quick sniff before snatching it up in her teeth. As she chewed, she tasted something slightly earthy before the sharp, cooling flavor flooded her mouth. It was strange but not unpleasant. Pie was just glad her mouth no longer tasted like spew.

As she chewed, she drank in the healer’s—Bridget’s—every word. Pie wasn’t prone to nerves or stress. She was happy-go-lucky, if anything. She couldn’t think of any particular event that might have triggered these upsets. Pauk’s disappearance and Sialuk’s subsequent sadness were the worst things that had happened in her short life, yet they were fairly old news by now…

Pie swallowed and said, Nice to meet you too. Thanks for this. She gestured at her mouth. How do you know if you’re nervous or stressed? I don’t think I am but… I don’t know, she said ponderously, shrugging.

It was a good question. Bridget paused, still smiling, but it was clear she had to think about it a moment. Finally she breathed out in a quiet laugh.

Honestly? I think it’s different for everyone. So it’s hard for me to say. Usually I just try to pay attention to what I’m feeling. Does something feel wrong, but in a way that’s hard to describe? Is there something upsetting me that isn’t immediately visible? And then I try to listen to that, and notice when it happens. If nothing feels wrong, then there’s probably nothing worth worrying about.

She wondered silently if that even made sense, though if not, it was likely the girl would shrug off the advice anyway. Bridget always felt a little out of her depth when medicines weren’t what was needed, but it was never too late to pick up new tricks, and she’d felt for a long time that healing wasn’t always something physical.

At the end of the day, you know you best, I think. She finished with a small shrug.

Bridget offered a pretty top-notch description, though Treepie didn’t feel like it really applied to her. Nothing felt wrong, at least not in a way that she found difficult to describe. Although she couldn’t explain her sudden onset nausea, it seemed pretty straightforward to her. She didn’t think she felt upset, generally speaking, just her stomach. But it had only happened twice now, so perhaps a pattern might emerge and she could make more sense of it.

If it happens again, I’ll try to take better notes, the youngster thought aloud, really try to pay attention to what’s happening. But if I feel fine otherwise and just randomly get sick, could that be all there is to it? Pie wondered. Like, maybe I just have a weirdly sensitive stomach?

That could be. I’ll be here to talk about it, if you want to narrow it down. But hopefully it won’t happen too often again. Bridget smiled, then turned to look at what else she had tucked away. Really just mint for now, at least for this type of thing.

In the meantime, here, take some extra. It’s easier on the stomach than ginger in the long run, though that can sometimes work quicker. If you still feel badly in a bit, chew another leaf or two. Mint isn’t a plant that you have to worry about too much of. As long as you aren’t eating bushes of it. She laughed, setting the leaves down in front of the girl.

If Treepie had any more questions, Bridget would continue to answer them patiently before the rain lightened up. Then she’d take inventory while she ran off to play, putting together a list to gather up before the frost came this fall.