Greatwater Lake What is a weekend?

@Rakharo

She was a little bit turned around. After her untimely encounter with an otter, she was determined to treat herself against the possibility of rabies and ensure her continued venture north to meet back up with her Amazon sisters. What this meant... was she needed a detour to find local lavender, so it was to her advantage that she was still south enough to make that happen. Heaven only knew she'd find nothing if she was too far north. She was fortunate to be in the area.

Citali traveled. Nose to the ground and air, she sought out locations where lavender was best grown. South of the mountains, she encountered a small field where she spotted a patch of purple flowers, positively identified them for what she was looking for, snatched them up, and continued to find a place where she could better tend her toe.

She ended up near a lake. Wide and vast, she settled herself upon a stone that jutted out above the water. She dipped her paw in the water to clean it before lifting it up and examining the wound. It'd healed some in her travels. It no longer bled, but if she were to fight infection she'd have to reopen it to directly apply her poultice. She frowned before she worked her teeth over the area and pulled back the scab to expose the wound once more.

With that done, she quickly sampled her flowers and chewed them, grinding the violet petals into a pulp before she applied the salve to her toes. All she had to do now was sit and wait for it to take effect, dry, and let the wound close on its own. Then she could wash the remedy off and be on her way. Until then? She yawned as she basked lazily in the afternoon sun. It would not hurt her to replenish her energy in the form of a nap. She lowered her head to her unwounded paw and pressed her eyes closed to sleep lightly.

Thanks for starting!

Rakharo had decided one thing among many. To know his surroundings was an advantage when war came, and for what he knew, the Spine wolves were still ones to be careful with. All he knew about them was that they were brave -or stupid- enough to knock at their door with an almost dead body of their own, and that they lived west from the plains. But if he knew the Plains' secrets he would have more than enough ways to use them against his enemies, so exploring was crucial.

This time he went south. To the lake. He already knew the place, but there were still parts of it that he hadn't seen with his own eyes. The place would serve as a retreat when the heat striked and Vaes Aenai wasn't enough to keep cool, but it still was a way down south to be a frequented place.

Rakharo followed the Rhoa Creek all the way to the vast lake, admiring the greenery as he approached the big blue. It was so different than the Plains, so much more alive. Surely this would be a fine place to gather herbs for the healers, but that wasn't his duty.

Just as his thoughts took him back to Raezho, their young and missing healer, he scented both the strong scent of wolf and the poultice she was putting on her. He approached silently, this was still his land, and when he was close enough he chuffed to wake her from her slumber.

"Wake up, Ifak." he growled in his native tongue from a few feet away. His fur had bristled, making him look even bigger, and his tail was high up in the air, claiming dominance.

She was uncertain as to how long she dozed for, but she was very aware that she had drifted off. Her dreams were absent as she rested, but she would enjoy what little sleep she could muster. The sun was simply warm and wonderful. It wasn't often that she took any sort of reprieve to enjoy the world for what it could offer. Too frequently she was more attentive to seeing how she could utilize and alter this earth to her own purposes as opposed to accepting it as is.

A voice roused her. The words were foreign and lost between her own understanding and the grip of sleep. Jostled, she sat up immediately, rolling to her belly as she sat sphinx-like and proper and turned her head to look in the direction of... a bristling male. Were all southern males like this? Bristling porcupines with a growl on their lips? No wonder her sisters brought them to heel. Without a proper female to guide them they were absolutely barbaric.

"Come again?" she asked, quickly shaking the remnants of sleep from her form. She lifted a paw to help with that, rubbing at her eyes with the soft curve of her wrist before setting them back down on the stone. "Do you speak the common tongue at all?" Or perhaps he was unfortunate enough to be cursed with nothing more than growls, grunts and groans. A shame. She had yet to find a male who was worthy of intelligent conversation.

The female rose quickly, and the Khal took one short step back as she did, giving her some space to get up, but she didn't. Instead, the female spoke something he didn't quite get with his little handling of the common tongue.

"No common tongue," he explained with a barbaric accent, "This land belongs to the Dotharan. From the lake to the mountains in the north." he claimed in his native language, pointing with his muzzle back and forth and rising his tail even further. His snarly expression had almost faded away, and now he was just staring at her, straight into her pale eyes. Those were strange eyes. But the rest of her physique was impressive. Bulky and broad, almost Dotharan in appearance. Could she be?

"Who are you? Why do you stray so close to my pack." he asked out of curiosity. This would be hard to sort out without Tomahawk. Rakharo would probably have to resort to physical comunication eventually, most probably of the agressive sort if the foreigner didn't back away.

He stepped back, listened, and threw out a few heavily accented words that she only barely grasped the meaning of. He didn't speak the common tongue. Well then, it seemed as though they wouldn't be having a conversation at all. Except he tried. Those guttural words lifted from his tongue in a series of chattering clicks she didn't have the slightest comprehension of. They were followed with a wild waving of his head and a lifting of his tail he didn't quite understand. What did he want from her?

She glanced at him with a quizzical expression. From where she lay, she was uncertain as to what he was asking of her, but whatever it was, she wasn't about to do anything until she was content with the status of her paw. The herbs had dried. They were ready to wash off. Did she even want to explain her antics to this wolf? Surly he could smell the thick scent of lavender in the air. It was so strong a smell it was near impossible to miss.

"I have not idea what you are saying," she replied, uncertain as to why she even bothered as he most likely didn't understand her, just as she did not understand him. She shook her head and shifted forward on her rock, crawling upon her belly until she reached the end of it. Leaning over, she dipped her paw into the water and began to wash it with the other until all the lavender petals were gone. Clean now, she lifted the paw from the water and examined it. Perfect. Just as she hoped it would be. No scarring. No inflammation. Perfection. She was certainly good at her profession.

Citali wasn't entirely sure if he was still speaking at her or what, but the quizzical expression he wore on his face seemed to suit him. Her eyes turned in his direction, looking over his form for a moment  before she thought nothing of it. She sashayed back upon the rock and flopped over, ear flicking upon her tawny tiara as she humored the idea of a second nap. The sun was absolutely delightful.

Sorry for my slowliness. I was expecting this last few days to be completely different... :(

It was clear that the female was not interested in Rakharo's claim, but he was sure that it wasn't because she hadn't seen his display of dominance. Rakharo was not a territorial wolf unless it was around his precious bison, and they were so far away that he didn't really feel the need to chase this female away, but her only lack of respect towards the Khal made him uneasy. This female was obviousl physically strong, you'd only need to look at her to realize, but that applied to Rakharo as well.

When Citali turned around and looked away to wash her paw in the lake, Rakharo took another step in and watched how the purple-ish petals floated away. It reminded him a lot of his beloved Zhalia, who used to be a healer. She too, made use of the salubrious plant whenever there was any available. But it also made him think about his own Khalas, which had recently lost it's only healer, apparently disappearing on thin air.

"Yer Koalakeesi..." he said, and realised she probably wouldn't understand -again. He quickly started retrieving his knowledge of the common tongue and when he though he'd got it he repeated, "You, Heelah," using his badass baritones. Maybe she could help with the fallen member, who still laid unconcious in a den, surviving with the little they could stuff into her to not die of hunger or dehydration.

Hey! No worries! I appreciate all posts as I receive them. Plus. Interesting plot twist. Totally worth the wait. :]

She was content to lay within the sun when he took a step nearer and spoke again in that language she did not understand. She lifted her head towards him, curious as she flicked an ear towards him. She had no idea what he was trying to say, but perhaps he was a decent at charades. Humoring him, she rolled more completely to her stomach and lounged, lowering her chin to rest upon a paw as he tried again. Ahh. Now those words, however crudely spoken, she could understand.

"I am," she replied before realizing he might not quite understand either so she followed with something simpler. "Yes." That word was accompanied by a nod; the universal expression of the affirmative. One of those statements would surly communicate back to him. If not, she was afraid they might be at a bit of an impasse.

Nevertheless, her curiosity was piqued. She lived and breathed healing in all its forms. That was something to could speak about all day. If he knew anything of it and was an adept healer, perhaps they could find someway to communicate after all. Other cultures always had such unique methods she was curious to explore.

The female recognized being a healer, and Rakharo's frown turned slightly softer. This female could be the only hope Kivi had of coming back to life again, although Rakharo himself was almost completely sure she was already as good as dead. Kivi had been too much of a problem for Rakharo, and he wasn't completely sure about her loyalty, but she was Dotharan, and she had followed him to this place because he promised it would be a safe heaven to rise from the ashes. That promise was not being fulfilled, not with the circumstances.

"Wiilirk ve." - Follow me, the Khal said after a moment of silent deliberation. He turned with an inviting gesture of his head and wondered if she would follow. He had not the slightest warmth for interaction with strangers, specially not with foreigners, and the fact that he was about to take her close to tis followers made him uneasy, but it was a desperate action he had to make if he wanted the Lajakeesi to survive. It was the last thing he could do. The last hope.

The wolf said something else in his native tongue. She understood nothing of it, but she did pick up on the head gesture. Follow him. She rose from her perch and hopped down from her rock. Upon landing on the solid ground, she stretched and shook her fur clean of any lingering dust before moving forward to join him.

She did not follow so much as walk astride. He had to lead, so she lingered a footstep behind, but she was not about to appear as though she was following a male. Such a thing  was beneath her and as he was the one seeking her assistance it was very clear to her as to who was of more importance in this scenario.

Hopefully, wherever they were heading would not be too far off. She awaited him to show the way.

Should we include Kivi in this thread? Rakharo could lead Citali to the den where she's been all this time and she could try and wake her up somehow? idk

The female followed after the Khal, And he just walked on, unsure of his choice, but knowing that there was not much else to do. He needed her to save his Lajakeesi, and he hoped she would just serve her purpose and not be a problem for the Khalas. It did strike him as rude that the female followed so close beside him, but he just looked away every time her figure got too close to him. The wolves in this place were so strange, so confident. Rakharo wouldn't snap at her, but he did feel uncomfortable.

Rakharo would lead the healer deep into the golden plains and there, he would take her to Vaes Aenai, to the den where Kivi's weak form laid. She was too close to death, and Rakharo's efforts to keep her alive were just not enough. She needed a miracle.

Works for me! I'm down to keep it all in one thread. Is there anyway we can get @Tomahawk to translate (implied or otherwise) so this can move a little faster? Citali will have lots of questions. >.>

She followed along as the wolf led her around the lake and into the plains. She bristled a little, standing straighter as they crossed over his borders. She was a guest here and she very much hoped this pack would remember it. She had every intention of offering her services on the condition she get out of here alive. That also meant she'd have to be very very careful. Too often outside healers were brought in too late. If she was unable to save whoever it was, she did not wish to be blamed for their misfortune.

He led her deeper and into the den where @Kivi's form lay. Citali glanced at him for a moment before she stepped closer and sniffed at the girl's form. The body seemed stable. She still breathed even if it were faintly. "What happened here?" she asked. She'd need a background and a list of everything they'd already attempted if she were to begin making any progress here.

Got Rem's permission to PP tomtom ;)
Rem, please whack me in the head if the PP is too much :P

For a moment Rakharo stayed a few steps behind to allow the healer to take a closer look at Kivi, and meanwhile he barked for Tomahawk to serve as translator. This would be terribly difficult without her. She was prompt in her arrival, and as soon as she was with them Rakharo explained what was going on.

"She is a Koalakeesi. I brought her here to see if she can do anything for Kivi..." this wasn't said with much hope, he knew that Kivi was too weak already, but maybe a healer would know better. "Tell her what happened, tell her what we've done to keep her alive, and ask her if she knows a way to bring her back. I wouldn't forget it if she did." and with a shake of his head he told her to do her duty.

Tomahawk nodded saying "Ase shafki athdrivar," and carried on to direct herself to Citali.

"She lost a lot of blood. We did what we could to stop the bleeding and clean the wounds, but she hasn't awaken since she was brought to us. She was attacked by a pack west from here, they said she had-" there she was interrupted by a sharp chug. Rakharo behind her was paying close attention to her words, and he didn't want her to tell that she had trespassed into another pack's territory; that would make them look irrational. He understood most of what was spoken in the common tongue, but was mostly worried that he wouldn't seem as tough if he tried to speak it himself.

Tomahawk turned around for a second, looking apologetically at Rakharo and then continued, "The Alphas brought her to our borders and threatened our pack. We've been feeding her regurgitated meat and made her drik what little water we've managed to bring.", then she stopped, she had done her duty, and Rakharo was still behind her, hearing closely in case she spoke too much.

The wolf barked as Citali examined her newest patient. Still breathing. The girl was thin, but still alive save for the fact she seemed unresponsive. Lifting a paw, Citali peeled back the girl's eye lids, noted her gaze was not tracking, and shut them once more. Hmm... A brain issue perhaps. It seemed her thinking cap was not conversing with the rest of her.

It didn't take long before a coyote showed. After a brief exchange between the wolf and the coyote the female began to speak. Oh. How barbaric. They'd wrestled up a lesser beast to do their talking for them as opposed to learning the native tongue. No wonder they had in their midsts a comatose wolf. No doubt this fate had fallen upon them due to some kind of misunderstanding.

Of course... the whys and the hows were not important. What mattered was that they'd sustained her with their efforts of life support and the girl was still alive. Barely. At least her wounds were healed over and all that was left appeared to be her head. "How long has she been like this?" she asked, shifting through her mental inventory to see if there was anything she could do. Non-traditional methods sure... but they were far-fetched and not always effective.

She sucked in a breath before speaking. "Have you tried acupuncture?"

Rakharo only observed as the Koalakeesi examined Kivi. Rakharo had no healer abilities, he would never be a herbalist, and any other method of healing was too close to magic to be safe. The pack needed Kivi back, she was one of the strong. But when she did, if she did, she would have a great deal to explain to Rakharo and a lot of fork to redeem herself. Pissing off packs, without the Khal's conscent was not just anything. It was a big deal.

Tomahawk explained how she was told to, and Rakharo just listened to their conversation, trying to understand what they were saying. He got most of it, though some words were still unknown to him, making his understanding limited.

The Koalakeesi asked more questions, and Tomahawk was quick te answer. "It's been over a full moon cycle, I think." she simply said. Rakharo knew it was a long time to be unconscious, but they had managed to keep her breating and fed. They refused to let her go.

But when the Koalakeesi asked yet another question, Tomahawk's muscles tensed, and she turned to look at Rakharo questioningly. What Citali had suggested sounded more like Witch Bussiness than healing, and Rakharo was a supersticious wolf.

"No magic." he growled, making things clear. He would not profane the sanctuary he had in Hoshor Plains with Blood Magic. That was a no go, definitely.

The trouble with translators was that everything was up to interpretation. Well, that was the trouble with conversing in general. In this, she could only hope the translation was true and to do that she would need to explain what she was considering. "No magic." Her ears lowered for a half second as her muzzle twisted. Alternative methods of healing were simply alternative, but they were just obscure enough that they could be mistaken for magic... This would be... challenging, to say the least.

Citali positioned herself behind Kivi and placed a paw at the nape of the girl's neck. With her eyes closed, she pressed her paw over the girl's spine, pressing periodically to feel the muscles and tissue around the girl's backbone as she worked her way up to where the neck met with the girl's skull.

"There's some internal fluid here," she confirmed, stepping aside to the wolf might feel the swollen area for himself if he so desired to double check her diagnosis. "The head is the center point which communicates with the rest of the body. The fluid here is disrupting the flow of thought and it can not speak with the rest of her finer motor skills. For all we know, she could be alive and thinking in there, she's just unable to let us know."

She could talk this one out... explain their options... and let him decide. "Often times, in the case of traumatic injury, this fluid builds to protect the brain. In some cases this build up does not drain naturally and sends the body into a comatose state. The pressure around the base of her skull needs to be relieved, but this is where it gets tricky. I see two options. Reopen a wound at the base of her neck and hope it drains... or try a non-traditional form of healing. The first is difficult. There are a lot of muscles and arteries in the area so one's teeth must have absolute accuracy or risk paralyzing her or bleeding out. The second..." she hesitated. This was a safer method, but it could blur on the lines of magic depending upon his culture.

"The second runs on the theory that energy moves throughout the body and that all areas are interconnected. A trigger point for the base of the skull resides on the inner most toe of the left paw." Citali lifted her own to indicate the aforementioned area. "It is thought that bleeding the toe can trigger those nerve endings and jumpstart those at the base of the skull, therefore allowing the body to reflexively expel the fluid at her cranial base, down the channel of her arm through the opening in her toe." And that was why it was so farfetched.

"It's a long shot, but it would be the safer option." This girl's body would be able to heal a bloody toe far easier than she would be able to recover from paralysis, which was often permanent. "Since the injury is internal... the only options are to open her up in some form or another."

Rakharo listened with a hard stare as Tomahawk translated every word from Citali's lips to his ear, and as she went on, the Khal's eyes widened. This other option Citali was talking about was probably the most strange thing Rakharo had ever heard about, and he wasn't sure if allowing her to use magic on Kivi would be beneficial.

Rakharo didn't know much about energy in the body, or about magic, all he knew was that it wasn't good. It was sacrilege. It was damned. He would not allow it in his land.

"No magic," he repeated, this time not so certain about things. He was starting to regret bringing CItali so deep into his land and was trying not to snap. But something stopped him outright. It was his own fault that Kivi was in this state. He was her leader. He was supposed to protect her, and this was the last resource.

Would he turn it down?

She looked to him, waiting as the coyote translated her lengthy words into something he'd be able to comprehend. Her gaze turned towards him, seeking the expressions within his face. No doubt, the decision would be difficult. One was risky. The other less so, but it did blur the lines between reality and what he might see as this "magic" he was so against. She preferred calling it "alternative medicine" as it did still account science and not mysticism, but she understood not every wolf had the explicit training she did. Explaining what was beneath the skin and muscle was difficult to understand.

"I can do nothing unless you give me explicit permission to do something," she replied. His continual utterance of "no magic" was noncommittal. Either he wanted her help or he did not. No doubt, having to serve as this wolf's proxy to make the difficult decisions was a fate no wolf should desire, but it was a reality all the same. She'd given him two options. He still had a third, to do nothing, but that choice was his and his alone.

Her gaze lingered upon his own as she waited. She'd not pressure him one way or the other, she'd already told him her preferred treatment, but he did need to make a choice of some kind. Ultimately, he could not choose. She dismissed herself quietly and left him to his wolf.

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