Phoenix Maplewood Hello?

Scarlett closed her eyes with the surprisingly warm autumn sun coming through the canopy of orange leaves. Her head was resting next to her crossed paws. The female didn't really feel like herself. After what happened with the trespasser the red eyed female was rather afraid of herself and the anger that was swirling inside of her. It was like she couldn't hide it behind that door anymore. The mental door she used to put all her hurt feelings behind. It seemed that there was a crack in the door and some of that old poison was leaking out.

Scarlett felt rather confused, and perhaps a bit alone. She had her children, yes. But she hadn't made any attempt to make new friends. She was hesitant, probably because she felt like they were going to hurt her once more. Just like Kove had, and Raziel. Even her own son Xan hurt her. Saena had been nice to her, from the start really, but Scarlett didn't feel like she could bother the alpha female. She was probably busy. Hesitantly Scarlett pulled herself up to her fours to then decide to find some company.

Despite his infirm condition, Reek was not content waste his days away underground. The bulk of the fever had passed, however, the weakness that came with it still remained.  His bones ached, body creaked, and he could only imagine this lingering brittleness that he felt is what it must feel like to get old. Ew. Like a wolf three times his age, Reek rose to his paws on shaky knees and squinted toward the evening sun. There was warmth in the air and in turn, his smile. He inhaled deeply before sputtering into another fit of dry coughs.

Collecting himself, Reek pushed passed the den site and followed the stream in a slow stagger. He stumbled and swayed as he went, pausing intermittently to take quick and eager drinks from the water. He heard Scarlett's approach before he caught her scent. Sickness had left his important senses dull, but the crumple of leaves under heavy footfall, that was something Reek could hear.

His head spun over his shoulder to see one of the new arrivals that Saena had let stay. She was familiar, he had fought along side her against the intruder Kiara, but other than that, the two had never spoken. He wavered slightly where he stood before he shot her a weak smile in greeting.

Aww two sad babies xD

Scarlett was so in thought that she didn't even noticed the male at first. Her small body carried on walking until she saw something large and grey. At first she thought it was Raziel, but once she put her focus on the male he was nothing like the male. She let out a bit of a relieved sigh. Her red eyes scanned over him. She wasn't sure who he was since she hadn't really paid attention to her other pack mates at the time of the attack. Scarlett hadn't even seen Vega, a former pack member of BCV.

Alas, Scarlett searched for company and she got it. She returned to quick wag of her tail and then dipped her head in greeting. She only recently joined so she probably wouldn't have the highest rank to begin with, frankly she didn't even feel like one that should have a high rank. She was better as a pack mate. "Hello. I'm Scarlett," she returned to the male. Hopefully the male would introduce himself back to her so she knew how to call him.

She greeted him warmly and Reek tried to match that same sunny sentiment, but he barely had the strength to muster more than a small wag of his tail.  "Scarlett," he repeated in voice no more audible than a whisper. That name was one he would remember, he would only need to look at the peculiar color of her eyes. "Your eyes and name match— fitting," he added in a flat, matter-of-fact tone of voice. Nevertheless, his warm smile betrayed his tone and suggested that he was actually interested.

With a tired yawn, Reek settled from his standing position and down to his haunches where he could lay comfortably. "I'm Reek— uh, Saena's mate," he introduced, knowing she would know his wife far better than himself. "Come on. Sit," he beckoned. "Tell me about you, what made you and your family come to the Maplewood?" The reason that the pack had such an influx of new members was something Reek had yet to learn

Scarlett bobbed her her head once the whispered her name. He looked rather ... weak? But that maybe did mean that he was, maybe he was just tired? The male did look a bit sickish. "Yes," she could only reply. She didn't want to tell him that her name was different at first. It was so long ago. The caring female blinked when he said he was Saena mate. She hadn't expect that, but with her good heart she instantly believed him wether it would be true or not. He was the alpha so she quickly sat down across from him.

"Nice to meet you Reek," she returned. "Are you sure I can not help you? I am a caretaker. Not a healer but I can maybe help make you feel better?," she offered. Maybe it would be good to have her mind on something else. Scarlett swallowed for a moment at that question. "Well. It is kind of a long story. But I wouldn't mind telling you if you are open to listen. But basically our pack disbanded and I took three of my four pups with me... My mate and I also ended our mateship. And.. it was all a bit of a mess," she ended in a mutter.

She offered to help and for that Reek was grateful, but in spite of his appreciation there was little she could do. "Thanks, I'll be fine though.  It's viral, so there's not much I can really do about it but wait this bug out. That and treat the symptoms as they come," he explained.  The loss of Citali's garden had been a severe hit in Reek's ability to treat himself— the absence of Citali compounded on top of that. He kept a small amount of feverfew in his den to quell the worst of the symptoms, but he was grossly unprepared for the flu season. "But... you can keep me company if you want," he added with a smile. The loneliness that came with illness was by far the worst symptom.

Scarlett then went on to explain her life story in brief. The information she gave was only a tease, but a few details stuck out in Reek's mind. A disbanding pack. A failed relationship. Both were things Reek had experienced first hand. "I'm open. I've got all day— it's not like I can run away." He tried to laugh, but it just came out as a dry wheeze as he gasped for breath. "I know all about messes though. The thing I had with my first mate, Wynter— it was a complete disaster. It get's better, you know?"

Scarlett looked a bit relieved when she was able to help him by keeping him company. She was not only helping him but it might also be good for her to tell him her story. "I'm always glad to help," she spoke in a soft tone and a gentle quirk of her lips. She hoped the skinny male wasn't too cold now the winter was coming in. She did want to keep her boundaries and not piss off Saena. Scarlett smiled a bit at his joke that he couldn't really run away. "For now it doesn't feel like it is getting better," she admitted softly, feeling a bit ashamed for even thinking like that. Normally she would never think so negatively.

"Well it sort of all starts when I was little. Because my family didn't accept my looks so to say. Alas back to now. I found my mate. He was from Black Feather Woods, but... He was so nice and perfect. But as soon as I got pregnant he left to his family someone North. He left me alone for most of the time. It was embarrassing because a good friend needed to take care of me. He was there when the pups were born but soon after he left again. Then that good friend became the alpha because I was so busy with taking care of the little ones. Alas, then he threatened that if I wouldn't mate him that he would leave. Until recently I thought he died on his week long trip but now I am starting to think that he left us. I am not really a dominant female. I can't be an alpha, especially not if you compare me to Saena. I don't feel happy in that position. I then decided after meeting Saena to come here. My mate, or well ex-mate, at the time didn't agree. He said horrible things to me, referring to my family that bullied me. I told him all those things in confidence and.. yeah. He just used that against me. Then I really wanted to leave. My daughters chose for me, but my son went with his father back to Black Feather. It saddens me because it is no pack for a child! They do all these horrible things and it is all dark," she stated.

Her red eyes turned sad and looked at Reek. "That is the gist of it. Or well-- no not all. I -- That female who trespassed. I helped kill her! I never really.. I would never even want to --" The female was really struggling with this. "I think she was killed because I couldn't control all the hurt I was hiding," she whispered, confessing her nightmarish thoughts.

From his prone position, Reek listened along and made mental note of the key details.  The life Scarlett described was one full of misfortune, thus spurning a rare moment of empathy from Reek. There were just too many parallels between the two. They had walked the same path. Rejected by family. A flighty, absentee ex-mate.  A refugee.  All were roles that Reek had experienced in his relatively short life. He shifted his gaze downward toward his paws and his ears flattened back in a shared sense of sadness.  An apologetic whispered begged to come forth, but it hitched in his throat to only be replaced by another fit of dry coughs.

Composing himself once more, he caught her gaze as she expressed guilt for killing the trespasser. Guilt? What? Despite Reek's ailment, his expression became hard. "She died because of her own stupidity," he wheezed.  "There are consequences to our actions Scarlett— some good, some bad.  She lived and died with the consequences of hers." He sighed and his expression softened. "You're not to blame. You only did what needed to be done."

It felt good to let out all her worries and talk about them. Reek was a good listener. Though he didn't make any comments on her past and what happens he did comment on the fact that it wasn't her fault that the female was killed. Scarlett nodded softly. There was truth in his words because if the female hadn't gone into their lands she wouldn't be dead. But was that a good enough reason to kill her? Scarlett wasn't so sure about that.

"I'm glad you aprrove, I am not sure if I myself can approve of this behavior," she admitted. "I never done such a thing. I think I put all my grief and hurt into that one moment." The light colored female let out a soft sigh, trying to believe his words. She heard his cough. "There has to be something for your flu! How many days have you been struggling with this?," she asked.

Typed up a whole response... and then I lost it!

"It was necessary," he responded in a matter-of-fact tone, hoping to leave it at that. The halo of guilt may have hung heavy upon Scarlett's head, but Reek was not struck with the same affliction. He lived a life unbound from the burdens of guilt. Unfettered and free. He did not concern himself with the past, but focused mostly in the here and now. It was a liberating experience to be free of the shackles of the past. His decisions were sure and his path was set. Nevertheless, he did not revel in the action of killing a wolf without reason— it was a vile act, even for his standards. However, Kiara posed a direct threat to the claim he and his mate had staked, which was a deed that would not go unpunished.

She was not the first wolf to fall beneath the paws of Reek, nor would she be the last.

Thankfully, the conversation took a less morbid turn as Scarlett inquired about his illness. "It's been three or four days, I think," he began. "I've been treating the symptoms with feverfew, but there's really not anything I can do other than that. It has to pass on it's own." It could be days, it could be another week. It wasn't something Reek had any control over. "You sure you're not a healer? You'd probably make a good one," he said with a weak smile. He took note of her empathetic demeanor; her bedside manor was far better than Reek's would ever be.

That is so horrible! I hate it when that happens.

Scarlett nodded in mild agreement. When they had a trespasser they didn't kill it back in Bearclaw, maybe they should have. Then the topic switched to Reek's flu, a much better topic for Scarlett. The pale female looked over the male, feeling a bit of a pity towards him since he looked so tired. She wasn't sure what feverfew was, probably the pale flower? She wasn't certain. Then Reek said something that really perked her interest. "A healer? Me?," she asked a bit uncertain. The light colored female started thinking about it. She didn't knew much about plants.

"I already have three trades, though, in truth i haven't been using my Naturalist at all," she admitted. Maybe she could go for being a healer? But now all the plants died. She couldn't really find any good quality herbs. What if she would poison someone? That would be a disaster and so much stress she would need a teacher. If she wanted to pursue this. "Maybe I could? Though I like care taking too," she admitted. Her red eyes looked rather timidly at Reek for a moment, not really believing that she could be a healer.

The fact that she hadn't considered to possibility of becoming a healer was evident in her reaction. It was surprising that the thought had not crossed her mind; she seemed exactly the type to thrive under such circumstance. "Yes! Of course you!" Wheezed Reek in exclamation. Now that Citali had left to return to Coatl's Rise a void was left within the pack. While Reek could have taken the role of the sole healer in her place, he felt a two wolf team was the most effective. Plus, he would need all the help he could get with replanting Citali's ransacked garden.

She mentioned her current trades and Reek nodded along. "Caretaking and healing would complement each other pretty well. I don't think the two are mutually exclusive," he continued. "I could teach you. It'll be fun." His methods weren't as refined as Citali's had been, but he had learned a fair amount. At least enough to teach proficiency.

For Scarlett was was a very surreal feeling that someone was believing in her. She felt her spirits lift a bit. Reek was petty good in charing her up while she was technically here to keep Reek company. "You think I could go for healer instead of my Naturalist trade?," she asked and then slowly started nodded. She felt a bit honored even that the male wanted to spend time teaching her. Raziel wasn't too bothered to teach her things.

"I would like that, thank you so much," she spoke a bit in disbelieve. She never thought she was smart enough to distinguish certain herbs or even apply them. But now she would have an actual mentor in this. She felt a bit more confident.

Scarlett's enthusiasm was infectious, and Reek soon found himself sporting a wide grin in spite of how miserable his ailment made him feel. "Of course I do!" he replied in and excited wheeze. From his prone position, his tail thumped against the ground as it wagged. Naturalists were useful in their own right, but it was a trade Reek had always viewed to be not necessarily necessary for a functioning pack. Healers, on the other-hand, there could never be too many.

"We can start as soon as this sickness passes," he continued happily. "We'll take a little field trip to the herbalists cache and I can show you some important plants! It's not too far from here. I would take you now, but I'm not up for the trip just yet." There would be so much to learn. There was no doubt that his curriculum would prove to be daunting, but Reek felt Scarlett was more than apt for the challenge.

This turned cute so quickly haha!

Scarlett lifted her head as Reek offered all those nice things. "Really? You would?," she asked with a soft gasp. Her red eyes widened. She always wanted to be somewhat of a healer but she settled for Caretaker because, well, she thought that would be better. She was always forced to babysit or just do catering jobs, always talked down. "Thank you! I'd love to. But.. wouldn't autumn be bad to start? Like? Aren't the herbs all gone?," she asked, sounding uncertain.

She knew from her naturalist trade, which has some botany study in them that plants were getting more scare as winter loomed closer. She knew this naturally after all, since the snow would cover everything. Maybe it was a stupid question to ask.

He nodded in confirmation, but part of him was confused by her surprise. While he would't care to teach an outsider how to heal, she was of his pack. Part of his family. Even though she was a new addition, those roots still ran deep. "Of course Scar," he rasped, followed by a string of scratchy coughs.  

"Good point though," he continued after considering the seasons. "But, healing isn't all herbs; there's setting bones back into place, following standard procedure, you know... all that jazz." The timing was unfortunate, but it wasn't too much of an issue in Reek's mind. Sure, some plants would lie dormant for the time being, but some thrived in the winter months.  He would still be able to teach just as much as usual."We may have to adjust the curriculum a bit, but there should be enough for me to teach." In fact, he had begun his training in the winter under his mother. The season brought difficulties along with it, but the task wasn't impossible and Scarlett would surely prove to be capable.

Scarlett felt her gut sink as he called her Scar. That was the nickname Raziel used for her. The female wasn't really sure if she should say something about it or not. She decided not to. Then the male made an excellent point. Scarlett nodded softly. "That would be a good thing to start with then," she returned to the male. The pale female had already tried being a bit of a healer with Adlartok. She wondered where he was now. She wasn't worried about him being alone, but she still wondered what he was doing right now. 


"I'm glad you have enough for me to teach. Hopefully I can drop my Naturalist trade soon and help you out with injured pack mates," she spoke. That would make her fell better about herself and more integrated in the pack. She was kind of being a bit of a loner and taking care of her pups. She hadn't really met any of the other members at all. "You can always howl for me when you are ready to start a lesson. In the meanwhile I could hunt for you if you like?," she asked.

End it here?  I'll start up a new one for us tonight! You can squeeze one more post in if you want, or I can archive now!

She hid her initial discomfort well. As intuitive as Reek was, he couldn't see everything, feelings included. His tendency to shorten names and assign nicknames got him into trouble more often than not, but it was something her rarely caught. He nodded and smiled at Scarlett before pulling his head away to set off another chain of raspy coughs.  

Her offer to hunt for him made Reek flush with gratitude. "Thank you Scarlett— Seriously, you're a saint," he rasped. Wobbling a bit, he pushed off the ground and found his feet. "I'll be in my den if you want to bring anything." Reek had never been the type to accept handouts, but in his condition he reconsidered his stance.

Regarding their future lessons, Reek finished with, "I'll find you when I'm ready," before setting off in weak stagger toward his creek side home.

-Reek exits-

yes, perfect! That would be great! I will wrap it up and send it to archives for you!

Scarlett nodded in return. "I would be more than capable to hunt for you," she returned, glad she was able to do something for him. At least she had something to put her mind to. A task even. In a new pack it was good to find your tasks. It would help her out in the longer run. "I will keep that in mind,' she spoke. Scarlett was eager to start her lessons. She would become an actual healer! Wow. She was nervous and excited at the same time.

"Alright, take your rest now. I will do some hunting," she spoke. The female bid her goodbyes to the male, having enough information for later. She vanished between the trees instantly tracking down new sources of prey so the male would be have a meal later today or tomorrow.

-fin-