Sawtooth Spire rückkehr der musik
2,664 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Master Guardian
Midwife
Sitter
Offline
#1
All Welcome 
he wondered where maegi had gone, how ketzia fared. if takiyok would truly take herself out of diaspora 
sagtannet
if she had —no!
the man shook out his wintergrown cape of charcoal and moved on at a frustrated clip.
the world was silent, and sagtannet waited. he would hunt now, mahler decided, pushing beyond the low boughs of juniper, hunt for wylla.
[Image: 2711649b07fc604164cb120b1b417fa3cf47bccc_00.gif]
super-adorable little shrimp
506 Posts
Ooc — Me
Offline
#2
Wylla he did not find right away, because Elfie happened to cross paths with the old general. The boy had spent the day up until the meeting hunting on his own and, when upon his return, he recognized the tell-tale signs of another migraine, he hurried off to find Mahler and get some of his miracle drugs.

"Good day, General," Elfie told the older wolf, dipped his head politely and kept his position submissive. "I thought, if you have time... if I could get some of the plants for the aches?"
2,664 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Master Guardian
Midwife
Sitter
Offline
#3
Private 
his plans were interrupted by elfie's arrival, but this did not upset mahler. he was pleased by the boy's continued presence here, proud that elfie had recently entered the adult ranks, and satisfied to suspect the young man had been off roaming.
"how bad are the headaches as of late?" mahler inquired, setting off for his newest herbal store upon the mountain and inviting elfie along.
[Image: 2711649b07fc604164cb120b1b417fa3cf47bccc_00.gif]
super-adorable little shrimp
506 Posts
Ooc — Me
Offline
#4
"It's not that bad, if I have got that stuff you give me," Elfie explained. "And it is not the same every day. Sometimes it is very mild, I see swirls and colours out of the corner of my eyes," there was no worry in his voice, when he mentioned this, he seemed rather amused. "It is worse, when it comes with a ringing sound in my ears. It's the warning sign that I have to find the herbs," he told.

"It's ringing now, so I have to prepare for one very long night," he finished and that was about all he could tell.
2,664 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Master Guardian
Midwife
Sitter
Offline
#5
mahler listened, dismayed. whatever happened to the boy had left the imprint of lasting damage, and now a dependence upon the herb the doktor had administered. he was not sure how sustainable this was, but neither did he know another way he might relieve young elfie of his headaches.
mahler rummaged, lifted his muzzle with the dried feverfew dosage in the curl of a dead leaf. "this vill be enough for a veek," he revealed, setting it down at the boy's paws. "if you vorsen, you must come to me at vonce."
[Image: 2711649b07fc604164cb120b1b417fa3cf47bccc_00.gif]
super-adorable little shrimp
506 Posts
Ooc — Me
Offline
#6
Elfie was unaware that his state of health could have serious practical implications on his stay in within the pack. He was so used to his headaches and migraines that he did not realize his place in a big pack, which consisted of tough survivalists, was compromised. If things would ever go badly, he would be the first to go or to be exiled.

But the trauma had left him not only slightly disabled, but childishly naive. He believed Mahler to be his best friend and the remaining wolves (with the exception of Wylla, who he for some unexplainable reason felt instinctive fear; he did not remember their brutal encounter few months ago) just as good.

"Thanks,"
he drew his share of the medicine towards himself and looked up at the general with appreciation. "Do you think Maegi will return soon?" he was quite lonely without the company of his lovely caretaker and looked forward to seeing her again.
2,664 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Master Guardian
Midwife
Sitter
Offline
#7
the more elfie spoke of these headaches and their effect upon his well-being, the more worried mahler became. had he overlooked a true injury to the brain? he did not wish to scare the boy, but such things seldom ended well. more symptoms would manifest. 
perhaps it was psychosomatic, at least in part. could the young wolf be imagining his pain as greater than it was? the doktor did not like that explanation either, and fell so deep into a pensive state that he was silent for a while after the question was posed.
maegi.
guilt coursed through him; had he become too busy to search for the pale girl? perhaps she had only gone off to begin anew with her mate, and elfie, poor elfie, was a casualty of such. "i think after blackfeather, the vilds did not appeal to her as much. but i think she vill come back. perhaps in the summer."
[Image: 2711649b07fc604164cb120b1b417fa3cf47bccc_00.gif]
super-adorable little shrimp
506 Posts
Ooc — Me
Offline
#8
"I hope so," Elfie had become visibly happier now that he knew and approximate time to look forward to. "I would have gone with them, but she... we decided that with my head-aches it was better to stay here. Where the medicine is," he explained, a bit of regret and disappointment about his own weakness lacing his words. 

"I miss her though," he added - something personal he had revealed to no one else - but he suddenly felt that of all people Mahler would understand. He knew hardly anything about the general, who appeared to the youth as old, regal and super-important, but something about him made Elfie trust him. A bit. 

"Was she your friend too?" he asked. If so - maybe he could tell him something about her. Having a story about Maegi to think about would be just as good as having her here by his side.
2,664 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Master Guardian
Midwife
Sitter
Offline
#9
mahler was not surprised to know that was the reason maegi had given. it did not ever occur to the gargoyle that he should inquire into why the boy had been left; the blackfeather princess was a careful and logic-abiding sort. he also had not wished to pry.
a slow nod. "yes. i did not know maegi for long, but she vas my friend as vell." mahler had treated her affectionately, fond of the pale young woman in several indecipherable ways. but she had been mated, and he had never intended to press forth in any of them. 
a thought; his brow furrowed, then smoothed, and he looked thoughtfully at elfie. "did maegi ever teach you anything about plant life?"
[Image: 2711649b07fc604164cb120b1b417fa3cf47bccc_00.gif]
super-adorable little shrimp
506 Posts
Ooc — Me
Offline
#10
"She managed to teach me about moss - we gathered it one day, but she left soon after that," Elfie explained. Plants had not interested him too much, but he had been eager to learn, because he had thought that it would make Maegi proud and lessons would be a good reason to spend time together.

But - maybe - if he learned for Mahler and impressed Maegi with his knowledge afterwards. Wouldn't that be amazing? "Do you know much about plants?" he asked, though the question was quite silly on the second thought.
2,664 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Master Guardian
Midwife
Sitter
Offline
#11
"i know a great deal, but i am alvays learning." the boy was old enough for a trade, and what better one than healing? "i could teach you, if you vould like, elfie," the shadowpriest offered, lilac stare resting with approval upon the young wolf. if the former blackfeather was to carry his injury for all time, it would lend itself to his strengths.
[Image: 2711649b07fc604164cb120b1b417fa3cf47bccc_00.gif]
super-adorable little shrimp
506 Posts
Ooc — Me
Offline
#12
It would have been easier, if Mahler had not given Elfie a choice. When faced with "if you would like" the boy looked away and fell silent. He did not know, if he would like to do that or anything else for that matter. People around him seemed to know all they wished to achieve in their lives or how to direct them in the desired direction. He on the other hand felt floated along the stream and had no idea, where it would lead him. Indifferent, unless there was a clear purpose ahead of him. Like impressing Maegi, but deep inside his heart he knew that "doing for someone else" was way different than doing it for your own good.

"Okay," he replied, thinking that it would be rude to decline. Mahler was a leader and an older wolf. He knew better.
2,664 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Master Guardian
Midwife
Sitter
Offline
#13
elfie accepted, and mahler could not hide his pleasure. "very good," he murmured gruffly. "i vould like to start vith basic things. do you know how you might treat a cut upon an ankle or paw?"  the boy was young, and young wolves often injured themselves superficially. understanding how to tend oneself might be imperative more to youth than to someone of mahler's age.
[Image: 2711649b07fc604164cb120b1b417fa3cf47bccc_00.gif]
super-adorable little shrimp
506 Posts
Ooc — Me
Offline
#14
Elfie looked down at his paws, which, though covered by dust and remnants of mud, were otherwise white and not injured. He tried to remember, when and if he had injured himself, but nothing came to mind. Bruises and scratches did not count. 

"I dunno," he shrugged. "I have never cut my paw. Any paw. Doesn't it heal on it's own?"
2,664 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Master Guardian
Midwife
Sitter
Offline
#15
"some do, but you use your paws quite often," mahler pointed out. "valking upon a vound vill make it less quick to close." a pause. "wash it often." a thought occurred to the former general; he let out his breath. "vhat role vould you like to have here? as in a hobby. or task. vhat are you good at?"
[Image: 2711649b07fc604164cb120b1b417fa3cf47bccc_00.gif]
super-adorable little shrimp
506 Posts
Ooc — Me
Offline
#16
The advice on washing his paws often was a good one, but Elfie was not an easy student and he was not done asking questions on this subject: "But would it not get dirty again, once I step out of the water?" He pulled up one of his paws that was covered in dust and, as far as he could, he examined the pads. "I mean," he looked up at Mahler, "doesn't dirt stick more, when a paw is wet?" He was so focussed on solving this mystery that he entirely missed, what else his mentor had asked him.
2,664 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Master Guardian
Midwife
Sitter
Offline
#17
"indeed it does. depending on how and vhere the cut is, you must vash it often. consider this," mahler went on, turning over his scarred broad forepaw. "if a cut is shallow, toward the toes, it vill heal quickly. you vill be able to valk on it more sviftly after injury, and it vill not take as much cleansing."
"but if it is here," he indicated the center of his pawpad, "and deep, it vill hurt more. it vill need more vashing vhen you do use it, and more rest to keep it clean. it may also need to be wrapped vith a poultice, a bundle of healing herbs."
[Image: 2711649b07fc604164cb120b1b417fa3cf47bccc_00.gif]
super-adorable little shrimp
506 Posts
Ooc — Me
Offline
#18
"What can cut it so deeply that it needs that kind of cleaning?" Elfie was not done asking questions. After all the soles of his feet were very thick and thorough. Walking on gravel-like texture could be uncomfortable and having something prick at the sensitive skin between his fingers was not nice either, but, what could possibly be so sharp to severe his pads?

"How can you move with such - po... potlice - it will fall off the moment I try to walk, wouldn't it?" he asked a hint of skepticism in his voice, because he could envision the treatment Mahler described.
2,664 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Master Guardian
Midwife
Sitter
Offline
#19
mahler was quite enthralled to have been handed the reins of teacher. "a sharp stone can cut a paw very deeply. or a thorn, in the middle. they are hard, these feet, but not so hard they cannot be pierced." lilac eyes shone; he nodded soberly. "it is indeed hard to valk vith a poultice on. if your cut is so deep that it must be dressed, it is more than likely you must stay in your den and only take small trips outside of it. but if the vound is that bad, it is important that it be cleaned and treated. a dirty foot vith a deep and open cut invites infection."
[Image: 2711649b07fc604164cb120b1b417fa3cf47bccc_00.gif]
super-adorable little shrimp
506 Posts
Ooc — Me
Offline
#20
"What's an infection?" Elfie asked and by now it was probably clear that Mahler's approach in mentoring the young fellow was not ideal. He had gone straight for the cure, while the boy had no idea of the very basics, how a body worked or, what were the hostile outside forces that sought to harm it.
2,664 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Master Guardian
Midwife
Sitter
Offline
#21
LOL

mahler paused a long moment. how had this boy traveled with maegi and not understood? but he supposed he was being judgemental. and long-winded.
the gargoyle, then, offered to take a different route. "an infection is vhen a sickness enters a wound and makes you ill," he said simply, lavender eyes watching elfie.
[Image: 2711649b07fc604164cb120b1b417fa3cf47bccc_00.gif]
super-adorable little shrimp
506 Posts
Ooc — Me
Offline
#22
"Do all sicknesses do this?" Elfie asked, thinking about his headaches, which were sort of infections too, even if he did not have any open wound now through which that evil thing had entered his skull. Just as this thought came to his mind, he realized he had not paid notice to the mild pounding sensation in his forehead - one of the few signs that foretold and upcoming wave of migraine. 

"I... I think I need to go now," he looked up at Mahler, smiled apologetically (he had been doing this a lot lately). "I will find you later," he promised, before picking up the cure and padding off without any other word. 

Wrapping up all of Elfie's threads. Thanks! :)