Bearclaw Valley well me, i like plastics, and digital foils

@Evien <3

the sooty mogul had fled, with the blackbird hot on his heels.

astara did not return until nightfall, moving with a stiff limp under the pallid glow of moonlight. a blooded rime encrusted her jaws, the last remnants of her tireless exertion after the beast. he had gone well from bearclaw's claim, but astara did not dare leave sentinel by @Reigi's rock -- it was here the fierce baptista lingered for hours, hatefully guarding bearclaw's only entrance in the manner of a blood-driven cerberus.

she was sure he would not return when the stars first spread their inklings across the navy skies. he had been wounded (as had she), and likely was somewhere lying low before too much bloodloss claimed him. astara's wounds were no casual scratches either -- santiago had left a deep gash of glaring tissue along her nape, which now parted and seeped any time the nightshade moved her head.

limping to the dial astara had made for merrick, the nightshade clutched relmyna's thin hip-bone between her tired paws, and drifted off in pain-induced sleep.

Thanks for getting this up! <3

Evien had been searching for the girl for hours upon hours, a pouch of chewed rosehips and dry moss wrapped up in a large leaf held within his jaws. His legs ached from walking the expanse of the territory, his limp more pronounced. It wasn't like he'd fully healed from his fight with Merrick, either.

The healer perked his ears when he approached the borders, seeking out a sort of blood trail. It was difficult to track, but he had eventually found it - the scent of wolf blood, leading out past the border. It had been old when he began tracking it, and only led him in circles. He doubted the woman was out of their territory.

He found her well after dark, and at first was afraid that the girl was dead until he saw the even breaths of slumber moving her form. Approaching quietly, Evien set the herbs down and pressed his nose to her shoulder with the intent to wake her up.

astara slept, a dark inkblot coiled round the pale remains of her mother.

a nudge woke her up with a start -- she flew to her feet like a cat doused in icy water, eyes aflame and a snarl rippling from her muzzle. slumber fled from her berserk gaze, which now landed vehemently on her night-time assailant -- only to realize the wolf that had touched her was no enemy.

an irritated ripple went down her spine, her hackles flaring and expression cold. she did not see the package he brought, she only saw his presence. what did he want -- and why had he woken her?

Permission given to allow Evien to smell pregnancy on her.

Completely unfazed by her reaction - some people just woke up rudely, Evien had found with Fields. Instead, he waited for her to realize he was not going to hurt her, and subsequently that she was not going to hurt him, before he offered her a small smile and roll of his eyes. 

He didn't know much about the girl yet, just that he could smell a lot of Merrick on her, and he'd been told there were two leaders. Evie supposed this must be one of them. But underlying that scent was another, sweeter smell that caused a gentle smile to break out on Evien's muzzle. He'd smelled it on his mother once, last February, a year before he'd left. But in the end, that hadn't produced any pups. Perhaps this one would be different. 

"I'm just here to treat your wounds," the boy soothed, nosing the herbs and dry moss toward her. "If you're alright with that. The ones on your shoulders have opened again."

the nightshade's fur ruffled, her gaze roving from healer to the sundry items he had collected. some she recognized by their scent, but others were foreign to her. a ripple of distrust flit across her gaze -- she did not know this wolf. he was merrick's, not hers.

lowering her dark head, the blackbird allowed him to inspect the gash along the back of her neck -- but any poultice or mixture he might bring to her cut was roughly inspected by deep sniffs before she allowed any to touch her pelt.

As far as Evien was concerned, he didn't truly belong to anyone. But he was just as much this girl's as he was Merrick's, in a sense - they belonged to the same pack, he treated them the same way. Wounds were wounds, and he was there to take care of them.

"I'm here to help," he assured, crouching down to pick up the dry, clean moss to press to her shoulders so that it could soak up any blood that happened to be oozing out. Patiently, the healer allowed the girl to assess the items he was using - rosehips and moss, really - before he used them, chewing up the herbs and spreading them carefully across the wound. 

Halfway in, green eyes flicked down to the wraith's indigo gaze. "Do you have a name, or can I give you one?" he asked with a small, playful smile.

i would die for her to be named by him! so cute!

astara sniffed each. rosehip -- the smell crinkled her nose, burning. acrid. tough.

the moss she had seen before along riverbanks.

she remained prone as the healer set to work, a poor conversationalist and equally poor patient. luckily, evien had enough words to spare between the two of them. his query was met only with one slow blink -- she knew her name, as did those in the past.. but much like her mother, that past was dead and buried deep.

there was only ursus now.

<3 i would be honored for him to give her a name!

He took the resounding silence that followed his question as a go-ahead to give her a new name. The boy finished applying the poultice over her wound, ensuring that it wasn't bleeding still, before he looked down at her. 

She was lovely, he thought - bigger than him, ink-black, and with vibrant purple eyes that reminded him of the cusp of sunset and night. 

"I don't really know my family's language well enough to speak it, but I do know a few words from my grandfather." Evien settled down in front of her, laying on his stomach and resting his aching legs for just a few moments. "The name Leila means dusk, or night. What do you think?" the boy questioned with a little smile, not expecting a verbal answer but encouraging the girl regardless.

astara remained still as the healer tended to her wounds. the poultice was cold -- bracing. somewhere along her ruff she felt the bite of pain, distant.

when he settled alongside her astara took in his gaze inquisitively. his past was unknown to her, as was his language -- as was everything. astara, a stranger among her own pack.

a flicker of insecurity crossed her gaze, dying out as evien spoke of her new name. leila. simple -- elegant. astara placed a paw upon evien, head dipped in acknowledgement.

leila.

Ah. So the girl liked his choice. "Leila it is, then." A small smile crawled onto his lips and his eyes crinkled with it, and he nudged her shoulder just a bit before checking the poultice he'd placed on her wound. Evenly applied, covering the whole of the wound. Less of a chance of infection.

The boy padded over to settle in front of the girl, stretching his legs out. "Would you mind some company?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. "Doubt I'll be much for conversation, but I'm a little too tired to walk all the way back to my den tonight."

His prone position told of the fact that he probably wouldn't be leaving.

had any but relmyna ever spoken her name?

even her sister called her thief, shadow -- epitaphs, but not a name.

astara's eyes lulled, lifting only as the male nudged her shoulder gently. the poultice was working, seeping coldly through the cuts along her nape.

he could stay -- astara would not begrudge him his rest, but he would not find she was much a conversationalist either. a smile arced her dark gums at the joke at her expense, and she tucked her muzzle to her belly and breathed deep, waiting for sleep.

Evien was welcome here, it seemed. And, as he had previously stated, was certainly not going to stay awake to talk. As the girl rested her head down, so did he, on top of folded arms. 

It had been a long day, and sleep would come quickly. Evien would wake early and return to his den - it needed tidied up - but he had enjoyed his one-sided conversation with the newly-named Leila. Perhaps he'd find more time to get to know her in the future.

fade