Big Salmon Lake And now you got to freak me out

Setting: Night — 22:13
Weather: Clear skies, warm, no breeze, calm, and quiet
Tags: @Eldritch

The Spaniard wanders further north. Finding the large lake he knew not the name of. He knows he can find fish here though and his belly is screaming out to him to quench its undying hunger. Having not eaten since his fight with Nyra due to his neck and mouth being so fucked up, he feels more confident in being able to swallow something down. 

His face still stings horribly and the sun beaming down onto it all day didn’t help. Night has fallen now and the air is comfortably warm. He desires the darkness of night rather than the brightness of day. Easier to slink around, perhaps go about unnoticed or maybe sneak up in unsuspecting prey. 

So he moves stiffly to the edge of the water, head level with his shoulders in a comfortably languid gait. Stopping at the waters edge he feels the liquid tickle his paws. Dipping his large, ruined head down his purple tongue laps up the water. He swallows it slowly, wincing at it goes down. Fuck, everything hurts. He can only drink a few more mouthfuls before ultimately being unable to make himself take another. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to eat much today either.

The Seer is further from home at the moment. 
Eldritch had set out to try and find herbs, and seems to be getting a little lost along the way.

As night falls, her black form comes to the lake, smelling blood and easily assuming someone was hurt.

Seems she's correct, for as she nears the black-white man she can see he's taken one hell of a beating. 
Quietly she stands, no effort made to be concealed or even seen. 
She was simply there. 

Damn, buddy boy here was really having a shitty time, wasn't he? She could see the angry, ferocious gashes all over his front and yet her features and her mind remained as peaceful as always. 

"Need some help?" The Witch inquired with a gentle yet audible voice.

Again, Santi feels as if he’s being watched. Last time he felt that, it didn’t go well for him at all. He looks like he got caught on the wrong end of a fucking bear now. If he survives, they would merely be scars to add to his collection. If he doesn’t die from infection that is. 

So with watchful eyes making making the fur along his spine prickles he looks around once, twice, before spotting a midnight black figure that blends perfectly in with the surrounding darkness. Another female, though this one is smaller, slimmer, and more feminine in build. He’s not in the mood for anything right now and it shows on his scowling, scab ridden face. He notices that she too has silver eyes just like him and that’s about as far as his interest in her went in the moment.

Then she breaks the silence and he swears it’s the loudest thing he’s hear in days despite how soft her voice is. It irritates him go no reason. Keep in mind Santi is just grump from his latest ass kicking. She asks him a question and he has half a mind to attack her for even speaking to him. 

He doesn’t. Not yet at least and his ruined lip creases as it lifts to show some teeth. Brows furrowed horribly he keeps his head lever with his shoulders. “You might if you stick around long enough, cariña.” He says with a hint of a growl to his voice. His pride is already wounded enough without her asking him if he needs help.

Eldritch only continued to stare with eerily detached hues as he growled at her. 
Eldritch was not phased in the slightest. 
Amused, maybe, but not deterred. 

"Then die of your wounds, Uēpa vala." She stated without emotion. He could rot for all she cared. 
With that, she calmly walked past him and into the water, staring with statue-stillness as the fish swam and flicked around her legs. 

Suddenly, her muzzle shot into the water, and she came out triumphantly with a massive trout, smirking smugly at him without even looking at his face, as she returned to the shores and began to chow down. 

---

translation of Uēpa vala: old man (High Valryian)

As he growled out his reply to her, no irritation shows. Only an uncaring glint of her eyes that makes him even grumpier for some reason. He wants a reaction. He wants to take his anger out on others because he’s selfish and inconsiderate like that. 

Then die of your wounds, Uēpa vala.

At those words he bristles a sad bit more than he previously was. The sad part is, is that her words hold truth to them. A reality that is very possible if he didn’t get treated. It’s already been a good few days and all he’s done is wash them uselessly in some water. He knows nothing of healing and it shows. Hell, he doesn’t even know the names of some of the plants healers have been known to reference often; he’s completely in the dark.

He doesn’t know what the last word means, but he’s sure it’s nothing good. His own silvery eyes watch her shamelessly as she moves past him as if she couldn’t have a care in the world. He’s mad, but he can’t help but appreciate her feminine form. The silky looking sheen her onyx fur has and just her looks in general. His scoffs, ears shifting back on the crown of his head. Which hurts all on its own. He knows he has to put his pride behind him, but god it’s so hard for him to do that. 

So he follows her as she wades into the water and easily scoops up a fish. Santi unconsciously licks a purple tongue over his scabbed lips at the idea of eating, but his wounds tell him it will be painful to do so. He doesn’t even move from his spot, only hanging his head from his shoulders as he watches her plop down and begin to enjoy her meal. He knows she’s fucking with him, she has to be. He knows this for a fact as that terribly attractive smirk moves over her face. He squints his eyes at her for it too.

He plants his haunches and stares. He looks like he’s sulking like a damn child with that scowl on his ruined face. Finally he growls to himself and shakes out his coat, wincing as it jostles his wounds.

“You’re a medic then.” He says drably. His accent even thicker and his words part slurred from it. “Fix me.” He orders gruffly, staring straight at her.

The Witch knows he's watching her, and she can tell he's somewhat dumbfounded. 
Not that she knows or cares why. 

Her white gaze locks with his as he catches on. Yes, she is a healer. 

But... 
"No." She says simply without looking at him, continuing to eat her fish. 
She might be able to be convinced to do so, but the way he was going about it would get him nowhere. The midnight Empress held a silently confident regalness in her aura, and she wouldn't budge unless he offered something of equal or greater value than her services. 

In summary, Eldritch just said try me, bitch. 

He stares and stares, waiting for an answer from this raven of a she-wolf. Some part in him hopes she would, for even he isn’t as stubborn as to not get his injuries treated. So, only when she looks back at him, does he still. Her face is casually expressionless, yet regal as she offers her answer. No. His brows furrow even more and moves slightly in a way that subtly expresses his surprise.

He scoffs at her. What could he possibly offer? He has nothing to give. He has no food, he has no home, no recourses; he has nothing. The smugness on her attractive face irritates him.

He curses in slurred Spanish and sets his gaze on her once more. “What do you want then? I have nothing to give.” He says stubbornly. He will not grovel at her feet, but he will try to strike a deal. “¿Un trato?” He asks quickly. “Let’s strike a deal. A favor for a favor, princesa.” 

She studies him, taking in his subtle surprise as he registers her decline. 
Some slurred words she didn't understand, then he's asking for a trade. 

Ah, much better. 

"Alright, here's my offer. I treat you, and in return, you act as a guardian for my pack - Ivory Rose. In this way I am doing you a double, giving you not just treatment, but a home. Assuming you don't already have one, of course." The Witch raised a brow slightly, white hues assessing his form with ghostly calm.

It’s obvious he’s speaking her language now. Well, not completely literally but it’s something close. He can tell her features shine with interest at his idea of a trade and he is already scowling. He’s not sure what he’s even expecting her to ask, but he’s sure it’s not going to be good. He can see the sly look in those silver eyes of hers and he looks back at her with masked interest of his own. 

She speaks, offering him treatment he so desperately needs, but in return for that? His scowl depends. He doesn’t need a home. He doesn’t need anyone but himself. He is on a mission and he hasn’t found any answers or even a hint at what, or should he say who, he’s looking for. If he is stuck to one place he cannot find his mates. Just the idea of pledging loyalty to someone, or anyone, right now disgusts him. His attitude is too sour and his mind is zeroed in on his task, he cannot be tied down in one place. He’s also not sure if she means her pack as in her home, or her pack as in she owns it.

Then a thought crosses him. What if she knows someone though? Someone who might know where his mates have gone? Someone who knows what happened to them in his absence. He would take it, follow her to her leaders and question them. 

He mulls it over for a fair amount of time and it takes at least twenty seconds for him to answer.

“You ask much of me.” He hums. “I’m on a mission. One that requires me to travel. I search for answers. Would your leaders have the answers I seek, hm?” 

Eldritch waited patiently for him to respond, and when he did, she simply shrugged at first in response. 
"Specifics will get you further than vagueness. I am the beta of my pack, but depending on what you seek, Rowan might know something." 

With that, she slides him the remainder of her fish, which was most of it, and she looks at him expectantly. 
Eat. 

He sees that she doesn’t appreciate his vague mysteriousness. He gives her a deadpan response to her shrug. Yet, when she’s mentioning being the Beta of her pack he seems surprised, though he doesn’t show it just in case it insults her. Not that he would care much, but he still needs her to check and clean his wounds. The midnight woman mentions another name, perhaps the alpha of her pack — he might have answers. 

He nods and looks down at the fish when she scoots it over to him. He’s gracious for it, though he only shows it with another curt nod and look of his silver eyes in her direction.

“I’m looking for my mates. A pure black pelted woman such as yourself, but red eyes. Her names Serem. And a male wolf-dog named Clarence.” He offers her then. Hoping with bated breath she might know where they could be. “You believe this Rowan might know?” 

The Witch hmms softly in response, contemplating briefly.

"If my alpha doesn't know where your lovers are, perhaps he knows of someone that does." Eldritch muses calmly, tracing circles in the dirt with a forepaw while she thinks. 
Little did they both know, that most of not all the wolves that could be important to this adventure are long gone.

"I can better help you with mending your wounds once we get to Blackfeather Woods, where my pack resides. There are more herbs stocked there. But for the moment, if we have a deal, then I'll see what I can find." The Seer finalizes, locking her gaze with his in a manner that might seem like she'd know if he was lying...like she was peering into his soul.

He doesn’t move as she hums back to him. Only shifts his ruined ears at the soft noise. His gaze flicks down to her paw before back up to her face when she speaks. He watches her closely as she talks and only nods back. She continues on, mentioning their deal and he finally stands when her eyes meet his. 

“We have a deal, amiga.” He says then. 

Dropping his head to practically swallow the remainder of the fish shed given him whole. Licking his chops and wincing the entire time he ate it, finally he shows that he’s ready to go. Motioning for her to lead the way with a tip of his head.

And that's that.

As he accepts her little bargain, the witch smiles approvingly, slightly more so as he swallows the rest of the fish she had given him.

She stands fluidly, gesturing lightly with her head as she leads the way to Ivory Rose.