Bearclaw Valley Somehow you strayed and lost your way

Arielle lingered towards the back wall of mosskeep, inspecting the progress of her experiments. As with every part of her learning so far, this had taken a bit of trial and error. It wasn't until she had been collecting moss that she had an epiphany. One of the stones that lined a specific part of the channel had broken in half somehow and water had pooled in the broken place between the two stone shards. 

She had promptly returned to the healing den and dug about a dozen small, round holes in the ground. They were deep enough that if she stepped inside one, her foreleg would disappear to a few inches above her wrist. 

It had taken her days to line the bottom of each hole with small, smooth river rocks she collected from the floor of the channel. Under the rocks was a layer of dead leaves and grass. Her goal was to be able to have water sitting inside without it absorbing too much into the dirt below. She had tried with just the leaves and grass but it did not have the desired results. The rocks had taken her closer to what she wanted, though, enough that it would do until she found a better way. 

Each hole had been filled with snow, and then the bruin-heart had slept on top of them so the snow would melt. 

Now she had various plants and bark soaking in each one. Everyday, she would add more plants or more water until she found a balance that felt right. She sought guidance from the bear in this regard. The spirit often spoke to her in feelings rather than words. 

Things looked promising today. Arielle thought they would soon be ready to use on patients.

Stryx came to mosskeep with a different purpose in mind than the treatment of others. Everyone was healing well; it was a testament to the shared knowledge between mentor and pupil but above that, the tenacity that Arielle imbued as she worked; there was little reason for both physicians to work themselves to the bone lately. No, Stryx came creeping to the keep for her own desires.

The vestiges of her heat lingered along the trail, faint but present. In a few more days the situation would be handled. Stryx had kept away from her patients when it was in its greater strength; scouring the territory for specific herbs that she'd used many times in the past to ease the symptoms, or cancel them altogether.

When she ducked inside of mosskeep she wasn't outright surprised to see Arielle there, but a flash of worry crossed her vision before she could contain it. Good... day, the elder woman muttered, turning her head to look over her shoulder at the light creeping indoors, unsure of the actual time of day.

Various concoctions sat steeping along the walls, or organized upon the floor, which Stryx took notice of a second later. You've been busy.

She quickly looked up from her work when the other healer entered the den. Stryx's scent was the first thing the bruin-heart noticed. Something was different about it; it was startling. 

The gruff woman commented on how busy she had been. Arielle nodded. I am experimenting to see what works the best, she explained. 

She turned to face Stryx, a slight frown on her face. What is wrong with your scent? she asked. Was she sick or something?

Stryx peered at the various puddles of water, the herbs they contained. Over some she sniffed; others, after, made her want to withdraw. As she snaked towards the further wall she heard Arielle's question.

Wrong? Nothing. The woman croaked, letting out a little laugh from her nose - all air. I was in heat. You're probably smellin' the end of that.

Something flashed in her vision - closer to disgust than anything discernable - before settling on her usual gloomy emptiness. I usually take some medicines to prevent it. Didn't have time this year, ah, so... It hit me pretty hard.

Her eyes roamed to the woman, wondering how she'd react. Most women of power would be antagonistic of any rivals. Arielle had sounded unsure about the scent rather than angry, which was a telling sign of her youth. Besides that, Stryx doubted she was much of a threat to the girl's clear supremacy.

She had been in heat. Arielle knew what heat meant from her conversation with the strange, bear-like creature that had proven weak like most of them did. She knew it was the time when women could conceive children. Her heart picked up at the thought of when her own heat came. She didn't think there was anyway to predict when the change would take over her body, being that it was the first time it would happen. 

What does it feel like when your heat comes? she asked. She wanted to be as prepared as possible. She had many questions, which she knew would annoy the older healer; she didn't care, though, the bruin-heart had questions that she knew Stryx could answer.

There wasn't anger, only a question. That alone was surprising enough to Stryx that she couldn't immediately answer. Wasn't this young woman the leader of the entire cult by now? Connected at the hip to one young bear-blooded prince? And she had no idea what to expect of her heat. Well, Stryx couldn't fault her for lacking the information - it wasn't like these people held any kind of education.

Still, she hadn't expected that question. Her jaw tightened as she considered her options: answer honestly and potentially offend, or sugarcoat things a little bit. Stryx wasn't one for sugar-coating.

You gotta understand its been years since I've felt it. Stryx prefaced.

And its different for everybody in many regards. The first time I felt it, I thought my skin needed to come off. I was itchin' all over, burning really. Like I had a fever everywhere, and only touch could fix it. She thought of that moment and stared off in to space, between atoms. But I was shown the medicine.

Anyway. I'd have thought you'd know this already. Her brow raised as she said this. Given how you and the boy, y'know, carry on together.

Arielle was curious about whatever medicine Stryx had taken to suppress her heat. But that question sat on the back burner for now. She was more interested in preparing herself for what was to come.

From what the other healer told her, being in heat didn't really sound that comfortable. She wondered if she would even want to be touched when she felt like that. But as she said, everyone is different. She hoped her heat wouldn't be make her as miserable as Stryx made it sound. 

Then she brought up Aves and the briun-heart's face heated as she thought of the way they had been carrying on. I haven't had my heat yet, she explained. This year will be my first one. Arielle gave a small shrug of her slender shoulders. Knowing what to do doesn't really help me with how my heat will feel. I want to be prepared.

What to do? Now Stryx couldn't help but smirk. In the dim light of mosskeep the look was almost sinister, but it wasn't how she meant to appear. 

For some women they can't get enough attention from men. Others become extremely combative. Its usually the ones with the strongest wills that get what they want, and when the heat happens, its like having your every desire strengthened. Maybe that would appeal to the girl. She didn't need any more strength from what Stryx had witnessed - during the raid, and before that; being so young and so in control of everything.

There's no... being prepared, at least for the first time. Stryx went on to say. If you don't want to feel it, or if its too much for you, I can always put something together to ease the symptoms. If she could find things in time. Stryx didn't think half the ingredients could grow in this place - even with winter on its way out.

The crone gave a shrug. 'Course that would mean Ursus doesn't grow.

Arielle didn't understand the other healer's response to her words. Yes she knew what to do—that was not something she was naive about.

Stryx went on to explain how some woman could never have their need for attention fulfilled and some women became aggressive. She hoped to be neither of those things, but if she had to chose, the former sounded tolerable. She thought Aves wouldn't mind that so much either. All this talk about heat and thoughts about what she and the bruin-jaw did when they were alone had Arielle wanting to find him and coax attention from him. 

But there was still more knowledge to gain from this conversation. Her own needs would have to wait. 

No, she said when the other healer implied that curbing the symptoms would mean she would not bear the next generation of bearclaws. But I would like to know what plants can do that in case I need them for something in the future.

There's plenty. I haven't seen much of it in the valley, maybe because of the season. Stryx answered.

There's a plant called cohosh, which looks like a... baby pine-cone, I guess? They grow like weeds where I'm from. The flowers are tiny white specks all clustered together. As she recounted this particular plant she got the faraway look again.

There's two varieties we could try and grow: the black and the blue. Mixed together, they can.. Relieve a pregnant woman of their litter. It was a grim thing to talk about for some women; Arielle didn't appear like the squeamish type. Stryx watched her carefully.

It is easy to use too much - especially of the blue cohosh. It can cause the mother to stroke out, their bodies to fail entirely, or lead to heart problems if used repeatedly. But when properly administered... Can be helpful.

There's also mugwort, which we might find in the spring. Small doses only, again, because these things are poisonous; sometimes touching the plant can irritate the skin, but that helps me to identify it. As Stryx said this she drew in a breath and held it, thinking, sighing it out.

She watched Arielle for any indication that she knew these plants, or that she might want Stryx to continue. There was a lot she could use but she didn't want to divulge too much, lest the wolves of Ursus decide they didn't need a midwife after all.

Stryx would find only pensive curiosity on the bruin-heart's face as the other healer spoke of the plants she used for ending pregnancies. 

Cohosh was mentioned first; it came in black and blue and looked like a tiny pine cone with flowers that looked like tiny white specs. Stryx stated that when used together, they could rid a woman of her pregnancy. Arielle was intrigued; you never know when something like that might come in handy. The other woman also warned against using too much. In the spring, we can see if we can get them to grow here.

The other healer mentioned mugwort next; it could sting the skin where it touched, but Stryx used this to help her identify the plant. The bruin-heart stored that information in her brain as well. She was happy to hear that they might be able to find it once spring arrived. 

Have you ever used any of these plants on yourself? Arielle asked. This was for her own curiosity mostly, but she also wanted to know if Stryx had any first-hand experience.

Stryx snorted a low laugh, if that's what you'd call the boorish little noise. She nodded the affirmative though.

I've used them before, yes. Once or twice. When she'd been very young and very stupid; thankfully she believed herself wise now in her old age, or entertained the thought. There are others I prefer now. I've traveled far and over many seasons, and not all the places I've been have the same things available.

She didn't mean to sound so worldly but it was the truth. In her journey she'd been forced to test many things on herself, and that knowledge was useful now. Those are lessons for another day, I think.

She had used them, but she seemed unwilling to discuss it any further. 

Arielle found the healer more valuable every time she spoke with her. She had far more experience than the bruin-heart. But there was plenty of time to learn more. They both had things to do. Arielle wanted to check on Aves. 

Thank you, Stryx, she offered. She stood carefully and would limp away unless the other healer had anything else to add.

The woman did not expect warmth from the girl, and wasn't sure that's exactly what she got either. As Arielle thanked her, Stryx gave a nod and then watched as she turned to leave. Stryx waited until she was alone and then began to investigate the shelves lining mosskeep's walls, the bits of plant matter hanging to dry, and finally chose a few things for herself; these she would combine and chew as she went her way, heading back to work somewhere within the valley.