Northstar Vale plenty of folk want our kind dead
Ghost
554 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Trapper
Rogue
Offline
#1
All Welcome 
cuz this will be hilarious! hes outside the borders but right up on them

colt briggs was loathe to leave the mountains. he'd left the rabbit fur in the den where ash paw had kept him, departing with nary a word.
the man was all but emaciated now, his hindleg stiffened by cold and near worthless. it had been days since he had eaten, and the tip of his right ear, blackened by frostbite, was beginning to reek and rot.
colt stumbled and fell into the snow. he did not rise, drawing a racking breath of anger and resignation.
Raventhorpe
Læknir
540 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
Offline
#2
Nose down, she trailed the borders—taking in the scenery before her and yet feeling utterly hollow. As such, her honeyed eyes were lacking before they fell upon the muddled form of… something… in the snow. A frown knit her copper brows—muzzle tilting before she moved closer to investigate—and then it rushed over her—a nauseating smell.

She moved closer, and when she realized it was the fallen form of a man, she could barely hold back the wretch from her throat, her eyes narrowing upon him—not knowing where to even start with this one. “Hey. Wake up?”

Check if he was alive, first, she guessed.
Ghost
554 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Trapper
Rogue
Offline
#3
always womenfolk.
colt lifted his head. "i'm awake." his voice was bitter and sharp. "not long fer this world, though, i reckon." this was delivered in an onery drawl which belied his very reduced state.
colt eyed the woman. pretty as ash paw was, without that odd sweet scent clinging to her withers. but she was a pack wolf just the same. "where am i?"
Raventhorpe
Læknir
540 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
Offline
#4
Where am I?

She huffed at the question—almost personally affronted given the trouble she had recently brought down to Epoch just by revealing their name and location. “The mountains,” she offered vaguely, tone saccharine, knowing he probably knew as much. “You’re on the borders of my pack.”

And that was all he would get from her.

She tried to breathe lightly through her mouth—the scent of his rotting ear too much for the usual gentle girl. “What happened to you?”
Ghost
554 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Trapper
Rogue
Offline
#5
"no need t'be vague fer a dyin' man, miz mountains," colt shot back. "the winter storm weren't nice at all t'yers truly."
what he needed and hated was a wager. an offer. leverage he didn't have. colt ran his tongue across ragged lips. "fix me up'n yew got a good tracker, least through the winter." briggs had little choice, and what better way to find the gang than to hole up for a bit?
he'd done it with natigvik. he could do it here. the red eyes rested hard on her.
Raventhorpe
Læknir
540 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
Offline
#6
Her lips pursed at his statement. He did seem to be pretty far gone for saving—and she felt a quirk at the corner of her mouth, despite the sad circumstances for the man before her. “Dying men don’t usually think they can be saved,” she hummed softly, and took a pace forward, gaze studying him.

“Mind if I...?” She gestured a paw, requesting his permission to inspect him more closely—to touch him. “When I say my pack, I mean I’m the pack healer. I’m not in a position to accept your offer,” she informed him quietly.
Ghost
554 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Trapper
Rogue
Offline
#7
colt chuckled humorlessly. "dyin' men ain't rightly know when they're bound t'die neither." he grunted and jerked his chin to indicate she could touch where she wanted, though she would find his sinewy body hard with tension beneath her paw.
"seems regardless, yer the only one who kin help." colt coughed a bit and settled back into the snow. "guess if i'm fittin' t'pass on, this would be the way t'go. lyin' in a beautiful land under th'hand of a lovely woman. not many men kin say they died half so well."
Raventhorpe
Læknir
540 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
Offline
#8
“And yet you would have no one to tell if you died,” she responded dryly, idly wondering if Reyson heard this man talk he would bounce to another extreme conclusion. It had to be some form of jealousy—did he worry she did not want him?

Either way, the stench emanating from the man’s ear was enough— “We would need to take your ear off,” she spoke plainly, her voice softening. “At least the parts that are frostbitten.” She paused, pushing on his leg— “Injury from before?”
Ghost
554 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Trapper
Rogue
Offline
#9
colt snorted in what might pass for laughter during an apocalypse. "reckon i won't have no one t'regale in hell anyway, miz mountains."
pain flickered plain in his eyes when the healer pressed his hind. "that one's my own fault," colt revealed with a glint of his flinty red stare. 
that day had set all the rest into motion. now he'd need his ear taken clean off, or at least in part. "long as yer sure my boyish good looks won't be lost," he snickered in pain at himself. he knew he was ugly.
Raventhorpe
Læknir
540 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
Offline
#10
Like she did with many patients, she simply chatted away with them—believing it might help them take things off their mind. “You’ll still have your charm, I’m sure,” she drawled, amusement finally sparking into her tone.

“What’s your name?” She stopped looking him over, pulling back, her mind already thinking on everything she would need. She would likely get Tamar to assist her—the Morphe had wanted to learn more about medicine and healing and this was a decent opportunity… and then she could also make the final call on the man.

Meadow’s decision making skills, or lack thereof, just couldn’t be trusted these days, it seemed.
Ghost
554 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Trapper
Rogue
Offline
#11
soon as colt got a hint of her bemusement, the moment was ground beneath the heel of practicality. he snaked another chuckle around the subject, glancing down into the holler of what he suspected was her home.
"best if yew didn't know," briggs said at last. his crimson eyes slid back to the warm color of her eyes. it was unlikely that anyone save the gang knew his name but colt wouldn't take the risk. 
"i'm a wanted man." aware that this was truly the dealbreaker of them all, briggs was quiet, waiting.
Raventhorpe
Læknir
540 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
Offline
#12
While she continuously studied him, her mind still going over possible treatments—foregoing one thought for another, when she debated if she had the proper amount of medicines and herbs—his answer stilled her, and her eyes narrowed down upon him once more.

There was a stretch of silence—

—and then: “Well how honest and honorable of you to let me know,” she huffed, annoyance lacing her tone. “You’re really not selling yourself well, here. Why would I help you, then? You just want to shack up with us for the winter and not give us your name and we hope that you don’t bring danger into our home?”
Ghost
554 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Trapper
Rogue
Offline
#13
this time colt did laugh, a raucous and black sound of coal-choked bells. "yew got it, miz mountains. i'm nothin' but trouble. so spare us both'n take my ear off so's i kin be on my way directly, providin' i owe yew come spring."
the third option was to boot him square off her land right now, which she could do anytime as well. colt was at her mercy and knew it, though from the waiting expression on his face, one might only tell that he had already decided what her mind would be.
Raventhorpe
Læknir
540 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
Offline
#14
She stared at him—what she hoped was perhaps her most withering stare, though in all likeliness, it was probably like a chickadee trying to stare down a hawk. “What did you do?” Because until he was able to tell her exactly why he was a wanted man, Meadow was completely unwilling to put her pack on the radar for any other dangers. “Look—I don’t need you to barter with me. I’m not interested in anything you can offer. But I need to know if I help you, it will end up coming back to harm my pack somehow.”
Ghost
554 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Trapper
Rogue
Offline
#15
colt did not quail under that unflinching stare. despite her smallness and softness, he saw a river deep in her of strength, like minerals beneath the mountain. "these'uns just want me, ma'am. they're not the sort t'go after yew or anyone else, allowin' as yer not harboring fugitives."
and colt had already left off looking for harbor.
his eyebrows tilted toward his rotting eartip. he should be offended she so brusquely rejected his vague offer. but the less about him was known, the better.
Raventhorpe
Læknir
540 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
Offline
#16
He was a walking anomaly.
Or maybe an non-walking one, given his leg.

She studied him, his vagueness giving her plenty of red flags—his demeanor even more so. Finally, she shifted her weight, considering, eyes roving him with a sense of finality. “Tell me then—if you were me —miz mountain, as you call me—what would you do?”
Ghost
554 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Trapper
Rogue
Offline
#17
colt grinned. "i"d throw me out on my a — rump, ma'am. unless there was somethin' in it for me." but he was counting on her not to be so mercenary.
she didn't deserve a lie, though. colt was ready with the truth of what step he would take, were their positions reversed.
Raventhorpe
Læknir
540 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
Offline
#18
He spoke his truth—the entire situation, while leaving nothing to be desired, gave her an inkling of hope to hold on to—she might have been a pawn in someone elses game for a time, and her whole world had turned upside down… but something about honesty touched her.

And with narrowed eyes, she huffed. “Wait here,” she remarked—she wouldn’t go out of her way to hide him from her pack. If Arsenio or any of the other wolves who guarded the borders frequently came upon them, she would simply remark with them the truth—because again, it was honesty that was what mattered to her in this moment.

When she returned, it would be multiple times—one time, with a thin skin, wrapped delicately around moss and other herbs—including a sharp stone—the next time, with a small shell of water.

She hummed softly when she returned, studying him. The leg would have to wait—for now, the ear was rotting. “You sure about this?”
Ghost
554 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Trapper
Rogue
Offline
#19
a goodly part of the man expected to be turned away. but the wisewoman or herbwife, whatever she was, she only told him to wait.
colt grunted a little at that. where exactly was he going? but he held still, red eyes following her small frame until she was out of sight.
he dozed a little. when the woman came back, it was with things he had and hadn't seen. she came and went. her scent as she sat back near was gentle. comforting. colt had realized he'd been a while since he'd enjoyed such fine details.
"i'm sure," he said in assent, casting a wary eye over her items. "I'll be a good patient." a grin but it faded; time for briggs to be serious. and still.
Raventhorpe
Læknir
540 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
Offline
#20
He gave his consent—promised her to be a good patient, but she held that promise with a certain grim hope rather than belief. “This is going to hurt like…” She huffed, unable to muster the curse word from her mouth. She was so tired. “Do you want some poppy or something?”

She began to set up, the moss placed extremely close to him—hopefully, to stop the bleeding. The herbs were prepared to pack to the wound once the bleeding began to slow—but who was to say what this strange rogue at their border would do when the pain of what she was about to do took away his breath and thoughts.
Ghost
554 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Trapper
Rogue
Offline
#21
colt shook his head and lay down in the snow, affected ear up. "i reckon medicine would dull me a mite too much, miz mountains. prefer my faculties intact, thank yew."
colt wanted to tell her how many times he'd broken bones or had them broke, how many times he'd dragged himself gut-bit and bleeding away from a fight. the fact he'd almost been drowned but was still here, for instance.
"don't yew worry about little ol me. an' thank yew again, fer the kindness."
colt shut his eyes and inhaled smoothly.
Raventhorpe
Læknir
540 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
Offline
#22

Mature Content Warning


This thread has been marked as mature. By reading and/or participating in this thread, you acknowledge that you are of age or have permission from your parents to do so.

The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning: Implied gore-ish… stuff.

She nodded—he tilted his head up, settling comfortably on his side as best he could, and she lifted a paw, lining his head up so the rotten ear would lay as flat as could be. 

She breathed out—her stomach knotted, the stench and thought of what she was about to do stirring nausea in her belly. 

Okay, she breathed out, barely a whisper, as if talking herself into it more than him. 

And with that, Meadow took the sharpest rock she could find, clenching it between her teeth and began her work as quickly as possible.
Ghost
554 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Trapper
Rogue
Offline
#23
the pain was immense. blood sheeted down all sides of his face. her movements were knowing and quick, but damn if he didn't want to holler a little.
to his credit, briggs remained still through the entire ordeal, though his jaw near ached from tensing so hard. if his eyes were wet, it wouldn't be clear under all the blood.
a single sound escaped colt as she cut: the strangled, swallowed hiss of pain that came out as a snort through his nostrils.
he shut his eyes again.
Raventhorpe
Læknir
540 Posts
Ooc — Rachel
Offline
#24
She went as quickly and succinctly as she could. There was no room for hesitation or a wobble in direction—the results could be disastrous. 

The moment she was certain she might have gotten the entire rot, she grasped the moss, bent low, holding it tightly to him. No doubt this was a sight—the blood along her nape and spattered to her cheek—and surely there were bushes tears of her own, grimacing at the very idea of putting anyone in such pain. 

Wild-eyed and apologetic, she searched down to him, almost hoping maybe he would pass out and find a bit of relief.
Ghost
554 Posts
Ooc — ebony
Trapper
Rogue
Offline
#25
colt was thinking. about the creek and the brutes there, about the battle and the fight. about sadey, reno, lonesome.
red.
heartstrings constricted and now he felt as though he truly would weep. colt steadied himself by looking into her wide and soft eyes, thinking how they were the color of young chestnut bark.
the press of moss to raw and exposed flesh was too much. every muscle in his body went rigid, and then colt briggs did faint clear away, insensate to the snow and to her continued medical goings-on.
he dreamed.