The agony rolled over him in waves, smothering his senses. It was particularly bad today. Perhaps he was finally going to die? A week ago, the thought would have terrified him, but this, this wasn't life. This was clinging to existence. His body would have to give up eventually... the sooner it did, the sooner he could stop hurting.

He was oblivious to the sudden company, his eyes as empty as before, but by chance the pain happened to soften for just a moment. In that moment, he suddenly registered voices, nearby but out of reach... he could not see anything, why could he not see? His leg twitched again, eliciting another light, pained groan, and he struggled with awareness as the torture hit in again, washing out his senses, but he had heard something - hadn't he? Was he to finally lose his sanity as well, what little of it he clung to?

In small, jerky movements, his head turned, seeking somebody, anybody, but his gaze was as unseeing as ever, and the muscles in his face twitched minutely, rapidly, as inside he burned. A low, long, pitiful whine spilled from his damaged throat, an unconscious embodiment of his torment. He could not bear it much longer. It had to end soon.

It would not be possible for the young man to chew, so she would have to do it for him. Breaking down the first ball, she softened a small portion in her own mouth before pushing it into the young males and holding his jaw closed by pushing her nose upward. When he swallowed she released and repeated the procedure until both balls were gone. She had appreciated Ava’s words but soon enough the sap would take effect and they would need to move quickly.

His groans lessened a little as the sap took its effects. As soon as his rapid panting lessened, the tawny lady grimaced. There was no other way. She would have to haul him up by the scruff. Although he seemed completely out of it, her general experience had been that once moving, an injured wolf would continue to move until those that were supporting it stopped. Thankfully they were close to the base of the mountain, and the footing wasn’t too precarious. ”We’ll have to be one on each side. Once I get him up, we will have to pin him between us for the walk down. I don’t imagine he understands what we’re saying right now but this is going to be very painful. We’ll just have to take it if he lashes out. Straight to the lake ok?”

The wounds about his neck and shoulders were particularly nasty and she would need to put her mouth near them to haul him upwards, as she got closer her stomach churned and the pups began to kick in protest, as if they somehow knew what she was about to put in her mouth. Ignoring all protests, jaws clamped gently about the boys scruff and hauled upwards, she flinched as she heard the minute crackle of wounds reopening and the scent of disturbed pus pounded at her nostrils. She fought the gag that she knew was coming and swung her body about to wedge the boy between them. It should all be easier from here...

The strange substance in his mouth, the pressure on his jaw, it was all noted but in a distant, dulled way. His body cried out for sustenance, and so he swallowed the chewed-up pieces with relatively little protest. He was not really aware of what was happening, though as time passed, the burn began to slowly subside, providing him with some small relief that he had not enjoyed in days. His groans and whimpers eventually quietened.

With the marginally dulled pain came some kind of situational awareness. Were there... voices? He blinked, and the glaze over his eyes cleared just a fraction, just enough for him to register the fact that there was somebody there. How was that possible? Ruiko...?

Pure agony shot through his neck then, completely wiping his mind of any coherent thoughts. He squealed in pitiful protest, the progress made by the retreating pain obliterated in moments. And this was a more acute torture, so much harder to ignore than the deep, constant throbbing. He was aware of being pulled upright, and suddenly wondered if he was going to be killed. Finally. So keen for it to be over, he did not lash out, and merely cowered obediently, waiting for the end. Legs weak and wobbling - his right hind leg hung limp, not even bothering to take his weight - a stream of chesty whines and whimpers escaped the broken wolf, so close to collapsing once more.

The unknown wolf’s pained whines did not fall on deaf ears, and so the females picked their way as cautiously as they could down to the lake. Finally the water was in sight and she pushed herself to take the final few steps, the cool clear water lapping about her toes and working its way up her legs. They would need to take him as deep as possible without dropping him. Having height on her side, she positioned herself on the deeper side beckoning her student to follow suit.

With any luck, the coolness of the water would ease a little of his pain, and should help to wash much of the muck and guck from his coat and wounds. Right now, half submerged and pinned between the ladies he looked like some sort of swamp beast. She wouldn’t have something so dirty kept in her clean home.

The water about them ran murky, and she would occasionally shift away and then gently press against him again to keep the water moving about his wounds. Her muzzle brushed gently against his neck trying to clean the infection from his wounds. Once she was convinced his wounds were clean she motioned for Ava to move back towards the bank. He wouldn’t have the strength to shake so they would leave him on the soft grass of the banks to dry in the sun while they worked. Once they reached their destination she allowed her knees to buckle so he would be lowered more gently than the unceremonious haul she had used to get him to his feet. Something about the stranger seemed familiar, but there was no time to dwell on it now.

Her golden eyes sought out those of her students. The basics for now would have to do. ”I need blackberry roots and leaves, solomon’s seal, there is also some hellebore, but I will need to send you to get some more once he is stable. It will mean a trip to Swift River.” The last was barely a mutter, she would take the trip herself if she didn’t realise the wolf before her would need constant surveillance. ”Also, grab something small from the cache. I’m worried if we can’t make him eat all our efforts will be in vain...” The worry was clear in her eyes, they were by no means out of the woods yet.

The wounds reopened, the close contact with other bodies rubbing his flesh raw, and all the while he was led down the mountain - his barely-functioning legs working without thought to stagger him forwards - he could do little to overcome the hot agony. The whimpers and whines soon died down, for he had no energy to waste on such pursuits; he was moving, though he did not know why (was this dying?) and he wanted nothing more in the world than to be allowed to fall over and never move again.

Suddenly, a strange coolness caught his feet. Faintly, he registered something, something almost pleasant, and the fire inside him raged angrily. But the coolness spread, up his legs, to his chest, and it beat the fire back.

He had to be dying. Only that would bring this much relief.

His body still crawled with flashes of pain as he was poked and handled, his wounds directly tended to, but all he could think about was the cold as it crept past his bedraggled fur and stole the heat from his burning flesh. He could remember seeking this comfort from the rains, back when he had still fought and won over the agony for possession of his consciousness, but never had it been this absolute. He wanted to fall now, fall beneath the blanket of cold, and let it soothe him.

"What is snowfall like?"

"Magical. It’s white, and it cloaks the land like a blanket."

Gently he was taken from the cold, but it did not matter, for the burn had been quenched. Compliant, and in a near-tranquil daze, he let himself fall to the ground, eyes slipping closed as the coolness clung to his fur, fighting the terrible heat.

His breathing had slowed, and with his eyes closed, he almost appeared asleep. The pain was too great to permit it, though it had greatly reduced, if only temporarily.

Something, somewhere, had taken mercy on him this day.

A grimace crossed her face at the potential risk she was about to take until Ava spoke up. Of course. She had a student now. No better way to learn than hands on right? ”I need you to chew up the roots and smear them into his wounds. They have the potential to cause miscarriage if induced by... well...” she didn’t need to complete the sentence, they all knew she was knocked up.

”I will go along after you and put the leaves over the wounds. It will help to stop them from bleeding so much and will prevent further infection... I’ll also need you to stop by fireweed rise and collect some shoots. When placed in open wounds they draw out infection and prevent the area from closing until all the pus is drained.” It was a lot to take in but she found it far easier to talk her way through it. It kept her calm. Her voice had taken on a soothing, reassuring tone and she was speaking slowly and clearly. Regardless of how out of it the young wolf was and the fact he didn’t know either of them, he might find the sound of friendly voices comforting.

She took a small piece of hellebore and slightly larger piece of solomons seal, crushing them together into a bitter paste before pushing them into the strange wolfs mouth. Tearing a small strip from the stoat she added it to the mix in the hopes of encouraging him to swallow. ”The hellebore will slow his pulse and reduce his fever. It will also take away some of the pain but we must be careful. Too much could be fatal... The solomon seal will help with his broken bones. It will also speed up the healing of bruises and cuts... the berries are poisonous, but most of these herbs in large doses are. Hellebore in large amounts can stop a wolfs heart beating at all.”

She would always make sure to reinforce the danger of what they practiced. ”One shouldn’t wander about willy nilly offering treatment to someone for a sniffle or a headache that could be cured by and overdue drink. Nor should any be allowed to rely on pain relief each time they got a boo boo, lest the lesson of the pain endured lose its value.” These were the situations in which their skills were needed most, and the situations in which they were most valuable.