Grizzly Hollow even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise

Never did Veho think it would be necessary to barricade his medical cache against invaders. In the months he had resided among the wolves of Grizzly Hollow, his collection of herbs was generally left unbothered – only @Titan appeared on occasion to add his own supplies, or take something he needed. If any other wolf stopped by, they did not touch or take, simply allowed the healers to attend to their needs before moving on. So when he found the entrance of his burrow dug and mussed, it was an unthinkable peripeteia. The stems fell from his mouth as the wolf rushed forward, heart in his throat as he barreled into his den. His first thought was that someone had been horribly injured, and finding no healer at the medical den, had dug through the piles in a panicked frenzy, seeking anything to stop the pain.

Upon realizing there was no blood on the ground, and no scent of illness in the air, it gave the Macieo pause, and for a moment, he paused at the entrance. The claw marks were far too small to belong to a fellow wolf – perhaps a pup? But if something had befallen Tomen, the man was certain that Rook, or perhaps even Quil, would have put up a call for one of the two aspiring healers residing among their ranks. He’d not been so far from the Cedarwood Forest that he’d not have detected a frantic howl, and Veho felt fairly certain it was not harm befalling a curious puppy. Thus the invader went unknown, and something foreign stoked a fire in his chest as the silver male forced his way inwards – and promptly came face-to-face with the perpetrator.

A vicious growl caught the wolf’s throat – normally a passive soul, he could not abide by the nature of this thief, chewing its way through a collection that had taken him weeks, if not months, to prepare, carefully selected during the growing seasons and dried, so they might be preserved for the coming cold months. When everything was buried in a thick blanket and the landscape had become a frozen wasteland, those dried herbs would be the mainstay of his healing practices – even if they were less effective when they were no longer fresh, it was better than no supplies at all. And here, a single porcupine had made himself at home. In the course of only a few casual hours, he’d destroyed countless weeks of the wolf’s work – it was almost a suffocating, helpless feeling, and from such sadness was born an unholy rage.

Veho’s snarl only earned him a dry look – over his shoulder did the porcupine glance, a dried leaf disappearing behind large teeth. For what would he do, the oversized rodent seemed to beg the question, unconcerned that he was caught red-handed and otherwise cornered in a den with no way out save the opening the medic was currently shoved in. The nonchalance was perhaps the tipping point, driving another snarl out of the delta male as he wriggled his way in further. Never did it occur to him that such close quarters with such a well-armed adversary may be a poor choice – all he could think was that he must get the alien out as soon as he could, salvaging whatever was left of his carefully equipped den before cataloguing the damage. It would be a race to restock the medical cabinet before the winter winds forced everything into a prolonged sleep.

This time, the thorn swine gave the predator a much more baleful look, turning some from its feast with an aggravated grunt. Further grumbles poured from its mouth as it waddled closer, body size doubling as the quills began to stand on end, appearing as menacing as was possible for such a stumpy creature. Perhaps the wolf should have been put off, if not by the massive teeth and aggressive posture, than by the quivering quills presented at him. They rattled loudly, his ears ringing, and Veho proceeded regardless, his ivory teeth bared as he plunged for the animal’s face. Immediately he was met with teeth and it was blood for blood, the pair scrambling in the small space for purchase. Once, twice, three times he tried to shove his sienna snout underneath the animal, knowing its undercarriage to lack the armor the rest of its body bore, and all three efforts were met with the sharp jab of pins into his thin skin. It was only by the grace of the Ancestors that he did not take a needle directly to one of his pale eye – the heat of battle, the adrenaline brought on by aggravation and desperation muted the pain and he plunged onwards again. On his fourth attempt, he was able to spin the porcupine upside down, and only once it had been forced on its backside was the medic able to get in a biting blow. Never one for violence, the grey wolf did not wish to prolong its suffering, and the mess of blood was met with another bite and a shake of his head. This time, the struggle ended, and the male was allowed to drag the animal from his den in piece, pulling the body several lengths away before dropping it there. It was also left several lengths from the water, as death would poison their resource, and only then did Veho wander back to his cache.

One paw was lifted gingerly, brushing against the needles sticking outwards from his muzzle. His effort was met with a sharp whine and a wince, finally realizing how badly the attack had actually hurt. These quills were not thorns, instead lodged into his flesh with tiny barbs, and would not be dislodged so easily. He would need assistance. After a moment of thought, Veho put up a warbling howl, directed for the alpha. If Titan was about, he would not mind the other healer’s presence, or assistance even, but the situation was otherwise embarrassing enough that he did not wish to actually invite the others to see their medic in such a state.

ROOK LYALL

And you will keep me safe. And you will keep me close.

The faltering song that had slithered through the still air within Grizzly Hollow easily caught Rook's attention, particularly because it was in that certain tone that sang out the note that made up his moniker. In all reality, it could have been for Quil, too, but seeing as that it was Veho who had called, Rook's heart found the longing too great to let any other come to his partner's aid.

From the borders of Grizzly Hollow he redirected himself toward the riverbank establishment along the cascades of Jasper Rocks. Once he met the steady flow of water, he splashed about in the shallows, not caring where he stepped so long as he continually advanced towards his destination. The splashing of water and the scattering of small pebbles preceded his appearance.

Nothing could have prepared him for what laid in wait his arrival though. He had only ever seen a porcupine once in his life and in that particular instance, he had been just a cub, warned sternly by his older sister Trisden that he ought to not put his nose where it shouldn't be. It was for his own good though, for it had saved him from what predicament currently ailed poor Veho. Standing at the mouth of the den, Rook saw the silver-gray man there with several spikes protruding from various places on his face - particularly along his muzzle. The Leader's heart dropped with the smell of blood tinging the air and, with his paws leaving the water, he immediately rushed to Veho's side.

Nasally whines emitted from him in worry and his tail lashed about behind him in a frantic beat. "Veho," he whimpered. "What happened?" He might have taken note of the dead animal, a bloody lump of dark brown fur and quills, nearby but he wanted to hear first hand what had transpired.

Concerned eyes stared into the pale gaze of his confidant, unable to count the individual quills in his alarm. "It's all right," he managed to spit out, "Here, sit down, let me see." Truthfully, he said this for his own sake, too worked up at the moment to realize that it was him that was moving about in such an adrenaline rush. The more he stared, the more it look like it must have hurt. The only thing he knew to do to remedy the situation was to treat the needle-like items like burs or thorns; the quicker he could remove them, the better.

Had you been there tonight, you might know how it feels to be struck to the bone!

Thankfully, the alpha did not reach out to touch the medic’s face despite his obvious alarm. Exhaling a soft chuff, he tilted his head, wincing slightly at the tug the quills every time he moved his mouth. What happened, he thought fondly, unable to truly be upset when graced with Rook’s attention. He thought it rather obvious, but all the same, the gray wolf nodded his snout in the direction of the porcupine’s body, a few lengths away and motionless. “We came to an altercation,” Veho murmured softly, his speech a bit slower than it would have been otherwise. Even a face full of barbs didn’t seem to stop him from being so verbose. “I found him in the medical cache, eating my storage, and thought to remove him. ‘Make them bleed while we can,’ he said right back to me, ‘Make ‘em pay through the nose.’ And that I did in the midst of the tight quarters and melee, I suppose, though now he lays in a sleep from which he won’t wake.”

Sighing softly, the healer shook his head, eventually taking the seat his partner had requested of him to begin with. Oh, it had been quite the scrap, and perhaps he should have felt a bit higher for coming out victorious, but the dastardly animal had managed to deliver him quite a painful blow, and far more worrying, and done a considerable amount of damage to the stores he’d readied for the coming winter months. That would have to wait, however – harvesting plants would be near impossible if he thought to run around with a face full of spikes. Perhaps even worse was running the risk of infection should he leave the quills where they were, and what good was a medic who could spread illness from his touch?

With another heavy huff, he finally cast his moonlit eyes back to @Rook as the man paced about, trying to offer him a gentle whine to calm his fraying patience. Truly, it wasn’t quite as bad as it seemed, or so Veho would have him believe, though each twitch of his muzzle reminded him exactly how many little weapons the porcupine had managed to plant before the wolf had the final word. Still, agitation would only make this worse – a steady gentleness would be preferred to remove the barbs from his skin, lest his face become as punctured as the rodent’s soft belly.

“Settle down, my dear,” he tried to rumble, tipping his head to one side. “Not the end of the world. I’ll need you to pull them out, though. I tried – it’s simply impossible.” Offering a wry smile, he waited for the alpha to approach him when a second thought struck him.

“Though, if you are feeling uncomfortable with that idea, we could call for Titan. He is a healer – I respect his abilities.” And while the delta would prefer to be spared the embarrassment of his packmates witnessing his own injuries, Veho was not so proud to avoid asking for help when he needed it. Perhaps beyond that, he would not push Rook into anything the masked man was uncomfortable with – the end goal was getting the quills out, and he would settle with whatever method it took.

ROOK LYALL

And you will keep me safe. And you will keep me close.

Despite the pain an answer came and Rook couldn't help but wince as the event was relayed back to him, his eye all too focused on Veho's face and wherever the quills had managed to stick into his skin. What was important was that the medic had prevailed and the menace of an intruder had been disposed of. But, it had not come without consequence and now the medicine man himself was in need of healing. Another whimper sounded from the younger wolf and Veho had to instruct him to settle down. A grimace settled onto Rook's masked brows and his lopsided lips but he sat, though not for too long.

When Titan came to mind, Rook quietly approached. He could handle this; that much was certain. Just.. the whole suddenness of it all had struck him. Not only was he startled by Veho's injuries but quite a few questions had sprung up in his head. He would have to ask them later, though, even after the shock had subsided, for the other medic had come into their midst.

"Settle down, my dear?" Titan echoed and instantly Rook's head turned to regard the blue-eyed man. The Leader shuffled back from his place, heat radiating from his cheeks and the curved tips of his ears. Nervous energy aside, his ears still would have flicked back for a second or two before coming back up. The Thorben had heard them, but how much of their exchange, Rook could not know. It was embarrassing enough that he had been spotted being very close to Veho and that someone had heard Veho call him by his little 'pet name.'

"Ti-tan," he tried to smile, to welcome the other into their little conversation. His stance kept neutral for now, unable to find the domineering attitude that might have actually warded or dismissed Titan from the scene to allow them their privacy. No other words came and, instead, he looked to Veho to find what he had wanted to say after learning that Narimé had once suffered the same injury. "It... got a hold of the caches," Rook (desperately) attempted to veer the attention away from him, "killed... by Veho's grit." He gestured briefly with his nose towards the corpse by the river before grimacing ever still at his partner, "I don't-- Do we just--" Titan, his face! Look at it! Look at his face! Rook was really screaming inside... Rather than letting the panic, the deep concern for Veho's well-being, rise up from his lungs in something of a frantic wail, he whined, "I don't know how to do this. Apparently this is much worse than a thorn in the paw."

He turned to Titan then, obvious need for his aid displayed clearly on his face, "What do we do? What can I do?"

Had you been there tonight, you might know how it feels to be struck to the bone!

If he thought he was going to be allowed to suffer in peace, the American gray wolf was quite wrong. Titan’s arrival was met with a wry grin, quickly followed by a soft hiss. The expression hurt more than actually speaking, so the man was greeted with a soft nod of his head, instead. “Have you never bestowed a nickname?” he replied easily, a single brow raised. It was unknown to him that the swarthy medic indeed had a sweetheart of his own, but the notion of applying a pet name to someone close was still applicable. As it were, he was no longer able to lean on the alpha for comfort, his partner clearly spooked by the other man’s arrival. A gusty sigh escaped, shoulders sinking a few images as the notion he’d been harboring for several days was reinforced. Second, second best.

I love him, but when the night is over, he is gone, he thought to himself, reflecting back upon many moonlit nights. They could spend hours together, but always the man would return to his mate, as he well should. It was Veho who was doing this to himself, after all, pursuing something he could never have and inviting the torment into his home.

“Ah, yes. The porcupine now sleeps,” he grumbled, ears swinging out to the side as the defeated wolf glanced over his shoulder, indicating to @Titan where the corpse lay in case the younger medic had any interest in the matter. Healing did not often require the pieces and parts of other animals, but perhaps the large wolf was hungry, or-- Well, he supposed it did not matter. After that little tussle, he had no further interest in the rodent, and was happy to allow the others the prize if they so wished to have it.

“I, mhhm-- Am afraid I have not actually had the misfortune of dealing with quils before. I am aware that there are barbs and would prefer we do not simply pull them out, friends,” Veho began, chuckling drily as he realized he was still the leader of this motely trio. How did he fall into that? Ah, yes, the rank challenge – perhaps this was his punishment for his hubris. Ears managed to fall flatter still as another sigh escaped from dark lips, and the wolf glanced between the other pair of males. He’d hoped that Titan had previously experienced something like this, and while it seemed the healer had actually witnessed the removal of quills once, he was not talking as if he’d preformed it himself. At least he was calm, he supposed, and peered back at his heart.

“Calm down,” he instructed softly – he had to stop himself from reaching forward to press a nose in Rook’s ruff. It had nothing to do with the other man’s presence, but the spine still sticking from his muzzle. Such affection would only push the barbs deeper into his skin. “This will be okay. Titan has witnessed this before? I thought if we get my muzzle wet, it might be a bit softer…?”

ROOK LYALL

And you will keep me safe. And you will keep me close.

The little exchange between them somewhat eased the fraying of Rook's nerves, allowing the Leader's thoughts to settle on the idea that perhaps Veho had pitched his little pet name in jest. Rook was all for that, despite his innermost thoughts being somewhat offended by the suggestion of it. His lips drew into a thin straight line, an unreleased growl churning in his chest as Titan joked by also using the term "dear."

With a critical eye, the Lyall set his focus on Veho's face, only able to imagine just what the Medic had done to get quite a number of pin pricks to the face. He allowed Titan some room, moving in a half-circle at the darker Medic's back in order to get to Veho's side. The wince that had marred his masked face did not leave just yet, but it was all he could manage as he settled down.

It was a good thing that he had not been the one to pull the quills from his companion's face. Really, he would have treated them like thorns; pluck them from the skin and apply whatever ointment was necessary. No instructions were given out at first, though Rook was merely glad to remain nearby. When he was younger, he had enjoyed taking a peek at what his aunts sometimes did when they put their practical medicine to use, perhaps this would be no different.

In some form of comfort, he sat in such a way as to have his left flank pressed against Veho's side, ready to offer any support or assistance wherever needed.

Were he in a better state, the eldest might have asked after Danica – the tone indicated she was someone Titan was fond of (and the man made the assumption it was a she, given the feminine end to the name). But what kind of nicknames? What this his lover – he’d not met a Danica among the Grizzly Hollow wolves, Veho was farily certain he knew most by name at this point. Perhaps they were separated by pack boundaries. There was always the chance that this was his sister – after all, he’d bestowed many pet names upon Neha and Namid when they were young. Star, Trouble, Witts. The list could go on.

But the gray wolf found himself somewhat distracted between the weaponry still clinging to his face and the swarthy male’s explanation for the closeness he walked in on, and instead of asking after Danica (and who or what she was to Titan), he found himself raising a tawny brow at his partner. Indeed, he thought dryly, is this just a joke? There was a time when love was blind, and the world was a song, and the song was exciting. There was a time…then it went all wrong.

And while it was never Belladonna’s intention to cast the healer into doubt, her wise words had done just that. At the time, he’d told her ‘the heart wants what the heart wants’ (in quite a few more words, but in essence, he’d meant the bromide truly). Now the cliché was beginning to sting, and against his will, was the medic was slowly becoming able to see the truth his friend was trying to lead him to. He’d rather remain ignorant, he thought stubbornly, than have his affection refused so often and so completely. It was only in the most private of moments – and that left the wolf sorer than did the number of quills jutting out from his muzzle and his jaw.

With a great sigh, he heaved his moonlit gaze back to the younger healer. Unfortunately, getting those pesky barbs out of his skin was the first order of business. Any matter of personal feelings would have to wait until his body had been cared for. After a moment of thought, he bobbed his head. “Yes. I can still swallow – and chew, if I am careful,” Veho decided after a moment, glancing from @Titan to the remnants of their healing cache. Another sigh escaped, though this one defeated as he surveyed the damage with a clearer mind. What he wouldn’t have given for a barricade right at this moment, that they might have stopped that ruffian before it raided altogether.

But what-ifs would get him no where, and he turned his eyes back upon his pair of companions. “I am pleased you have more experience in this matter than I,” he informed the blue-eyed subordinate. If he were able, the medicine man would have offered an encouraging grin. Instead he found himself grimacing as he waited for Titan’s choice of herbs. “I’d rather go on with it and get them out now,” he murmured after a moment. “We aren’t getting any younger. We can treat the wounds once they’re out.”