Lorcan could not be certain how many days had passed since he had collapsed at the borders of Willow Ridge. Since being helped to the dedicated infirmary chamber, which was situated deep within the main underground den, he had lost all sense of time. With the sunlight unable to reach him, Lorcan spent all of his time in constant darkness. Fortunately, he didn’t mind it too much. He discovered that the lack of light made it much easier, if not actually encouraged him, to sleep more.

When he wasn’t asleep, which he was for the vast majority of the time, Lorcan had found several ways to keep himself entertained whilst he was cooped up. The male spent many hours simply listening to the sounds that echoed down from outside; the sweet sound of birds tweeting and chattering in the trees, the whistling of the wind as it swept over the rocks, and the rattling of the willows in the breeze. He also kept himself busy by trying to identify the particular herbs and flowers which made up the distinctive scent which consumed his chamber, and when he eventually grew tired of that, @Adeltra occasionally stopped by for a visit.

Lorcan released a tired yawn before he shifted to place his chin gently on his outstretched paws. Contentedly, he lay upon the various fur skins and bird feathers which adorned the chamber floor, and turned his bright golden gaze towards the gloomy darkness of the tunnel which led out of the infirmary. Whilst he was appreciative of the warm and private sanctuary he had been provided within the pack, he couldn’t help but feel he was stealing all of their precious resources. It was the beginning of winter and Lorcan knew from experience how hard things could get.

The male was desperate to get better quickly and contribute to the pack who had afforded him such kindness and generosity, even if only for the winter.

The dull thud of footfall up above caused his ears to prick curiously. Nosily he tried to listen in on the main den chamber, intrigued to know what was going on. However when the sound of claws scratching against stone echoed down the tunnel towards him, Lorcan quickly dropped his ears as if he hadn’t been listening. Reaching out with his nose, the male used scent to identify who was crawling down to meet him, and when upon realising it to be @Ravenna immediately became nervous.

In the back of his mind he had been dreading the time when one of the leaders would come down to see him. Perhaps it was due to him witnessing how Anaia had been treated by Craw, when she had turned up with an injury, that made Lorcan believe that their hospitality would run out. He was after all worthless in his current condition and winter was sure to put a strain on the southern pack.

Greeting Ravenna with a soft blink in acknowledgement, he remained silent as she moved to place the herbs and a generous piece of deer flesh directly in front of him. Hungrily he eyed the chunk of meat, but reached forwards only to grasp the herbs she had placed alongside it into his mouth. He swallowed the plants down quickly, not wanting to experience the displeasure that came with tasting them.

Golden eyes flickered back to focus on the silver gaze of Ravenna as she spoke to him. Lorcan blushed, suddenly feeling very embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I keep dozing off in here…” He admitted himself awkwardly, before attempting to offer her a shy smile as she moved to sit down before him. He nodded as she proceeded to comment on his improved condition. “Yes, thank you. I’m certainly feeling a lot stronger than I was before, and my ribs are less painful now.” He assured her, with an optimistic thump of his tail. The deep scratches on his face made by Askan were still painful and stiff where the skin was now scabbing over the once bleeding wounds.

Lorcan glanced back towards the chunk of meat that still sat in front of him. “Y-you should take some of this back..” He suggested nervously, not wanting to cause offence. “You have already been so generous by providing me with medical treatment and shelter, I do not want your pack to go hungry because of me.” The size of meat she had offered him would keep a wolf full for days. Feeding it to a serving member of the pack seemed much more logical to Lorcan. “Please, I insist.” He urged her quietly, nudging the food towards her with his nose.

Lorcan hummed in agreement, a small smile tugging at the corners of his charcoal lips, as he gave a quick nod of his head. “I’ve certainly been both of those things down here. Your pack has done a great job with this infirmary.” He commented, turning his head to peer at the furnished chamber around him through the ever-present darkness. “When I served as a healer in one of my previous packs, we only had an old coyote den to offer the sick and injured.” It hadn’t even been a dedicated infirmary, merely a hole in the ground that worked to keep the majority of the wind, rain and snow away from the occupant within it.

Nervously nudging the large chunk of meat towards the leader, he was quick to spot the way her dark ears folded back. Lorcan stopped the action immediately and pulled his head back, pressing it flat against the fur rugs in apology. He had offended her. Inwardly he cursed himself for being so rude as to refuse food in front of the reigning female. His top lip twitched anxiously as she huffed, ready to pull into a submissive grin at any moment…

"Do you plan on leaving soon then?"

Ravenna’s disappointment was obvious, as was Lorcan’s awkwardness about answering. “No…” He was panicking. He could feel his heart racing in his chest as he began to feel pressured for an answer. “I don’t know.” He said, sounding more genuine this time. It was time he told her the truth. “I do like it here,
a lot…” Lorcan admitted, meeting her silver gaze in an attempt to prove his honesty. “…but I actually came here looking for someone.”

“Her name is @Piety, I was told she would be coming this way?” He began, flashing @Ravenna a questioning look. “I was hoping to track her down and see if she's alright. She just lost her mate and…” He paused, biting at his own tongue. The silver woman had not asked for his entire life story. “Anyway, I don’t know where she is now,” She certainly wasn’t here. “and I don’t know how long it will take for me to find her.” She could have been at the lagoon with @Morganna by now, or anywhere in fact, and Lorcan didn’t want to pledge his loyalty to Willow Ridge whilst everything was still uncertain.

It was interesting to learn how well established Willow Ridge was. The fact that the southern pack had been around for half a decade implied that it was strong, even with small numbers, with an abundance of resources to keep the wolves fit even through winter. Whilst Lorcan did not imagine that life so close to the mountains could be easy, the fact that the pack was still here filled him with a sense of security.

Lorcan’s head tipped to one side curiously and his russet ears pricked up with interest as Ravenna spoke of her mother. He smiled back at her. “I’ve been a healer for over a year now.” He recalled. “Everything I know I learnt from my mother, as well as a few other medics I met during my time in these parts. It is a shame, though, that I didn’t get to learn from your mother as well. I’m sure she would have had a lot to teach me…” He paused, his pale brows furrowing into a sorrowful frown as his golden gaze flitted down to his paws. A few heartbeats later Lorcan eyes returned to focus on the silver leader. “Though it seems all her knowledge wasn’t lost.” He smiled across to Ravenna. She had done a good job at caring for him. Perhaps she took after her mother in that way.

“What were those mushrooms? I’ve never come across them before, until here.” Lorcan couldn’t help but ask. He’d been wondering what they were for days now, but had never had the chance to ask as it seemed he’d been asleep every time Ravenna had come to visit him previously.

Talking about his healer role had made him feel more at ease, less intimidated. However, the male didn’t stay relaxed for long as the leader surprised him with a direct question about his intentions of staying. Immediately he became nervous and awkward again, much like he had been when he had first arrived at the Lore. Though they had all been kind to him up until now, Lorcan had not had the time to truly get to know and understand the wolves within Willow Ridge, or the core values which governed the pack itself. Therefore he wasn’t sure if his honesty would go down well with Ravenna. Another wolf might have taken him for being rude, or indecisive and therefore untrustworthy, and chase him out as soon as they had the chance.

Lorcan waited with baited breath for the silver leader to acknowledge what he had said and give her answer. He was initially surprised to hear that she already knew about the events at Whitestone Monadnock, but then the mention of @Odin and his tag-along Kip explained that mystery. The male’s black tipped tail thumped against the stone at the mention of the one eyed-boy. He was glad that Odin had been smart enough to seek out a pack for the winter. Life as a loner in the lowlands was a harsh one. Next the mention of Piety stole his interest and his golden eyes widened in relief when @Ravenna mentioned that both her and Morganna were not that far away, in a pack led by her brother.

“Greer?” Lorcan interjected, before he suddenly back-tracked. “Odin was the one who told me about Piety, and Morganna actually. I used to serve her and Craw at the monadnock before I moved to Hearthwood River after they both left.” He explained, golden eyes glancing up to meet Ravenna’s bright silver stare. It seemed it was a small world, yet there was still so much for him to get his head around.

Russet ears perked up with interest as @Ravenna told him the of the mushrooms she had been prescribing him and also explained, in amazing detail, where they grew and how they worked within the body. Lorcan did feel a pang of guilt as she informed him how far she had to travel to retrieve the fungi, which cause his smile to falter for just a moment as he listened.

Tipping his head up towards her decisively, he made a promise to her. “At some point, when I am better, I’ll travel to the Wildwood and collect you some more.” The furrowing of his brow over his bright golden gaze proved that he was being serious. Whether he chose to remain with the pack or not, he would go out of his way to repay her with this one small act. “…It’s the least I can do.” He added quietly. Lorcan had decided and now, whether Ravenna protested or not, he would not be persuaded otherwise.

When Ravenna had asked him whether he planned to stay with Willow Ridge, Lorcan had been indecisive. He had travelled all this way in search of Piety and Morganna, only to find that he had missed Piety but that the two of them were likely residing in another pack nearby. Not with Greer, but with another of her brothers, Niles. “Oh..” Lorcan uttered in surprise, only then just coming to realise how large, powerful and extensive the Archer family really was.

Ravenna mentioned that Quaking Vale was on the other side of the mountain only a day away, but – “What about the lagoon? Is it far from here?” He asked curiously, golden eyes glancing up to meet her silver stare.