Pitch Pine Trail The Live Long Day

Backdated to September 14th. All welcome but special mention to @Sharan. Late afternoon, overcast, 55°F 13°C.Takes places the day after this thread.

It was a new day when his eyes opened, Ruari didn't need to move his body to be reminded of the events of the previous day. His body was sore all over from the beating he had received from his brother. The fur around his wounds had grown stiff as the blood had dried but in some places it still seeped out keeping some of the fur wet. For a long time before he even rose to begin the task he knew he had to Run tried to clean his wounds the best that he could. He knew it wouldn't be enough, more care was needed but he didn't have the skills needed to treat the wounds the way they needed to be cared for.

Finally before the sun reached it's highest point in the sky he rose to his three good feet keeping his right forepaw off the ground. His wounded muscles were stiff as he slowly made his way down to the creek to get himself a drink. He needed to find his brother, no matter the problems they had it was still his job to protect deag. Picking his way along the edge of the brook in the direction his twin had gone it didn't take long to pick up the blood trail that had been left behind.

Slowly, limping Ruari continued in the direction they had been traveling before the fight. At that point he didn't care where he was going, he could worry about that once he found Deaglan. He was careful in his steps and his progress was slow, at times he had to stop when the pain in his wounds became almost too much. He would rest for a short time before moving further along the brook.

When the sun had only just begun it's descent in the sky Ruari had to stop for a little longer than he had been. Finding a shaded place under a tree Ru took shelter to rest his weary body and hope the pain would subside quickly so he could continue. Resting his head in his forepaws he closed his eyes and sighed.

(This post was last modified: Sep 17, 2017, 12:35 PM by Ruari.)

 

It was merely a few weeks before that Sharan had come to this land and she already felt like at home. Sure, the life of  a lone wolf was not one of the best and easiest, but she managed somehow and wasn't as weak as at the beginning. She was still thin and would grow weary easily, but her overall condition had improved, and her paws didn't look as bad as those few weeks ago. The pawpads have almost completely healed from the long journey. All in all, she was feeling better than ever during the last few months she could remember.

What was even better for her wellfare is the fact she was able to learn and study again: she would observe the fauna, smell, touch and try the florae to check how each plant worked, save for those she felt would bring ailment or death with them, in the stead of health improvement or simple pleasure of a peculiar taste. Some kept her teeth in proper condition, some helped her regain her strength, and others soothed her feet from the long exile. She loved nature and everything that connected to it, and still could not comprehend why the humans who had forced her pack to flee long ago could end what wonderful link to nature by choice.  That was unnatural, that was an abomination.

She was lucky enough to meet friendly souls at her first visit here, and was imbued with such a wonderful dose of good will and energy to return the favour and help or care for anyone in need, she decided to set out to yet another journey, this time around these fabled lands, to learn and see if she could be of help or use anywhere.
She was just passing through the Pitch Pine Trail. The sweet, fresh scent of the pine trees was ever-present in her sensitive nose and filled her with a dose of energy, and she sniffed the air with renewed vigor, taking in the pleasant smell.

A few steps later though, the sweet smell mixed with the pungent scent Sharan knew all too well. She had smelled it at least twice before; the reek of wolf blood, and then all the memories came back to her. The skirmish between her pack and the pack of canines living to the far north. Oh, yes, she would not forget that moment when she drew blood from an enemy, hurting a fellow canine instead of healing their ailments. And then, later on, when her own mate challenged another for leadership and lost. And finally, the moment she discovered her litter was destined to turn to ashes the moment they came into the world. Wolf blood never smelled worse to her than right then and there, and now that she smelt it for yet another time it made her fur stand on end and forced to stop her trot in place right there.

She must have looked hauntingly then; having stopped mid-step and gaining a haunting look as her memories overwhelmed her. It took her a few minutes to regain her senses and forge her thoughts into deeds. She cast her gaze around, checking whether there was any trail of red in the vicinity, trusting her sight and her nose to lead her to the source. Was there a fight somewhere? Did someone try to hunt a prey and ended up sustaining injuries? Or was there a female in need of her help? No.. The last one was the least possible of all. She would have heard the noise, she would have distinguished that smell. She went through that after all, or be it not to the best of results.
Sharan didn't have to look long or hard however; soon, she noticed a dark shape laying on the grass, soft brushes lightly obscuring it from her view. She stiffened and chose to observe the unknown wolf for a few seconds, watching his or her ribcage moving as the canine drew his or her breaths. Her gaze soon found the reason of the smell of blood - the stiff fur around patches of moisture, a few drops here and there on the nearby leaves - all these things suggested to her those wounds were fresh and still crying red tears, and if not treated properly, prone to an infection. And if they festered, who knows what would happen to that individual? No, she could not leave them alone.

The female decided to approach the unknown individual, and stilled her racing breath to calm herself down. What kind of an aspiring medic would she be if she panicked more about someone's wounds than the wounded creature itself? And the hurtful past she has been through was no justification for losing your composure  in front of a patient. No, she had to keep a clear mind.
Sharan made her approach quite the loud one, so as not to hint at the injured wolf that she had any malicious intentions or wanted to sneak on him or her to cause more injury. She made herself visible to the creature, standing in front of the bushes and lush green grass, and letting herself steal a better gaze at the wolf, all from a few metres' distance - not too far, so as to hear the wolf's words, and not too close as of yet, so that the creature would choose to accept her help, or decline and be left alone.
- You there - she decided to make the first step and start a conversation, and by that gain the knowledge of what exactly had transpired - Do you.. Need a hand? You don't look too well, if you don't mind me saying. - she asked with her feminine, albeit strong voice, and waited for a reply to come.

It was not easy for Ruari to make it from where he'd spent the night to where he rested now. It was painful and tiresome as his muscles were stiff from the injuries he'd sustained and the fact he couldn't set his right paw down. Deaglan would pay for what he had caused, the older twin hoped his brother was having just as bad of a time of it. It didn't matter at that point if he had egged his brother on knowing the right buttons to push. It also didn't matter if he felt he deserved what he had gotten. He was strong but the remainder of his injuries with every step was a most too much for him to bare in that moment when everything else was weighing down on him.

Finding his brother was his immediate concern but as he continued to travel along the brook west he was quickly losing strength and blood. He had to rest and try to regain some energy to continue his laborious trek along the blood trail that he hoped would lead to Deaglan. As angry as they might be at each other they only had each other and it was his job as the oldest to protect the younger twin if only from himself.

He finally came to a place where the grass was soft and there was cover he could take. He was in no condition to be fighting another wolf if they came upon him with malicious intent. He was finally able to make himself as comfortable as he could on the grass, the sound of the brook the ever present sound. They had been traveling along water for so long that it felt like more of a comfort than just a sound in the forest. As long as he stayed close to the water he would find what he was looking for. If he and Deag even knew what they were looking for.

His eyes slowly closed after he'd finally got into a position that wasn't too painful to rest in. His sides heaving a sigh as he started to doze off, a short nap would do him good. It was short lived though as his ears picked up the sound of someone approaching. Ruari didn't move from his place but he did let out a warning growl. He hoped his growl would deter anyone that might come to bother him or do worse. Mostly he just wasn't in the mood to be chit chatting while his wounds still seeped and pain coursed through his body.

He still had not moved when the sound of her voice reached his ears. It did not surprise him that she had found him so easily, he reeked of blood dried and fresh. She was offering him help, this caused his growl to cease. He poked his nose out between the branches that we're serving to cover him for the most part. Taking in her scent he decided would it be so bad to get some help for his situation. Slowly and carefully he rose to his feet and revealed himself to her as he stepped into the open right in front of her.

Ruari stood a few meters from her in his sad state and favoring his right paw. “If you think you can help with this then yes I need a paw,” he stated gruffly. His patience was thin but if she could help him keep his wounds from getting infected then he wouldn't turn her away. Having grown tired of standing he slowly lowered his haunches to the ground as he waited to find out if it has been a waste of his precious energy to drag his torn body into the open.

 

As soon as the other wolf's warning growl reached Sharan's ears she tensed, readying her muscles and joints to the possibility of a rapid flight or - and this she dreaded most - the obligation of a fight in order to defend her own self and her health. It was not a turn of events she did not expect, at least partially - wounded creatures indeed preferred to be left alone, safe in their solace and armoured in their loneliness from whatever had hurt them. She knew that feeling almost too well. It had taken her weeks to warm up at least that tiny bit to actually be capable of uttering a single word to others after she had lost her mate and pups. Here it could have been no different, apart from the fact the sole reasons were different.

The voice - unmistakingly masculine - which then followed after she had uttered her own question gave her a dose of relaxation - the male agreed for her help, and so now she could not be accused of approaching him without permission and sparking a fight. Wounded creatures often had short tempers and suspected deception and vile intentions in most everyone and everything. She should not let her guard down to any great extent. She had to trust him, that was true enough - just as much as he had to trust her at least enough so that she would be able to see his wound, decide upon the course of action and dress it properly, finding the needed herbs during the process.

After the words of permission had passed she decided to take another few steps and let herself be seen properly by the male wolf, and then paced a few metres closer, now close enough to be able to see the problem. The wound was of violent origin, born of tooth or claw clashing together and tearing the skin open. The tissue still seeped ruby tears when moved more violently. No wonder the wolf kept his paw up. It was no time for Sharan the nervous she-wolf. It was time for Sharan the healer, who cast away her uncertainties and delved in her craft.

- I've seen worse, if that is any comfort - she replied slowly, still eyeing the injury. - I've been a medic to my old pack, and one before that as well. I should be able to clean it so it won't fester, and find something for the bleeding. - and she cast her gaze sideways and around as she said that - I'm going to need a few herbs before I start doing anything.

It was really lucky they were located in a forest, and a moist one at that. The chance of finding something useful in the medical meaning was quite big, and Sharan relished that. One positive thing in this sorry situation was better than none.
- I'll find what I need in the vicinity, and then with your permission I'll dress your wound - she informed the black wolf, and then proceeded to seek what she needed.

Her sensitive nose and keen eyesight came in handy as usual during this type of ordeal. Sharan relished the possibility to observe the flora so thoroughly it almost felt like she was a pup again, learning everything about the world around her. She would stare at the leaves, flowers and funghi back then, sniff and take in the aroma, and remember the texture of the items she was allowed to try, so as to remember the taste for future reference.
Thanks to that, she had little problem with finding what she needed right now: treading carefully she had found a white fir tree and proceeded to scratching it, in order to obtain a piece of its precious bark and the even more useful juices stored inside the tree. The sound of scratching was a bit too loud for her taste, but it could not be helped. Once she decided she had harvested enough, she proceeded to finding the other ingredient she was hoping to obtain. This time, she turned her attention to the grass under her paws, and hunted for specifically looking grains.
Grasses and grains attacked with ergot were fairly easy to find the closer to the more moist factions of the forest. Sharan managed to find a few, although it had taken her longer than she would have wished. Equipped with such ingredients stored safely between her milk white teeth, she came back to the injured and placed her materials in front of the male.

- I can proceed whenever you're ready. The bark will soothe your wound, but it may not be pleasant the moment it touches your skin - she said, pointing her nose toward the few pieces of the tree she had scratched off the living trunk and took special care not to mix with dirt and other debris. Next, she pointed to the few grains she had harvested just now - This, or specifically, the formation growing on these seeds will help with the bleeding. This much should be enough for a wolf of your size - she explained and then looked up, waiting for the black creature's reply. Ready when you are.

A lynx has left behind the remains of a deer. +5 Health

The wounds that he'd acquired during the fight with his brother were going to take some time to heal. That much he knew even if he'd never been injured so badly before, he and Deag had never fought so viciously before. He wondered if his brother realized what he did, that they only had each other now. If he didn't Ruari felt it was his job to make him understand when he did find him. That was the thing, he had to find the younger twin first and he didn't know how far his brother had made it after their fight. He hoped it wasn't far but with his temper and being so angry Ru knew that that hope could be all in vain.

Having found a place that was somewhat concealed the older twin laid down to rest his sore, wounded body. The drive to find Deaglan was strong but he couldn't go on. The last thing he expected to happen did, someone had found him but most importantly she was offering to help him. He only debated it for a moment and decided to let her help him, his wounds needed tending to or they would get infected and the bleeding needed to be stopped. Not only would the blood trail he knew he had to be leaving behind drawn unwanted company he was losing too much blood. That he also knew to be a very bad thing. That knowledge was what pushed him to accept her help and in the same moment wished he'd learned something about healing before everything had changed for him and Deaglan.

His visitor had offered to help and he had accepted but she needed to see what his injuries entailed so she could properly treat him. Once he was down it had not been easy to pull himself back up into his feet. The dark male winced as he rose to his three good feet pain shooting through his wounds and the muscles around them. Finally he was able to step into view so that she could see the damage that had been done. He was able to favor his right paw but he could not help but put weight on his left side where the majority of his injuries were. This caused him more pain and blood to seep out of the wounds that had not fully closed up.

He frowned at her words, “It doesn't end with my paw,” he informed gruffly, “My shoulder and flank need to be treated too.” He was aware that his black fur concealed his other injuries but the fur was matted with dried blood. It didn't matter how much cleaning he did it didn't seem to make a difference. “I hope you can keep my wounds from festering I don't have the time for it.” And he didn't he had no way to know how long it would take to search down his brother. He'd already lost time due to his wounds and that just meant Deaglan was getting further away. The only thing he could hope for was that his younger twin would see his mistake and come back.

While she seemed to take in the situation and do whatever else Ruari carefully lowered himself back to the ground. Taking the weight and strain off his wounds provided some relief but not much. “Do what you have to do. I don't have any knowledge of what is required to clean and dress them.” Which was why he had to put his trust into her and hope she truly did know what she was doing. If she didn't things would go very badly for her.

Once she had gone off to get whatever she needed to get in order to take care of his wounds Ruari rolled to his side and laid his head in the ground before closing his eyes to wait. Getting this far had been exhausting and he needed to rest before he could even think about continuing his search or he wouldn't get very far. He listened to her move around the forest near where he was and then came the loud scratching noise which caused him to crack and eye to see what she was doing. For a long moment he watched her scratching the bark of the tree which ye assumed she was collecting it. Then she moved on to something else and soon enough she'd returned back to him.

He raised his head as she spoke explaining what she was using the bark for, “Go ahead get it over with quickly if it's going to be unpleasant.” The last thing he needed was more unpleasantness just then. Ruari however did understand it was necessary to treat the wound so he gritted his teeth and waited for her to put the bark on his wound. “And what is done with that?” He asked bluntly after she talked about the formation on the seeds. He had to wonder if she was going to make him eat them as he looked down at the seeds with a disgusted look across his features.