Fallen Tree Cove Better out than in

Help the poor girl out @Asphodel @Hemlock

After the company of her tawny subordinate had gone, she found her stomach rolling once again. The female had been throwing up more than she felt she probably should have been, and her strength was depleting. Her limbs were shaky and she felt the meat on her bones slowly fading from lack of nutrition. What little she got went straight to her children, that much she knew, which left little for her. She knew that it would be over soon, but while it lasted it sucked quite a bit. Looking around quickly she made a bee-line for a fern bush, wrenching the meal she’d tried so hard to keep down into its roots. After she was finished she backed away with a sour taste in her mouth, a frown placed on her lips and a shudder in her body.

With her head low the queen shuffled her way into the den, flopping herself down onto the soft bedding. She winced as the children, who seemed to be very active that day, kicked within her belly enticing a sharp pain. It was a precious thing, she knew, but how she wished they wouldn’t do it so harshly. Turning her head she gave her stomach a soothing lick, nuzzling it tiredly and whispering sweet nothings to her young that resided there. She wished she had something to make it less miserable, perhaps the siblings would be able to bring her some stocks to keep around for herself while they were gone. They’d done a good job of bringing her herbs that at least settled the nausea for a time, but it was only for a time and when they left, always together, it wore off and she was left to wretch her entrails into the undeserving forest floor.

(This post was last modified: Jul 18, 2015, 07:15 PM by Namid.)

The young savant made her way through the heart of their new territory in search of the queen. A trusting woman, considering that she would soon bring new life to their pack. It didn't hurt that the siblings happened to have extensive knowledge when it came to herbs, and that the woman was able to keep little to nothing down. It was certainly worrisome, but nothing a little bit of Devil's Nettle couldn't cure. There was an old wivestale she'd heard in the Bloodswood.. something about morning sickness, though she couldn't quite remember. 

That wasn't the only thing she lost when they set out after Naira. Without the support of the Barrows, worship was more difficult. When worshiping grew difficult, well what gods would listen to any but their most devout followers? Not that she didn't consider Hemlock, and herself devout, but prayer alone could not sate the needs of their deities. Gods, she needed those mushrooms. That's where she should have been, out searching for those, but instead she was here in the Cove, tending to a sickly woman. 

Yarrow between her jowls, the tawny girl found herself at the mouth of the woman's birthing den. No doubt @Hemlock was close, as the yearling told him that she was bringing more medicine to the queen. She had to hand it to @Namid, the alpha had picked a decent place to rear her cubs. Head down, she woofed her greeting, and awaited the command to enter. Although the cubs had yet to arrive, the persona Asphodel took on could not enter until allowed to do so.

(This post was last modified: May 23, 2015, 02:58 PM by Asphodel.)

As if her silent prayer had been answered, foot falls could be heard outside the den. Her head lifted tiredly as she looked up and out the entrance to the hidden cave, seeing the tawny legs of the girl Asphodel. She had thought their names and skills ironic, both names being a type of herb and seeing that they were talented in the art. It truly was fortunate that they had come along when they had, as she suspected that none else in their ranks knew much about herbs. God forbid if there were to be any troubles in the pregnancy or birthing process they would have been very well screwed. Vali had left without a word much like three of their other members, and with this brought a danger if any of them should fall ill or injured.

“Come in,” She called tiredly. A bit of apprehension settled in her stomach as she allowed the yearling to go into the den, something that she wouldn’t allow Vespertio to do at times. Many of the times that the siblings had come to give her the medicine, she’d made them wait a ways outside of the den with a sharp growl at their presence at the entrance. It hadn’t been a threat, as it normally never was with her, but more of a warning that she didn’t quite like it. She gone out to meet them and take their treatment away from the confines of chosen site, but that day it couldn’t be helped. She couldn’t be bothered to make her way to her feet at that moment, afraid that she wouldn’t be able to make the effort at all successfully. She’d be fine once the sickness passed, but when it hit her it hit her hard.

It was a fair trek from the Rise to the Lake so when they had returned from their prior sojourn the youth had stashed a small stockpile of sweetgrass just inside the pack borders. Their leading lady however had made short work of the cache with her incessant wrenching and heaving so in seemingly no time at all the youth found himself called back to the lowlands. It was physically painful to be separated from his sibling for any great length of time but with the leader in such a miserable state it could hardly be avoided. She always seemed to demand at least one of them on and off throughout the day. For both of them to make the journey would attract too much attention.

His large frame did not lend itself to speed but he made as much haste as he could, toughened pads grazed by the hard mountain stone and fresh air burned in his lungs. It was easy to see why the mountain called to his mother. The weak wouldn’t last long here and he took solace in the knowledge it would claim them all soon enough. He could feel it in his bones.

Rounding on the den with heavy footsteps and unavoidable panting bought about by his final sprint, it was all he could do to not throw himself at the half of his sister that was protruding from the entrance of the leaders den. After such a lengthy separation (by their standards anyway) he needed to reaffirm their bond with physical touch, but it would be unseemly in the presence of others. Inching forward to place the grass at his sisters right flank he gently nudged her ribs with his snout before taking up a position outside the entrance where she could relay any further requirements to him. He wouldn’t have her running all over the mountainside while ever he sported perfectly functional legs.

Asphodel was not so dim that she would dare to stick her entire body in the birthing den, lest the new mother's hormones take over. It was bound to happen at some point. Cubs were like leeches, sucking vital nutrients away from their host, even when they had so little to give. Of course, the alpha female's ability to keep next to nothing down posed an even greater problem. Thus, it was easy to assume that she'd be more irritable. Positioning her back end so that it protruded safely outside of the entrance, the tawny youth sat the herbs down. "How have you been feeling?" Not only was it a requirement of her from a medical standpoint, but the nonchalant way she worded the sentence might make it feel less like a business meeting, and more like a chat between old friends, though they were far from it. She even tilted her head to the side, mimicking blatant concern. 

Only then did the young healer feel his eyes graze her back. She knew the heaviness of his stare, knew it better than any constellation, or herb, or code. It was enough to make her fur tingle. Hemlock was home, he was safe, and more importantly, he was with her. A slight shiver, so slight that it couldn't have been noticeable to anyone but her, crept up the youth's spine as his muzzle traced her side, and then it was gone. She needed more, but the stand-in healer had no choice but to remain rooted to the spot. There would be time to rekindle their kinship when Namid was sated. 

"Do we have any more lavender in the stores?" She called out to Hemlock, deigned at the thought of him running off again.  He'd only just gotten back, and her body craved the closeness that they shared. If they could not only ease Namid's stomach, but some of the stress of carrying cubs that undoubtedly made sleeping a difficult process, then their job would be done.

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

Namid could hear the heavier footfalls of another member nearing, reverberating through the ground and into the rock walls. That was also a good thing about where she’d chosen her den; it held excellent notice to her of anyone approach. It was the fact that it was angled slightly below ground level and the rock walls that amplified the sounds around her which acted perfectly for what she wanted. No one could enter the immediate area or leave without her knowing, which leant her some form of comfort. The footfalls, she decided, were likely of the other sibling for one was not without the other for too long a period. She herself had never really been that close with a sibling other than her sister, and she had passed leaving her feeling rather lost. That didn’t go to say that she hadn’t been on good relationship terms with her two brothers, but it still went that she had felt more of a connection with her sister than any of their littermates. She was happy for them, truly, and to hold a bond of the same interest would only help them. Her suspicions were confirmed as the scent of the male wafted into the den, and the gentle shuffle of leaves alerted her to the nearing of Asphodel. "How have you been feeling?" she inquired casually, and Namid could almost chuckle for she knew very well how she was doing. But, instead of being snappish she decided to put on her best mood to the duo that she was very thankful for. “I am doing about the same, regretfully. The children have decided that today is a prime day to go on a jog, and I am not amused in their interest in exercise. It seems it cannot be helped, though. How are you and your brother doing? I hope you are settling in well,” She said, opting for a genuine interest in the wellbeing of the pair.

I am #worst

   

Lavender. Of course. “Yes but we’ll have to go and gather some more once our lady is settled.” He spoke quietly but knew full well she would be able to hear every word he said. “We’ll need more sweetgrass too, it’s a big job to gather sufficient stores where none were before, but we do love a challenge.” the smile that touched his lips didn’t meet his eyes, but concealed as he was by his sisters ample frame shielding the den entrance he supposed he sounded genuine enough. He allowed his flank to brush against his dear sister as he returned to the meagre stores they had managed to gather. He took a moment to nose about and offer up a prayer to the mountain god that no serious injury would befall any of the wolves of this pack, at least until they were better prepared.

 

He grabbed a few other fragrant herbs that would subtly compliment the lavender without being overpowering. He also added ginger to their list of herbs to be sought. Even though it would mean a trip to the north where there mother had told them to avoid. As long as they skirted clear of the Willows he supposed they should be fine. The weather was favourable, they should be able to travel over the mountain and down the Pass of their mother’s tales. He made short work of the trip back, moving up beside his sister once again to place the small bouquet by the entrance of the den. Given her sensitivity there was every chance the placement might just be enough. He decided to try his luck, sitting outside of the den where Namid would be able to hear him without the youth intruding on her space. “M’Lady, forgive my interruption but I just remembered a tale our mother told us of a wood to the north where we might be able to find some ginger. It would take us away for about 3 days. We could replenish the sweet-grass stores and leave you with enough here to get you through… Although ginger is far superior in the control of nausea.”

 

Of course there was a very real chance if the wood carried ginger it would harbour their mushrooms as well, but that was for the siblings to worry about. These animals were not pure enough to commune with the gods in the way the siblings did.

Asphodel nodded her agreement, fully aware of what their meager stores had to offer. A medicine den had no business being called such without stores that seemed never-ending, yet theirs was constantly at the end of it's rope. There were a few reasons for that, and it should come as no surprise that the young savant knew them all. First off, no self-respecting herbalist had ever been able to build their sanctuary in a day. Collecting, and preserving the ingredients took time. Second, well she had a feeling that they were purposely keeping themselves limited on certain supplies, but she didn't want to dwell on that just yet.

Ginger? A smile threatened to pass over her dark lips, but the youth was able to hold back. Hemlock was planning another trip, though the yearling knew that sweet grass would be the least of their worries. "Yes, if we could get our paws on some ginger, you might be able to resume some of your duties." She said, vying for the woman's approval. 

Just in case Namid thought to say no, Asphodel tried a second approach as well. "I know that these cubs have been hard on you. A shock to the system, if you will, so I'd like to see you eating regularly, without being sick every time. You're going to need all the strength you can get when they finally arrive, and I fear that if you're unable to keep anything down, your all going to have a rough start." All sickly sweet, she even managed to soften her features. It wasn't a lie, the ginger would help. Of course, it wouldn't take away the morning sickness entirely, but it had the power to help a lot more than sweet grass. Maybe they would even be able to get some weight on the woman, which would in turn, help her cubs since she'd be able to produce more milk.

Asphodel seemed to duck out to speak to her brother for a moment and the queen waited patiently, slightly startled to see her brother pop his larger head in. “M’Lady, forgive my interruption but I just remembered a tale our mother told us of a wood to the north where we might be able to find some ginger. It would take us away for about 3 days. We could replenish the sweet-grass stores and leave you with enough here to get you through… Although ginger is far superior in the control of nausea.” he said, and she nodded. She would be okay with anything that would get this damn tumbling stomach from her. She loved her children already, but they were proving quite a challenge to her. She could make due with what they had in storage until the yearling’s return. Turning her attention to Asphodel as she peered in as well, offering more words of encouragement for her brother’s suggestion. She also expressed that she’d like her to be able to keep her food down, less it cause complications for her children. The mere implication of such a thing left her fearful, and she again nodded. “Yes, of course. Anything that will help, for I would like this to stop just as much as you. Believe me,” she chuckled half-heartedly. “You may make your journey and take any necessary things you may need, I would like to see you both back here for you are very important to us. Leave what you have with me, I will make do. Please, have a safe journey,” she said, offering the pair a kind smile.