Cedarwood Forest dreams come slow

For @Rook - Sunny, 73F
RE: Veho, you eat something that gives you a stomach ache.

He really shouldn’t have eaten that mushroom. The gray wolf groaned softly, ears flat out to the side as he pressed himself against the forest floor, violently willing the fever to abate. It was a measured risk of his life's work, he understood, but that did not make the accidental poisoning any easier to endure. At the time, it had appeared to be Caesar's mushroom, something he knew to be consumed often – truth be told, he was curious if it had similar properties to the fungus he used for more spiritual purposes. The last stash he'd found was quite far from here, and a more local growth would have been appreciated when it came time to make good with his Ancestors. Unfortunately, he'd failed to take the recent rain into account – it was not the edible Caesar's cap he consumed, but a less friendly cousin. As if to remind him what a poor choice it was, Veho's stomach clenched maliciously and he apologized for what felt like the hundredth time. Long since lost track of time, the wolf flopped to his side in a boneless sprawl, sides heaving as he panted. It would pass, he knew it would pass. (It had to pass, life had so much more in store for him. Getting killed by a mushroom hardly seemed a fitting end for his story – there was still so much healing he had to do!) Tongue lolling out against the ground, he closed his silver eyes and sighed again. While he had the branch of salmonberries he'd retrieved from his little adventure (it was a brief bout of exploration, he had convinced himself, and most certainly not a minor crisis of commitment) and brought back for Gaheris, he hadn't know the plant to contain any remedy for nausea. Otherwise too dizzy to stand, the medic knew he'd simply have to suffer in silence and wait for the moment to be over. It was times like these, he thought wryly, that he cared less for the valor and courage his father had installed in him. He really could have done with a little more caution when it came to sampling the local fungus. Next time, he supposed. It was a lesson for next time.

♫ Adrian Johnson - Contra Mundum

As much as Rook did not want to admit it, for the past few days - three, to be exact - he had been keeping Veho to himself. He believed, that as soon as he introduced his parents to the handsome rogue, either Borden and Jaysyek would be suspicious of their son and his companion or, rather, Veho (the medicine man from faraway lands) would be quite taken with them and how to go about the request Rool had bestowed upon him. Just a few days more, a moment's more, a few hours more... he inwardly pleaded with himself. A little bit more before he brought Veho to meet and join the rest of the family.

His feet were swift as he traveled through the trees just beyond the pack borders he had recently revamped, his nose twitching as he scanned the forest for the distinct musk of his newfound confidant.

Just the day before and the day before that, he had shared with the tawny man a number of secrets. The first of which was the most important: His name was Rook and that the only ones who called him as such were his family and most trusted of friends. To any other average being, perhaps this was a bit too soon, but for the Lyall it was something he thought to utilize. If he couldn't "physically" be at Veho's side at all hours of the day then he would use such a confession as a sort of loyalty exercise, see for himself just how trusting they could be to one another. If Veho could see past the mask that was 'Gaheris,' then Rook would let the man see for himself just how desperate and longing he truly was.

The other admissions and stories he had shared were as follows: the Lyall family and their history from Relic Lore to Renegades Reach and back, the fact that Rook had been the youngest of a set of twins ("was" if only because his sister Bishop was, at present, no longer in the picture and he was having to deal with everything on his own for the first time in his life), little stories about his life within the Reach beneath a pawful of headstrong older sisters and brothers, the whole basis of his religious beliefs and how he longed to be released from them, Rook's worries for not just his father's life but that of his family's, and that Veho was to stay clear of Willow Ridge wolves at all cost if he could help it. Additionally, every now and then Rook let slip his inkling of affection towards Veho in the way his voice lilted in all the most perfect places (for example, "If my sister were here, she would definitely" disapprove of all this. I'd tell her never to mind though, I like you and that's reason enough." or "I think my family will like you just the same. You'll fit right in. With us."). It might as well have been some kind of song-and-dance with how careful he was to make sure that nothing about Namid, Beren, or Titan left his lips. And every time the pair separated from one another, it was always with a good note, a smile and a simple 'good night.'

Stepping around a fallen tree he continued further until he spotted that familiar fur pattern on the ground. His lungs ballooned and a whine emitted from his muzzle, his frantic steps thundering along the ground until he could graze his nose ever so gently along Veho's ear. There was no blood or any other unwelcome smell, no strange scents apart from the curious aromas within the man's pelt that Rook had not noticed before.

The sprig of salmonberries were immediately regarded with wide eyes as soon as the youth had caught sight of their vivid orange fruit nearby. No. This isn't happening... "Ve-ho?" he breathed, his vocal chords strung tight with dread. "What- What happened?" For a young lord to have never witnessed death (for all he knew, his family was all still living), sickness (barely even a cold or a tummy ache), or suffering in any form until now (in the light of his father's progressing mental illness), it could have been either humorous or tragic to see Rook slowly circle around him, with his tail and ears pointed downward. For all the Lyall could think or assume was that Veho was dying. He pressed his nose to the brute's cheek, that tender spot below a black-lined eye, continuing to walk around him before settling with his side pressed against Veho's mottle back. Then, he did nothing else aside from pressing an ear against a broad shoulder, listening for any change in the rhythm of his heartbeat.

"Please," he mewled. God, he would give anything if it meant that it would keep Rook from suffering yet another lost chance at love. "Don't leave me."

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

Oh, Ancestors. He’d been discovered. Admittedly, if the medic had to be exposed by another, he’d much rather it be Rook than the family he’d yet to meet. How would that be for a first introduction. ‘Hello yes, my name is Veho, nice to meet you, yes I am in fact the medic your son recruited. Not ill, just accidentally poisoned myself with a mushroom, don’t trouble yourselves over it.’ The only silver lining, the vagrant supposed, was that it was his friend and not someone who’d judge him on this first, hideous appearance. Peeling his silver eyes open slowly, the larger male lifted his head as his ears swiveled, squinting to get a better look at the pack animal pressing against his chest. That was – curious, he decided, ignoring the minute flutter of his heart as he watched the other for a moment. “I’m not going anywhere, Gaheris,” he rumbled after a moment, tone a bit more shaky than the missionary would have liked. The cover name was used, despite the earlier admission of Rook’s true name – it had been explained, but no permission was given to use the calling given to him by his parents, and Veho would not think to presume himself worthy of such an honor. “Heh, I’m not- Just a bit of an inadvertent poisoning, friend. I, uh- Well, swallowed the wrong mushroom, unfortunately,” the medicine man admitted sheepishly, tail swishing once behind his back. After a moment, Veho decided to roll back onto his stomach that he might be upright once more and was immediately greeted by a wash of vertigo. “Oh dear,” he murmured under his breath, swaying once as he fought to steady himself. Any efforts to soothe the younger wolf’s worries were clearly not going very well. Ears out to the side as if it might balance him, the pale canine reached out gingerly to touch his warm nose to Rook’s forelimb. Even in sickness, he thought wryly, it was far easier to care for others than it had ever been to care for himself. “See? I’ll be right soon enough. Had hoped to find some…spiritual aids, but I believe I found myself a stomach ache instead.” A pause, and the Maceio ducked his head, turning away to shield his sheepish expression as his voice dropped to a whisper. “Don’t suppose you’d stay? What is it that they say? Misery does love company.”

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

"I’m not going anywhere, Gaheris," Veho rumbled. It made Rook perk up in a way that suggested he might have been a startled rabbit or a cub who had been expecting the long-awaited return of a parent who had been hunting all morning. His tail wagged and a sigh of relief ushered through his teeth. The word 'poisoning' however had taken it all back.

"Poisoning?" he echoed. "Unfortunately?" His jaw clenched, his thoughts immediately going to Sköll and the wrest of his wretched kin of the Archer-Lyall part of the family. Perhaps they had done this. But, his uneasiness was  brushed aside by the next words that came from the medicine man's mouth, the profession that he had swallowed the wrong mushroom. If that had been so, then which one had been the right one and, if not death, what did this fungus dare to do to Veho?

His blue- and gold-hued eyes raked up and down the other's side, watching in concern as Veho attempted to right himself before he remained on his stomach. This, in turn, had Rook on his feet, ready to support him should he stagger to one side if he were able to stand up. "Lay back down," he almost ordered. Without having to say anything, Veho simply remained on the ground. It wasn't as if they had places to go and things to see anyway. Well, Rook might have been keen on introducing him to his family but that, he found, could still wait a while longer. He did not want to run the risk of triggering Borden back into thinking that they had never left Relic Lore and that the sickness from over the mountain was still on its way into the west. "Spiritual aid-" Whatever that meant... Neither Kiche nor his aunts Sibyl or Aniu had mentioned such a thing, "or not, perhaps maybe you ought to sample other things instead of strange toadstools and death caps."

"If I can ever find Titan again," he mentioned the Thorben's name as casually as he could, as to not raise any suspicion or assumptions. "I'll point him to you; he might have an idea as to which mushrooms are safe to eat." While, he didn't particularly like the idea that Veho might spend a bit of time with Titan, he thought to mention it anyway. After all, with Titan's trials that concerned Borden's consumption of chaw-gaw mushroom, it seemed that the Leader's state of mind had improved - if only for a little bit to allow the pack some peace of mind.

Rook decided to plunk back down beside him, ears no longer folded and hackles no longer raised in alarm while the brute averted his gaze. He nudged his nose to Veho's shoulder once more. "Adores it," he emphasized as he eventually let his chin rest on Veho's side. "But, I'd love to keep you company." Again, he angled his head so that he could listen to the inner-workings of the wanderer's body with the pulse of heart, the soft 'whoosh'-like sounds of his airways filling his lungs, and... the occasional tummy grumble. It reminded him of the days when he was a cub, his siblings and the nights he would curl up beside them in-between the tall trees that made up the Reach in the northwest, and the calm summer evenings in which he and Bishop often laid together to just listen to the world around them.

"Do you have any siblings?" he asked, his voice also a whisper. In the past 72 hours, it had actually never occurred to him ask when he had the mind to tell Veho about all of his. "Older.. younger... age-mates?"

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

Pulling his front limbs beneath him, the older wolf assumed a slightly more comfortable position. While the earth he'd settled on earlier when the mushroom began its awful vengeance (and really, he was giving himself entirely too much credit, it was much more similar to tensing up and collapsing in a groaning heap), Veho curled up as if it were a comfortable nest lined with furs or a warm den dug into the earth and preheated by a companion. With his comrade resting upon his shoulder, he was at an impossible angle to return the affection gesture and settled for studying the male instead – now that he'd been upright for a few minutes, the dizziness had finally begun to abate as his senses slowly settled into place. "While this Titan fellow sounds like a very interesting lad, with plenty to teach-" -and in truth, his pride was not so great that the healer refused to study with others- "-I assure you that I do actually know what the mushrooms are supposed to look like. I had only hoped, foolishly so, that I might find some closer to these woods. Trekking to the mountain every time I wish to convey with the Ancestors seems a bit tedious." An appraising eye was cast across Rook's prone form. "And I suspect you would not appreciate frequent dispersals, either." That was not the point of a pack, the medic understood, to be constantly on the wind and away from the homeland. If his associate was seeking a healer to join his band, than he could only assume the group actually needed a healer, and what good could he do them if he was never afoot? Humming softly, he glanced towards the sprig of berries. "I did bring those for you, from a creek I found. Thought you might find them curious, too." Thought I might cheer you up a bit, though find job I've done, the male scolded himself, tail swishing behind him a bit more vigorously. Shuffling once, the wolf made an attempt to arrange himself in a more comfortable position (one in which he might actually be able to touch the other). The turn in the conversation was a curious one, though not entirely unexpected. After been given the ins and outs of Rook's family, it was only a matter of time before he would be asked to explain his own. Considering it no great secret, the male took a deep sigh and tipped his head to one side. Where to start? "Age mates, all of them. I was firstborn of four – there was also my brother, Oolijee. Bit of a free spirit. Not quite as bad as the youngest, Namid. The men's alpha favored her above all others, and I daresay she was spoilt as a youngster – but I did my best to look out for her. I've been told there is a Namid somewhere near the mountain, but cannot confirm it was the one I last saw many seasons ago. Finally, there was also Neha – she was very sick, even as a puppy. She died before we were even a year old. Didn't understand it, at the time…had a very hard time realizing there was nothing I could have done, not at that age. But that is why I am a healer now. I could not help my sister…so I seek to serve my Ancestors and help everyone I am able. I would like to think she'd have liked that." Whuffling softly, the male shook his head, and once again turned his pale eyes upon his companion. Gaheris had asked, though perhaps he did not want quite that essay. "I have been on my own for some time now. I've little idea what the others are up to. Poor thing, for the eldest to say."

Rook offered a smile as Veho defended himself. It wasn't in any sort of jest or mocking, but rather an assured simper, one that told him that Rook believed him capable of figuring out a variety of fungi... that this whole ordeal with this strange mushroom was an accident and a lesson learned. "It's fine," he replied in regards to the whole 'leaving the pack.' "Titan was gone for a while, he's around... somewhere... If it's for a good reason, I'm sure we'll allow you a number of days for your journey. My father went to the Mountain of Dire and back a couple times over the course of a few days, my mother only worried when he was gone for much longer than that. The ground's pretty much flat, I've found, in these parts; it shouldn't be too troublesome to traverse apart from the Archer-Lyalls in the Ridge." Much of what he said here was said in confidence, stemming from both his own personal experiences and his parents' fanciful stories of when they had first come to this expanse of Canadian wilderness.

Upon the mention of the berries, Rook hummed back with a note of approval. He would have to do something with it somehow. A whiff of it deciphered through his olfactory senses told him that it could have tasted tart, but whether or not it was poisonous was something to question first and foremost. When it came to berries, though, Rook's mind had thoughts of using them as bait, utilizing them as a means to draw birds to the forest floor. For a second, he thought it would be something Titan might find interesting, but he did not dwell on it and, in return, offered a small "Thank you. They're lovely."

It was here that Veho shifted and the masked youth removed his chin from the other's shoulder blade, allowing him to move. Once comfortable again, Rook remained characteristically sphinx-like with his right paw folded at the wrist. The rogue was allowed a moment to think, the silence between them nothing but pleasant and relaxing. When Veho spoke at last, the Lyall was obviously fascinated by how his ears had cupped forward in interest, but as soon as Namid was brought up, something in Rook's face changed. The mention of Neha and everything else thereafter almost unheard of if it weren't for Rook's need to hang onto his every word.

One of those dark, rounded ears had swiveled to one side, making for an obviously puzzled expression that the youth couldn't have recovered from fast enough when he heard Veho add that he had been on his own for a while and that he hadn't the faintest clue as to what his siblings were up to. "Oh," the single syllable came from him as though he were a mourning dove singing it's trademark song in the chill of the early morning right before sunrise.

For Rook, it was impossible to lie; for him to have to keep from lying meant that he had to keep his mouth shut. In the face of his companion's enlightening history, he could not help but wonder if he should say anything. He cleared his throat as politely as he could. It was his turn to look away for a moment, "I suppose we share that common aspiration; the only difference is that you've gone out to make a name and vocation for yourself whereas I've merely gathered my family together and nothing else." He almost continued to share the rest of his story but at this point it was no use. He had already told Veho that he had come here for his father's sake, to find a cure, and relieve him of his memory loss; a point had also been made that his family had returned to the Cedarwood Forest if only because it was the last place Borden truly remembered and felt at home in.

"N-Namid, though," he faltered with the pronunciation of her name, the memories all flooding back to him to a time when he had her and his sister Bishop for company. The ear that was facing to the side perked up before relaxing again. How many Namids were there in the world anyway? Just one as far as he was concerned. Once, he believed that there were, perhaps, a number of Bishops and Rooks but none of them twins or siblings or even in the same pack or family. The reason there were so many was because of the whimsical idea that there were packs out there who liked to name their children after birds. he would have never thought that Namid had a last name. She had never mentioned it and, to him, she had always been simply "Namid, the Star Dancer..." his Bright Star. And, now, her brother was here and Rook found that he loved Veho a little more...

Something in him seemed a bit sad, bordering on melancholic as well as hesitant to continue on the topic of Veho's sister, "I'm the youngest in my family and I, too, have the faintest idea as to what my own brothers and sisters are doing. They go off and do their own thing, thinking the others might take care of 'the baby' but no one thinks to double-check that I'm being looked after. They just leave." The moment he had said it all, he regretted it, wondering if it might spur Veho to look for @Namid - something he absolutely did not want him to do. "'He can take care of himself,' they say, 'He can fend for himself. He's the favorite, he'll survive.'"

(This post was last modified: Jul 03, 2015, 09:30 AM by Rook.)

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

"I've a year on you yet, you know. While the pack broke up before my majority, I remained with my parents whilst Namid dispersed. They sought to have another litter, and I would be able to help them provide. Admittedly, I hadn't completely any sort of training either, so while they did not have any more pups, I remained until my second year. Then I left." Inspiration was one thing, he thought sorely, but acts were entirely another. He had loved Neha dearly, had been raised to watch over his sisters both. When he lost the first, he all but smothered the second – between jealousy and a poorly-masked desire to make up with Namid what he failed to do with Neha, it was little wonder the Star Dancer had taken off when the wolves and humans were chased from their territory. While he had originally thought to follow her, and keep her safe from harm, it was their mother that took him aside and advised he give her a little time to sort herself out. Idly, he wondered if things would be different now if he'd followed his sibling instead of letting her go. Deciding now was not the time to wonder after his only surviving sister, he instead turned his eyes back to the quixotic Rook, tipping his head to one side as a hint of gloom colored the man's tone. He'd thought it only pleasant talk, an understand of one another – but it seemed his jumbled emotions regarding his sister had influenced the masked male in ways he did not forecast. For a second time, the older wolf squirmed, this time slowly crawling towards his companion with a low whine. It took him a few moments to resituate himself but eventually he did reach out, leathery nose pushing into Gaheris' ruff as he chuffed for a second time. How curious, he thought, to be the youngest left behind when all the others took to the world. The situation was exactly the opposite of what he'd experienced – Namid had taken off with only the sky above her before anyone else. What was in her mind, he'd never understand, but he still had a notion that some of his mother-henning had driven the star dancer away from their natal group sooner than she might have chosen if given her space. It seemed he was given a second chance. Veho could barely stand to think it, half-worried the Ancestors might snatch the opportunity away before he had the time to redeem himself. A most selfish thought, he realized, and for that reason did not voice it, should he tarnish any idea the other wolf might have of him. When he eventually did speak, it was not without trying to wrap himself around Rook first, offering himself as a source of comfort (and finding a bit of luxury in it himself). "Being the favorite comes with its own series of challenges, I imagine. A great deal of expectations – from parents, from pack, and from siblings feeling as if they were not chosen for the same rite," he murmured slowly, pausing to nibble behind the other male's ear. "But do give yourself credit. You've made it this far, and put a pack back together. This is no small task," the medic continued, moving as close as he did dare. "Thought if you seek someone to keep an eye on you, I know a wolf." He offered a cheeky wink and continued, lest his meaning was muddled. "Not as a brother, mind. Not that sort of relationship. But if I'm here, I wouldn't see you fall to harm." And finally, Veho did pause, the notion dawning upon him that this was the only member of Gaheris' pack he'd met. How they would feel – if he'd even be accepted, he had no idea. While he was certain his friend's endorsement would go far, a wolf still had to be able to stand on his own merits at some point. "If, I mean, if I am a member of your family's pack," he stuttered dryly, characteristic confidence evaporated in a second. "I would not think to presume an automatic acceptance, and understand if, ah—I am not quite found suitable." (He had, after all, just poisoned himself trying to find the mushrooms that brought him closer to the veil to communicate with spirits. Vaguely he was aware not all sorts would support such lifestyles.) After a breath and another moment stewing in his own thoughts, Veho began to draw back, feeling as if he might have inadvertently caused great offense. "Forgive me, that was…bold."

The whine that had left Veho's muzzle prompted Rook to blink, lost in thought for the time being. When the brute came to press his nose to his ruff, the Lyall's ears relaxed. An explanation came soon after; nothing he had never heard or thought before but, somehow, this time around, the words seemed as though they would stick. What he had said was true: rounding up what little family he had in these parts and forming an actual pack was no small task and yet he had done it.

Veho's proximity was silently noted as he watched their forelimbs inch closer and closer to one another. Rook didn't dare to say anything though, not wanting to embarrass either of them or somehow give the impression that it wasn't what he had wanted. The masked youth met the other's eyes at the offer of having someone look after him. An actual advisor, his mind began to ran with the idea, a second self, someone who didn't replace his twin sister Bishop but, at the very least, did as she used to do). Scolding, suggesting, musing, and all...

Foolishly, he wondered who this identity might be; and, while Rook had thought that, by some long stretch, the wolf might be  @Beren or @Namid, herself, he was further drawn in as Veho offered that he would be there for him. Rook's cheeks felt hot beneath his fur; an appreciative smile seemed to settle on his face, the sadness momentarily staved away.

The stuttering made his little grin grow lopsided, making it obvious that he was rather taken with the idea of have the medic around. Rook's nose twitched as he truly considered the idea but, then, all too soon, Veho began to draw away, an apology being the last thing to leave his lips. As if not to lose another moment, Rook leaned forward, angling his muzzle toward his companion so that he could place the smallest, quickest of kisses on the tip of his muzzle. A hot flash radiated from the back of his shoulders and fled all the way down his spine to the end of his dark-tipped tail.

He released a breath as he, too, drew away. It had been impulsive and sudden, even for him but, oh, how refreshing it felt. It was as if life had been breathed back into him after being dead for so long. His mismatched eyes sought out the pair of pale-ringed irises though in apology before hastily turning away and clenching his teeth together. "S-sorry," he whispered back, breathless and stricken with another feverish heat. "I... ought to be the one apologizing... that, there, was too... bold."

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

He retreated, but not quickly enough – not with Rook pursuing like a hound on the fox's trail. Ears swiveled forward in surprise, and without a word, a fleeting kiss was dropped upon his muzzle with all the delicacy of a butterfly's wingtips. The healer was frozen in place, a perplexed delight written all over his features as he stared ahead. Only the swish of his bushy tail across the earth gave any indication that some sort of thought process still existed between the man's ears – never before had anyone offered him such affection! His heart thundered against his ribs, surely Rook could feel it, tangled as they were – if not, sensitive wolf hearing just had to hear the wild pace. And still, the gray wolf couldn't bring himself to really be that embarrassed by the rampant swirl of emotion that engulfed him from the tips of his toes to the edges of his ears. Equally terrifying as it was invigorating, it was the elder male's turn to trail Gaheris as he tried to hide himself from view. "I'd rather say not," Veho replied in short order, voice deeper, thicker than it was only a moment ago. "Bold, yes, but not overly so. Someone has to be a man of action, between the two of us," he rumbled, one brow raised as he summoned up his courage from every hidden depth before leaning forward to return the gesture, perhaps lingering a moment or two longer than Rook had dared. "If you're sorry for that, than I'm going to have to start wondering what's wrong with me. Though if we persist like this, I suppose I may have to meet the rest of the pack eventually, yes?"