Iridescent Lagoon after every sunny day

There was fear despite her consent. That much was evident in the girl as his mere presence to her wound seemed to cause her body to tighten. His mere breath caused her breath to hitch in anticipation of pains that she was not sure she could prepare for, and as his nose edged ever closer, to the point that it actually touched her, the entirety of her frame jolted with shock. The touch was gentle, pain barely more than a dull throb beneath her skin, but it was more the distress that he could make it worse that caused her respond in such a frightened way.

Pinned ears could barely hear what he'd said about her caring for the injured limb, but it was just as well. It would have pained her to know that her injury was healing on it's own, without her intervention. She'd done nothing to keep it clean, nor anything to watch it's process of healing. The so-called bite wound had closed because it had barely been opened to begin with. Suppose it wasn't that big of a deal, when what Merlin didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Had she been attentive, she might have presumed that he was just humouring her anyway.

With him stepping back she managed to relax, and tight ears calmed to raise before he came to speak again, and her head turned, watching with some trepidation as she considered his words. Hellebore. She knew not what he was talking about, whether it was a plant or some kind of a nut, but if it was going to help with the pain, then she was all in favour of it's administration to her horrible ghastly wound. Therein lay the problem, that in order to find it she first had to know what it was to look for.

"Mm. I'm not sure if we had hellebore where I'm from." That was as good an excuse as any. "So... you have to show me what it looks like and where to find it I guess." No please or thank-you. It was a demand, however softly spoken, though she somehow managed to bite down on her tongue before she borderline threatened to hold him responsible if he refused and she succumbed to her... uh... injuries.

Karima still watched with a great deal of wariness, but the male made no comment. He wondered, idly, if she felt him still a threat. If she did, it would not behoove him to press the issue, just as it would not serve him will to force a wolf with astraphobia out into a fierce summer storm. The thunder would only serve to increase their worry and validate their fears, and interrogating the young woman would only lead her to believe she truly had a reason to mistrust the healer. She claimed she was attacked, after all – whether this fact or fiction did not matter. It was not his to judge.

Humming softly, the man bobbed his head. “Not to worry, friend. Most wolves have not been trained in healing or botany – I do not expect most to be able to select their own herbs,” he rumbled, assuring the youth as he stretched his limbs out. Briefly he shook his coat out before surveying the lagoon’s shore. After a moment, he noted what he sought, and began to set out at a slow walk. They were in no hurry, and Karima had been struggling before they’d met. “This way,” he encouraged, padding down the shoreline for many, many wolf’s lengths before they reached a cluster of plants.

There, he halted, and waited for the woman to join him. “This is Hellbore,” Veho explained, reaching out to nose the light green plant. Its small leaves tickled his nose and he drew back, allowing the female room to inspect the plant herself. “This is one that you eat. But you must only eat a small amount – once in the morning, and once at night. Any more than that, and it will make you sick. Do you understand?” he asked, watching Karima. If she did, he could proceed with instruction – if not, he would repeat.

Following a stranger? This was never a good idea. She was a leader, not a follower! Well, that was the illusion her parents and family had always led her to believe at least. What kind of princess would waste her time following a common healer like this? Those days were gone, and it was slowly dawning on her with each day she went hungry. She had to force herself to come to terms with the fact that she meant nothing to anyone out here any more. She could die tomorrow, and she would not be mourned or remembered. All those that meant anything to her had been slain, and were surely looking down upon her with nothing but disdain.

She followed though... some ways behind, watching with caution, and keeping enough distance that if she were ambushed she'd have time to swing around and get away, each step coming with a limp at the pain that continued stinging in her leg. Watching even as he stopped from a distance, though her attention shifted away from the male himself and turned instead to the plants he was nudging at. What was this, some kind of a joke?

"A plant?" She mumbled with a tightness in her face as she took just one step closer, staring at the vibrant leaves the man had nosed at. "You're telling me that I have to... eat... a plant?" The concept was baffling to her, and she couldn't quite wrap her head around it. She knew some grasses were good to settle an upset stomach, but to help heal a wound like the one she had? Surely this was some kind of a prank.

"I understand." She muttered, overwhelmed by the stupidity of the task that she actually stepped in to look at the leaves for herself, without minding being so close to the male. "No, I don't." He was quick to correct herself, head dipping to nose at the leaves. Eat them? Twice a day? Her head shook as she leaned back and swung her eyes to look at the male. "Where did you learn this... nonsense?"

“Yes, I am telling you to eat a plant,” Veho replied patiently, a smile upon his eyes. It probably seemed odd, to a wolf who’d never been injured or ill before. Depending on the pack in which she’d been raised, her healer may have employed different methods – or perhaps she’d been born as a loner. None of this was his business, and for none of this he would cast judgment. Instead he only leaned down and nudged the plant once more, trying to encourage the young woman that it was not, in fact, as weird as she might have feared it to be.

At least Karima was honest with him, though, and the older wolf allowed himself a small huff of laughter, shaking his head. Precious girl, he thought, ears pricked. “Hellbore will dampen your pain,” he explained, “and will also reduce any swelling. As I cannot find any fever or smell of infection, I do not think you need anything else.” It was as simple as he could make it – he did not make her a paste to apply or a cocktail to mix. Eat a bite in the morning, and eat a bite before bed, and she should be satisfied.

Tail swooshing, he rumbled softly. “I was taught by the medic in the pack I was born into. There was also a human among us that did much the same for his people. I also took upon myself to study each of these plants – I understand what they should do, negative and positive both. So when I say just a bite in the morning and a bite at night, I mean what I say,” Veho rumbled softly, tipping his head. “This should suit you fine. Unless you have any other question…?”

Her head shook in disbelief. This wasn't a joke, the wolf was utterly serious about his instructions to her, and she watched as he nosed at the leaves again pointedly, like he was waiting for her to prove that she'd follow. She couldn't help but get the impression that he was going to keep pressing the issue until she folded, given the way that he continued to speak, pressing the issue with the benefits and what it would do to help her. Inching ever closer still she reached out with her nose and touched it - smelled it. Pulling back with a cringe her lips curled in distaste.

"Smells... awful." She voiced her frustration, but he kept on talking, claiming to understand how they worked, what they'd do, what harm they could do. Eat a plant... it still seemed so beyond insane that she couldn't wrap her head around it. Then again... what good was she doing on her own? She'd either be made a fool of, which was something she'd been living every day, or get lucky and not have to deal with the pain that was stinging in her leg. She shot the male a sideways look, assessing him again for maliciousness.

"Fine." She muttered, taking a calming breath before she dropped her head again, taking a small piece of the leaf between her teeth and pulling at it, drawing it into her mouth, before lifting her head and looking at the male again, chewing a few times on the foliage as it sat in her muzzle and then, with a rather loud gulp, she pretended to have swallowed it, tucking it underneath her tongue. Swallowing a plant... this was just insanity.

“I suppose it does. We can’t all be daisies, my dear,” Veho chuckled softly. He really shouldn’t find amusement in the young woman’s unhappiness, he knew, but rarely was he met with such obstinacy. Occasionally wolves were suspicious, but were they truly opposed to the medicine man’s methods, they had usually taken off by this point. Otherwise, his patients generally opted to go along with whatever treatment he recommended (rarely did any of them have prior knowledge on such matters themselves) with few complaints. Perhaps it should irk him, grate on his nerves, but where others might have seen arrogance or brattiness, the gray wolf saw uncertainty and fear instead.

It is not mine to judge.

Only once he did witness @Karima take a bite of her plant. She chewed, chewed, chewed, and swallowed. Or rather, that was what she wished him to believe. Poor girl, he thought, finally allowing himself that knowing smile. He had two sisters, once. More recently, he’d cared for puppies and yearlings – she was not the first one to try for that trick. She shook his head and reached forward to bump her muzzle.

“If you wish for the herb to do you any good, you must actually swallow it,” the man murmured, tail swishing behind him in good humor. Veho was no fool, but he was no baron either. “But that is for you to decide. I have given you all the advice I can offer. If you truly find it so offensive, do not follow it. How you heal is for you to decide,” he murmured, bowing his head. There was no more he could do for this woman. It was time to collect the items he’d come to the lagoon for in the first place, and return to his home. “I wish you luck and health, Karima. Farewell.”

Exit.

Feel free to post an exit or just archive!

It was not an easy thing for a creature as self-centred as Karima to admit that she could accept help from someone whose talents she genuinely doubted. Still this whole concept, this whole idea of ingesting leaves from the ground had her reeling with uncertainty. This felt like it was some kind of a prank and yet she could not see or smell anyone else in the area to witness her foolishness. Ultimately it was that which had her giving in to the male's odd demands - if she was going to be made a fool of it would only be him, and she doubted anyone was going to believe him if they told her the ridiculous story of the girl who ate plants.

Was there anything else? She could judge by the change of mood that there was no more to be said. Clearly her irritation had started to rub off, and even a woman as socially inept as she could tell when someone was ready to make an exit, though she couldn't help but feel a little stupid at the way she'd been caught tucking the leaves under her tongue. It had always worked so well on her mother, at least she had thought so. Still she had all that she needed, or all that he thought she needed at least - to cure the pain that had been stinging in her leg. While in some ways she had got used to the burn and the occasional limping, she was more than intent to return to a more normal state.

The only remaining problem was that she knew not where to find these plants, other than here. Granted, she had some idea of what landscape to look for now, but still so new to the area, where did such places exist? She could either stay in the area, or chance her luck somewhere else, and she could not help herself but to think that she'd be better off looking for another source of these... weeds.

Then he was gone though, gone before she had a chance to ask - not that she would have, but a huff of annoyance that yet another person would dare to turn their back on her and not remain obediently within her servitude. She wouldn't stay here, then he might return, and she'd look stupid. Still she couldn't follow him, either. So her only course was to turn, moving in the exact opposite direction, and with the greatest hesitation... swallowing what by now had turned into a slick mush within her muzzle.

/ exit /