Hearthwood River Whispers in the bone

River wolves, hustle on over! ♥
@Lachesis @Kisla @Naia @Karpos @Karina @Kjors @Orren @Davin

He hissed between clenched teeth, limping awkwardly across the territory. A bobcat had been snooping through one of the Hearthwood wolves' many caches, and the king of the land had taken great offence to this bold act of defiance to their power. He had charged, managed to catch skin and fur between his teeth. It had been distracted, and it spat as it twisted around in a flurry of movement. Maksim had not expected the beast to fight back when taken by surprise, but he cursed his arrogance. All it had taken was one well placed bite to the shoulder for the river lord's old injury to come shrieking to life, like a banshee in his flesh. Maksim had cried out, a twisted and mangled yelp that sounded bitter to his own ears. He had scurried back, trying himself free of the bobcat's toothy grip, and swung around to face the teeth and the wide paws of the feline scavenger.

And so the air was now thick with blood, a swirling scent current that would have been irresistible to any curious beast -- his own, and the bobcat's. He had chased it away, only stopping when a searing burn tore through his muscle like magma poured down his frame. He had staggered, fallen, and laid motionless for a moment. All was still, save for his laboured breathing. Just a moment's rest, he had told himself; he was much too old to be so reckless now. With crimson tipped hairs upon his chin and chest, he staggered inland -- to his wife and children. To his trusted healers. To his family.

He could barely move his right leg, so powerful was the pain that rippled through him, and opted instead to walk with it raised from the ground, tucked against his stomach. Cuts littered his forelegs and his muzzle, ones that would scab easily ... but the patch of missing fur upon his shoulder, where the bobcat had taken its morbid souvenir from Kingsfall, looked more ugly. It oozed blood, bracing the cold sting of air. Congealing as Maksim walked on, he found the adrenaline wearing off made his limbs feel stiffer. What a fool he had been! Brazen, as if he were a youth with all the strength of the world on his side. "Lachesis," he called with a staggered breath. "I need you."

(This post was last modified: Oct 20, 2015, 08:47 PM by Maksim.)

we are shining in the rising sun, as we are floating in the blue

Elsewhere amongst the sequoia trees, the dragon with clipped wings jogged easily, ears swept back and tail hanging low as he hopped roots and dodged thick trunks. He’d just returned from making a contribution to the cache. A large male pheasant no longer camouflaged against the dying grass had been put to the eternal sleep as the accomplished hunter exploded from the brush and ended its short life. As much as he would have liked to keep the feathers for himself, a pheasant did not have the same downy layer as a goose, and there was only so much room inside his den. The geese were still migrating, and there many more future hunts to be had. Perhaps another River wolf would be interested (certainly not Karina, his little gem had a hard enough eating a kill she hadn’t made herself, much less actually taking a life) in tagging along. Two were better than one, as his brief partnership with the white loner had proven.

Debating whether he wanted to return to his den or head back into the field for a second hunt, Kjors paused a strained voice whispered into his ear. The swarthy male drew to a halt, slowly lifting his head as he glanced around. Nothing caught his golden gaze, but he’d certain he’d hurt it – he was not crazy. Exhaling sharply, the dragon gave a shake of his head, releasing the ruff before breathing in. Only then he realized the faint scent of copper had permeated the air. Hackles began to rise. If there was a voice, their likely wasn’t a kill – someone was probably wounded. While it probably wouldn’t harm him to simply leave and let live (or die), the asocial male changed direction, using his nose to show him the way. If he let the injured suffer, surely Karina would be unhappy with him, and this was what encouraged the dragon from a lazy jog to a hurried lope, bounding over stones instead of simply changing his course.

Several minutes later, he arrived at the sight – to his great surprise, it was Maksim he found, barely supporting himself on three legs as blood dripped from a many great wounds. Ears swept back as he snorted softly, single eye glowing with an unreadable mix of emotion. Lifting his head high, the man telescoped about for any sign of immediate intruder, and then he approached. Was it the murderer from before? Did the man that killed Tokino strike again?

A howl went up, summoning @Karina in particular, and on second though, the male released a second howl for Nineteen. While the obstreperous subordinate much preferred the company of the princess, this might be the job for two able-bodied wolves – there was a lot of blood.

Once at Maksim’s side, he drew up to the right. Perhaps the alpha was unable to see the significance of this, but he had been placed where Kjors was blind, allowing both weakness and trust as he offered a shoulder for the injured male to lean on, lest he fall upon the dirt and grime. “Who?” he wondered, hackles high. “Who?”

[dohtml]

An urgent summons from her mentor drew Karina to her feet.  She was quite attuned to Kjors and so knew instantly that something was very wrong, even before the second howl to Lachesis confirmed her fear. Since beginning her training the young medic had been waiting for this call, knowing that it was only a matter of time before she faced her first true emergency. She scrambled to grab up her parcel of herbs and medicines she had put together for such an occasion; dried ergot and yarrow for bleeding, Solomon’s seal and lavender for burns, ginger and pineapple weed for stomach ailments.. One sniff was all it took for Karina to confirm that the necessary herbs were bundled, and a few quick nudges to the parcel assured that it was bound securely.  The girl felt frantic as precious seconds slipped away, but she knew that arriving unprepared would be as bad as not showing up at all.
With poor vision and weak muscles due to her dietary choices, Karina was not the swiftest of her packmates by a long shot. Nevertheless she was the first to arrive at the source of Kjors’s summons. She had subconsciously been expecting an ailing stranger to be with Kjors—the Mother protected her own family after all--  and it took her a moment to recognize that the man leaning so haggardly upon Kjors was her own father. “Dad!” came her strangled squeak, and the parcel of herbs tumbled to the ground as her jaw fell open in horror. She rushed to his side, and as she drew closer the heavy scent of her father’s blood felt as if it was choking her. Tears stung her crystalline eyes, fogging up her already cloudy vision. ” Dad, wha.. Da- Dad, lay down! Now!”
Her mind, paralyzed by shock and terror, was chugging at the speed of resin running down a balsam tree.  But she was able enough to remember that a bleeding patient should not be vertical and moving around with such a large open wound, that would only lead to faster, heavier bleeding.  Karina glanced around in confusion, wondering where her parcel of supplies had ended up, and she whined in panic. Her blurry vision located—a few wolfslengths away-- the mess of herbs that had spilled out when the bundle hit the ground. Karina raced to pile to nose through the medicines, herbs whose uses she had known by heart an hour ago but now just looked like random plants scattered upon the ground.
Karina growled at herself, knowing that she was losing her small window of time to administer an oral medication to Maksim. Soon he would lose consciousness from his blood loss, and he would be unable to swallow the lifesaving herbs. Though in this moment she could not recall the name of the plant or even the list of symptoms it treated, Karina went with her gut instinct and grabbed a small chunk of ergot fungus. She scrambled back to her father and nudged it toward his nose. “Eat, dad, please!” If Karina’s mind had been functioning normally, she would have been able to tell Maksim that the ergot would restrict his blood flow and he should expect to feel a burning sensation in his limbs as the ingested fungus began to control his bleeding. Right now though, all she knew was that this herb would help, and she knew this with certainty.
Scraping the earth with her forepaws, she loosened a bit of dirt and detritus which she took up in her mouth and then spit onto her father’s shoulder. She then used her own forepaws to apply pressure to the wound on top of the makeshift poultice. “I need--! Something! A big leaf! Something to press down on the.. this—“ Karina shouted to Kjors and whoever else had arrived, knowing full well that she was nearly incoherent. A thought that she hadn’t thought in a long time sprang into her mind suddenly, Lachesis! I need Lachesis!

(This post was last modified: Oct 26, 2015, 05:13 PM by Karina.)

   

    
 

Despite his constant worry over the threat of the dragon, things were quiet in Hearthwood. The river wolves were slowly adjusting to their new territory and the surrounding land. Lachesis had busied himself with restocking his infirmary and exploring as much as possible in order to locate ideal herbs (and potential allies). The alabaster healer was a little compulsive when it came to his plants; he wanted to be prepared for any, and every, situation. After the pack moved, the medic had spent the first few days—between marking and patrolling the border—designing his new den. It was much larger than the ‘average wolf’ den as he wanted to be able to fit multiple patients, if needed of course. Initially he was supposed to share it with Karina, and had even made a separate section in order to maintain privacy between the two. However, since the dragon’s arrival she disappeared, preferring to spend her time away from the infirmary.

He couldn’t deny that he was frustrated by her departure, but he did not control the river princess. Although he did not trust the one-eyed lizard, he could not tell the girl what she could and could not do—that was Maksim’s job.

Just as an unsettling feeling bubbled within his stomach a call sounded. Speak of the devil and he shall appear. A frown cut into his mouth as he scrambled around his den, grabbing a pre-packaged bundle of herbs before he sped off. There was no time to think—just time to react. His leader needed him, there was no time to waste. Alumroot: stops the bleeding, dulls the pain, he thought to himself as he mentally checked off what was in the bundle he had grabbed. Ergot: control the bleeding. Wormwood: heals wounds… His thin legs moved quickly beneath him; he was unaware of the forest around him, he was only focused on reaching Maksim. Times like these were when XIX was thankful that he was all legs and no brawn. It was ideal for healers to be quick and nimble in order to reach their patients without delay.

Both Kjors and Karina were already at the bloody scene as the healer approached, his chest heavy as his eyes danced around to quickly assess the situation. Abandoned on the ground was Karina’s bundle of plants; Kjors’ hackles were raised and he was obviously enraged by the incident. Karina, on the other hand, was hysterical. She shouted at her father to eat the ergot before announcing that she needed a large leaf to press down on her wound. He approached slowly, his blood bumping as he struggled to keep his composure. He had already lost one leader; he was not ready to lose another. “Go—over there,” he said calmly to the princess, his pear-coloured gaze hard as they landed on Kjors. “Calm her down, please,” he instructed before returning his attention to Maksim. With expert speed, the healer unravelled his bundle of herbs before him. He took some of the alumroot and wormwood and placed it on the large leaf he had used to package his herbs in order to turn it into a quick poultice. Using his paw the ghost pressed the leaf to Maksim’s wound before letting his hardened gaze fall onto leader’s face. “I’d hate to see the other guy…” he said coolly in a feeble attempt to lighten the situation. “Eat the ergot, it will help with the bleeding. Take some of this, too—” he pushed some alumroot forward his free paw “—it will help with the pain.” He paid no attention to the other two—his main concern was Maksim. As much as she appreciated Karina for coming prepared and trying, this situation was too close to home. Until she calmed down she was useless to him.

stick with those who stick with you

Blood, howling, Karina's tear-choked shouts. They all worked their wicked magic to create a haze around him as he ran, bursting into the scene with eyes that only half saw what was before them. The memories brought forth within his mind were too vivid, and they crowded his senses, making him unavailable to properly assess what was happening. He saw his pack mates staggering, foaming, resisting his help, wanting to hurt him. Utterly lost in the midst of it all he could only stand and stare. He attempted to focus, his gaze finding Kjors and seeking instruction from the older man. Yet another he had not met was the first to deliver calm instruction, and while he had not been the one addressed, Davin could not help but follow and heed.

His tunnel vision located Karina, the soft calm he knew her to be violently disrupted by her distress. Yet still he was drawn to her, for this was not his family, victims to a disease he could not stop. This was within his control. Stepping forward he gently came between the young girl and her father, and attempted to herd her backward. His muzzle pressed against her shoulder all the way, the solid touch hopefully a means of comfort for the girl. His gaze traveled back, analyzing the situation better as the present regained control within his mind. It seemed the scent of blood was more overpowering than the actual wound itself, yet still Davin was unsure of how to convey this to Karina. He'd never been a man of words.

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

Inna and Lekalta were growing rapidly -- the thought that they should have been participating in pack hunts began to occur to her, and the honeyed woman made the decision to hold one soon.

She lounged with them in the autumn sun of the morning -- unperturbed by life as it were. The tensions with Round Stone Crest did not matter for the moment -- the Baranski matriarch was far more concerned about the tensions within her own home. She had attempted to make steps to salvage it -- and thus far had been shot down on all accounts.

To say it left a rather bitter taste in her mouth was not a lie, and the she-wolf would need to speak to her eldest daughter to gain a few more facts about the dragon who she had allowed entrance in to her home. Kjors was hoping for forgiveness for his brash actions -- but thus far, after seeing a hint of the wolf Naia had warned her of, she was not sure she could trust him further.

A call from Maksim lodged her from her thoughts, though. It was panicked -- upset, and it jolted her to a reality she was not prepared for. A frown stormed across her features, and casting a look to the tw girls, she gave a shake of her muzzle -- they were to not follow her. "Stay here," she spoke softly, but assertively, and with that, the mother swung in the direction of her mate.

The scent of blood spurred her forward faster, and as she came upon the scene, her heart began to pound. There was so much blood -- Karina was panicked, and while Lachesis demanded someone see to her to calm her, the Baranski wolf stood rigid, unsure of what to do. Pulling from her state, the honeyed woman swept forward, aiming to steer clear and offer the room Lachesis required, but grazing her nose along the untorn parts of his flesh. "Maksim," she breathed, her emotions choking the very words from her. "Maksim, what happened?"

sparking up my heart

god Mak, you're not dying. stop overreacting! /baps him.

He wobbled on the spot, like some new-born foal trying its legs for the first time. His thoughts replayed over and over again in his head; I could have done that differently; I was a fool. He should have known better. A howl dragged him from his internal self scolding, nearby. Frighteningly so. How had someone managed to get so close, without the king realising it? Tired eyes groggily lifted to gaze at his initial discoverer -- Kjors. Perhaps Maksim should have been cautious. It was no secret to him that the swarthy, one-eyed dragon held him with a lack of respect, and it would have been no difficult feat to topple the monarch. But why would he? What would he gain? Nothing. Instead of wary, the tawny lord was surprised. It seemed the dragon was offering the gryphon with broken wings a perch of sorts -- trust?

"Who? Who?"

The king lifted his head, watching Kjors in silence for a moment, save for his laboured breathing. Something flashed in Maksim's gaze, something humble. "Not who," the Baranski father admitted with a pained pant, "but what. A scavenger ... I hadn't ... hadn't thought things through." He shook his head, a rumble in his chest. "I did not wish to let it ... take what is rightfully ours. Not this winter. Not again." Each word was dripping with venom for nature's cruelty and wrath. It may have been two cycles ago, but Maksim remembered that painful, bitter cold ... the empty and groaning stomachs. "My family will not go with out." He lowered his head, hackles bristling as if he were challenging life itself. Whether it was shock or blood loss, only one of their medics could tell ... but perhaps, for once, the king believed in a higher being. Perhaps, he chose to believe only to hate. "Do you hear me? They. will. not!"

"Dad!"

He furrowed his brow, swung his head. His heart broke right there, seeing the horror in his daughter's eyes. "My sweetheart," he breathed, taking a step forward, staggering. He wanted to show her he was fine, that there was nothing to worry about -- Karina's father was not weak. Not for his children. "I'm- I'm fine. I just ... it ..." Commands came, and the process of logical thought returned to Maksim. Lay down. He did, slowly, for the sake of keeping his injury safe. But he did not settle.

There was panic in the air and the king found himself growing overwhelmed with it. "Karina, my Karina, what's wrong?" He blinked away the dizzying world, focused on her. She skittered around, like a frightened deer. Paws were upon his shoulder, wetness that did not feel like blood. He shuddered. "I'm so sorry, my sweet. I didn't ... I didn't mean for--"

"Go -- over there."

Lachesis. He would calm Karina down, his presence had that effect on his daughter since she was a roly-poly cub. He snorted a feeble laugh at the light joke, eyeing his friend with a tired smile. "Not all my blood," he chuffed. There was another presence, one Maksim did not truly recognise. "Who is ...?" He stopped suddenly. Kisla. Oh, stars above, Kisla! He heard her voice, felt her tenderness. What had happened, eh? That's what I'd like to know, he thought, darkly. It had all happened so fast.

"Bobcat," he explained, in nothing but the most necessary of details. "Scavenging rat! I refuse to let our children, our family, go without this winter. It was ... it was bold disrespect." As if a feline would have any inkling of what that was. "And I was a fool ... wanted to protect you alll. Family ..." he shifted, slightly. "it's all that matters now."

we are shining in the rising sun, as we are floating in the blue

@Karina came, bless her, sooner than anyone else. Her father’s rambling seemed a bit…touched (and perhaps it took a man familiar with madness to note when someone else was consumed with something similar), though he was clearly still riled about whoever…whatever had insulted Hearthwood River and injured their king. Theives, he thought, and wondered exactly what the thief was. He didn’t have long to mull it over, not as his princess arrived with her was her packet of herbs, and for a moment, the dragon was under the impression that everything would be alright. What he was not counting on, however, was the yearling’s panic upon realizing the injured party was her father, and he was forced to bit his tongue, lest he say something cruel in his haste. The young medic’s first instruction seemed sound to the older man and he shifted, allowing the alpha to rest his weight on the timber wolf while he slowly laid down. Kjors did not move until Maksim was safely on the earth, and only then did he step away, giving the older male a bit of space as the healer appeared.

Karina’s panicked dithyramb continued in the background, and Kjors bobbed his head in acknowledgement of Lachesis’ instructions. “Yes,” he agreed, wheeling quickly and trotting to the princess’ side. His nose was pressed to her crest, steering her away from the gory scene forcibly. Others were arriving, and if his student could not calm down, he would have to escort her away from her father’s side, no matter how unhappy that made her. It was of the essence that the focus be on Maksim, and Karina having a panic attack would only divide resources.

“Breath,” he insisted, rounding to meet those pale blue eyes. The dragon’s nose met the princess’, attempting to drag her mind away from all the blood and open wounds. “Th’ calm place, Karina. Y’need t’ go t’ th’ calm place. Y’cannot help him like this, hm? Y’ve got Lachesis here – nothin’s gonna go wrong. Now, deep breath, yeah?” Kjors instructed, chest swelling as he demonstrated what he wanted the girl to do. “An’ back out. Th’ calm place. Y’can do tha’, an’ y’can join Lachesis an’ do th’ Mother’s work. Ain’t yer da’s time. It ain’t. Y’gotta trust tha’,” he insisted, drawl growing thicker with the heightened emotion.

It was then he became aware of Davin and Kisla, and motioned the former to join him where he’d corralled their priestess away. The other yearling had yet to find a true place among the pack, though perhaps this was not a poor place to stay. “Y’still need tha’ leaf, love? Davin can go an’ git it fer ya, yeah?” he instructed, turning his single eye to the younger wolf. If Karina gave the word, he expected their third companion to go and find something suitable for the princess’ healing – with all these wolves here, Kjors felt inclined to stay put and make sure the thief didn’t come back for a second round while the pack was distracted.

“Bobcat,” he heard, and lifted his head to peer over where the Queen had joined her mate. That explained the shreds of Maksim’s pelt, he thought with a grimace, though did not move to return to the leading pair until he was certain Davin and Karina were not going to dissolve under the pressure of the situation. “Alrigh’, y’two. Think we can handle this?”

/late/

The person that you’d take a bullet for is behind the trigger

Originally, Karpos had been across the territory from the group, but a commotion in which most of the pack had gathered was not something that the chocolate man could ignore. With a decent amount of speed, he started to race off towards the other side to see what was going on. His uncle had sounded up a call for Karina, and Karpos was curious. It was not just that, but as he got closer in his approach, he found that the scent of blood was in the air, mixing with the smell of river wolves. It was wolf blood; it was Maksim. Karpos made his presence known, the scarred young adult looking with concern.

There was no one better than Lachesis to help him, Karpos knew, and therefore he would keep his distance, remaining a sentry in this case – just in case there were unwanted visitors about. He would also be there for anything that the healers needed to do their work, though they remained silent about such things. His eyes flashed with the concern he felt as he kept his eyes on a swivel, eyeing the perimeter surrounded the group as his mind raced, just in time to hear what Maksim had said. A scavenger had done this to him, and Karpos could only hope and assume that it paid dearly for what it did.

(This post was last modified: Oct 22, 2015, 11:34 AM by Karpos.)