Grizzly Hollow even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

ROOK LYALL

And you will keep me safe. And you will keep me close.

Rook stood up again as Titan relayed some instruction. He sat at Veho's back now and edged his paws forward to recline into a sphinx-like position. If he had to, he was not opposed to pretty much laying on top of his partner, just to keep him in place. For now, though, he resigned to draping his head and neck across Veho's back. He cast a wary eye up to Titan's face but soon came to comprehend that a much heavier hold might be necessary.

The Leader's tail sheepishly waved and, as gently as he could manage, he scooted up so that he could lay his elbows across the Veho's spine at the middle of it. As much as he wanted to watch, he grimaced and laid his head down to the side on the small of Veho's back. A whine whistled through his nose as he heard Titan ask if Veho was ready. Rook inched forward to pin the 'patient down, waiting for that first extraction.

It didn't matter if Titan waited for a few seconds or a whole stretch of several minutes, Rook was nervous for it, so certain that he would react the same way when the quills were removed... even if he wasn't the one with the prickly things sticking out of his face. He was that sensitive - or, rather, affected by it all. He pressed the pads of his paws into his partner's ribcage and belly, willing him to not move...

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

Had you been there tonight, you might know how it feels to be struck to the bone!

“Of course,” Veho rumbled, noting the plants his colleague had retrieved. That anything had survived the porcupine’s devastating attack was a boon, much less something that might lesson the pain. He recognized both the hellebore and hyssop on sight – after all, he’d collected dozens upon dozens of stems while the summer rolled on – but decided to keep his mouth shut. @Titan was doing him a great favor, after all, and it was unlikely he often treated (or ever had to treat) someone who as much medical knowledge as himself. So the medicine man nodded instead, wiggling on his belly towards the aforementioned medication. He took each gingerly in his mouth, chewing become a long, painstaking process. Swallowing down the bitter, pulpy mass was the easiest part. Down went the hellebore, followed by the hyssop, and he allowed a tired sigh of relief to whistle through his nose afterwards.

This was going to be a long process, he feared – there were more quills than he could count, all mixing together as one, burning sensation in his muzzle that would only magnify as Titan began to extraction process. What had he gotten himself into? For the tenth time in this short period, he wished they’d thought to construct a barricade defending their medical den, but what good were wishes now? (If wishes were flower pods, he thought to himself wryly, and discarded the notion as foolish and pointless.)

Rook too began to settle, following the swarthy male’s direction to hold him down – he’d argue he didn’t need it, but the Macieo had never been in such a predicament before. Besides, he had a pleasant, working relationship with the other healer, and it would be a shame to ruin it over as something as petty as pride. So the eldest wolf held his tongue, allowing his partner to get comfortable, perhaps more for the alpha’s comfort than his subordinate’s. Unfortunately, it seemed his companion soon thought the better of his position, rearranging himself more firmly across the older wolf’s back. Now he could feel Rook’s weight on him, and found himself wondering if this would truly be needed. At least his muzzle had started to numb, Veho reasoned to himself, trying to ignore the way his heart was starting to flutter in his chest.

He was braver than this.

“Make ‘em pay through the nose,” he said to me, the wolf muttered wryly, casting an eye on his fallen foe, the porcupine resting as peacefully as if it’d simply fallen asleep upon the river bank, “and it seems I shall. Go ahead, Titan,” Veho sighed, shoulders tensing as he waited for the inevitable pain to come. Prevention or otherwise, there were a lot of barbs still lodged in his skin, and they’d have to come out they way they’d gone in. It didn’t take a healer to know this was going to hurt – indeed, Titan’s first extraction was met with a surprised yelp and wide silver eyes, and it could only go on from there…

3/6 healing posts Dunno if you want to continue after my fudge ups.

Titan shifted his body into place as Veho and Rook tensed themselves. He kept an eye on Rook who switched positions then once everyone was unmoving decided to start. Angling his head in an odd way, Titan made sure to grab the first quill just right. Like how he had seen Kassander do it, Titan gripped tightly and kept still before very quickly yanking the spine out. He then stayed still keeping an eye on his patients movements and pain level or lack there of. His lips quivered around the quill rolling it over his teeth before spitting the evil thing out onto the ground as if it were poisonous. Then he waits until Veho seems to be ready for the next quill to be pulled before attempting to nab another one out of the poor healers muzzle.

This went on for quite a long time until a little more than half of the quills had been picked out of Veho's face and muzzle. The whole top of his nose, muzzle, and cheeks were clear now, but a few more quills stuck out from underneath Veho's chin and jowls. Titan paused as the last quill from the bridge of Veho's nose came loose from the Macieo wolf's skin and pointed outwards from between Titan's clenched teeth. The dark wolf sighs as he watched a bead of blood well up where the quill was pulled. In fact, the small portion of the top half of Veho's face where quills had once been was now spotted with little beads of blood. Some were dried on now, since those quills had been taken out first. However most of the red spots on Veho's fur were still moist. Titan definitely wanted to at least get a goldenrod salve over the little pin pricks. Though he would have to make some trips to the meadow to restock their stores of that particular herb if he used too much.

Damn porcupine... His eyes drifted to the messy den where all the herbs lay trampled or half eaten on the floor. Then the black wolf forced his gaze back to Veho ready to start on the last couple of quills on the wolf's chin and lower cheeks when he was ready for it.

"speech"

Learn from these streets, it can be bleak,
Accept no defeat, surrender retreat...

ROOK LYALL

And you will keep me safe. And you will keep me close.

The Leader's whole body froze, hoping to anchor Veho's body to the ground. His lankiness might not have amounted to much - barely 100 lbs. versus the bulk of muscle that made up the ashen wolf's frame - but he hoped it would count for something. Aware that Titan was about ready to pull the first quill, he turned away, averting his gaze elsewhere so that he might not see the pain his lover was going to be subject to. A wary glance was cast out of the corner of his eye then taken back. Once that first pull had been removed, Rook himself let out a whine.

He shuffled about on the ground so that he might inch close enough to merely be a "big spoon" at Veho's back. An ivory paw remained draped across the light-furred Medic's side but Rook's face and temple nestled into the back of Veho's light gray neck. For what seemed like ages, Rook remained cuddled up to the older male, hoping that his embrace of sorts would be enough to help block out the pain.

A russet ear perked and he tentatively buried his nose somewhere along the Macieo's spine and shoulder before trying to peer around in order to see what Veho's muzzle might look like as a result. Quills still stuck out from the bloodied jaw that had clasped the prickly intruder and sent it to it's death and the Lyall continued to wince. He hadn't even realized there was just one needle left sticking out from the bridge of Veho's snout; and, once it was pulled, Rook had to flatten his ears and grit his teeth. Had he known nothing of medicine, been without Titan's help, or simply been without much knowledge at all about wounds or infection, he might have stood up to place a number of 'kisses' to help clean his partner's face. As it was, even when Titan's focus drew away from Veho's face, Rook remained absolutely still apart from touching his nose to the base of Veho's ear and lightly nibbling on the cartilage as if to comb the fur there between his teeth (something he had only ever done to Bishop before now as a means to let his loved one know that he was there to offer his love and support).

Once Titan's eyes had come to rest back on his patient, the corner of Rook's mouth twitched and he resumed to laying his head against Veho's neck, simply waiting for all the spiny things to be removed...

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

Had you been there tonight, you might know how it feels to be struck to the bone!

No matter how much he prepared himself mentally for the process, there was little that could compare to the tug of skin as quill and barb pulled free. After the first spine, the male merely blinked, the third and fourth earned a wince, and something between the eighth and ninth earned a hissed. By the time Titan was nearing the end of the process, his white muzzle was stained pink, littered with blotches and visible holes. A litany of whines fell from his mouth as he fought not to twist away, knowing well this simply had to happen if he wanted his face to heal up properly. The other medic was doing his best not to cause undo harm, but it didn’t stop how much this actually hurt, and he could have cried with joy when the swarthy wolf retreated back to give him a breathed.

His tail curled around his haunches tightly, sides huffing as he tried to blink back the burn in his eyes. He couldn’t think of a word to say, afraid that opening his mouth might betray how terribly he actually felt in that particular moment. The best he could do was attempt to curl into Rook’s weight, wishing he could hide his face in the man’s ruff and end this misery now.

Unfortunately, that was not the way the world worked.

“Finish it,” he wheezed, fighting the urge to close his eyes. “Titan, now.”

So apparently, you've more than exceeded how many posts you need, @Titan, to claim your role points! So if we could wrap it up with one more post each, I'd love that! :D

WOOOO fade

Veho was a trooper that was for sure. Titan wasn't sure if he would have been so quiet during the whole process if he had been the one with quills stuck in him. I'de probably be whining like some idjit and complaining the whole time... His thoughts ambled around that silver ticked black crown until Veho's voice spoke up. Paying close attention to the Macieo wolf's words Titan then nodded and angled himself awkwardly below Veho's chin. He had to get these out just like he had with the top quills and angle his body in the direction that the quills were facing. This was a bit harder than it was with the quills on the top of Veho's face because of how they were pointing downwards.

Soon enough Titan was able to get into position and start pulling the sharp little things. Once the quills were all out then he quickly got the herbs ready to put over Veho's fresh wounds. Titan wanted to keep the open holes from getting infected and treating them as soon as the quills were removed would be best. Or at least that was what Kassander had done with Nari. Once Veho's wounds were all set and covered in sticky plant pulp Titan stepped back to give the other healer some room.

"Get some rest and see how you feel tomorrow I guess. I'll keep checking you at least once every day for the next week to make sure no infection starts up. " Titan sighed as the memory of his mother intruded upon his thoughts once more. Even if he had been very annoyed with her over-protectiveness the dark wolf couldn't help but feel bad knowing that the pack had moved on without him knowing.

Ready to call it a day and start organizing the herb stores to tidy up, Titan sighed and turned to leave. Veho was set and Rook was nearby to offer comfort. So he gave a wave of his tail in farewell before he began sniffing around at the trampled half eaten plants to see if there was anything he could save for later.

(FADE)

Learn from these streets, it can be bleak,
Accept no defeat, surrender retreat...