Larkcall Lowlands come hell or high water

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July 19th; Midday, Sunny, 84°F, 29°C

The tundra stretched on for miles. The grass which blanketed the uneven terrain was dry and brittle, crunching softly beneath the weight of his large dust-covered paws as the lone wolf navigated his way South towards the emerging treeline. The heat of the sun beating down on his back had begun to grow almost unbearable, and despite his thinning summer coat, the uncomfortable prickling of his skin encouraged him to seek relief within of the dappled forest shade.

Aching, tired paws pushed him further through the lowlands, ignoring the heat which radiated up from the scorched fiery-orange grass, even as small cracks began to develop upon the dry pads of his paws. However, it did not take long before the cracks began to ooze from their continued exertion, and despite his best efforts to ignore the growing swelling and discomfort, he could not hold back the small whines which bubbled up his throat as the sharp terrain intermittently pierced his weathered, bleeding paws.

Stubbornness willed him forwards a few more yards before Nanuk finally slumped down awkwardly beside a large lichen-covered rock. Bathing in the limited shade it offered, the arctic wolf’s deep brown eyes instinctively surveyed his immediate surroundings before he gathered his paws towards him and began the agonising task of cleaning his wounds, his chest heaving with exhaustion.

(This post was last modified: Jul 19, 2021, 01:58 PM by Nanuk.)

At last, the wanderer believed her northerly trajectory was coming to an end. Breaking free of the forests to the south, before her now was a vast expanse of mostly hilly, rocky, open terrain. Absent any trees to provide cover, the sun shone down upon her mercilessly from above, scorching both her and everything around. The heat and rays were also absorbed and reflected back up by the terrain, making it all the more unpleasant. Even her feet, toughened and callous as they were from years of wandering did not favor the landscape, some mild discomfort beginning to arise after merely a day of traversing the terrain.

As was a custom, curiosity did not permit Katiya to simply turn about and relinquish her exploration so easily, and so stubbornly she continued north - though she did not expect the quest to last much longer. To continue alone through such a rugged swathe of land was neither feasible nor smart, especially with so little shade and water available.

Memories of that large lake were still very much in mind. That particular area was beginning to sound much more appealing, just now.

Drawing her thoughts away from such things was the faint scent of another, mixed with the ominous and distinct metallic tang of blood. The wanderer’s mindset immediately switched from reminiscent to concerned. Katiya inhaled deeply, attempting to discern the source of it, before setting off at a brisk pace. From the trace amounts of it, the wounds didn’t seem too severe - but that did not lessen her concerns any.

Before too long, the light figure of another became visible resting beside a large stone, residing within the sparse amount of shade it provided. The young man already looked to be nursing his wounds - cracked and bleeding pads. The wanderer slowed her pace but continued towards the other, announcing her presence with a soft call.

”Perhaps, I can help you with that, if you’d like,” Katiya offered, examining the other with a keen eye and hoping he’d permit her assistance. Aside from cracked pads, he also appeared to be suffering from exhaustion, likely worsened by the relentless heat and sun.

The light breeze which snaked through the lowlands provided Nanuk little relief from the scorching heat of the midday sun. Instead it worked against him, betraying his location by scattering his scent southward. The arctic wolf was unaware that he was being tracked down until it was too late; a casual glance up from his bleeding paws alerted him to the presence of a dark tawny figure on the approach.

Nanuk's pale fur bristled and his posture stiffened defensively as the larger female slowed to acknowledge him, greeting him with a soft vocalisation. Dark brown eyes peered up to meet her inquisitive amber stare, his gaze remaining narrowed and suspicious even as she kindly offered him her assistance.

"Are you a healer?" Nanuk asked with a raised brow, curious as to her credentials. Not yet willing to trust the female, the male pulled his oozing paws in closer to his stomach to shield them before she had a chance to try and take a closer look without his consent.

As their gazes met, the young man’s disposition shifted quickly from pained to defensive and suspicious, even going so far as to tuck each of his afflicted limbs in closer to himself - conveniently placing them out of her sight. It was not the first time she’d witnessed such a reaction, but it did prompt the wanderer to pause in her stride. Katiya elected to remain a few lengths away, maintaining a loose, neutral posture, and respecting the other’s space.

He asked a simple question, and at that, the nomad dipped her head in a nod. ”Yes,” she spoke placidly, hoping to assuage any concerns or suspicions the other had. Certainly, she did not fault him for such feelings. ”Katiya Zakkai. Wanderer, knowledge-seeker, and practicing herbalist,” she added with a small smile after a moment, supposing an introduction couldn’t hurt, either.

Though it was unfortunate she didn’t actually have anything useful with her. Katiya suspected she’d have had an easier time finding something to supplement treatment for this man’s injured paws had they still been closer to that lake or forest, but that didn’t do him any good, now. At that, she blew out a thoughtful breath and let her gaze turn away from the other to survey their immediate surroundings for anything useful.

The female backed off a little when Nanuk recoiled, which resulted in the him relaxing his posture just a little. Still unsure of the stranger's intentions, the arctic male did not completely drop his guard just yet and continued to eye her cautiously as he waited for her reply to his question. The tawny female confirmed that she was indeed a healer, though whether she was any good at it was another question entirely.

Nanuk had met a number of wolves on his travels who had claimed themselves to be well practiced healers and herbalists, yet when pushed to demonstrate their skills had proven themselves to be less than adequate at the role.

Keen to determine if Katiya was yet another imitator, Nanuk decided to he would put her to the test. He himself had some knowledge of medicinal plants and poisons and so felt confident that he would be able to catch the stranger out if she were to play him for a fool.

Softening his expression only slightly, Nanuk looked back up to meet her amber gaze as he stretched a single forepaw out so that she may sniff and inspect its condition. Watching her closely, the smaller male posed another question to Katiya. "What would you advise for me?"

(This post was last modified: Jul 21, 2021, 06:08 PM by Nanuk.)

Fresh tracks show an injured deer has recently passed by. Hunt opportunity! +10 Health

A quick scan of the immediate surroundings did not reveal anything of use, although.. that did not necessarily mean they were out of luck. The best option for treatment of cracked and sore pads that came to mind at the moment was goldrenrod - and fortunately, that happened to be a rather common and resilient plant that probably would not take too long to find, even out here.

With that in mind, Katiya glanced back to the other. He did not provide an introduction or even acknowledge hers - she supposed she must’ve truly startled him or caught him off guard for him to forget such formalities, but at least he looked to have relaxed a little. Then, carefully, he extended one forelimb toward her and posed another question, gaze unwavering.

At that, Katiya moved forth, shifting her focus to the limb that’d been offered - giving it a good look and sniff. The young man’s paws were dry and split with painful cracks and swollen sores that oozed blood, though thankfully, they didn’t smell infected. Yet, anyway.

”They don’t seem infected, which is good. You’ve done a good job cleaning them, so far. I’d suggest you keep doing that, and stay off of them until after dark.” For both his sake and his paws. Traveling through this land would be easier at night, absent the heat of the sun reducing any heat-related concerns, and in that time, the injuries should cease bleeding. Already he seemed to have the right idea, resting in what little shade was available - so perhaps that’d been the man’s plan, anyway.

”I’m going to look for some goldenrod. It’ll ease the swelling and further reduce the risk of infection - if I can find it.” If she couldn’t find that, or anything else.. well, they could deal with that situation if it arose. Katiya was pretty confident there would be some of it around, though. At that, the nomad prepared to turn away and follow through with her stated intentions, though her gaze lingered on the other in case of any further questions or comments.