Sex: MaleHe grew a little stronger every day, and while it was hard to tell at first, as the days accumulated, Vasco began to notice the change. While he was still residing in the medical den, he no longer needed help to make the short walk out into the sun each day. He could eat by himself, and while his food was still carefully rationed, he no longer felt that constant hunger, gnawing at his insides. His body was still sore and aching, but it was no longer an all-consuming pain, and with the help of healing herbs to numb it further, he was almost able to entirely forget the pain. With all this betterment, Vasco hoped that he would soon be well enough to move out of the infirmary and fully integrate with the pack. He was eager to fully explore these new lands and meet the other Estuary wolves who had made it here; And, more than anything, the pups, who he had yet to see with his own eyes. But until he’d been fully rid of the lasting cough that still plagued him – the last remnants of his bout of pneumonia – he was to remain quarantined, so was the verdict of his nurse, and he was not about to oppose her. She was an interesting character, this woman who had mothered one of Viorel’s two litters, apparently more out of concern for the common good than passion. But that she loved the children, there was no doubt, he could tell whenever she spoke of them. And he would ask her constantly, wanting to learn all that he could about the pups, yearning for the day that he would finally meet them himself; My grandchildren…! . Thoughts ”Speech” |
After taking a quick drink from the creek, she was about to head back and check on her patient when a glimmer of red caught her gaze, and after getting a closer look she grinned wildly. One last strawberry of the season remained amongst the carpet of green, not yet picked off by any birds or small critters. She gently picked it off the stem, careful to not crush it between her teeth, and began to carry it back to the medicinal den, intent on offering it as a treat should Vasco choose to accept it.
Upon arrival she quickly ducked into the den, spotting him awake in the corner, and gently set the strawberry down next to him. "I was lucky enough to find one last strawberry before it got eaten, you're welcome to eat it if you feel up to it," she said with a bright smile. "They're actually quite good at settling an upset stomach, and much sweeter than the herbs I normally give you." Her words were cheery as she sat back on her haunches, eyes quickly brushing over her sorted herbs to make sure everything was as it should be before fully giving him her attention. "How are you feeling today?" She could only hope better, and once his cough was fully gone and he could eat more normal portions of food she would finally allow him freedom from the medicine den.
With winter fast approaching, there was just starting to be a nip in the air. Around midday, the warmth of the sun could easily chase off the cold, but once it started drifting towards the horizon, Vasco found that the insulation of the den suited him better – with not a bit of fat on his body, and his fur still spotty in many places, he didn’t have the means to keep up his own body temperature very well against the cold; As soon as I can I’m gonna have to start eating like a beast… Still, there was no question this would be a hard winter for the emaciated wolf, but thankfully he had his family now, his pack, and a lovely healer to help look after his recovery. As if invited by his thoughts, Clover appeared in the den entrance. Vasco smiled softly at the healer as she approached, eyes resting briefly on her gift before drifting back to her face. “You’re too kind,” He replied quietly, dipping his muzzle in thanks. Very gingerly, he picked up the strawberry and let it rest on his tongue for a moment, savoring the flavor. As promised, it held a lovely sweetness, melting in his mouth. He closed his eyes briefly, giving a light sigh, then smiled up at the pale woman again, murmuring a: “Thank you.” It sure was a pleasant change from the medicines, though he was of course grateful for all of Clover’s care, and trusted her treatment completely, the very restricted meals and herb regiments could get tiring at times. “It is a nice change,” He admitted, diplomatically, keeping his soft smile as his eyes followed hers to the meticulously sorted plants on the wall; “I keep being surprised by how many plants have medical uses…” He mumbled half to himself as he looked at the rows of medicine. Only when she asked about his health did he look back over at the woman, smiling a little embarrassedly; “Oh, I’m… Good. The cough isn’t as painful, I think it’s finally clearing.” His smile grew a little wider, the tip of his tail tapping happily against the floor; “All thanks to you.” His eyes narrowed to tight slits just for a moment, completing his reverent expression. Then he opened them again, to watch her intently as he asked: “How about you? I hope the pups aren’t wearing you too thin?” He had genuinely come to care, not just for his grand-children, and her as their mother, but for Clover herself, with her caring yet bubbly nature. . Thoughts ”Speech” |
A soft laugh left her maw at his mumbled comment as she followed his gaze. Her younger self completely agreed with him, having often been somewhat overwhelmed at just how many plants could be used as medicines, and even plants being used for all different kinds of illnesses. "Yes, as my parents told me: there is always more to learn when it comes to medicines and healing." Even as an adult with real-life experience, she was still learning each and every day, and that was how she liked it best. Learning more helped her to become a better healer, and she found that helping others was her main goal in life, though now that she had children it had swiftly been knocked down to the second most important thing in her life. But nonetheless, she could still do both, and she had no plans in changing that any time soon.
Clover smiled widely as he explained he was feeling better; any improvement would go a long way in getting him back to full health, as even just his cough and sickness going away meant he would be able to leave the den and interact with the rest of the pack. She found social interaction with friends and family to be one of the best ways to feeling better faster once the cause had been dealt with by the medicines, and she had a feeling he was eager to return to his family after being apart for so long. "It's the least I can do for family," she said warmly, though even if he had no ties to the rest of the Valle's she would have happily given him the same level of treatment.
She let out a gentle sigh at his questions, a content smile on her face. "It feels that way now and then. They're growing faster than ever, and some days I'm not sure if I can keep up with them, but then I see their adorable smiles and everything just feels right." All it took was for just one of them to do something that gave her that warm feeling in her chest to let all her stress and worries melt away. If they were happy, then she was happy, and that was all that mattered. "I can only imagine how excited you are to meet them."
Clover had treated him like family since the moment he opened his eyes in her infirmary – since before then, it would stand to reason, since he did not remember getting there, nor the first several days before his delirium wore off. But in all the time he could remember she’d been nothing but kind and gentle, always greeting him with a warm smile and giving him the best of care. In all that time, it had always been about him: how was he feeling today, how was his cough, did he want anything. He was pleased to finally have the chance to get to know her a little better, smiling warmly at her words, brows lifting a little. “Healing runs in the family?” He asked in honest interest, curious about this area of knowledge that he’d previously had very little experience with; Both parents? That’s unusual… While it was no surprise she felt that way, her words still warmed him. In the Estuary he’d always been an outsider, a stranger, no matter how much he tried to fit in. Of course, it didn’t matter, all he cared about was Sita, and then the pups… But Clover was the mother of his grandchildren, even if she would never know it, that she regarded him as family meant the world. He grinned as she spoke of them, seeing the love in her eyes, his eyes burning a little as he nodded at her final statement. “Very much,” he answered, once he’d regained control of his voice, pausing to swallow before continuing: “Viorel and his siblings are… Special to me. Their… Sita’s mate disappeared before they were born. Of course all the pack helped to raise them but… I feel as a father to them.” He sighed, taking a few deep breaths to catch his wind after talking for so long. Everything he’d said was the truth, and he felt he could admit as much without betraying Sita’s trust. The kids might as well be his, but for the name on the family tree; As promised. . Thoughts ”Speech” |
"Yes, everyone in the pack needed to learn enough to be able to assist anyone, but as a child of the leaders I was required to learn everything." It had been a long, grueling process at times, but she was thankful her parents had pushed her enough to keep at it, as now she was able to help out her new family with any odd ailments and illnesses they may have. "I'm aware that's not a very normal practice among other packs," she said with a bit of a grin.
Clover could see the emotion welling up on his face and sat there quietly, suddenly quite interested in a pile of leaves she had gathered recently. She gently used a paw to tidy up the pile, allowing Vasco as much time as he needed without getting all up in his personal space, and when he finally spoke she turned once more to face him. His words were full of emotion, and she could not help but feel sympathetic. She could no imagine growing up without her father, and even having an entire pack to chip in in his place, she was sure it would have left some sort of hole that couldn't be filled. The thought to ask Viorel about it was tempting, but she did not want to bring up any old and potentially painful memories.
"I'm sure they appreciated having you there in place as a father figure," Clover said softly. If Vasco felt that strongly about Viorel and his siblings, then perhaps he had an even stronger desire to meet Viorel's children than just wanting to see the new brood of his packmates. "When you're better, would you like me to introduce you to my children? I'm sure they would be happy to meet you and hear stories about Viorel when he was younger." Her words were earnest as she spoke, and she meant every word. It would give him and the kids something to bond about, and she was sure interacting with them would make his healing process much smoother.
Clover’s birth home had been very unusual indeed, it would seem, at least compared to all other packs Vasco knew of. A whole group of healers, making sure their children too were all taught, and the leader’s kid most of all? Certainly a different approach… But not an unwise one. Perhaps, if he had known more about the uses of herbs and plants, he wouldn’t have gotten himself in quite so bad a way while searching for his family. Smiling back at the ivory woman, he nodded at her words, tilting his head a little as he mused aloud: “Perhaps not, but it’s wise, making sure even the young learn at least a little.” He hoped she would carry on that tradition with her own brood, though he didn’t say it aloud. He would not want to impose on how she raised her children, he had all the confidence that she was fit for the task, from what he’d come to know of her so far. As kind as she was caring, her words warmed his heart – insecure enough to enjoy the appreciation, even from another outsider. If nothing else, it felt good to be able to openly admit his emotional attachment to Sita’s children, as close as he could ever get to truly claim them as his own. And so, her offer made him smile anew, happily meeting the healer’s bright eyes; “I would like that very much! I’m sure I can come up with at least a few stories to entertain them.” His own gaze glistened at the mere imagining of it, being a grandfather in every sense that truly mattered. . Thoughts ”Speech” |
He brightened up considerably at her offer, and Clover was happy that she had spoken up about it. It would be good for the children to meet him, and she'd broach the idea to Viorel and Vanadis if they wanted their boys to have a story time session with Vasco as well. The kids would definitely enjoy hearing about their father when he was younger. "I can already see their smiles and hear their laughter," she said with a soft laugh, eyes half closed as she imagined it. Maybe she'd sit in and listen as well; it would be fun to hear about Viorel as a young and rambunctious child, as Archer and Eros had to get their chaotic streak from somewhere.
Thinking of Viorel and his siblings as pups brought a welcome warmth to Vasco’s chest and he chuckled along with Clover, thinking of the Valle children and all the trouble they had gotten into when they were little. They’d been an unruly bunch, hardly a moments rest for the adults between the five of them, always getting up to something. He only hoped his stories might do them justice, as well as bring those promised smiles to his grandchildren’s faces. The day was reaching its end, and despite having napped in the midday sun, Vasco was starting to feel exhaustion creep up un him again. Repressing a yawn, he blinked heavy lids a few times, smiling sheepishly at the young healer; “My apologies, Clover,” he said knowing her experienced eyes would spot his tiredness instantly; “I still wear out so easily. Hopefully we can continue another time?” It was a very welcome break in his monotonous day whenever she looked in, giving him some much-needed company while he waited to meet the rest of his pack. . Thoughts ”Speech” |
"Oh, no need to apologise! If I ever speak too much please tell me; your wellbeing is more important than anything else." She immediately stood to her feet, offering him another wide smile even as her ears flicked backwards momentarily. She hadn't meant to talk with him for so long, but seeing him so animated had been a wonderful change in his condition, and it only meant good things. Hopefully soon he would be able to start integrating more with the other pack members without needing to take a nap in between.
"But I will definitely take a rain check on this conversation." Her smile turned into more of a grin as she began to back out of the den, giving him one last look to check that he was still comfortable, already thinking about potentially taking the pelt of a hare to make his bed nicer to lay on. "I'll check up on you right before I head to sleep myself, but I hope you have a good rest in the meantime." And with that she gave him another nod, fully exiting the den to head off to her next task of the day.
Exit/Fade