Grizzly Hollow more than useless

@Veho - immediately follows this thread

Pip watched the warm chocolate form of her new friend disappear out of sight while she waited at the pack borders. She'd had several reasons she had hoped the male would stay, but understood why it was best he didn't. The likely misunderstanding was the most important, but selfishly, the yearling had hoped to have some kind of buffer from her packmates upon discovery of her wound. Only a member for a few days and already, she was becoming more trouble than she was worth.

She waited with head low in shame and tail tucked as it had been when first she was introduced to her new Alphas. Too afraid to lay down as there was the distinct possibility that she wouldn't be able to readily stand again without a great deal of assistance, Pip balanced on three legs and fixed her gaze on the beaver. The deep puncture wounds on either side of its spine were far more impressive than the ones she'd left in the creature's neck. It really was a shame @Kjell hadn't the mind to join a pack. No doubt Grizzly Hollow would have appreciated his skills with hunting.

The yearling straightened when she heard approaching pawsteps and gave a squeak of warning to help her packmate find her before her posture returned to submissive and anxious. Spotting her Alpha, she sank even lower despite how it painfully stretched the torn skin of her left hind limb. Without anyone to explain the situation, he - and his nose - would likely need to make most of the inferences of what had happened.

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The stranger’s howl at his doorstep had the alpha on high alert. Ears flipped backwards as his tail flagged high, his pace one with purpose as he thundered over snow and across the forest floor. It was slowly nearing springtime, and Veho found himself a bit more defensive of his borders than he’d been in past months, when he was quite willing to entertain all newcomers. His hackles bristled as he burst from the trees, and found only Pip waiting at the borders. For a moment, he paused, ears twitching in his evident confusion. As far as he knew, the girl could not speak – and that was a male’s voice he’d heard call out.

A sniff to the wind informed him there had been another wolf here, but whomever the loner was had disappeared and left the yearling at the forest’s edge.

A second sniff made him quite aware of that distinct coppery scent and eyes widened as he jogged down to Pip’s side. All formal airs were dropped, tail low and ears forward as he bumped muzzles with his packmate. She was injured. He’d ask what happened, but he knew there’d be no explanation.

“Where does it hurt?” the medicine man inquired, glancing over her form. “Can you show me?”

Pip flinched as her muzzle was bumped by Veho, belatedly recognizing the gesture and returning it in kind. Caught off guard by his earnest concern, the young female blinked blankly at him before coming out of the trance. Carefully, she turned and offered her leg for observation. As she stretched it out, her face pinched with pain. Pip achingly felt her pulse hammering down her leg, highlighting each wound starkly.

The thin gashes burned brightly whereas the paired puncture wounds above her hock had a thrumming ache that she knew would grow to hurt worse over time. Already, the swelling was fairly substantial, ballooning out with her skin puckering in an angry red with the first signs of purple and even green.

While Veho examined her, Pip reached out with a front paw to tap the dead beaver as if to draw it to the Alpha's attention. She wasn't sure if knowing what had caused the wounds would help him at all, but better to help him have as much information as possible. Far from wanting credit for the kill, she would have liked to point out Kjell's scent on the animal's carcass, but the young female's energy levels were flagging from being spent in both the killing and the journey back to pack territory.

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“Alright, alright,” Veho crooned soothingly as the girl started to wince. “Don’t strain yourself. I am going to take a look at your leg now.” The warning was gentle – he did not want to startle his packmate into hurting herself any further. His dark nose wriggling he approached her hindquarters as he leaned in close. Despite the swelling that’d already started, he could see the two large tooth marks. He knew immediately that no wolf had made that, despite the scent of a stranger still lingering nearby. It was the overgrown rat that Pip had brought back to the borders with her.

It was always those massive rodents, wasn’t it, he thought grimly, his encounter with the porcupine last fall coming to mind.

Another sniff told him infection had not set in yet – this was good. This was very good. While he was certain the wound hurt quite fiercely, it was not nearly as bad as it could have been. Rearranging himself, he considered his options before relaying his plan. “Alright, my friend. I will pick up your beaver, and then I will escort you down to my medical den at the river. We can treat your wound there. I want to lean on my while we walk, and avoid using that leg as much as possible.”

Waiting long enough for conformation, he trotted over to the kill to scoop it up before returning to the female’s side. The sturdy alpha had no problem supporting her as they walked, silent until they were able to reach his den.

Assumed Pip would come along with him to the medical den, but let me know if you want a change!

@Veho, yup, she'll do anything he asks. <3

The young Mizuno girl held as still as possible while Veho examined her wound, her own gaze trying to peer at it as well to assess the damage alongside him. Without the trained eye of a healer, Pip worried she may never use her leg again. While it wasn't necessarily a problem for her as a fisher, it would make her job more challenging. However, the idea that she may not be able to run again - especially from danger - was chilling. Though there was a heavy threat of tears in her eyes, Pip kept them at bay and nodded seriously as her Alpha gave instruction.

He made no mention of how bad the wound looked to him, and unable to read the male well just yet, Pip was left with only her worries on the walk over. As he'd asked, the yearling leaned as heavily against Veho as she had on Kjell. Fear that she would damage it further was a powerful motivator in her complying as usually she would feel guilty for needing all the assistance. Of course, guilt was present in spades as well. Still a fresh recruit and already causing trouble for her new pack. She wondered if he was already regretting his decision to take her in. Would it reflect poorly on Crystal (@"Yvly) for having been the one to present her? Pip hoped not...

The going was a slow, agonizing process. Each step jarred her injured limb no matter how high she tried to hold it off the ground, but she pressed onward without complaint. After all, she was inconveniencing her Alpha as it was. She didn't want to delay him any more than she already had. By the time his den came into sight, her head hung low with each jumping step and she panted heavily with the exertion. Once inside, she willingly collapsed unceremoniously into a heap with her injured leg facing up.

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Thankfully, the young wolf seemed to understand what was required of her. She managed to get herself inside the medical cache without injuring the leg further. He might have asked her to step into the nearby river first, but it was a bit late for that now. Getting her back up and hobbled out towards the shallow waters was not worth the potential injury it could cause. Following her down into the den, he settled by her side, faced in the opposite direction. Fortunately, the former tenants had left the den quite spacious.

“I am going to clean it before I do anything else,” Veho explained, glancing over at his patient. “Since it is a bite, I want to make sure it is clean before I do anything else.” Leaning forward, his pink tongue flicked out over the injured limb. It was warm, but not alarmingly hot; still, there was no reason to risk infection. He hummed softly as he groomed her as lovingly as if she were his own sister. It took several minutes to clean to his satisfaction, and than the wolf was on the move again, shuffling to the small chamber that contained what few dried herbs he still had.

A few minutes later, he reappeared with a few dried twigs of yarrow – fortunately, the yarrow had avoided the porcupine’s wrath – and moved towards the opening of the den. “I need to make a paste,” he explained through his mouthful, “so I need the water. If you could come over to the river when you are ready, I will be able to apply it to your wound. It will help prevent any infection.”

Scooping up his mouthful again, the wolf trotted off towards the bank of the river to grind down the plant as he had shown Titan to months and months ago.

@Veho - She is forming lasting bonds far faster than I expected... <3

As her Alpha addressed her, warning that he had to clean her wound, Pip nodded in understanding. Her nostrils flared wide with each pained breath, but she lay as still as she could. Though he was gentle, each lick brought with it a flash of white hot pain that blinded the yearling. It was thanks more to Veho's gentle manner than his status as her superior that Pip could even force herself to bear with it. Were she back in Bella Coola, she imagined only her siblings or her parents would be allowed to touch her in such a way. But even imagining snapping at Veho left a bad taste in her mouth as his intentions couldn't be more clear. His eyes portrayed them far better than his words could.

During the cleaning, Pip gingerly rested her chin across his flank in an effort to still her trembling. Her orange eyes slid closed while she focused only on breathing evenly rather than giving so much attention to what he was doing with her leg. He was warm, she noted. Not as large as her brother, Blitz, but he still managed to emit more warmth. And despite his size, his status, despite no doubt disappointing him by getting herself hurt, he didn't make her feel afraid. In fact, Veho seemed far more nurturing in this moment than she remembered her parents ever being.

Her eyes flickered open and she lifted her head off his rump with disappointment when she felt his muscles bunch to move. The little female watched him move farther into the den until he disappeared from sight. Without the consistent probing of his tongue in her wounds, Pip managed to doze off momentarily while the male collected supplies. Upon his return, her head jolted a little as she was startled back into wakefulness.

Back to the river? If it was within her capabilities, a long whine would have passed from her lips. Convincing herself it wouldn't be so bad if Veho was there, she nodded her understanding again. Rather than follow immediately, the yearling took a quiet moment to herself to mentally prepare. Getting up would be a challenge. But wanting to be self-sufficient and no more of a burden than she already was, Pip refused to chirp out for help. Setting her front paws in a wide-base stance, the sea wolf found the strength to stumble into a standing position once more.

Using her nose, she kept strictly to the path Veho had taken rather than veering off course. Who knew what other creatures were out and about on the river today? None she wanted to meet, she decided. Spotting him up ahead, Pip breathed a sigh of relief and finished limping her way to him before flopping down at his side again. While Veho worked quietly, the young female dozed off once more.

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Taking her slow movements as time to prepare himself, the older wolf got right to work. The dried plant was deposited on the same flat rock and in a moment, Veho was struck by a sudden pang of loneliness. He and Titan hadn’t always seen eye to eye, but the other healer had always agreed to work with him instead of against. The younger wolf had seemed determined to rise through the ranks himself, also determined to assist Rook in his leadership of Grizzly Hollow and all that might entail. What would he think now, if he could see the pack? If he could see the pale-eyed medic at the head, and their good friend somewhere aside.

Veho allowed himself a sigh before seeking out a fair-sized piece of cobble. The stone was used to carefully grind the piece of plant into pulp; never too fast, or he’d knock out his own teeth with it. Though cold, the water lapping up to the surface of the table-like stone turned the mass from pulp to paste, and once Pip arrived, it was almost ready to apply.

The young female had already arranged herself near his side, just off the shore where the chilly waves would not reach her. Unable to blame her for that, the alpha slowly set his rock down and worked his sore jaw for just a moment. “I am going to apply a paste,” he explained. “This is to keep swelling down, and help with the pain. It tastes poorly; it will also make you sick if you swallow it. It is safe on the skin, but not in the belly, yes? So even if it stings, or itches a bit once it dries, you need to resist any urge to clean it off with your tongue. Tomorrow, we will wash it off in the shallows of the river, and reapply if need be.”

With that out of the way, the silver wolf bowed forward, craning his neck as he scooped the pasty substance off the surface of the stone with the flat part of his muzzle. He quickly jogged over to his packmate, bending down to smear the paste over the injured joint.

The quiet sounds of @Veho working paired with the comforting familiarity of running water nearby helped ease Pip into a deeper sleep than she meant. If she were to grant it much thought, the yearling would have found it odd to find comfort in Veho's work. Tallulah, her birth pack's healer - and Pip's aunt - had not been a fan of the mute Mizuno. Of course, around her siblings and parents, the Alpha's sister had maintained the faux appearances of a doting aunt whenever she fell ill and needed care. But when alone or around those who shared a dislike for Pip's presence within the pack, Tallulah had a tendency for cruelty. Useless, she'd call her. Maybe this time, she'd fall so ill that death finally claimed her as it should have upon her birth, Tallulah would taunt. Her parents were led to believe that Pip was simply more sickly than their other pups whenever it took a few days longer for the mute girl to recover compared to her siblings. Pip knew otherwise, but it wasn't something she could exactly communicate. As she grew, she'd taken to caring for her own small injuries, avoiding Tallulah when possible. Despite her previous experience, the sea wolf hadn't associated Tallulah's cruelty with a distrust for healers in general.

Pip flinched when Veho's clear voice roused her from sleep, but calmed quickly when she recalled whose care she was under. She nodded in understanding, ears flattened nervously against her head. She hoped it wouldn't be too hard to avoid licking it off. The last thing she needed was a pained belly as well. Nothing could have prepared her for the sensation as the gray male began to smear the concoction against her injury. The combination of the pressure and the paste's chemistry had the small female arching her back in response to the painful stimulus. Pip did all she could to keep her injured leg still for Veho, but her muzzle lifted skyward and her front legs stretched far forward, nails digging into loamy soil as if to lessen the sting. She clenched her teeth hard and finally lowered her muzzle to lick aggressively at one of her forepaws to distract herself. Thankfully, the sting eased off a bit the longer the paste was allowed to set, though the girl continued to lick herself to avoid reaching around and immediately cleaning it all off.

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Once the paste had been put on Pip’s leg, he tipped his head to watch the younger wolf.  His lips twitched upwards into a partial grin as she seemed driven on touching something, and tried to distract herself from the injury.  Some habits were hard to break, he supposed.  Leaning over, he gave her shoulder a gentle nudge.  “Do you think you can stand?” he asked, eyes briefly flickering back to her injured leg. “I will help you walk back over to the den.  We are done for now, but I would imagine you’d much rather sleep in the den than next to the river.”

It was cold out here, dampness aside, and even Veho had no such desire.  There was plenty of room for both of them in the den, and if she wished to cuddle?  He saw no problem curling up with an injured pack mate in need of comfort. 

A thought occurred to him as they got themselves position.  “Will you be able to fall asleep?” Pip seemed to be dozing off a moment ago, but perhaps the paste was too distracting now.  “I have something, if you need it.” Curiously, it was the same plant – but once dried and eaten, it did not have the same properties as something smashed and wet.  That form would not cause her belly any distress.

We could probably wrap this thread up in the next couple of posts?