Ankaios had fallen in love with Auster. He had spent many a day since joining up with Talis exploring the territories which surrounded it. Perhaps he ought to have been getting to know his new packmates, but he wasn't sure what use he would be as a healer if he didn't have any herbs or resources to offer them. He had been moving as quickly as possible in an effort to get himself settled and stock his newly constructed den, and today's ventures found him in a tranquil cedar forest. The air smelled crisp and clean, and his pawsteps were nigh silent, muffled by the needles which made up the forest floor. He had ventured away from the babbling stream which was the landscapes most notable feature in the hopes of finding a very specific plant. Trillium was most useful in spring and summer, but he hoped it's withered winter husk might offer at least a shadow of the plant's full benefit. He had amassed several other herbs, but he had little to aid those who might find themselves on the wrong end of a skirmish, wounded and festered. His nose was pressed into the wind, seeking the telltale sweet, earthy scent. Unfortunately it was rather difficult among the pungeant conifers, and he turned instead to what he knew of the plant. He needed moist, rich soil. Too close to the water's edge would drown them, too far would not allow them to grow. It would likely be a long day and with little reward, but he pressed on all the same. Kai was utterly lost in his thoughts as he went, and paying little heed to his surroundings. Who could blame him? It was rare enough to encounter another wolf in Auster.... Though he had come across a pile or two of bear scat. Well, maybe he ought to pay attention after all. "Talk" "You" Think

Hold onto your heart, I've seen the signs before Panting Pyralis leaned her body gently against the fragrant bark of a cedar tree. Ok… so maybe she should have talked with Lilith before she'd gone off exploring but she'd been feeling fine then and her wounds weren't that bad. Course that was several days ago and she hadn't been wandering under a boiling summer sun then. Pyralis flinched and licked absently at the gaping wound on her shoulder where the man's jaws had found a purchase in the tender flesh between her right shoulder and right chest. She'd ripped out one of his eyes as payment but at the moment it didn't seem punishment enough. The trickling sound of water caught her attention and she moved toward it, trying to ignore the pounding in her head and the occasional blurring of her vision. She was dehydrated, she knew that but after a fresh drink and a chance to wash out her wound she was certain she'd feel better. Pyralis pushed forward through the pain and malaise toward the brook that she was sure lay just ahead when she caught the scent of a stranger and a pack wolf. Her eyes narrowed. Had she stumbled upon the trail of one of their supposed rivals? Well now, wasn't this interesting? Pyralis was always struggling for balance within herself. The cautious part of her insisted that she slip away and head in the opposite direction as she was injured and while she was certain she could push through a fight to victory over any mortal there was a risk her injuries would worsen. The reckless side of her, fueled by curiosity and the promise of adventure won out and pushed her after the scent. She neared the brook as she followed the scent and her thirst drove her to lap desperately at the cool water, all thoughts of the stranger pushed from her head. Licking the drips from her chin she looked up and froze. There was a man scouring the other side of the brook but not just any man. Though he was a fair bit shorter than her his coat looked like had been cut from the heart of a volcano that had been painted across the night skies by some great spirit in an attempt to amuse itself. Was this one descended from gods as she was? She fixed her gaze upon him. She could not decide if she wanted to continue to gaze at him or break her little vigil and speak to him. Pyralis was about to speak when a sharp contraction of protest in her right shoulder caused her to cry out followed by a smattering of hearty swears.

Ankaios had no notion that he was being followed. The male was utterly focused on the task at hand, lost in his thoughts and clearly not giving his surrounding the attention they deserved. His head flew up when a string of curses broke out not far at all from where he was standing. Well, he didn't know of any plants which could do that! Turning, he found a rather massive woman on the edge of the stream, who was clearly in quite a bit of pain. Oh, and she was massive as well. "Shit," he hissed out, more by was of surprised expletive than upset by her presence. After all, he was a healer, right? This was what he did. He righted himself and trotted closer, doing his best to get a feel for what ailed the smokey-coated femme while still maintaining a bit of distance. Wolves in pain, those who were sick, were prone to lashing out and he wasn't exactly sure what her mental state was like right now, especially if she was in that much pain. "My name is Ankaios, I'm a healer of Talis. You are injured, yes? Can I take a look?" He kept his voice slow and clear, loud enough to ensure he was heard over the gurgling stream. The breeze shifted, pushing her scent towards him. It was clear enough that something was wrong. She smelled of dried blood and the heat of illness. Kai found himself hoping there was no rule against helping wolves outside of the pack, because he couldn't very well just leave her here, could he? "Talk" "You" Think

The swearing ceased as Pyralis winced, swiftly mastering the pain and pushing it down. Wonderful, she'd spoiled her attempt at scouting. She definitely should've had the dam wound looked at before wandering and on top of all that the spirit or whatever it was she'd stumbled on now had his attention fixed on her. Her ears went back and she eyed the man warily as he approached. Swiftly she drew herself up to her full height in a dominant stance, making her massive size known in a silent threat that if he tried anything, despite her injuries, she would swiftly and decisively end him. However, there was a slight lilt in the stance despite her best efforts and she let out a sigh, letting her body sink. She didn't have the energy for posturing right now. The man introduced himself as Ankaios. Her ears perked at the name. It sounded like one of the older names and as she gazed at him she became more and more convinced he was descended from some other god or spirit. He said he was a healer of Talis and offered to take a look. Well, lady luck must've been smiling on her. This meeting stank of fate and she moved to sit down, tail wrapping demurely around her hind legs while leaving her forelegs forward and exposed. "Knock yourself out." She shifted her body to expose the wound. "Course, I won't be paying you for your services but if you feel like testing yourself I won't deny you." There was a certain risk in this she knew, she had no way to know if the man might poison her. "I have to ask, given your coat I wonder if you are also descended from a god or spirit? I have to admit I've never seen its equal, you could make the stars hide their faces in shame." "Talk" "You" Think

She regarded him warily, which Ankaios was well used to. Most creatures were surprised, if not fearful, the first time they got a good look at him. He couldn't discredit her for it even if he considered himself perfectly normal for his homeland. It was this place that was so weird. Her posturing intimidated him for a moment because gods, she was huge. He had seen several her size, even in his own family, but it in no way lessened the impact of meeting hostile strangers with proportions like hers. Luckily (for him, anyways,) her wounds seemed grievous enough to waylay any aggression he might have faced otherwise. Better do a good job, he thought dryly to himself. He approached slowly, making sure the on-edge woman could see him and easily predict where he was going and what he might do. She bared the wound for his examination, and a cursory sniff was all it took to determine that yes, it was definitely infected. She made it very clear that he would not be paid, and he restrained a dry laugh. He could not, however, keep from pausing his inspection just long enough to raise a brow at her. "I was not expecting to be paid. It looked as if you were fit to fall then and there on the river's edge. If you had, your corpse would contaminate the water for miles. It's purely selfish self-interest." Ankaios was experienced enough to know that strong wolves often gave the most resistance to aid, feeling as though it weakened them to ask for help. It made no different to Kai either way, but dry humor came naturally to him in situations like this, so that was what she would get. At the least, he was certain he could outrun her in her current condition. At the end of his quick inspection he concluded that her nose was dry and she radiated heat, so fever was certainly present. Her piercing golden eyes were a bit bleary, and the impressive wound was clearly infected. Boneset, he decided at last, and a bit of that trillium if he were able to find it. What luck that she had stumbled onto his path on the very day he had thought to seek it out. He opened his mouth, about to take his leave for a few moments to return to the hollowed tree stump he had stashed the bundle of herbs gathered so far, one he meant to return to Talis, when she asked him whether or not his origin had ought to do with the gods or spirits. To that the dry, humorless laugh was undeniable. "Oh aye, according to the tribe which birthed me. In my youth I was told marvelous tales of the spirits which lived within every rock and tree, and the gods which had sent us unto the earth as their beloved children, and we were to pay them all homage possible in return. I can't say I care for it much myself, nor hold much stake in their claim. Their benevolence never seemed to reach as far as me, and so I turned my back on them long ago." He gave her a tight smile, one that hinted at painful memories. He spat on his family's gods and all those who held with them. "Now if you stay here for a moment, I will go collect my herbs. It is perhaps a half mile up stream, won't be but a moment." He turned without a word, ember-strewn coat disappearing into the brush with the flick of a tail. He ran quickly, his lithe body consuming the terrain in powerful strides. It felt good to use his body this way, so often restricted to careful, slow, winding paths through undergrowth in the search of this or that. He picked up his own trail on the wind and followed it back to where he had slept the night before. His herbs were bunched together with a thin strip of hide he had struggled over for longer than he'd like to admit, but it was the easiest method he had to carry them from one land to another. On the way back his progress was slower. It would be one thing to treat the fever, but it would do the woman no good if the infection poisoned her blood. He needed that Trillium. Hard pressed and desperate, he gave his senses over entirely to smell, focusing on nothing but that sweet, delicate scent he was hoping to find. In the end, he settled for an alternative. Growing a bit farther from the stream's edge, in a somewhat dryer and sunny clearing, he caught the telltale scent of wild garlic. His ears perked. Yes, that would do just fine, he decided and began to dig quickly at the soil surrounding the withered remains of the plant. It was not it's prime season but he found several plants with life enough left to make use of. Willow bark would be ideal but they were hardly in the area for it. Grasping the bulbs of several unearthed plants, he raced back to where he had left the woman, only hoping she had not run off in the meantime. "Talk" "You" Think

There was a moment where Pyralis simply wondered if she might be hallucinating the man's outrageous coat and that he was actually rather plainly colored. Wouldn't that be something? She was sure Amon would find it all quite amusing. Not that she'd probably ever tell him, at least not about the injury part. She was deeply embarrassed by her weakness. She was pleasantly surprised that the man was not expecting to be paid for his good work which also made her some what suspicious. Who would exchange their hard-earned skills for nothing? Of course… he could simply be one of those sickeningly selfless types that were out to save the world and everyone in it at their own expense. However, as he explained his reasons she let out a chuckle. "Haha, well-played. Then I am glad to hear there is a mutual benefit to our meeting." Ankaios examined the would and she felt a sudden heat to her cheeks. Another stab of embarrassment at allowing the wound to occur in the first place, let alone letting it get to the state it was in and then for some infernal reason just be examined so intently was leading her to unbidden stirrings. It was all medical, all professional but she was just on the verge of her heat season. Yes, that had to be the reason. That or the fever. Or both…. Ignoring the various rising temperatures in her body she focused instead on his words. He'd let out a dry laugh to her question and the bitterness did not go unnoticed. She listened to his tail and found herself wondering about his gods. He didn't seem terribly enamored of them and she couldn't help but wonder if they had ever interacted with her own or in fact if some of them were one and the same. She chuckled. Well, he certainly had a coat that suggested he might be the descendent of some god. Not hers of course but she couldn't help but wonder what a twining of their bloodlines might do. "Well, it's a small world then. I was told similar tales and am a descendent of a fallen god myself. We intend to reclaim our lands eventually but that is perhaps a tale for another time." She nodded as he went to go get his herbs, laying down next to the brook and letting her right hind leg stretch out just far enough for the paw to touch the stream in an effort to cool herself off a bit. "Talk" "You" Think

Kai returned to find the woman languishing in the cool water of the stream. He thought about chastising her a second time about poisoning his water supply but... Well, perhaps better not to push his luck. Instead he busied himself with making use of the world around him, responding to her earlier statement as he went. "A fallen god, hmm? It does sound like quite the tale, but seeing as I'd have a hard time filtering between fever-fueled whimsies and fact, another day sounds just as good." He gave her another dry smile, eyes twinkling with mirth he tried not to let into his voice. He surveyed the bank of the stream, looking for flat stones he might use to prepare what he'd gathered. Finding two likely candidates he nudged them gently into the current, hoping to wash away the dust and grime. Satisfied with their sanitation he retrieved the dampened stones and got to work. He placed his bundle of herbs down, and wriggled out a bit of boneset to sit beside the garlic. He set both together on the larger, flatter stone. The other, slightly rounder, he flicked up over top. Using a paw to press and twist, he did his best to grind the herbs so that their essence would be able to seep into the woman's wounds. He nudged the grinding stone aside and gave the mixture a cautious sniff. Satisfied with what he found there, he turned quickly to the stream side once again, this time to pluck a large, broad leaf of some unknown plant from the bank. Carrying it back to the rock where his poultice sat, he carefully transferred as much of the plant material as he could onto the leaf. He turned back to the stream one final time. "You could have been wounded in a more convenient place, you know," he began in the same light, slightly teasing tone. "I'm going to do my best to stick this over your wound but I can't promise much, and it won't be pretty." He began to dig up clods of slimy, sticky, clay-based mud from the bed of the stream. "You'd do well to go take a good long nap on it, and take it easy for the next day or so. It it falls off, well... You get what you get, I suppose." Hopefully the boneset would break her fever overnight, if she kept the pseudo-bandage in place, and hopefully the garlic would fight back the infection. Hopefully. He wouldn't kid himself, he knew he wasn't the most experienced fellow she might have run into in these woods. He only hoped it would be good enough. He gave her a wary look, appraising. "This will hurt. Ready?" "Talk" "You" Think

Pyralis hummed absently to herself as she watched the river run by finding surprising enjoyment in the gurgling of the brook and the play of light on shifting, writhing water.  Her thoughts were just as scrambled and shifting.  Running from thoughts on the weather and dinner, Amon and his children, always circling back to the mysterious man she'd just met and she couldn't help but wonder what trouble she could get into with him.  He seemed very practical and methodical.  Not the adventuring sort like herself but dam was he pretty… and possibly mystical.   Her hind paw stirred in the water.  She had been considering the possibility of children for awhile now, knowing that she'd have to contribute eventually.  He was shorter than she preferred but it felt a bit like fate that rather than taking her pick from a number of drab and dreary mortals that she'd found one that was possibly descended from gods like herself?   That wasn't something one simply passed up.  Of course, she'd always intended to kill whoever she mated with… The man returned and answered her previous statement with a question and a dry sense of humor.  She huffed and turned her head with a grin of her own in a feigned attempt at injured pride.  "Ah!  You wound me good sir.  I'm already wounded enough without you throwing darts into my family history.  I assure you my whimsies tend to be quite a bit darker."  She let her eyes wander his elegant form and then giggled and turned her gaze back to the river as if suddenly embarrassed.  Pyralis didn't dare look at him.  She didn't want to make a move to soon and besides it wasn't her season.  She wouldn't get anything out of jumping the poor man.  There was also the matter of whether or not she was going to kill him.  It seemed a waste to fell a potential ally, not to mention that he might make for good breeding in the future and possibly for her sister Ana as well if the other were interested in anyone but Adra.   Pyralis chuckled to herself then shifted to gaze at Ankaios as he started to work, watching with fascination as he ground up the herbs using a stone and his paw.  Her head tilted just to the side in puppyish bemusement.  She didn't understand earthly plants nor did she particularly care to learn but it had amused her none the less to watch how others could use such seemingly innocent herbs to such a variety of effects. You could have been wounded in a more convenient place, you know, Speaking in a playfully mocking tone she answered. "That's in my nature I'm afraid.  I go out of my way to inconvenience everyone, you're certainly no exception." He continued telling her about his plan in aiding her injury and instructing her to take a long nap.  "Well, It's better than nothing I'm sure and I quite enjoy long naps so that won't be a problem. Out of curiosity do you live around here?  I'm not about to fall asleep on your packs doorstep or anything am I?  I mean a little, injured lady like myself off in the woods alone…"  She couldn't finish the thought before snorting in laughter. "This will hurt. Ready?" Pyralis smirked and ran her tongue over her lips.  "Sounds delicious.  Let's do this." "Talk" "You" Think

Ankaios was starting to worry about just how far the fever had taken the woman. She seemed perfectly sane uttering some sentences, and entirely inebriated during others. That, and the fact that she seemed to be hinting at... another meaning to her words left him bemused and slightly concerned. For the moment, he was very much the calculating physician who had detached everything but his mind from the situation at hand. He gave her a dry chuckle, and asked lightly, "Is that so?" She went on to mock her tendency to inconvenience others and he was forced to laugh again. "My lucky day," he mused. As he was putting the finishing touches on his pseudo-bandage she asked after his home, and he hummed quietly. "Never fear, my docile maiden," he intoned, giving her a subtle wink. "I am a member of Talis, though the lands we hold rest to the west. Do you know of the castle, and the sweeping plains on it's northern edge? I'm a bit far from home at the moment. I've only recently joined and I'm afraid my den is sorely lacking stock at the moment." He knew he would have many long moons ahead of him, seeking and gathering, drying and storing herbs and other materials. It would be an endeavor for sure, and he lamented his lack of apprentices for the umpteenth time. He really would have to talk to Dragon about finding a few helping paws. "Now, could you lay on your other side and hold still for just a moment?" he murmured, gently clasping the leaf of his would-be poultice between his teeth. He held the edge gingerly, propping it up with the top of a forepaw. He hobbled, swiveling so that he faced Pyralis and got as close as he could. He felt heat pouring off of the woman's body. Carefully, slowly, he positioned the leaf so that her could press it exactly over the woman's wounds. His ground herbs seemed to press directly into the gash on the fore of her shoulder. He waited a breath to see if she would recoil from the pressure or the likely stinging contact of herb and open wound. He backed off for just a moment, hoping gravity would hold the lead in place while he scooped up a glob of mud with his other paw. Quickly, but careful, he spread the sticky mud over the leaf and into her fur. "Give this a moment to dry in place, and then go find a nice sunny patch to sleep in for a few hours." He gave her another long glance, trying to discern her mental state and whether or not she had understood. She really was an impressive woman, and he admired the strength so obviously hidden in her sickened frame, not that he would admit it to her. "Talk" "You" Think

Under the warmth from the sun and the lulling of the river Pyralis felt her eyelids begin to droop. She was definitely ready for that nap but the man was keeping her on her toes and she was pleased to see he had a sharp wit. As Ankaios called her a docile maiden she barked out a laugh and then winced. "Ow.. haha, goodness." Docile maiden indeed! The thought alone sent her into another fit of giggles. She sobered quickly though as he spoke of his pack, filing away the information as best as she could with her addled brain. She shook her head as he asked her if she knew of the castle. Oh this was all very interesting. "Sounds like a good place to have an adventure. I may have to visit sometime." She nodded again as he asked her to shift to her side, carefully she shifted her weight and lay on her uninjured side, wincing as she did so. Amon would probably laugh at her to see her being so obedient with a stranger but she was more than willing to be compliant if what she was getting was worth the price and a balm for her suffering was certainly worth it. Pyralis grit her teeth and hissed with pain as he applied the poultice but she did not recoil. "Ah, ah, ahahahaa…. ow." He finished applying the poultice and trying to get it held in place before instructing her to nap. Pyralis yawned. "You got it chief! Seriously though… I don't do this often but… thanks." She didn't bother to get up and instead shifted herself into a comfortable position with her head resting on her paws and promptly fell asleep. -exit via sleep- "Talk" "You" Think

She bore his ministrations with grace, and only the bare minimum of complaint. Ankaios did his best to be gentle, but there were some practices that simply did not allow it. Applying a stinging paste to an open, infected wound was most likely one of them. Still, she did as he asked and before long the bandage was in place, the clay-based muck drying quickly in the autumn sun. It occurred to him briefly that he had never even gotten the woman's name. Well, no matter. You didn't need to know someone to practice healing on them, did you? Still, it curdled in his gut, and he wondered if he would ever see her again. She seemed relaxed now that the hardest part was over, and he thought it likely that sitting still through all of that had sapped the last of her strength. She seemed content to sleep just where she was and he laughed. He wouldn't sleep out in the open like this, but he also wasn't titanic in size. He doubted many creatures would choose to tangle with her. She thanked him, and he waved her off. "If you need more assistance, or get tangled up with any more beasties, give a howl at Talis' borders and I will come do what I can. Sleep tight, madam," he said with a mock bow, far too chivalrous to be anything but humorous. He returned to his bundle of herbs and made sure the bit of rawhide was tight around them. He spared one last look at the mysterious woman lounging in the sunlight, and then turned away. "Talk" "You" Think