Alright so, maybe it had been a mistake to get so close to the pirate's borders before he was fully healed. Azure had been a tad too overconfident after demolishing through the amount of pirates he had, too driven by ego to even consider that there were members yet there that were healthy enough to re-engage him so soon. Pyralis' appearance had been unlucky, though he supposed it was better that she'd shown up today and not that day on the beach. If things had turned out differently, Az knew he might not have made it off that bloodied sand.

Wearing the result of his overconfidence, Azure dragged himself across the southern lands in a crooked line toward the nearest allied pack. While he had not personally gotten on so well with the Empire over the last year, Ashen was still a dear friend to the Armada and to Sirius - surely they would not turn him away when he was clearly in need of aid. His left cheek had been near flayed, parts of his skin separated where the teeth had sunk and had torn, and other bits hanging on by mere threads. It was not only a bloody and ugly wound, but one that grew even more painful with every expression he dared to make - and recently defeated, suffering Azure was making many.

He cut across the corner of Traveller's Pitfall as he circled the river Grande, staying on the far side of it for fear if he tried to swim, that he'd pass out and drown from the pain. Bleached trees across the way came into view as he neared the territory of the Empire, and Azure did his best to ignore the sudden lurch of familiarity and pain that came with the sight. Az took a deep seething breath to steady himself in preparation for what he had to do next, then without hesitation threw his head back and gave a loud, pained howl out into the trees in hopes an Ashen healer would be within earshot and willing to assist. The call sucked, and while Azure let it hang for as long as he could stand, he was forced to cut it short as the blood filling his maw began to run down and into his throat. Coughing and spitting, he lowered himself slowly to the dirt and ducked his head to wait.

"Speech"

Seere happily trots along, paws kicking up in pure joy as sense of pride permeates her gait. The small girl’s healing skills have been growing by leaps and bounds and she has been allowed to carry her own satchel! Kitsune, the girl’s mentor, had packed it with herbs, materials to stitch wounds, and everything a young healer would need. The worn leather bag hangs over the monochrome girl’s shoulder, thumping against side with each step she takes. While being a great fighter like her father, Plague, is still what her heart longs to do, the art of healing intrigues her.

As she trots, a call suddenly cuts through the air, choked and calling for an Ashen healer. The small girl pauses in walk, head tilting as she considers their request. An Ashen healer? She is an Ashen healer! Seere quickly changes course, rushing to where the call emanated from. One thing the small girl prides herself on is how fast she is and, because of her speed, she quickly arrives to where injured wolf waits. Legs slow their frantic charge as the small girl begins to scan the patient before she even reaches him. The wolf is tall, as tall as both of her dads are. The height difference does not deter her and neither does her age.

As she approaches the injured male, the girl takes on the demeanor of a healer, trying to appear all business as she says, “I am Seere Abraxas-Destruction. A healer from Ashen.” While her countenance may attempt to be serious, her mismatched eyes hold all her care and empathy. Stopping before the unknown wolf, the small girl allows him space so he can look her over before she tries to figure out how she can help him.


"Seere  Abraxas-Destruction"

Fighting through the pain of the wound had taken all of Azure's energy reserves. His head remained bowed, the bridge of his nose rested against the ground between his legs, his spine and neck arched into a position that was half-prone and half-fetal. The tattered tip of one ear flicked as the sound of paw steps signalled the arrival of another - a healer, he hoped, though if it had been an enemy he knew he had no strength left in him to fight - and his gaze flicked upwards through his lashes to eye the approaching pair of monochromatic forelimbs.

At her words his head fell gently to the right, revealing to her the torn remnants of his left cheek. The tip of his muzzle rolled with the movement through the blood-soaked dirt, his tongue working to displace the blood that ran down through the ripped flesh and into his maw. The new posture also allowed him to angle his gaze higher without needing to exert more effort to lift his head - this healer was not one he was familiar with (which made sense, seeing as he'd not walked Ashen territory in years now) and not only that, but she was quite young. He wanted to say as much, though speaking with the wound was difficult enough without wasting words on snide comments.

"I am Azure.. Fatalis." He managed, the words sounding slurred as he struggled to speak without stretching the wound. "Champion of the Armada... a friend to the Empire." The combination of exhaustion, blood loss, and dehydration from his previous night of drinking was weighing heavier on his body each moment. He doubted he'd be able to get across much more. "Can you help me?"

"Speech"

Seere stands before the injured wolf, noting the pain written into every tensed muscle and taunt line of his frame. From where she is standing, his ruined cheek is half hidden from view but the coppery tang of blood is unmistakable on the air. Mismatched gaze catches the slowly growing pool of red that resides under the man’s nose and worry paints her features. As he lifts his head, the monochrome girl catches sight of the ugly jagged wounds that mar his cheek and as he speaks, she realizes that the words are slurred and the act is an obvious struggle for Azure.

Swiftly, Seere steps forward, making soothing sounds as she gently grabs his uninjured cheek and guides his head down. A soft, kind smile is on her lips and her voice holds warmth as she says, “Easy Azure Fatalis. I can help you. Just rest and let me take care of you.” The girl has always had a big hurt and, seeing this man is so much pain pulls at every one of her heartstrings. Guiding his head to rest against his foreleg, good cheek against his leg to expose the injury for her to take care of, the small healer then quickly gets to work.

Softly, she coos gentle sounds to him, much like her mother, Rava, would do for her when she didn’t feel good as she steps back. Shrugging off her healer’s satchel, Seere quickly rummages inside before pulling out a small container filled with a thick paste. Looking to Azure, the young girl explains, “Azure, I am going to put this on the wounds first. It is going to help stop the bleeding and prevent any infection from setting in. It will sting but I promise, it is going to help.” A gentle smile is given to the injured wolf as she allows him a moment to prepare himself.

Dipping her small paw into the thick paste made of dandelion root, horsetail, marshmallow, and trillium leaves, Seere then moves to gently start applying the paste to the oozing wounds. No matter how much she tries not to cause Azure pain, she knows that it will still hurt. Again, she coos soothing sounds to him as she goes. Once the paste is applied, she sits back and says, “Let’s give that a minute to do its job. The horsetail will stop the bleeding and the trillium will prevent any infections. Oh! I bet you are thirsty!”

Eyes light up as Seere cleans off her paws before turning back to her bag. She pulls out a large bowl which she places near Azure’s nose. Dehydration is something that healers need to be aware of in patients, especially in those with substantial blood loss. From her bag, the small girl pulls out a jar covered with a thick piece of leather. Undoing the cover, the monochrome healer tips the contents into the bowl as she says, “This is water that has been infused with ginseng root. It will help with the pain.”

Setting the empty container aside, the girl gently helps to lift Azure’s head with her small paws and guides his muzzle to the water. Encouraging him to drink, Seere supports his head as best as her small body can handle. The flow of blood from his wounds is slowing and the girl readies for the next step.


"Seere  Abraxas-Destruction"

Azure was not sure how to feel about this. Never before had he been treated with such softness, not since he was a pup at the very least but even then, nobody ever cradled his head and cooed to him in this manner. He kept silent while the Ashen healer worked - both out of sheer discomfort and wanting to keep for her a stable work area upon his cheek - and merely side eyed her with withheld panic and suspicion.

Positioned the way Seere had requested and forcing himself to keep still, Azure was sure he looked much more like a wounded deer than an alpha demanding respect. Even the way she spoke to him was foreign, cautious and relaxed, explaining to him each step as if to soothe him. Soothe him!. He gave his replies in the form of boorish grunts from the depths of his throat, thankful that the injury at least relieved him from the expectation of returning her gentle smile.

The course of treatment only got weirder as her paws clasped his head and encouraged him toward the bowl. Dehydration was a silent killer, this much Azure was clearly aware and from Mercury's brief knowledge he had learned that it commonly followed a drunken binge. Logic dictated that the bleeding out would only mess with his body's balance further, and that obeying the small thing's commands was the best way to heal. Even if it hurt, a lot. Cautiously his tongue extended from his muzzle, breaking the surface of the water and with a sharp flick, carrying it back into his maw. "Ow." Azure groaned, speaking it aloud so that perhaps she might let him skip this step. Speaking was difficult and painful, and so he kept his follow-up questions very brief. "Stitches? Sleep?" Letting his head rest in her paws he eyed the young healer, wondering how life ever got so damn bad that he'd be looking to a baby Abraxas for guidance.

"Speech"

Seere thinks nothing of being gentle to big man, her own caring heart telling her to be as careful and kind to him as she can be. Maybe it is her youth or her inexperience with wolves in high rank or, perhaps, she just coos the soothing sounds to Azure because she knows they help her when she doesn’t feel well. Whatever the reason, the small healer is kind and gentle as she treats Azure’s wounds, her mismatched gaze greeting his eye from time and time to offer him warm smiles.

When she places the water near his muzzle, helping to lift his head so he can drink, the girl watches as his tongue breaks the surface of the liquid and the resulting pain it causes him. Softly murmuring sweet nothings to the big man, Seere replaces his head and turns to root around in her bag. His question has her turning back to him, a reassuring smile blooming across her features as she says, “Yes, I will be stitching you up and then you can sleep. But first you need water.”

She withdraws a piece of cloth from her bag, turning to dip it into the ginseng root infused water until it is good and soaked. Pulling it back out, she wrings some of the fluid out before making the cloth as small as possible. Small paw wraps around the uninjured side of his muzzle, lifting it off the ground a bit so she can press the cloth against his teeth as she explains, “Take the cloth in your mouth. Slowly suck out the liquid that is soaked in it. Once you are done, I will rewet the cloth and we will repeat the process.” Her smile is bright as she encourages him to take the thin piece of cloth.

Once it is out of her paw, Seere then turns back to her bag and pulls out a small leather pouch. Setting it down, she checks in on him and the progress with the cloth, rewetting it if necessary. Azure settles and Seere opens the pouch, revealing the glistening, thin bone needle and her homemade stitches. They are made of small animal intestines that have dried and stretched, the ‘thread’ then soaked in a water mixed with pain killing and infection preventing herbs. Sitting close to Azure, the small healer offers him a sad, worried smile as she says, “I am sorry Azure, no matter what I do, this is still going to hurt. I will be as swift as I can.”

Gently, she pats the bridge of his nose before checking if he needs more water. Once Azure is settled and ready, Seere retrieves the needle and looks at his spilt lip. Mismatched gaze flicks up to his eyes as she says, “I am going to start. Please be as still as possible.” With that, she turns her attention back to his lip and deftly spears the flesh at the top of the wound. As swiftly as possible while still making tight stitches, Seere closes the jagged lip wound. She brushes off the paste as she goes, hoping the herbs for inflammation and pain are helping.

Once done with his lip, Seere quickly moves to his cheek, repeating the process on every single open wound until they are closed shut. She stops from time to time, to tie off the stitch and start a new one or check how he is doing with the water cloth. By the time she sits back, exhausted and shaking slightly from being tense the whole time, Azure’s wounds are stitched closed. Huffing a relieved sigh, she gently pats Azure’s nose, calmly saying, “Good job Azure. I am just going to apply some poultices. Rest. You have earned it.” Seere waits to see what he says before moving onto the final step.


"Seere  Abraxas-Destruction"

It only got weirder as the treatment progressed and for several minutes, Azure toyed with the idea that he might simply be hallucinating. The tiny healer's soothing tone, encouraging words and gentle good-boy pats upon the muzzle were absolutely mystifying. Beyond anything he could have imagined, a clear sign of delusion if he'd ever witnessed one. Weirdly enough, somehow the ridiculous soft and maternal babbling did seem to help - was it commonplace to throw a wolf entirely out of their comfort zone to help them forget the pain of their injuries?

His maw opened to accept the piece of cloth without question, growing used to obeying the small soft thing and trying not to be too bewildered at how easy it was. Sucking the fluid from the cloth was less painful in the end, though the process was slow; getting actual suction was difficult with his jowl flayed the way it was. Luckily over time, the liquid found its way out of the cloth and into his mouth regardless and when enough built up, Az forced himself to swallow. Seere expressed her need to begin the suturing and Azure nodded infinitesimally, minimising the movement as directed. While she rooted through her bags and retrieved the needle, he busied himself with focusing very hard on the feeling of the cloth in his maw and the droplets of water he could pull from it.

Blinking hard and reeling from the second unexpected love tap upon his snout, the sewing began. It was here when Azure realized that this was no way a delusion. No mind could come up with this level of painful detail, it was all actually happening and a tiny Ashen Abraxas was suturing his face closed. Not only that, but a tiny Ashen Abraxas yearling. A tiny Ashen Abraxas yearling who had cradled his head, whispered sweet nothings in his ear, and given him gentle reassuring pats upon the nose. The sheer disbelief of it all (and the fact that he had not bitten her yet and damned the consequences) had ebbed above the pain in his cheek where the needle laced and pulled. The closer to the eye the medic had to work, the more the agony grew. Az centered himself with a steady stream of growls from the depths of his throat and oddly, hoped that they did not scare her. Hoped that they did not scare her!

A third tap upon his nose signalled the end of the suffering and Azure found himself giving a relieved sigh. "Thanks." He managed, though the words were somewhat garbled as he attempted to speak without moving the left half of his face. Adjusting the positioning of his head upon his paws for comfort, he maintained his single-eye contact with the healer in anticipation for the next step. She said rest but, did that mean the painful part was done?

"Speech"

The process of suturing is painful, both for Azure and the small healer. Every growl that rumbles from the depths of his throat has Seere’s brow furrowing and lip wobbling in sympathy. Tears prick the back of her eyes but the small girl wills them away, knowing that blurry vision will not help anyone. His growls are met with soft coos of comfort and murmured apologies. She keeps glancing to his eye, offering weak, shaky smiles of encouragement. By the time she sits back, shaking from the tension that had held her body taunt, the small girl feels her throat growing dry.

Patting his nose lovingly, she lets him know that she is done and the big man’s relieved sigh has a warm smile appearing on her lips. He thanks her and Seere gently nods her head, saying, “You are welcome. I… I’m sorry I caused you so much pain.” Mismatched gaze meets his eye, head tucked and an apologetic look is on her features. He adjusts his position and the small healer gently helps him, paws moving to help guide his head. Once he is done, she grabs another jar from her bag and opens it, revealing the contents to be another paste and showing the injured man. A soft smile is on her lips as she says, “This won’t hurt a bit! It will actually help the pain and swelling. You can sleep now, Azure.”

The smile warms as she dips her paw in the paste, readying to dap the mixture of dandelion root, trillium leaves, and marshmallow onto the wound. It similar to the first paste she applied but it lacks the horsetail since the wound is already closed. Lifting her paw, Seere hesitates, looking to Azure’s eye once more as a thought crosses her mind. Her look becomes serious as she says, in a warm, calm tone, “You can sleep Azure. I will keep watch. I’m not leaving you.” A bright smile suddenly erupts across her lips as she adds, “I promise!” A dip of her head and she turns her attention back to his wounds.

Gently, carefully, Seere applies the paste, dapping the stuff over the stitches without actually applying pressure to them. She takes her time, making sure that every inch of the sutured area is completely covered. Without realizing what she is doing, the small girl hums a gentle tune. Its name is forgotten to time, the song passed down from memory and used to comfort children for countless generations. The tune does not stop once the paste is applied, instead she cleans her paws and retrieves some moss from her bag and turns back to Azure.

Carefully, she picks apart the moss and places it over the paste, knowing that the thick stuff will hold it in place. The nameless tune is still softly hummed, the girl, so focused on not hurting the big man anymore that she doesn’t hear her own voice. Eyes scan her work, knowing that paste will help the wound and hold the moss and that the moss will protect the paste from flies and bugs. When she done, Seere sits back on her haunches, the tune falling off as she releases a short, relieved sigh. She gathers the items that have been strewn about, carefully packing them away.

The cloth is taken from man’s mouth and Seere pause near his nose, unsure if he is truly asleep or just pretending. Softly, the small healer whispers, “You are very strong Azure Fatalis. Keep fighting. I promise I’ll take care of you.” Gently, the girl leans in, placing a soft kiss upon the big man’s nose, hoping he is asleep so he doesn’t see the emotions that play across her face. She hopes that others will be here soon to aid the injured wolf, the girl needing someone else to tell her that he will be okay. Surely others in Ashen heard his call and are one their way.

Leaving her bag near Azure’s face, Seere moves to his shoulder, ready to watch over him like she promised. She sits there, scooting back so her butt presses gently into him, letting him know she is still here. Even if others arrive, the small healer knows that she will not leave his side… not until he awakens and is ready for her to go. Mismatched gaze scans the area, the girl on high alert, ready to defended the slumbering, injured man.


"Seere  Abraxas-Destruction"