CALLISTO Walk | Talk | Think Healer training was coming along well. Max was ever willing to teach her everything that he knew, and his patience was seemingly endless. Callisto was grateful of it since it meant no matter what she said, no matter if she made a stumble or progressed further than expected, he was always ready to help. In a way she admired his skill and willingness to teach; had it been her in his paw steps she was not certain she could do the same. She was cold, blunt, and typically impatient. She would have run any students away before they could learn much, or so she assumed. As a means of repayment to the Sola Knight who taught her, she had decided to go out of her way to find something for him, an important herb of some kind that he might find useful. Of course, her knowledge was still limited to what he had told her, which lacked the sort of plant she wanted to find, but Callisto was unbothered by it. She had a keen nose, and she hoped it might lead her to something useful, something that she did not recognize but that obviously held importance of some kind. Moving outside of the boundaries that were now familiar the grey and black yearling wolf left the mainland and followed a thin land bridge to one of the surrounding islands, figuring if anywhere in Alacritia was going to harbor a rare medicinal plant it would be one of them. She had felt a slight disappointment in finding that it was mainly occupied by coniferous woods but being already there she had kept going, eventually giving up on her hunt and instead using the quiet isolation of the island to study. There was meadowsweet, earth smoke, alfalfa. Were dandelions as common here as they were on the mainland? But before she could get too far the skies had opened up. Heavy cloud cover had lingered throughout the day but Callisto had been too set on her mission to turn back because of potential bad weather. Now she was paying for it, seeking shelter and cover beneath the thick pine forests as she watched the ocean waters across the distance dance underneath the onslaught from above. Would the land bridge even be passable now? Silvery blue eyes half lidded in an irksome, unimpressed scowl, Callisto sighed. Well...at least the island was empty. Image by Maka.

Though Valhalla was not really all that bad, Quintus Nero was unaccustomed to how many wolves called it home. There was always so many damn people around. Even if he didn't directly interact with them, it was still rather irksome to continuously come across someone else -- and so the young man set off on a walk. At first, that was all it had been. A short walk to get away from everyone. But his mind had wandered as he continued on. The sun had slowly risen in the sky, though much of it was blocked by gradually darkening clouds. Though overcast, it was not a horrible day -- the air was just cool enough to be comfortable. He knew his mother's pack was in this direction, but he was not sure exactly where. Perhaps he could visit her? Minutes turned to hours, and the skies grew darker. Before long the taste of salt lapped at all of his senses. The ocean was nearby, he realized suddenly. The waves were wild, crashing dramatically against the shore. Quintus was suddenly struck with the urge to go for a swim. Only in retrospect would he realize just how awful of an idea that was. The tawny pelted wolf would wade in the shallows for some time, marveling at just how cold the water was. He'd been to the ocean a few times before when he was a child, but had never really swam in it, merely paddled in the shallows. As he gazed out across the dark horizon, the sky now a dark blue and gray, he felt suddenly like the fierce waves were presenting a challenge to him. Of course he could swim in them! He swore he saw land in the far distance, but he couldn't tell with certainty how far away the island might be. It was silly to think his mother's pack might be all the way across the water, but he knew it was a small possibility. 'Might as well make sure,' he told himself silently, beginning to paddle out into water so deep his paws could not touch the sand. It was a thrilling feeling, and the adrenaline that coursed suddenly through his veins was nothing short of addicting. He was not sure how long he swam, nor how long it took for the sky to grow even darker and a loud crack of thunder to sound across the earth, but soon everything grew terrifying. He was reminded starkly of the earthquake that had shook the earth so recently. The waves grew stronger and merciless as the lightning began to illuminate the sky, cracks of thunder roaring in quick succession, one after another. Not only did the waves grow infinitely more dangerous, but the rain began to pour down from the heavens, soaking and chilling him to the core. Quintus gasped for air, growing exhausted rather quickly -- he was struggling to stay afloat, his chest heaving, as the waves threatened to pull him under. Suddenly the idea to get into the water during a storm seemed very, very stupid, but there was no turning back now... He saw the land grow closer, though it seemed so out of reach still. What a sight he must be, he was certain -- soaked to the bone, barely able to stay afloat, gasping and crying out for air as waves crashed over his head. He felt utterly helpless as the waves threw him about, pushing him closer and closer to the land mass ahead. He could already feel his body aching as he desperately kept himself afloat. After so long he kept his eyes closed, afraid what would happen next. Perhaps he would die here, alone and cold in the storm ocean, his body left to be eaten by the fish and whatever else swam in the salty water. Suddenly he felt his body colliding rather painfully with the ground, a sharp pain pulsing through his right shoulder as he was washed ashore. The storm continued to rage on, thunder booming and lightning cracking overhead -- and the rain had only grown stronger, drumming steadily down on the sand. Quintus was certain he was dead. He lay there for a long moment, dull pain throbbing through his body. He was shivering uncontrollably, wondering briefly to him how the water as cold as ice without being frozen solid. As he began to writhe there where he lay, he felt a sudden stinging in his throat, and started to cough. Slowly he brought himself to his feet, his paws numb from cold, his movements slow and stunted. His senses were dull from the cold and he did not notice the scent of another here. A huff left his lips as the hobbled under the shelter of some trees, wondering how on earth he would ever thaw out, feeling like his limbs might stay numb from cold forever. (I guess he came from a different angle and didn't notice the land bridge~)

CALLISTO Walk | Talk | Think Without certainty of when the storm would let up, Callisto was feeling herself grow increasingly bored by the second. It was not the least bit entertaining watching the rain as it pelted the earth, nor was it amusing to listen to the ruckus it was making either. The droning rain only made it worse, bad enough to the point that inexplicably a yawn claimed her as she opened her jaws wide, blinking lazy blue eyes as she considered her options. She could force herself to continue on through the rain, which would likely soak her and make her uncomfortably drenched. She could remain in place merely watching the storm in the hopes that it might abate quickly, though it seemed very unlikely. Another yawn snuck through, bringing with it another option. Why not sleep through the storm? She had nothing better to do, and she was in no big rush to get anywhere just yet. Decision made, the lean, grey-legged yearling girl settled herself upon her side there beneath the tree she had chosen as her cover, gangly limbs folded beside her. One foreleg extended outward for her chin to rest upon, silvery blue eyes closing as she let the ambiance of the otherwise quiet forest lull her closer to sleep. Her ears remained perked as she listened, noting nothing out of the ordinary for quite some time. It was enough to settle her into a false sense of security, so when she finally did hear a noise she almost did not recognize it for what it was. The fit of coughing was almost lost as a loud roll of thunder sounded over it, but it had been close by, perhaps even just beyond the trees that separated her from the shoreline. Her brow furrowed over her closed eyes, listening closely as the thought of sleep was abandoned and replaced with the need to figure out if she was right in thinking herself no longer alone on this island. It was quiet a moment after, save for the storm, but eventually the sound of footsteps neared, as if the owner of them was doing as she had done and was taking shelter beneath the trees. Blue eyes opening, Callisto pursed her lips. Great, so much for napping and so much for having the island alone. Who was this that was making all the noise? Quietly, the shadowy wolf drew herself to her paws and padded softly around another nearby tree, peeking just far enough around that she might get a view of her fellow stranded canine. He appeared rather unassuming from this angle, a steady, muted shade of brown across his right side save for his left ear that she could see peeking around the closer one. And was he...limping? The part of her that specialized in herbs and plants was drawn to the uneven gait though she hesitated. She had no interest with making friends, nor did she recognize anything about this male that might have added any special perks to helping him. He was nobody to her so she could have very easily left him to limp along his way and wait out the storm in another, less crowded location. But she had rarely been given the chance to practice her craft. Her knowledge had expanded considerably since joining Ebony and training below Maximous, so she was sure she knew of at least a little something that might help any discomfort if she could not completely remedy whatever had caused the limp. Though her mind was more or less made up, Callisto resisted, stubbornly holding back until she finally forced herself to step out of her hiding spot and out into the open. "Hey," she called merely to get his attention, to let him know there was another here with him, "what did you do to your leg?" No names, no details. She was interested in one thing and one thing only, and she made that clear with her straightforward manner, hoping that he was in enough pain not to make him be difficult about it. Image by Maka.

It became painfully obvious that there was no way in hell his mother would be on this island, and certainly an entire pack wouldn't fit it fit for living on. He doubted the climate could support so many wolves. Softly he cursed under his breath as he continued to navigate through the underbrush, determined to find somewhere dry to rest, to nurse his sore paws and hope that the earth had maintained some warmth from the day and would eventually thaw him out. If not, he was certain he would die here, chilled to the bone and aching from his very core. Despite the vague soreness he felt creeping into his paws as he shuffled further inland, his paws were largely numb, and he found that he'd lost his acute sense of smell. All he could catch was the salty stench of the beach, of fish and sand and whatever else lingered here -- there was no way he could find the scent of anyone else. A huff escaped his pursed lips, his posture slackening as he continued forward. Each step was a struggle, and each breath was heavy and forced. He wondered if he had gotten water in his lungs, and if he mind actually be drowning, but he eventually decided that he was being a bit over-dramatic. The voice of another came before he caught sight of her, and his head snapped instantly upright. He blinked slowly, his sight hazy as he examined her features. Though it was not yet night, it certainly was dark -- the underbrush provided a good shelter from the rain, and the sun was not yet to be seen, tucked safely behind grey storm clouds still as the rain continued to pour. The sound was pleasant against the canopy of trees above, gently pattering overhead. He wrinkled his nose, wondering who this girl was and where she had come from. Why would anyone be here? He figured she could wonder the same thing about him, and it was all too obvious he had just swam here. His pelt clung to his frame, making him look rather ridiculous, and much smaller than normal. Quintus knew he'd done something idiotic, but when she questioned him about what he'd done to your leg, he slowly looked down at it. He hadn't felt much more than soreness until now, but his eyes grew wide as he saw a rather nasty gash on his left forelimb. "I don't know..." he started, his voice quivering a bit. "Something in the water, I guess... maybe a rock or a tree limb.." he'd been thrown about quite a bit, but he didn't remember anything in particular coming in contact with his leg. He thanked the cold ocean water for numbing his leg -- who knew what kind of pain he might've felt if he'd had feeling in his limbs when it had happened/ "You live here?" She hadn't given a name or any kind of introduction, but he couldn't help but wonder why she was here. Though he struggled to sound conversational, he couldn't help but wince, shaking where he stood on all paws but his injured one, which he held up slightly near his chest.

CALLISTO Walk | Talk | Think The moment he turned to look her way she was struck by a sudden and inexplicable familiarity despite being relatively positive she had never seen this wolf before. He was not of the pack and rarely did Callisto come across others when she made her secretive ventures beyond those borders. Silvery blue eyes narrowed at him as she looked him over, studying his stocky frame and unique russet colored marking that draped across one side of his face. Could she have seen him somewhere in passing and that was why her recollection of him was so poor? But her quick assessing glance caught sight of his favored leg and it ceased to matter. The ocean waters must have been icy as winter from the completely soaked state of the wolf and the way in which he only noticed the injury to his leg by looking at it. Oh, if only all reactions could have been that priceless. Callisto had to bite her lip to prevent a smile as she watches the surprise, the horror, cross the wolf's face, as if he might have only realized the limb to be there at all. It must have been pretty numb from the cold for him not to have any idea of how the injury had happened, though a glance away and at the water, still churning under the force d the storm, explained that well enough. What had possessed him to go swimming in this weather? She did not ask; the shadowy young wolf crept closer to perform a more thorough inspection of the injured left foreleg, intending to offer whatever help she could as a means to improve and practice her skill. He posed a new question, one conversational compared to the strictly business tone Callisto had already set. She paused to glance upward into his face, her blank look somewhat guarded as it was incredulous. Did he really mean to make small talk with her, when he could barely stand let alone speak without his voice shivering with cold? Boy, she had her work cut out for her. "Lay down and put your leg out," she instructed with the cold, flat tone of someone who was too focused upon the medicine at hand to pay special care to the patient's feelings. "Give me a minute. I'm going to see if I can't find anything to treat it." Without giving him time to pose another question Callisto turned and meandered through the rainy wood in search of the plants that she had been taking note of earlier as she walked. There had to be something of use here. She had hoped to find more than she did, but all things considered she could hardly be very picky. Within her jaws she carried a small plant, a few tiny white flowers still miraculously clinging to the stems, and set it down before the injured male. "Eat this." It was lucky this island territory was similar to home. Max's training had proven very useful to her. Realizing after a second that her direction might have made little sense, particularly since he had no knowledge that she was being trained in healing, Callisto added, "Should help ease the pain." If only she knew of something around here to stop it from becoming infected too. Image by Maka.

Quintus was flustered, plain and simple. He had swam into the mouth of danger with so little hesitation, and he found himself wondering how he could be so completely stupid. His gaze was wary as he watched the stranger girl, orbs of sea-green glazed over with weariness and confusion. Still his limbs quivered as he glanced down at his leg, unsure if he should sit down here or find shelter elsewhere. Maybe this girl had a safe place for him to go... maybe she knew somewhere dry for him to rest until he thawed out and was ready to swim back home. As he gazed up from eying his injured leg, he caught her expression shift into something that he could not read. She did not seem especially pleased with his company, but she did not leave him either, which she could have done so easily. Instead, she moved forward to inspect it, seeming rather diligent. What a strange combination, he mused silently to himself. Not friendly, but helpful nonetheless. Perhaps it was just his mind playing tricks on him -- it wouldn't have surprised him at all. But no -- she ignored him completely, pushing his question aside and instead commanding him to lay down. A frown graced his features, and he grimaced a bit as he shuffled to the side, trying not to put weight on his injured leg. "'Kay?" He uttered quietly, confused and a bit unnerved. She seemed determined to help him, but completely disinterested in conversation. It was strange not knowing her name, and taking orders anyway, but he slowly shuffled down to lay on his stomach, keeping his forelimbs in front of him. After what felt like forever she returned, placing some flowers in front of him and instructing him to eat them. "Uhhh..." he started, another frown creasing his lips downward. "Better not be trying to poison me..." He leaned to sniff lightly at the flowers. The aroma was pleasant, and he couldn't see how a poisonous flower could smell so good. Still, his nose wrinkled and he looked up at her. Still his gaze was more vacant than usual, his expression confused and wary at the same time. "...whoever you are. I don't even know your name." His panting had ceased considerably, but exhaustion was written plainly on the boy's features.

CALLISTO Walk | Talk | Think Callisto snorted. It was not often her humor was tickled - in fact she could not recall the last time she had truly laughed over anything, even a measly chuckle - but poison seemed to do the trick. The fact of the matter was she was interested in poisons but her training was still focused on the basics, the harmless but useful. It was why she had not brought back anything good enough to stave off infection instead of just a small dose of pain reliever. And, if she was being honest with herself, there was one particular individual that she would have been interested to see react to a less-than-savory plant... Her lips moved, threatened to curve into a rare smile, but eventually were schooled back into a tight line. Her eyes, however, glinted with amusement. "Not today," she answered simply, her flat tone perhaps a little more playful and noncommittal than usual. But her newly risen spirits caused her to sit a little straighter as she took a seat before him, assessing the rest of him now that she had done what she could for his leg. He seemed exhausted, cold, and all the worse for it. How long had he been in the water? How much energy had he expended trying to keep afloat, to stay alive? And, still, what had possessed him to swim at all? He was wary, of the plant but also of her. Calli was hardly surprised. Even inside of her pack she was not the biggest or best social butterfly there was, and it was likely not even half of Ebony knew of her existence. Not to mention her lack of a friendly face was a bit of a turn off. But considering this was already something like a learning experience, she decided to see what could be done for her bedside manner. "Callisto. I'm a healer-in-training." No sense lugging out her title or pack name when neither held any grounds here. "And right now I'm all you've got to help you." He probably would not like that much, but who was she to care? Image by Maka.

When she returned, he was surprised to see a hint of emotion flash across the stoic girl's features. But the fact that she laughed was most surprising of all. His nose wrinkled, irritation apparent on his features. "Not funny," he retorted sharply, unamused as she implied that she might poison him another day... just not this one. "Don't think you'd be making a joke of that if you knew who my family is..." The Adravendis were powerful, and Quintus knew that. His uncle was a fearsome beast, or so he had been told; his family were scattered all over Alacritis, and he knew that hell would break loose if someone found out he'd been poisoned. But would they ever find out here? On a deserted island, away from most wolves? A sigh left his lips. He would have to put his trust in her, and hope that she wasn't nearly as cruel as that... Quickly she became stoic again, and he finally dared to lean down and gingerly begin to chew some of the flowers. They tasted awful, and he found his brows creasing together as the bitterness filled his mouth. Finally he laid his head down on his good paw, avoiding moving the injured one or touching it at all. She gave her name. Callisto. "Quintus Nero..." he offered, grumbling slightly. She was right -- she was the only help he had, and so far he hadn't choked to death on the plants she had given him, so he had to trust her at least somewhat. Even if he didn't want to. "...Adravendi-Mathias." Maybe it would be best for her to know his family name. Maybe she knew someone he was related to, or maybe not. At the very least, it sounded prestigious. Certainly more so than her name. "What the hell are you out here for, anyway?" He was grateful that she was, but what reason was there to come here besides being an idiot? His fatigued gaze watched her still, curious and irritated all the same.

CALLISTO Walk | Talk | Think Aw. She offended him. Maybe she should have been a little more apologetic for making him feel that way, but she was not. It was not her fault he had trouble taking a joke, even he had been nearly killed paddling about in the ocean. And, oh, he tried to make her feel remorse, throwing out the suggestion that his family might somehow pose a threat to her that would make her reconsider her words. Oh well. It was not like those family members were here; if they had been he surely would have called to them. She could still make it fun for herself at any rate. Eventually he seemed to get over his uncertainties and ate the plant she had brought him, and Callisto watched him closely. She knew what she had given him but she was curious when it would kick in and exactly how strong it would be. For all her knowledge, she had had little practice with treatment. But nothing seemed immediately to show, except for the face that Quintus made as he bit into it. Hmm. Maybe it needed a little more time. Twitching her dark tail impatiently, she continued to watch him attentively. He relaxed onto the ground, still favoring his injured leg, and offered his name, a pause separating the first part from the last. It was an awful mouthful, so complicated compared to her own. Adravendi-Mathias... No, it did not really strike up any impression with her, did not make her rethink her behavior, as he had warned. Again he asked an unnecessary question, his tone decidedly more irritated than before, and since she still wanted to observe him for when the plant kicked in to do its job she figured she could answer at least that. It would answer his original question too. "I was looking for any plants that I hadn't been taught about to bring back to my instructor," she stated, easing herself down to lay upon her stomach, "something that he might not have and could use." It was still strange for her, the sudden urge to find a thank you gift, but at the same time it would have also been an opportunity for her to learn as well as earn points. She watched him a moment, her eyes skimming from his injured leg to his disheveled, damp fur. "And why were you swimming during a storm?" she asked, her tone as flat as her expression aside from a thin strand of puzzlement. It still did not make sense to her no matter how she looked at it. Image by Maka.

He could only imagine, if she was this miserable around a stranger who had washed up on the beach, how unpopular she must be wherever she lived. Not that he was the most pleasant of wolves, but he certainly would consider himself better company than this dark-furred female. Quintus was simply grateful that she was easy on the eyes -- if he died here, at least he had something decent to look at. It could easily be much worse. Still, he wrinkled his nose in distaste. The taste of the plant was unpleasant, but he did not fall over and die. Instead, the pain seemed to subside slightly, but he half-wondered if it was just a trick of his mind. A soft grumble escaped his lips as he himself adjusted where he sat. Plants did not interest him. He knew healing was supposedly an art, and someone that was studied in depth... but it had never interested either of his parents, and his siblings had never seemed terribly intrigued by them, as far as he knew. "Hm," was all he said, too exhausted to delve further into her reason for coming here. As if she would explain anyway, at least not with much enthusiasm. It probably would've been a better thing to talk about than why he was here. He scoffed softly, peering over at her from where his head lay at his paws. "For adventure's sake," he suggested plainly, a hint of laughter lurking in his lyrics, but he seemed to brush off the question quite gladly. "Seems I felt like testing my luck today."