A sigh of pleasure was released as sore paw pads were dipped into the soothing waters of the oasis. Iolaire had been building non stop. Stones took their toll on soft pads. Blood and sweat had gone into the construction of her cottage on the plains. No one could say that Iolaire wasn't a hard worker. And if they did, they didn't know the small woman at all. There had been word of new faces within the borders of the Armada's temporary land. She hadn't seen them yet, but if they were here and they were dutiful, she would see them soon. If they were slackers, however... That was something that the Armada didn't need. Everyone had to pull their weight. Everyone had to prove that they were useful, else what was the point? Toes flexed within the water and she could feel just how sore the digits were. She had a salve in her pack to help, but that could wait until later. The little healer was enjoying her soak too much to end it now. Of course she would eventually have to stop when someone showed their face, but for now, she would continue to rest. She'd more than earned it. The low bleat of Ila the dwarf caribou pulled the woman's attention from her relaxation. Dainty skull turned. Green and gold eyes searched for the one that approached.

永程

Her gold and green eyes met a pair equally bright.

Yong Cheng stilled. His nose had told him there was another wolf present, but given how many wolves there were in this pack, and how little he interacted with them, he only barely recognised the scent.

She was a small thing, he realised, when she came into view. She was petite -- even more than he was -- and the Oasis dwarfed her. Momentarily, he felt relief -- that at least there was one slighter than he was -- but it was short-lived, the boy remembering his true standing in the pack. Officially, he was a wolf of the lowest position; in reality, he was a slave.

Presently, having paused just a few metres away from the wolf, he smiled in greeting. Here was something he could do; he still had his tongue, and therefore he could still speak. So long as he kept his voice level, there was no other indicator of his rank, unless she had been with Sirius and known.

"Hello." Yong Cheng's voice was warm and light, a little mischievous and a little cheery. His eyes were shining. His coat was windswept and the long, silken fur tussled, as it always was. It would be immediately apparent to the other wolf that he was not really a wolf, long and leggy and large-eared. He smiled genially. "You are...?"

""
OOC: In this thread I'm assuming YC has been practising recognising different plants + basic wound care so that he's not so ignorant. Also that he's seen Io around, but he doesn't know exactly who she is.

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Odette had been spending her day tackling Cordonia into a bath. For as much as she adored her feline friend, she truly did not care for a creature that only bathed itself with it's own tongue. Not to mention Cordonia was a carnivore, so her breath often stunk of death and rotting meat. So spreading that about her coat only meant Odette would be force to suffer, especially in their den at night. So the cream woman set out early in the morning to collect a fair portion of water on a piece of wood that seemed to curve just enough to hold a small amount of water. From there, she went to find desert flowers and sweet grass growing by the water, and she would throw all of it into the water, hoping the pleasant scents would transfer into the water so she could transfer that onto the desert cat. However what she didn't plan for, was how unwilling her companion would be, and just how enraged she would get when Odette threw the water on her anyway. 

Now the fawn woman walked towards the water of the Oasis, her head hung low, with a slight limp in her gait as the sting of her fresh wounds cried out at the jostling of her movements. The cat had slashed out against her cheek, and had bitten into her right shoulder with much more than a love bite in mind. Not knowing what exactly the feline had been eating that day, Odette thought it was important to wash out the puncture holes, but she needed more water to do that. She walked with the wooden bowl in her maw, but left her dignity back in the den where the feline was no doubt still dripping wet with that fierce grimace on her face. Her crown only lifted when she heard the faint bleat of a creature, and from there her gaze landed on two other wolves at the water's edge. A shy smile pulled at her lips as she continued to approach, trying her best to hiding limp but knew there was no hiding the wounds that littered her profile. "Good day, ma'am, sir." she would greet as she tried to move to the water's edge, hopeful to leave without her embarrassing story having to come to light. Of course out of all the days to have pack members mingling out and about, today would be the day.

"Odette"

It seemed as though both new recruits would find her at once. Oh how the stars aligned sometimes. The leggy male would stumble upon her first. He was an interesting looking creature.  It was obvious that he wasn't quite dog.  Wasn't your standard wolf either. It mattered little to Iolaire.  She was a firm believer that all creatures were special. Plus she had a soft spot for oddlings.

A greeting was given,  followed by an inquiry. Before responding, the minuscule woman sat  up,  gently flicking the water off of her previously submerged toes. It was then that the woman approached. She looked ragged and a little worse for wear. One silver brow arched.  Well... at least she wouldn't have to make introductions twice.  The bloodied woman offered a greeting and Iolaire finally made her own.  "I am Iolaire Akeldama. Ambassador of the Ashen Armada, healer and sister to your warlord, Sirius." Titles were long things. She continued.  "Your names?"

As she waited,  the dainty healer looked over the scratches on the females face.  "You'd best let me treat those before they get infected. Small animal claws are a breeding ground for filth." Her pack was nearby. She had a healing salve within. It would do the trick.

永程

Yong Cheng felt like she -- the wolf he now knew to be Iolaire -- was rubbing it in a little. Sister to your warlord Sirius? Well, she wasn't wrong, but wasn't Sirius her Warlord, too? While the smile on his face remained cordial and warm, Yong Cheng felt a little annoyance spring up in his heart. He was normally hard to upset; perhaps the toll of being willingly kidnapped was social exhaustion.

"Bird," Yong Cheng simply said. He didn't see any need for fanfare and pomp. Just what they could call him by would do.

Ah, and so she was a healer. This was the Iolaire he was supposed to be apprenticed to. Yong Cheng had practised saying her name enough times that it now ran smoothly off his tongue, with only a slight accent. He'd prefer not to be talking but rather watching, but if the need arose, at least he could call the healer without mishap.

Without another word, he sat, waiting for the other wolf -- Odette, he knew from a previous encounter -- to introduce herself. And then perhaps Iolaire would treat her, and then he could watch.

""
OOC:

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Cyan eyes tried there best to hide the surprise that riddled Odette when the strange female introduced herself, causing the fawn woman to halt her motions and turn her full attention to the healer. Though for a moment, Odette tried to imagine the beast warlord Sirius standing next to his supposed sister, and it took a lot of effort to pick out any similarities between the two. Sirius with his giant stature next to Iolaire's smaller version. Sirius with his near black coat slashed with blue markings compared to Iolaire's grey, white, and black coloration. Not to mention Sirius's protruding canines, whereas Iolaire, thankfully, look more normal to Odette. After meeting Sirius and Zee, Odette was beginning to think everyone had a oddity about them. After her first encounter with the Warlord and a Healer, Odette knew to be curtious to the high ranking member. "Apologies, Lady Iolaire. She would bow her head deeper in a more professional greeting, before raising her crown to face the female and male again.

When asked for their names, Odette was surprised Bird did not introduce himself more formally, as Lady Iolaire had. She shot a quick glance at the male before offering the Healer a small smile. "I am Queen Zeitgeist's Handmaiden, Odette Mooncrest." She was relieved to be able to introduce herself as anything other than a simple 'slave', though she understood her ranking in the pack as still quite low. Hopefully, if she did something worthy for the pack, she could be elevated from her position. Odette could feel her face flush with heat when Lady Iolaire spoke about her Cordonia scratches. She chuckled nervously, "That would be much appreciated, Lady Iolaire. I will try to avoid... similar wounds." With any luck, the healer would not press her for any more information, as it seemed she could already tell what kind of creature had attacked her. Though she was a little embarrassed to think her first meeting with the Healer would be for her medicinal aid, she was happy to know her. How embarrassing would it be to not know the Warlord's sister, in the future?

"Odette"

The man was one of few words, it seemed, giving only a short, clipped name in response. Again that brow arched before she turned her attention to the woman who immediately launched into 'ladies', apologies and manners. 'Lady Iolaire'... Laughter bubbled up in the small dame and she gave her head a shake. "No, no, no." Still chuckling, Io moved to a sitting position, shaking the water from her toes as she did so. "Io will do. Titles are such silly things." A grin tugged at the corners of her maw. "As if words mean something." Lifting one paw, she gestured to the silent man. "This one could claim to be Sultan of the Oasis. Wouldn't make it true. Wouldn't make it false. So, just Io, if you please." After giving her name as Odette, the polite fae agreed that she needed tending to. With a nod, Iolaire pulled her pack close. Sliding her maw inside, she pulled out the shell of a baby turtle covered with a piece of cured doeskin. "This," she explained as she peeled the skin away to expose the thick cream beneath, "is for healing external abrasions. Just a simple salve mixed with a bit of honey, beeswax, a few herbs and some oils." Coming close to Odette, Iolaire set to work, her dainty paws working deftly over the wounds in a very practiced manner. She smoothed a thin layer of the salve upon each scratch mark. As she worked, she spoke softly since they were in such close proximity. "Best get that cat in line. We can't have the Queen's Handmaiden looking a frightful mess, now can we? Sirius might very well eat it." She joked, a grin on her blackened maw. Once satisfied that each abrasion was seen to, Iolaire settled back to inspect her work. She nodded once before replacing the skin upon the little dish of ointment and sliding it back into her multi-pocketed pack. Sitting on her haunches, back straight, the tri-colored woman rubbed the remnants of the ointment into her sore paw pads. "If either of you are keen to learn the healing arts, it would be wise to find or craft a container to keep with you always. In case of emergencies, in case you should find something useful on your travels." She gave her trusty pack a little pat before settling her paws down in the sand again.

永程

Yong Cheng watched Iolaire with a small smile still on his face. It would be hard to tell what he was thinking -- he let his lips curl up into a little grin, even as Iolaire gestured towards him. Sultan, he mused, finding the word foreign to his tongue. It rolled off Iolaire's like water off a duck's back. Sultan.

If he really had been the sultan, Sirius would be minus one healer. But luckily for Sirius, Yong Cheng was no sultan, and so he couldn't leave the Armada without forsaking his life, or several limbs. Maybe an eye.

He didn't want to call her Io. Nicknames were for family. Perhaps close friends. They were not for acquaintances, and certainly not for strangers who had just met. Then again, everyone called him Bird. He supposed it could be a nickname, but he had also chosen it for himself -- it was as much his name as Yong Cheng was.

He looked on as Iolaire worked. He tried committing the ingredients to memory, tying them in with what he already knew. Honey, yes, was antibacterial -- it was good for preserving things, too. Wax, he supposed, formed the base of the salve. What a resourceful character this wolf was. Yong Cheng wondered what else she had in her arsenal. He wondered what else she had done. She might have used rather inane analogies, but he had to give it to her -- Iolaire was worth her salt.


""
OOC:

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