Álarr had had the good fortune to start recovering from his illness. Mushrooms still grew out of his ears but the were shriveling up and his cough was growing less frequent and easier to bear. Now that he was at least part way on the mend, even if he was weak, he could tend better to his pack mates. First on his list was Pesto. He carried a warm bowl of marshmallow and comfrey tea in a water skin made from a buffalo bladder that could handle the warm beverage. In addition he had an ointment made of garlic, common elm, and house leek. Each herb had various antifungal properties. He'd been successful in using common elm to treat ringworm and hoped maybe it would help.

Álarr settled in front of Pesto's den. "Pesto, you in here? May I come in?"

Pestilence had locked herself away in her den, unable to handle the evolving sickness on top of Rasha's overblown reaction to her motherly compassion. The yearling had stupidly drank a random-ass potion the fireflies had given her and Pesto was too slow to bat the thing out of her paws in time. Rasha had accused her of hating her child, of wanting her gone, it had been painful and not at all true. While Pesto's condition worsened she quarantined herself away from the yearling, both to avoid more painful words and to ensure Rasha did not catch what Pesto had.

Alarr's voice broke her from her thoughts and she opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Swallowing hard against her raw-from-coughing throat, she tried again. "Come in." She managed, though the words were soft. The last time she saw Alarr he was as bad off as she was - how had he managed it all the way to her den in this state? Heavy with mushrooms and hardly able to breathe, Pestilence did not think she could walk even five feet in her condition.

A raspy voice bid him enter. Álarr shifted his items and slipped to enter her den. Even before he laid eyes on her he knew her sickness was growing. He could smell the increasing stench of mold and fungus. Once inside he saw Pesto laying there, covered heavily in mushrooms. He set his items down. "Oh Pesto, I'm so sorry. I wish I had a cure but I have something that may help." He pulled a ceramic bowl from his bag then poured the tea from the waterskin into it. "Here, for your cough. I also brought an antifungal ointment. If you wish I'll trim those mushrooms and spread it on." It was useless to extract them but he could at least try cutting them back a bit and inhibiting their growth.

Alarr's empathy brought a sigh from her lips and Pesto merely nodded as he apologized, wishing once more he had a cure for this suffering. "You look better." She managed softly, eying her friend and noticing how his growths had lessened signifigantly. Alarr had brought herbs and things - had he somehow cured himself with these? If that was the case, Pesto was absolutely down to try anything he suggested. "Okay, go ahead." She agreed, shuffling her hips so she could lay somewhat on one side, giving him full access to the mushrooms along the other. Alarr placed a bowl of tea before her and Pesto sipped it cautiously, holding back the coughing that was brewing in her lungs. "Thank you, Alarr." He had been such a good friend to her all her life, and Pesto genuinely did not know what she'd do without him.

Álarr opened the tin and set it aside. "Yea, I think I'm finally starting to heal. I hope I can help you and the others." Although he knew for some he was too late. He'd heard of Valdís and Ásvor's fate from Afi and felt tremendous guilt he hadn't been able to do more for them. "Ok, this is going to hurt." Álarr picked up a knife in his teeth then set about cutting off the mushrooms as close to the flesh as he could safely get. He then used his paw pads to apply the anti-fungal ointment. He worked in silence, focusing on what he was doing in an effort to help his friend. He only hoped that this would have some effect. If anything he could ease her symptoms and give her own immune system time to fight off the disease.

Alarr got to work (and warned her that it would hurt) and Pestilence gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation. Armed with a knife, the man began to cut the mushrooms close to her flesh. They felt alive and attached to bone, and Pesto was forced to give a few unconcealable whimpers as he sliced at the fungus. Her jaw ached from how hard she was clenching it, though Alarr worked fast and soon began to apply the anti-fungal ointment carefully to the remnants of the mushrooms. Her friend said nothing, working in silence to treat her. "Have you found a course of treatment for the crystal-infliction, yet?" Pesto ventured. Small talk, anything to keep her mind off the fact that her friend was currently attempting to de-shroom her.

Pestilence

You feel fireflies under your skin, but when you scratch, there's nothing there.



You gain:

• Crystals (9x)- Used in Firefly's Shoppe, and perhaps elsewhere...