With Bellamy currently sticking close to the falls for a while longer Gavroche had been able to take time and go to the autumn-touched lands in Auster to gather some herbs for their stores. He had been keeping what he gathered in their den and he had noticed Dorian peeking over curiously when he sorted them. It filled his heart with joy to know that his children might be interested in the healing arts. Yes he had Lucette, but another pupil would be even better. Especially given how reckless their mother was. That morning, before the pups had gone off to play, Gavroche had asked Dorian to meet him by the pool of the falls when the sun got to its highest point in the sky. He had a lesson in mind for his son, two, if you wanted to get technical. Gav gathered up the only herb he felt he’d need for the lesson, willow bark from the nearby creek, and headed out to sit by the pool. Once there he lifted his gaze skyward and, sure enough, the sun was almost at its peak. Dorian should be along any moment now, he thought. "Speech" 'Thought.'

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As soon as his father told him to meet him by the pool at the base of the falls when the sun was at the highest point in the sky, Dorian spent most of the morning checking the sky to make sure he wouldn't be one minute late! It felt like time went by so slowly because he was checking so often and it seemed like he wasn't making any progress, but then he ended up getting into a little play fight with a couple of his siblings which helped make the time go by faster. The only issue then was that he started to loose track of time and get distracted from what he was supposed to be doing. In his wrestling and giggling he just so happened to end up looking at the sky and when he saw how close the sun suddenly was to the very top point of the sky he gasped and scrambled back to his paws, abandoning his siblings' wrestling without explanation, running as fast as his short limbs would carry him on his clumsy paws.

When he skidded to a stop next to his father he was panting and had a few leaves and twigs stuck in his fur from the rolling around on the ground, but he was on time! He grinned up at his dad and gave himself a shake before he plopped down onto his haunches in front of him, noticing now the piece of bark that he had with him. It was something he had seen in the supplies his dad kept before so Dorian quickly picked up on what they were doing and it made his chest puff up with excitement. "Do I get to learn what this does?" he asked eagerly, his tail wagging behind him. All the stuff that his dad could do always seemed so interesting and challenging. He didn't know how he managed to remember what all the different plants he collected were or what they did, but he did and that was so cool!

"Dorian Kedieo"

Gavroche was not kept waiting long. In fact, it seemed that Dorian had noticed the time and had come to meet him as fast as his little legs could carry him. Gavroche couldn’t help but chuckle at that. The boy looked as though he’d need proper grooming later. The tiny winged male resisted the urge to reach out and remove some of the twigs sticking out of his son’s fur, if only because Dorian seemed so interested and focused on the lesson and learning about the bark that Gavorche had gathered. “Yes, you do, and we’re even going to work on applying it as well. First things first though, you’re going to have to learn what it is. This is bark, specifically white willow bark. The willow trees where you can harvest this bark grow in moist soil, near riversides or creeks. There is a creek right outside this territory by the name of cattail creek, where I harvested this bark. It is a handy medicinal item to have around.” Gavroche drew in a breath. “The bark is made into a poultice for cuts and other wounds. I’m going to show you how to do that in a moment, and then we’re going to work on applying it as well.” The tiny winged man smiled. “I know I’m tossing a lot of information at you son, so if you need me to repeat anything, let me know. Now… the bark, as I said just a moment ago, is good on cuts, but it can also be used to ease the pain of arthritis, headaches, and cramps, and cure colds. You have to be careful, however. Allergies to willow are not uncommon and if you ignore this, in extreme cases, you can cause your patient to have internal bleeding.” Gavroche explained. “Now, let that sink in. As you can see the bark is useful. I want you to repeat back to me where you can find it, and what it is most commonly used for. This repetition will help you remember about the bark.” Gave another character a healing lesson (Dorian on White Willow Bark) 1 / 3 "Speech" 'Thought.'

His father wasted absolutely no time before launching into his lesson and Dorian was transfixed on him, listening to every word. It was a lot of information all at once, but he did his very best to remember all of it and started silently repeating parts of the lesson back to himself to help him remember it. White willow bark from trees that liked to grow in moist places like the creek that was nearby. It was like picking out what felt like the most important bits so that he could commit them to memory. Was this what all healing lessons were like? It just made him all the more impressed at his father and how he was able to remember all of this stuff seemingly so easily. He looked down at the piece of bark as his dad mentioned how it would get turned into something called a poultice, but luckily it sounded like he was going to learn how to make that so he didn't feel the need to question what it was—at least not yet. Even though his dad told him to ask him to repeat any bits he didn't catch, but he didn't want to have to ask for that! He wanted to be a natural at healing just like his dad!

He nodded with each of the things that was listed off that the bark was good for—everything from cuts to colds—but when his dad mentioned how some wolves had allergies to it that could cause them to bleed on the inside his green eyes went wide and he looked up at his dad, startled at the idea that something like that could even happen. At the request to repeat back what he had been told, Dorian nodded and replied, "It's found on trees that grow in moist places like the creek, you make it into a poultice to use it, and it's good on cuts and cramps and ar... arthritis and headaches and colds! But some wolves are allergic!" He grinned proudly, his pale, golden chest puffing up with the confidence that he had definitely gotten all of that exactly right word for word—definitely not missing anything at all. His head tipped to the side slightly as he asked, "If it's kinda dangerous sometimes, why do we use it? Is there other stuff we could use that's not as dangerous?"

"Dorian Kedieo"

Gavroche’s son seemed to digest the information well. The winged wolf listened proudly to the boy repeating the info. He gave an approving nod, his green gaze showing with delight how easily his son caught on. “Very good.” Gav told him. Dorian had noticed that the bark could be dangerous at times as well. Gavroche nodded again at this before he spoke. “It will depend on the sort of herbs you have available and the type of wound, truthfully for some cuts, if they are available, you can use marigolds for example. Applying their petals on top of the wound can help treat them after they’ve been cleaned, as well as burns or insect bites and stings. Unfortunately, you’re not always going to have the best herb available, and that’s another reason I went with the bark. It was easier to find.” Gavroche drew in a breath. “There will be times when your only choice will be to use an herb that has some sort of side effect. Arming yourself with the knowledge of these side effects can be very helpful in those situations. Not to mention there may be times when the benefits of using an herb outweigh the potential risks.” He explained, hoping that it would all make sense to the boy. He shifted a little, motioning back to the bark. “Now, back to the bark. The poultice I mentioned is a wet bandage to be used over cuts. You can mix the bark in water if you have something to mix it in or you can chew it and apply the poultice directly. I’m going to have you practice tending to a wound as well, as well as making and applying the poultice.” At this, Gav leaned down, and, using his right canine tooth he sliced across his own foreleg. Blood welled up from the cut though it wouldn’t be anything dangerous. Then he lifted his head and looked back to his son. “To treat a wound you must first take care of the bleeding, and clean the wound. Sometimes dirt will mix with the blood, or foliage, depending on how far a wolf travels before meeting with a healer. You will lick the wound clean or, if you have something you can dip in the water, like a cloth, fur, or wool, you can use that to clean the wound as well. At the end of the day though you’re going to use your own tongue to clean a lot of injuries. Now, come forward and lick the cut until the bleeding stops. From there I’ll have you work on the poultice, and then we’ll apply it.” Gavroche’s gaze softened. “You can do this, Dorian, believe in yourself.” ----------------------------------------- Gave another character a healing lesson (Dorian on White Willow Bark / Making a Poultice) - 2 / 3 Gave another character a healing lesson (Dorian on treating a cut) - 1 / 3 "Speech" 'Thought.'

Dorian listened with a curious tilt of his head as his father explained how Marigold could be used instead, but also the benefit the bark had of being easier to find. That definitely made sense and it was good to know that there were other things that could be used for the same problem if one thing or another wasn't readily available. He wondered how many other things could be substituted and swapped out like that, but his dad had already moved on so he kept that question to himself for now. He nodded with understanding as his dad added how the "dangerous" herb might be the only option and that sometimes the benefit could be worth the risk. He didn't like the idea of possibly making someone more hurt when he was trying to make them better, but maybe that was just part of it sometimes.

Then his dad turned the attention back to the original focus of the lesson, the willow bark, and brought up the poultice that could be made from it. Chewing up bark didn't sound all that fun, but if that was the only way to make the bark useful then he'd of course do whatever the job required. He didn't know what wound he was going to practice treating, but then his dad surprised him by cutting his own leg, making Dorian's gaze go wide for a moment when he saw the blood welling up to the surface and through his fur. His matching green gaze turned up toward his father's again with a bit of concern as he was told about how to clean wounds and what their next steps would be. He was supposed to lick the blood off and clean the scratch like that? He wasn't certain about it, but when his dad's gaze softened and he gave him a bit of encouragement, Dorian did his best to give him a brave smile in return and looked back to the cut that he was presented with. He put his smaller forepaws on his father's leg to hold it steady and part the fur out of the way to see the cut a little better and—after another moment of hesitation—dipped his head a bit to lick away the dripping blood to clean around the cut. "Like that?" he asked after a moment, peeking up at his dad.

"Dorian Kedieo"

The winged male expected a bit of hesitation like Lucette had given him the first time he’d given this lesson. There was always some shock at seeing your parent willingly create a wound, but there would be times when a healer might have to work on their loved ones. This small shock was but a taste of what might actually come someday. Given Bellamy’s history, and some of the recklessness their other children had betrayed thus far by going for shinies in a crow’s nest, he was sure that he, Luce, and Dori would have their work cut out for them. He wanted them all to be ready. He hoped that Dorian wouldn’t need to help with any serious wounds in the near future, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Gavroche watched as the boy put his smaller forepaws on his leg to keep it steady. He hesitated a bit longer, a second moment, but Dorian did move to do as he was asked. The calico male gave a nod of approval, offering his son a reassuring smile as he peeked up. “You are doing a good job so far! Just like that, yes. As you clean the wound you’re actually slowing the flow of blood that is coming out. For a larger wound, you might need to make a compress and hold it against the wound to stop the bleeding. I’m hoping that will be a lesson for you much later in life… Thankfully this one is not severe, and it is easy to help it clot and keep the blood from flowing.” Gavroche motioned toward the bark. “Now for some more legwork. Take the bark and start working it into a pulp in your mouth. Don’t swallow any of the juices if you can help it - you can actually lose some of the healing properties if you do that. You’ll work it until there is no roughness of the bark left, and then you’re going to spread it out across the cut. Typically wounds you’ll use the poultice on will be a bit bigger than this so you’d need more for a wider area. This cut won’t take much to cover, though. Take a breath and begin, son, you’re doing wonderful.” He felt proud of the sandy-colored boy. He’d been taking in a fair amount of information and working well with it so far. Maybe Dorian would be the one to surpass him as a healer when he got older. ----------------------------------------- Gave another character a healing lesson (Dorian on White Willow Bark / Making a Poultice) - 3 / 3 Gave another character a healing lesson (Dorian on treating a cut) - 2 / 3 "Speech" 'Thought.'

Dorian grinned proudly when his dad approved of his work and he kept going, listening to the part about how this helped stop the blood from flowing as well with interest. He gave a small nod as well as his father explained how he might need to use a compress of some kind for bigger wounds to get them to stop bleeding. He also hoped he wouldn't have to treat a wound that big for a long time either. He didn't want any of his family to be hurt, but he did want to be ready just in case something happened! Once the wound was cleaned enough and the blood was no longer dripping from the cut, he looked up to his dad expectantly for his next instructions.

He was then directed to the bark he had just been learning about. Dorian turned his green gaze down toward the pieces of bark and already he wasn't exactly looking forward to having to chew on that, but he knew that not everything about a job could be entirely pleasant. It was just a necessary part of all of this he supposed and it was a small price to pay to make sure cuts and scrapes were treated correctly! He gave another nod and then picked up the piece of bark in his mouth to begin chewing it up. As expected it was bitter and earthy and a really weird texture to be chomping into. Dorian grimaced a bit as he chewed, but he quickly got more used to the taste and the texture wasn't so bad once he got it smoothed out a bit. Once it seemed ready, he started pressing the poultice onto the cut just like his dad told him, trying to take his time to make sure it didn't get all messy as he did so. When he felt like he was done he leaned back, examining his work a bit, before looking up to his dad. It wasn't super clean and neat and his mouth still tasted like bark, but he was hopeful as he looked up to his dad for his assessment of his work.

"Dorian Kedieo"

Gavroche waited, watching his son’s movements, trying to read his thought process. He knew that chewing on the bark wasn’t necessarily pleasant, but not all aspects of being a healer were necessarily fun or enjoyable. He had always enjoyed learning aspects about herbs, and their uses, but putting some of it into practice was less enjoyable. He remembered the first time he’d needed to tend to a wound… and when tending to someone you cared about it was always harder. But Gav believed in his son and had faith that Dorian would be a master of both skills: Fighting and healing. A bit of both his mother and father. His son took the bark into his mouth and Gavroche gave a slow nod as he noticed Dorian grimace. “The strongest medicines tend to not taste very good, I know.” Once the mixture was ready, Dorian applied it. Then his son leaned back, examining his work. Gavroche grinned. “A job well done. With a bigger wound, you can spit out more of the saliva that built up. It’ll be less messy the more you have to spread out the mixture. Once you’ve gotten this far with smaller wounds you shouldn’t really need to worry about them. Once the poultice dries up it’ll fall off in time on its own. And with bigger wounds you’ll check the progress of the healing when it does, recleaning and applying a poultice as needed.” Gavroche reached out and nosed his son’s cheek. “Though I’m hoping we won’t need to deal with anything like that for a long time.” He chuckled softly. “Now why don’t we go for a walk? That was a bit of a lengthy lesson, but you saw it through to the end. I’m proud of you son.” ----------------------------- Gave another character a healing lesson (Dorian on treating a cut) - 3 / 3 "Speech" 'Thought.'

Dorian grinned proudly when his dad praised his work and then listened closely as he went on to tell him about how to do a similar thing with different sized wounds. He nodded along while he listened to show he was paying attention, occasionally letting his grass green gaze drift to the cut he had just treated and examining his work again to see if there was anywhere he had missed or maybe just making note of how it had spread out while he considered if there was anything different he could do next time. When his dad nosed his cheek, however, and suggested they take a walk, Dorian nodded eagerly and got to his paws and put his attention back onto his dad and the world around them. There was so, so much to learn and he just kept finding even more things he didn't know about, but he was excited to keep going and learn even more so he could become the best healer ever. "Okay, dad!" he replied easily and followed along beside his dad as they walked off, trotting along beside his father happily.

"Dorian Kedieo"