A soft roll of thunder brought her out of a light doze. Naps were becoming more frequent. They puzzled her, somewhat. She had never been this lazy. But it was far better than the reckless energy that had ensnared her body in her first heat cycle. She rose with a soft yawn. It was early, she deemed, according to the light outside. The sheltered ravine was lit by dark, early dawn light, darkened further by the cloud clotted sky. She turned her head and gazed down at her great black mate. A soft smile crossed her muzzle, and she leaned to breathe in his heavy male scent. It renewed the happiness in her heart. She pulled away and stretched lengthily, enjoying the pull on her back, the quiver that went through her muscles.

Straightening, she padded to the opening of her and Nova?s alcove and gazed out into the main den. It was empty, lit occasionally by the random flash of lightning outside. She gazed around the piece of Valhalla that was completely hers. And yet it was also Valhalla?s. She was Lead Healer. Wolves would come to this place, needing healing. Needing help. She stepped out of the alcove and made her way to the mouth of the cave, looking out at the dismal looking ravine. Lightning lit the sheltered place, lending the foliage of ferns and leaves a bone white gleam. Water dripped from leaf tips, and the soft trickle of the water fall had turned to a dull rush.

She stretched again. Then sat back on her haunches. Preston needed teaching. She could use a Secondary Lead Healer at her side. In her birth pack, it had been custom for a Lead healer to mate only another Healer of equal status. However, Erani would not be following that tradition. She had found love in a Warrior. She would train Preston to carry on her line, or walk beside her. She yawned, then stepped out and made her way to the pool at the base of the fall. Surprisingly, it wasn?t all that muddy. She lowered her head and took a morning drink.

Drink finished, she padded down the ravine path and came out into the full reach of the downpour. She blinked away a few drops and started off, eyes scanning automatically for herbs to gather. She meandered through the rainy backdrop of Valhalla, tail swaying damply under the deluge. Now and then, the rain would slacken, and she would spot a plant she needed and would pick it. When her mouth was full, she headed back, paws taking her into a happy trot through muddy puddles. Her paws dyed a dirty brown, she padded back down the ravine path and paused at the falls. She dipped her paws in, cleaning them. Then went inside, pausing to shake herself free of water. Then she went about the task of sorting.

She finished and rose again, padding out to the end of the ravine. She howled a long summons. It was time to start training Preston. Under the shelter of the over hang, she waited for the young male to arrive.

His thoughts were troubled, conflicting over whether his brother's sudden disappearance was his fault or not.Maybe if he had followed him that day...He shook his head. There was no dwelling on it. Neo was gone. He turned his back on Valhalla and chose his own path...Assuming he was even still alive of course... No. He wasn't dead. That much Preston knew. He was far too hardheaded to be killed...Or maybe he was just hard headed enough to rush into a battle impossible to win. He huffed as his thoughts battered around in his mind, clouding his thoughts as he moved through the downpour. Suddenly, a godsend. Erani, his mother, his teacher, his guardian, summoned him. Finally, something to get his mind off of the raging maelstrom in his head. Soaked to the bone and freezing he ran to the snow white female, splashing in puddles and trotting through mud. He could stop being Preston now. He was a frog all the way in the trek toward Erani.

He reached the Femme with his characteristic wide grin, masking the secret pain he felt toward his brother. Now was not the time to think of such things, he would instead give Erani his full attention, endeavoring to learn her trade so that he too would learn the ways of a medic wolf, and hopefully one day take her place as lead healer if all went well. The tuft of longer fur over his brow had been pushed down over his eyes by the rain and his venture into imagination had left Preston more brown than his usual sleet gray, even now water dripped from his belly onto the floor of the ravine, making him look, for lack of a better word: absurd. By now Erani would come to expect that from him, it was one of the reasons he would make such a great healer. His sunny attitude even in the darkest of times radiated off of him and at times became infectious. Enemies were impossible for the adolescent to hold on to, they would be drawn in to attack but before they could sink their fangs into him they would find themselves being invited to play. Few wolves, other than Neo. could stay angry around him when they were being asked to play the role of a hawk while he played a willy trout. Perhaps time would cure him of his whimsical view of the world, but he hoped it never did.

"You rang?" He chirped, shaking the mud and water from his fur before trotting in a wide circle around his would be mother and bumping his forehead against her chin in greeting.

CODING BY TIFF

She sat, watching the downpour, eyes thoughtful. What would she teach him first? Basics, she supposed. Scratches and other easy wounds. He would improve fast, she knew. He had already soaked up so much of what she did. The basics would be a test to see what he remembered from his time with her, and what needed attention. Another soft rumble of thunder followed a flash of sheet lightning above. And out of the rain, her young student bounded, the grin he nearly always wore plastered firmly in place upon his maw. A smile came to her own muzzle as she looked him over.

Mud plastered and rain soaked, fur in all directions, his grey coloring covered over by Nature?s earth, he did look absurd. However she only smiled at the young male. His words made her smile further. ?Yes. It?s time to begin your training. Now that Spring is in full strength, and there are herbs to teach you, I can train you to the fullest. We?ll start with the basics first. I want to see how much you remember from your time under my care, and what needs reminding. Come. Nova?s asleep, but we shouldn't wake him if we speak quietly.?

She rose to her paws and turned, leading the young mud puppy to the falls where she drank, before heading up the natural staircase into the den. ?Now. What do you use on a deep scratch. It?s dirty, so what do you do first?? She asked the question as she went over to the herbal stock. She pawed out a few different ones and lined them up. Yarrow. Agrimony. Boneset. Black Alder bark. Alfalfa. Valerian. Lady?s Slipper. Lining them up she stepped away. ?At least two of these is what you need. Pick them out, and we'll see if you're correct"? She sat back and waited, eyes occasionally drifting to the alcove her mate snoozed in.

The young wolf nodded as he struggled to maintain his balance over the smooth rocks of the staircase with his freshly wet paws, scratching at the stone floor as he struggled to remain upright. He listened intently to Erani as she gave him a symple hypothetical situation. "I'd clean the wound first." He piped excitedly...But how would he clean the wound. The answer found him as she led him to the herbs.

He paced around the aligned herbs, looking them over carefully, trying to remember his teachings. He listed off the few herbs and their uses that he knew in his mind and for a second ventured to suggest Alfalfa to stop the bleeding. He shook his head silently and went over the herbs again, fully concentrated on the task at hand. Alfalfa would keep the blood from clotting, he knew that, it would be a stupid decision to make. "First." He said, his brow knitted together as he thought "I would use the bark to clean the wound" He said firmly, "Then I would use the Yarrow to stop the bleeding." He affirmed, sitting and waiting for his teacher's reply. He was quiet as his nature would allow him to be, but hardly quiet enough to go unheard by Erani's sensitive ears. Although his knowledge of herbs was limited he was sure he had successfully healed the hypothetical wolf.

CODING BY TIFF

Erani had nodded to Preston?s quick reply. ?Very good. Now, how would you clean it?? Now she sat, watching him deliberate. She saw him hover at the Alfalfa, then move on with a shake of the head. Finally, he stepped back, and Erani leaned her head forward to hear his choices. She smiled gently. ?Black Alder, wouldn?t clean it very well. However, water, if you have it nearby would do wonderfully. Yarrow is astringent, and would do well in cleaning the wound. However, Agrimony is best for stopping bleeding. It encourages clotting in the area of the injury.?

She rose to her paws and put the herbs away. ?Now. Name four herbs that help with pain.? She smiled as she gave him a fresh challenge. Mistakes were alright, Luna knew she?d made plenty in her own time. She watched him.

He was disappointed but far from deterred, he had simply over thought the question, far from the worst thing he could have done. Although looking back, tree back in general would be a silly thing to tr and clean a wound with. But enough of the past, there was a new task at hand. Curing pain. What kind of pain he wondered. He assumed it was generally muscle pain and sprang into action. " White willow bark, Valerian, Wolfsbane and.....And....Juniper?" He said, suddenly unsure of himself. He was sure the first two would help but Juniper? He had to wonder. It cured pain in the joints and paws, but would that be an acceptable answer? What if she had meant tooth pain and he had skipped over cloves, the obvious answer. Such stress was unbecoming for him

CODING BY TIFF

Erani smiled encouragingly as the young wolf thought, then gave his answers. She nodded with each one. ?Yes, even Juniper, though it?s best for Arthritis pain. Wintergreen is also excellent for pain.? She glanced over towards the direction of her sleeping mate?s quiet snores. Then she turned her attention back to Preston.

?Now. Since Aislyn is pregnant, this would be a good time to teach you about pregnancy and birthing care for new mothers. I know, this is an embarrassing subject, but it?s one that needs to be learned.? She smiled, and rose, going back to the herb pile. She began selecting certain plants. As she chose them she named them and their uses.

?Trillium; Apart from being good for treating Gangrene, and that condition is hard to beat, Trillium is wonderful for stopping serious bleeding and hemorrhages often experience in whelping. It?s also called ?Birthroot.? Also, it is good for easing the coughing of blood.

?Motherwort; Taken regularly, three times daily, toward the end of gestation; about the last few weeks, it eases the transitions in the uterus as it contracts and changes to hold new lives. It stimulates Contractions, eases the new mother?s anxiety; my own mother said it was very helpful in her own birthing. It helps prevent miscarriage, eases false labor pains. I?d like Aislyn to start using it once she?s near her time. Though by her size, she can?t be carrying more than one or two. She?d be huge by now if it were a full litter. Ah well, better one than none.

?Wormwood; When a new mother is experiencing trouble, or her contractions are weakened and ineffective, this helps to strengthen them, and speeds the beginning if it?s going too slowly.? At last, she finished and sat back, letting him take a good look at the herbs that would be his tools.

Then she smiled and said, ?As for pups, teething puppies can be given roots from the March Mallow plant, peeled, to gnaw on.?

He listened to each instruction, each herb and each execution with piqued interest. unusual as it might be for a male he had hoped to be Aislyn's mid wife, and help her see her children into the world, although, considering how new he was in in his training he would most likely shadow Erani as she demontrated how to treat birthing mothers. But of course there would be other chances. Hell, the addition of a mate in her life meant that one day he would have to be her midwife...He almost laughed at the thought. Erani would get up mid labor and pick her own damn herbs before she needed a midwife, he'd just be there as a cheering squad while she pushed out a whole litter of healthy new Valhallans

A troubling thought entered his mind at that point. "Erani...Is there an herb that cures pain of the soul?" He asked, what if a whole litter was born stillborn? He'd need to treat the mother's soul as seriously as any injury. And what an injury it was...To carry dead with you for 9 weeks and give birth to unmoving pups. He almost threw the thought from his mind....But no. This was important. He prayed to the moon that she would give him the answer he wanted so desperately to hear. That there was a simple cure for such a horrid thing. But. By now he knew the answer. He had gone over it enough times to know for sure.

CODING BY TIFF

Like parched earth does with rain, Preston seemed to be soaking up her teachings. She noted a flicker of amusement, before his expression turned serious, and he voiced his next question. Erani?s eyes lowered to the stone and earth beneath her paws.

?I?m afraid only time can really cure that pain. There are herbs that help to ease one to dreamless sleep, Valerian is one. Lavender, another. You give Valerian in a small dose, enough to sedate. Lady?s slipper is better, milder, without some of the side effects of it?s kin. They are related. Lavender, you put in their sleeping place, where the scent can reach their noses and ease them to that other world of sleep.?

Deep blues lifted to gaze into the eyes of the young wolf. ?When you lose a wolf for the first time, you will experience this pain of the soul. Guinevere was my first. I suppose I would have grieved as deeply as Cairo, had he not put you and your siblings under my care. You and your siblings were the balm that soothed the wound in my heart.?

There was no "If's" Only "when's" he only prayed that his first was not his brother as he feared. But what if it was? What if his brother died cursing his name and hating him? He whined softly, voicing his fears silently. What would his buffer be? Who would be his saving grace if his brother died under his care?
Maybe he'd be lucky. Maybe his first would come years later like Erani's had. But...With his brother missing it was hard to feel anything but disrepair.

CODING BY TIFF

Erani gazed at her young apprentice, eyes gentle. As he whined she leaned in and gave him a soft nuzzle. ?Hush now. Death comes. He will fight you at every step, at every wolf you treat. He won with Guinevere. But I won with Blitzkrieg. Some battles, you will lose. But you will win many more than he can win. Always know that. In a way, Healers are warriors of another caliber. Warriors fight the living. We fight Death, Himself.?


She nuzzled the young male?s still slightly muddy fur. ?Have you been sleeping well?? If he hadn?t, she would have him sleep in one of the alcoves in the cave. All of the cave?s Alcoves were carpeted in thick, springy moss. He would be comfortable.

Her wods struck his eart. In a way he would become the greatest warrrior of all his siblings, while Syrynx and Epiphron battled mere wolves Preston would battle greatest enemy. Death himself. The unkillable force that would claim lives without a second thought. Would he have come for his brother too?
He nodded shyly,at Erani's question his paw trailing in the dust of the alcove floor. It was a lie, without his brother Preston was in a constant state of worry and conflict. What if he was the reason his brother had left? What if it was all his fault?

CODING BY TIFF

She studied the younger male as he nodded, but didn?t quite meet her eyes, his paws shuffling slightly. ?Preston. One of the things I value in you is your honesty. You are also not one to lie. It shows on your face, in the way you move. In your eyes when they do not meet mine. I want you to stay for the night in one of the Alcoves.

?That one to the right of mine and Nova?s has very good moss. Practically goes up to my dewclaws. This storm isn?t going to let up any time soon, so I can?t take you gathering today. I want you to use some Lavender in your bedding. An exhausted healer can make mistakes.? Her voice was firm as she gazed down at him.

?Neo will be alright. He isn?t dead, I would feel that. It?s not your fault that he ran away. If anything, I blame myself.? She nuzzled the young male again. ?Lets get back to your lesson.?

She had noticed the slight change in him ever since Neo had vanished. The unease, the worry. She was worried as well.

Sleep sounded glorious, it was something to look forward to, something to get his mind off of his troubling thoughts if only for a moment. But it would have to wait. There were still lessons to learn, and herbs to memorize. He nodded swiftly and waited for her to present him with his next task. Something Erani had mentioned struck him lightly. She blamed herself for his absence, but why? Had she done something to him? Or was it simply a guilt ridden delusion? "What do you mean you blame yourself? What could you have possibly done to drive him off?" He asked, head skewed to the side to further illustrate his confusion.

CODING BY TIFF

Erani pawed through her herb stock, looking for something more to teach him, but looked up at him as he voiced his question. She sighed, shaking her head. ?I don?t know. Maybe if I?d paid him more attention. Kept a better eye on him? Maybe he wouldn?t have left.? Her ears drooped slightly, before she turned her head back to the herbs she was looking through.

?I?ve a game to teach you. My mother taught me this one. It?s a sort of memory game. When we go out to gather herbs once this storm streak ends, I will teach you all the herbs I know that we pass, and name their uses. However, the next day, we will go the same way, and I will name them again, but I won?t name all the uses. It?s up to you to catch the missing uses and fill them in correctly.

?I want you to play the game all the time, as you?re wandering through Valhalla, or any of the other lands. Test yourself. If you find any plants that I haven?t taught you, but you feel they might be useful, bring them back, or take me to them. I may know it, but it?s not growing in Valhalla, so it?s always a good idea to note places where plants that don?t grow in Valhalla might be outside of the pack borders.?

She smiled at him. ?It?s quite a fun game, it trains your eyes to be alert for plants we need, and it?s entertaining.? She looked down at her chosen arrangement of herbs. Marigold, Meadowsweet, and Horsetail.

She?d used Horsetail on the Tortugan Leader, Kaien, to heal his sprained leg. Meadowsweet, to cure her own headaches. Marigold for surface pains, and to prevent infection. It had aided well in alleviating Blitzkrieg?s fever as well.

?Now. These three are Marigold, Meadowsweet, and Horsetail. Horsetail is a particularly interesting plant. The collagen in it helps to bind wounds back together. Dried Horsetail powder can be applied to cuts and bruises. It can also stop nosebleeds and reduces the coughing of blood in some diseases.. It helps with sore throats as well.

?Marigold is one of my favorites in severe injuries. It prevents infection, eases muscle spasms, and deals with fevers very well. It can be used on burns, as well as frostbites. Sprains, and light to heavy bruises are also well treated with this plant. It treats worms as well, and excessive bleeding so it would do well for a new mother who is experiencing too much loss of blood.

?Meadowsweet is excellent for treating aches and pains, particularly those of the joints, arthritis, and bad headaches. It also helps in relaxing the muscles, aiding sleep and getting rid of Insomnia. It?s also a wonderful fever reducer.?

She let him study the plants closely before she put them away. From the waning light outside, and the flashes of lightning being brighter, she deduced that evening had arrived.

?Well, that concludes the lesson for today. There?s a deer in that back Alcove if you?re hungry.? She stretched and rose to her paws, nodding to the Alcove she spoke of. Then she padded to her sleeping Alcove and peered in at the slumbering black male that was the mate she loved. He?d been hunting so much, she didn?t blame him for sleeping all day. Her tail swept through the air and she smiled, before turning back and going to the herb pile. She picked out a few fronds of Lavender and carried them into the Alcove she?d chosen for him. Setting them on the moss, she left his Alcove and came over to the deer to take an evening meal.

He grinned at the notion of a game, something to help his memory, and as she explained the terms of the game he tacked on a personal rule of his own, something entirely his that would make the game all the more fun. He was beyond pleased with himself, taking note of each plant and it's use, committing them to memory and muttering their names under his breath. "Marigold, Meadowsweet, and Horsetail....Marigold, Meadowsweet, and Horsetail...." But it was far from over: "Horse tail for cuts and binds, Meadowsweet for aching hinds,Marygold, for burns and bite and fevers aching through the night" He muttered under his breath, it was slightly embarrassing for a two tear old of all things to use rhymes during lessons, even those he had made up himself. They would help him, but if he could, he'd have liked to keep it his own little secret. His eyes lifted from the plants as she dismissed him to feed on venison. Without hesitation he burst for the alcove and dug into the cold carcass. He paused as Erani joined him soon afterwords and said quite assuredly: "Idun fink Neo wulftay f ou praid mwor attenton to m" His mouth still full of meat.

CODING BY TIFF

Erani chewed thoughtfully until Preston spoke up through a mouthful of meat. She looked at him and swallowed her mouthful. ?Do you really think so? Cairo feels he stepped wrong as well, somehow, but from everything I saw, he treated Neo no different than you or the others. He loves you all, and this is eating at him.? She ran her tongue over a muscle of the deer?s shoulder in thought.

?Did Neo ever say anything? Anything that could tell us where he went? I followed his last traces to the border of Valhalla, and he was headed north, toward the desert area. Perhaps he went to Lentajin? I heard they are north of us?? Her voice was hopeful. But something that she had always noticed in Neo?s personality ate at her. In a way, he reminded her of? A Blackmoon wolf. Of Shadow. She shuddered and bit down into the shoulder muscle of the deer.

But Neo had never seemed to feel included, even when they had tried to include him. He had drawn away as though they had ridiculed him. She sighed softly and shook her head, tearing a bit of the meat away. She chewed, swallowed, and felt full. Sitting up, she gazed ahead. ?You don?t think he could have gone to Tortuga?? There it was. The though that nagged at her. It was the sense of mother gets. When she feels a fear, and knows it must be true. It was a horrible feeling. A tear in the heart.

He swallowed with a loud gulp and spoke clearly:"He wouldn't have told me if he was going to leave. And he wouldn't leave entirely unless he had somewhere else to go." He said seriously. "I'm afraid he was either captured or enticed by another pack." He said grimly. He had the misfortune of knowing his brother. Of knowing that for all his talk, he wouldn't leave unless someone tempted him into it. "I don't think he hates any of us, I don't think anyone hates him, but how he felt doesn't need to be the reason, just the cause."

CODING BY TIFF

Erani nodded at Preston?s reply, and sighed quietly. ?Well, we can?t do anything right now. The best you can do, is sleep and learn the Craft.? She bent to lick the top of his head. ?It?s time for bed, for both of us. Sleep well. Keep your head on that lavender.? Rising, she turned and left the eating Alcove and made her way to the Alcove she and Nova shared. She and Preston had put a dent in the deer, and Nova would likely finish it off whenever he got up.

She stretched each leg and her back, then circled three times in her place beside Nova, before she settled against the hot side. Sighing, she lowered her head and closed her eyes. Sleep came slowly, but it came.

-Exit via dream world-

He nodded silently and walked for his alcove, turning in a circle twice before settling down to sleep in a ball, the lavender clutched in his mouth, just under his nose, soothing the dark thoughts in his mind and laying his burdens to rest. Tomorrow would be another lesson, another step closer to saving lives, but for now, he was just a sleepy two year old. Slowly his eyes shut, and he drifted away,dreaming sweet dreams in which he were any animal, but a wolf

-Exit Preston-

CODING BY TIFF