nothing left to lose
11-12-2017, 02:02 PM
The soft breathiness of her once-vibrant voice shook Kassander to his core, but he took great pains not to show it as he listened. What could he tell her? What could he say that would give her comfort and happiness? He wanted to tell her to save her strength and rest, but he was too much a healer not to know that there was little rest could do for her now. You couldn't rest enough to chase away the ravages of time. And if she wanted to hear about him, as odd as that was to Kassander, then he would happily oblige her for her sake.
"I've been here and there," he told her quietly, keeping his voice light with an effort. "I met a lemur a few years ago that taught me to create a drink out of fermented fruit that wolves seem to like enough to trade for. We lived in the far north with Yfir, and Katja would trade it to the other packs for us. But she was called away some time ago and the pack was dissolved, so I was somewhat at loose ends."
He stopped to consider, and gently smoothed the fur between her ears as though comforting a pup - an action that was as much comfort to him as it was meant for her. "I spent a lot of time learning to craft different things, but I'm not really meant to be a lone wolf I suppose. I joined another pack called Ivory Ridge, and stayed with them when it was given to another alpha and became Crew."
He had to smile wryly, thinking of the motley group that he'd found himself with then. He hadn't really fit in much with that wild bunch had he? "They were... interesting. Not as interested in trading or crafting so much as drinking the stuff I made and counting coup against other packs. But they needed a healer as much as anyone else does, and they weren't really a bad sort so much as a little wild, so I stayed. They weren't really meant to last very long, I guess, and the alpha dissolved it a little while back. Now..." he shrugged carefully, not wanting to jostle her.
"And you, Epiphron? How are your children faring? And grandchildren now I'm sure?"
"I've been here and there," he told her quietly, keeping his voice light with an effort. "I met a lemur a few years ago that taught me to create a drink out of fermented fruit that wolves seem to like enough to trade for. We lived in the far north with Yfir, and Katja would trade it to the other packs for us. But she was called away some time ago and the pack was dissolved, so I was somewhat at loose ends."
He stopped to consider, and gently smoothed the fur between her ears as though comforting a pup - an action that was as much comfort to him as it was meant for her. "I spent a lot of time learning to craft different things, but I'm not really meant to be a lone wolf I suppose. I joined another pack called Ivory Ridge, and stayed with them when it was given to another alpha and became Crew."
He had to smile wryly, thinking of the motley group that he'd found himself with then. He hadn't really fit in much with that wild bunch had he? "They were... interesting. Not as interested in trading or crafting so much as drinking the stuff I made and counting coup against other packs. But they needed a healer as much as anyone else does, and they weren't really a bad sort so much as a little wild, so I stayed. They weren't really meant to last very long, I guess, and the alpha dissolved it a little while back. Now..." he shrugged carefully, not wanting to jostle her.
"And you, Epiphron? How are your children faring? And grandchildren now I'm sure?"