Only the Good Die Young

While the winter storm raged on at the mouth of the cavern, two male wolves stared at one another in disbelief, having found sanctuary in the same place at the same time. Aresenn was just as bewildered by his sudden appearance, as the two locked eyes to exchange their usual greeting before it was interrupted by a burst of coughing. Sephiran took that moment to shake his pelt, sending a spray of snow in each direction before it settled onto the ground and started to melt. Removing the snow brought a little warmth back into his body, but it wasn’t enough to stop the chill completely.

At Aresenn’s statement, his head slightly cocked to the right, lips twitching into a faint sneer. The former pirate looked worse for wear, but not in the way Sephiran was used to. He didn’t have any obvious injuries, and there wasn’t the pungent, metallic scent of blood lingering in the air. This was a different kind of ailment, one his mother had taught him about and he had seen in elder members of his pack. It was an internalized thing that had many causes and was sometimes contagious.

Caught him at a disadvantage… The words repeated inside of his head, and Sephiran couldn’t help but wonder how he would have reacted in this moment if the wolf before him hadn’t been Aresenn. It was an opportunity he wouldn’t have been able to pass up, but he considered Aresenn to be a worthy accomplice. So, he did the opposite of what he usually would have done, and decided to assist him.

As Aresenn asked about the question, Sephiran turned away from him to walk over to the pile of herbs. And, at the mention of poisoning not being his thing, he couldn’t help but be amused. “It’s not?” He retorted, picking up the bundle of elderberries, chamomile, and yarrow. The herbs didn’t look the best, given he had found them buried beneath several inches of snow. In fact, they were merely remnants of what grew in the fall, but they would have to do for now.

Sitting before Aresenn, he dropped the pile at his paws and scooted them towards him. “Eat those.” A simple demand, which he figured Aresenn would oblige. “I didn’t think winter had such an effect on you.” He remarked, trying to open up a discussion of what may have caused this.

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"Sephiran Saxe"