Maybe Next Time

Caedes met her laughter with a wry half smirk, a brief flicker of mirth in his usually stoic expression. “Perhaps I will,” He replied, his voice carrying a sarcastic edge. “Though I doubt the pack would be very receptive.”

As Aurelia accepted the jar of herbs with thanks, Caedes inclined his head slightly. “You are welcome.” The dire brute said simply, the moment of gratitude from her was not lost on him. He watched as she carefully stowed the jar away, noting the flicker of trust in her eyes. He shrugged the thought away, opting to focus on the present.

When her curiosity shifted to the stonefish spine needles he’d brought out, Caedes couldn’t help but feel a spark of pride. He watched her study the needle, the mix of anticipation and skepticism in her gaze not going unnoticed. “I doubt I will ever discover all the uses possible in my lifetime, but there is hope.” The brute replied, his tone serious yet tinged with excitement. He was rather fixated on studies, after all.

As she turned the needle over in her paw, her pain barely concealed, Caedes’ mind ran through what else he could offer her in the way of pain relief. But her resilience impressed him, even as he noted the toll it was taking on her. He’d hoped at that moment that she would have an easy birth at the very least. “The reliability is promising, though aside from tests I have not had the opportunity to use them in real situations.” He explained, his voice steady and confident.

Taking the needle back from her, he considered her questions carefully. “A first resort, no. Not yet. It is more of an option when conventional methods are not sufficient, or when a more immediate effect is needed. Desperation is not the ideal scenario, but it is often where innovations such as this find their place.” Caedes admitted, meeting her gaze with a steady intensity.

He could sense the challenge in her words, the test of his skills and knowledge. He met her gaze as he retorted. “And everything to gain.” He added, his voice carrying a small note of camaraderie as his lips curled upwards in a grin. “By all means, if you think of any uses, I am taking suggestions.” His tone was still a low rumble, but lighter than his usual detachment; his excitement for his experiments seeing through the cracks.