Brother, Brother
Skill Point thread: Healing.
| Paladin 'Knight' Ancora |
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The snow based young male trotted amiably beside one of the Nomads, chatting amicably over the various uses for Partridgeberries. His black marked face and his sapphire and amethyst mixed eyes were intent as he glanced at the wolf he spoke to – one of his mentors among the pack – and finished, using the Old Tongue, "Agus is féidir leis cabhrú breithe gan stró, cosúil le Motherwort, agus féadfar é a úsáid freisin chun Tobscoir toircheas ... Cé go cén fáth go mbeadh duine ar bith a iarraidh é sin a dhéanamh é thar dom..."
His black browpoints furrowed in thought, though he smiled as the silver and white female nodded approval. She was one of his aunts, he’d found. A younger litter than his mother’s, but no less knowledgeable, especially since she’d stuck with the Nomads to continue her training into master levels of healing knowledge. Kavamaya had been one of his favorite mentors. She smiled at his words, knowing they’d get to reasons why aborting a litter would be beneficial in a moment, and said, instead, "Má dhéanann tú é isteach i ointment le saill fianna rindreáilte, is féidir leat é a fhorordú le máthair le tirim, siní tinn. D'fhéadfadh sé laonna dhíspreagadh ó altranais, áfach, mar sin cuir duilleoga mint chun é chun cuidiú leis an blas."
Temporarily turned from his thoughts of abortions, Paladin smiled, tail wagging slowly as he nodded, soaking up the knowledge gleaned. Kavamaya added, gentling her voice, "Agus uaireanta, tá sé dhi agus níos sábháilte a Tobscoir le linn toirchis go luath, in ionad bheith in ann an leanaí marbh-bheirte, nó breithe a mharaíonn leanaí agus máthair araon. Bhí i gceist Nach bhfuil gach duine a bheith bheannaigh le máithreachas." Paladin gazed back at her warm amethyst eyes as he registered the words, then nodded, understanding settling the confusion. But, how would one know when a pregnancy was good and strong, and when it was too risky to continue?
His jaws parted, but at that moment, a clump of the Nomads’ children came racing up, yipping and laughing, tumbling over paws and tripping some travelers. "Uncail Paladin! Uncail Paladin! Féach cad a fuair muid!" One of the pups, a girl, pranced forward, white tipped black tail whipping several of her playmates in the face as she presented their catch. A small antler was clutched in her still blunt muzzle, and her wide green eyes were sparkling with pride at the find.
Paladin wasn’t their uncle, but many of the children in the pack had taken to calling him Uncle. He bent, grinning as he examined the points, making guesses as to what they could be used for. Broken and sharpened just right, he thought he could see a way to poke holes through hides and bind them with sinew… "Sin iontach a aimsiú iontach, laonna. Ba chóir go mbeadh sé seo a bheith an-úsáideach!" His mid-baritone voice was warm, a bright grin over his face as he took the proffered gift, and the pups leapt and tumbled and pranced away to join the procession.
In all, there were about twenty individuals in the group. This was only one of many groups of the Nomad Pack. They never stayed in one place, nor in one giant pack, instead breaking into groups, almost like clans or tribes, and traveling that way, gathering each year when they could. The group he traveled with were one of two that wandered the continents, often crossing to others through ice bridges in the winter, or land bridges when they found them. Now they traveled through the western portion of Boreas, escorting Paladin home, at last.
They’d had to skirt a pack border at one point, and that hadn’t been there when he’d followed his mother and cousin and his sister before. But the borders had smelled familiar… Faite? What did that mean for Celestial? His head lifted and he twisted it around to drape the antler over his back, then confided to Kavamaya, "Tá imní orm. Cad a tharlaíonn má Celestial é nach bhfuil ann?"
It was a worry that had been weighing on his mind since they’d left the other pack’s borders behind. Kavamaya leaned to dash a lick on her nephew’s cheek, nosing it gently before she assured him, with unswerving certainty, "Beidh na gasóga bheith ar ais in aghaidh an lae, agus táimid ag a chur ar bun campa go luath. Ach geallaim duit, ceapaim go bhfuil do phacáiste breá." Aunt and nephew gazed at each other for a long few moments, before Paladin nodded, sighing and turning his head to gaze off toward his home. He sure hoped she was right.
~
The camp bustled as wolves settled into a wide, grassy basin of land near the coast. The out-runners that kept an eye open for good resting and camping places had returned to say that this was the most acceptable place to set up a camp, and the pack had brought down a deer. Instead of digging into the downed beast, the Nomads systematically portioned it out, keeping the hide and bones, and the sinews specially to dry in the sun and store to carry. The Nomads had been ever ingenious in finding ways to heal wounds, and they’d found a way, while tedious and difficult with only paws and jaws, to close the wounds more effectively than with spider webs.
Paladin himself had eaten well and was laid out, gazing up at the sky. Soon he’d be home. How were his siblings? Was Justice alright? Had his mother and the Archangel made it in time to save Surreal? So many questions were about to be answered in just a day or so.
A call came out from one of the guards that kept their eyes open for danger. Someone had been found in the desert by the out-runners, and needed help. The snowy based healer in training was quick to his paws and bounding toward the call, heart thumping in his throat as it always did when they found a wolf in need of healing assistance. A burst of adrenaline, before he forced his heart rate to slow and his head to remain focused. He was ready to work.
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Fatigue plagued him as he wandered the sandy river-bed. There were no thoughts about his previous moons alone. None of the things he'd learned applied now. Had he been foolish to traverse the desert alone, without knowing his way, without a guide? As he became more and more light-headed, his body feeling heavy, his throat dry and tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth, the more he believed he'd acted foolishly setting out on his own like this. But he'd been so ready to return home, if only he'd known the way... Suddenly, he caught scent of water. He paused in his movements, trying to steady his legs as he breathed in the scent. It wasn't a trick... he knew what he smelled was true. There was moisture somewhere ahead.
Inspired, Exodus continued on, but his body had already begun to slow down, to give out. Hew as too tired, too thirsty, too hungry. And despite the season, the sun still glared down on him, and the sand beneath his paws was relentless. At last, he felt he couldn't go on, his legs buckling beneath him, his paws throbbing and burnt from the sand. He flopped to the ground onto his side, panting heavily. The sun was beginning to fall in the sky, but it was still too hot, his coat built to endure the coldest weather. His eyes began to blink closed, wondering what he would do if he couldn't keep himself from sleeping; would he ever wake up again? Trying his best to stretch his limbs and keep his eyes peeled, he felt himself being pulled slowly into unconsciousness. It was then that someone appeared, looking him over and speaking in words he did not recognize.
The wolf seemed concerned, but Exodus didn't recognize him, and he wasn't sure if he was hearing right. Was this wolf speaking in a manner he should understand, or was his mind just too far gone from the heat and exhaustion? Weakly, the boy lifted his head and looked up to the wolf, his multi-colored gaze focused on him. "Please, help," he whispered roughly, his throat dry and raspy, "I don't think I can keep going on my own." All he could do now was hope this wolf understood, and would help him. Oh, why had he ever gone off on his own? He should have known better. Laying his head back down tiredly, the only thing he could do now was wait, hoping that help would come to him - if one wolf had found him, perhaps there would be others, perhaps they could help him get to his paws, find some water and help with the burning sensation in the pads of each paw.
| Paladin 'Knight' Ancora |
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Powerplay allowed by Shadowed :D
The outrunners had set back out after informing the pack that the basin, exploring widely. Two had broken off toward the desert. Barren as the sandy lands might have seemed, there was still life, and herbs that could be found. They’d been out for a good hour when they came across the staggering dark figure.
Tavaya tipped her head toward the boy and they altered their course to intercept the boy, just as he fell. They bounded forward, Kavaros stopping to pull at the bindings around his ribs that held a pair of long saplings and a length of hide to his side. Tavaya bent, speaking urgently, sapphire eyes concerned. "Ní mór duit a fháil ar bun, ceann óg. Suas, anois."
There was no recognition of the language, and she switched swiftly to the Common tongue, repeating in an accented voice that held a strong similarity in accent to Paladin and Xodus’ mother’s brogue, You must get up, young one. Up, now." The boy rasped a response, which told her how badly off he was, even before Kavaros called gently, "Níl aon rud ar sé, Tavaya, beidh orainn é a iompar ar ais. Cabhrú liom stráice seo amach."
Tavaya nodded and gave the boy a gentle lick on the brow before she went to Kavaros and helped the pale sand colored male stretch the hide out, lashing the edges to the saplings with thinner strips through holes that had been poked into the edges. As they went back to the boy, Kavaros bent and took hold of the boy’s scruff in a nip, tugging slightly and letting go, watching the slow return to relaxation of the boy’s hide with a frown. Dehydrated and in heat shock. The paws were burnt, too.
As one, the two outrunners took big grasping bites of Exodus’ scruff and back, lifting together and dragging the limp frame onto the hide. They worked their way under the ends of the saplings and set off with their found stray.
~
It was evening when they reached the edge of the basin, and Tavaya sent out a howl for assistance as they descended down the ridge into the shade and the grass. Paladin arrived shortly after, staggering to a stop as he saw the wolf they bore between them. “Xodus?” The name came as an incredulous gasp, before he bent to his work of checking his own brother’s vitals as the outrunners set him down and stepped away, panting.
His eyes flicked up to the other healers that had approached. "An bhfuil muid aon cheann de na lamhnáin uisce? Agus duilleoga aló? Is cuimhin liom ag bailiú roinnt inné ..." There was an edge to his voice as he asked. He couldn’t allow his brother to die. Not when he’d just reunited with him, although Xodus wasn’t very conscious at the moment.
Kavamaya nodded, turning and howling to one of the apprentices across the camp. "Tá a fhios agat air, ansin?" She asked, turning back to Paladin and bending to sniff the other male, nodding without him having to answer. Brother. This was another nephew. Another child of her sister. No wonder Paladin was so determined and edgy.
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Fortunately for him, the wolves that had found him knew what they were doing. They recognized his distress, and they formulated a plan to help him quickly. He was reassured when the female gently licked across his brow, a gesture that seemed oddly familiar. Again, it reminded him of his mother, and he found himself wondering about her... missing her sorely. All he wanted in this moment was to be comforted by her, but he'd been away from her so long, he wasn't sure if such a thing would ever be a possibility. But it didn't stop him from thinking of her now, and he tried to focus on his thoughts as the two wolves began to wok on moving his hefty frame.
It was a painful process as the two wolves moved him onto the stretched hide; they took turns dragging him by his dehydrated pelt, his stretched out skin hardly snapping back into place as it should. He was a big boy, so it wasn't as simple as moving a small pup across the sand - despite his hunger and exhaustion he was hefty for his age, and he could feel the struggle in the way they pulled at him to get him onto their stretcher. He groaned somewhat, and he tried to shuffle his paws in the sand as though to push himself along as they pulled, but he wasn't sure if it helped at all. It only seemed to hurt more as he pressed his sensitive, blistered paws into the hot, gritty sand.
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Exodus slept as soon as the wolves had moved him onto the stretched out hide, feeling as though he'd been blessed with some sort of safety, a momentary haven. It had been such a relieving feeling that he almost felt as careless as a little pup again, relying on the knowledge of the adults that had rescued him, having faith that they would have all of the answers, that they would be able to save the day. He only woke again when he heard a familiar voice, but one he'd not hear in a long time, so long in fact that it should not be familiar at all; however, he recognized it all the same, as though he'd never been apart from his brother. His head lifted slowly, and his unfocused, blinking eyes sought out the familiar face - there it was. His brother Knight. A weak grin spread across the boy's face. "Knight?" he said softly, "Is this a dream, or... Ah'm not about to die, am I?" A slight tone of worry tinged his voice as he suddenly tried to focus more vividly on his sibling. This was real, wasn't it?
The way his brother set to work on him so quickly worried him a bit, yet at the same time it set him at ease. Everything would be okay. His brother was here, and there was a whole team of wolves to help. Where they'd come from, he had no idea but it didn't matter. He laid his head to the ground, his eyes slowly shutting once more as he heard an unfamiliar she-wolf call to a younger wolf.
The young male made haste as he heard his mentor call out - he'd been listening, waiting anxiously for his turn to play a role, but not wanting to be in the way of the experienced healers. When Kavamaya howled to him, he dashed over quickly, his tail low and ears back, eyes wide as he looked to the situation that was clearly dire. He had already heard their conversation, and without the need for further instruction, he glanced over the wolves quickly, and then quicklly made off to grab the water bladder. And he remembered where they'd stored the Aloe leaves, too. He would grab all of it, and take that worry away from the rest of the healers as they tended to other important tasks.
Tavamos dived toward the small dug-out space the pack had made to store their goods temporarily, snuffling through the items there until he found what he needed. The water bladder, and the Aloe leaves. He snatched them up and headed for the fresh water of the Basin. Setting down the thick, prickly leaves, he leaned toward the water with the bladder held firmly in his jaws, filling it with water until it was rather heavy. He set it down carefully until he could arrange a good hold on the bladder and the leaves, and then he picked them up and set off, heading back to the site where all the commotion was. Tavamos approached the healers quickly, carefully setting down the goods he'd brought. "Thug mé an t-uisce, agus fágann an aló. Le do thoil, an bhfuil rud ar bith eile de dhíth ort? (I've brought the water, and the Aloe leaves. Please, is there anything else you need?" the boy stood anxiously, ready to take off at a moment's notice should he be asked to retrieve anything else, or to help here should they need extra paws.
| Paladin 'Knight' Ancora |
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It was a mild relief that Exodus recognized him, though Pal had to smile and correct him. “Yeah, it’s me; but I changed my name to Paladin a while back. You’re not gonna die, either.” He added, voice stern. ”Not if I have anything to say about it.” It almost felt strange to speak Common, though all Nomads spoke it just as fluently as the Old Tongue. In fact, the Nomads as a whole were language hounds, eagerly learning any language that they happened across, and spreading their knowledge along the lines to the rest. He, himself knew a few other languages, though not as fluently as Old and Common. He’d heard them called Irish and English, but he preferred the names the Nomads used.
As the apprentice arrived, he smiled, swiftly switching to the Old tongue without thought. "Go raibh míle maith agat an méid sin, Tavamos. Socraigh iad ag a cheann. Ba mhaith liom an lamhnán gar go leor dó a bheith in ann a ól gan puinn dua." He nodded to Xodus’ head, indicating a spot by his muzzle. The bladder was actually the stomach of a small prey animal that had been painstakingly sealed at one end by one of the Nomads’ companions, a primate of some kind with nimble fingers. He hoped to one day find a companion as wonderfully intelligent and useful at that one.
To Exodus, he smiled, flipping back to Common as he nodded to Kavamaya as she leaned to gaze down at her dark nephew, taking in the similar markings. Less of her sister dwelled in this boy’s features than they did on Paladin’s frame, clearly taking after the father. She hoped she could meet the male that had sired such a fine, bright mind, and a strong, stubbornly resistant to death boy such as Exodus, here. “This is our Aunt Kavamaya. She’s mother’s younger sister. We’re with the Nomads, Xodus.”
He paused to pick up a stone another apprentice had brought. It was sharp along one edge, and he picked it up in his jaws, and carefully drew the edge along the soft underside of several Aloe leaves, exposing the gel. Carefully, he flipped the opened leaves and bent to nose the gel into Exodus’ pads, rubbing the soothing stuff into each toe and discarding the emptied leaves as he went.
As he went, Kavamaya turned to Tavamos and smiled gently, giving the eager young wolf a task. "Tavamos, más féidir leat a fháil ar roinnt de na seithí úsáidimid a chosaint ar na laonna 'cosa sa bhfásach, a bheadh iontach." As the apprentice left, a pup popped from the bustling wolves, bouncing to approach and sniff at Exodus, her bright green eyes glancing quizzically up at Paladin.
"Cé atá sé, Uncail Paladin?" Her voice was piping, sweet and clear, and her tail began wagging hard enough to send her staggering slightly onto her rump as she added excitedly, "An bhfuil sé cara nua?!" Paladin smiled, nudging Xodus to look at the water bladder Tavamos had left by his head and ordering ”Drink, but slowwwly. Your body needs a chance to absorb it. Little laps.” To the pup, he added ”Yes, Yalamaya, he’s a friend. This is Exodus, my brother. And he doesn’t speak the Old Tongue well, so let’s speak Common.”
Yalamaya squirmed, dashing a quick lick over Xodus’ face by way of greeting, with all the exuberance of a pup who had never had to learn that not everyone was a friend in the world. ”Hello, Ezodus!” Then something diverted the girl’s attention, and in that way pups had, she was off like a shot, present company forgotten as she tackled the next adventure in her young life. That adult’s tail, for instance.
Paladin smiled fondly before turning his attention back to his brother. "Can't wait to have some of my own, someday." He grinned.
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He barely paid attention to what the young apprentice was doing, more focus on his brother, the one familiar wolf surrounding him, which brought him comfort. When he saw one of the female wolves glancing down at him, seeming to examine him closely, he glanced to his brother who quickly explained that this was their aunt, Kavamaya. And finally, Paladin told him who these wolves were. The Nomads. For moment he had to wonder about it, but he had a feeling he knew... Tha's right! These're mother's relatives! he thought to himself, the information clicking in his head. That made sense. That was why their accent seemed so familiar. He smiled when it all became apparent to him. He looked to his aunt, trying to smile despite feeling so weak. "Hello Aunty... Kavamaya... nice to meet you," he rasped, his throat dry and burning.
The young apprentice, Tavamos, set the water-filled bladder near Exodus, positioning it carefully, and then readjusting it as the brothers spoke. He wanted to make sure things were just right. By the time Exodus lay his head back down, the water was perfectly accessible to him. And just as he had completed the task given to him, Kavamaya requested his attention and assistance once more. His ears perked, listening avidly and nodding at her instructions. "Ar ndóigh, ar an bpointe boise!" the boy said exuberantly, taking off once more to find the hides. Quietly, he had paid great attention to where all of the Nomad's inventory had been stored, and he'd kept it to memory quite well, as was one of his great attributes. His paws carred him swiftly to a small opening beneath a boulder, where he shuffled carefully through the well-organized stores. It was only moments before he found the expertly crafted hides designed to keep pup's paws safe from harsh conditions.
Tavamos carefully picked up a complete set, the largest size he could find, and set off once more toward the gathered wolves where Exodus was being treated. The apprentice set the paw covers close to Exodus, looking to the young male. "These will keep your paws protected," he said, his accent strong, yet still clear enough to follow. He then glanced to the others, waiting again to see if he would be required to retriever anything, but getting the feeling that they were beginning to get everything under control now. He watched with great interest as Paladin began to treat the burnt pads, and glanced aside when a small pup came bounding forward, with such a darling approach that it could make any wolf smile and swoon.
Exodus lay still as his brother sliced open the Aloe leaves and applied the gel. It was surprisingly soothing, providing a blissful cooling sensation to the brunt skin upon contact. He was surprised, expecting it to hurt or sting somewhat before providing relief. He sighed, glad for the treatment, and he tilted his head toward the carefully crafted water-carrier, lapping at the edge of it gently so that he would neither spill nor take in too much all at once, though he felt like he could gulp down the entire portion of water in one go. But, his brother said to go slowly, and he wasn't too stubborn to take sound advice. Surely if he still felt thirsty after this, he could have some more. It was then that a young pup ran up, excited and clearly unknowing of what was going on. She seemed very inquisitive, and Exodus lifted his head and stopped lapping at the water for a moment, his glorious, multi-hued eyes looking to the very young girl, offering a smile.
After Paladin helped make the introductions, the small girl bounded to him, offering a friendly lick over his face as she greeted him. A hoarse laugh escaped him. "Hello, Yalamaya," he croaked in response, his throat still burning. Before he knew it, she was bounding off again, carefree and distracted as any young pup. He chuckled slightly, before it turned into a cough, and he went back to lapping at the water. As he did so, he heard his brother's comment, and paused again, grinning up at Paladin. "Already thinkin' so far ahead?" he teased gruffly, "Maybe Ah'll be in a better frame a mind when Ah'm not so sore and dried out." Coughing once more, Exodus back to lapping at the water, a powerful feeling of gratefulness washing over him. He might have been sore and tired and thirsty and hungry, but could he have asked for a better group of wolves, including his brother, to find him? He felt truly blessed, and he couldn't wait to feel better and hopefully be on his way home.