Paladin 'Knight' Ancora

Sterling had been here for a week or two, now, and today was one of her daily check-ups. Paladin carried a bundle of the usual herbs he gave her each day, morning and night for pain, but over time he’d been gently weaning her off the need for it when he noticed the improvement in her sprained leg and her bruises. By now, it was only her ribs that still had a ways to mend, and these were what he would be addressing again, today. He poked his head around the edge of the alcove and smiled in at the woman, voicing a lighthearted woof of greeting. “Good morning, Sterling. Time for your check-up. May I come in?” As ever, his tone was gentle and soothing, low voice lilting over his words as his tail waved behind him, good-natured as always.

The young woman had been dozing very lightly when Paladin approached, and she stirred when his voice rang through the alcove. She was careful not to move too quickly, even though she'd been slightly startled. It had been a painful learning process, but she'd regretted moving too quickly too many times now to do it to herself again. Propping herself up on her elbows, she smiled back at Paladin as she nodded to him, bidding him to enter. She was glad he was here; his presence was always welcome, and his gentle tone was soothing.

The effects of her last dose of pain-relieving herbs had long worn off, and she was hardly able to sleep without them. She hoped that she would be allowed some more, but he had informed her that her doses were to be gradually tapered off. Thus, they’d be farther in between. She wasn't sure when she was due for some more, but she looked forward to another dose. What she didn't look forward to were the treatments. Sometimes they were painful, and she wondered if it was necessary, but she had certainly begun to feel better. She trusted in Paladin's abilities, so she wouldn't question it, even if it hurt.

"Anything for the pain, or do I have to wait?" she asked with a wink, tilting her head as an amused grin formed on her face. She'd finally gotten used to being here, accustomed to his check-ups with her, and felt more comfortable being herself. Of course, she braced herself for the times where he'd still find a way to surprise her, to make her heart pound anxiously - normally she'd do anything to avoid feeling that way, but somehow she didn't mind it when Paladin caused her stomach to flip and her skin to burn.

Paladin 'Knight' Ancora

Paladin gave an easy smile as she nodded and stepped into the alcove, setting his bundle of supplies on the moss as he sat and began the examinations. Her question brought a soft chuckle as he gently rested a paw over the portion of her side where her ribs had been damaged as he asked, “On a scale of one to ten, how much does it hurt when I apply pressure?” It was a gentle warning as he slowly and delicately applied the lightest amount of pressure to the area, watching her features carefully for the natural reaction any pain might bring. Depending on how badly it hurt and how much pressure it took before she felt the pain, he’d be able to deduce how large of a dose to give her to ease that pain. “When I finish my examination, you’ll get your morning dosage, naturally. How are you doing with the weaning off? Any changes in pain levels?”

Though it was only natural for the healer to examine her, feeling for her injuries and testing the level of her pain, she still couldn't get used to Paladin's touch. Her body jumped involuntarily when his paw touched her rib cage, her abdomen tightening. Her ears perked at his question, and she focused on his words to forget how she felt about his close proximity. As he began to press down, she braced herself, but he was able to press down quite far before it caused her to wince. "Actually, it's not as bad as before," she replied with slight surprise in her tone, "It still hurts, but I think it's getting better." So his treatments were working after all. Thank goodness! All of this extra pain was worthwhile for her ultimate healing.

"Well, it was kind of hard to go longer in between the herbs at first," she explained, remembering how much trouble she'd had sleeping and getting comfortable, "I still have trouble sleeping. But in general, it's less painful to move around." She hoped it was enough information for him to come to a decision about how to proceed. "When do you think I'll be back to normal?" she queried. She was an adventurous girl, and laying around like this was almost more painful than the injury itself. She wanted to be out of pain, of course, but most of all she wanted to know when she'd be able to get up and about.

Paladin 'Knight' Ancora

His black painted brow-points lifted in mild surprise as she jumped under his touch, and, being the healer that he was, he was worried that it was pain that caused the reaction. Perfectly oblivious to the real reasoning for her reaction. Though, thinking back, he realized she did jump that way every time he touched her. Maybe she was just naturally jumpy under touch. He was pleased at how well she could withstand actual pressure, however, and smiled easily at her own observations. “Excellent. You should be able to start taking light walks tomorrow.” He turned away and spread the hide with her treatments, picking out the tiny rabbit kit hide of Prickly Poppy seeds. It was a smaller dosage than before, and would be enough to take the edge off her pain for a while. He listened to her answers, nodding pleasurably as he set the dose in front of her. "I’d give it about… four to five weeks before you’re fully on the mend, but tomorrow we’ll try taking a walk and see how you do. I can give you a bit of Valerian to help you sleep tonight, too.” He nosed through her other treatments, pleased to disregard the stronger pain killers in his arsenal, and picked out a chunk of Valerian root, setting it aside for the evening. “I know you’re feeling cooped up, but how do you like it here, aside from that?” He didn’t know what her living situation had been in Talis, whether that pack denned together or slept in their own places, so he wondered if she’d gotten used to the comings and goings of the Adravendis and himself. Aurielle’s happy chattering as she attended a lesson with him or her mother, the occasional playful puppy scuffle between the twins… and the low, gently loving tones between Regulus and Solveiga each night.

Sterling was delighted to hear that she'd be able to start taking light walks as soon as tomorrow. She didn't restrain herself as her charcoal dipped tail thumped against the floor of the alcove. "That's great news!" she said cheerfully, realizing how hard it had been getting for her, mentally, to stay in one cave for so long. She had never, ever stayed in one place for so long. Not even as a pup; at least, she didn't think so. She remembered being very young when her family had made the journey from the Sparse Pines in Boreas all the way to Amron's Castle in Auster. She hadn't spent much time in the den after that move, and aside from being sick as a youth, she couldn't remember staying under cover very often unless it was cold or raining. Staying behind walls where nothing ever changed save for the noises of other wolves ringing through the tunnels and alcoves was mentally draining for her.

She nodded enthusiastically when he said they could try going for a walk tomorrow. Oh and Valerian root to get to sleep? Excellent! If she was able to sleep well when tonight came, then it would make tomorrow come faster. Now she just had to get through today. She didn't suppose he was going to allow her to get up and go any sooner. Besides, she was definitely still sore, and as much as she desperately wanted to get moving, she wasn't sure if it would quite be worth it. But tomorrow... it would definitely be happening tomorrow.

Emerald eyes shifted to the seed packet he was moving around, ears pricking as he spread out his treatment materials on one of the hides he often used for carrying. She still found it fascinating the many uses he found for things she would have merely found disposable if she hadn't known better. Her head tilted as he asked her how she was liking it here, green gaze shifting to meet his sapphire and amethyst orbs. At first she considered being dishonest, to tell him that nothing was wrong and that she was really liking it here. She was reluctant to tell him what she really felt - would it bother him? She hesitated. "Uhm..." she began, pausing as she decided how to proceed, "Well, I suppose aside from being cooped up... I am a little anxious. I-I'm just not familiar with my surroundings yet, or I mean, at least not really beyond this alcove. And I'm afraid to meet anyone else. I... I know you've kinda put it behind you, but I am a Talis wolf." She paused, her eyes widening as she looked to her paws. That wasn't exactly what she'd meant.

"Or, I mean, I was," she corrected herself, ears folding back as she blinked nervously and returned her gaze to Paladin, "And I just don't know if everyone else has put it behind them. There's probably someone who won't forget it, and I'm just scared..." Saying it all out loud, she suddenly felt the intensity of her fear, and she had to force herself to stay in control of her breath. Force herself to try not to bolt and not look back. Perhaps it was why she didn't want to be honest in the first place. She'd been ignoring her fears as best as she could, but acknowledging them now made them feel more real. Although she was an adventurer at heart, she'd always gone out knowing there was a familiar place to return to, with familiar wolves amongst whom she felt safe. In Celestial, she only felt safe when Paladin was near, and even though she knew Regulus had accepted her, she still felt small in his presence. Insignificant and a drain on their resources. She felt like she couldn't just relax, although she'd been trying to ignore the feeling, trying to force herself to be okay with it by faking it.

"But... I do feel better when you come to check on me," she said, her tone genuine. She wasn't good at hiding anything; she couldn't keep secrets without someone else at least knowing one was being kept, but she also couldn't hide it when she was being as open and transparent as a clear, sunny day. Saying that out loud, as well, helped her to focus on its truth, instead of staying fixated on all of the fears she'd revealed to him - focusing on him helped her to not focus on any of her worries.