He'd been on the move since talking to Aggie and Kai. Setting off on his own little adventure both to get more familiar with these lands as well as to make sure his adventure took place while it was still spring so he wouldn't melt while trying to enjoy himself. It'd been fun so far, but a little quiet and lonely. Wandering and seeing the sights was fun and all, but Jouko was getting bored again. He wanted to meet some new faces for once. That, and he needed to start gathering herbs now that it was spring, the season healers waited for with baited breath. After a great deal of thought and tossing around half-formed ideas, the man had an idea he couldn't get out of his head. That all had lead him to this moment, carrying a small bundle in his mouth as he trotted slowly through the plants which waved all around him as a soft breeze pushed and pulled at the plant life as well as his thick fur. Wandering until at last he sat in the middle of the land in a space that was relatively open and flat, with mostly grass and some small flowers growing in it Jouko deposited his bundle at his paws and looked the space over with a pleased expression. Yes, this would do quite nicely. He nosed at the bundle - part of a deer hide which held inside of it several smaller bundles wrapped in rabbit pelts. Pushing them into a neat little line, the man sat before his setup with cyan eyes gleaming and tail gently tapping the ground behind him. Yes, this looked good. It was perfect! Once he was happy with the arrangement of things, Jouko lifted his muzzle skyward to send out an open call to other healers. He didn't really care who they were; be they pack wolves, loners, new healers, old ones, he'd be happy to have someone to sit and exchange knowledge with. Hopefully his preparations would prove to be time well spent. While he waited for others to arrive, Jouko took a small step back from the bundles. There was a somewhat unpleasant odor coming from one of the tightly wrapped mystery packages and he didn't wanna stand right over it until he actually needed to. Walk. "Speak!" "Think."

"speech"

The previously denuded branches offered their wands of tight green bud to the brilliant rays of spring. The wind had lost its bite, it had become ambient, congenial, blowing branches and tousling the hair of pedestrians - but no longer stealing their warmth. From the fields waved the precocious yellow bloom of the daffodils, and should the Golden Goddess be drawn into the woodland today there were bluebells too. She tilted her regalia toward the sky to feel the new heat in the sunlight's kiss. How she had missed it in these long grey months. The only clouds were fluffy, white and quite dispersed, there would be no rain today. The grass grew in tussocks and flattened in waves with each gust of wind, only to spring up as fresh as a bunch of flowers right after. It was nothing like the uniform green of the meadow back in the Eastern parts of Boreas the succubae came so used to. Each tuft was wild and slightly yellowing under the sun and between each there was bare soil, baked and powdery. She was leaping ahead and running all around, the woman was made fluid and of natural devilry. She was made with artful care and a feline's natural mischief. Angular with a tapering muzzle that is far too trigger-happy and ready with a goblin's misguided grins. She felt like mischief today however she had no idea that her golden bracelets will create the echo of bells hitting on each other in harmony through the land.

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The howl that rolled through the Gulley captured his attention immediately. Instantly he was conflicted. On the one hand, it could be an ambush. On the other, it could be a genuine offer to share knowledge. For several long moments he stood there and weighed the possibilities. He needed to further his studies and if the offer was genuine he thought it fair to assume that whoever was teaching it was knowledgeable. While he was sure he could afford to pass on the opportunity, was he wise to? Probably not. What would someone have to gain by ambushing travelers? It was a question he had to ask himself as he headed towards the caller. Perhaps it was a little paranoid to be thinking about such things, but it was better in his mind to plan for the worst so when the situation unfolded (inevitably better than the worst scenario) he could relax knowing full well he could handle himself should his worst fears come true. Malleus continued to mull over the what if's until he reached the clearing where the healer stood. He swept a calculating eye over the two wolves as he approached before allowing his gaze to settle on the bundles at the man's feet. So that was the teacher, eh? He was young. Very young, which Malleus found a little disappointing, but he would give the yearling a chance. It was entirely possible that he belonged to healers who'd raised him up in the same way he, Malleus, had been brought up around fighting. "I take it you're the healer?" His gaze drifted to the bundles again. "What do you have planned here?"

Waiting with endless patience Jouko sat, a small yawn parting his jaws for a moment before he noticed some approaching wolves at last. The first was surely one of the more interesting creatures he'd seen in his short life. The woman he spotted bore jewlery, and an interesting coat. Next was a man, who seemed a bit more intrigued by Jouko's setup he'd laid out. Seeing someone curious about what he had elicited a toothy smile and a few gentle wags of his tail. With a wink he chuckled, "How ever did you guess? The name's Jouko Aldfinnr. I thought it might be fun to give a little lesson and discuss some non herbal healing practices, since herbs always get all the attention it's easy to forget other things exist."

Stepping towards his row of bundles he tugged at the hide of the one on his far right, opening it partially and reveal a disturbingly large piece of matted fur. He shuddered to think of what it was like for the wolf he removed that from to have dealt with the thing. Straightening a bit, Jouko began without waiting for much more small talk to go on. "While my focus is on non herbal items you can use in healing, I wanted to lead with an affliction that isn't all that uncommon before getting to its non herbal treatment. I'm sure you'll have guessed I'm talking about mats. Fur matting isn't that uncommon, especially for older wolves who might have a harder time grooming. It's important to remove them properly, and there's a few ways to do it. Obviously, one could pull them out with their teeth. Or, if you are lucky enough to have a companion who possesses hands, you might ask them to help cut them out. I prefer that method since it's less painful for the patient." The man would then finish unrolling the first bundle to reveal several sharpened rocks and pieces of woods that would easily cut through fur - and probably a lot more, though he wasn't inclined to use them that way. It the hands of a monkey of some sort they could be used very effectively.

Pausing a moment to take a breath and gauge the interest of the little audience, Jouko would then continue, "Anybody know why you shouldn't try to use water to get rid of matting?" Whether he got a correct answer or not, Jouko wouldn't mind. Offering the information or offering praise to whoever got it right would be equally satisfying. He hoped that he could keep the attention of his attendees long enough to go through several of his bundles.

Nephthys

Dance with the Devil

The succubus succumbed to the placid atmosphere quickly, allowing her pallid lashes to flutter and obscure her gleaming pomegranate orange eyes from view as well as conceal the view of her scenic surroundings that had been consumed by the crisp hues of spring. Rapid and raspy breathing gradually shifted to a more sluggish rate as her heart pulsated less frequently, starting to calm down from all her running, the comforting silence draining a majority of her distress from the confines of her cursed mind, urging a moment of serenity upon the babe that was ultimately curious as a devious amounts of information entered her auditory system, causing her lids to snap open to reveal a polite smile. So this was what one would call a herbalist? How peculiar, perhaps he was here to trade? To sell? To exchange informations? This was the first time the succubae optics ever witnessed such manifestation. Curiosity surged throughout her mind with all the possibilities as her dilated pupils located the source, drinking in the silhouetted physique of the ashen men, one of them made its daring approach towards  the one with the herbs displayed. The polite expression faded from her velveteen lips quickly as his question graced the atmosphere, gaze averting from his eyes to search for an answer. "The mats get tighter?" an amused simper warped her taut lips.

"Speech"

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OOC: So sorry! I didn't realize it was my turn.

Upon hearing Malleus' question the youth brightened and spoke excitedly, introducing himself, explaining what he was up to, and quipping amicably. "Malleus Abraxas," he said as a way of greeting; quickly getting the useless pleasantries out of the way so they could get to the more interesting things. He was intrigued and it showed in his face as he said, "That sounds very interesting. I haven't much training as a healer and certainly none regarding non herbal remedies, so you will have an avid pupil in me." With barely veiled disgust Malleus eyed the large clump of matted fur. He'd never seen one so big before. Perhaps that had to do with the limited age range of the Abraxas and the demographic most afflicted with the problem. Elderly wolves weren't all that useful thus they were few and far in between among the Abraxas. Their conversation seemed to draw the exuberant woman in. She responded first after Jouko asked his question. After nodding his agreement with the woman, Malleus took a moment longer to formulate a more detailed answer. "I would imagine," he rumbled thoughtfully, "That in addition to making the mat harder to remove, moisture could become trapped in it and over time irritate the skin if the removal was unsuccessful."

He was pleased to have found some interested parties, and even more so as Malleus spoke. "I've been learning this stuff all my life, so I enjoy sharing it and seeing what others know," he explained. Hm... Eyeing the mottled male a moment, Jouko decided he was rather partial to some nice stripe-type markings.

Jouko nodded like a very proud teacher, wide grin overtaking his features, tail thwacking the ground as he replied, "Yes, very good answers! Every time a mat gets wet, it gets tighter. It can be extremely painful if left alone too long." Nodding to Malleus, he added, "That's why I recommend befriending a critter with some nice, dexterous hands. Matt removal with teeth is doable, but you might miss the smaller bits and just be back at it again later. Cutting them out with a sharpened object is a more precise method that paws aren't very suitable for." What he wouldn't give for more dexterous digits himself though... it would be weird as heck, buut he'd be able to do so many things he might not mind being a bit of a freak. Aggie would tease him though.

Moving on to eye the other carefully wrapped bundles, he nosed through them. Taking care to select a good one, Jouko would eventually settle on one he liked. Gathering the mat in the hide he'd wrapped it in before, he cast the thing aside and moved a new bundle to sit front and center, taking hold of a corner of the hide and pulling it to release the contents - maggots! His expression was a little darkly amused as he figured he'd get some interesting reactions from his new pupils when they saw the writhing little things.

Glancing between the two assembled before him Jouko launched into his explanation of this latest addition to his interesting assembly of non-traditional methods. "Maggots. Small, gross, but surprisingly useful. You see, they only eat dead flesh, not the live stuff. So for wounds that just aren't healing, these nasty little things are perfect for cleaning out a wound when herbs can't quite do the trick. They won't hurt anything that's still alive, and they should fall away when they've had their fill, though double checking isn't a bad idea. Covering them so they stay where you want is advisable, but just don't suffocate them because they do need to breathe to do their jobs." Still looking all too pleased with himself, Jouko smiled and added, "They aren't the only insects you can find use in for healing purposes. Any ideas about other creepy crawlies who can help you do your job?" Opening up the discussion was proving to be his favorite part. He liked seeing what sorts of answers he could get.

Nephthys

Dance with the Devil

The succubae registered the name into her schoalar mind, her plush tongue tasting the scents on her tongue while she inhaled slowly for better recognision. "Nephthys Ma'at Ithuriel is the name I have been given." she purred, a octave higher than it should, only a bit to reveal the excitement that she felt regarding this..meeting. "Another Abaraxas? I have met two of your kin before." the babe purred, thick egyptian accent covering ever syllable and word that exited her pretty maw as she eyed Malleus. With a roll of her hips she touched the ground, relaxing into the soil; ears remaining erect in order to listen to the man that presented himself as Jouko sharing his doctrines with the two of them. "Have you befriended such critter, Jouko?" she questioned, pomegranate gaze falling onto the man before her who was beaming with pride as his "students" for the day. The succubus tilted her regalia in cofusion as the man nosed and sniffed at his hides, pulling and bringing them closer to the pair of students before he realeased its contents and presented it to them. What was that? She squeezed her optic. Maggots? Her optics exploded in surprise as she crossed her front limbs one over the others, a psychological barrier she was creating without consciousness as her nose wrinkled at the sight of the multitude of maggots that squirmed on the hide. "Why are you carrying that around?" she questioned, unable to look away from the active mass that keep moving, revolting one onto the other due to lack of space or perhaps stupidity, after all, their brains are smaller if they even have any. Her question immediately found a reply as the man explained the phenomenon and how in a situation when herbs have failed you those can be the salvation. "My people used to eat cicadas in order to prevent and cure urinary tract infections."

"Speech"

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The woman introduced herself and said she'd met other Abraxas before. That wasn't surprising; his relatives were everywhere and spreading. He did wonder which two she'd met. Their personalities were so varied, so wildly different in some cases, that sometimes it felt as if they only shared a name. But she didn't run screaming for the hills upon hearing his name so he could only assume she'd met two of the more dignified Abraxas. As the young woman sat down beside him her scent washed over him and momentarily bathed him in confusion. Her form and voice were feminine, but there was odd masculine tinge to her scent. He subtly side-eyed her in the hopes of figuring her out as Jouko praised their responses and stressed again the important of taking care of the mats. He set his curiosity about the woman aside (for the moment) and focused his attention on Jouko. Malleus was here for a reason and he wasn't going to let his curiosity about an unrelated thing get in the way. "Hm," he rumbled thoughtfully. "That's not a bad idea at all." Where exactly he'd find a creature with hands, he had no idea, but he would. Perhaps that was a question for Jouko once his lesson was done. His thoughts about kidnapping a small dexterous creature vanished as soon as the maggots were revealed. The disgust he'd felt upon seeing the mat was dwarfed by the revulsion he felt towards the maggots. There was no comparison. While he had been able to hide his feelings toward the mat, he couldn't hide just how grossed out the maggots made him feel. Malleus' ears fell back and his nose wrinkled in disgust. Watching them squirm caused bile to rise in his throat and after a moment he had to look away. Malleus let his gaze rove the treetops as Jouko explained how useful the maggots were. That was great. Just. Great. Maggots. They turned into flies, so what would happen when they were ready to do that and the bandage prevented them from falling away? Would he remove it one day and be greeted by a cloud of escaping flies? That sounded more like torture than aid. But...the idea wasn't a bad one in theory. Maggots did eat dead flesh. Perhaps one day, if he was desperate, he'd give it a try. As for Jouko's question...Malleus hadn't the slightest idea. He'd never heard of bugs being used for healing purposes. After a moment's thought as he scrabbled for an answer, the titan gave up and admitted, "I'm afraid I haven't the slightest idea."

OOC: Sorry for being horrendously late ;n;


Jouko had also caught the strangeness of the lady's scent, but unlike Malleus he had a bit of an idea as to why it might be so odd. The useless benefits of life as a healer - you knew all kinds of things that wolves could be born with or afflicted by that those who didn't study healing arts wouldn't have a clue about. Not always an impressive skill, but it made it easier to dismiss the peculiar perfume of Nepthys without ever batting an eye.

It was amusing to watch the gears turn in Malleus' head as he seemed to like the idea Jouko proposed. Perhaps he should take his own advice and go make some helpful friends soon... Turning to Thys, he shook his head gently, "Not at present, but some of my adoptive family growing up had such creatures as their near-constant companions, so I've experienced for myself how helpful they can really be. You can do so much more, it's truly amazing." But that was another subject entirely, after all.

Listening as the lady offered her input and Malleus sighed defeatedly, Jouko grinned and let his tail swat the ground. "That's interesting, I've not heard of such a thing before! I'll have to remember that. And do not worry Malleus, their use is not common knowledge everywhere so I'm not surprised you haven't learned about any before." His tone was encouraging and light as always, cyan eyes narrowed slightly as the skin around his eyes creased slightly with his wide smile.

"Unfortunately - or maybe fortunately, for the easily upset - I have no others with me, but I can list several more examples off the top of my head. Grasshoppers are a good one, easily found in summertime, they can be dried out and ground into a powers. Mixed with ash and water, they can make a past that's surprisingly effective at helping with headaches when applied to the forehead. They also serve as a good general pain reliever."

"Centipedes can be used in a similar manner to help with pain from headaches, lockjaw, and even snake bites. The secretions of blister beetles can - and must! - be diluted to reduce the burning sensations associated with urinary tract infections, insect bites, burns, and scalds. My favorite, and perhaps the one you might use the most, has to be the soldier carpenter of leaf-cutter ants. Another task where a companion will help greatly, but you might be able to manage it on your own or with another wolf. If you have a wound that it open wide and needs to be held together to heal properly, you can pull either side of the wound together and allow one of the ants to pinch it closed with their mandibles. Removing the body will cause the head to stay in place, and after applying several of them you will be able to fully close a small wound which will aid greatly in proper healing and reducing scarring."

Taking a breath and pausing to let the poor souls digest the information, Jouko gauged their reactions. When they were ready, he would seek to move on. Lifting one of the last bundles, he smiled with a far less wicked expression, using a paw to hold one side of the little wrapped up hide down while his jaws pulled at the other sides, unraveling it with some difficulty until he revealed the most pleasant sight in the lesson so far - a small section of honeycomb coated in a large glob of sticky honey that had managed to spread itself all across the inside of it's bundle. It was a wonder the stuff hadn't dripped all over everything else!

"Now for a fun one!" he announced, wide grin parting his jaws as he gazed at the two patient students with glee. They deserved a nice break from the grosser things he presented before. Flinging the maggot bundle off behind him, Jouko turned back to the two wolves and explained his latest uncommon healing tool. "Honey is a fantastic tool. It serves as an antibiotic, helping keep wounds from festering and becoming infected. It's also good for burns, but personally I enjoy combining these uses with the simple fact that a little honey helps keep bandages on more effectively than pretty much anything else. Lambs ear isn't exactly sticky, so a little help from honey keeps a wound protected much longer. Another interesting tidbit is you can grind up cinnamon and mix it with honey - eatign that will help a wolf get over colds and other such ailments significantly faster."

Since he was a child Malleus had lived and breathed fighting. He'd dreamed of little else for the first year of his life. It seemed like most of his family was that way. Sure, there were a few healers and shamans and the occasional clever little oddity, but by and large he'd spent most of his time among fighters learning how to fight. As far as healing went he was largely self taught. It wasn't any wonder, really, that his knowledge was pretty narrow. He knew the things that were the most relevant to his situation. Malleus was glad he found Jouko. He recognized that he needed to know more than simply how to bandage a wound or combat an infection, and even though this healer was young, he seemed to be an eager and knowledgeable teacher. Malleus took in the torrent of new information with interest. The idea of using bugs was pretty novel to him - gross, really - but how much more disgusting was that than say, chewing up a wad of leaves and spitting the mixture onto a wound? He just needed to get over the 'ick' factor. When Jouko revealed the contents of the last bundle, Malleus' face lit up. Finally, something he knew a little bit about! What he knew about honey was limited, but he did know it could be used on a wound. He hadn't considered pairing it with lamb's ear - the opportunity had never presented itself - but it was something he'd certainly keep in mind. Perhaps he could find a way to store the sticky substance somehow so it would be a little more accessible. Finally it was time for questions. "When mixing insects for headaches and the like...will any ash do or does it need to come from a specific plant?"