I'll tough it out, I won't give in

Brown and gold grass stretched out before him in a bleak and dull field. Álarr settled down onto his haunches as he watched the wind rustle through it. A heavy sleet had fallen the night before but the rising sun, dull as it was, had already melted most of the sleet. Or perhaps it was some ambient heat in the earth that had done so. The air certainly didn't feel much warmer and the wind that blew from the north nipped at his nose and ears. Álarr reached up to scratch at the noticeable bumps on his head. Afi, who trailed behind him, had considered it some sort of bone cancer at first but now they were thinking it was something else. They grew perfectly symmetrical and he showed no other concerning symptoms. Byrnhildr, the white raven who flew above him, had mentioned how much they looked like the bumps on young bucks. Could he be getting horns?

Álarr wasn't sure how to feel about that idea. The wolves in his family had saber fangs and claws, not horns. Having no special mutation made him feel like a black sheep in the family but the horns were making him feel a bit more like a freak. Sighing he started walking down into the dancefloor. He wasn't alone. Valdís was doing some scouting and he'd tagged along after some convincing. Besides he wasn't going all that far and he was nine months old now. He needed a bit of freedom. Valdís, not one for a maternal instinct, was perfectly fine with letting the kid run wild as long as he was in earshot though at this point… he was starting to think she'd gone way to far ahead. There wasn't a single tree in this field and he still didn't see where Valdís had gotten off to. Oh well, he could do some hunting on his own. Álarr moved through the field, trying to keep an eye open for any useful herbs he could add to his collection though he knew it was unlikely. The first frost had bitten the land and plants were dying by the thousands.

He paused, fur standing on end as he thought something moved nearby.

WC: 367

he'd been prowling around the outskirts of the dancefloor, leaving Lirim behind for a few hours to gather more supplies for their makeshift base. it was then that he saw the bear; it took him awhile to see the smaller form of the wolf. a child, by the looks of it. the ursine was going right for the pup, perhaps hunger drove it to taste their species... either way, Holland gave a warning shout before rushing in. he hadn't fought anyone since becoming a healer, and he was rusty. his kin were not noble warriors but barbarians under a heathen god. and he had given up ideas of family and kin long ago. as he neared the beast, he snapped at the back legs to tempt it to follow him instead. there was still time for the child to get to safety. Holland could out-run the bear using his long limbs. there was no need for bloodshed. the bear turned on him, trying to swat as it debated going for the adult wolf but not really wanting a fight. Holland dodged this easily; there was little force behind the swipe. its eyes returned to the child after a moment of hesitation before it reared up and tried to crash down on the pup. "580/2500"

I'll tough it out, I won't give in

Álarr started moving again but he didn't go far before he noticed that Afi had stopped as well. Something had caught the feline's attention but the cat was so short he couldn't see over the grasses, tall as they were. A warning bark caught his attention and as he turned to try and find the source he caught sight of a large brown shape moving towards him and he froze. It was a bear! What was it doing? Didn't bears sleep through the winter? His heart started hammering in his chest as he wondered if the volcanic eruption had done something to shake some bears out of their dens early. What happened if they couldn't find a place to rest? Oh crap!

The bear charged but as it did the man who'd called out the warning shout started nipping at its back legs. The bear swatted lazily at the man as if trying to bat away an annoying fly and then it rose and tried to crash down on Álarr. With a yell he dove between the bears hind legs just as it crashed down. He quickly brought his head up, latching onto the bear's tail and whipping his head in a violent thrash. The bear roared in pain and whirled around trying to get at the pup who stumbled and hung on for dear life. Brynhildr, the white raven, gained altitude then dove down her talons shredding across the bears face, striking one eye and soliciting another roar as it batted futilely at the agile bird. Afi stayed out of the way but kept his feline eyes peeled for an opening. He was not a big cat and hoped that between the wolves and the bird the bear would choose to go for easier prey.

(876/2500)

Holland was not a fighter. He abandoned such ways long ago. His mind was more tuned to sharp words and intellectual challenges. He saw the bear as such a thing. It was larger than both, but at least he had an idea of what to do. As the beast crashed down, the boy missing it entirely, he darted in and began to harass it. he used hit-and-run tactics. A few steps in, a few steps back. a snap here and a dart out of the way there. He was trying to stress the bear out without harming it, forcing it to reconsider its actions against the boy and make it flee. Because he didn’t feel like ending his pacifism even to save the life of another. A stranger, no less. He had taken a healer’s oath. That extended to a bear. The bear turned on the healer, however. It was getting fed up and this time its swipe caused a few lacerations. Holland grunted against the pain, his shoulder bearing the brunt of the attack. Three medium-sized and deep scratches were there now, but he didn’t give up. As the boy worried the bear’s tail and his companion got the face, Holland shot forward using his lighter frame. He dove under the bear, lifting his head to snap at the bear’s throat to make it rear up again. It worked, and he immediately barreled into it to force it on its rear. As the bear slid backward, he’d shout at the boy to get the hell out of the way. Else he’d be crushed beneath the beast. "1143/2500 note to self; using wits to make bear confused and flee"

I'll tough it out, I won't give in

The bear had turned on the stranger and the stranger snapped and snarled at it but when the bear struck back this time there was blood. No! Suddenly the man charged again and the bear reared up and then began to fall. The bear gave a forceful twist as it tried to stop it's downward momentum, the force causing Álarr to lose is grip and go tumbling to the ground. He just managed to roll out of the way but he was struck by the bears large left forearm as it hit the ground, severely bruising the small of his back.


He squirmed out from under the beast and got to his feet, his legs shaking with fear. He'd never been so close to a bear before. It was crazy just how big they were when you were right up next to them. Afi pounced out of nowhere, the fierce cats claws nailing the bear in the nose. With a roar the creature got back to all fours and started beating a hasty retreat. It had had enough of this! Panting, Álarr nearly sat down until he saw the blood on the other man. Wincing he set his back down. "Thank you… thank you… I, I know some healing. I could help with your wounds if you like." He had no idea the other man was healer, he only wished to repay the debt. If the stranger hadn't been there Álarr expected he'd have ended up as bear food. It dawned on him that he should've called for Valdís. He felt like a fool that he hadn't but he was just so startled to see the bear everything seemed to freeze up. He could barely think. Good thing the stranger had quicker wits.

(1438/2500)

It worked. With the last finality, the roar echoed across the dancefloor before the bear left. Holland watched, wondering if it may turn back around at the last second. He gave it the stink-eye before shifting his gaze to the boy as he stumbled over his words. He offered to heal his shoulder, but the young man frowned. Part of him wanted to reject the offer, his pride almost great enough. “I… fine” he could heal his own shoulder just fine, but it’d be a bit awkward reaching up there himself. He admitted his own defeat on arguing. “thank you.” Though he did still sound a bit gruff. There was no cure for that, he always sounded gruff. “there should be boneset nearby. To help with your… back” he added in, knowing it was good for muscle pain. He saw the boy flinch as he sat and could only guess by not physically checking him it was sore muscles. “horsetail and yarrow too.” Holland added in with a raised brow, spotting the plants a few paces away now that they weren’t in danger. At least the dancefloor was spared the brunt of the volcano’s eruption. There was food and a small pond of water from rain… He moved toward the horsetail, allowing the yarrow to be gathered by the boy. But he didn’t see the boneset right away. "1666/2500 note to self; using wits to make bear confused and flee using herbs to heal, discussion, etc"

I'll tough it out, I won't give in

Álarr started rummaging around in his pack, pulling out some dried yarrow and bentonite clay. Brynhildr had landed and was pulling out a wetskin filled with water. He'd need to figure something out regarding water with winter settling in. The temperature was just above freezing but much lower and he wouldn't really have water to work with, he'd just have ice. Álarr looked up at the mention of boneset and other herbs. "Oh? Are you a healer to?  My name is Álarr Imperialis. Have you been having much luck storing herbs?" Beyond drying them he hadn't found a better way to store them.

Álarr began mixing the dried yarrow with a little bit of the water to rehydrate it and then he began working it into a thick paste before adding in a bit of clay. Satisfied with the results he moved over toward the man and began to apply the mixture to his wounds. The yarrow would help with the bleeding and swelling and the clay would help the mixture adhere to his fur. "I'll get the boneset Alarr." The boy nodded and turned back to the man. "When he gets back would you be able to help me apply it to my back?" He couldn't really reach back there and would need the help. As the cat darted off in search of the boneset Álarr settled down to wait. "I still can't believe that bear attacked us. I need to work on my fighting skills, if you hadn't been there I'd be toast." He was a capable fighter for his young age but many of his lessons had fallen to the wayside as he pursued his interest in healing. This definitely proved he needed to work on his skills.

"I suppose with so much of the land destroyed there are going to be a lot of hungry predators and a lot of hungry wolves to compete with." That meant conflict over food and scare resources was going to become more common. His fight skills would help him protect himself but he needed to improve. Maybe he could talk to his dad or his brother about getting more serious with fighting lessons.

Afi soon returned with a stalk of boneset complete with the leaves, he set it down at the feet of the stranger. "We're in luck but I'm willing to bet that's the last of it. The plans are dying off quickly now."

(2072/2500)

“yes” the young man replied as the boy introduced himself as Alarr Imperialis. No pack was given as a source of origin, but he suspected by the scent of the boy he did belong to one. But one he was not aware of really. “Holland, no last name, of Lirim” he added in, raising a brow as Alarr set to work right away with his herbs. He let the boy work, content to allow him to place the poultice he knew was full of herbs he also knew on him. the cat went off to collect the boneset, and Holland gave a nod as he was asked to apply to the boy’s back. “I used to fight. Not anymore. But I guess I didn’t lose it.” sometimes you can’t run from your past, no matter how hard you try. When the boneset was presented to him, Holland set to work himself. The yarrow was already working, to be honest, and if this boy was his apprentice back in Lirim, the healer would grunt a ‘good job’. He rarely let other healers work on him when he could do it himself, but the shoulder was stiff and throbbing. The wound higher up on him than he could reach too, so he begrudgingly let the boy work on him. as the paste hardened, he ground up the boneset and applied it to Alarr’s back. he wanted to use the same technique. He didn’t want to do a piss-poor job but he also knew that supplies were limited. He would not use the boy’s. Holland would use his own saliva to wet the herb to a paste before applying it. Spreading it on Alarr’s back, he had a silent agreement to his words. “packs will be forced to abandon their homes” it had happened with Lirim already, but the boy didn’t need to know that “and compete in closer quarters. As a healer… all I can do is fix them up. If they’re stupid enough to fight” He grumbled darkly, wanting everyone to just get along during these hardened times. He had also been forced to abandon most of his herb stock to carry simple items like lamb’s ear and yarrow; universal plants with many useful uses. The eruption had also woken up bears, it would seem. That was also lovely to know. “and the prey… most of them in hibernation right now.” He sighed as he recalled the season. Not many herds around right now, combined with smaller animals going into hibernation… it would be a bumpy ride. "2497/2500 note to self; using wits to make bear confused and flee using herbs to heal, discussion, etc"

I'll tough it out, I won't give in

Álarr thought it curious that the man, Holland, had a first name but no last name but he didn't bother to comment on it. Lirim was a pack name but he really didn't know that much about the other pack. Packs and politics weren't really in his interests, he'd leave that to the other members of his family. He cocked his head as he gazed at the other man. "Why would you stop fighting?" It seemed like such a crucial skill to Álarr. How else were you supposed to defend your pack and those in danger? Álarr lay down sphynx-like so that the man could easily tend to his wounded back. He watched curiously, anxious to see how the older healer worked.

Once his back was tended to Álarr remained still to let the concoction dry but he was feeling better already. He nodded. "I've been working hard on my stores to make sure I have enough variety to help my pack and I'm pretty sure there will be fights. If there's not enough for everybody they're going to fight over it for sure." A healer would be a necessity if injured wolves were going to survive the winter, not to mention those already injured by the volcano.

(2500+/2500)

Holland hesitated visibly, parting his lips to speak but thinking better of his words. he chose other ones. ones less like 'mind your own fucking business'. “I don't believe in doing violent acts” he replied more easily. if the boy had sense, it was clear he didn't want to talk about it much. it was a piss-poor answer but it was easy to understand. he was a hardened pacifist now. he shrugged, rolling his shoulders. "I only fight... to defend. I prefer the healing arts." just because he knew how to fight didn't mean he dedicated his time to it. herbology itself was so much to learn. he would rather know fifty ways to bandage a wound over storing the knowledge of where to make another person suffer effectively. Holland grumbled softly at Alarr's precise way of foreseeing the troubled road ahead. he was right though. people will fight. they always did. "people... get scared. they get angry. confused. only think of themselves and their own people" even in a pack, family lines were often drawn. Holland already knew what he would do. he'd go out every day, trying to find something and bring it back. if it wasn't herbs, it was the sources of water or food. any little thing helped lessen the strain on the pack wolves. "try to sort your herbs... per person. prepare a bundle for each one active in your pack. use only the bundle during this time. don't take from another person's bundle. that way, your pack knows everyone has an equal share. nobody is getting special treatment." but whether Alarr would take his advice was beyond Holland. "2500/2500 note to self; using wits to make bear confused and flee using herbs to heal, discussion, etc"