Things had gone fairly quiet within the Armada. Both litters of pups were relatively healthy, all of them strong. Even the handful that had worried Halo at birth seemed to be doing well. Winter had quietly slipped through her fingers, giving way to a verdant spring. She'd brought some supplies over to Valta, and she'd gotten most of the seeds from last year's harvest into the ground. What was there to do now? Halo didn't do particularly well, left to her own thoughts and devices. Mortis had gone back to his pack. Lia had slipped away from the Hallows. Basilisk was on assignment in Ashen. Hazel was training, day in and day out, to advance in rank. All of the pups were training in other professions. Where did that leave Halo?

Alone.

She'd never much minded it before, especially as busy as she'd been. But on days like today, when all of her chores were handled and even the market was quiet, she couldn't help but let the grey creep in around the edges. It wasn't like everyone was even busy. They were living their lives, and she wouldn't take that from them. Still, the pale creature felt an awful lot like a ghost in her own home. Maybe that was why she slipped out, away from the Woods and the Col. Though she wandered with a purpose, looking for new seedlings to transplant into her garden, it was more than that. Halo needed to get away for a little bit.

Her footsteps against the soft earth were light, gaze trained for the most part on the ground. Mr. Raccoon wandered along loosely by her side, taking interest in the odd bush or plant. The pair moved in companionable silence-- he'd never learned to talk, something Halo wouldn't push or fault him for. Spotting some yellow flowers among the dense meadow flowers, she stopped to investigate further. Agrimony, perfect. With gentle paws she began to rummage and dig at the undergrowth, attempting to free some of the plant with its root still intact.

"Halo"

Admittedly, he had never been this far north before. It wasn't much farther than the dancefloor of Medusa's pack lands, but nonetheless, it was new to him. He eyed the top of the falls with his ruby gaze. Could he make it up there? Were his legs strong enough now? Or would he fall and possibly break them again? Ghoul was not one to enjoy feeling worthless. Which he felt often lately. Unable to hunt, run, or do much of anything but rest, he felt the need for a challenge.

Approaching the steep incline of the mountainous region, he was quickly distracted by the sound of someone rummaging. Paws digging into something caused his ear to flicker and his gaze to snap to. His ruby eyes landed on a small shrew of a girl coated in white. Some would say his own coat was white with those mottled mauve markings, but he would beg to differ most seasons. Typically, Ghoul would have kept to himself. Which he had planned on doing at this moment if he hadn't fallen.

His attention was pulled back to the steep falls. One paw, two paws, a few more steps as he struggled to climb. Clenching his teeth together, he plastered his ears against his crown, and struggled. Until he fell. Flat onto his back with all four legs in the air, he slowly rolled over until his cheek rested against the grass and dirt. A low rumble of a groan left him as he opened his eyes. Once more, he looked over to the small girl who was busy digging at a plant. "Help," Ghoul whispered for the second time in his life.

G H O U L

It took, perhaps, too long for Halo to notice him there. She'd managed to free the plant and set it carefully within the basket that her little friend carried, before Mr. Racoon once more scampered to find more of the late winter plants they'd been hunting for. The pair of them had a sort of quiet, easy understanding. All of her was quiet, tucked away within whatever seasonal depression the north seemed to have planned for her. Quiet until... oh dear. Halo's soft eyes went wide at the sight of him.

It was a Wile E. Coyote sort of falling down. The healer's heart squeezed, and she was already crossing the space between them with careful, concerned steps. "Oh gosh," was her soft response. Her words are barely spoken, instead breathed into the space between them. Her assessment was quick, largely focused on the angle of the boy's neck. Was that... was that correct? It seemed so, but it was hard to be sure from this angle. "I'm here, I can help." Soft spoken as ever, carefully nearing the pale, crumpled creature in the muddy snow.

"Can you wiggle each of your paws?" It's a diagnostic question. Halo stepped to the side, getting a better view of those paws from where she stood.

"Halo"

The idiot boy was surprised how quickly she crossed the space between them. His ruby eyes followed her every movement until she was right there beside him. Her scent was overwhelmingly similar to that runt’s scent and that asshole who had injured his brother. Ghoul wrinkles his nose but quickly decides that it would be better to keep his sour feelings at bay if she was going to be able to help him.

Watching her shift around him, he moves his ruby gaze down to his paws. Even as his cheek rubs into the dirty snow, he groans in pain. Tensing his muscles, he forces himself to wiggle his toes. “That I can do,” he rumbles in a strained tone through gritted teeth. “I-I’m recently healing from broken legs,” Ghoul admits as he looks back to the girl. The pain in his eyes is real and honest as he lets them flutter close. Boy was he exhausted.

G H O U L

Though he could move his limbs, it seemed to take a lot of effort. Halo's brow furrowed, and concern was clear in her gaze. She watched as he did his best to move, but even the little motion seemed to cause him pain. Recently broke his legs... oh dear. "Which legs?" Moving closer to examine him, and each of the appendages in turn. The boy was in rough shape, that much was clear. Crumpled on the ground from the pain, but not only that. The exhaustion that usually went hand in hand with trauma... though this fall had been rough, it seemed like that wasn't the only thing going on here.

"I can give you something for the pain, but being laid out in the snow and the cold really isn't good for you." Carefully, Halo observes the man. He's a hulking creature, and she wonders if she'll be able to move him on her own. "Is your pack close by?" A soft question. Could she go as a messenger? Halo wasn't the fastest, and the longer he was out here the worse he could get. If they weren't near, or heck if he didn't have a pack, she could always take him back to the Armada. He wasn't a Pirate... right? Surely not, even Halo would be able to smell pirate on him. Hell, this is Halo we're talking about-- she wouldn't even be able to leave an injured enemy out here in good conscience.

"Halo"

Ghoul stared at the white maiden as she asked which legs. He laughed. A chest-wracking laugh that left spittle on his lips. Really it wasn't a great look but he was in pain and quite stuck in this slushy snow at her mercy. Basically, he didn't care anymore. If he almost died once, he was ready to almost die again. "All of them, honey," he replied as he sucked in a breath and let it out harshly as his ruby eyes closed briefly. Preparing for the shock and awe response, he kept his eyes closed because he really didn't want to hear about it anymore. He'd been a fuckin' idiot and he had grown from it. Finally.

She then offered pain relief but mentioned that the cold wasn't good for him. Oh, he knew that all too well. How many days had he laid out in front of that statue before Medusa had found him? "Anything to help, please," he replied as he opened his eyes again to look at him. His brow furrowed next as he tried to remember where exactly Insomnia lay. Not quite familiar as he was with the nook in these parts, Ghoul had to think for a moment. "South of here, in a grassy basin with some tar pits nearby," he finally said, hoping she would know where it was. "I think I just need to rest for a bit. They don't feel rebroken, maybe just sprained," he insisted as he lifted his head to look down at his legs. Hey, at least he could wiggle them.

G H O U L

Shock registers on Halo's face as he tells her which. Her soft eyes went wide, her mouth falling open to a sort of surprised o shape. "Oh heck," processing the words carefully. All four... at the same time. And he was still alive to tell the tale. She wanted to ask, but the girl would show restraint for now. "Let's get you out of the slush, and then something for the pain." Halo sorted out the best course of action her head would allow, in the moment.

"You can lean on me, we're going to move just over here where it's dry." Quickly, she shifted the deer skin free from the bottom of her basket, unrolling it on a patch of dry ground only a few feet away before returning to the pale beast's side. "We'll go at your pace, okay?" Halo was stronger than she looked, and at least she had full confidence in her abilities. She offers her shoulder, stance firmly planted in the soft earth beneath her feet. Though she is little, she is fierce.

"Halo"

He could not see the wide eyed look on her face but he heard the soft oh heck leave her mouth. A sigh from his own lips was his only response. Oh heck was right. If only she had seen him when it had first happened. If only she had seen what had also happened to his brother. Mac… fuck. He would have to return soon or Mac might grow worried. Lifting his head slightly as the girl moved about with haste, Ghoul watched.

She was confident and sure in her movements and words. His gaze continues to follow her until she offers him to lean on her. Stumbling up onto his paws, he would not keep her waiting. Being as gentle as he could manage since he was much larger than her, he was slightly thankful that he had sloughed off some weight during his near death condition. It at least would be easier for her to assist compared to his full adult weight.

Leaning against her, Ghoul moved slowly. The pain wasn’t as bad as he had thought, but he was certain at least one of his ankles was sprained. Or something was wrong. His expression is obviously disgruntled as he holds back any sort of noise of pain. “You’re quite warm,” he manages to grumble with a sort of awkward smile as they make it to the deer pelt. Slumping off of her side, Ghoul lays down and places his face against the soft pelt. “My right front ankle. That hurts the worse,” his voice is still hoarse as he keeps his eyes closed - mostly out of embarrassment from his comment.

G H O U L

With some effort, Halo shoulders the man's weight. He's lighter than she anticipates, and worry creases her forehead. He shouldn't be this light... not built like he is. Though he was just recovering from significant injury, it was likely that he wasn't eating enough. If he was in pain, it was likely he wasn't sleeping enough as well. All things that were leading his condition to its current state, a state that was admittedly not great.

As they finally hobbled to the skin spread on the ground, Halo is careful to help him lower completely to the ground. "I think it's mostly because I'm so fluffy." She responds to his remark with a soft smile, moving to rummage through the basket. Halo pulls out some cannabis, as well as the snack she'd packed. The spiced minnows had been a favorite with the kids, even the ones that had long since grown up. "Here, for the pain," the girl offers the buds of the plant. "You may feel um, goofy? After a little bit at least. When you're feeling up to it, I'll walk you home, this isn't the sort of thing you take and then go off on your own." She explained softly.

"I'm Halo, by the way." Her introduction is sheepish, realizing it's taken her this long to introduce herself. "Here, eat these too." She slides some of the dried and spiced minnows his way, crunching on one herself. She really had perfected that recipe, at least in her own opinion. Carefully, Halo began to inspect the ankle, sighing softly to herself. It was pretty swollen, and really shouldn't be weight bearing for the foreseeable future. "I'll see if we can bring the swelling down, here, let's get that elevated. Rest it up on mine." Not a perfect solution, but it would do for now. Halo crossed her paws and inclined her head, offering them to the pale man to rest his ankle up on.

"Halo"

One eyes peers at her as she pushes the cannabis toward him. Goofy? Well, at least he was familiar with that. “That was all that was offered to me as way of pain management when it first happened,” he offered as he reached over to take the bundle of herbs and chew it slowly. It was definitely a taste he would not ever get used to, but he would do what the healer recommended. “I’m sure I’ll make it home fine,” Ghoul tries to insist, but he knows that it would be better if she helped. When she introduces herself, he moves his ruby eyes to her and lets them linger for a moment. “Halo fits you. I’m Ghoul,” his voice is still a hoarse mess, but he smiles anyway before looking away to the snack she then offered. Taking one at first, he crunches gingerly and savors the delightful taste. “Oh, these are good,” he hums before taking another one. Back home, it wasn’t often that he got anything that tasted remotely good. If it was edible, it was good enough. But this… this was delicious! Ghoul is busy munching on the minnows when she inspects his ankle. He is quick to hide the pain that flashes across his face. A momentary scrunch of his eyes before he closes them and smooths out his expression. Fuck, he really needed to learn how to rest, didn’t he? Still, this would be his chance as she offered her paws for him to rest his ankle upon. “I suppose that might help,” he says quietly as he lifts his ankle and rests it gently upon hers. “Do you make snacks like that often?” He queries, hoping that maybe she could offer some tips to him. Ghoul Klein