They were mostly safe in the redwater rocks, though the pack was very much still affected by the volcano's wrath. Bourbon was out in the open, searching for what plant life he could find after the eruption and winter’s tight grasp. The dog trotted along the temporary border confidently, his gaze in search of any desert plant that could be any kind of use. They managed to bring much of Ashen’s stockpile but much of it was used during the disaster.

He thought that he’d seen some usable herbs when he felt the earth begin to move under his feet. Most of what they felt here was aftershock, but this was intense. Bourbon tried to keep his balance, he’d try to more evenly distribute his weight as he bent his joint. To no avail though, the fluffy dog was thrown off his feet. His body didn’t stop, Bourbon landed on a slope and even while he scrambled to gain traction he slid over the lip.

The fall wasn’t terrible, he didn’t sustain any damage from the height he was dropped. However the ground he landed on was not all smoothed stone. He dropped and the extra momentum rocked his body back and into a sharp old log. The dog cried out in pain as his flesh was sliced open roughly. He wasn’t impaled, but the wood caused a huge gash to open up from his spine down his rib cage. There was a lot of bleeding, but the wound was blessedly shallow compared to how damaged he might have been.

The dog tried not to panic, but he whimpered softly with the pain as he looked up towards the way he had come. He wasn’t even sure he’d be able to scale the wall to find help. Bourbon called out to the sky for assistance, worried no one would hear him.

wc:311

Luce was feeling a bit more like herself with every passing day. Although the weather was harsh, she spent most of her time passing the winter by tucked by Bourbon's side. She had finally come to realize that there wasn't anything to be done about the disaster besides wait it out. The ash would keep falling, the earth would shake. There was nothing she could do that was within her earthly powers to change it, so she begrudgingly put her faith in the passing of time. It healed all wounds, after all. Or infection killed you first.

She had grown so accustomed to being by Bourbon's side that it irked her when he left to venture out on his own. He didn't consider her quite well enough to assist in their usual duties, but she was getting there. In typical healer fashion (although she had made a very good effort!) Lucretia was a horrible patient. Once her strength had been somewhat regained after a few good night's rest and some food forced down her throat, she was itching to resume business as usual.

It was no surprise that she tailed him. Not really. Although her own orders were absolute, Bourbon's medical opinion was more like... a suggestion. She wasn't long behind him when the earth began to shake. All of her hair stood on end as the ground quaked beneath them. Luce watched him tumble and cry out but she was frozen by the tremor. Once it had passed, she took a moment to collect herself and ran towards the edge he had tumbled over. Freshly powdered snow scattered across the bottom of the ravine, a stark contrast to the bright red blood that spattered the area. "Bourbon! Oh, oh we need to get you out of there so I can take a look..." She said crossly, scanning the area for anything that might be of use.

There was a loose powder all around but sand was still beneath. Was there anything still alive that she could use? Luce peered over the edge again, whining towards her companion below. "How are we going to get you out...?"

wc 355
twc 666 sppoooookyy

Bourbon was heartened, knowing that his care was helping Lucretia return to her optimum health. She calmed down, and rarely left his side. The dog could not and would not complain even if he had permission to. He needed her presence more than because she was his mistress, but because he couldn’t help but care for her more deeply. He didn’t allow himself to say the word love, it would only lead him down paths better not explored with his status beneath her. Another reason he’d gone off alone was to contemplate the thought and how to keep it from showing to her and any prying eyes.

He certainly didn’t plan on being injured. However much he felt relieved to see help he was also annoyed that she wasn’t following his order to rest. Bourbon couldn’t really focus on that fact, he was wounded and potentially stuck down here. Luce looked around for a potential way to remove him, but she didn’t have any more luck than he did. By this time the dog was doing his best to try and find his paws. The gash was painful, but it didn’t hinder his movement too much. He tried to ignore the pain as he looked around his trap to seek out a staircase or ramp he might ascend back into the overworld.

”Can you make it down that path over there?” He gestured to a wall over to the right, it seemed like there was some kind of steep path. ”If you can stop the bleeding down here I can climb out.” He offered the solution with little else to fall back on.

wc: 277
total wc: 943 (if my math is right)