HONEY won't you BEE mine?

With a limp in her step, Meadow slowly makes her way through the willow trees. It is her own fault really, a lapse in common sense that lead to her now having a nice size burn on her front left paw and pad. She had been exploring the hot springs near the Weeping Woods and found a bubbling fissure spraying water out over a lone rock.

It was something she had never before seen and the temptation to get close to the wonder was more than the small wolf could handle. It never once crossed her mind that it might be scolding hot. The steam that rose off the water should have been a sign that the water was boiling but the small wolf was so intrigued by the phenomenon that she got closer and closer. She didn’t even realize that her paw was stretched out until pain ripped through it. With a yelp and whimper she retreated but the damage had already been done.

Now, every step is tender and rippling waves of pain crash into her brain. Shame fills her at the lack of attention she had displayed at the spring. Hopefully no one will find out about this and she can heal the burn quickly and by herself. She tries to come up with something to help her and the only thing she can think to do is find some herbs to help dull the pain and hide her act from others. Her concentration quickly turns to the small list of herbs that she knows.

Aloe Vera jumps out as a plant known to help ease pain and speed the healing process for burns. Nodding to herself, she stops and shrugs off her pack. Fortunately, she keeps a small leaf in her bag for just such occasions and quickly the plant is pulled from her bag. Casting her eyes about for a suitable rock to aid her in the removal of the gel from the object she spies one close by.

Placing the leaf on the semi flat rock, Meadow returns to her bag and starts to retrieve a sharp rock when her eyes fall upon an unusual sight. A bee hive. An unaccompanied, potentially full of honey, bee hive. It lays on the ground near the trunk of a willow, knocked from its perch by a large predator. Claw marks split the sides but do not enter the heart of the hive. The creature that tried to get the golden treasure inside was probably chased off by a very angry swarm of bees.

Pausing in her task, the white and brown wolf ponders the possibility of using honey with the Aloe Vera leaf. It would make a sticky paste when combined but it might help coat the pad better. In a small corner of her mind, she remembers hearing that honey had healing properties. Mulling it over, Meadow gives a small shrug and decides that it cannot hurt. She decides to test her idea.

With a smile at her good luck, Meadow moves slowly toward the downed hive. Stopping a good distance away, Meadow kicks a pebble at it just to make sure all the bees had vacated their home. When no buzzing is heard, she moves closer and places her uninjured paw on the empty hive. Slowly appling pressure to break it open, the sweet, valuable honey soon becomes visible as it coats the insides of the hive and honeycomb glistens at her.

Stomach rumbles at the thought of a tasty snack but she stops herself from eating the prize and instead returns to her bag to retrieve some containers. In the larger of the vessels she places the honeycomb. They will make sweet snacks for those who want them. The smaller containers get the honey. Each drop can be used for valuable healing opportunities.

After she has gathered most of the golden substance, Meadow places the remaining amount of honey in a bowl. She then takes the bowl to the rock where the leaf of the Aloe Vera plant rests and places it so that it rests under the lip of the rock. However, before continuing on, she puts the containers she had filled back in her pack. Taking the chance, she gathers the sharp rock and a small strip of fur before she returns to the rock.

Now she sets about the task of extracting the gel from the leaf. It takes time to cut the plant and crush the substance out but it is worth it. When the gel starts to drip off the rock and into the bowl, Meadow smiles at her work. Scraping the final small amount of gel into the awaiting vessel, she returns the rock to her bag. Next, she thoroughly mixes the two ingredients together.

When they are combined enough, Meadow dips her aching paw into the concoction. Instantly the ache dulls and a cooling sensation spreads through the burn. It is such a calming feeling that she sits there for a while with her injured paw sitting in the honey and Aloe Vera mixture. When she finally removes her paw, the sticky substance thoroughly coats the burn.

Wrapping the wound with the small strip of fur to keep the salve from being rubbed off, Meadow flexes her paw. The pain is now just a light throb and, when she goes to walk on it, finds that it no longer causes her great discomfort. Much to her delight, the limp is gone from her gait. Nodding her approval, Meadow returns to her pack. Putting the remainder of the mixture in a small vial, she places the bowl and container into her bag.

Once she is satisfied that everything is safely packed away, Meadow shoulders her bag and continues on her journey home.

When she returns home, Meadow stores the rest of the honey and honeycomb on shelves in her den for future use. First, she visits Iolaire and offers her some of the golden honey. After everything is stored and safe, she lays down in her den for a nap.

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Days pass and Meadow diligently applies the honey and Aloe Vera mixture. On that first day she applied it five times and cleaned her paw thoroughly between each application. Over the next few days she was able to apply it less and less as the burn healed nicely and without much pain. By the end of the week, there is no scar or sign of a burn. The honey kept the burn from becoming infected and helped speed up the process.

Satisfied with the result, Meadow makes a promise to herself not to go sticking her paw in unknown places again. Or at least... she is going to try not to.



WC: 1,124


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