Cure the sick

It hadn't been long before when she had been taking care of a lung infection. Though Voodoo had found herself thriving in the dark, her body adjusted easily in her young skin. The recused yearling was just now growing out of her own shell. Just beyond the scent lines of the habari lands she had decided to go. With this mysterious illness taking boreas by storm she took it as a sign she needed to show her worth. She repeated in her head, mint, lavender, lungwort, plantago. Voodoo didn't know if this would help with the spreading disease but the best she could hope for was to try something until it worked. The young wolf had not learned yet that this could be a health issue. In her head all plants healed. No one has told her that herbs could kill, other than the obvious fruit and vegetables she had been taught to avoid. Thankfully, her experiments had not centered on herself and Eraithus recovered without incident. She must be doing something right then.

Her paws carried her away, to the pools. She stood upon the tallest cliff as it flowed down into the various juts in pools. They were so shallow she simply placed a paw in one cool water washing over her pads. In the sparkling moonlight her reflection shone in the rippling water. Gray with black stripes her head tilted. Those eyes she looked at didn't give much away did they? She used to have so much energy but now she found herself enjoying the reality of the world. This wasnt to say she didn't feel anything but, she didn't have an answer for that question. Shaking her head free of the distraction she reminded herself she was here to find herbs for the illness that afflicted her pack. She sneezed pulling her head back in a quick shake before she looked down at the base of the falls.

It wasn't hard to make it out. In the dark light it seemed like a green flow was erupting from something. Voodoo squinted her eyes, at first she thought it was those strange flowing mushrooms. Yet when the shape moved she made note that it was another wolf. Suddenly her hackles raised her shoulders stiffening. For some reason her heart began to beat wildly in her chest. Adrenaline took hold, panic seemed to settle into her. Voodoo struggled to get the spiralong emotion under control. Her paws scraped into the dirt next to the pool she stood by. Once the wolf moved into better view she could see he was not much older than she was. Crystals were jutting from his jet black fur.

He seemed in pain from the way he walked, Voodoo could see the yearling didn't seem well. Not just from the infection his movements were slow, rigid, while she took a step forward she crouched still fighting down the heat that was centering in her chest. Fear. This was not a wolf of her pack; he smelled strongly of the wilds around them. The males flank showed ribs poking from his sides. Voodoo could barely assess him from this height though. No! She stood and took a deep breath. This was a perfect time to test her skills as a healer. Her fear was replaced with determination. She quickly found the fastest route down to the main pool. Yet she still remained at the edge of the bushes and trees to get a better look. Her dark fur blended into the night, but from what she could see the male had no sense of smell. That is clear enough by the crystals growing from his nose.

Each was thick green, glowing and splitting. The young male wheezed, forced to breath from his mouth and as he got ankle deep in the water Voodoo took a step into the moonlight. “Wait!” Her voice was sharp, but it did not have any malice behind it. The black wolf's head suddenly snapped towards her green crystals breaking up and tumbling from the corners of his eyes. She could see the infection was bad in him. They grew from both nostrils, his ears seemed less worse the same for the eyes. His blue gaze was intact yet the expression of horror took Voodoo back. She winced for a moment at the sight. He had two long gouged wounds on his shoulder, thick glowing green clusters of crystals grew from them. “Let me help.” she finally said after trying to compose herself. She had never seen a wolf stare at her with such desperation and intensity. For a moment he looked like a deer in headlights but he soon answered her.

“How?” He sounded far beyond his age. Rasped and broken as the question seemed to simply be a sign he was at the end of his rope.

“Im Voodoo. I want to train to be a healer.” Looking around she patted the ground next to her. “Come, let me inspect you.” It didn't look like she left him much choice. Slowly and painfully he walked towards her. She could hear the grinding of the crystals as he walked. She didn't know it yet but it was also his bones scratching against the disease. He sat roughly right next to her. She was not afraid to turn to him; he stared at the ground in front of him. His breathing was in ruggeds intervals. Each time he sucked in it sounded like it was just too hard to keep going.

“Chester, Thanks.” he coughed, green small crystals flowing from his tongue. Even Voodoo hadn't seen any of her infected pack mates like this. Perhaps if she could slow or even treat him she could return to her pack with the information. Carefully she began to run her paws against his flank. Chester winced mildly as she reached his hips, there was no meat anymore.

“When did this start?” She continued her inspection but talking to him perhaps would distract him from his pain. Voodoo was suddenly upset that she didn't bring an emergency supply of herbs. Voodoo made a mental note she would need to obtain a satchel or something similar in her future.

“Couple days, maybe a week. I…. turned a year in winter after i got the sickness my father ran me out of the den, said he could risk ma getting sick with her new pups.” He wheezed. Voodoo hasn't asked for his life story but she did feel slightly bad for him. Yet at the same time she knew his father had made the right choice. An already almost grown wolf sick, with a vulnerable mother and unborn young. Yet she has more sense to keep shut about her opinions.

After a bit she took her teeth and clamped them around one of the small’ green crystals on his shoulder. Without warning she yanked the crystal tugged but the scream from the black male forced her to abruptly let go. The entire weight of his body had been behind that she blinked. Were these all to the bone?

“What…. Happened?” he looked concerned, green tears cornering his eyes though they were getting stuck in the crystals. She took a step back just in case.

“Th… they are attached to your bones!” He obviously was just as shocked as she was. Quickly she vanished into the bushes. Voodoo didn't know she felt…. Excited. Carelly she began to pick what she thought would be the best herbs. It was harder to identify them in the dark though. With an inexperienced healer she picked Mint, poppy seeds and…. Wolfsbane. The purple flowers looked powerful… healing. Returning to the male she placed all the herbs in front of him. This was how she got Eriathus better wasn't it? “Eat these, you'll feel better in no time. .” To encourage him she wagged her tail. “You'll be okay chester. I can bring you back to my pack!” Then she could continue his treatment. A wolf did not get better overnight. Most definitely not one who was starving.

“O-okay.” He looked at her, their eyes meeting. Voodoo shivered under his gaze why did she have such a horrible knot in her stomach. Her insides felt as if they were turning in circles. Her dinner nearly lurched itself from her stomach but she remained composed and calm. Nothing would be worse for Chester then if his healer was freaking out. He went for the mint, chewing thoroughly before swallowing. He looked like it helped though he still gasped for air. Then the lavender, normally she had heard, helped with anxiety. It wasn't until he picked up the bundle of bright purple flowers that he stopped. When his teeth punctured the stem it was bitter and he shook his head dropping the herb suddenly.

“This one makes my mouth feel tingly.” Chester inquired.

“Oh it's supposed to do that.” She gently pushed the smooshed flowers forwards. Chester, shaking his pelt in what seemed to be preparation, leaned down and quickly snatched the plants into his mouth. Chew, swallow. Voodoo watched him carefully but it really didn't take long for something to go wrong.

Chester began to breathe harder, his pupils dilating. Struggling to stand he swayed, then spring up and wobbled forward. His black flank frantically rose and fell. With a sickening noise Voodoo watched his stomach lurch. Blood, plants, Crystals they exploded from his mouth. Staining the pool of water under the sunset falls. Panic rose in Voodoo was this the illness or the mysterious herb she had given him? Chester already began to get worse.

Violently he began to sway from side to side. Voodoo made an attempt to steer him clear of the water but it was becoming evidently obvious she had made a mistake. One trip and he went head first into the pool of water. Chesters limbs began to flail, splashing water everywhere. At this point Voodoo found herself frozen at the edge of the water. He continued crystals and blood foaming from his mouth. Unable to control his movements he simply continued to seize. Shaking violently as the blood soaked into the water. Voodoo blinked; this had to be because of those purple flowers.

She continued to watch, his struggles became more frantic, his flanks heaved with such struggle it almost looked as if someone had tied a string around his lungs. Voodoo heard his desperate gasps, air passing through his windpipe until there was silence, only the sound of his struggling paws moving to the air. Chester looked like he was watching something.

“I….Im sorry Mom.” he last words took his final breath. It was not sudden like she thought death would be. His blue eyes glazed over, devoid of life. Limbs twitching still, slightly making ripples in the water spilled with vomit and blood. After what seemed like the longest few minutes she had experienced his body was still.

She couldn't bring herself to go into the water. A rush fell over her, shock almost. She had single handedly killed…. Another wolf. Voodoo knew this wasn't a regular occurrence. It sure did happen from time to time, the stories her pack had said to her proved that. However, she didn't expect to feel so… torn. Voodoo hadn't been able to keep her eyes off him in his last moments. She wasn't sad, nor did she feel like she felt guilty. Curiosity is more like it and I want to understand what has gone wrong. Not all herbs healed… some killed. His last words repeated in her head over and over again as she stared at his body. The same age as her, still at the edge of the pool in the shallow water.

Word count: 1956
Tl;Cr: Voodoo finds an infected yearling loner. In an attempt to help him she kills him with wolfsbane.