-Struck-

[-Raido-]

The small cub had been traveling so long it made him sick. Despite everything that had happened in the past few days, he still felt most at home wandering, at least for now. Truthfully, he worried about what Mist would say when he finally returned. Despite himself, she was the only person in this part of the world he knew; and she had shown him nothing but kindness. Perhaps this was the wrong way to handle things, but he had never been around anyone save that Sikla his whole life. When the going got tough, he got scared, and would disappear for a time, until his mind had cleared itself out. Of course, now, that meant wandering westward through the open lands betwixt Deor and Ge-rad, finally, without meaning to, breaching the boundaries of the other pack.

When he crossed over, however, he did find himself growing more and more disoriented, the scents very different then Deor's. Despite himself, the Traveler had already started to grow accustomed to the pack smell, and this unnerved him. Latching onto one familiar scent, he followed it....straight to a porcupine, which sprayed quills into his muzzle.

He planted his rump on the ground, and bawled out that he had been hurt to the world.

[Shakó]

Spring had sprung in the lands of the fallen leaves, making the new aroma of fresh grass almost a blessing. For too long these lands have been barren, cursed by the cold breath of the changing winds. Now, however, Fenris’s rays had begun to warm up the world, brining new sprouts of life to the fields of Ge-Rad. With green leaves appearing on the think Ge-Radian forest, can the colorful blooms of various flowers in the fields, spreading their colorful petals to attract the buzzing bees. This altogether brought a lighter step to the vargs of Transylvania, and the same was true to the Beta male of these lands; a young, silver and ivory male.

Bright yellow eyes viewed the surrounding area, as large silver paws trampled upon the green vegetation that clung to the Earth below. He kept his gait steady at a trot, despite a limp in his rear back leg. It was indeed an old injury, one that had caused pain to the man not to long ago. However, this injury had caused him to loose noticeable weight, which in turn made it easier to bare weight on that particular back leg. Even though his condition had begun to tumble downhill, he still looked like he was of perfect happiness and health (to the varg unknown to him, of course). Perhaps this was only because of the recent return of his mate, an ivory fae with eyes of a green blue hue.

Round auds prickling, the Beta would only stop to listen and observe the boarders of the land. His nose was no good to him, but this lack of scent made his hearing somewhat more superb than others. Maybe it was because he had learned to rely on it, more than the average wolf. Either way, this sense had never failed Shakó, as of yet. Starting up his gait again, the sudden yelp of nearby whelp had caught the varg’s audits. Ceasing in his steps, the mann’s hackles prickled as he became as still as the nearby trees. There was something wrong about this, reason being all the cubs of the pack had now become adolescents; young adults. Shaking his large cranium, Shakó strayed off his path to find the source of the sound. His auds alert, the mann was able to mask his handicap to any predators and actually walk without a limp.

Gold oculars peering through the brush, the source of the yelp became apparent. It indeed was a cub, one Shakó had never seen before, and was just a tad curious of where he came about. Taking a few steps forward, the beta was able to see his needle covered muzzle, obviously he had an unfortunate run-on with a porcupine. Feeling a bit sorry for the cub, Shakó emerged himself from the shadows, his tail swishing behind him breezily. “Looks like you had a bit of an accident,” shko said with smooth tones. “Would you like me to help you? It’s not wise to leave those quills in a growing pup’s muzzle,” the mann finished, hoping the cub wasn’t easy to scare. Surly he couldn’t have come from far, could he?

[Draeg]

“Nor is it wise to be gallivanting around with an injured leg.” Draeg’s voice cut out across the clearing, hardness of authority lacing his stern tone as he emerged from amidst the bracken.

Moving with the grace and confidence his rank entitled the amber dragga approached the ivory beta, eyes hard as he regarded his withering form. “Until further notice you will be confine to the pack den until such a time I deem you are well enough to continue with your duties as beta, in the mean time you can pull cub duty with Yelae until your leg heals completely.”

Pausing, he sighed; pinching the bridge of his snout as though stressed. “I will not be the one to tell your mate you got yourself killed because you were too stubborn to let your injuries heal, I’d really thought I could count on you to care of yourself but evidently your health isn‘t one of your top priorities.”

Amber orbs falling onto the bawling pup Draeg winced, noticing the prominent collection of barb needles protruding grossly from his muzzle. There was no need to ask what had happened, just one look at the pup’s enflamed snout said it all. “Ouch!” Draeg whined sympathetically, making his way over to the young pup.

Cupping the pup’s chin gently in his paw the amber varg carefully examine the damage to his punctured muzzle, taking great care to avoid touching the protruding quills lest he cause the pup anymore discomfort. “These need to come out.” he murmured softly, making a mental note on the number of quills visible to him. There were twenty in all, not bad considering how many there could have been. Even so, Draeg knew that wouldn’t make extracting them any less painful. “You’re one lucky pup, a little higher and some of these might have hit your eye.” he growled, letting his paw fall from the pup maw.

Looking around momentarily his eyes settled on a small patch of nearby vegetation, he knew the herb well though its name eluded him at the moment. However he didn’t have to be familiar with the name, Draeg knew what the herb was and what it could do.

Leaving the pup momentarily in Shako’s care he padded towards the thick clump of familiar vegetation, tearing away a small portion and rolling it into a tight ball. “Here, eat this.” he ordered, dropping the soft wad at the pup’s feet. “It’ll help numb the pain so we can get those quills out.”

((beginning sucks))

[Mist]

The last time Mist had been to Ge-Rad was months ago - in the fall. It is beautiful now as it was then, with a similar, but opposite feeling. Then there had been a flurry of activity - everything was preparing for winter; squirrels gathering acorns, birds leaving for warmer climates, varg and other putnar hunting the last of the abundant prey. Now there is the same feeling of change, of transition - but specifically it is quite different. Birds and small lera are out in droves, speaking out their feelings to the clear sky. Not only is the feeling of the land different, but Mist's purpose for visiting. Before the winter she was in search of her mate, Chayton, who had disappeared on his way to Ge-Rad. This time it is following her nephew - the Traveler. She has known since she first knew who he was that he would very possibly leave Deor again someday, but this is, in all probablility, not it.

Knowing he has been "on the road" so to speak, for most of his short life, the grey Drappa does not follow too closely, but within call if he befalls any trouble. It seems though, that she should have been with him, and his "experience" did not teach him to avoid porcupines - and various other pointy things. Hearing his yowl of anguish the fleet-footed fae darts forward, silently cursing herself for not being with him to keep him away from danger.

When she reaches the rust and coal furred cub her eyes widen in horror as she sees the reason for his pain. Her golden eyes take in the two manns and she is instantly grateful at their kindness and nods, encouraging Raido to eat the plant - to trust Draeg that it will dull the pain. In normal circumstances she would greet the Dragga formally and meet the other as well, but this is not a normal circumstance, and she feels as much for the small mann in front of her as she would if her were her own son. "Come Raido, darling. Do as Draeg says - we need to get those out, and it won't hurt quite so much with the pain dulled." Nuzzling him gently on his neck, being sure to avoid giving him any further pain she whines low in her throat.

((nah, Draeg - no worries. It's better than you think))

[-Raido-]

(LAWL! Most awesome post ever mist. 'And various other pointy things' Post is in the works, im just calling the next post.)

The young male whimpers a little more as the ivory male approaches him. The other wolf is large; he can't tell the wolf is sick; a bit larger then Mist, and completely unknown. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't be scared, but he is in quite a bit of pain, so his normal bravado dwindles away to nothing.

“Looks like you had a bit of an accident, Would you like me to help you? It’s not wise to leave those quills in a growing pup’s muzzle,”

Raido whined and nodded a little. "I-I could use some help...these really..really hurt..." Just as he spoke, he pinned his ears at the firm, powerful voice that echoed across the space he was standing in. This male, to his surprise, looked even larger then the last. His pelt was a deep amber hue, his eyes and stance strong, and the way he spoke let the wolf know he was used to being obeyed. The moonsilver eyed wolf took all this in, but said nothing. As the bigger male came over to him, he whimpered and scootched back until the dragga's paw caught his chin gently. He didn't move after that, listening to the older male speaking softly. When he mentioned them needing to come out, the pup nodded, mentally wondering if anyone was ever going to actually PULL them out.

The big dragga strode away, grabbing up an herb from the ground and bringing it back with instructions to eat it. The wolf tilts his sore muzzle to the side, despite himself, curious. He prods the ball of herbs for a moment...until...
"Come Raido, darling. Do as Draeg says - we need to get those out, and it won't hurt quite so much with the pain dulled"
...until his aunt's voice reaches his ears. He pins them back further, an impressive sight, as the were already pretty well pinned, but doesn't stop himself.

"As you wish, Lady Mist." He carefully opens his muzzle, wincing as the skin tenses against the quills, and takes the plant into his muzzle. After a moment, he begins to chew.

It tastes awful, and the young wolf nearly gags as he tries very hard to swallow the bitter, nasty tasting herb. As he finally swallows, he looks back up at the huge amber dragga, and then to the snow colored one. Why couldn't he be the son of one of these beasts, not some fickle ,weak Sikla? He could feel a pleasant numbness spreading from his belly through his body, and in a few moments, the pain in his muzzle had dulled.

"Hehehe." he murmured as he prodded one of the now, relatively painless quills in his muzzle. "Funnny mouse with spikes."

[Shakó]

The sudden stern voice of the familiar amber male made the beta instinctively crouch upon his belly, his auds tucked tightly against his head. Shakó licked his lips wistfully, a reluctant sense of anger filled his inner core. “It was just a walk-” Shakó began in a low grumble, his eyes purposely missing the dragga’s gaze. He half wanted to say something else, to argue the point that he was fine in his mind- but found it not only rude, but quite inappropriate in a time like this. Instead, the male just lowered his head and sad his body by the cub. There was no point in arguing- he knew he’d just half to talk to Draeg later. Right now, he remained with the cub while Draeg ran off to gather some herbs. “By the way, my name’s Shakó-” the male said shortly in a calming tone to the cub, just as the Dragga came trotting back, his maw full of helpful analgesic herbs.

The ivory male watched curiously, as soon another voice broke out to the trio. This one was not of Ge-Rad, but an unknown fae- at least to him. After all, she spoke of Draeg, to the cub deemed Radio as if it were her son- which he could very well be. Audits perked, the ivory beta sat with curiosity burning in his mind as he looked from Dragga to fae to cub. Giving a breif nod, Shakó wouldn't bother with any propper introduction as of now, it seemed her main concern was upon the little cub infront of them.
Fortunately, not long after the little rusty radio swallowed the herbs do their trick, and Shakó couldn’t help but chuckle at the cub’s reaction. The mann would have attempt to remove the quills himself, but being as he wasn't as good as first aid as Draeg, Shakó remained put. If anything, he could act as some sort of distaction for the cub.

// Eh, that was horrible, sorry. Got to the main point so I'm not holding things up, Shako's kind of a bystander here//

[Draeg]

Hearing the ivory varg’s protest Draeg shot him a withering glare, making it clear that the matter was not up for debate. It wasn’t often the amber Dragga lost his temper with his second in command, Shako had proven himself a worthy and reliable beta time and time again. However at the same time the ivory varg could be stubborn, a something rather common among the varg of Ge-Rad, particularly the males. And while there were times Draeg encouraged such behaviour from his extended family however he felt that Shako’s condition was too delicate to risk further injury, and with the herla arriving late the amber varg didn’t want to risk losing a single varg until the pack could feed itself again. “Once we are done here you will return to the den and assist Yelae in watching over Sorcha, end of discussion.” Draeg growled sternly, glaring down at the crouching beta. “And just to make sure I will be telling the pack to keep an eye on you so that you don’t wander off again.”

His ears perked as another voice cute out across the clearing, striking a familiar chord in the amber brute and catching his attention. Sharp gaze diverting from Shako and the nameless pup he turned to find himself staring at the familiar pelt of the newly appointed Deorian Drappa. “Mist?” Draeg found that he was surprised to see the Deorian Drappa again so soon after their last meeting where he had learned of her recent promotion from beta fae of Deor to its alpha female. The news had been bittersweet for while Draeg had expressed his sincerest congratulations at having risen in her pack’s hierarchy he knew that she her newfound status meant that the pack’s previous Drappa had passed, a fact that Mist herself had confirmed shortly after telling him of her recent promotion. He watched as she approached the mewling pup, eyes widening with fright upon seeing the massive array of spiny barbs protruding from his muzzle. For a moment Draeg pondered on whether this was the mischievous son Mist had told him about during their first meet last winter, however he quickly pushed the notion aside; recalling the stories he had gleaned from Sorcha about her time spent with the impetious Ryu. “He’ll be fine Mist.” he growled reassuringly, attempting to calm the fretting fae.

Draeg watched as the pup, who up until this time had merely been proding the ball of meshed herbs in front of him, pinned his ears reluctantly and obediently gulped down the wadded medicine ball, the bitter taste causing him to gag and sputter. For a moment Draeg thought he would cough it up but thankfully he managed to keep it down with little effort, looking up at the two imposing males and adopting a somewhat comical expression as the herbs did their trick and began numbing his body. A funny mouse with spikes eh? Draeg made it a point to have the rest of Ge-Rad look for the lera that had harangued the little pup later, the last thing he wanted was for Sorcha to find it later and do something she’d regret. The amber varg wasted no time descending upon the pup and immediately setting out to work, taking each quill delicately in his maw and carefully pulling them out one at a time until they all lay in a neat little pile at his feet. “There you go little one.” he praised, motioning the pup over towards Mist. “Such a brave pup, just let Mist clean your muzzle and we should be done. I’ll look at your muzzle a little later to make sure everything’s alright.”

[Mist]

As Raido obediently eats the plant after pinning his ears fully and speaking his reply, Mist watches him intently, wincing herself as he does so. She has not even known of his existence for long and yet she already feels almost like his mother. If she was not practiced in hiding impatience, as one should be as leader (or co-leader) of a pack, she would be hard-pressed not to fuss over the cub. As it is she knows Draeg has it well under control. There is no one the grey Drappa can think of that she would rather have tend one of her cubs, and that most certainly includes her nephew. Tilting her head as the plant obviously takes affect, Mist is relieved that Raido no longer feels the pain, but had not been expecting the silly aspects of the numbness.

Smiling gratefully at the amber Dragga, Mist nods. "I am thankful you are here..." These seem to be the only words that need to be said. It is somewhat strange seeing Draeg again so soon after her "promotion" to Drappa, considering the last time she saw him she was still beta. Now she can easily see him with eleven cubs. His fatherly, caring, yet strong presence is what is most needed for cubs - and for fretting mothers (or aunts).

While the Dragga removes the quills as gently as possible, Mist looks at the other mann, and dips her head in greeting, wondering his position - especially after Draeg's words to him. As Drappa of an allied pack she really should know Ge-Rad's members better...

Turning her attention back to the now quill-free cub she smiles reassuringly and pads toward Raido as he half-trips toward her, still affected by the plant. Reaching him she narrows her eyes as she looks down at his muzzle and shakes her head, again grateful Draeg was here. Quills can be dangerous when left in long. Sitting next to Raido she begins to gently clean his muzzle, making sure she is thorough, but as gentle as possible. "That's right. It's alright Raido." She says in between licks, proud of the strong little cub.

((eh, sorry it's not so good.))

[-Raido-]

(sorry for the super insane delay)

The wolf cub feels the spines plucked from his muzzle, yipping, as the pain isn't entirely gone. He shakes his cotton wrapped mind, trying to shake off the numbing effects of the herb. The big male who so gently pulled them from his muzzle is praising him; the pup isn't quite understanding what he is saying, but his little tail wags like a flag in the wind at the words. He staggers over to his aunt, and feels her tongue lapping over the inflamed quill wounds. Porcupine quills can cause a nasty infection, and fortunately, they weren't left in long enough to cause such an effect on the whelp.

After a few moments of cleaning, the pup squirms away from his aunt and stretches his sore muzzle out, snuffling thoughtfully at the pair of huge males, his moonsilver eyes watching them both with a suspicious and hopeful glint that seemed out of place on such a small wolf. He shook out his rusty coal coat, stretching and nuzzling his aunt. He didn't say anything to her, aware that there would be plenty of time for scolding later. He trotted quickly over to the huge amber and ivory wolves, and barked softly at them.

"T-thank you both."