Tāmerikku

𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: Turmeric [Japanese]
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫: Male
𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬: Wolf

𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫: Unknown
𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫: Keihi
𝐒𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: N/A
𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞: N/A
𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: N/A
𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: N/A

Tāmerikku, also known as "Riku," was the sole surviving son of a wolf named Keihi. He was born into the Kohana Pack in the deciduous forest, and was part of the first litter of pups born. But his life wasn't easy; his mother, filled with anger at her loss of her two other pups, neglected Riku and lashed out at him. She never changed her ways, and Alphess Camellia grew concerned. Eventually, disgusted with her behavior, Kobayashi banished her from the pack. Even though she was somewhat abusive, Tāmerikku couldn't help but feel bad. She was his mother, even if she was mean, and he cried over the loss of her, knowing he would never see her again.

His world lit up when he was taken under the wing of Kabocha, the pack's herbalist. A severe case of influenza had broken out when he was a pup. When he was diagnosed with it, he was able to watch Kabocha at work on cures, and though the wolf looked tired and sleepless, he carried on dutifully. Tāmerikku admired the wolf and secretly wondered what it was like to be able to make someone's life better by just mixing herbs. Kabocha had taken a shine to the now-adolescent Riku and took him under his wing, becoming something like an adoptive father. Often, Kabocha would work on the cures while Tāmerikku foraged for the herbs. Though he seldom admitted it, being as gruff as he was, Kabocha loved the adolescent as if he was his own offspring and occasionally referred to him as his son.

After Kabocha passed on, Tāmerikku's whole world fell apart. The wolf who had fathered him and taught him everything, the wolf who had showed him love when his own mother wouldn't, was gone. His heart broke and he sobbed as Kobayashi buried the elderly wolf next to Ren. Though he was sad, he knew Kabocha would be yelling at him to get on his his duties. He'd been studying under the skilled herbalist for some time now, and it was his turn to step up.

When the sickness struck, Tāmerikku did not recognize it, nor did it share any attributes with other illnesses that he recognized. He was discouraged and felt as if he was a failure, but Riku would come to realize later on that some things are just out of your control.

When they settled in the mountains, Tāmerikku took an apprentice named Cvete. Her optimism mixed with Riku's sense of duty made the herbalist's den a somewhat pleasant and efficient environment for those sick. Pups would occasionally feign sickness just so they could get some meat chunks from Cvete, who would praise them for being such good patients. Tāmerikku and Cvete are close, and are both very good friends.