☽ Raea ☾

    Raea waggled her tail in the air and pounced squarely onto her sister, tackling her to the ground. Nicht squealed as if they were still pups playing in the training hollow after lessons and shook her off. She jumped up and whirled around to face Raea, swiping the lighter-furred she-wolf playfully across the muzzle.
    Raea shook her off and laughed, crouching low as if to pounce again, then taking off in the other direction with Nicht chasing after her. "Just try and catch me! Can't chase a chaser!"
    Nicht followed her all the way back to the hollow before she caught up, finally taking Raea down in a heap of giggles in the center of the hollow. A few of the other hunters trotted by, remarking on the herbalist's decent technique. Raea shook her sister off and smiled at her.
    "Next time I'll take you hunting!"
    Nicht looked down at her somewhat squashed herbs and chuckled, "I think we're going to have to go and find some fresh herbs first. But I'd love a good hunting lesson sometime."

—

    Raea ran to catch up with Rasp as their hunting party made their way back into the hollow. She came up beside him and trotted along with him, giving him a playful nudge. Rasp looked over with a bemused expression and the barest hint of a smile. He was a tough nut to crack, but Raea liked him anyway. He could be a pretty good friend when he hadn't been set off by some trigger or other that she hadn't discovered yet. He had recently confided in her that his being traded away by his old pack had hurt him quite deeply when he was a pup, and that had shed quite a bit of light on what could cause him to become upset or angry. She had promised him that she would accompany him should he ever decide he wanted to go and speak with his old pack.
    For the time being, however, she contented herself with just being there for him and being a friend. Due to his anger he didn't have too many of those. She, Idrit and Thorn made up the bulk of his friends, with the rest of their hunting party, Zinnia and Winnie, slowly coming around as well. Somewhere along the way Raea had decided she wouldn't rest until the whole pack knew how great the former scout was.
    "So! What's the plan for the rest of your day? Anything fun?" She asked, trotting gaily beside him as he stalked along.
    "Well," he began gruffly, then softened his tone, "If you have any suggestions I'd be happy to do whatever you want to do."

—

    Raea blinked once, then twice. She felt odd and discombobulated, but she couldn't help smiling a wide smile as though she was perfectly content. She stumbled a few steps forward and a group of bright yellow lights swirled around her nose. She giggled, briefly remembering being hit square in the face by a little one only minutes before— or was it hours?— before all of her cares melted away and she ran off into the woods to chase the twinkling lights.
    "Raea? Raea, where did you go?" A familiar voice called out behind the blue-furred she-wolf.
    Raea turned around to see her sister, Nicht, running to catch up with her, a look of confusion on her face. Raea just smiled and continued walking backwards. She entreated her sister to join her in chasing the lights, but Nicht looked as if she had been struck and dragged her by the scruff back to the hollow as if she were a puppy.
    "Niiiicht! I want to chase the lights! Let me out of here so I can go and chase the lights!"
    Nicht had veritably shoved her into one of the sick dens off of the main herbalist's den and blocked the way out until she sat down in a huff to pout. Nicht left her in there for what seemed like years. She came to check in periodically, to poke and prod and ask a whole slew of questions, as well as to bring food and just chat like they used to. Periodically she heard Rasp's voice speaking to Idrit or whoever else was assigned to guard her. She had tried calling out to him to let her out and chase lights with her, but most of the time whoever was with him on guard duty relieved him and sent him away so he wouldn't oblige her.
    Eventually Raea just gave in to being a captive, only letting out thin, halfhearted wails every now and then. She had stopped expecting any replies, and most times she flopped back down in a huff and slept. Today, however, she had settled down after hearing Thorn send Rasp away, but then there was a commotion outside. It sounded like the whole pack was getting ready for a fight, and then everyone began barking and talking excitedly. A wave of strangeness washed over the blue-furred she-wolf and she staggered a few paces, shaking her head to try and clear it. A few moments passed and the she-wolf felt her mind clear for what seemed like the first time in years.
    Raea opened her eyes wider, looking around her to get her bearings. She was in one of her sister's sick dens. Hadn't she and Nicht just been in the forest hunting herbs? Her brow knitted together in confusion and she started shambling down the tunnel toward the den entrance. Even though the sky was cloudy, the sun was bright in her eyes as she emerged blinking from the den. As she tried to look around to see what was going on Rasp nearly barreled right into her, smushing his nose to hers and looking at her with a mixture of concern and relief.
    "I'm going to have to hear this story to believe it, aren't I?" She chuckled sheepishly.

—

    Raea's grin faltered slightly as she looked around at her packmates. They were all gathered in the center of the hollow for she and Rasp's pair-bonding ceremony and many of them were hesitating to give their approval. She leaned in closer to Rasp who was shaking, his teeth gritted. She willed him to keep it together as she shot a pointed look at Áleifr in front of them. Her cousin and alpha had a look of concern and sympathy on his face and he nodded, addressing the crowd again.
    "Any who would oppose these two becoming a pair, please, state your concerns so we can address them," the alpha spoke, his tone and phrasing suggesting his own approval.
    Those who had already voiced their approval, Zinnia, Thorn, Winnie, Whistle and quite a few others, took a small step back. Nila, Raea's aunt and a generally outspoken Wise she-wolf, spoke up first.
    "I simply want to be sure that Rasp's character has indeed improved. We've all seen him lash out before, even at mere pups!" Her high, clear and almost nasal voice rang out over the hollow and several wolves nodded.
    "I think what my sister is trying to say is that, though Rasp is improving it is slow going and marked with no shortage of less than great days. The thing is, though, that he has shown remarkable improvement! Does no one remember how he guarded Raea day in and day out when the forest was beset by that monster. Most of you couldn't handle her unearthly howls, but he stayed strong," Daya, a wolf who had thus far been on the fence, chided her packmates.
    "This is true. Thorn, Rasp and I were the ones guarding her while you all were stuffing moss in your ears! He is better equipped to protect her than any wolf, and how dare you suggest that he would harm her!" The usually quiet and amiable Idrit snapped, taking a step forward toward Nila.
    Beside Raea, Rasp relaxed a bit, nodding his thanks to his brother. The rest of the wolves who had opposed finally relented, hanging their heads in shame. Raea looked around wincing, wishing that they would just enjoy the day rather than bicker or feel ashamed. Áleifr waited a few more beats, then nodded and proclaimed the pair bonded. It was quiet for a moment before Raea finally snapped.
    "Alright, stop feeling awkward and sorry for yourselves and cheer us like you cheer everyone else! I'll personally move your jaws and force sound to come out if I have to!"
    Even Rasp was taken aback at her unusually gruff voice and harsh words, actually pinning his ears back in apprehension. The blue-furred she-wolf just smiled to herself and nudged her new mate as, one by one, wolves began to cheer and howl around them.

—

    It had been about a year since everything had returned to normal in the hollow, and Raea was still busy with her temporary herbalist duties. Her sister had come to help her here and there, sometimes for weeks or months at a time, but each time it had proved too much exertion and she'd had to take to her nest again to rest. There were decent ways to bind broken limbs or paws, but it was not so for broken ribs, and Nicht's inability to sit still for more than five minutes coupled with that fact made healing slow going. She likely would have some lingering trouble from this for a long time if not forever.
    As if summoned by Raea's thoughts, Nicht appeared for the first time in months at the mouth of her sick den, blinking in the sunlight filtering in the entrance to the giant stump. Raea dropped the herbs she was carrying and hurried over to her sister, moving to support her before Nicht waved her away with a paw.
    "I'm fine, Raea, really. Things have finally settled into place, and I think I'm ready to get back to work."
    Raea gave her sister a flat stare and shook her head, "is this going to be like the last five times you've tried to come back to work? Go back to your den and rest, sister, I'll handle everything up here."
    Nicht fixed her sister with a stern look, huffing, "I think I am quite capable of knowing when I am healed, thank you very much little sister. I know I was eager before, but it's been months since I've tried to come back before it was time." She sighed and bumped her forehead to Raea's, "don't you want to go back to hunting?"
    Raea shuffled her paws, kicking up a tiny cloud of dust, "I suppose I do... but I must say being an herbalist is interesting. I've learned so much, and I get to be so helpful! I was completely useless for a month last year, and I feel like this way I can give back a bit."
    Nicht shook her head with a light chuckle, "and how do you think I feel? I've been locked away in here for near on a year now. Let me have my turn to give back, too, Raea. Go and hunt with your party, I'm sure they miss you."
    Raea smiled and touched her nose gently to her sister's, "all right. I suppose it does sound nice to stretch out a bit. I'll just go and find Rasp, then. Oh, that's the beginnings of a heali-"
    "Healing salve. I know," Nicht chuckled again more heartily as her sister scrabbled out of the den and off to find her mate.

[534 Starting]