Hibiscus

Hibiscus is something of the pack's backup herbalist. He double-checks Calendula's work, and is one of the only wolves the antisocial healer tolerates. When he's not organizing the herb stores or trying to find ways to improve the condition of treated wolves, he's spending time with his doting partner, Russet.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Here. Eat." A voice from the entrance of the cave jolted Hibiscus out of his thoughts. He glanced over from the medicine he was mixing; a new experimental frostbite cure, a little water mixed with crushed ginger and flame leaves so that it could be smeared on to paws and muzzles as a paste instead of having the patient keep their limbs in bowls of warm water.
Standing just inside the cave was Hibiscus's mate, Russet, his pelt dusted with snow and a skinny snow hare leg in his jaws. As usual, the herbalist's heart gave a familiar twinge of affection for the other wolf, then a pang of sadness and concern for the way each individual rib was outlined against Russet's thick ginger fur. Life was never easy in the mountains, and the pack was often heavily weakened during the long winter months, but Hibiscus still wished he could give Russet his own fur and meals to protect him from the cold and hunger.
"Thank you." Hibiscus said warmly, padding over to take the leg from Russet. He led his mate into the small side cave where the pack's two herbalists slept and plopped into his nest, his tail wagging involuntarily as Russet cuddled up beside him. "Have you eaten today?" Hibiscus asked, nudging Russet's cheek with his nose.
"Yes, I have. Aspen caught an entire mountain goat pup, can you believe it?" Russet's weary smile felt like a Flame Leaf bursting into full bloom and spreading warmth all throughout Hibiscus's chest. The ginger wolf leaned into Hibiscus affectionately.
"Eat." He rested his head on the herbalist's shoulder and closed his eyes. Hibiscus set his head on top of Russet's for a moment with a long, happy sigh, then turned his head to snap up the hare's leg, chewing carefully to avoid cutting his mouth on the crackly little bones. The pack could rarely afford to leave meat on small prey bones, so most of the time, they were eaten along with the rest of the carcass. The leg was probably little more than a snack for most wolves, but Hibiscus, like the rest of the pack, was used to living on next to nothing, and the leg made his stomach feel pleasantly heavy, though nowhere near full. He would have to eat again later, but that could be dealt with when the time came.

"As disgustingly sappy as you two are, Hibiscus needs to get back to work mixing that frostbite remedy." A stern voice jarred Hibiscus awake. The brown and white wolf let out a huge yawn, looking up at his mentor and fellow herbalist.
"Welcome back, Calendula. How'd foraging go?" Hibiscus got to his paws and had a long, satisfying stretch, feeling little crackles along his spine. He knew Calendula wasn't actually irritated most of the time. Despite being the more experienced herbalist, her bedside manner was hilariously terrible, and Hibiscus usually handled the "positive attitude" part of the herbalist role.
"Good." A rare note of satisfaction rang in the pale she-wolf's voice. "I found a hollow where yarrow grows, down near Whitetail Rock. We'll have enough until spring comes again." Hibiscus nodded, wagging his tail once. Whitetail Rock was an enormous boulder in the center of a glade of evergreen trees where whitetail deer loved to shelter, and it wasn't too far away. At Hibiscus's side, Russet shifted, swiping a paw over his face blearily.
"Glad you're finally awake, Russet. You can stop distracting my apprentice now." Calendula's tone was teasing, though Hibiscus doubted most wolves would be able to pick that up. Russet sighed and stretched without getting up.
"All right. I'm sorry, Calendula." Russet pushed himself to a standing position. "See you later?" He asked Hibiscus, leaning down to touch noses with his mate.
"I'll make sure to be done by sundown. If it doesn't get too cold, you could show me that new hunting technique!" Hibiscus returned Russet's gentle smile, then watched as the ginger wolf trotted to the entrance of the cave and pushed past the pelt hanging over the doorway. Calendula snorted.
"I'll never understand what emotions make a wolf look at someone like that." The pale herbalist struck a dramatic pose and gave the doorway a fluttering, glassy-eyed stare. Hibiscus barked a laugh.
"You could, you know. There's been more than one wolf over the years who'd be just fine with you making that face at them." Hibiscus got to his paws, his tail swishing slowly with faint amusement. Calendula shot him a look like he had blue jays soaring out of his ears.
"Absolutely not. It's hilarious when you two do it at each other, but me? Spending all of my time on one wolf and then having pups with them and raising those pups and making goo-goo eyes at them for all my life? I'm sorry, my feelings aren't that flutterheaded and never will be." Hibiscus chuckled, trotting back to where he'd left the frostbite mixture. True, he couldn't imagine Calendula ever taking a mate or having pups. Aspen had had Russet and Brook with Elm, but Hibiscus suspected that she and Calendula were the same. Aspen had her two pups because the pack needed new blood, not because she wanted to be a mate or a mother. But that was all right. Some wolves didn't want or need mates, and that was all right. Hibiscus and Russet needed each other, now and forever, and that was all right, too.