whatever a moon has always meant

It was a lovely morning for a cup of tea.

Day by day, Olive was feeling more like herself. She felt herself blithely content to stay amongst Cloudrest and its surrounding areas, appreciating how anything she needed was easily within reach, within a moment or two of needing it. Food was plentiful in the cache. She felt safety from the mountains that stood guard, protecting her from anyone in the tundra who might wish her ill. Fresh water ran freely from the runoff of such mountains —oh gods, she hoped to never be that thirsty again! Company and friendship was only a stone's throw away, if she desired it.

If only Tiberius were here, Olive might have no reason to ever leave Cloudrest for the rest of her days.

On the rare morning that she felt a burst of energy, after a night that her mind has quieted to such a degree that she could sleep peacefully from sunset to sunrise, the wasted sylph rose and plucked some of the season's newest Hawthorn — well, she more or less gnawed off an entire bough of the small bush, as to not prematurely release its magic and medicine.

She brandished the small, oblong leaves and red berries proudly as she walked over to the area where the convalescing polar bear resided. As his scent became thicker, the woman slowed down to a near stop and dropped the Hawthorn branch to chuff, announcing her presence and nonverbally asking @Thraximundar if it was a good time for her to approach.

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 He’d gone with the Frostchant wolves after the great battle with the walrus as a matter of survival. His ribs were broken, his leg was broken, and he had felt like moving was the worst pain in his life. It had been a long and terrible journey to the packlands… but he’d made it.

 For a while, everything passed by in a haze of pain and tiredness. He ate less than he used to and so lost weight without the thick fat of seals to supplement his diet. The lines and crags in his face seemed more prominent, aging him a bit more, but he was alive… and recovering.

 As much as he enjoyed company, he wasn’t really able to leave his den very often. He could only listen to the drifting conversation as it passed by his cave mouth. He only got to speak with others when they came by which he was gracious for. He enjoyed visitors immensely and it helped his days go by with more ease.

 On this particular morning, the man was sleeping in as he was wont to do. He didn’t snore and was laid on his back with arms and legs stretched out above and below him. He looked peaceful as he slept there. Although, when he heard the chuffing of someone it gently roused him from his peaceful sleep. His eyes opened and he let out a gruff, ”Come in!” The tone was rougher than he meant as his mouth had been open and his throat was sore. He cleared his throat and said much more gently, ”Sorry, sorry, come, come.” He sat up, clearing his voice again for good measure as he saw the pretty white wolf that they’d all gone to rescue. He smiled at her, pleased and warmed by her visit. ”Ah, Olive, it is absolutely fantastic to see you, my dear. To what do I owe the pleasure?” It felt so nice to be able to speak without nearly as much pain as before. Was he getting an evaluation? More herbal remedies? He could see that she was holding some sort of plant with lovely red berries.

 He was honestly very happy to see her in much better health. Before, on the fateful day she’d been so bad… Poor, poor thing.

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Olive harbored no small amount of guilt where the gentlemanly polar bear was concerned. If she had been worried about Tiberius or Riannon or Benry being injured in her recovery, that worry was greatly exaggerated when it came to those who had joined the fight due to no connection of her own. The great Thraximundar owed her nothing, knew nothing of her, yet almost paid dearly, with the currency being his life. The least Olive could do was welcome him into Cloudrest, and work her healing magics on him the best she could.

The bear welcomed her inside his cave, and the medicinewoman grimaced as she watched him shift the great heft of his body into a position that was better suited for visitors. She wanted to click her tongue, and tell him that there was no need — there was no helping a gentleman, even one that was bruised and broken. "I wanted to see how you're healing," she said with a smile, lifting and wiggling her black-button nose. "—and to see if you needed anything; absolutely anything at all..."

The woman nodded her head, ready to provide this convalescent hero with absolutely anything that was within her power to provide. Compared to the gift he had given her, what could even her best retribution amount to? Olive glimpsed down at the Hawthorne, knowing that her herbal remedies could only go so far, when it came to binding blood and bone.

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 "Ah, that is very kind. I appreciate the checkup." He appreciated it immensely. He knew that he didn't have to go on the hunt for the walrus but he couldn't live with himself if he did nothing while the poor girl was taken prisoner. What was the point of his bulk if he didn't use it in the aid of others? To join in the fight had been his absolutely pleasure and he'd do it again in a heartbeat no matter if he lived or died. His life had been a full one, after all, and if his death brought an extension to a younger creature's own? Then, his life he would gladly give time and time again.

 "I do feel much better than when I first arrived here." Which, to be honest, wasn't saying a whole hell of a lot. "Well, an old bear like myself does enjoy a bit of company. A bit of conversation and good companionship does wonders for the mind. If you don't mind humoring an old soul like me." He let out a low chuckle and then winced. Khadne was out at the moment so he had to have someone else to talk to. "A bit of satiation of my curiosity does so as well..." Towards that end. "Pray, what is that plant for?" He gestured gently with one of his forepaws to the plant that she'd brought in with herself. As old as he was, he was not well-versed in medicine.

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To share resources and a pack-land with a polar bear tested her natural instincts, but her continuous cohabitation with Benry had well-trained her to be open-minded about other predatory species, especially ones who went to bat for her. To attempt to heal him was the least she could do, and hey — now Frostchant had a polar bear. It was a thing that was so mutually-beneficial that it easily smoothed over any pre-disposition her biology might have had towards bears.

Upon the mention of his feeling better, she responded with a whole-hearted "I thank the Gods for that," and continued to listen as he bestowed the virtues of company. The woman nodded, knowing this to be the thing that was distinctly lacking in her own recovery. "I, too, have been hungry for kinship," Her relationship with Benry was strained, at best. Riannon was busy nurturing her mewling pups and cozying up to her bear-man. Archon was exploring his own path, as was Tiberius. Olive passed the better part of her days alone, and it didn't suit her.

"— to more deeply know the people to whom I owe my life." she further explained, cocking her head at an acute angle, appreciative of this lens with which she could now measure those around her. It made it easy to separate the wheat from the chaff, and she refused to fritter her time away on those who meant nothing to her.

He asked after the bough she had brought with her, which laid neatly & nearly forgotten at the entrance to the cave. “Oh, this is Hawthorn —“ Olive noted, twisting her neck to look over her shoulder. She tossed her head, coming back to lay her green eyes upon him. "Between you and me, fine conversation and good company is a better healer than this will ever be." It was a magical medicine, to be certain; but plants worked in a very limited capacity for wounds such as this. "The bones are deep, and difficult to access with medicine," the shaman-woman explained, coming closer several steps and visually assessing the posture, balance and crutches the massive animal used to support his weight, even in repose.

She charted him as best her could, but her knowledge of bears was limited. However, taking into account his outward symptoms — pain level, breathing pattern, his own self assessment — Olive was more than certain that his own body was stitching itself up just fine.  "I've found that the thing that best heals the bones is to restore stability to your energy and physicality," It was the only thing that worked. That, and time. "Keep the mind strong, and the body will follow." she looked up at him, and knew he instinctively understood the intra-body connect she spoke of.

The woman sat back on her haunches, knowing there was no rush out the door. “There is so much to psychospiritual healing that I wish to learn…” she mused, upturning a paw and gesturing to an ephemeral, invisible cloud of knowledge that surrounded them. “It fascinates me how the mind can effect the body, and vice-versa.”

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 He grinned, feeling warmed by her praise and her words. He simply attempted to bat it away modestly with a, "Oh, it was the right thing to do. Any soul that swings right on their moral compass would have thrown their lot in to help a kind woman like yourself." If it had been a complete stranger and Kuhn hadn't asked, he still would have done so. Speaking of which... he wondered where @Kuhn was now? He probably wouldn't feel comfortable sniffing around the wolf pack, perhaps when he healed he would have to seek the man out. To make sure that all had gone well with the tiger. "If ever you feel lonesome or in need of company, do not hesitate to seek me out, whether I am here or elsewhere. I am always available to swap words," Here he gave a small chuckle, "Perhaps too many words, sometimes." He had a horrible habit of sometimes being too talkative. 

 Hawthorn? He looked towards the plant, examining the leaves and berries so that he might not forget later. "If only there were a plant that healed all maladies! Although I fear such a powerful plant might spark wars for access to it." Sometimes the powerful or beautiful the thing, the more likely that those with ill-intentions might try to hold onto it and keep all others out. Fate was dreadful that way, sometimes. 

 Although the true magical medicine was time. Time and patience. He nodded his head, "It is easy to keep in a good state of mind when amongst friends." He had others checking up on him, bringing food, and talking with him to keep him in good spirits. It was hard not to stay positive here. Despite his ailments, he was enjoying himself amongst the creatures here. 

 "I'm afraid that this is a new field for me but it seems almost instinctual," Or perhaps common sense, to him, at least. "If one's mind is not in the right place then the body is in no condition to keep up with the day-to-day functioning. There are stories of ancestors past, those that have ailed for their loved ones and without them fell ill to various diseases... and sometimes perished." Sad stories indeed but ones that were told in his culture and held to the highest regard as cautionary or informative tales.

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She found herself relaxing and settling in as they segued into conversation. Olive appreciated not only speaking to someone, anyone, a friend — but someone who was mature in mind as she was, and had many interesting things to say from a lifetime of lived experience. She found conversations such as these to be rich, like velvet; and the company of the polar bear almost immediately had a warming effect on her, flushing her cheeks beneath pale, thin fur.

She sat back, listening to the man as he wove together his words, and Olive could not stop the perpetual nod of her head atop her neck, in agreement with most (if not all) of what he was positing. When the conversation turning to a darker topic, she was overcome with the realness of such a story. Had not everyone felt anguish so severe, that they wished for (and even succeeded in bringing themselves) death? "Yes, that is indeed what is at risk if we don't service our energy and god-sense," she interjected, clicking her tongue — mostly towards herself, as this was very similar to how she had felt those weeks she had passed enslaved.

Olive thought for a minute, feeling many thoughts bubble up, all wishing to be spoken — ideas and learnings that she spoke to seldom few; not even Benry or Tiberius. They would likely be interested, she was certain, as they both made at least an attempt to be interested in the same things as she, but it was so ephemeral of a concept that the woman didn't feel the need to bother them with something that was so far removed from their daily reality. However, with Thrax, she was willing to go there. "You mentioned before, how if there was a plant panacea, wars would be sparked in its pursuit?" She leant down and nudged the listless bough of hawthorn with her nose. She might start a war over herbs, but Olive knew she was alone in this camp.

The sylph picked up her head, cocking an eyebrow at the bear. "You know, truthfully, we already have this healing power..." she turned her finepoint head to the side, and pressed her lips together. "and you're right, it is instinctive; engrained in our bodies and minds at birth. I've heard it called prakṛti," Really, it was a fundamental concept to the style of healing that was practiced by her lineage. It relied on the idea that all creatures were biologically and energetically unique from each other, and healing them should be treated as such. "and we don't fight each other for it — we end up fighting ourselves, mostly."

What Olive meant by that was: though one could certainly be wounded by external forces, it was one's karma that determined what happened in their lives, and what challenges they faced. "The more we live, the more we are influenced away from our prakṛti, the unique state of wholeness and perfect health that we are when we are young." Olive smiled in a grimace, hoping this was making sense. Even if it didn't that was okay. It rarely did. "Any healing work that a shaman can do is only to nudge our patients ever close to their original state. A plant could never be a panacea, they are simply the tool." That was a healer's role, to see past the years of mental conditioning and physical wear-and-tear to see the blueprint of perfect health underneath — and to use their tools to heal the damage that their patient's karma had wrought.

"So you see, we commit the worst warcrimes against ourselves," she idly pawed at the earth, creating a small divot where her toes were placed, unable to stop the wry grin that simpered across her maw. "....and the occasional walrus, of course."

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 Ah yes, quite a perceptive and intelligent young lady. He too would nod his head along with her words, finding them rich and full of knowledge. Here, he felt his mind being stimulated which in turn made him feel a thousand times better . At least in this moment.

 The woman nudged the plant and posed her rhetoric question, to which he would nod and let out a rumbling, ”Mmmhmm…” Showing an active listening as he waited on her to finish her thoughts and bring her main point upon him.

 He wasn’t expecting her to explain that they already had such power. His brows raised, showing his curiosity and interest without words. He was very intrigued by this. She had him baited and on the hook, ready to swallow whatever nugget of knowledge that he threw out to him.

 He was not disappointed when he was rewarded with a new word and a new style of healing… or rather, something more established and not just instinctual. ”Prakrti… Hmm… I think I understand.” The great bear rumbled in his deep voice. ”When we are young, our bodies are full of life and full of health. As we age –especially to my advanced age—things tend to change and become more fraught with ill-health. We can be brought nearer to our original state but never whole again.” Healing could only do so much. ”I feel that time as well plays into this, it can be a healer just as well as something that can cause it’s own damage.” Time made the body more susceptible to negative consequences, no matter how one lived.

 He chuckled at her small joke and said a quick, ”Indeed!” Ha! But did the walrus not have it coming? ”Although one could say he committed warcrimes against nature itself! What right did the walrus have to steal away a young wolf?” There was no reason for it! A senseless crime of vanity! Quite uncouth, if he did say so himself.

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apologies for the delay ♡ fade with your post?

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Olive was delighted to hear how the concept was received, and that the gentleman returned to her more interest and question. Whether he was truly interested in healing modalities or just trying to placate her, the woman appreciated the effort. In any other situation she might have withheld her true knowledge on the topic (as few truly cared, and she just ended up feeling othered), but here she continued to divulge her passion fully. "Here is where a true healer would argue that aging is as natural as being born,” she expressed quite derisively, perhaps since no one here truly cared.
 
“The tradition of healing that my family practices places a heavier emphasis on the quality of life, over the quantity of it,” the sylph continued to explain, looking up at the large bear, silently re-amazed at the sheer size of him. Somehow, his big frame seemed quite comfortable within the tight confines of the cave, despite his injuries. She wondered if he would agree, seeing as he had lived most of his life, and she had not. “It’s not that the body can’t be whole again, it’s that the ‘whole’ changes as one ages.” Olive twisted her lips somewhat as she thought; truly, she rarely ever had to treat elderly patients. So few ever made it to that stage in life.
 
What her grandfather had taught her though, was akin to the lessons he shared about most things: we can influence the Gods’ will in small ways, but we must deal with the realities of what befalls us, as it is usually a result of karma. “We have to figure out what one’s prakṛti would look like, through the lens of advanced age. It is imperative to be realistic with our expectations,” the little herbalist continued to chat, wondering if it was strange to preach such knowledge of age despite not having achieved it in this lifetime. Still, she continued to muse “We can never be young again, and that is difficult for some to reckon with.” and tossed the great bear a kittenish wink, as he seemed to be one of the enlightened ones.
 
To the question of why a Walrus would kidnap a small, frail wolfess as she… "That, I don't know…" she muttered, her heart rending with mention of her capture, as it was still so recent and she still could not find the words to adequately express how she felt. It usually only came out in bouts of tears — so she quickly segued, replacing her momentarily wistful expression with one that assured Thrax that he shouldn’t worry. "I suppose I shall prepare the hawthorn tea for you, no?” the woman suggested, picking up the bough of berries and placing it by his side.
 
"You can help by separating the berries and mashing them using… this rock.” She picked up a small stone in her mouth and deposited it nearby. Olive wasn’t sure if he was up for such a taste, or how nimble those massive paws of his could be. But the job was his, should he want it — if he did not, she would prepare the tea when she returned. “Crush them to a paste, while I fetch us some water,” she wagged her tail as she turned to exit the cave, soon to be back with a mouthful of sopping moss.

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 The quality of life over the quantity. "I couldn't agree with you more, Miss Olive." He said with a slow nod. He had oodles of experience in that area, being much older than many of the creatures he ran into on a daily basis. "Your family is quite wise in that regard... and others, I'm sure!" He said with a small --very small because of his ribs-- laugh. He agreed wholeheartedly with what she said and what they preached. He could lament his advancing age or he could be happy in the years he had lived and make the most of what he had now. He loved helping others and enriching his experiences with every new creature that he met. It was more fulfilling than fighting and being feared, he found joy in it.

 Even now as he sat in this small cave, talking with the she-wolf, he felt enriched and happy with the conversation that she offered. Still, however he healed now, even if he wasn't the same as before. He would not allow it to ruin his quality of life for the only thing that mattered was his happiness. He grinned back at her, showing his yellowing teeth and crinkling that scar over his face. He couldn't agree with her more.

 "Oh, by all means." He would say delightedly. He didn't quite know what tea was but was happy to make some with her. Perhaps it would be a delight to the senses. As it turned out his paws, though absolutely massive, were quite dexterous. He leaned forward, oh so carefully, and began to delicately separate berries and mash them with relative ease with the stone. He found joy in the work and looked forward to having teatime with dear Olive.

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