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For @Jinx

The brute moved through the land, heading back down to the desert. It wasn't often that he was in the plains, but after meeting with @Reign, he often found himself wandering through the plains to check in on her and the children. As he walked back down though, a familiar sound caught his attention, turning quickly to see a bear standing up and snarling at him. If he was any other wolf, he would have ran away, or tried to go find help. But alas, this was Satan, the one who always enjoyed the smoke. 

And so, he launched himself at the bear, landing squarely against it's check with a thump. The fighting started, a bloody brawl as they fought, one clearly larger than the other, but the wolf had the tenacity to continue and, in the end, he won. Though, it wasn't without its risks as the albino brute lay there, bloody and wounded. Thankfully, no bones were broke, but he had open wounds all over his body, bleeding rather quickly as he huffed. He didn't enjoy asking for help, but he also didn't like the idea of bleeding out either. And so, he would lift himself up, beginning to lick his wounds as he tried his best to stop the bleeding so he could make it home. @Nyra would certainly hate him if he died here.

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You're going to bleed the fuck out died on her thoughts easily. It seemed he knew this or was at least aware of it. The slow way his tongue rasped over his wounds was enough of a tell. Jinx moved toward the injured brute, lowering her neck and sniffing idly at the air. Bear claws could be tainted with equally easy infection. They used their paws and claws so much that it was difficult to get them completely clean. She could see that if he didn't get his wounds cleaned properly, they'd become sickly and hinder him.

The guy didn't also seem the type to ask for help. She lingered nearby, idly clawing at the horsetail plant that lined the snaking rivers. "I can make ya a poultice," she said to him. While not a witness to the bear's assault, the body remained there in full view "it'll stop the bleedin' nicely enough." Horsetail and other things nearby thankfully. Even moss, which she could use to clean the albino's wounds before applying the poultice. Fuck, there were a ton of items around to assist. She counted herself lucky they were provided for her. And to be frank, this guy smelt like he'd been around various biomes.

She could see the Mountains, the Desert, and even the Temperate from her position. He could trade gossip and facts for his life. She considered this idly. It was like tapping a finger on her cheek or chin. "I'd like some info though if ya can answer questions... Ya seem tough. I bet a bit of plant juice won't make you whine about pain." She wasn't giving her medical knowledge away for free, mind you. Her eyes seemed to light up. She felt it was a fair trade.

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He was already tense, his body bloody and in pain, though he quickly let out a growl as another approached him, though he made no move to attack her. Instead, he would flash his fangs at her, keeping still as she moved to sniff him. It wasn't until she spoke that he would finally speak up, his voice deep and low, his growl seeping through into his words as well. "Very well. What do you want to know?" He would have told her to fuck off if it wasn't for the fact that he was currently bleeding out and he was a bit too far from home. 

And so, he would lay himself down, though his body was never not tense, still ready to up and attack at any time should he need to.

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Well, he seemed eager not to die.

About as much as she could hope for. The man controlled his emotions even if she could almost feel annoyance leaking off him in spades. He was desperate. It was good. Good for her, that is. "Just what ya know 'bout this world" Jinx replied to him easily. No, she didn't want to know who had been his first fuck or what he ate in the morning usually. Lucky him "anything ya feel important." She added to prove her point about 'what he knew'. It was a matter of opinion in the end.

She didn't bother hiding she was new here. Any fool could take a good look at her and assume. She shuffled a bit closer, bringing with her the poultice ingredients. The horsetail, for one, would bind his flesh as well as any stitching. Just slower. She chewed and chewed on the mixture, grinding it down with her back teeth and adding saliva should she need to wet the herbs. It was not a paste, but more a cloak of medicine. Clear with flecks of plants within the glaze.

Once she was done that, she gently spits the poultice onto her paw. Jinx turned to the man, her limb raised. If he didn't talk, she wouldn't apply the potentially life-saving medicine. If he did talk, she would continue on. A fair trade, huh?

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He rolled his eyes slightly at her for a moment but a small smirk was lingering on his lips. She was interesting, the kind of woman that could be useful in Warcrest. Perhaps this could be plentiful in more than one way. "From what I know of these lands, there are plenty ways in but only one way out. Some fine themselves here suddenly, some fall asleep and wake here, and some die in their previous lives and wind up here. However, the only way out is death. Even then I've heard that doesn't stop it." He wouldn't expand on that, at least not yet. 

"As for more specifics, we are currently in the Plains, two packs live in these lands. I call the Desert home with my pack Warcrest." He would raise an eyebrow at her as he said that, waiting to see if she had questions.

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Just as she thought. No one knew, nor seemed to care, more. She already made the assumptions herself. Nothing the man said was new to her. Jinx wasn't disappointed; these words only fueled the truth. Before then, she only could guess. There really was no way out. That doesn't stop death, the man said grimly. She assumed he meant there was some type of reincarnation to it. They were trapped here, and death didn't stop escaping.

Given what she asked for, she applied the poultice.

It would stop the bleeding. While she preferred the work of aloe vera to soothe irritated skin and inflammation, she didn't have any on her currently. He mentions the desert, and she mentally makes a note of it. "Why, ain't that funny?" Jinx mused, splitting focus between methodically rubbing the poultice on his wounds and focusing on his unsaid words "ya bleedin' to death here, and still tryin' to recruit people." She ventured out of a gut feeling he was, not that he openly did it.

He may as well just say it though. Saved a lot of time.

Rubbing a particularly nasty open wound around his neck area, Jinx continued to do her part. She took special care to make sure no arteries were hit in her assessment. He'd live, but he wouldn't have lived if a medic hadn't come along. She wouldn't bore the man with prattles and rants about watching out next time. She didn't care enough about him to be concerned. He didn't want to hear it, probably. He'd probably heard it all before anyway, from other healers.

She would not waste her time and breath.

"There," she rubs her paws on the moist earth to clear them of poultice before backing up. She is acutely aware he could still attack her, and her medicine only would strengthen that thought. In herself and himself. Jinx does not turn her back to him, facing the alpha wolf without fear. Just caution. "that poultice will harden and stiffen your fur, but unless ya got a healer in Warcrest I wouldn't wash it off for a few days. Let it do its job. It'll slowly clean the wounds free of infection and fade on its own merit."

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The man offered a grin as he chuckled, shrugging slightly at her comment about recruiting. "Can you hardly blame me really?" He would move slightly as she finished with the weird herbs, slowly standing as he moved his muscles to test out everything. He was still very sore and he could feel his skin pulling with the poultice, but otherwise the bleeding had stopped. 

Turning to look at her, he would nod slightly. "I'm used to blood hardening in my fur, this shouldn't be anything different." He would begin to walk towards the desert, gesturing to offer her to walk with him. "You're a capable healer, do you want a spot in Warcrest?" There was no sugercoating his offer and so, he would lay down his offer, waiting to see how she responded.

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"No," she replied about as honest as she could get. Jinx couldn't blame a pack leader for trying to add more fuel to their fire. Granted, packs were not a foreign concept but more primitive to her. The young woman's people were grouped in a community, less than an idea and a leader. They had culture and belief, and an elected leader that came from the people's voice. Even then, they listened to their elders. They took the advice of those more experienced. "ya gotta do what ya gotta do."

She should feel some sort of pride in being recognized, but her insides did not squirm in delight. They did not squirm at all. Jinx knew she was a capable healer, and she would not rely on the compliments of a stranger to boost her ego. It was enough that he had the eye to recognize it. So the man had some sort of smarts, or at least the ability to recognize. Not so much spacial awareness, if he got caught by that bear so badly. Still, he was the first one to offer her a spot in any pack in this world. "I'd be a fool to accept just by invite."

Jinx's words were as blunt as his own. She shook the remaining herbs from her paws, rising too. "I wanna know what Warcrest is about before considerin' such an offer." Time for the man to put on his recruit goggles. Whether he'd be put off or intrigued, in the end, it didn't matter. She couldn't control what others thought. No use trying to sway others unless they were an easy target and she wanted something from them. The point was; if he was a smart guy, he'd see that she refused to blindly follow for the sake of a casual compliment. That meant the man could earn her loyalty with his actions. Something a leader always tried to strive for.

It also meant she was not easily swayed to another's side. She had her own thoughts and opinions, true, but she could be hardened to follow Warcrest alone. She did not betray so flippantly.

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The man shrugged slightly with a grin, having no real reason to rush back home. So, he might as well sit and chat for a while. After all, if he played his cards right, he might be able to bring home another. 

With a chuckle, he would nod, already taking a liking towards her. "That is very valid. Warcrest is my pack, one centered around strength and power. We aren't a pack for the weak or fragile. You take care of yourself and your pack, and the pack will take care of you in return." 

He would stretch his body out, enjoying the feeling of the pain from his wounds and the poultice seeping into them. "At the moment we have a lot of pups in our ranks, but we also have a lot of strong warriors too. We could use a second healer. We already have one that you can speak with if youd like."

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Strength. Power. She needed to obtain it here anyway, so Warcrest seemed a good place to start. Second healer though... She'd work double time to rise up to a first healer, fate or gods —, or whatever else the fuck watched them, who the hell knew? — willing. She wasn't ever going to be second best, not in Warcrest. Not in any other place. She huffs contemplatively, squinting her eyes as she stared across the Plains.

"I'll join."

But respect was earned, not given. Loyalty was proven and absolute, not biased. She'd see for herself what sort of pack Warcrest was in the end, and what sort of leader Satan decided he was already. A pack beats living alone, cold, and starved. She needed patients to grow her reputation, and she needed a stepping stone anyway. "I'll see ya at your doorstep in a moon or soon," she promised the albino man "I still got some shit to do here." What exactly? She didn't know.

Maybe she'd scout a bit, and gather information. Useful information to bring back. Herbs too. Ones that were survivors, and escaped the cold. Jinx looked over her pseudo-patient for a bit, judging him as acceptable to travel (well, he wouldn't die from the poultice anyway) alone. If he took on a bear, she'd probably hear his death rattle from miles. "See ya." She didn't need to mother him, tell him to be careful. For fuck's sake he was a grown-ass man.

Instead, she moved away. Their business concluded, Jinx moved past it.

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