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 Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 8:16 am
 When Touch of Night found the pale doe lying there, wounded from some fight, a horn snapped and mangled, he at first thought the doe was dead... but closer inspection revealed she was still breathing. "...Look at me," he murmured urgently, nosing at her muzzle to get her attention. "Open your eyes."
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 8:31 am
Her remaining intact horn was stained with blood, and a gash, shallow and bloody but not fatal, under the hair covering the other side of her throat. She twisted her head, glowing eyes looking up at him. She took another shallow breath, then let her head drop back down, her eyes closing. "Hurts," she admitted, knowing only that the dark kimeti above her could be her savior... or her doom, if he so chose.
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 8:39 am
Night nosed away the hair that covered the gash, then sniffed it, checking for any signs of impending infection. "Can you walk? I live nearby, my herbs and things are there, I can help you. You can lean against me if you need to."
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 8:46 am
She didn't want to walk. She wanted to simply lay there, gathering energy in sleep. But somehow, she knew that if she didn't walk with him, she might not wake again, so she struggled to her feet, swallowing and wincing when the move pulled a little on the gash. Her hair fell into her eyes in wild, matted disarray, and she shook it a bit, wishing for the branch near her den, where she'd carefully crafted a stationary sort of comb to keep her hair neat.
After a moment, she took a careful, slow step, then nodded, as much to herself as to him. "I can walk," she murmured softly, muscles tense under her coat as she prepared herself. She would walk on her own, determined to show him by that action, at least, that she was strong enough to survive.
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 8:50 am
"Follow me," Night urged, keeping himself close enough that if she fell, she might at least fall against his flank and not land on the ground. The walk wasn't far, and after only a few minutes they reached Night's bit of a cave. He got her to a soft pile of grasses and moss, guiding her to rest there before he hurried about, gathering herbs and shells full of poultices, some of them with a strong, sharp smell.
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 8:56 am
Left alone in the cave, Light Holds Sway looked around for a moment, curiousity holding her exhaustion at bay for a bit. But all too soon, the shallow cave ceased to hold her attention, and she nestled into the soft grass, her eyes closing once more. Here, amidst his smell and the shadow of his presence, she felt safe and sound. And that very safety lulled her into sleep.
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 9:11 am
Night turned back to find her still and sleeping, and he shook his head faintly, bemused. Well, at least this would hopefully keep her from moving too much. He gathered his tools together, then set about cleaning the gash. It had to be cleaned first, or there was a risk of infection.
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 9:16 am
As he worked, she drew back to wakefulness, initially pulling away as the wound on her neck stung. "What... oh," she murmured, realizing that he was leaning over her. Settling back again, she watched him through lowered lashes. In the quiet, with his calm presence looming over her, she felt more than simply safe. She felt protected in an odd way. "Who are you?" she asked softly, shifting just a little, her long limbs rearranging to be more comfortable position.
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 9:35 am
"My name is Touch of Night, but you can call me Night if you prefer. It's shorter." With a sure touch, the buck worked the wound clean, then picked up a length of shell that had been scraped into the proper shape to scoop and mix his herb mixtures. Working quickly, he put together a mash of herbs and crushed seeds, then carefully worked the mash into the wound. "It'll sting a bit," he managed around the scoop clenched in his teeth, "but that will ease off before long."
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 9:41 am
She hissed sharply, closing her eyes tight against the pain. She made no protest, though, letting him spread his mix over her. After a bit, the pain did fade somewhat, and she relaxed a little more. "How did you find me?" she asked softly, wondering at him. "Did you hear the fight?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 9:44 am
Night didn't answer at first, too busy working on getting the paste into the wound without hurting her further. Finally, he stepped back, picking up a brush of soft grasses that he dipped into another shell, this one filled with a thick, viscous, clear liquid. "I heard the fight. I tried to get to you in time, but I was too far away. I thought you were dead at first." He brushed the grasses against the tip of her broken horn, trying to seal the top and keep it from drying and cracking apart in the future.
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:05 am
"He didn't seem to like my antlers," she admitted wryly, her eyes slitting open again to watch him thoughtfully. "That's what stopped him from opening my throat, the way they got trapped in his jaws. His teeth raked me, but I think I'm mostly intact. Just... very tired," she admitted wryly. "And... I don't really want to go back out there."
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:09 am
"Tell me your name," Night murmured, stepping back so he could put his various healing accoutrements away. "And then I want you to rest. You need it to heal."
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:14 am
"Light Holds Sway," she said softly, nestling her head back into the grasses again with a soft look in her eyes. "But you're welcome to call me Light. Did you make those yourself?" she couldn't keep herself from asking, curious about them.
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:21 am
Night gave a faint nod of his head before nudging the last shell onto the roughly-molded clay shelves. "I did. It's my calling. In a few hours, I'll need to check that poultice, and likely put a fresh one in, but the mash should keep things from getting too sore." He found an empty shell and pulled it down, dumping a powder into it that smelled like meadowsweet, then stepped over to the small brook that bubbled past his den before returning with the filled shell. "Drink this. It will help with the pain."
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