Kiss It Better

AURORA HELVIG
The hardest prisont to escape is your mind

The day had started out pleasant, one of few where she was able to escape the confines of lessons, the vineyard and those assigned to look after her; be it by her mother or someone else. Alone with the beauty of nature, her eyes like vibrant gemstones as she watches everything from the flowers starting to grow to listening to the soft chirps of the birds among the sky and trees. Their songs, she wondered if they actually meant anything, each song different from the next yet each species seemed to have special cadences she wished to write down in a booklet, if only she had the means to do so. The books that line the library were full of etchings and drawings, it made her want to write her own but alas even if she had the ink on the pages a wolf’s paws were not equipped to handle the quil needed to put it on the ledger. All she could do was dedicate it to memory and analyze it that way, hoping something within the algorithm would make sense even to a canine, though it was likely a pipe dream.

When trying to get a little too close to one of the critters, she would lose her footing and plummet down a small cliffside, hearing a pop and crunch as most of her weight landed on the delicate structure of her forearm. Pushing herself upright, she’d find some issue moving around as everything felt like it was pulsing. Blinking, she’d nervously look around for the sound, not quite feeling the pain just yet but once it touched her nerves, a whine would expel from her lips as a crushing ache extended into her limb. She was not so quick to jump to her paws, tears welled up in the rim of her eyes as she took in countless deep breaths in hope the pain would just go away but of course it would not fade so easily. All it did was make her light headed.

Carefully she’d try to stand up while tucking the limb against her chest, causing what looked like quite the awkward dance to get onto her other three paws, falling back down a couple times till she finally found the proper equilibrium to not just topple again. Glancing around, she staggered a few steps toward the college, her ears pulled back as she wasn’t so sure she wanted to bother anyone there when lessons were in session. Nervously she’d try to put her injured limb onto the ground, feeling sharp throbbing every movement she made as she extended it, half expecting it to just fall off her. It wasn’t broken, surely, she could move all the parts but the moment she put weight on it as she went to take a step forward, she would find her pristine muzzle full of dirt as the limb buckled under her.

Letting out a defeated whine as she accepted she couldn’t just ignore it, huffing out the debris, she’d push herself back up and limp toward where she recalled hearing about a clinic that had been set up back around when she would have been born or maybe a little sooner. She had meant to go there sooner but it seemed this was a better time than any other and it had a good enough reputation and wouldn’t hinder any of the professors. Taking in another breath, she’d slowly make her way there, every part of her just wanting to curl up rather than take another step. Once she got into the opening, she’d shake out any further sticks and leaves that had tangled up into her soft tinted blues, trying to not look like a diseased, untamed mess at the very least or it might scare away the nurses and doctors. It was a bit smaller than she expected and she saw no one immediately. “H-h-hello?” she’d called barely above a whisper, mousey and unsure what might answer the call if anyone was here at all.

code by claerie

A

soft slightly out of tune hum came from the ruins of a cottage Nephele Fritz called home and her family’s clinic. She was sorting through her herb stock, separating the freshest leaves from the now withered clumps from the past winter. One quick sniff and she could tell when the potency was running out and it needed to be thrown away. A timid voice called out from the entrance and her ears perked up, concentrating on the sounds. A patient? She wondered, pulling herself away from her herb stock to greet her shy guest. "Hello?" she answered, nose twitching as the scent of a strange wolf alerted her to the presence of someone. "Can I help you?" she asked, voice gentle and welcoming.

Whether or not the girl was a student popping in to shadow her for a day or someone who needed medical assistance Nephele was happy for the company. Her pups were off attending their lessons and Kylar was busy teaching. During the quiet times she found herself humming or singing so the place felt a little less empty. It was rare that their clinic didn’t have at least one patient coming in daily for treatment, but there were gaps of time in between where she was without company and she was stuck with her own thoughts.

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

AURORA HELVIG
The hardest prisont to escape is your mind

Just as she was about to second guess coming here, she heard some scuttling and shifting around out of her sight, causing her to tense a little not fully sure if it was another wolf that had heard her or some wild animal doing something inside the cottage. Her ears flicked a couple times as a voice came to fruition, one of feminine origins, making her relax far more than when she had ran into the professor at the College last season, half expecting to be eaten. Alas, he had not of course or she wouldn’t be standing here today, though it had been probably the oddest encounter she had ever had with someone but it had also brought forth insight into the lives outside of the Helvig estate a bit more. Not everyone were pompous meanies in this world but even the nicer variety could be a little rude even in their carefully put together manners and kindhearted dispositions.

She needed to stop reading into ill intents that weren’t there, causing her to take in a long steady breath in as she waited for them to either come to her or beckon her in closer. It wasn’t long after the greeting that a woman came into view, so pretty and no bigger than her; if not as small as her mother, causing her to stare a bit rudely in surprise as her tail gave a small sheepish wag at the idea of it being someone her age again. The more she took in their scent, the more she came to realize this maiden wasn’t someone as youthful, which brought some of her eagerness down a little bit as disappointment churned, adults were harder to talk to but probably better medics.

At the coming question she would nod, her gaze held downward submissively before she’d attempt to move a touch closer, nearly falling on her face in the process as she stumbled from her paw giving out on the sudden weight and lack of caution. It seemed anything she had learned about her injury went clear over her head when her anxieties were raised, not thinking the most clearly especially now that pain was shooting into her limb all the more. A whimper sounded from her as she straightened up.

“S-sorry to intrude Miss. I’m Aurora Helvig,” she started meekly with a soft whine in her tone no matter how much she tried to sound normal. “I took a t-t-tumble off a small l-ledge and now my leg hurts r-really bad. I hope I d-d-didn’t break it,” she sounded close to crying as she limped fully into the room, still not looking up to the other’s face. She was trying to prove she was strong and capable so no one had to worry and so she could maybe have a bit more freedom, the last thing she wanted was for it to be the worst possible outcome or she’s never be allowed out of the house again in some new fear for her safety.

code by claerie

N

ephele waited for the little voice to speak up again and when she did her ears perked towards the girl and her gentle features softened. She could not tell her age by the girl's voice alone, but she couldn't help thinking of both of her sweet daughters who were barely more than pups themselves. Yearlings, she reminded herself, old enough to begin their own lives while their mothers adjusted to an empty nest. Oh, just thinking about her children made her wistful. "Not at all. You're welcome here, sweetie. I'm Nephele Fritz, but Neph is fine," she welcomed her visitor, tail wagging happily.

Upon hearing the poor girl's plight the curve of her brow wrinkled and she let out a concerned sigh. It was all too easy to break a bone especially when a wolf was still growing. She hoped that it was just a sprain or simple fracture for Aurora's sake and nothing that would trouble her later in life like Kylar's injury did. "Let's get you settled inside and I'll have a look at your leg," she promised Aurora, offering her a sympathetic smile. "I've got a comfy nest over here for you," Nephele said as she made her way towards where she'd piled up fresh moss, furs and old scraps of cloth into neatly arranged beds for her patients. It had taken time for her to make a mental map of the place, but she could navigate her clinic almost as expertly as if she had a set of eyes behind her closed eyelids.

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck