The Venomous Angel

She figured it out? I felt the sunset and violet of my gaze lift slightly before the faintest touch of a smile worked its way across my lips all the same as I regarded the little girl at my paws. Honestly I didn’t know wolves even came this small, or compact rather. Yes, compact was a batter word.

“It’s nice to see someone with initiative.”

That she might not know what initiative meant had never occurred to me as I offered the compliment all the same, moving to turn away from her now and leave her to grab my deerskin bag and follow after, heading now for the small inlet where fresh and saltwater mixed and the plants that grew around it were entirely one of a kind. Perhaps my Little Samia did not yet realise the true use of a pack such as Glorall, one so rich in resources so rare. In time however, she would, of that I was sure. Each pack had its merits, each pack had things the others didn’t and yet for things such as wound healing there was nothing superior to the plants and water available in this pack alone. I spoke as I moved, slowing my giant stride downs somewhat until she was keeping pace at my side, struggling beneath the weight of the bag as I once had for Meryl. It had however, only taken me a year or so to grow to a size that made carrying the bag much easier. Samia…..I think, may always be Little Samia. I chuckled softly at my own internal thoughts before asking a question of the girl, her mumbled answer seeing my handsome head tilt towards her.

“What? Oh Aniseed, yes, well done. Aniseed is a good answer but it is not readily available. What I am going to teach you today Little Samia is a cure for indigestion- and an instant one at that. You can put the bag over there, near those rocks then follow me down to the water.”

I continued on, ashen grey and white form all flecked with red moving through the tussock grass and onto the sand, right down to the little inlet where the water was still heavy with salt, no higher then halfway up my limbs, the tide low enough for Samia to stand too provided no large wave came and rushed in. I waited for her then, gesturing for her to come and stand in the water beside me.

“Indigestion, Little Samia, is one of the most common problems you will face as a healer. It is small, it is easily treated and every second fool will get it despite you telling them how to avoid it. Small things, though, can sometimes become large things and in rare cases they can become deadly things. At worst, though it is rare, indigestion can become bloat, bloat can kill. We must prevent that at all costs, you understand?”

I paused, waiting to assure the young girl had understood what I was saying before continuing.

“Indigestion, in most cases, is the result of eating something that disagrees with the stomach. Remedies like aniseed and grass sooth the condition and are fine in very mild cases but do not cure it. Curing it is remarkably simple and necessary in the cases of poisoning via food or more….nefarious things. Not all in this life heal as we do. There are wolves with the knowledge to poison too, do not forget it.”

I was one such creature, as was Meryl and Zen, though aside from either they or myself I knew of no other offhand. Regardless, new wolves came to Moladion often, it would not be hard to find another with such knowledge and indeed Samia should understand fully the importance of her position. I moved then to step back towards the bank, grasping the empty turtle shell I had there, passing it now to Samia.

“Wade towards the ocean a little more where the water is salty, fill this shell and place it on the bank, remember all we do today, this is important.”