everything has changed

Rannoch had just finished his dinner. He had tracked down a hare and had followed it across the territory before he had managed to kill it. It had been fast, almost too fast for him, but in the end, he had gotten close enough to bring it down without too much of a fight. Unfortunately, it had managed to bite him on the chin, and a little bit of blood dribbled and puddled underneath him. 

Rannoch mostly satiated his hunger, and he idly chewed a bone as though he was flossing after his meal. He was in the westernmost area of the territory, and he figured that he might as well explore the area after this. But, for now, he enjoyed the spoils of his hunt.

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It was not the promise of food that drew her near the prone wolf that casually chewed on the leftover bones from his kill. It was not the promise companionship though that was welcome always wanted. No, it had been the smell of blood but not of the rabbit it was his. A few herbs were already on hand with her as she tried to find all that she could in this iced over forest, a forest that reminded her of home but where was home now? With a mental shake of her head she moved closer, a muffled yip coming from her lips as she made the sound around a few plants.

Would her company be welcome? Would he think that she was hear to steal what little vines were left? The cut in his lip was obvious from her location, a small puddle of his blood the thing that had drew her close. Might I approach her movements and eyes would potray, she waited until given permission.

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He smelled the herbs first, and then he saw the sun-furred woman. Rannoch had picked the bones clean, aside from some loose tendrils on the bone he was currently chewing. He did not feel threatened, and instead he wondered if she was hungry, but he quieted that thought for now.

When she silently asked if she could approach, he nodded and licked his chops. When his tongue swiped at his wound, Rannoch finally realized that he was bleeding. He winced, his ears falling back and his face twisting uncomfortably, feeling the sharp sting. ”Hey,” he greeted, dropping the bone, his voice pained. ”Are you hungry? It’s not much, but it’s something … “ Rannoch pushed the food towards the stranger.

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He seemed comfortableand did not take a threateningstance or attitudeto her presence, that was a good sign. Instead he nodded to her silent inquiry,
keeping the quiet between them. With a smile hidden by her herbal remedy she moved forward, her petite paws hardly making a sound as they made contact with the ground. Trained eyes noted his wincing, so the cut stung with contact. Well she did not have anything for that but a simple remedy to make sure that an infection would not enter and spread from the wound.

He cmoffered what meager offerings he had and she smiled once more, placing the herbal pile at her pale toes and shook her head. "No, thank you." she spoke with an accent, her voicesoft and grateful before she spoke her inquiry. "would you like something to treat your cut?" Her head tilting slightly to the left in question

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Sunneva poliety declined his offer, and Rannoch pulled his bone closer and nodded. She looked kind and she had a lovely and unique voice; it seemed like he was in good compay. Despite his pain, he was content in his current situation.

As she spoke again, he eyed the herbal pouch that she had placed at her paws. He wondered what was inside, but before he could asked, she offered to help. ”That … would actually be great,” he said, not expecting her kindness. Rannoch tried to get a look at his chin, but he was unable to. ”He got me,” he explained, motioning to the rabbit’s remaines with a bob of his nose, ”I didn’t realize he drew blood.” Rannoch was thankful that Sunneva was willing to help him out.

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It was kind of him to share his quarry with a complete stranger, something not many wolves did so she felt that she could relax in his company. She almost felt the pull of the bones when he pulled them away, in truth she was hungry but she did not want to impose on this nice man. Instead she offered help him, make that cut heal just a bit better rather than let it bleed and fester.

The healer watched as he eyed the dull green bag that she had set down at her pale feet, she gave him a warm smile to reassure him that nothing here was going to poison him or make him sick. She was not that kind of medicine woman, she was one that healed and nurtured, never harm unless seriously provoked.

He accepted with a start and she could only keep her smile on her lips, she did not like that kindness was a surprise but the world was a harsh and cruel place. He continued to let her know where he had got the wound, the bones had been the source of the cut. Clever rabbit gave one last effort before it became the wolf's meal, a fighter that one was. He had not realized the hare had bit him, odd but perhaps it was in the heat of the moment so he had been focused on his hunger? A mental shake as she picked up her pouch and moved closer, uncomfortably close to some as she examined the injury. Fortunately it was small but it's location was problematic, regular administrations would have the happen for it to close and if he licked it then she would have to start over again.

Pulling a purple flower, a orange flower, and one that was purple. Lavender, Marigold, and Echinacea. She looked back up at the man to make sure this was alright before moving to find a rock, ah, there one was. It was flat on top and ideal for mashing the three flowers together, when that was done she moved close again. She applied this mixture, careful not to make it sting more than it would from having something foreign placed in a wound. Now she needed cobwebs, she looked around and found a few on a bush. Carefully she spooled a little on her paw and hopped back to the man, placing some on the cut and mixture to seal it. "Þarna ferðu" — there you go she spoke in her native tongue and stepped back once more, looking pleased with herself.

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Sunneva moved closer, and Rannoch stayed in place. It was strange to have somebody so close, but there was something comforting about it. It made him feel less alone, and he savored it while she examined his wound.

When she pulled away and reached for her bag, he watched as she pulled out her supplies; three different flowers, each uinique in their color and shape. ”What’re those?” he asked. Rannoch trusted Sunneva, and he was more so wanting to learn about herbs. He was always looking to learn new things; learning was something he remembered loving to do. She then went to work, mashing the herbs, gathering cobwebs and then creating a paste to mask his scrape. Rannoch watched in silence, observing her technique. When Sunneva spoke again, once she completed her patch-job, it was in a language that Rannoch did not recognize.

”What was that?” he asked, tilting his head.

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As she worked she was asked questions, first about the flowers that she pulled put of her medicine bag. This was easy for her, the flow of conversation and teaching those what she had known before she came to this place.. well, woke up unexpectedly in this strange land. "the purple one is Lavender, it helps keep the wound from being inflamed as well as prevents infection. Another use for it is its fragrance, to calm, for sleep. The orange one is marigold, it can help with bruising as well as help promote healing of the wound. And lastly echinacea, it helps boost your immune system to fight any infection that might get through the other herbs." She spoke with love and affection for her craft, it was obvious that she prided this aspect of her life.

As she finished and spoke in her native language he commented once more, a question for what she had said and what it was. "Ah, sorry. I slip into my native language without thinking. It's icelandic, and I said there you go" her cheeks picked with embarrassment, she had not meant to say anything in icelandic. How embarrassing.

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Lavender, marigold and echinacea—each flower having their job in the mixture that she made. Rannoch nodded, repeating the information in his head. He doubted that he’d be able to remember everything, but he would remember the names at the very least. She spoke about her craft with a noticable tenderness, giving away her love for what she did.

”And the cobwebs?” he asked next. ”Did you use them to keep everything in place?” He could feel them on his chin, gently tickling the sensative area around his wound.

Sunneva apologized for her slip, and Rannoch shook his head. She didn’t have any reason to be sorry. His ears perked at the strange work—Icelandic—and he asked, ”What’s Icelandic?” He had never heard of it before.

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She had left out why she had applied the cobwebs to his chin but he seemed to understand all on his own, she rewarded him with a heartwarming smile and a nod before confirming what he said. "Já, the cobwebs are naturally sticky and so it helps seal the wound and keep the cobwe mixture in and infection out." The healer looked into his lovely blue eyes and committed his face to memory, how much would he be willing to learn of her craft or was he just humbling her? If he was interested then she could understand, she too loved to learn new things.

Her cheeks warmed as she realized how close she still was to him but she did not step back, after all, he had not said anything about it. She found the closeness refreshing, like she was not alone in this new world. She caste her sun gold eyes down at her toes as she spoke of her homeland. "Iceland is where I am from before.. before I woke up here. We spoke both the common language we are using now and icelandic." She explained, finding that she remembered more as time went on. Maybe it was good she was here and not back in her sister's pack. Less heartache, less time watching them be together.

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Rannoch wasn't aware that the cobwebs helped protect from infection, but it made sense. "That's ... actually pretty cool," he said, seeing the material in a different light. He wondered what else he could do with cobwebs, but that'd be an experiment for another time. 

Sunneva spoke of Iceland, and Rannoch listened intently. "Do you remember anything about Iceland?" he asked. He doubted it, though, since he and Vendrussel couldn't remember much about their past.

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Her name is pronounced "sun-ee-vah"
also hover for translation.

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His enthusiasm was refreshing, something that she would enjoy keeping by her side but she was getting ahead of herself, just because it his company was pleasant to her did not mean it was the sake to him. Ah, but he was so curious and seemed to he just as engrossed in all the details as much as she was. Telling someone about her trade was something the healer would never get tired of and as long as he kept asking questions, the more she would answer.

His interest in her homeland was intriguing and heartwarming, and she thought of what she could remember right now with affection but there was a dark thread under it all. When she remembered one detail, an unwanted one surfaced. "I-I can remember bits and pieces. The more I am awake in this land, the more I seem to remember of my life áður — before" with a soft sigh she spoke on the one thing she could remember most. Slowly she sank onto her rear end, sitting and looking up into his blue eyes."where I lived was an intricate maze of ice caves, cold but warm if you had another next to you to keep you company. And when the sun would hit in midday, the parts that were not rock would glow like crystals.. sparkle.."

Just then she realized something her her ears fell back in embarrassment, "You know, I never caught your name elskan — darling". She laughed softly to herself, "and you might want mine!" She chuckled again as she thought, new land, new name? She settled then that she would go by her middle name, her first name had to many heartbreaking memories attached to it.

"Sunneva."

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Oh! Thanks for letting me know—I was wondering how to properly pronounce it!

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Rannoch was interested in Sunneva’s memory was recovering. ”That’s awesome,” he said with sincerity. ”I don’t remember much,” he revealed; he hadn’t been awake here for long, so there was plenty of time for him to remember his previous life. ”But I hope that my mind starts healing, too.” Since she was a healer, he wondered, ”Have you taken any herbs to help? … Or is that even a thing?” Rannoch laughed, wondering how outlandish that sounded to her.

Iceland seemed like a beautiful place, and he tried to imagine what it looked like from her description.”It sounds like it was a wonderful place to live,” he complimented, feeling a bit sad. He hoped that she could find somewhere like her home here.

When Sunneva pointed out that they didn’t know each other’s name, Rannoch’s ears fell back in embarrasment. They had been so entangled in their conversation; maybe it was a good sign that it took them until now to do so.

”It’s nice to meet you, Sunneva,” Rannoch said, testing her name on his tongue. ”I’m Rannoch.”

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Was it unique to retain memories of your life before waking up in the illusion foreign land, was what she doing rare among the other wolves that found themselves here? With how interested Rannoch was she had to jump to that conclusion, after all, he did not remember much of his old life. She wanted to apologize but ended up being to familiar in her efforts. The healer stretched her leg a few inches closer and aimed to place her paw on his as if to say, I am here for you and will help where I can. "I have not thought of taking herbs, I started dreaming a few days after I kominn — arrived but there are plants that help with memory and brain function.." She gave him a warm smile of encouragement, "I can try to find some for you if you'd like. Just.." She looked away for a moment then flickered her attention back to him, "some memories might cause pain rather than happiness in remembering." Well be depressing Sunneva, he did not need to hear about your failed love story or how this place was refreshing compared to watching them be happy together.

Again she smiled at him as he thought of Icleland and spoke of how it must be nice, she could only nod as she tried to shake the feeling of depression away. Being near him helped, and him being a looker was something that did not go unnoticed by her either. At this thought her cheeks grew hotter and a blush crept across them, what are you thinking girl?!

Then he spoke her name and she could only look up at him in wonder with how well he pronounced, and then she got his name. Rannoch. "A handsome name for a handsome guy ." She murmured, not realizing she had said that aloud.

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Some plants and herbs aided brain function and memory, and Rannoch found that fascinating. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to remember his previous life, and he thought of Vendrussel's advice: "I try not to think about what I cannot go back to." It aligned with Sunneva's warning, and he mulled it over for a moment. "You're right," he rumbled, looking to his paws. Nothing good would come from remembering; he had lost so much waking up here. 

He was taken aback by her compliment, and he smiled shyly. His tail gently swept across the ice and glanced away shyly. "Thanks," he murmured, unsure of what else to say. She was pretty, too, but he wasn't as bold as she was. He kept his thoughts to himself, for now. 

"So ... " Rannoch said awkwardly, flashing Sunneva an apologetic smile. "Did you wake up in this forest, too? Or did you wake up somewhere else?" The topic wasn't only a scapegoat. He wondered if her awakening was similar to his.

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He had agreed with her assessment, that remembering could be something that he might not want. Sure it was nice to remember the feelings she had felt before the crushing blow but she would rather forget that part, forget it all. With a sigh she nodded, but would still look for the herbs needed to jump start the mind.

Then his reaction came and she could only show embarrassment as she looked away with her cheeks blazing and her ears on fire, she had said that outloud! Oh my, what an error. She peaked back up at him as he murmured a thanks, well, she better own it. Her ears came forward once more as she nodded her head, "Y-you're welcome" She spoke softly, thankful that he wanted to change the subject.

"Yes, I woke up here. It was not a fun experience.. and I have yet to leave.. to be honest I am nervous of doing it alone " She spoke still in a soft voice, not really liking how she woke up with tears on her face and she had no idea why though now she knew the explanation.. whether she wanted to or not.
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Rannoch's ears flattened when Sunneva revealed that it had not been fun for her to wake up. He could relate; the confusion and fatigue had been overwhelming. "I'm sorry," he sympathized.  "It's tough waking up and not knowing where you are." 

When she mentioned her nervousness about leaving the forest alone, he had an idea. They didn't have to do it alone; it was better to have somebody that had your back. "Well," he drawled, looking at her with a newfound optimism. "We don't have to do this alone. We've found each other, and it makes more sense to stick together." Two was better than one, after all.

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The healer nodded when he showed sympathy, from his reaction she could infer that he also had a not so pleasant awakening in their new landscape but she did not press for details just as he hadn't. Though she wished more that her mind had stayed silent, her memories locked behind a fog but she was not so lucky. After her embarrassment or saying things she thought outloud, she mentioned her fear of leaving. His interest peaked there, offering something she never imagined a stranger doing but were they strangers now?

"I vould love that, being alone is not very comforting. Thank you." her cheeks heated from the warmth she felt from this small gesture, she was no longer alone in this world. She had a companion, she had Rannoch.

word count: 130

fade?

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Done and done!

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Rannoch was happy that Sunneva agreed to sick together. He smiled as she replied, his tail brushing against the snow and ice. "I'm glad," he replied genuinely. It would be nice to have somebody around, as he had been incredibly lonely since he had woken up. 

With an agreement made, the two wolves continued to talk. They learned more about each other and shared what limited knowledge they had. Rannoch, unfortunately, did not have much to share, but he listened to everything that Sunneva said. They talked well into the evening and eventually stopped in favor of catching a quick bite to eat.

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