Timeskip post!

[wolvering]

Pod of Gray Holt and Kiga COURT Seelie TITLE Friend to all woodland creatures OCCUPATION Beast Healer (Apprentice -> Journeywoman) ABLE TO FAST-TRAVEL Not yet. HOME BASE IN 2,701 Cothromach! Secondary Treun? HOME BASE IN 2,702 Cothromach! Secondary Treun? MAJOR EVENTS HIGHLIGHT Description [ ✖ ] HIGHLIGHT Description [ ✖ ] HIGHLIGHT Description [ ✖ ]

PLANS Long-term/big plans 1) researching/gathering assistance for Hermione's hospital (plus more?) 2) mastering as much healing magic as possible 3) helping undo the damage caused by the Jabberwhelp (at least for animals) (w/ Aslan and co.?) 4) searching for the White Hart + his shrines; leaving offerings and trying to talk with him 5) learning the languages of all the animals SUMMARY OF KNOWN DETAILS Pod will be focused on learning and helping for the timeskip, and by the end will be calling herself a Journeywoman instead of an apprentice. More than that has yet to be set in stone. TIMELINE OF EVENTS SPRING IN 2,701 (Mar, Apr, May) MARCH - March event: Roc + Snowstorm. Pod and Kiga will be trying to dig people out/willing to act as snow-capable messangers. (Might try to go talk to the Roc?) Will inspire her to focus on the language of birds. Other things: Pod will be, starting near Cothromach, and then moving to Caer Glaem, be combing Jabberwhelp tainted areas and Healing animals she finds. Threads: Link; link; link; APRIL - March event: Harps. Pod will freak out, and desperately look for ways to stop it, and spread news of what she discovers. The music will inspire her to talk about Gull the Blood Drinker and his musical mind control. Other things: Pod will continue combing the land for animals hurt by Jabberwhelp--and as word spreads, animals should start coming to her.Threads: link; link; link; MAY- Pod will try to stop the swans non-violently, and if she discovers they are not actual animals, kill them for the gold. Whatever gold she gets will mostly go to hospital and Hart-shrines. Threads: link; link; link; SUMMER IN 2,701 (Jun, Jul, Aug) JUNE - Discovery of the lands still being barren. Tries to research ways to help and offer help to those trying to combat the problem. Asks advice of the animals. Starts making plans to visit the White Hart's shrines, as well. Threads: link; link; link; JULY - "downtime" month: mostly the month where Pod continues working on her other plans. She also goes herb gathering, where she can, to stock up for winter. Threads: link; link; link; AUGUST - "downtime" month: Pod may participate in Cothromach's bazaar, selling remedies and Healing beasts. Mostly continuing FALL IN 2,701 (Sept, Oct, Nov) SEPTEMBER - Another "downtime" month for big things. The event of losing spoken communication might inspire Pod to ask the birds if they'll carry letters back and forth. OCTOBER - Big thing will be Samhain. Pod will petition the Black Shuck for an audience NOVEMBER - Pod probably won't be involved in the main event, but will be turning her thoughts more towards the upcoming Hart Hunt: she'll want to build him a shrine close to her primary residence, and maybe consider another tour of the other shrines she knows of WINTER IN 2,701/2,702 (Dec, Jan, Feb) DECEMBER - White Hart Hunt: Pod will again go searching for the Hart, leaving offerings, and wanting to find him to give him well-wishes for the new year. JANUARY - No big plans as of now. Perhaps going around and making sure the local wildlife is doing well? FEBRUARY - No definite plans. SPRING IN 2,702 (Mar, Apr) MARCH - Undead! Once Pod discovers they can be dealt with, she will go after them. APRIL - Missing fairies and imps! Pod will go around asking the animals if they know anything DATE - Description

( codes by whambam )

Comments

Roc event: general starter

[wolvering]

It takes Pod no time at all to realize that there is something wrong with the weather, and maliciously wrong at that. Once she'd called out to check on friends, the animals were her first concern, because she was in the middle of the woods herself, after all. It doesn't take long to see that some have already died, trapped in the snow. She and Kiga decide to dig them out, because it would be a waste to leave the meat, and find out that her magic still reacts to a few--some are just frozen, and by some magic, not yet dead.

At a loss of what else to do, Pod digs her way to the ground in a clearing and manages to get a fire going. With Kiga's help, she drags two rabbits and a young doe closer to it. At first nothing happens, but just as Pod is about to give it up for lost, one of the rabbits twitches. It thrills her to see and with renewed energy Pod clears out more snow and builds up the fire higher.

It almost burns her skin to be so close to it, and by the time the first rabbit is thawed, and the second twitching, Pod is wet all over with melt and sweat, and where her back is to the fire, her clothes are starting to freeze. She turns her back to the fire more often to try to stop it, and Heals first one rabbit, and then the other.

The doe, however, doesn't seem to be thawing very well. But she's not dead so Pod pulls her body closer, and puts one of her winter blankets--held over the fire first to make it warmer--over her, and she prays.

The prayer is answered, because not long after the doe starts twitching, which is good, because Pod is almost out of fresh wood for the fire. It ends up being hard work, pushing and pulling the doe's stiffened body in order to get all of her warmed, and reheating the blanket as often as she can, but in the end, Pod is exhausted, and the doe, warm and dry and healed, is walking away with careful steps.

The next task is getting herself dry, and while she nearly sets her clothes on fire, Pod finally manages. She doesn't have to ask Kiga to know that they cannot stop here to rest and must continue, but Pod also knows that they cannot do this all alone.

So Pod sets out, looking for people who could help her, or who need help from her, traveling as quickly as she can over the snow. There must be others helping, and she will find them! Together, she's sure they can help the animals, and the people too.

[psalmed]

Lia had thought the Russian winters were harsh. So much colder than France, and Lia had to put aside her distaste for furs in order to simply stay mildly warm. She had felt her hands freezing during those long carriage rides, during the walks accompanying the Empress around the palace grounds. So many nights, Lia had begged the maids to put a warmer into her bed and then thrown herself under the covers with the metal and hot coals in a desperate need to thaw.

It was so little compared to this. Lia did not quite understand except that magic was involved. Winters were not usually this harsh, especially at the onset of spring or so she had been told. It was also hardly any help.

She was dressed in layers. Sweating into most, feeling it freeze against her skin as she walked and shoved her way through the snow. It was exhausting work, work that made her think of childhood, of striving to get up one more hill to sled down with D'Eon carried on her back because he was small enough his legs wouldn't allow him to get through the snowdrifts.

She has found a few people, signalled to other rescuers, helped drag some back to Caer Glaem. The ring she is making now is wider, and she smells smoke before she ever sees it, the acrid smell carried on the bitter cold and nearly making her cringe as she inhales.

Easier said than done to head there. Lia is panting, her breath seeming to become ice crystals before even fully out of her lips. Upon approach she sees small animals, but of course they could not build a fire.

Then her eyes process a girl. She is so pale she may as well blend into the snow, save her clothing, and it takes Lia only a moment longer to recognize Pod. The girl from the library.

She has to remember she is not so young. She is not a child, not in anything but age, not a noble child as Lia has been used to dealing with. "Pod," She calls out, arms waving as she nearly topples over into the snow, but manages to regain her balance at the last moment.

Lia is panting by the time she manages to get over to the fire, to survey what Pod has done. "Are you alone out here?"

[wolvering]

Pod looks up from setting a couple small birds, frozen solid, by the fire. She’s shivering herself, because she had to remove her coat and gloves because they were soaked through, but Kiga is being a good friend, and bringing back both dry wood to keep the fire going, pine boughs to keep some of the wind out, and some of the heat in, and whatever small frozen beasts he’s found. She hopes her coat and gloves dry soon, but the voice makes her look up and smile.

“Lia! Well met! How are you faring in the cold; come by the fire quickly.”

She moves to make space in the little fir-lined hollow she’s created, careful not to disturb the thawing beasts. It will be a tight squeeze, but sharing body heat will keep them both warmer, and Pod looks forward to it. The cold seems to seep right to her bones, even with the clever, thin but oh so warm underthings she’d found at the Station.

“Kiga is with me, but he’s looking for more wood for the fire right now. If we don’t keep the fire going, they’ll freeze all over again, and I think that might kill them.”

She’s sad at the thought. This unnatural storm shouldn’t have happened, and that it is taking so many lives is a tragedy.

[psalmed]

Lia obeys. Truly it is too cold not to do so and she slides into the fur and brushes off what snow she can so it won't melt and stick to her flesh or damage anything else.

"I could get fire wood," Lia offers almost immediately because apparently the wolverine is trained to do tricks and Lia really should over to help a bit more. This is no natural frost, she is becoming more and more convinced. Seeing birds frozen so stiffly only confirms it to her. "Will they live if they thaw?"

Because, certainly, birds that solid and frozen in France would not survive even if you brought them inside over a fire. The meat would be bad too, but Lia wisely doesn't think to mention that as well.

"I must say I had hoped I left winters of this magnitude behind. It appears that is not the case." She only has to hope that spring will arrive in truth and in short order.

[wolvering]

"If you would like to, but warm up a moment first. Kiga is more suited to the cold than either of us."

She takes a few moments to consider the birds and turn one that's started twitching, so that the far side gets the benefit of the heat.

"Some of them do recover, but not all. I can figure out which ones because my magic won't respond to the ones that never revive."

She spares a moment to think sadly on the ones this unnatural storm has taken. What mage could do such a thing? If she finds that person-- Well, she can't do more than give them a talking to, really, but she'll make sure they know what horrors their spells have wrought.

[psalmed]

"Does he have a thick coat?" She knows little about wolverines, actually. Especially tame wolverines but she knows enough about Pod that she would not send the animal out to get hurt and they do need firewood.

She watches her turn the bird, quiet for a moment as Lia remembers to breathe and feeling starts to return to her fingers and toes. A good thing to have, this knowledge of what is a lost cause.

"You should probably be inside," Lia murmurs. "As should any sane person, really." But here they both are, attempting to do their shares in the cold to help who, or what, they can.

After a moment more of thawing out, Lia glances to the girl. "What can I do to help?"

[wolvering]

"He does, and can walk over the snow easily. Woods dogs like him live in the far north, and in the mountains, where there is deep snow well into spring."

Pod works with the birds and feeds more wood into the fire while she talks. The words get small coaxing words if they start twitching.

"I should, perhaps, but I'd never forgive myself if I hid from the weather instead of seeking out my charges to Heal the ones that can be saved."

Pod takes a moment to consider that, "Well, more firewood never hurts, and if you feel up to it, you could help scout for animals that have frozen. More pairs of eyes will save more lives."

[psalmed]

Lia has never scouted for animals. She remembers a distant time when D'Eon would bring kittens to put on her lap or injured baby birds that he thought his sister might nurse back to health. It's been years since she thought of that, as well. She hasn't even had pets with the amount of traveling she does.

But Pod is so sweet, so earnest that Lia feels compelled. She can search for humans as well, but animals are easier to carry, if more difficult to find.

Firewood she can do, for she's never been too good to risk a cold night travelling or wished to stay entirely in the dark along a road side. "Then I will be back."

It's regret to leave the warmth Pod has made and Lia takes a small breath. She finds a few sticks but most of the wood has been exhausted or buried by the snow. She's several yards away when she holds out her hand.

She whispers a prayer, words coming from her lips without real effort or thought, words flowing down her gloved fingers to blow the snow upward in a great rush and clear a path to let her get to the wood at the bottom.

[wolvering]

"Stay safe. If you need call, and we'll come to help."

While Lia goes, Pod continues tending to the fire, so happy when another bird starts moving about. A little more warmth and coaxing, and Pod is able to call up her magic, green haze surrounding her hands to Heal the left over damage that the frost left. When she's done the poor thing is too tired and cold still to fly, but is content to settle among Pod's things and rest.

Kiga comes back as well, pulling some branches in his teeth, and a large weasel along, frozen body draped on the branches.

It's then that Pod looks around her for Lia, and watches the snow blow upward at a word. It seems some spell and Pod remembers hearing about Lia's magic, but never witnessed it before. Now interested, she watches more closely.

[psalmed]

Lia nods, not saying out loud that she might hesitate. Pod still seems so young, so fragile to her even if that is most assuredly not the case. Lia needs to learn to get past appearances, because certainly her own would have put some people off.

She glances up when Kiga returns and her distraction is enough for the snow to blow up toward her. Lia shrieks, spits the snow out but she's also laughing when it finally settles. It's cold. Her face will probably be chapped. But she can't help but at least be amused by this light trick of a dangerous verse.

She's caught sight of Pod doing something with an animal, but she's too far away to tell much of what. She leans down to pick u psome of the sticks and bring them over to the fire. The motion is doing her some good, at least.

"How long do you intend to stay here?"

[merelychewed]

At some point, Draco must have spotted her sprinting about the snow the best she could. He personally had not moved much to chase the ice and snow back, save a bit from the places he may have stopped to rest. It was cold and, even with the warmth he could muster from his own flame, it made him sluggish, grouchy. In the case of Pod, however, he stirs from where he is. In a poor mood he might be, but never enough to ignore the plight of a young lady.

Wings stretch out, joints creaking in protest, thanks not only to age, but now to chill. He ignores it, though, and takes flight. Soon enough, Pod will find her help. It comes in the form of a great shadow stretching across the snowy ground that overtakes her, passing her by and then growing when the beast it belongs to comes in for a landing. Landing in the snow is just as unpleasant as he imagined and so he grimaces on touchdown, but, well, here he is.

One fire-breathing dragon, cold, slightly annoyed.

He grumbles something under his breath, cursing the snow, but he'll look less severe when he turns towards Pod, giving her a nod of his great scaly head and saying, "You seem to be in a rush, lass. What could be so important that you would be out in this weather?"

[wolvering]

Pod looks up in surprise at the shadow, and is coming towards him, waving, before he even lands. She hears the grumbles, and looks on with a little bit of concern, but her arms are currently full. She worries that he might freeze, but perhaps his fire will keep him warm enough. Because if he does, she doesn't think she could build a fire big enough to thaw him!

At his question she comes closer, showing Draco the bundle in her arms. Inside of a blanket is an owl, still and cold. "I'm trying to save lives. For some it's too late, but others recover if I can warm them up enough. I don't even need to Heal all of them, after they've thawed and woken up again."

She gives Draco a smile, but then adjusts the frozen owl again. "I would stay and chat, but the quicker I get back to my fire, the more hope this poor owl has of flying again soon. Are you warm enough though? I don't know what I would do if you've frozen. The fire isn't far, if you wish to warm yourself by it."

Kiga isn't near her, right this moment, but there's a grunting call from not far away, and she answers it with a call of Kiga's name name.

[merelychewed]

If a fire made by a small human could warm a dragon, but he won't say that aloud. He only nods and turns to follow along after her, at her side, when she takes off again. He walks slowly, so not to be taken far ahead of her by his own massive stride, and snow crunches loudly under feet as large as his, ice prickles at the thinner scales there. He can survive it, though.

"Then let us hurry back, for the bird's sake." Strange to see someone go to such lengths for little animals, especially a human. Then again, Pod had struck him as a kind soul. Still, it's worth comment. "You would spend all your time out here healing animals? Many would not find that a useful time spent."

[wolvering]

Pod beams at him, and keeps a quick pace with the help of her snowshoes. She isn't one to tarry, and always goes briskly when she's got somewhere to be, or someone to help. She cradles the owl all the way, but visibly sighs in relief when the fire--quite largely built up, almost a bonfire--comes in sight. Kiga is there waiting, and has clearly dragged more wood into the clearing for the fire.

"It's my calling. The Great Stag blesses us Beast Healers with our magic to Heal, and we then have charges of all beasts, wild and tame. How could I not?"

[merelychewed]

"Is that what you are, then? I figured you as some kind of apprentice before, but a healer all on your own?"

So much magic here, from so many different places, even within the children. One day he might stop being amazed by it, but not yet, just not yet. Reaching the clearing, Draco stops near the bonfire, though makes sure to leave Pod and her feathery ward enough room. No need for a dragon to clog up a clearing!

"Though it suits you. I can only imagine that all Beast Healers must have great hearts to care for so many."

For those usually deemed lesser, anyway.

[wolvering]

"I am both! We Beast Healers are blessed by the Great Stag, Kerras of the Golden Antlers, and from his blessing come our gifts to Heal and soothe, but a gift must still be learned to be used well! So we enter the chapter-houses and learn from the elder Healers as first apprentices, then Journeymen and women, and then full Beast Healers."

She beams at the compliment. "We care for our charges, true, and it serves us well. If we did not, we wouldn't make very good Healers, I should say."

She's glad of the room, and takes some time to set the owl down where the fire can warm it. Then she settles herself and looks up at Draco. Even knowing him better, there's still a bit of wonder in her gaze.

[merelychewed]

So many years where people would only look upon him in terror and now he's in a world where so many hold that look instead. It's strange, but so many things are now, here, in this place. He nods some at her explanation, certainly making a point to note and file it away in his memory. Reverence for nature surely marked Pod's world as one of the better ones Draco's since heard of.

Though that in mind, he looks down towards the owl.

"Would this go faster for you and the creatures you seek if we instead brought fire to them? Or perhaps if I carried them back here to you?"

[wolvering]

“I think either might work. Which would be quicker, though?”

She’s quiet for a few moments while she thinks, humming little noises as she considers the woods and Draco. It will be easier for her to move about beneath the trees to gather animals, and if Draco is nearby—and he can start fires so much quicker than she—it will take her less time to search an area, and then they can move onto the next and… it should work!

“I think perhaps bringing the fire to them might be the easier option.”

[merelychewed]

He waits quietly while she works out which she'd prefer, then nods at the decision and turns to look off across the frozen landscape. He doesn't move, not yet, but that's mostly because he isn't sure which way she'd like to go first.

"Lead the way when you are ready, then. I will follow."

[aslandish]

By virtue of his own nature being what it is, the cold itself does not harm Aslan or hamper him from doing what he usually does. He possesses a warmth and inner light all his own that dispels the cold and keeps him as he has always been.

Others are not so fortunate.

Pod will find him making his way slowly through a thicket, breathing softly on trees, plants, and other living things as he passes by. Even in the bitter cold, something of spring follows in his steps, and ice slides quietly from branches, birds, and other beasts in his wake.

Magic is what is causing this and so it is magic that must set things right.

[wolvering]

Pod is rushing around, gathering what frozen animals she can to take to her fire. Without magic of her own, she's resorted to something more mundane, but it seems to be working a little bit, if much slower than the magic she can see the lion wield.

She is quiet for a moment on wandering into the same clearing on her snowshoes, arms full of several small birds, once lively but now solid as ice. "Oh, Aslan! How wonderful."

It is a feeling of not being good enough that comes over her then, hovering more often since her failure to stop the Jabberwock, but she pushes it aside and smiles. She can't be jealous of what she wasn't meant to do. All she can do is what she can. The words still ring a little hollow though.

"I'm so glad you're here. The animals need so much more than I can provide them."

[aslandish]

There is nothing at all wrong with Pod's efforts. She is doing what she can, and that is admirable in itself.

Aslan smiles when he sees her and pads over to her quietly. "It has been some time, Pod."

Upon reaching her, he leaves a soft lion kiss on her cheek -- a gesture meant to warm her since the weather truly is bitterly cold.

"They will remember your efforts in the days to come."

Looking at her armful of birds, he breathes softly on them. The result is not immediate, but the frost slowly begins to melt.

"Come. Let us sit by the fire."

[wolvering]

Pod sits up straighter as he comes closes, and touches her cheek after the kiss. Warm, and it makes her feel bright and happy all the way to her toes.

"I don't ask to be remembered, only to do as much as I can."

She can tell that the birds are starting to thaw, and jumps in a happy little circle, before remembering the precious cargo and setting them near the fire to finish warming.

"Thank you Aslan, and yes, I think a little break is due." It wouldn't do to exhaust herself.

[aslandish]

"It is because that is your wish that you will be remembered, Pod." Aslan smiles. "A heart to serve is never truly forgotten."

Watching with bright, amused eyes as she dances with the birds, Aslan pads alongside her to the fire and lays down near the warmth. The birds are starting to chirp animatedly now, and Aslan rumbles quietly at their chatter. They need to rest a little before they go free.

When they're both settled, Aslan looks at her again.

"How long have you been working?"

[wolvering]

"Since the Jabberwock--" Except that he might not be asking that, so Pod reconsiders. "I was already out here trying to Heal the animals hurt by the rot, so, since the storm began, I suppose."

She's quite tired, but will not give up. She must help as much as she can. Still, knowing others are working as well, and how!, make it so she can relax a little. Still, a visitor at her fire, so she should do her best to be hospitable.

"It's not much, but I've some broth with dried meat softened in it, if you'd like."