Day 33: Waiting Out the Storm

ooc: Indeed! 3 weeks is when they start to nibble on scraps, but around 6 weeks is when they start to fully wean off onto solids, usually completed by about 8 weeks. It varies depending on environment but averages are averages.

FarSight nodded to Choice. "Well, sort of. The human tribe across the Frozen Waste from our holt are friends, but they are the only ones in our history. Even that came because of our shared desire to survive a hostile land. The cold doesn't care who you are, it will freeze you just the same. A long time ago, one of the human's hunting parties was attacked by a large white bear. Their huntmaster was dying when our hunting party found them. At the time, we had a young healer who was able to heal the huntmaster and save his life. Fleetwind didn't survive. He was too inexperienced. The human huntmaster was their chief's son and so the chief came to us and offered us gifts as thanks. Ever since we've traded with them. It's complicated with humans... We believe that hate is taught... and we may have found the only humans that aren't sick with hate." He glanced pointedly at Milo. He wasn't naive, but he knew that the male was hiding something. "Though it would make sense that other human tribes aren't sick with hate either." He didn't directly point anything out. He suspected a connection, but he also didn't want to assume that, if Milo was hiding something human about himself, that it was a pleasant link.

He looked up as Crispin entered the room and smiled in greeting, though still apprehensive regarding the two cubs. When the elf mentioned them, he nodded and motioned to them both. "There was a challenge... the new alpha killed the rest of the litter, injured this one. Their mother let me fill a skin, but only because her bond was involved... but she refused to let them nurse. She's actually the one that bit the cub..." He motioned to the bandaged belly of the injured one. "Their eyes haven't even opened fully... and I am almost out of milk for them."

The cubs were whimpering and crying out, curled up together seeking comfort from one another. They were scared and hungry. FarSight turned back to the sled and grabbed the skin from the large backpack that was strapped in place. He returned to the cubs, sitting down to begin nursing them.

Frostbite didn't flinch or shy away from Milo as he was freed from the harness, standing to his full height and shaking water off his fur, as the snow and ice had since begun to melt. The large wolf moved over towards Farsight and the cubs and sat down, leaning is large muzzle down to bump the whimpering cubs before he lay down, providing some warmth to them. The one that wasn't nursing began to paw and bump against his side, clearly searching for its own meal that would obviously not be found.

"Don't worry about Frostbite. He considers everything a friend unless it's food. And generally, food walks on four legs, not two."

Milo listened in to the conversation while he freed the wolf from the harnish, glad to have another human-friendly elf around. Not that anyone here had given him much grief over his heritage, but the first encounter with Keleero had left him wary. And he couldn't very well hide his hands forever, evade all questions. For the moment they were busy enough with the cubs.
The wolf sprayed water droplets onto him, seemingly comfortable about the help. It got him laughing a bit, more at ease with animals than people. Leaving them space to care for the cubs, he slinked back to the fire, sitting down there. Someone dropping in here out of sudden didn't change the ache in his bones that kept him up first place. He'd rather not provoke Crispin offering help again, not wishing for the magic fixing of something that was inherently him.

FarSight glanced back to Choice and shook his head. "You probably don't have anything to worry about. Frostbite held no rank in the pack, and never seemed interested in changing that. He's a bit lazy. Determined, but lazy. Honestly, he's more likely to show throat to a strange wolf than he is to assert himself. Unless the pack is in danger, that is. I've seen him run off the wild wolves and even white bears when they've come too close. But that's the most I've ever seen out of him. But he loves to pull the sled. Which is one of the reasons I brought him with me." He had resumed watching the small cub suckling from the skin, though it was obvious by how it had flopped over that it was mostly empty. He had less than he thought, it seemed.

Frostbite seemed to know they were talking about him and let out a loud yawn as he lay, occasionlly sniffing the cub that was bumping his side. Once Crispin approached, he did watch, warily, though once it was obvious there was no threat he went back to relaxing. The cub whimpered and cried again, trying to crawl, but with the splinted leg, it wasn't able to move around well.

"Yes, please... We didn't have a healer at the holt. We haven't had one for a few hands of years otherwise I wouldn't have even had to leave." He wasn't trying to sound patronizing. He was grateful that someone was able to help and willing. He just wanted the cubs to survive. Even though he felt a strong connection to the one in his lap, he hadn't officially bonded to a wolf. But one of these cubs could have been that bond for him.

"When the storm clears, then, perhaps I can find some wood to fix the sled. It's useful on hunts for spikehorns." He glanced briefly at the broken runner. That was why his tribe had begun learning to boneshape. The large ribs from the slaptails they hunted made for excellent runners when shaped.

Milo settled back down, content to warm his aching bones and listen in on the conversation. Maybe he'd stay up till the hunters returned, help them prepare the meat – he still felt like an intruder at times, taking up too much without giving back. Packs and such was nothing he could talk about, even if it'd be in his blood the connection lost by lack of exposure. He didn't knew his own heritage, only knew that trees were more right than stone, migrating towards animals over people as they'd never judged him. “I'm good, thanks.” There were furs out here if he'd need some, the fire being enough.

FarSight nodded his head at Crispin's send. He knew how healing worked and knew what to expect. He was actually relieved to have found one. The bite to the little cub had been severe enough to break a leg and possibly more that he couldn't see. He'd wrapped it as he would any other broken limb and bound the wounds best he could, but infection could have set in anyway, despite the salves he used. A healer meant the cub would survive, at least from the injuries. The little cub protested being touched, at first because of pain, crying out and squirming, kicking her little back legs and trying to crawl away, but as the pain subsided and the splint was undone and removed, she began to crawl more readily. The other, face covered now with what little milk could be obtained from the near-empty skin, was placed down next to Frostbite just so FarSight could pick up the now-healed cub and let her have something to eat as well.

"This is the last of it... I hope there is a female willing to nurse them for the few hands of days..."

Frostbite glanced over at Milo and tilted his head. The cubs next to the large wolf looked like they might be a month old were they other wolves. But when Frostbite stood and stretched, his full size made it obvious that the three wolves were easily going to be some of the largest bonds around. The wolf then made his way toward the fire, and consequently Milo, before he flopped down again to enjoy the warmth, licking his paws. Running in snow for as long as he had, his toes were likely just now starting to warm up. The wolf didn't seem the least bit bothered by the multitude of scents lingering in the room. They were all unfamiliar, but some he could recognize just from those present.

FarSight, finished with nursing the second cub after a few minutes lay them both down on the harness again. He shifted and pulled his heavy coat off, revealing the large bruising that was forming along his right shoulder where he had impacted the wall. He didn't seem to notice it, even as he picked up the leather sling, intent to pull the cubs back against his chest as he had been before, tying it in place. It'd become part of the routine of keeping them safe and warm. He paused for a moment, then glanced at the two maned wolves.

"None of your bonds will attack the cubs, will they?"

FarSight was wearing a sleeveless tunic, bone-toggles tying the center closed like buttons. Around his biceps he had beadwork bands. The pattern was very square and the colors were red, white, and black, each with a leather string hanging down from the ties with a few round beads at the ends. He was still wearing his heavy pants and boots, but the coat and mittens he placed on the sled, atop the backpack that was secured in place, if jostled, followed by the masks he had been wearing when he first arrived. He then set about the task of gathering the tether and harness that had been attached to Frostbite, also placing those on the sled.

"Sorry about the water everywhere..."

The giant wolf approaching the fire did put Choice on edge, but he breathed through it. Bonds weren't like other animals, no matter their size. He was almost coming to believe that without having to remind himself of it. He gave a short laugh at FarSight's question. "I doubt any of our bonds would be fool enough to try an attack, should they ever feel such a stupid urge. But to be clear: no. Sneak here will be having young of her own any day now. It's more likely she'll confused them for her own cubs than she'll try to bite them, and Dance here can barely work up enough blood-lust to hunt when he's hungry. Oh, and don't worry about the water. It'll either dry on its own or Mahrak will take care of it when he and the other hunters return."

"All right then," he then said in acknowledgement of Milo. To Crispin, he replied by sending. **I'll be right back.** Having both Oddspot and Tuft to fetch didn't daunt him. Bond-animals could be far friendlier than their elves, in his experience, and he'd come to know the two cats well enough.

He started a little as Tambri and her bond appeared in the tunnel-entrance that lead to the Sleeping Chamber. He'd been too focused on the newcomer to hear her approach. ~**Ah, yes,**~ he answered her in a locked sending. ~**Just the one, for now, but he brought along impressive company.**~ He indicated Frostbite with a gentle head-tilt, as unnecessary as it was to point out an animal that took up so much space. ~**I'm going to fetch No-Sting's bond, see if she'll nurse the cubs the newcomer brought with him.**~ He carefully didn't eye Spook. He'd caught on to the tension between the wolf and his own animal companions, though neither he nor his bond could figure out what kind of tension it was. Sneak seemed to have some idea, but she couldn't exactly tell him; not in words at least.

::Huddle close to Milo,:: he sent to Dance and Sneak, who followed his instruction. This brought them closer to the new giant wolf, but hopefully that was the better option. He'd hate to see the current fragile peace be torn asunder by bonds squabbling - it would likely happen sooner or later, but better let it happen out in the open than when they all were huddled in a cave hiding from a snowstorm. **I'll be right back.**