Tisana?

[Sivoncé™]

Crow limped into the healer den, briars wrapped around his paws and lacing themselves through his pelt. He looked surlier than ever, claws kneading the ground, then clenching from the pain of his thorny prison. "It was a rabbit," he growled deeply. "Fat....plump...would've fed Saskia...the pups...." he cursed loudly, then waited with a dark glare for Tisana to treat him. "I didn't even see this mess until it was too late...too focused on bringing home food for my family...." he murmured absently, referring to the snares he'd fallen into. He clenched his fangs, mentally beating himself for not catching the rabbit.

[mudfang]

Tisana looked up. "FINALLY! Something to do!"

She nearly attacked Crow in her rush. But, calming herself, she ushered him in. "Now, this will heart. But, be greatful." She looked him over. "None of them are too deep."

She began to slather a sweet smelling poultice all over Crow's body. She sighed. "That should numb you up. Just wait a few minutes."

[Sivoncé™]

Crow did as he was told, still muttering and cursing himself for not catching anything on his hunt. He mentally planned to take a different route once her was finished here with Tisana. Saskia, Axle, and Shadow had hauled in a couple of moose from the loner lands, but they'd gone in only five days, as they'd shared with their starving companions, the Sheerans. That had been enough to quench their constant hunger, but it was only a temporary fix.
We need more to keep this beast at bay.
He looked to Tisana, gaze pained, but still furious. "Tisana, war is coming." He muttered darkly. "I know this. The air is so thick with tension..." he made a slashing gesture through the air. "...every wolf in the forest could live off of it if it were edible. Tomorrow night's the gathering...and Light and Mist went to speak to Twilight about things. Have you received any signs?" He asked, growing desperate for some scapeway from the violent clouds closing in on them. If they were starving now, how would they cope through a time of war? The idea seemed nearly impossible to Crow. But he also felt faith in his ancestors.
There have been wars before. There have been dire situations before.
A small shiver ran down his spin, flashes of the bright white snow of the mountains, stained with red rivers and lakes. The screams of agony as they travelled through depths more grotesque and horrid than even Tartarus. His mother's wails as she emerged from the pit, covered in black soot and burning.
He jumped back suddenly, shaking his head and mind free of the tormenting memories.
Always look behind you.
Always look ahead.
Always see what's in front of you.
Or you'll wind up dead.
Never forget to remember.
Always keep in mind where you came from.
To escape the grasp of December,
To avoid the dead man's drum,
Never forget.
Tanya's words came back to his unwilling ears, but blinked hard, staring at Tisana.
"Tisana, has anything like this happened before?"

[mudfang]

Tisana frowned. "You're too young to be thinking such horrid thoughts, child.Those are observations for seniors." The healer placed some strong smelling herbs on one of her carved shelves and turned her attention back to Crow. She began carefully plucking the thorns from his pelt.

"But, if I must tell you, no. No, dear, I have not had any signs." Tisana began. She plucked a thorn out and with it came a whole vine of prickly briars. There was a pile beside the black brute that was rapidly growing. "Yes, there has been war like this before. Long ago. Great, now I have to plunge into an elder story..." she sighed.

Long ago the Golden Wolf created four wolves to guide four packs. Lupus, Verlust, Wind, and Sky. The packs lived in peace... for awhile. Then there was this huge arguement. Stupid, really. There was a great, bloody battle. Sky, Wind, and Lupus were killed. No one knows what happened to Verlust. But, in that battle, the packs came to be what we came to know before the Great Journey. Be greatful you weren't there, child. Brutal times. I, myself wasn't alive at that time, but I can only imagine." Tisana told him sadly. She sighed again and continued picking the sharp briars out of Crow's numbed skin.

[Sivoncé™]

Crow smiled, but it was an empty one. "If you only knew what I went through in the mountains, you wouldn't be calling me child." his words were soft, not meant for Tisana, really. Saskia was the only one who knew of his past. And until he was nearing old age, he hoped to keep it that way. The time hadn't quite come for him to reveal what had happened there....
Crow winced a bit, the pain not completely numbed, as Tisana pulled out the thorns. "Why?" He murmured after a short period of silence. "Why did they change their names?"
Every era has a prophecy....
So what was the decree of the Golden Wolf back in the First Age? Does anyone really know, remember, understand exactly what happened back then?
He sighed, standing. He shook himself, black pelt ruffled and more untidy than usual.
I should go get ready for the meeting. It's going to be an interesting one...
And as far as the First Age, no one will ever be able to tell me, will they?