In Dire Straits - at first glance

A late night stroll in the woods- wait was it night now? Perhaps early morning. It's hard to tell when you can't see the sun. Ah wait- the howling. There it is, so it must be night time. Lacuna had been ever slowly making her way towards the howling she had often heard the distance. She's heard tales of a civilized wolf society where she could go to learn more about the world. They have books, trinkets, merchants, and other things most ordinary skunks wouldn't have access to. The howling was close now- she had been travelling for several weeks into the heart of Nardir.

She lowers her head to the leaves and keeps pushing her way forward through the underbrush. Her seeing can was strapped to her side by a piece of corded rope- though she didn't feel the need to use it as of right now. The forest was quiet once the howling died down. Her ears heard everything- the crunch of the leaves under her paws and her soft breath as she strode forward confidentially. The crickets and the odd toad hopping along its merry path were all familiar to her. She knew this forest well enough that she could predict where the next tree in front of her would be- to some it might look like witchcraft the way she snaked her lanky body around the obstacles in her path. However it wasn't magic but just years of practice.

Something was close. She raises her head to the sky and takes a sniff- a wolf? Some kind of canine was certainly approaching. It was hard to tell who they were or whether they were friendly but Lacuna was always in the business of thinking positively. She steps out of the bush she had been crouching under, "Hello there! Might I take a moment of your time?" She looks in the direction she believes the canine to be coming from. From the sound of it the creature should be just in front of her.

Julek

The last few weeks had been chaotic, to say the least. An earthquake, breaking open earth to show a vast network of glowing undergrounds. Deaths. Injuries. Chaos. Thankfully, he and his mate had made it out alive, along with many of their pack, but they had faced a loss and he felt that dearly. He strode through his land now, careful of where he placed his paws as to not fall into any cracks that may have opened up in the earth. It would do Nardir no good for their king to fall into a hole and starve to death when there were so many others who needed help.

He had been frantic when the earthquake occurred, rushing towards where he thought his mate would be - she wasn't there. Then, her voice had reached his ears and he'd run to her, frantic to be beside her and check her for injuries. His children, too, were missing for a time and he needed to know of their safety.

"Hello there! Might I take a moment of your time?"

A little voice brought him out of his thoughts and he looked over, seeing a young skunk. He squinted at her with his eye - singular - and noticed the way she gazed in his direction but not at him. Blind? Curious, the king approached her and sat before her. Hello, how may I help you? He spoke with a heavy German accent, just like many of his family. He found no need to be on his guard around a creature so small, especially this deep in the territory, but he kept a wary eye on that tail and that potential stink.

"I'm looking for the wolves of Nardir. Do you know where I may find them?" She turns her unseeing eyes towards him, her lips pull back into a small smile at her own subtle knock at her blindness. It was easier to accept it when you laugh it down. But enough of that- She could tell this wolf seemed to be in a hurry, with all of the chaos lately and considering he was alone- at least she suspected it was a he from his gravely tone and harsh words- Lacuna suspected he must've been split off from his pack. Either way they were probably both searching for the same thing.

Her tail sways in contemplation, "I'll keep my eyes peeled for whatever it is you seem to be in a rush about- granted you tell me what it is. My eyes aren't working so well these days. You could say I'm having a hard time seeing the path in front of me." She chuckles to herself again- she's probably the only one that will ever find her own jokes funny but that's besides the point.

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When the little creature turned towards him, he recognized that for sure that her unfocused eyes were blind - she was looking near him but not at him. Was this a normal trait for skunks? He knew very little about them, besides their stink. He smiled at her, though of course he knew she couldn't see it. Had it been just a week or two prior, he would likely have just ignored her and rushed on, but today was a peaceful day so he was much calmer.

"I'm looking for the wolves of Nardir. Do you know where I may find them?"

You're in luck, you've wandered right into our territory! He gave a tilt of his head, broad nose inhaling her scent. It was interesting to him how she smelled almost normal and yet she could have such a powerful punch packed within her little body. I'm Julek, what may I help you with? the king lowered himself to lie down so he was closer to level with her. While for another it might have been to see eye to eye, it seemed that wasn't the case. Here, he just wanted to hear her without strain and felt comfortable enough to know nobody would sneak up on him.

And if they did? They'd likely get sprayed, same as he.

"I'll keep my eyes peeled for whatever it is you seem to be in a rush about- granted you tell me what it is. My eyes aren't working so well these days. You could say I'm having a hard time seeing the path in front of me."

He laughed, joining her chuckle. Well, between the two of us, we've only got one working eye, so.. His remaining eye, the blue one, glinted in amusement, before he shook his head to clear it. Recently we had an earthquake, so I'm still on the lookout for damage or injured packmates. Didn't skunks live in holes in the ground? He wondered if her nest had been destroyed by the quake. That would explain why she was out and about, searching for a pack of much larger creatures that might usually consider her a potential snack.

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"You're in luck, you've wandered right into our territory! I'm Julek, what may I help you with?" The smell of the wolf getting closer as well as the rustling of the underbrush indicated to her that he had laid down, or at least gotten on eye level with her. Not that it made any difference to her. Her lips curve up into a smile at his answer, and she decides to unstrap her stick from her back and plop her rump in the leaves. If Julek felt comfortable enough to lay down she was sure she was safe enough to do so as well. Her claws trail the worn and familiar wood of the seeing stick that she's holding, ruminating on how to form her many questions.

Before she can answer he speaks again, responding to her earlier quips."Well, between the two of us, we've only got one working eye, so.." Her eyebrows arch in curiosity, "Is that so? You're the first one that I've met that has had any kind of vision impairment. What happened to yours?" She waits for him to respond and then he continues on to describe what has happened in Nardir.

"Recently we had an earthquake, so I'm still on the lookout for damage or injured packmates." A rather somber look falls on her face when he talks about the destruction that tore apart his pack. She nods in understanding.

"I've come for that very reason. I've heard tales of the wolves here being more civilized with greater access to information. I'm seeking to learn how to become a better healer, and what better place could I do such a thing? Perhaps I can lend a paw to your pack. Though, unfortunately I'm not one for keeping watch as much as I'd like to help with that..." She picks at the wood on her stick in contemplation.

The little one, as he referred to her fondly in his mind already, lay down after he did, unstrapping a queer stick and pawing at it. He wondered what she used it for, though he didn't think to ask before she began speaking again.

"Is that so? You're the first one that I've met that has had any kind of vision impairment. What happened to yours?"

Clearly the idea of another with a visual impairment had caught her attention, so he gave a soft chuckle, which stopped as she asked him what had happened. His mind trailed back to the loss of one of his most trusted friends and generals. Sure, they hadn't had much time to chat or whatnot, but Julek had trusted him with his life. A rogue bear - he led to the death of our head healer. We hunted him down and before I killed him, he tore out my eye and killed my general. his voice ceased as to hide emotion.

"I've come for that very reason."

His ears perked, instantly curious. He wasn't sure how far word of the earthquake had gone, so it was surprising to hear that a non-wolf had learned of it and had thought to come looking.

"I've heard tales of the wolves here being more civilized with greater access to information. I'm seeking to learn how to become a better healer, and what better place could I do such a thing? Perhaps I can lend a paw to your pack. Though, unfortunately I'm not one for keeping watch as much as I'd like to help with that..."

He thought over her offer for a moment, before making a decision. They could use all the help they could get, honestly, even if it came from a blind skunk. Julek would not admit to the unconscious racism or...speciesm, but there was clear predjudice in the way he was thinking. Still, he was not one to turn down a helping paw, especially one that could not turn against them. Our healers can always use help, thank you. What is your name? He wondered if she would want to join them and become a Nardiri, or if she just wanted to stay for awhile to help and then be on her way. Honestly, he was fine with either.

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