DOTW Roleplay

Seeing Isn’t Always Believing

Featuring: ipann Jaci and Baseballfan2414 with Nach

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_{Fellfang was a strange territory compared to Chandor.  The temperature was cold, but not at cold as Chandor seemed to get this time of year. It was a large territory, one that would take Jaci a good year to really get the hang of where everything would be. The blind healer listened to Aethelynda and Fable speak, the two greeted each other, acting as old friends. Of course, Fable had been apart of Chandor long ago, before Jaci had joined and when she was a fresh member to the pack. She didn't remember much of him, but now he was leaving his mark on the earth forever with him being an alpha now. The Sister turned, ears twitching to the sound of wolves chattering and speaking, obviously wondering why these strange new comers were here. Lyn had decided to greet Fable and congratulate him on becoming a alpha of Fellfang, and to show she meant no harm she decided to bring Jaci along. Jaci didn't like, "let’s bring the blind wolf so than every body knows we aren't a threat" method but knew she this was for the good of both packs, and after all, its what Lyn wanted. Jaci stared aimlessly into the abyss. She bowed to the Fellfang alpha, but she dare not speak. Though she was recently promoted to a higher rank, she still was not even close to being a council member- let alone able to speak to an alpha that wasn't Lyn. After a few minutes, Fable offered to share the recent kill with the two she-wolves as a welcoming gift and Jaci silently followed after, nose only a whisker's length away from Lyn's flank, keeping a constant closeness to her alpha. Of course she did it because she didn't know where she was walking, but also because she was rather frightened in this large crowd. Maybe I should try talking to someone? Maybe- I should just sit here until this is over... Lyn could feel Jaci's anxiety and suggested she check out the Witch-Doctor's den, perhaps see if they wanted to share any tips or would like any help this evening. Jaci simply nodded. Now, where the heck was the witch-doctors den?}

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Nach was walking around the main den area, hearing the news about the Jarl being with some old friends. He wasn't able to meet the Jarl, yet, but he thought that this was a good time to get to see him. He walked up to where everyone said he was, but saw him walk away with one of those old friends that the others mentioned. He was about to walk away, but then noticed a she-wolf was standing all by herself. It was obvious that she was part of the group of the Jarl's old friend, and he decided to greet her personally."Hello there mam. Is everything alright?" He trotted over to her while greeting her, just so he wouldn't scare her. She was smaller that Nach was, and it seemed she didn't know what to do.

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_{Surely the Witch-Doctor’s den would be around here somewhere. Jaci thought of asking for an escort but could feel eyes digging deep into her fur. Someone was approaching her. Jaci’s ears perked as the sound of pawsteps approached as did a voice.
”Greetings,” she spoke, voice soft and fluid. Her eyes saw through Nach, staring into an abyss he could not see. She took in the scent of the wolf; he smelled strongly of his peers and Fellfang territory but he also had a strong scent of cedar and pine from the trees in the area.
”Oh- uh yeah I’m fine.” she blinked, puffing out her chest.
”I am Jaci, Gamma Sister of Chandor. Who are you young Fellfang wolf?” she asked the younger male, hoping to spark conversation. Surely Lyn would be happy that she was trying to socialize with the Fellfang wolves. She gave Nach a smile, though her dead fish eyes gave her an unsettling look, she appeared harmless and gentle all the same.}

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Nach watched as the smaller she wolf turned to him in greeting, and was a little surprised at what he saw. Her eyes were grey, and she wasn't looking at him directly. She was blind,but that didn't make Nach feel sorry for her. If she was able to be a gamma, and live with blindness, she could live without being babied. "My name is Nach, and it's a pleasure to meet you Jaci." He took in her scent, and noticed that she had a strong scent of herbs. She had to be the witch doctor of her pack. He turned to the den, and then back to the main den site. "So Miss Jaci, being a healer, would you like to see our healing den?" He smiled at Jaci, with his tail wagging, even if Jaci couldn't see it.

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_{Jaci waited for the sudden remark or mention that she was blind, but Nach did not react. He did not change his posture, he did not act sympathetic and he didn’t treat her with less respect than he would offer any other Gamma. Jaci internally thanked him, even though he didn’t know how annoying it was to be treated like a pup when others realized her disability. Rather than pity her, he treated her as he would any other wolf, and that filled Jaci with a gratitude she was too nervous to express out loud.
”It is a pleasure to meet you as well Nach. I would love to visit the Si- I mean, the ‘Witch Doctor’s den’.” she replied. She wagged her own tail in response, expressing her joy and the feeling of comfort the longer she was here. Jaci’s ears twitched back to Lyn who was busy, but the Sister didn’t want to leave her Alpha for too long.
”Do you have a task here Nach?” she asked as the two walked in the direction of the healer's den.}  

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Nach smiled as Jaci was happy to see the den. He soon led her in the direction of the den, and perked his ears at her question."I don't have one at the moment, but I do want to be a Vanguard. That's the task for guarding and protecting the pack. It's fun to watch what a Witch-Doctor does, and I'm sure that you are an excellent healer." He kept on leading her to the den, large enough for a few wolves at one time. He then thought about Jaci's task."So, Jaci, that nose of yours must be pretty amazing?" His tail wagged a bit, and he smiled. He hoped that this would cheer her up.

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_{There weren’t a whole lot of things that brought Jaci much happiness that wasn’t being with her pack, but herbs and being a healer was what made her heart soar. She could talk about herbs and healing for hours and hours. Winterlynn had been such a good student… she was learning everything there was to healing. She was so close to greatness, it was hard to believe that another apprentice and another friend was gone; surely Jaci was cursed.
Jaci’s ears twitched, ”Where I’m from, we call them Uncles.” Jaci remembered when they decided to change the names of the tasks in her pack. At first she wasn’t sure she liked it but it had grown on her, though Uncle sounded pretty funny to represent a guardian task.
”Well,” she chuckled softly, ”I’m far from the best, but I take pride in my work. Helping others is what I live for, it keeps me going to know that my pack needs me.”
Jaci didn’t mean to express such deep emotions to a stranger, but then again, the she-wolf didn’t have much self control anyway.
”I have a very strong nose actually. It helps me when looking for infection and detect disease. It doesn’t always work, but it makes my life much easier.” the cream and brown wolf smiled.
As though on cue, Jaci turned her head, pressing her nose into the brown wolf’s shoulder. As usual, Jaci had no respect for personal boundaries. ”Actually- you smell… like you might be getting sick yourself.” the healer pointed out. ”Have you been feeling chills or excessive heat in your nose and ears?” she asked, now stopping their trek to the Witch Doctors den to do a quick check up on the young male.}

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Nach was a little surprised at Jaci. Not because she came so close to him, but because she was able to tell if he was getting sick or not. "Well, my nose and ears are fine, but that's amazing!" Nach stopped the trek to the den, to see what Jaci else Jaci could tell. To him, her nose was the greatest that he had ever seen."What else can you tell with that nose of yours?" Nach said in a happy manor, really curious now to see what else she could do with it.

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<sub>Obviously Nach was going to catch a cold, the smell of it was faint, so he wouldn’t feel much signs for at least a few more days. He would be fine as long as the Witch Doctors were here to help him. Not to mention, Jaci was able to detect the illness before it even became an issue, so Nach had a heads up on what would come. Jaci never really thought her nose was special, though her grandmother did mention once that it was said when a wolf loses one of their senses, the others heighten to try and make up for it. She used to say that Jaci had great hearing and smell because her body didn’t want to give up, and didn’t need eyes. She just needed to be determined and everything would work out. It was natures will for her to be alive so long. Jaci came back to reality, a pang of sadness that lasted only a few seconds touched her heart. Her dear Grandmother died on the journey to Chandor so many seasons ago. After her, Artemis was given to Jaci by a Havirian wolf unwilling to care for her or her brother. Jaci cared for the pups like they were her own, only for Artemis to go missing, presumed dead. Tamarack was her first apprentice, her first student. She taught that little wolf everything, and she excelled at her task. Jaci was sure that if she ever passed on, Tamarack would protect Chandor. But the little brown healer chose a different path, one that lead her far far away. Jaci met Sloan, a kind hearted loner who she had hid in Chandor territory after he was injured. It had been a year since she had seen him. Winterlynn was a more recent wolf in her life, but after so much training and promise, even she left from Jaci’s grip. Perhaps… she really was cursed.

Jaci’s ear twitched and she blinked, wagging her tail slowly. ”Well it’s nothing special; I mean I can use it to find my way, but I can smell how many wolves are around me, I can tell if it’s going to rain, but I mean, it’s probably not much better than other wolves.” she smiled modestly. She knew her nose was her best quality, which was pretty sad, but still, she didn’t want to gloat.
”What about you Nach? You must be strong or very quick if you want to be a Vanguard?” she pushed the subject back onto Nach, no longer wanting to talk about herself.</sub>

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Nach listened to Jaci, still fascinated by what she told about her nose. She then turned the question to him. He tried to think of what to say, he didn't want to go into detail."I've been trained for most of my life, to be a fighter. Back then though, it wasn't for a good reason. I came here, and now I'm using it for a good reason." He then looked back over to Jaci, realizing that he had been going for a while."Forgive me, I didn't mean to bore you with that." He then took a step closer to Jaci, and noticed another scent that she had. He smelled the scent of herbs, but then he smelled the scent of milk as well. He was rather curious about the scent, being one he had never smelled before, and he closed his eyes, taking it in with curiosity. He didn't realize though how close he was, and when he did, he was already touching Jaci on her muzzle with his. When he opened his eyes, he realized what he did, but kept still to not scare Jaci."You have the most interesting scent of herbs. Even more so than the Witch-doctors here." He smiled as he said this, staying were he was, becoming more curious about Jaci now.

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<sub>”No worries Nach, I like to listen.” Jaci laughed softly, taking in the scent of the wolves and land around her. Such a strange place, but perhaps Fellfang would make good allies in the future, if problems were to ever occur.The small touch of Nach’s nose made Jaci shiver. Most wolves did not like to express such ‘affection’. Jaci jolted for a second but wagged her tail.
”We have many herbs in Chandor, but then again, I’m also the only Sister in Chandor as well so I am hardly ever doing anything that isn’t inside my storage space.” she smirked, eyes staring blankly.
She twitched her ears, feeling the chilly breeze of winter wind tug at her coat. Even here, Winter still nipped the air. It was a horrible time of year. Some wolves liked it for it’s beauty, but Jaci cared little for looks. She knew herbs grew rarely, if at all this time of year. It was dangerous times for Chandor and any other packs. Sickness was a common effect of the colder months and lack of food and sunlight. It was stressful to be the only Sister in Chandor, especially during winter. Of course, it would be much easier this year with Sloan no longer needing her daily care.

It ate at Jaci that she still thought about him, even after all these months, all these seasons. The blind healer pushed such thoughts away, getting up from her sitting position, circling the wolf now. She pressed her nose to certain spots on Nach’s flank, to his shoulder, and his chest. She was doing a quick check up, nothing special. Chandor was used to her strange check-ups but most outside wolves often acted assaulted and weirded out when she did that. She never seemed to take a hint about it though.
”You sound very healthy, though I would be sure to get lots of rest and water for the next few days. You may be catching a cold. It’s best to stay on top of it so than you can keep working at becoming a Vanguard.” the healer laughed, admiring the kindness the young male offered her.</sub>

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Nach watched Jaci as she walked around him, giving him a check for his pre-cold symptom. He was still fascinated at her abilities, and was glad that she was able to find out if he was sick. He smiled as she laughed, and could help but let out a chuckle. "Thank you Jaci, for helping me out." He wanted to give her a hug, but instead, he came close to her, and gave her a few kisses on her muzzle. He thought she she needed it for some reason, even if he didn't know why. He stayed close, and looked at her with a smile. "You can see the most about anybody, more than anyone I've met."

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_{Jaci could feel Nach turning his head, creasing his neck as he reached down to lick her muzzle. He was strangely affectionate, something that wasn’t common in most adult wolves, let alone males wanting to take on guardian positions. Such sweet innocence should be held closely to his heart, she pray he never lost such sweetness.
The she-wolf wagged her tail much faster now. ”You are very sweet Nach.” Jaci smiled, feeling the tips of her ears get warm. She was very unfamiliar with compliments, and that one was probably the kindest she had ever received. She often didn’t know how to accept them or understand what others meant. Sloan treated her with similar kindness, though, it always felt like he held it back a little. Amoux complimented her more than any wolf. His kindness ran through his veins, though it was said he was rather grumpy to other wolves. Perhaps he truly did find her beautiful and that was why he treated her differently.
”That may have been the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me..” the blind she-wolf felt her heart swell. If Nach thought that, perhaps others thought that too. It filed Jaci with a determination, one that fueled the need to protect Chandor and those she loved with all her ability.}

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Nach could tell that she liked what he told her. He couldn't help it, because if felt like the truth to him."Jaci, it might have been a compliment, but it was also the truth." He came closer again, and gave her a soft nuzzle."I guarantee you that others in your pack think the same thing as well, granted they might not say it. Sometimes gratitude from others can be given without realizing, and I even have trouble noticing as well." Nach let out a small chuckle on that last statement."Jaci, just don't doubt yourself for any reason, your a Gamma now, but nothing can stop you from going farther." Nach said this, with a positive tone. He had learned from his mistakes, and had learned some lessons from many of his pack mates. He could feel in his heart that it was the right thing to tell Jaci.

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_{The wolf before her showed her a strong kindness. Amoux had been very kind to her too, though less affectionate. It was nice to know that there were wolves that believed in her, and knew she was strong in her own way. The positive gesture filled Jaci with even more determination.
”You really think so Nach?” Of course he would say those things to make her feel better, to assure her that she was strong but that was because she was blind, did he truly feel this way? Lyn had made it clear she was a valued wolf to her pack when she made her a Gamma, but no one really said how important she was to her pack. Jaci just figured she knew since she was the only sister that had stayed and managed to survive this long. Jaci returned the affection with a nuzzle and an affectionate lick on the nose.
”It means alot to me that you believe in me Nach. I sometimes feel discouraged but you are right; I just need to remember that you and my alpha and my pack believe in me.” Jaci’s eyes softened, though unable to see, emotion was still very much visible in their dead like stare.}

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Nach couldn't help but smile as he saw Jaci's face light up in front of him. He felt glad to give her encouragement, and he could tell that she needed it."I really do mean it Jaci." He then sat next to Jaci, and looked out towards the territory."Every wolf has a skill in something, but great wolves like you find that skill, and use it to their fullest potential." He said this, thinking about what many of the elders in Fellfang told many of the new wolves, and he had thought about it hard."You know you're skill, and now you can become great in your pack."

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_{I shouldn’t doubt myself so much. After all, the pack values me even if they don’t say it. Jaci smiled, ”I’m older than you- aren’t I supposed to be saying this to you?” she snorted. Jaci was growing older everyday, which only made her want to ensure Chandor’s future by teaching a student to take her place when death claimed her in the coming years. She was four years old and couldn’t keep even a single apprentice by her side. It was pretty frustrating but Jaci was determined to protect her pack and those she cared about with her life. ”I believe anyone can do anything as long as you put your heart and soul into learning it. It makes practice and patience.” A lot of patience. ”But you are right Nach, there is always room to improve natural skills, as I believe you will with your own.” the blind healer chuckled softly. This Nach wolf was very kind and affectionate which was rare but Jaci valued their meeting. Hopefully they would meet again after this. A small howl caught Jaci’s attention. It was Lyn calling her back. ”Looks like they want me back over there.” Jaci turned to the brown wolf and smiled, though unable to see him, it was as though she could see the light of kindness and determination that burned like a open flame deep inside Nach. ”I must be going now, but I am very happy to have met you Nach. Perhaps if I take another trip to Fellfang we can have another wonderful conversation.”}

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Nach couldn't help but laugh at what Jaci said about being younger."Well, that's something I've learned here with some of my friends." Nach then listened to what Jaci said, and he couldn't agree more."It's something you've been able to do very well, and I'll try my best as well." Nach then heard the call, and turned in the direction with Jaci. It was a great time to talk to her, and he smiled as she said that she couldn't wait to return."It was great to meet you as well Jaci, and I can't wait to see you again." He then sat and watched as she walked away. Even though she was part of another pack, it was great to have a new friend.