Down By The River

They stopped in mid-afternoon below a large tree near the river. After two encounters with bird talons, Fallon inspected the tree closely, then pronounced it safe. Alithea held Erthen while he splashed in the cool water. He wanted to stand in a shallow eddy, but his hooves were still soft and easily cut by the rocks in stream.

Drindl scrubbed while Alithea supervised. She reminded him she was a doctor, but he was careful to keep his lower half submerged. Bebe gave the egg pouch to Alpen, then searched along the river bank until she found an olanthe bush. She filled a pouch with its berries and returned to the group. "A poultice wrapped around his neck will mask the scent," she told Alithea, who agreed.

Bebe mashed the berries, then found a clean rag on the travois. Drindl sidled away from her as she sat on the river bank and strained the berry mash. "Stay there, Drindl. This will be messy. The water will wash away the residue." He stood in the water, a sheepish look on his face. "You don't need to crouch," she approached him. She looked below the water and stopped, struggling to keep a smile hidden. "Ok, crouch, then face away from me."

She lathered the paste on the sides of his neck where the scent glands oozed. Some of the paste fell onto his shoulders, then fell into the water that swirled around him. She wrapped his neck in the clean cloth and had him crouch further until the water came up to his shoulders. She brushed away the residue. She asked Alpen for a cloth and let Drindl exit the water and behind the tree.

"I wasn't this bad," Alpen said. "I think there's something wrong with him."

"You were worse," Bebe said as she pushed him playfully. "You all get used to it. Muscle smell, you told me." She looked back at the tree. Drindl was still hidden on the other side. "I smell olanthe berry, but no musth and he's probably relieving himself right now. I think this will work."

Alpen gave her an impatient look. "We need to go."

"Give me a few minutes to clean up," Bebe said. "There's enough berry paste for another treatment. Let's see if this one lasts until tomorrow morning." She turned to the river. "He's your bantam. We have a responsibility to him."

"Warrior skills, not nursemaid," Alpen called after her, then turned to brush away the damn Zeti flies.

From the river, Bebe called to Drindl, "Remember to bathe again." She waited for an acknowledgment, then "Drindl!" she called again. When she heard his muffled reply, she came up the river bank and helped Alpen secure their things to the travois. Drindl walked back into the river, then emerged again and wrapped himself. Alpen and Fallon took the harnesses while Bebe tightened the neck wrap around Drindl. In a few hours, when the air was cooler, Drindl could pull a harness without sweating too much.