With a pitstop

They quickly found the common path and began to walk to her village. He was chagrined to see the path did go right by the field where he awoke. He could completely understand her reaction. How would he have handled a giant, half-naked person just standing up on what supposed to have been a empty field? He gave silent thanks he hadn't actually killed her.

"So, a name. Do you know your clan?" she said.

"Clan?"

She sighed. "Clan, everyone has a clan in the beginning, from where all tribes, families, dynasties originate. For instance, if I were given the same questions, I would say my clan is Cervidae."

The stranger perked up. "That sounds...vaguely familiar. But no, I don't think that applies to me."

"Well of course not ye git. I would peg you as Canis, or even the noble Lupus." Her eyes narrowed as stared at him. "But the color is all wrong. Is it natural?"

"It's what I woke up with."

She stopped, and looked him over. "Something else...I'm not sure..."

She gasped and raced around behind him. "Your tail! It's gone!" Approaching carefully, she patted down his spine, inspecting closely. "Were you injured in battle? Were you maimed as a child?"

"Honestly, I don't think it was there to begin with." Her scratching around his tailbone felt better than it should. He had to resist letting his leg thump along with her inspection.

"You're right. I see no scar, no evidence of surgery."

"Um, Cecilia?" he said, turning his head back to her.

"Yes?"

"I appreciate the inspection, but are you done looking at my butt?"

She let out a tiny yelp and jumped back. Blushing furiously, she regained her composure. "Ah. Yes. Sorry. Not the time or place." She quickly scurried slightly in front of him. He wasn't sure, but he would have sworn he caught her giving a final glance at his posterior as she did so.

"Hmm. Shame. Can't be Lupus then, they would die before losing a tail, and kill a pup without one. It's a source of pride. The Canus sometimes makes "alterations" but never amputate it. It's part of their language. I imagine you would be a formidable opponent in games of chance."

He laughed easily at that. "Somehow, I don't think I'm built to be the world's greatest gambler." His voice still sounded strange in his ears, for some reason. Maybe it would fade if or when his memories returned. In fact, the more he tried to remember, the fuzzier things were getting.

"Aye, you are much too...built to have that as your profession." She blushed again. Now that he wasn't a slavering demon, she could appreciate his body a bit more subjectively.

They were making good time. The woods had begun to thin, and they would soon be in the outer plains before the Ardsville farms. She looked at the sun between the branches. By her reckoning, just by sunset. Perfect.

"Um, Cecilia?" the stranger asked, breaking her out of her reverie.

"Aye?"

"Is Ardsville close? I'm...I'm not feeling so..."

She looked up in horror. Sweat poured from his brow, his eyes glassy. At once she knew what was wrong. "Silac!" she hissed. The creepy bastard really HAD been looking for trouble. The bolt had been poisoned! "There is a stream nearby. Can you make it?" She grabbed his hand.

"Just...Just point." he said, suddenly scooping her up in his arms. "F-Faster. And you c-c-can't carry me if...if..I pass out."

She motioned an easterly direction. The stranger lept forward in a burst of speed. It was nowhere near as fast as he had been earlier, but still amazing. She could feel his heart hammering in his chest. "Oh, that bastard Silac!" she thought, "I'll be sure to report this to the sheriff. "

After galloping through the shallow forest, she saw the stream. "There!" she cried out, looking up at the stranger. Her joy turned to horror as she realized he wasn't conscious. His half lidded eyes weren't looking at anything. But he still ran! "Stranger! Stop! Stop! STOOOOOP!" With her last cry she lashed out and struck him across the muzzle.

He fell like the brothers did earlier, making no attempt to catch himself. She spilled out of his arms, bounced once and landed in a shallow part of the stream. Her rump would be sore, and her skirt soaked through, but she was ok. The stranger however...

She ran up to his limp figure, sprawled on the ground. His breathing came in shallow pants. That last bit of exertion probably only spread the poison faster. Moving quickly but carefully, she re-examined his wound. She was amazed that the skin was very nearly healed. However, the area was swollen red, with the redness moving up his arms. Definitely poison. Now what kind?

She pried open an eye. It dilated, so not a neurotoxin. But his gums were inflamed, and starting to bleed. She leapt from the ailing stranger and searched the stream bed. It didn't take long to find what she needed. A sharp onyx rock and some wild grape bark. She had also picked out some dried tea she had been carrying on her. Moving back to the affected area, she scraped away as much of the fur surrounding the area as she could.

Taking a deep breath, she spoke to the stranger, "I know you mean well, but you can kill me for this if not in your right mind. Please mind your manners." and plunged the stone deep into the old wound. It gave a sickening pop and burst, blood flying everywhere. The stranger moaned a little, and she took that as a good sign. She didn't stop, quickly packing the wound with the tea leaves and then the grape bark after. Finding a dry place on her skirt, she ripped long ribbons from it, wrapping the area tightly. By the time she was done, she looked a mess, but she was satisfied with her work.

She moved the stranger into what she could only guess was a more comfortable position on his back. Figuring the dress was a total loss, she took the remainder and soaked it in the cool water. Wringing out the excess into the stranger's mouth she put the damp compress on his feverish head. It was just a matter of time to see how things would turn.

She watched the shadows turn longer as the sky turned crimson. Every so often, she would make the trip back to the stream to refresh the compress and give the stranger another drink. They were in the shallow woods, so she wasn't as worried about danger as she was earlier. Still, she kept her ears out for odd sounds, as the night fell.

She awoke with a start. It was deep into the evening. She blushed as she had been curled up next to the stranger, using his chest as a pillow. What was it? Her ears flicked nervously as she peered around in the darkness. The urge to run welled up again, but she had to know what the danger was, where it was coming from. Plus her charge was in no shape to flee or defend. Long moments passed, and only the sound of crickets filled the air.

"Well, if anything was going to attack, it's sure taking it's sweet time." she thought, irritated. She settled back down and lay her head onto the stranger's broad chest. It was comforting to hear him breath. In. Out. In. Out. And the steady beating of his strong heart. Ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-ba-bum.

That snapped her wide awake. She pressed her ear to his chest, more intently. It took a moment, but she heard the murmur again. "Oh, not good." she said to no one. Moving quickly to his wound, she examined it again. The redness had faded, he was improving. Her hands moved nimbly, unpacking the bandage, refreshing the ingredients and rewrapping it. But the venom had made it to his heart. "Damn it. Why did I let him carry me? " she admonished to herself. There was one chance. If she could find a fallen log, and if conditions were right...

Moving in an increasing spiral, she scanned the forest by moonlight. If she didn't find it within sight of the stranger, then he was probably done for.

She had just about given up when she cracked her shin on a log. Tears filled her eyes, but she kept the cursing at bay. Praying to whoever would listen, she asked for a small miracle. She gasped in joy as it was there. A tiny green mushroom, it's weak glow could barely be seen. With trembling hands, she plucked it from its home.

It was small, too small she feared, but it was the only thing she could think of this late. With some of the speed she had earlier, she bounded back to the stranger's prone body. Leaning over him, she whispered, "If you thought Silac's smell was bad, you're really going..to..Shit!" She clasped her hands to her mouth at her profanity. How was he going to eat this ****? He couldn't chew, and it had to be taken...

The little mushroom she held so daintily before now sat there taunting her. There was a reason this was rarely used. Most people would rather die of the poison than take this. Steeling herself, she popped the evil fungus in her mouth and chewed.

At first, the rancid sewer flavor wasn't so bad. But then came a fresh flush of a thousand citizens. She wanted to gag, she wanted to vomit, but kept chewing until it was broken down into a fine paste. Leaning over, the stranger's face, she carefully allowed the foulness to drizzle from her mouth to his. Then, holding his muzzle shut, she rubbed his neck. The stranger scowled, then coughed, but she finally heard him swallow. She sighed, and then bolted to the stream to gag and drink deeply.

After a moment, when the flavor had thankfully ebbed. She turned around to the new problem. For it to work, the medicine had to get to his heart. Usually, they would walk the patient, get his blood pumping. However, there was no way his muscular frame would be walking. It took everything she had just to roll him on his back and move an arm. She tapped her foot on the ground, thinking.

Yep, no way to move him. He was pure muscle from his thick neck, broad shoulders, enormous chest, his tight abs...and was it getting warmer in these woods? She fanned herself for a moment. She had a patient and here she was, horny as she ever had been during the Rut. And it didn't help that she was half undressed, her skirt long gone. She shook her head to calm herself, and started over.

Moving the upper body wasn't going to work. Those arms, those...huge..muscled arms. And legs! They were...almost...equal...to...

She realized her sight had fallen on the stranger's loincloth. The only way she could think of, to get blood moving through his body. Her whole body blushed. However! This was to save a life!

Moving down his body, she carefully pushed the loincloth to one side...