Salamanca, Mid-May

"Eh, sorry. Waste time on the inopportune sickness-reaction, rather than the treatment. Treatment is good, functional, appropriate. Proper. I'm just tired from having been on the hoof for a while." She offers a tired, bemused smile, but looks at him curiously. "So, now that you know what I'm trying to do, is there anything else I need to give you to help set us both up to succeed in this endeavor? I think... I reckon this may be a straightforward desensitization project, but I'm guessing."

"Well, to be honest, this will be a first for me, as well...so why don't we take it one step a a time and see where that leads us? I think the first step is to let you get some rest. As you say, you've been on the hoof for a while."

"Right-o. It'll be nice to sleep in a bed again." Ali sounds like she's not at all facetious, in fact is looking forward to it. "And a hot shower. Oh god, hot water." She practically wiggles. "But let me know what I can do around here to help. I'm used to doing a lot of manual things- chopping wood, cooking, whatever, for my stay. If you need it done, I'm not too proud and I'm probably used to doing it anyhow. I made a pact with a white tiger spirit and it boils down to do everything possible to avoid the use of Weaver tools, for too much use makes you soft and weak." Ali gives him a lopsided grin. "I have a lot of cats...of various forms... in my life."

A few days later, once Ali's settled in, Redleaf knocks at her door.

Ali glances up at the door. She'd have been wandering around, helping where James allowed, and in general doing a bit of eating and sleeping and meditating. "Come on in," she says in a conversational tone. When he enters the door, she is sitting cross-legged on the bed, hands relaxed on her knees and eyes half-lidded, overall projecting the half-daze of somebody who had been in a light meditative trance.

Redleaf steps in. "Morning. Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I thought you might want to come along with me on a call."

"No disturbance." She stretches- and it looks like one of those fantastically awesome stretches that just feel good. After the ten seconds devoted to that, she stands up and refocuses on him, the Ahroun looking completely alert. "What's the scenario?"

Redleaf grins. "Well, I'd say that the patient is as healthy as a horse...because she IS a horse...but the healthy part remains to be seen. I'm not actually a vet, but the owner's a friend of my kin, money is tight, and I'm doing a favor. She's pregnant, and there may be complications."

"Wait. The woman's pregnant, or the horse?" Ali's brow furrows. "And how do I overcome the issue of animals being leery of those of us with significant rage? I mean, if you mean the horse is pregnant and there might be complications, would I be unsettling enough to the horse to cause a complication?"

Redleaf taps his nose with a finger. "Dealing with that's part of the purpose of the exercise. I'll go first, to show you how I work around that issue."

Ali peers at James a moment, then shrugs. "Alright, fair enough." She seems amicably willing to follow his lead.

The drive out to the farm where the "patient" lives is a short one, and pleasant. The area around Salamanca is pretty enough, though many of the buildings are run-down.

"A lot of folks out here are struggling to make ends meet," Redleaf comments. "I try to do what I can to make things a little easier." A thoughtful pause. "I think we sometimes get so caught up in cosmic threats that we forget that most of the war is fought on a smaller scale--these little day to day struggles."

As the battered pickup swings out onto a dirt road, he elaborates on the goal.

"We're in sort of a unique niche, and it's one that sometimes requires creativity. We're healers, but we're healers who are built for war, and as you pointed out, that can complicate things. Having ways to circumvent that complication can make things a lot easier. Usually...when we're treating Garou or Bastet or other Killi...it's not an issue. But the patient isn't always a child of the Nyota Jamaa."

Ali hrmms."Should I take it that the term Nota Jamaal means something to the nature of the... huh, I'd say enlightened, but that's pretentious. But that sort of idea- Garou, Bastet, kinfolk, that sort of thing?" She mulls it over. "Do you beseech the spirits to help with that? Or aread there behavioral activities that assist? And if there's anything else I can do while we're here to help... well I did some farm volunteer work. I could do basic chores if this patient is owned by someone worthy of a little extra chore help today if my helping with the vet work seems to not be helpful." She seems very concerned, like she's disturbed by the possibility she could cause it to go poorly.

"Ah! No, the Nyota Jamaa is...well, it doesn't translate perfectly precisely, but the closest rendering would be "Star Family." You call them the "Triat." There's a bit more to it than that, but it's more or less accurate."

"I do ask spirits to help with calming the patient, but it's always wise to remember that there are mundane solutions, as well. I also employ a mild herbal sedative. I prefer to use several milder methods, rather than one overwhelming one, whenever possible."

Ali grins. "Chamomile-soaked apple muffins, for this particular horse?"

Redleaf beams. "Not far from the truth at all! I actually use a blend of chamomile, valerian, and lemon balm...and, yes, I put it in a mixture of bran and diced apples. And, since I asked the owner to feed it to the horse before we arrive, to give it time to work, we should be ready to go."

He leads the way to the stable, pausing outside to wash up. "Every cat knows that cleanliness is next to godliness...and strong habits are a must. Besides, the soap I use helps mask my scent. That's not the ONLY thing about us that unnerves animals, but it's one of the things--again, several milder methods."