Zelunik

NAME: Zelunik
NICKNAME(S): Zel, Zelly
PRONUNCIATION:Zel - uun-ick
POSITION: freior

AGE: 3 1/2
GENDER: Female
BREED: Mexican Grey Wolf
HEIGHT: 25"
APPEARANCE:

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Zelunik was built for speed, one can see it in her lean legs and taunt shoulder muscles. Again as she was born for speed, she is petite and lean. Compared to the eastern grey wolves and other northern species of wolf she's an inch smaller than them. Yet she's not to be underestimated. As a lone healer she's had to perfect gentle but firm holds on wolves and has had to run from those who wish to enslave her.

By no means is Zelunik the exceptional snowy or ebony beauty, favored by most males. Her black, red, and white hued body carries the scars of her past, which are many. Though most of the battle scars have been healed over and hidden beneath the thick coat. The attractive feature of Zelunik is her face. Narrowed and tapered beautifully, she has an intelligent and stern stare. She is a Mexican gray wolf, humans had released her pregnant mother and her father into the northern wilds. There they were trying to cope with their cousins the gray wolf commonly known as timber wolves. So she does not have the traditional beauty of the northern wolves. Some find her exotic beauty flattering others find her ugly.

Don't let her size full you. Zelunik's small form and quick movements make her one to dart under a beast and rip his or her stomach out, with exceptionally strong jaws. She prides herself on her lean frame. Always pushing her body to take on even the biggest of males, even though she may not succeed, speed is her key and power. It's something as life as a wanderer has taught her. Be quicker than your opponent or you might not get another chance to defend yourself. She's always on the defense too, being in the world she lives in, it's either fight off captures or be sold into slavery. Her presence may not be a big one but when meeting her she leaves quite an impact. She's sharp of wit and quick making her deadly if under attack and her mottled coat makes her hard to spot in grass. Her dark coat is good for one thing in the dark she can blend into the shadows well.

PERSONALITY:

Soft, soft sweet tones captivate even the hardest of souls. Calming panicking wolves and gently coaxing the silliest of pups to take some awful medicine. She can't magically heal a wolf; but her herb knowledge make her a rare treat for ailing wolves. Some would call Zelunik a bit of sunshine on a winters day. She knows pain and death like the coming of a sharp bitter wind but she brings a soothing warmth that can lessen the bite. Her prowess lays with her healing abilities, though she is a wolf, she is also an understanding wolf. She can heal not only physical wounds but she can try and heal mental ones as well. She has this feel about her that seemingly takes a battered soul and cradles it to her and suckles it's pain away, sometimes having to make it worse before she and allow the rot and pain to melt away. It makes her liked and unliked at the same time.

Zelunik has a firm but gentle paw when it comes to healing a wolf. She will not heal a wolf unless she has their permission. She believes that if a wolf wants to pass to the Gods she will not stop them, or feels she cannot stop them. Though wolves that agree with her healing will have to put up with her until she deems them able to live, if not cured. Though her mentor had taught her to never get personal with her patients she grieves those she cannot save. She holds each of them to her. Maybe because she knows she's infertile. The she wolf will never bear pups. The Gods gave her a gift at healing and giving life and even been the den mother to pregnant wolves helping them give birth, but she will never carry a pup on her own. She will forever be barren. It makes her bitter and it makes her usual soft and peaceful demeanor, a bit harsh and not as soft as she'd like to be; especially to flirty males. Though if she is given a healing job she will go to it, actually like a six sense she knows where she is needed.

To put Zelunik in a few words, she's caring, cold, blunt, and serene. She's a no nonsense wolf. Not that she can't loosen up but she has issues letting others get to close. She would feel responsible if they were to get sick or injured and she couldn't save them. Also when it comes to relationships. . . . Zelunik fears commitment to a fault. She of course doesn't mind the random tryst every now and then, but to actually settle down and mate with a wolf. The thought scares her, especially since so many had left her before or just wanted sex from her until they could go to find a real mate that would give them pups. That leaves her a very bitter wolf.

On a side note, she has a thing for quails. They are the only bird she wont hunt down and kill. She loves how silly they look running around with their top feather bouncing happily. Despite her bareness as well she adores puppies. And has no problems watching them for mothers who need to get back to their duties.

FATHER:Jaquin
MOTHER: Nula
SIBLINGS: She had a brother Ahmun but his whereabouts are unknown for now.
HISTORY:

Zelunik lay in some soft lavender licking her hide with a mint and saliva poultice she'd made. It cleaned and numbed wounds plus the scent of lavender calmed her frazzled nerves. She had received a particularly nasty bite from a patient, she could not help that she had to reset his hind leg. Though she healed him and his pack paid her in rabbits meat and she was left to wander off again.

The Healer they called her. If a wolf pack needed her while she was passing through or if the healer of the pack needed assistance she was there. Some how and she did not question it, she knew exactly where she was needed. She counted it as a blessing from the Gods and moved on. Still her old master and the blind seer's raven taught her all she needed to know about healing. Zel sniffed, why did she have to think about the old witch now? She sighed and closed her eyes to sleep and had a . . . dream? No it was a memory of how she become who she was.

~Two years earlier~

"Zelunik!" the powerful voice was cracked and dry as fallen leaves, though it had a snap to it. Zel as a young wolf could not help but flinch as the seer padded into the cave. She was left with the old wise wolf six months ago by her parents after they witnessed her gift for healing. "Child, why must you go through my herbs and organize them, I like it a mess young one."

Humor was there and Zelunik relaxed. The old she wolf that came into the small cave was known in her territory as Baba Barsha, wise and charged all her tellings and healing with meat. Once she was a traveling healer until her eyesight failed. Though her years as a loner was very evident in her looks. Her eyes which once were a vibrant green, were now nothing more than an empty socket, which poured pus every now and then, the other was clouded over with a milky film. The fur which once was a gorgeous grey was now patched and falling out tufts of it barely sticking on. The skin of her pads were cracked and sometimes bled if she walked too much. Her teeth were yellowed and cracked, some were missing. How the she wolf survived surprised even her parents until they saw the crow. This wolf was a seer and for her services she charged for meat. Baba Barsha was a strange wolf but she was revered as a good seer. It kept her stomach full when she herself could not. Plus the carrion bird, Tskar, who followed her made sure that they were not with out food.

"Baba B," Zel's tail wagged happily at her mentors teasing. Despite the wizened and gruff old wolf's appearance, Zel knew a beautiful heart rested in the she-wolfs chest. "I know, but some of us still learning like to know which is which."

They laughed Zel's tones soft and musical, and very soothing. The old she wolf grinned, "when I was that young if I had your voice, child, I would sing to the world. But of course now my throat is too old and feeble to even give a good howl."

The wolves laughed again. The crow ruffled his fathers and clacked his beak. The laughter stopped and the medicine wolf sighed. "Yes Tskar, I believe it is time for me to rest these tired bones."

Tskar hopped happily to his master and they curled up in the den in the back. Zelunik knew her master did not have time left. She was to pass to the Gods soon. The old wolf had wished Zel gone by then. She should have left nights ago. Tskar then turned to Zel the old crow cawed once and then spoke for the first time to her, "Zelunik, daughter of Nula and Jaquin, you are here by The Healer, go, your master is going to the Gods you must not be here. Leave now."

So soon but the crow flew at her and she ran scared. Only a year old and she was abandoned again. She ran fast not stopping till she was far away from the caves and let out a mournful howl. Her mentor was gone, her parents and brother were gone and she was left alone. Her luck was that there was no bird friend to choose her either. Though her teacher did leave her with the knowledge of herbs she would not forget. She padded away her knowledge the only thing that she had with her.