Sleeping Dragon Wait for it

Hush, obviously, could not put his emotions into words, but if he could, he would describe the anxiety he felt as agitation, nervousness, fear. He was confident that life would return to Teekon Wilds, though not in the full manner that it was promised to bloom into, but it would return. He was confident that Drageda would survive the famine and live on into winter. But he was nervous for the lives of his Drotting Gyda and her children.

He didn't know much about children and how they operated, but he knew that they were fragile until at least 6 months. They needed copious amounts of food, first in the form of milk, then in small bits of food. But Gyda needed food as well, if she was to provide for them.

So he hunted, more for her sake than his own. He knew that the rest of the pack, Heda included, was doing the same, but he was determined to provide the most nutritious and filling food for Gyda. But such food was hard to find when all they could hunt were rodents.

But Hush tried anyway. He stalked the lower parts of Drageda, following mouse and rabbit trails, though failing in his set task. It was getting to be very frustrating for the mute, who was unable to voice his exasperation.

slips in

The patched girl strides the territory with ease. Some might say her stance is rather arrogant, but her head and tail are not so high as to challenge anyone above her-- which seems to be everyone. Her stance points out nothing but her figure, and perhaps her spine as it juts out of her back. She's eaten some since her arrival, but obviously one measly meal won't fix a malnurished body.

As she walks, she spots a man-- well, we won't go that far just yet-- and she pauses, her ears perking. Portia smiles, and pads towards him, her tail and hips swishing behind her. "Hiya, Sugar," she says, green eyes inviting a conversation-- whoops.

His frustration caused the mute to stop his tracking with an angry, exasperated huff as another trail seemed to fade away. The food was there, he was certain, but the prey had become cunning, knowing the starvation of the larger predators. His tail lashed in annoyance, his teeth ground together. Damn.

The silent rage didn't last long however, for a packmate, a very flirtatious packmate, came to greet him. Hush immediately became flustered. While the unfamiliar woman was not in heat, her swaying backside told him everything he needed to know about her intentions. The young, virgin, mute wolf, unused to attention like this, tilted his head in adorable confusion. She liked him, or at the very least, interested in him? A bastard half-breed such as he?

She smiles as he turns to face her, but he makes no attempt at conversation. The boy was barely any eye candy to the freckled woman, but he was definitely a cutie-- she tilts her head right back at him, mirroring his confusion. "The name is Portia," she says, dipping her crown daintily. Her posture is still respectful, but far more open than most wolves are upon the first meeting. He seems somewhat flustered, confused even-- to her all is going as planned.

He blinked, unsure what to think or do. Unable to speak, and knowing that she didn't know his predicament, he coughed. The mute gestured towards his throat, trying his best to explain to the flirtatious woman, without words, that he could not engage in banter with her.

It seems that the stranger had no means of communication, and so Portia frowns. "Well, hun, that's quite the predicament," she says. The conversation is the majority of the fun, so her flirty facade falls quickly. "Well, are you sick?" she asks, awaiting an answer with interest. If he just had a sore throat, honey could always cure him. 

The woman no longer looked flirtateous, which was relieving for him. So she wanted a conversation with him? At least now she'd treat him like a patient than a potential lover.

He shakes his head. This was a permanent, from birth afflication. He'd tried many a time to get words through his mouth, but they came out garbled beyond comprehension. There was no getting around it.

"How interseting," she says, her thin face tilting to the side. "May I call you something? You seem so sweet, you don't deserve to be nameless," she adds, tail waving. She knows he can't answer her, but perhaps she can come up with a nickname for him. Something fitting, of course, nothing rude. "You seem something like a Basil, to me," she says, her love for herbs and plants sprouting up. She pauses, smiling. "Do you know what Basil is, hun?"

Again, he was being named against his will. Well, he honestly had no way around it, unless someone else corrected her. But then again, he didn't mind. Individual nicknames helped him seem less of an anomoly and more of a wolf (or, coywolf...coywolfdog...). He nodded, familiar with the plant. He was no expert in plants, but he knew a little bit about them. The names at least.

Portia grins sweetly, he doesn't argue and therefore feels that his name fits him. "Good-- it pleases me to meet others who know about plants and herbs," she tells him-- not that he really cares. "Basil is a wonderful plant. It's a sweeter herb-- like you Hun," she adds the last part with a wink, her tail waving. "It's an anti-inflammatory, and a wonderful one at that," she continues on thoughtfully, wondering if the other wolf even cares. Then again, who cares? It could save his life one day and she has no problem sharing. "Helps with common illness-- chewing on the leaves usually relieve some symptoms." 

Hush, unable to protest, simply sat and listened to her impromptu lesson. Not that it wouldn't be helpful in the future, anyway. While he had no ambitions in being a healer of any sorts, knowledge of plants wasn't something to shake a stick at either. He smiled at the woman's enthusiasm at the topic; so this is what she was truly interested. At least it wasn't just in men. She was being useful to Drageda.

fade with your post? <3

Portia rambles on a bit more about how wonderful it is as an anti-inflammitory, making sure she mentions it's use with pregnant women. When she finally stopped talking, she gave him a slight head nod. "I hope I didn't talk your ears off, hun," she winked, standing. "I best be off," she adds, and with a final "Bye, Basil," the freckled girl winks, and pads off into Drageda.

Sure! Thanks for the thread! :D

He blinked, as the soft drone ended. He didn't mean to space out, but it was so much information at once...ah. His brain couldn't handle it. He shook his head as she walked away a small smile face as he barked softly in farewell, walking away from the delightfully chattery (and somewhat flirty) girl.