Nimbus Summit Teach Me Part.2

Being pregnant did limit her travelling capacity. So when going out to meet her herbal teacher again, she had to go a shorter distance, and she could only hope her young teacher would be close. She went to the lower parts of the nearby summit, and howled out for @Grace. Most likely her pregnant state would be a surprise.

Grace had been on her way back from the cedar forest to look for borage. It was good for both fevers and to help nursing mothers with producing milk - both of which could be useful over the winter. She'd hoped to find a plant or two to bring back and replant -  even a good jawful of the leaves would be wonderful to dry and put in her den-cache - and she had succeeded in grabbing not just two but four. One, she could stock her den with, and the other three she could replant in hopes it would survive the Winter. 

Just as she was looking skybound to the summit, the long stemmed , sniffing curiously at a familiar scent, Heartha's call rent the air. The russet girls eyes went wide in surprise, but realizing that the older woman must've scented her first, Grace called back. Luckily, the white woman wasn't up any particularly steep places - even she could limp her way up the slopes. It wasn't long before Heartha came into view - and Grace's face morphed into first confusion then joy upon seeing her friends condition. As far as she could tell, the woman was only two or three weeks from birth. A grin split her face as she called out, jokingly, to the white femme. 

                           "Heartha! You better not be far from home, you look like you're about to pop!"

Heartha stood and waited. Grace answered back, and Heartha felt a smile coming on. Grace was coming, just as she had hoped. She would get to learn more. And this time, she would ask other things. Things that had been on her mind since their first meeting.

She could feel her face heat up at Grace's comment. "Nothing I'm not used to already." She kept the details on how it happened hidden. "Ready to teach another lesson?"

Heartha smiled back at the yearling, and Grace - after dropping the plants a foot or so away - came close enough to reach out and gently nudge to woman on the shoulder. Countering playfully, she jerked her muzzle to the blue, fuzzy flowered plants. She didn't ask about the father or anything - it wasn't her business. Maybe once they got closer as friends.

                        "Ready to learn about some more plants? That's borage - the leaves are good for fever and helping mother's produce milk." 

Borage. She recognised the look of it from her time as caretaker. It was useful. Very useful to a pregnant mother. "I had forgotten the name of this one. Used it a few times, with myself and other mothers, since I was the nurse-mother." That was another title she went by back in her birth pack.

"Any others?" She wanted to ask if Grace had a pack, or something to return to. She must have if she was still around. But she held back, not wanting to disrupt the class so early on.

Thankfully, Heartha knew about borage. She would be wise to use it if she had to nurse puppies over the winter. Nodding, humming happily, Grace was pleased. When asked if there were anymore, she shrugged- there were always other plants to learn about. 

                "We can do our lessons one of two ways - assuming they keep going of course, I live in the valley just behind us - we either look for plants and I tell you about them or I just tell you what they look and smell like, where to find them." 

Her golden gaze flickered warmly to her widened sides.

                                            "With you having little ones, I'd be fine bringing new things to your border and calling for you. I promise I won't ever let anything happen to your babies."

Listening to her options, the second Heartha figured would be best for her, as she would be getting heavily pregnant soon. Especially with the idea of Grace coming to the pack borders. But first, she would have to talk it through with both her alpha's. 

"You have a pack over that way?" Heartha asked out of curiosity. "And the second idea, where you tell me about them."

Heartha chose the best option she could do for the next five or six months - not to say she couldn't find a sitter and leave for a day once they were weaned - and Grace was glad. She also understood why her offer of coming to the borders was not answered - it was not her decision. 

                           "Yeah, over at Hideaway Strath with a kind man named Zaavier. He'd be okay with me coming to teach you about herbs, I'm sure."

"My alpha, I may have to convince him to let you. Last time I went out, he didn't want anyone knowing about us..." And she had failed at achieving that. Both King and Queen would need convincing, perhaps the King more so. "So, any other herbs?"

Heartha explained about her alpha wanting to be left alone, and Grace understood - she wouldn't want everyone to know where she was trying to settle right away either. Nodding, she accepted it just as well as she had the silence.

                   "I understand. I'll call for you at the Basin next time - if you cannot answer, but have gotten the okay, call me closer. If not, I'll wait there a little while before going home. Deal?"

Were they gonna do more today? Hmm. There had to be more to help pregnancy that she could tell Heartha about. 

                                    "You should make a bundle of raspberry leaves, borage, and thyme for when you go into labor. It'll help with the pains, your milk, and any anxiety you might have. Make it all.... Easier." 

Heartha nodded. An exceptable plan, even for her alphas. At least, that's what she thought. And hoped. She loved learning from Grace, and hoped they would meet again. "Deal. I hope to see you again, Grace. You're a great teacher, you know."

Heartha made sure to remember to collect these herbs once she got back, for both her and Aspen when they were to give birth. Aspen would no doubt be first, so she would have to keep a watchful eye on the alpha. "I should head back. Being gone this long while pregnant, surely they would be worrying."

Grace blushed at the praise, smiling warmly and reaching out to nuzzle fondly at the older woman, winking at her comment back - she really was glad to experience being a mentor this time. Nova had been a good teacher to her, too, and Grace was thrilled to be filling those pawprints.

                       "Thank you, Heartha. You're a good apprentice. I'll be close, always - you could probably call to me whenever, I might just hear you."

The russet girl nodded - Heartha should be getting back. Nosing two of the plants over to teh pregnant female, she bid her friend goodbye. 

                                                    "You should replant one of those somewhere sheltered in hopes that it will survive the Winter, unless you think you should dry both for the Winter because you'll need it all. Take care, Heartha - if you need me when the time comes, send someone to the borders at the valley. Ill come."

Heartha accepted the gesture, returning it with one of her own. "I will see you again. I promise." She took the herbs given by Grace and then dipped her head in the farewell. Then she turned with them carefully held in her mouth and headed straight for home.