Dragoncrest Cliffs A paradox with flies

The snowy wolf trekked northward, to an area of Drageda that he had visited once prior to his recent departure. He moved at a jog, occasionally breaking into a sprint whenever he felt compelled to do so, so that in spite of the early autumn chill, his tongue hung comically from the side of his jaw. The trees began to dissipate until they yawned open, revealing a small clearing. Therein lay both graves and a garden... Which Hux thought to be a beautiful, albeit solemn, combination of uses for the space .

He paused, ears perked with interest. He bypassed the cemetary with a fleeting feeling of gratitude that Thuringwethil was not freshly buried here. Afterwards his mind became entirely occupied with plans for garden maintenance. The male was pleased to find the garden somewhat unkempt, for he longed to work, to make use of himself. He scanned the plot, mentally separating annuals from perennials and weeds. The garden would need to be cared for before the ground froze, so that it would be prepared for next year's planting. Having mapped out his course of action, the gray eyed Kru set about his work, tackling the weeds first and wearing a small smile hidden beneath the very first plant he held between his teeth.

 blix doesn't like the graveyard. once she had thought of maybe pursuing a naturalist trade, before her childhood was ripped from her with the disappearance of her mother and she chose to be strong in the real way instead, and so she knows the garden sorta. but the graveyard is... well, it makes her think about things she doesn't want to think about. (nomi'd said they'd bring home mother and she believes that. alive and well.)

 but the air is crisp and a little chilly and despite her efforts she has thoughts rattling in her head that pull her feet toward that somber respite, thinking maybe she'll just take a lap around the north end of the territory - until she sees there's a figure near the garden and curiosity slows her footfalls. a man she doesn't know. he must be new, she thinks, and approaches carefully. if she's going to be everyone's protector, she has to meet everyone, right? "hei," blix calls, voice nakedly curious. "chit yu dula?"

Hux turned to place the weed into a rubbish pile, but when he did so, he found himself looking at a pup with fur resembling Wildfire's. It seemed safe to assume that this was one of the children that the missing woman shared with heda. Her scent was similar, and her age seemed to match Artaax's.

Discarding the weed, he waited for the girl to finish her greeting and gave her a small, lopsided grin, responding in their shared tongue. "Hello, little one," he spoke softly. "I'm tending the garden... It - it has to be prepared for winter." His tail waved amiably. Children never failed to put him in a good mood, not that Hux had been unhappy prior to Blixen's arrival.

 
 somehow she hadn't expected the softness with which the man spoke. not because the wolves of drageda are harsher things, but because she's long since stopped thinking of herself as a child - well, 'long since', a month, to her adolescent mind it's been forever. she wants to be offended but he's so gentle about it she finds she isn't, and instead returns his smile and moves closer, peering at the garden. "how do you prepare it?" blix asks with a tilt to her head.

Hux was not the best judge of age, although he realized only after he had addressed her as "little one, " she was approaching, or even beyond adolescence. Fortunately she did not seem offended, although he noted that he should not treat her as a child, even though she remained far smaller than he. The snowy wolf was pleased by her curiosity, pulling another weed before proceeding to explain the process.

"uh, there are a few weeds, dead and alive, that have to be removed. The annual plants - the ones that only live one year - come out too. And the rest, they have to be trimmed back." He shrugged his lean shoulders. "It prepares the soil for Spring. Then, more can be planted... You can help me, if you want." he invited with a swish of his long, silky tail. "But... Only if you want to. " He was not her parent and saw no need to force her, wearing a mild expression.

curiously she listens to his explanation, studying the scraggly plants in their garden. it isn't training that would benefit her single-minded goals, but, well - he'd asked, and he seems so friendly, and there is still a part of her that's a wide-eyed child napping amongst the flowers. "sha," she says, tail swishing, "i'll help! just tell me what to do."

"Yeah? Okay, " he smiles warmly, sweeping his tail as his eyes wander the plot. He chews the corner of his lip thoughtfully, putting together in his mind the most efficient manner in which they can work together. "Mm, " he murmurs. "why don't you focus on the weeds, while I deadhead the perennials?" He shows her which of the plants are weeds; they are fairly easy to distinguish from the others. "If you can't pull them with your teeth, sometimes digging them out helps. We... Gotta try to get the roots, too."

The snowy wolf continues to swish his tail about as he sets about his portion of the work. Several moments pass, before he decides to break the silence by quenching his curiosity towards the girl. He knows that one of her mothers is missing and hopes that perhaps a little small talk might prevent her youthful mind from venturing to dark places. "What trade you going for?"

 blix sets to her task easily enough. she is meticulous as she roots the weeds out with teeth and paw, grateful for the mindlessness of the task. it's meditative in a way - grounding, a thing she needs but hasn't quite figured out how to achieve on her own yet. 

still, she doesn't mind when hux breaks the silence. dropping her weed, the ginger puffs up a little: "i'm training with nomi for gona," she tells him, "i want to - be a protector. like a cheka, maybe." in truth she has not given much thought to pursuing a high rank; it's way too far in the future and she's more focused on honing her skills than ambitions. so long as she's able to protect everyone she'll stay a gona forever - but it's there, an option to consider.

One if the main reasons Hux has chosen botany is for the meditative nature of the work itself. Being a naturally anxious wolf, he craves the tedious work that almost always sets his mind at ease. In his adolescence he toyed with the idea of becomming a warrior, having the necessary size and build. However, he quickly found that violence was not something he enjoyed; it only ever served to make him more anxious in the end, leaving him with feelings of shame and guilt. Fighting suited some, and it was needed for protection. It just isn't his personal preference.

When the girl answers, he smirks. "Oh, nice, " he responds, discarding a mouthful of dried and dead blooms into the refuse pile. He thought of Eske for a moment, a noble woman who seemed very skilled in her trade. "That's an important one. You started training?" He wonders if this is an irrelevant question, but again, he is curious.

 she's pleased by his approval, her tail wagging behind her. "sha," blix affirms proudly. "i'm gonna get there soon." she knows she is a little bit behind her brother, who's already moved up from kru, but blix doesn't really mind. competition isn't what interests her as much as personal growth, and she's proud of her brother and excited to join him soon.

 the ginger goes  back to pulling weeds, re-energized by her goals. after a few minutes she looks over at hux. "think i got them all!" she chirps, wriggling back a little so he can check her work over before moving on to the next task.

wrap up? C:

"yeah, I'm sure you will," he responds. He isn't a competitive wolf, either, feeling no need to prove himself better than anyone else. Hux only wants to be of use to his pack, to be the best version of himself that he possibly can. The rust-colored girl finishes her job with speed and diligence, and Hux shows his approval by grinning and perking his ears.

"I'm about done here, too," he mumbles. "These rows are annuals and they'n all be pulled. Won't take more than a few minutes." They finish the garden, leaving a nice pile of pulled weeds, annuals, and trimmings beside the garden. "I'll take care of that," he says. The girl needn't worry about it... He planned to go through it searching for anything salvageable.

"Thanks for the help, Blix." He wears a grateful smile. "That would've taken me twice as long on my own. "

yes <3 thank you!

when they finish the girl steps back to admire her work, satisfied. she is still wary of the graveyard, but there is something in the constructiveness of tending to the little garden that soothes her, even if temporarily. it's.. nice, to find this reprieve, in the storm that is her current emotional turmoil. tail wagging, she turns to hux. "you're welcome," blix says, smiling, "i can help out again anytime."

Hux quietly hopes he has helped the young girl in some way, no matter how small. She displays no obvious signs of distress, of inner turmoil... But many do not exactly show their internal struggles for all the world to see. He certainly doesn't. Whatever the emotional result Blix has or has not acquired, Hux is glad for the help at the very least. "Thanks," he says simply, and, needing a break, moves swiftly away from the garden to fetch a drink of water. The two thus go their separate ways.