Herbalists' Cache The city outside my ear

Late afternoon was approaching and the sun still hadn't shown its face that day. Lambert looked for it, glancing up every now and again to see if the cloying fall clouds had thinned at all, but he was always disappointed. The loner found solace in the fact it wasn't raining, but it wasn't the kind of weather that bothered him— rather, he was worried about what the season implied for his status as a bachelor. This time of year was one best spent with a pack, and soon enough the dwindling prey and building snowfall would dictate that he stay with others or risk starving. There was still plenty time before it got quite that desperate, but Lambert was a forward thinker, and even improbable consequences were often enough to cow him into action.

Anxiety drove him into the thinning silhouettes and crinkling pinebeds of the Cache. He trotted through the balding trees with his head level, ears back, and his tail limp. He appeared to be participating unhappily in some sort of race-walk, never stopping to smell the withering flowers or otherwise take in the menagerie of flora and fauna surrounding him. He moved as if he had a destination in mind, and it was just a straight line to get there; he wouldn't notice anyone if he could help it.

Recruiting was a full-time job. Well, not quite full-time, but it often felt that way. When Ty wasn't recruiting, she was making sure that the few pledges to Bhediyon were doing their part to keep the pack together. Winter was nearly upon them, and if they couldn't solidify their claim soon, the next few months were going to be really rough on the small band of wolves who had come together.

Earthsea, Peter, and WB were so far the only real contenders, though Ty had spoken with many others in the past few moons. Thankfully, the constant ranging and recruiting hadn't caused her feet to get itchy just yet, so she saw no need to pack up and move on from their current settlement on the plateau. Until they solidified that claim, she couldn't really justify leaving it.

She was meandering with no real destination in mind, as she often did on these recruiting missions when somebody marched past her just a few yards away. She'd been sniffing the ground, but the crunch-crunch-crunch of feet had her head up and following in a matter of seconds. He didn't even seem to notice she was following, so she sped up her pace so she was next to him, trotting alongside with a broad smile. "Hello!" she greeted, cheerful as ever. "Where are you in a rush to?" This was, of course, none of her business, but it seemed a good a reason as any to start a conversation with a stranger.