Bearclaw Valley i wish i was a normal girl, i'll never be

@Phocion

Indra. Indra. Indra.

In the days since being accepted, Blondine had been bombarded with reasons to build up a fitting cache for a pack that seemed to always know just what to do to get hurt at the worst of times. She was beginning to think that she'd bit off more than she could chew, with three patients in only two days, but Blondine never backed down from a challenge, no matter how intimidating. 

She made her way back to her rook with a mouthful of lavender stems and rosebuds. It was a difficult load to carry, though she knew that she was fortunate to find them growing so close to one another; it meant that their harvest in spring would be much more successful, thankfully. The lavender would help to soothe Indra's mind and body, her nastiest wound in particular.

Movement nearby and the pungent smell of flowers brings him out of his reverie, and Phocion looks around, trying to figure out if it's just Poet collecting her herbs, or a newcomer. Given that he didn't recognize the other's scent. . .it must be someone he hasn't met quite yet.

He pads forward until stumbling upon a russet girl, mouth full of plants. He waited until she had brought them to their destination before speaking, knowing that she was likely busy.

"Another healer?" Phocion starts, smiling. "That's two, now; you and Poet. We certainly are in good hands, here in the Valley." He knows it sounds slightly cheesy, but Phocion had always been a ham; as he's grown older, he's matured and settled into himself, but there's the odd moment where his younger self shines through.

Although initially startled, Blondine settled quickly in the presence of the blanched brute. Well, I do declare, she began with a giggle, It is quite rude of you to spark up a conversation without even asking my name, mister. Her eyes swept around to meet his, then back to the herb pile at her paws. There's no shortage of work for me, that's for certain. 

Blondine thought again about Reigi and Indra, then Xan; at least with there being two healers instead of only one, the workload wouldn't seem as heavy. It's Blondine, by the way. Blondine Abernathy.

Her voice was charming, with an accent rolled on so thick he had trouble catching words here and there. Nevertheless, the general sentiment of her speech seemed friendly, and he did at least catch her name at the end--Blondine. Blondine Abernathy.

"Pardon my rudeness," Phocion said, his voice sparkling with good humor. He gave her a short bow, extending his right leg ever so slightly in something that might have been called "courtly," in another world. "My name is Phocion. Pleasure to meet you."

He wondered at this pack that seemed to contain a plethora of women but no males, apart from himself and Xan. It seemed rather lopsided. The tribe back home had held a fairly even number of males and females; anytime the scales tipped one way or the other, chaos seemed to break out. He hoped that didn't happen here.

The rustling of the wind was the only sound for a long moment, and Phocion finally broke the silence, nodding down at her collection of herbs. "I don't know much about the plants," he admitted, one corner of his mouth lifting in a smile. "What have you got here?"

Phocion. It was different, unique, but memorable. Blondine smiled at him, turning away just before he could notice. The pleasure is mine, she replied, her eyes darting back to his. The note about his knowledge (or lack thereof) of the plants Blondine had collected mustered a huff from her chest and a shrug of her shoulders, I'm not too sure, either. She might have bluffed a bit to make it into the ranks, but that didn't matter now; she was here and she was learning, and that was all that mattered.

This one, Blondine announced as she nosed at the lavender, is good for nerves. 'S called lavender if you didn't know. And these, these roses are good for just about anything you might have. She turned back to Phocion then with a less expressive, but still flattering smile written across her maw, I was just fixin' to go back to the old patch and see what else I could gather. I could use the help if you don't mind too much.

He smiled at her admission. It wasn't so long ago that he, too, had been thrust into a role he wasn't completely prepared for, and this looked to be the case with Blondine and healing. But, one learned with time, and just as he had become a practiced priest, so, too, would she become a skilled medic.

"Of course," Phocion responded, nose dipping toward the ground to pick up the scents. Lavender, he mused, and rose. He lifted his head once more, flicking his tail. "After you," he said warmly, nodding toward where she had come from.

A sense of alarm, though, had come into his mind as he thought about what she was doing--collecting herbs. Either she was just stocking up, or someone was hurt. He hadn't heard of any injuries through the grapevine. . .then again, he was solitary by nature and often missed the grapevine entirely.

With a dip of her head, Blondine turned and motioned for Phocion to join at her side before trotting off toward the tangled patch. It wasn't far but there was enough travel time for their conversation to continue. So, wha'd'ya do around here? she asked curiously. He hadn't mentioned anything, unless she'd missed it. 

Sorry for the short post! :(

no I'M sorry for this LATE post ugh

He wagged his tail as he followed her into the brush, cocking his head to the side to glance at her while still keeping the path ahead in the corner of his eye. It wouldn't do any good to trip and fall, especially not in front of a pretty young lady.

"I do what I can," Phocion responded cryptically, smiling. He made to speak further but instead had to make a small bound over a fallen branch, losing his thoughts in the process. His blue eyes narrowed as he tried to remember what he was trying to say. (The white priest preferred wide-open spaces. These forests were not to his liking.)

White priest! Eureka. "I am a priest," he continued. "But there's not much use for me here, it seems. I'm sure Xan prefers hunters and fighters. . .two things I'm not so good at," he admitted, his tone slightly rueful.

Blondine grunted but didn't acknowledge the comment much further until they'd come fully upon the bush. It was a lovely palette of purples and creams against a backdrop of stark white, their stalks an emerald accent. She took a moment to appreciate the image before moving forward and sniffing around their bases. A priest? she inquired, What cult d'you believe in? There was an innocent curiousity on her face as she rose to meet his, not meaning any offense by her inquiry. 

I'm not the best, but I can teach you to hunt, she offered, then, Watch out for thorns. Not too fun to get caught on, I'm afraid. In her days, Blondine had had her fair share of pricks and as she had said, they weren't the best friends to carry around.

His mouth twisted into something resemblancing distaste as she asked which cult he followed, though he was careful to mold it into something more pleasant, so as not to offend her. The question rankled him, though. Why did everyone always label groups different from their own beliefs as "cults"? The word was not a flattering one.

"My religion," he answered, with the tiniest bit of emphasis on the second word, "worships the moon and stars. They guide our path." He said no more, not wanting to ramble on until she asked any further questions, if she had any. Some people weren't interested in lore whatsoever.

Phocion did smile, though, at her offer to teach him to hunt. "That would be wonderful," he assured her, weaving deftly through a couple of trees drawn close together. "I do what I can to survive, but more lessons would improve my skills immensely. And there's the added bonus of food involved," Phocion added, with a chuckle.

He stared at the bush, admiring the colorful flowers adorning its greenery. He saw the thorns she mentioned and kept his muzzle well away from them, instead gently pulling flowers from the bush with the edge of his teeth.

After noticing the reaction of her companion, Blondine's ears folded and her eyes lowered in embarassment. Clearly, she'd said something wrong, but she couldn't quite place what it was. Oh, well, she figured; best to leave the topic alone. Luckily, Phocion wasn't too upset to accept her offer. Blondine's head popped up from where it'd been resting between the leaves with a smile marked by lavender and rose stems. 

It was rude to speak with one's mouth open, so Blondine dropped her collection down beside her to respond, Alrighty! Food was a nice benefit, but it was the kill that got Blondine excited. Of course, she'd never admit that out loud, but somewhere inside hid a well supressed bloodlust.

I think we've got nearly enough, now. Two heads is much better than one!

After pulling for what seemed a short eternity, Phocion had gathered a sizable amount of flowers, and set these down next to Blondine's pile, gazing at their hard work with a small sense of pride. He looked at her, wagging his tail.

"So what are the roses for?" he asked, voice lilting in light inquiry. "You mentioned they were good for everything--tell me more about that."

He sat on his haunches, waiting for her explanation. Phocion was always game for a lesson, especially on subjects he had little knowledge of. He was not one of those souls that yawned through new information; he relished in the gathering of it, just as Blondine clearly enjoyed gathering these plants.

sorry for the wait :( i'm gonna fade here so I can put Pho on PPC asap