Liri set out across the territory after leaving her den that morning, it was a lovely day. The sky was cast over with grey clouds and the wind was blowing steadily. She had an odd taste when it came to the weather, for she preferred the gloomy rainy days far more than she did sunny ones. The wind had shifted bringing with it the smell of a female.
It was not any old scent though,it had a shift in it that indicated a higher wolf,perhaps the female Alpha she had heard about. It was an unfamiliar scent and so Liri decided it time to introduce herself. They were in the same pack, how awkward it would be for this woman to pick her a mate without even knowing her!
Feeling slightly nervous she smoothed down her silky white fur, wanting to make a good impression. She followed the scent until it was close. She supposed she could have kept following it but she didn't want to intrude. So she waited for the very close by female to come forward. She chuffed in greeting softly in the direction of the foliage, taking on a submissive posture as she did.
She trotted quietly through the bramble of the woods, taking extra time to take a deep whiff of everything that interested her. Which just happened the be everything she passed. Eventually her mind wandered to Aaron and the pack, her standing among the subjects. It was known to her that Aaron was a dominant being, prided above all the others. Not that she minded, that much. It's just.. no, it was fine. Her thoughts were interrupted by the scent of one of her pack mates.. following her. Well, to each their own.
Turning around, she greeted the stranger with a beaming smile. "Hello there! I'm Amara," She introduced, not concerned with the fact that they had probably seen each other before. She liked meeting her subject's, although she only knew a few of their names. It was concerning, though sometimes her timid nature got the best of her.
Her tail wagged once or twice seeing how friendly this female was. "Hello,"she greeted, her voice coming out timidly much like the first time she had meet Aaron or Faramir. "I'm Liri,"she added remembering that Amara had given her name as well. "It's nice to meet you,"she added somewhat awkwardly not being used to socializing much after her time with Remo. The females amongst his pack had been egotistical, snarky bitches who she hated upon sight. Nothing at all like the ones she'd met here in Rosings.
She met the girls, eyes who seemed to be quite nervous. As far as she knew, she was hardly someone of an intimidating figure, yet her rank was quite influential. But that was no reason to be timid, or nervous, she was just a peer as she and the idea of enforcing a hard hand on her subjects frightened her. Unless of course, they did something to push her, but she did not expect that behaviour from any one of them. "Nice to meet you Liri," Her warm smile softened, as it was genuine.
"Is there any trades you are working on? I wish to become a healer, or caretaker, I haven't decided yet," She shrugged, breaking what was about to be an awkward silence. And it was like her, to relive tension where it started as there was no need for it among their new family. As far as she knew, Aaron had not made any trades mandatory, just that they follow the regulations of partnership set. It didn't bother her, and as she was so naive, she did not infer that Aaron saw their relationship a completely different way.
She nodded excitedly, shyness forgotten with the question. "Oh yes, I wish to be a hunter and a caregiver,"her words came out in a string of excited babble as her tail wagged. Everything she did, it was done passionately. Her trades were no exception.
She thought she recalled Aaron speaking of an Amara who ran the pack alongside him. This was obviously her and even she could see that this was the woman he was in love with. She had seen the soft look in his eyes when he spoke of her.
She seems nice, Aaron has good taste in his women. Amara seemed like a good leader to Liri, a compassionate one. That was good enough for her, Amara had unknowingly gained her silent approval.
Her ears perked up when the female mentioned becoming a caregiver. So did she! But she did not foresee herself becoming a midwife, but a medic instead. After that she would become a naturalist, for sure. The world around her was fascinating and having a profession in that field would make her in a way, unique. "Well, we can help eachother out!" The idea excited her, as she noticed Liri held the same amount of passion she did. At least she was not alone, in this land that she was starting to call home.
"If you help me gather these herbs," She signalled to the pile of lavender and blackberry leaves that had begun to spring up from winter. Replanting them near her garden, accessible to water and sunlight would ensure that they grew in handfuls. "I'll help you out with whichever trade you would like," She smiled, not doubting that Liri would oppose the proposition.
She would have helped Amara either way, but she was not adverse to receiving something in return. Nodding eagerly she carefully she began to gather the plants which she recognized as lavender and blackberry. She wasn't sure what Amara planned to do with them but it was not as if she could ask with her mouth full.
Where do you want them? She gestured with her body, hoping the Alpha would understand the gist of the body language she was using.
She began down the marked path that led her to Lovers Grove, Liri close behind her. Exactly five steps away and turn right, there was a thin stream that branched out among various parts of the territory. Follow any of these paths and you were guaranteed to wind up where ever you wanted to go, she figured out. One of these places was a hidden spot that attracted the sunlight like she had not seen before. The nearby water ways made it the perfect spot for her to plant her garden. Liri would be the first to see the upturned soil that she had carefully cultured so that the growing plants would flourish. Even Aaron had not heard of this place.
"This is the start of my garden, it the perfect place to grow the plants so that they won't go stale and whither," She explained, her eyes scanning over the soil. Padding over to one of the already dug holes, she indicated for Liri to place one of the lavenders into. She already could notice the tiny sprouts of flowers peeking above the soil but did not see them anywhere else in the territory. "You can set those down now," She remembered, not wanting the female to feel uncomfortable with a face full of herbs. "Please do not tell anyone else of this place, I don't want anyone to ruin it while it's in the making," Her voice softened, silently begging for the female to comply. But, she could also command that Liri not to tell anyone, however it was against her standards and she wouldn't become the bully.
Liri padded after her Alpha, following her down a systems of paths. They were soon in a carefully tilled field which had several holes in it. She dropped the plants gently where Amara had indicated. Looking back up at the woman she glanced around the small clearing. "It's really cool. Did you make it youself?"
"I won't tell anyone unless you want me to." It was part of her upbringing not to pry or put her nose where it wasn't wanted. "I bet Ammalyn would like it here though, she's into botany," she confided in the she wolf.
"I did not make it myself, no. But I discovered it and cultured the ground so that these plants will grow in handfuls," She felt whimsical as she replanted the seedlings, giving life and distributing it. She was glad Liri approved of it, and she hoped that others would appreciate it too if she ever decided to open it to the public. But this Ammalyn, she had not met. It was worth looking into though, perhaps she would want to help as well. "I will have to visit this Ammalyn then," She smiled.
"Thank you. I will just lay these leaves here so they can dry out," She narrated as she picked the blackberry leaves in her mouth and set them on a nearby rock in the line of sunlight before patting down the earth around the lavender bulbs and looking back at Liri. "Now what trade would you like to work on?" She inquired, as she didn't have much else to do that day but help her Gamma.
Given their mutual insterest in healing she supposed that was the one they would work on. She was a hunter as well, a good one, and it was likely that Amara was as well. Most wolves knew how to hunt and few made it a trade for that reason but Liri was stealthy and faster than most.
"Healing I suppose. Do you know a good deal of medicinal plants?" She sat down across from the she wolf whom she was already beginning to idolize as her leader and mentor.
She nodded in reply, her knowledge of herbs and their healing purposes was quite extensive, as her mother had taught her everything her mother had before her. "I do, my ancestors were all healers, and one day I hope my knowledge is passed on to someone who holds the same spark that I did," A warm smile met her face, turning to the female. "There must be something you are passionate about too," She posed the question, interested to learn what kind of folk habitated her woodlands. While some other packs were more physically oriented, she did not see Rosings that way. They seen the better part of the whole, that love and home could out-slay any attempt of violence. While, tactically, that may not be true, she liked to believe that you didn't have to be big to win.
"The trades I hope to achieve are healer and hunter. Healing is my main point while hunting is my secondary skill." Liri's tail wagged eagerly at the thought of learning some more information. She loved to learn about all she could, whether it was healing or not she was fascinated by everything.
"If it is not a bother, could you teach me?" Her small ears pricked hopefully as she awaited a response. She hoped the brownish red female said yes, for she could always use some learning.
She considered Liri's proposition for a moment, but did not decline. Liri was their Gamma, and eager girl with an obvious good heart. Yes, that's what she looked for. While Amara was no absolute expert, having someone to teach would help her learn as well. "Well, truthfully I have no experiance as a teacher but I will most certainly try, if you are committed," She smiled, but she wanted to make sure that Liri was eager and not just saying so in the heat of the moment, but she didn't doubt the genuineness of the girl. While they were not yet close friends, she could see Liri flourishing in the mysterious woods. just the kind of subject she would deem perfect for a dedicated pack life. But she was getting aheadof herself, alas, time would tell if she was correct.
"First, I will obtain my Botany trade, and then advance to something along the lines of healing. It's better to know your things before you give it to someone, I believe," It came with a light chuckle, although she was completely serious on her part. She did not want to be the cause of accidental poisoning "If this works, I'll teach you about the plants and educate myself in the process and i'll help.. catch some deer!" Although she was not the figure of excellent hunting skills, she was quite the tracker and tactician, if one looked past the delicate features that gave her appearance.
She beamed, excited to learn even if it was in the future after Amara earned her trade. She would take any practice in any form she could. She knew quite a bit of healing from the northern pack she had called her own but no trade of her own right. Trades weren't required where she came from, you just knew things or you didn't. She respected the credentials and hoped to earn her own. She could wait a while longer for them.
"That sounds great. I went hunting with Aaron, you know. It was a lot of fun but hunting foxes is harder than hunting other prey," she chuckled lightly, wondering if it was odd to speak about Aaron with Amara. She had no close girl friends in the pack, no one to speak of with about her own intended. Whomever he may be, she hadn't a clue yet.
"Do you have a particular skill in hunting? I hunt small game the best, I'm kinda small myself," she gestured at her rather tiny frame. Amara wasn't much bigger, perhaps she hunted small game better than deer or birds.
Amara nodded her head,
"Yes, I quite enjoy tracking. It's just like observing but you get a prize in the end. Because of my, sorry, our, small stature it is asumed we are not as capable at taking down large prey. And perhaps not right now, but with training i'm sure we can use our size to our advantage," She wasn't doubtful of her capabilites, but she knew what her weaknesses were and how to become better. She didn't want to constantly be undermined just because she
looked incapable. Even if she was not pysically able to take down the biggest deer, she would do what she could to help.
"I should be off for now, I suspect Aaron will be seeking my attention," She smiled lightly, knowing the male often sought for her company in the later hours of the day. But she did never object.
"Tomorrow, we shall work on your trade," And with that, she bid her farewells to the lady, but not for long, she would be sure to follow up later.