His trip to the dark, bleeding forest had been successful, he thought as he crossed the borders of The Peek, in his mouth carrying the herbs he had found. Some Catnip and Celandine, nothing much, but at least they couldn't be found here. Well, he hadn't done so much exploring here yet, but he hadn't come across them. Perhaps, somewhere between the Weeping Willows, they grew, but had yet to find them.
Now to find a good place to put them. It had to be somewhere rich, moist. Somewhere where wounded could easily travel to, so without climbing. Water would also be nice, clean water to heal fresh cuts and reduce swelling. He strolled between the willows, keeping an eye open for anything. After wandering long and far, he stumbled upon an opening of a cave. It was much like The Crook, only a small version of it, some bushes surrounding it in which red flowers were blooming. He didn't recognize the plant, only knew it wasn't poisonous nor good for any healing. His mouth full of herbs, he waddled in, not fearing the dark.
The dark was only in the beginning though, for, as he walked further, he could see beams of sunlight peeking through the roof. There were some holes in it. It was an old cave, he could tell, for a little waterfall had already made a perfect road on which to travel to the ground that was just a little lower than where Trick was standing on, making it a sort of puddle. He thought it was maybe the water that came from the mountains, which meant it wasn't salty and probably full of healthy minerals.
This was perfect! A true sophisticated picture of mother nature's beauty! And he was the one who had found it. He dropped his herbs on a stone, separating the catnip from the celandine. He let out a long howl, calling for all who wished to see what was going on.
And this hunt is going to be the last she needs to get her first trade :D
An echoey howl quivered through the willows, and Grace felt herself compelled to follow it. It seemed excited, proud.... Why not go to see? This was her homeland now, and though she missed the maplewood, the willows were soft and peaceful. She had every right to go to that howl as Warbone or Nova did, so why not? She limped towards the call, howling low in answer to say she was coming. Maybe she could catch something first? Yes! She scented as she walked, trying to get there in a good amount of time but hoping some prey would make itself known. As luck would have it, a pheasant was meandering its way across her path. The russet yearling pulled up her bad leg to dangle next to her hip, and took off like a bullet out of a gun. The pheasant heard her, obviously, and started to take off, but Grace was too fast and yanked it to the earth with her jaws, scrambling on top of it and eventually biting into its neck. Excited, she ran in her somewhat slower and lurching but four legged gallop towards the scent of Trick she'd picked up. He had joined the same time-ish as she, but she only remembered the scent from their initial greeting at the Crook. She'd never said a word to him or anything, but she'd wanted to. She wanted to branch out and make friends with everyone in the pack. She slowed when she realized the scent led into another cave, dropping the bird and panting hard. He was in there, right? The black faded yearling let out a greeting chuff to be sure, peering into the gap with her molten gold eyes.
Others are still welcome to jump in at any time!
Trick watched the cave more closely now. There was a tree in the corner, poking it's head out of one of the holes so it could catch the required sunlight. That was a good sign, for that meant that Trick could plant here himself. He walked up to the tree, passing big fallen rocks that had once been part of the roof. Luckily, the whole front of the cave was steady and probably waterproof. He watched the ground in which the tree was growing, and he could see little plants already forming. He sniffed at the dirt, and to his surprise, it was very mud-like, perfect for a garden. He also examined the plants, but that was a little disappointing. Just grass. Oh well. He passed the tree to the back of the cave where the roof was steady once again. It was pretty wet here compared to the part in the sun. He saw moss growing on the walls, as well as the home of spiders in the corners. This was a caregiver's goldmine!
He returned to the small waterfall that ended in a sort pool. You could easily stand in it, the water coming to just above his knees as Trick did so. It was not deep enough to swim in or shower, but it was good for sore paw pads or to rest the feet. He had to say though, the water was awfully cold. But oh well, he couldn't have everything. He stepped out of the water, now watching the ridges on the wall next to the entrance. They weren't stable enough to climb on, but he could reach the highest ridge with just a bit of stretching. Perhaps he could store his herbs here for when it rained, or just forever.
A howl was just enough to make him stop what he was doing, and he turned toward the entrance. He sort of recognized the voice, thinking it was Grace, but he couldn't be sure. He heard footsteps coming closer, and after that a soft chuff. He smelled her and then he knew it was Grace, the small yearling. They hadn't talked yet, he believed, and perhaps she was only here to check this place out and not help him with finding herbs. He gave a soft bark in return and it echoed off the cave walls.
Grace listened for his welcome bark, and smiled when it echoed back to her pricked ears. She grabbed the pheasant and made her way to the black male, admiring every spectacle as she limped along her path. This place- this wonderful, amazing, beautiful place- was amazing! A pool, trees, webs.... She saw all the things Trick had, being a healer in training herself. She wagged her tail as she approached Trick, still smiling, and dropped the bird at her paws. Though she continued to look around, the young female kept the male across from her in her periphery. She'd only had one good experience with a male, in her best friend Esaro, but had been abused or intimidated by all the others. She was naturally a little worried.
"This place is awesome!
She came into his little sanctuary. Trick greeted her with a charming smile, one of a proud man. He was too happy right now to plan anything devious. He had dreamed of a place like this ever since he saw his real mother caring for the wounded. She had taught him some, but only the basics, for soon after they were all murdered by the pack of Odin. Flush those dark days through the toilet, he thought as he watched the yearling admire the place. She carried with her a creature stripped of it's soul, stripped of his life. Yeck, how he hated dead animals. If he could, he would become a plant eater for the rest of his life. Though, for some reason, he didn't care much for dead wolves.
Indeed it is.
He returned, his eyes wondering off to the waterfall that he found the most beautiful. This would be perfect for a caregiver, don't you think?
He commented, her not knowing that he wanted to be one, and him not knowing that she wanted to be one. He made his way to the herbs he had laid down on the rock, picked them up and walked back to the ridges. There, he placed them, both separated, on the lowest ridge. The start of his store. Wow.
Her inner babble about herbs and this wonderful place was broken as he spoke, and it suddenly occurred to her that HE could be a healer too! The russet female turned to ask about it, and there he was sorting herbs! So he WAS some sort of caregiver.
"It IS a good place for a caregivers. You look like you're one, am I wrong?"
She padded slowly over to him, sniffing at some of the herbs. Maybe he could teach her things she didnt know? Pheasant forgotten and left on the path, she didn't see his hate of dead things but surely wouldn't understand why. Oh well, just one thing she had yet to learn. Her golden eyes scanned over the plants he had so far, and hoping maybe she could help him, now or in the future. It was clear she was interested more than a wolf who had no knowledge of herbs and medicine.
He giggled softly at her question, a low yet pleasant honey sound. Of course he was. He could not be a fighter, he could not be a hunter and he was too young and devious to start anything with counseling. What else could he have? His delicate paws were not made for anything but running and caring for herbs. You're not mistaken.
He said, looking dreamily at the roof of the cave. They needed a name for this. Something cool sounding. Something that screamed; Trick -and Grace- were here!
He watched her as he heard her moving toward him, watched her sniff at the herbs he had sorted. Was she interested in healing too? In poisons? Damn, as long as Kunkun wasn't here, they could teach each other things to defeat the braggy little girl. You seem interested in this stuff as well.
He commented, letting his gaze go back to the waterfall, that was actually not making loud water noises. It was a soothing sound, almost therapeutic. Fancy building this thing up with me?
He asked. It would probably take a while to get the whole cave up and running on his own, so a few more paws were welcome.
Grace turned her molten gaze to him and grinned, both glad she'd been right and that she'd followed his howl. He noted and commented on her interest, and apparently had read her mind too. He offered to let her work with him! Yes! Her eyes sparkled and laughter bubbled up through her throat. Oh the things they could learn with each other!
"That would be perfect!"
The russet female looked around their new haven, tail wagging madly and still softly giggling. She felt a sense of pride welling up in her gut, and it was great. She had something to be PROUD of! Her thoughts slid to Esaro, wishing he could enjoy this with her, but she focused on the black male in front of her. The young girl knew it would be a lot of hard work at first, but they could make this place even more amazing. She and Nova could always travel the wilds, looking for other plants growing that they could bring back to plant here. They could treat the Marauders much better with the best herbs! Many ideas floated around in her mind, ready to share and explore with Trick.
Have you read
this thread already? If not, I advise you to do so :)
Laughter filled the moist air around him. Well, at least she was enthusiastic. Trick was overjoyed himself too, but he was only jumping around like a happy puppy inside. On the outside he was still as calm as ever, a happy grin on his dark muzzle. He tripled to the opening of the cave -who he was starting to begin naming. Maybe something like The Cave Of Wonders-, looking over his shoulder to sign she should come with him. He could understand though if she'd rather stay inside for a bit longer to finish the dead bird.
Outside, with Grace or not, he began following his nose. They needed Chervile, the roots from it, Dandelion leaves, Goosegrass, Horsetail and Marigold for now. With Warbone being reckless as fuck and the pregnant woman near, this was probably the basics for now. If they could find it all, they were almost all set. After that, they could search for more or warn the others that they now had a place to go to if they were in need of a healer.
Grace watched him leave from her periphery as she wandered a little bit away, but was drawn by his signal. Now was a time to learn! She stalked over to him, hiding her limp effectively but not keeping her pawsteps light.... Not that it mattered, they weren't hunting or hiding. And it wouldn't be loud enough to be a bother to the two searching wolves. By the time she broke the rise and came from the den, Trick was already scenting for herbs. She didn't know what he was looking for, but Marigold and Chervil were two that came to mind by luck. Poppy was another, though she wasnt sure if they'd be lucky enough to find those. Borage might be good too.... Whatever, she'd look for whatever she could find! Anything, at this point, would be good for their stores.
He sniffed the air loudly yet manly. He knew where to find Chervile! He remembered seeing it when he was searching for herbs to treat Warbone's wounds. It wasn't far from the cave, and maybe even closer for he knew where else they also grew. He only had to walk away from Grace for a few minutes, leaving with a small nod, indicating that everything was fine.
He came back, a mouth full of the green herb, some of it stuck to his face which was a nice contrast with his bright forest green eyes. He tripled over to the opening of the cave and placed them next to the plant with the red flowers, let them there to dry. Chervile collected, my lady!
He called out, not knowing what she was looking for. Perhaps, after their hunt for herbs, they could sit down and tell each other where they used them for. That'd be a great way to learn more for the both of them.
He left the cave again, disappearing between the willows once again to, this time, seek the dandelion leaves to calm the pregnant woman. The bright yellow flowers couldn't be hard to spot nor smell, he thought. And he was right again. Soon after, he crossed some of the flowers, all clustered in one place near a willow. He ripped the tongue-like leaves from the plant, but made sure to not take all of it.
Grace smiled and went on her own search as he disappeared. Not far from the entrance, still in view of it actually, the russet female found the bright blue flowers of borage poking out from a tuft of grass. A great find! She dug up two of the plant, knowing it would be helpful, and carried them both back to their den. She stripped the leaves from it and left it all to dry in a shaft of sunlight, smiling as Trick came back into view with a mouthful of green herb. He called it to her before she could identify it, Chervil. Lady? Her fur warmed in a blush, and she smiled at him.
"Borage drying over here!"
He went off again and though she was a little sad to see him go the yearling also knew that their work would be faster done if they were separate. She loped off on her own again, this time traveling further away and out of view of their haven. She finally found a bunch of feathery yellow flowers.... Oh, what were these? Nova had taught her these, one of the first shed learned.... What was it! Used for coughing and cracked pads.... Coltsfoot! Thats what it was! She gathered up a mouthful of it, making sure she too left some there to regrow. She found another sunny place in the den and began to spread it out to dry.
If they kept working like this, the ridges would be filled with herbs in no time! As he was beginning to walk back, he spotted the familiar sight of the golden flowers. Marigold! Oh, this day couldn't get any more lucky. He tripled to the plant with the many flowers. Some were blooming already, but that was to be expected with the warm weather of Spring. With the dandelion leaves still in his mouth, he began picking the fluffy, soft looking flowers, as well as some of the green. When his mouth was full and the plant still had enough left to reproduce, he turned back to the cave.
He walked in, and to his surprise saw Grace there again. Oh wow, was that coltsfoot? He smiled with his mouth full of plants and walked over to the sunny place in the cave. He placed the leaves gently in the sun as well as the flowers. Great job.
He complimented, admiring their work so far. It was a pretty picture, all the different plants together drying in the sun. It was like the good old times with mother. What about I'll find the goosegrass and you the horsetail? I think that'd be enough for one day.
He asked, turning his gaze to her.
Their haven was starting to look a little brighter, despite the cobwebs and dust hanging around. The webs would be useful but not so much the dust and grime that'd built up over nonuse. Her golden eyes turned to Trick, excited and happy at his praise until his final comment. He wanted.... What? It wasn't a herb she was familiar with. Neither were, actually. Curiosity overcame her and she perked her ears.
" I'm still a bit new to this world, what are those and what do they look like?"
Better to ask than to not know. If he could give her a description of what should be catching her eyes, surely she could find what he needed her to.
It wasn't a surprise that she didn't know what horsetail looked like. Trick had only used it once in his travels while he had encountered a man with a nasty looking infected wound. Being the gentleman he so clearly was, he had helped the poor man. They were near water at the time, so horsetail was the best pick for treating it. It's a long plant with no leaves nor flowers for that matter, mostly near water but I've heard that you can find it's grass almost everywhere. Don't know if this is accurate or not, but I do know that there's a lake just outside our home. Perhaps you can check there?
He asked, giving the best description he possible could. It had been a few months since he had seen the plant, so great detail was not to be expected.
Of course, if you're not comfortable with that, I can always check there while you find the goosegrass.
He added, not knowing if the female wanted to go all the way to the lake.
Grace tipped her head, thinking for a moment before nodding to Trick. A plan formulated in her head, hoping she was envisioning the right plant. She couldn't think of a lake near them, only the river. Perhaps that's what he meant? Eh, no matter. She had a better plan that would, hopefully, work out well for her.
"I'm actually going to check the marsh first. If it grows in watery places that should suffice.... If there arent any, perhaps when we do find some we can plant it there."
She threw him a sly smile, giggling before taking her leave. She'd only wandered into the marsh once, on Warbones demand for her to catch him a duck. It wasn't long ago, and she tried to remember where she'd seen any herbs. The red yearling hadn't been looking at the time, but maybe something would come back to her?
When eventually her limping gait began to sink into the earth, Grace began to sniff hard. She didn't know the scent of it, but right now any herbs were needed and any would be taken. She did try, however, to look for the horsetail she'd been sent for overall. It took the faded black female a little while, but soon she'd tracked down a plant that looked as the ebony wolf had described. This looked like a bigger version of Fennel, another herb she was a little familiar with. She would later find out that it was, indeed, horsetail. There was only one issue..... There was only one plant left other than a few other wilted ones. Grace did the only thing she really could do.... Increased the water flow and buried the plants that were useless. She hoped to regrow them again in the better conditions, and took the last surviving plant back to Trick. She carried the frilly green plant back towards the den, looking around for Trick to get a confirmation or denial.
Whoops, I switched lake and river around again XD Sorry
He nodded at her. She seemed to get. A smart little yearling, perhaps he would not hurt her... But that had yet to be decided on. He was here to fuck shit up badly, not to make friends after all. The only reason he was doing something for the pack was so that he could earn their trust -and he also really enjoyed healing-. Good luck!
He called out as she began leaving the cave. Right, goosegrass. Where had he seen it again?
Trick left the cave with a bounce in his step, sniffing in deeply as soon as the willows were more close to each other, making the familiar rustling sound as always. It didn't take him long to scent the plant he was looking for. It was, however, difficult to remove the plant carefully. He dug around the spider-like plant, then bit trough it's roots. He did this to around 5 of them, keeping a lot of them untouched. This took him around half an hour, and he wondered if Grace had already found the horsetail. Mouth full with goosegrass, he tripled back to the cave, not knowing if she was already back.
Lol its alright I wasn't sure myself xD
It took her looking both in and out of the cave to realize Trick wasn't here. Must've been off looking for the other herbs... No matter. If this wasn't what they needed, either it was good for something else or they threw it out. No big deal. She put it under the shelves, unsure of how to prepare it for the stores, and instead looked around their little haven. Cobwebs.... Those would be her first order of business. It took her a very long while and a LOT of exersize on her leg, but eventually she'd gathered most of the sticky webs. She'd flattened them and stacked useless leaves between them, keeping them orderly but also handy, so they didn't have to worry about detangling them or using too much if someone were to come in with an emergency. Not only that, but now they could be carried in jaws without getting drooled on! The red yearling was quite pleased with the idea of her own, and went on to find her next job....
She limped over to the tree, stopping and sniffing at the mud around it. Good for growing, but there was nothing but grass and weeds. How upsetting.... Grace pulled them out gently, as to not disconnect the roots, and started a pile to dispose of outside. Perhaps some of the roots she'd found would take in the loamy soil.
When he came in, he watched the little yearling pulling out the weeds near the tree. It seemed Trick had been away longer than he thought, for he even saw that the cobwebs had been nicely stored. It seemed she really had some tricks up her sleeves. He walked over to the ridges on which most plants were stored, placing the goosegrass neatly besides the others. As he did that, the familiar smell of horsetail. Had she actually found it? You found the horsetail!
He exclaimed excited and impressed. Was it hard to find?
He asked her.
He picked up the horsetail and put it besides the goosegrass, not really knowing why it was on the ground in the first place. The work was done today, but they still needed to work hard to keep this place tidy and ready for emergencies. He made his way over to Grace and started pulling out weeds as well to help her.
Grace was too preoccupied to hear the black males approach, and whipped her head around to him when he came to the entrance. Her golden eyes sparkled in pride, glad he seemed pleased with her. He didnt seem to do anything with the herb he brought back with her own, but that was okay. She'd ask later about herbs. As Trick came up to help her, the russet female's tail wagged. She knew little about him, as she was sure he knew little of her, but was intent to remedy that soon.
"It was the last living plant, but it was in a little bit of a dyer place. I dug around a bit, increased how much water would be there, and replanted the wilty and useless ones. Hopefully they'll regrow."
Now seemed like a good time to bond, if any. So why not? She decided to ask first and tell her own later, if he was interested. Why had he no home? Did he have family? Was he raised alright?
"So, Trick, what brought you here to the willows?"
As most of the awful weeds were gone, Trick sat down, his legs only aching a bit despite having walked and ran a lot today. His body really was made for moving, running. With a yawn, he allowed himself to wag his tail. He looked over to the girl, wondering if she would follow his actions. He found it funny that she seemed smarter than the sassy Kunkun, more fun to be around at least. He could stand her. Yeah, let's keep it on that.
Nice job. I hope they regrow indeed, especially with summer approaching.
He said, genuinely worried about the plants. They were more interesting than wolves, just less fun to play around with. then came a question he didn't expect. She wanted to know of his past? Tshj, no way, that would reveal his plans, his nature, unravel all his lies. It's...
He started, unsure how to say it. It's a long story, my dear.
He took a deep breath, trying to bend the truth. I was a traveler, a loner who on his way helped others with wounds and such. It was all because of my teacher I could do this, and he was the reason why I even got into the caregiver trade.
First lie. It was his mother that had made him interested, but his teacher who had taught him the most. He avoided speaking of his family. It soon became clear to me that I was capable of much more, serving a pack or maybe even leading one.
He chuckled. Okay, maybe not on my own, seeing as how small I am.
He joked. I found the willows interesting, and Warbone seemed like a strong leader, that's why I serve him now.
What about you?
He returned the question.
Grace couldn't tell just how Trick really felt about her. He was a little conflicting, she thought, and the red yearling couldn't help but feel he wasn't being honest with her. As soon as she finished the weeding, she settled into her awkward lay. She faced the black male, her hind legs stretched out to the side. He was very vague about everything, the main reason she was unsure of his words. Even more so, he turned the spotlight on her. Not that she minded.
"I was born to a father who thought females were objects. Being the only female in the litter, I'm sure you can put together why I'm covered in scars. If NOT, its because they treated me like not just a toy but a training dummy. After they killed my mother and maimed me, Nova found me near death and saved me. She's the one who taught me how to heal."
She sped through the stories, favoring to stay calm over going into a panic attack. Its not like he wanted to know details.
Think we can wrap this one up with one more post from you? :D
The story of the little girl was quite an interesting one. He had noticed the scars before but had thought it was just from hunting or a little fight. He had no idea it was this serious. He tried not to smile, and he succeeded, keeping his caring face. He liked her, as a fried that is, but really caring about someone was not in his nature. He cared about one thing, and that was himself. He was, however, thinking of maybe sparing her when he would set his plan into motion.
Quite the story you got.
He commented, not knowing what else to say. Now this was just becoming awkward. Acting as if he gave a damn was not hard, it was just weird spending time with another pack mate without having any devious plans. He cleared his throat and got up, turning his back to Grace. Right, I'm glad you told me.
He spoke, eyes darting to the floor and then to the cave opening. It has been really nice spending time with you, but I think I'll go rest now. See you in The Crook.
He said his goodbyes in a sweet honey voice and then started walking toward the cave opening.
He seemed pressed, like he was rushing. Her point was furthered when he stood and bid her goodbye. Not only did she not want to crowd him or anything, she still wanted to work a bit in the den. Nothing all that straining, now that her leg was getting rather sore, but she just wasn't ready to leave this place. She let him go without a word, instead pulling herself to her paws and gathering the weeds in a pile. Maybe they could be used as a fertilizer or something?
