Arlette could often be found around
@Bellatrix's den or watching her granddaughter
@Solaria. The pale female tried to find a good balance between helping her own daughter and leaving her. She didn't want to always linger around the den or make Bellatrix feel that she wasn't adequate to handle the pup. Arlette couldn't help but love her granddaughter though. She was just perfect and it was almost natural to care for the child as it was her own.
She never had seen a pup born alone without siblings. She hoped that the other pups in the pack might fill that gap later when she was big enough to start to play and explore the world. Today was not an exception, as Arlette gave Solaria another snuggle while watching her. Solaria was growing nicely and she couldn't be prouder. When Bellatrix came back she made way for the girl to be with her mother. Arlette figured she could get them some food, or just get herself some food as well.
Really sorry about the wait!
Eshe had spent most of her morning gardening, and now it was time for her to take a well-deserved break. There was dirt all over her paws and underbelly, but she didn't mind the mess much. She figured she could go for a swim after lunch, which'd fix that problem.
She was nearing a cache when she spotted a familiar figure in the distance, and Eshe paused as she looked at the woman. "Arlette?" she ventured, calling to her. She fit the description—pale, scar-covered, red eyes, and a kind face—and Eshe hoped she was right.
Arlette looked up when she heard her name. She had been a little zoned out but was quick to pick up a smile to the one that called her name. It was a woman. She wagged her tail. "Hi, yes, that is me," she offered with a kind smile. She scanned over the other woman. She wasn't sure if she knew her.
"Wait-- You are Eshe right?," she offered. She had heard about a woman joining, one that was also a medic. Arlette liked to work together and learn from others. So she was always excited to meet fellow healers. She hoped she got that right, and that this wasn't some other woman that joined.
"That's me," she confrimed. "It's so good to finally meet you—I've heard nothing but wonderful things about you."
Eshe stepped towards the other woman with a bright smile and a wagging tail. "How's your day going?" As eager as she was to jump straight to the medicine thought, she figured getting to know her a little would be nice before doing so.
Arlette instantly turned a little bashful. "Oh really?," she spoke, not really needing a reply to that. "That's nice to hear," she quickly added. She was glad though. She wanted to come across to the pack as helpful and well, good. The female wagged her tail gently.
"Good. I was watching my granddaughter---" She felt old saying that, but oh well, perhaps it showed that she had some wisdom? "... I was thinking of grabbing some food, or gathering some herbs. I like to heal and help others. So I've got to make sure my cache of plants is somewhat full," she explained to the female. "Did I hear correctly you also have an affinity with healing?"
There was a bit of envy that stirred when Arlette mentioned her granddaughter. Although Eshe didn't want to feel that way, she couldn't help it; it reminded her that she didn't even have a daughter who could give her grandchildren. It made her feel so behind in the grand scheme of things.
Despite her inner turmoil, she masked these feelings with a growing grin and hid them away for a later time.
"I do," she confirmed, happy to move on from her self-made negativity. "I like to heal, and I like to grow herbs—which is one of the many reasons I wanted to meet you."
"I started a garden near my den, and I wanted to get your input on what to grow. I've got poppies, daisies, feverfew, and lots of lavender." It was a good start, but she also knew they'd need more than that.
"Is there anything here that you're using a lot?"
Arlette smiled at that. She always liked to have more healers around. For the understanding but also companionship. "Oh, wonderful! I tried to keep a garden but I usually just gather and dry the plants in the sun," she admitted to the other. She didn't know if there was a big difference or not between the two methods.
"I'd love to see it. Would you show me?," she asked. "I would like marigolds as well," she instantly offered. "I mostly work with reeds actually. Most healing I've done is wound caring. The fluff at the tops makes wonderful material to stop bleeding and keep infection out. It is important to not always keep it on the wound though," she explained. "The stems are flexible but strong with could make good splits for sprains and such," she hummed. "I think you got a great start with the plants though!"
"Well, I can take care of the gardening for us!" It'd be her pleasure to do so. "It'll be nice to have fresh and dried herbs at our disposal."
Eshe began to lead the way, and when Arlette mentioned marigolds, she nodded. "Good idea," she said, adding them to her running list. Then, as she was told about the benefits of reeds, her eyes grew wide, and she frowned. "Shoot!" she exclaimed. "Arric told me you worked with reeds, so I went out and collected some, but I forgot about the fluff—sorry about that." Reeds were a material she was still getting the hang of.
"I don't have much experience with reeds ... is there a reason you can't keep the fluff on for too long?"
Arlette smiled at that. "Wonderful, and I am willing to learn, so if you can teach me while you garden that would be amazing," she admitted. "I can also work on the dried herbs. I can bring you my stash I have so far so we have a central one."
Arlette followed her to her den. She raised her eyebrows when she called out. "Oh please don't worry about it. We are in an area with the river, and lots of water. They are abundant!," she assured her. "So please don't worry about."
"Practically it is a light material and blows away quite quickly. Even in a stash. Plus it feels... cleaner when I take it straight from the stem," she explained. "If you take the stem, I believe the fluff falls off by itself."
"That's a great idea," Eshe complimented. "I'll show you soon—they need a little more time to sprout." She figured it'd be easier for Arlette to follow if she could see the plants.
She visualized what was described as she was taught more about the fluff. "Wow, I had no idea," she said with an edge of embarrassment. "I thought it was invasive to them, so I removed it.
Curious, she asked: "Is there a place along the river you prefer to harvest them?" Knowing where the reeds were abundant would be helpful, especially if they needed to preserve enough to keep the plants from being overpicked.
Arlette dipped her head. "Let me know when they are ready, then you can explain it to me." She was glad that the female wanted to share knowledge, she really appreciated it. The female smiled. "Thanks for sharing this knowledge. Means a lot."
"I also learned from another wolf how useful they can be. I would also have no clue," she admitted, feeling that there is no shame in it. "So far I've always used them fresh," she admitted with a nod, since they were around a lot.
"Yes, among the shallows. The water isn't too rough, and I think the plants also prefer that. They are abundant enough to not even get wet feet. When I don't need the stem I bite down about a muzzle's length under the bulb. Then you have part of the stalk to stand on with your paw while trying to pull the fluff out. Too short of a stem and you can't pull it out efficiently."
"I will—but it'll take some time," she warned, frowning. "Most of them are out of season, so it'll take a little longer to sprout." Given the higher temperatures, she'd have to watch them closely as they were more likely to die of thirst. She'd be watering the garden multiple times daily for the foreseeable future.
Eshe smiled when Arlette voiced her appreciation. "Of course, I'm always happy to help."
She felt a bit better as the harvesting process and where to find the reeds was explained to her. "Could you show me sometime?" she asked, knowing she was more of a visual learner.
Arlette nodded in understanding. "I know some plants are only there for a short time," she commented. She was long glad that Eshe had a skill that she could learn from. The pale female never considered making a garden which was rather smart. Then everything would be in reach and fresh when they needed it.
Arlette dipped her head right away. "Of course. Yes, I will show you," Arlette agreed. With that, it felt that their conversation had come to an end. She had been keen on eating something as well. So the female thanked the other for her time, and then made her leave. She was excited with the knowledge they could share.