Wandering all throughout the territory had become a normal part of her day, exploring the various locations of interest within and keeping a watchful eye on the flora. There were few plants ready to begin showing their faces, but the few that had already brought her a great burst of joy and wonder. It would not be long, now, before she could begin cultivating her own little garden of herbs, though the location in which she would start had yet to be decided upon. There were many plants she would need only to take note of their whereabouts, for they would be easily accessible from within the lair itself. For those that had to be brought in from outside sources, however... well, those would need some extra care, just to remain on the safe side of things.

The current trek around the woodland had introduced her to something new, though, a scent that she did not recognized. It was a wolf, that much was clear, but the face it belonged to could not be drawn forth from within her mind. They were a stranger to her, an unknown entity with intentions she could not determine. It caused the fur along her dorsal to bristle, standing on edge as she inspected further to try and pick from it a pack's fragrance. Her concern was that they'd been found by their old neighbours, that the wolves of the ridge just weren't satisfied by a move. When she'd taken note of the singularity of the smell, however, her fur had flattened slightly, but not entirely. She knew her markings to be strong, she often refreshed them herself just to be sure of it, which begged the question of why someone had chosen to cross over them.

Asterr's steps had become brisk as she'd tracked down the intruder, displaying dominance for once as her tail arched over her back. She had spotted the walking ember from the side first, and had then proceeded to loop around and block her path. Her ears were pushed forward and tail stiff, the only thought running through her head being the promise she'd given to ensure the safety of her tribe members. "I do suggest that you cease your movements right where you stand," the yearling stated, her own body stilled as her silver gaze worked the other female over. "Tell me, why is it that you have decided to cross into my tribe's land?" Never had she stopped to consider the possibility that the other could not smell anything, for the likelihood of that happening was far too slim to be the first thought in one's mind.

The demand for stillness had been met, followed up on then by the intruder's stuttering voice. Due to her small stature, she was slightly reassured by the other female's reaction to her—not that her mission in life was to strike fear into anyone, of course. To her, it simply meant the chances of her being forced to engage in battle were decreased, giving her ample room to readjust herself. The time for such had yet to come, however, for Asterr was not yet convinced that they were both in the clear. "Why are you unable to smell?" Whether the answer was a personal one or not, the dragoness could not bring herself to care. Actually, it was more like she'd had to swallow the feeling down beforehand. The safety of her tribe took precedence over all else; a repeated line that drew forth in her the willpower to keep herself from coddling the stranger.

A reason for her presence was given, causing the chieftess' muzzle to twitch ever so slightly. It was neither a frown nor a smile that had attempted to break through, merely a faint jolt that had managed to reach the surface of her features. "If you cannot smell, how is it that you expect to locate your aunt?" the dragoness questioned. "Surely you do not expect to find her with sight alone?" A wolf's nose was definitely one of their most prized possessions, for the power they radiated was far beyond magnificent. It was a sense that was often heavily relied upon, the true source of life for nearly every predator of the land.

A birth defect. It was the first time she'd ever met someone born with the inability to smell, making her quite agog. Had the other been given help throughout her life? Assistance and lessons that might have permitted her to live for so long already? It was a strange occurrence, really. Perhaps it had been the aunt she'd sought to find that had given her the ability to carry on through life, or maybe it was the result of willpower alone. Asterr knew not what the true answer was, but in the process of her mind's wandering, she'd realized one thing: there was no possible way for the other girl to survive on her own. The separation of her and her caretaker had, in a sense, condemned her to death. Knowing this, the yearling was also reminded of the fact that she could not allow for someone to die when she was fully capable of preventing it.

It was with a short sigh that her body language had reverted back to it's regular, neutral demeanor, eyes never leaving the stranger. "What is your name?" Rather than dismissing the other and personally escorting her out of the territory, the girl's nature forced her to do something else entirely.

The girl's name was not recognized, neither the given nor the family. She had wondered if she might have crossed paths with the other's aunt once upon a time, but the thought was laid to rest as quickly as it'd swept in. "Have you any clue as to where your aunt might be?" she'd asked, her intentions being to cover all bases before any major decisions were made. Of course, the chieftess could have offered Sorrel a place within her tribe right away, and yet she'd decided to put it off. As always, her focus was on what might be best, and presently that was the notion of a potential family reunion. It would be far more satisfying to bring a niece back to her aunt, though how likely it was that that might happen eluded her.

"If you have any memories of locations your aunt might have fancied, then perhaps we might be able to find her for you." It was not a concrete offer, of course, nor was it a promise. Asterr had no business making such deals, especially when she knew not if she could even pull through on her end.

Anything would have worked, any little piece of information. Going from nothing to something would have bettered the situation, and yet they'd managed only to remain at that which they'd started with. The fiery girl knew nothing in regards to where her aunt might be, which limited their options drastically. Given the assumed amount of time that the elder woman had been missing, Asterr couldn't help but consider the worst. Of course, she did not voice her internal worries, deciding it better to leave her with an ember of hope. Who knew, anyways, the true fate of the girl's aunt? Certainly not the dragoness, thereby giving her little evidence to support her thoughts. It'd be heartless to take away Sorrel's belief that she would find her guardian, and so the yearling did not comment any further on it.

"There is no need to apologize, it is not your fault," the yearling voiced, tone softer than it'd previously been. "Is there anywhere else you are able to go? Anyone else who might be able to look out for you? I can not simply send you off on your own with your... condition." She knew not else how to word it, uncertain whether it was a sensitive topic or not. No matter, she felt her meaning had been gotten across, and the cause of her apprehension understood.

The situation was a special one, in all honesty. The girl lacked the biggest tool to be used for survival, making her somewhat useless to many packs. Without a sense of smell, she could not hunt. She could not patrol borders or be left to head out on her own, her broken nose preventing many things from being safe for her. It bothered Asterr for a number of reasons. She wanted to help the girl and ensure she wasn't sentenced to death, but on the other hand, she had to think of her current tribe members. It would be unfair to them, making them work even harder each day to assist someone incapable of providing for themselves. That was the most prominent con to the situation, but the dragoness assured herself that it could easily be justified.

"If you can give to me a promise that you will try your best to succeed in spite of your condition, then I will allow you to stay here until your aunt comes to retrieve you," Asterr stated, fixing her in a serious gaze. It wasn't the greatest of offers, but it would settle for now. It would prevent the girl from indirectly causing another wolf's death, and perhaps even bring a family back together in the process.

Asterr's ears perked up, attentive, at the mention of herbal remedies. While a working nose was certainly helpful in locating specific plants, it was not at all necessary. Still, it came as a surprise that the younger was a herbalist—or, in the very least, the apprentice of one. Perhaps she would be able to make up for her lack of olfaction by contributing to the yearling's work as a medic, all the while improving her own skills in the process. It'd been quite some time since she'd last had the privilege of working alongside another, and so, inwardly, her excitement had increased tenfold. So much so, even, that she'd nearly missed the girl's stammering. Thankfully she'd caught it, however, for it'd served as a reminder to offer her own name. "Asterr Draconid," she'd said, finishing Sorrel's sentence.

"If it is a mentor you are in need of, then perhaps you will be able to shadow me," the chieftess suggested. "Of course, I will have to examine how far you currently are in your studies beforehand." Maybe she'd be able to find an injured outsider and lure them into the lair... a coyote could work, or a fox. "That can wait until later, though. For the time being, please, settle in and rest. I am sure your travels must have been tiring." The darkling moved forward after the last word had slipped from her tongue, touching her muzzle to the ember's shoulder, officially welcoming her into the tribe. The scent left behind would not be strong, but it would serve just as well as it'd done in the past until she'd been within the tribe long enough to become one with it.