Their trip to the ocean had proven to be something of a wonderful trip. Gluskap had gathered enough herbs to keep himself busy, making stocks and caches, attempting to create the perfect environment for the many things he had toted back with him. With the famine having come to an end, and the greenery returning to the wilds, he was eager to make his way back to the herbalist’s cache. The taiga was lush once more with life and prey and the skeletal little figure could scarcely contain his enthusiasm for what he would be able to collect in the coming months.
 
Teetering about inside of his den for a moment, the slender figure was spurred by a sudden thought and darted out from the hole, heading into the center of the pack lands. He was curious to know if there was a particular leaf growing in their home and if he could pluck it for experimental purposes. Whilst he tip-toed across the stretch of earth, the coywolf hummed quietly to himself.
 

It was the scent of blood that had drawn the coywolf around to face the image of a strange woman. His citrine gaze caught her features and he lifted his skull upward curiously. This was someone he had not met in the land of the dragons. More than her appearance, the girl spoke and the language that danced on her tongue was completely foreign to the skeletal man. He gazed at her with a single quirked brow and a smile began to curl his features ever so slightly, causing a crinkle to form on one side of his face.
 
“What a queer language,” he remarked in a voice that was almost monotonous. Bringing life back into his eyes, Glu shook his head at her and frowned. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t get a word of what you said.” Though he had made a good name for himself among the dragon wolves, he was not yet capable of speaking their language, and had not made a valiant attempt at all. Gluska was a man of his own nature; he had set a path for himself and was intent on following it. The Heda had done well by him, but she was not his primary concern either. His goals were oriented toward the leadership of the pack. He wanted to see himself seated there alongside the dark woman.

It wasn’t long before the coal-spattered female realized that she had spoken in a tongue that was not common for the coywolf. She corrected herself, apologizing for the mishap and mentioning that there were times she could forget to speak in the appropriate language. Glu did little to ease her mind about it, but instead peered at her curiously, hardly phased by the easy transition that had been made to a language that he could more easily understand. Her words were still heavily accented, but he could make out the sentences with ease.
 
The woman went on to translate her previous statement – the one that had gone unheard due to a barrier in tongues. The coywolf nodded his head in understanding and flicked his tail upward. “I’m Gluskap,” he then introduced with a quick nod and a swivel of his ears. The names of the others had all seemed to derive from a similar location, but the man did not often think strongly enough to inquire. If they hailed from the same land, perhaps their ties were deeper than he had known and he was merely a stranger on their terrain.
 
The newly met Lagertha transitioned quickly enough into inquiring about the herbs that he was toting about. This was a subject that he could speak on for hours. Glancing down to his paws at the array of foliage that he had collected, the cadaverous coywolf wondered how he would best explain. “Marigold, birch leaves, and thyme,” he answered her with the names of what he had collected. “I’m keeping my stock full,” the coywolf then added with a quick wink and a nod.

Though the accent of the woman was thick, the coywolf was able to understand her without much trouble. It seemed that she had not taken offense at his remark on her language, and though he could have done it with a sly smile and a quick flick of his stubby tail, the skeletal man did not comment on her lingual skills, or the manner in which the English words seemed to fall from her lips with little grace. He had taken up the role of a healer, not a diplomat, and so he held fast to his sharp little tongue and allowed for the woman to simply inquire what she would.
 
It seemed as though she had taken an interest in the medicines he was preparing, which was a peculiar change in pace for the halfling. In his short time within the ranks of the mountain, there had been few who had truly made queries to the skill that he professed. While his sister had had the true talent for the arts of medicines, his close watch over her had allowed for him to pick up on the things she’d learned. The she-wolf wanted to know what each herb did, and so with furrowed brows and a thoughtful expression, Glu thought how to best explain it to the wolf.
 
Pointing with his muzzle toward each one, he offered a basic description of their medical properties. “Marigold helps to heal quickly so that wounds do not fester, birch leaves will clean the internal system quickly, and thyme has many purposes; it’s always good to have around,” he explained carefully, and then fixed his sharp yellow gaze on the woman once more. “Do you have an interest in the art of healing?” the coywolf then inquired with a thoughtful expression on his slender features.

“I am interested in everything.”
 
“How ambitious,” the coywolf remarked with a short snicker. A fire sparked in his canary-colored eyes and he did not attempt to conceal the grin that had curled his narrow features upward. A jack of all trades, but a master of none… he had thought it wiser to stick to a specific base of knowledge. If this female was inspired by all, she would find herself easily distracted and would lose focus. Gluska would not reprimand her for her choices, though; it was her life and she could do with it as she pleased.
 
Instead, he found himself surprised by her offering. Darting his gaze down to the squirrel, he inched forward and clasped his teeth around it quickly before pulling it back – almost as if he expected her to change her mind. Dropping the prey beside his herbs, the skeletal figure lifted his skull back up and glanced toward Lagertha with a straight expression. “That was kind of you,” he observed with a flick of his tail tip, though it was less of a gracious comment and more of a reflection on her actions.
 
“You’re welcome to come with me while I gather some more,” the coywolf then remarked and turned his pointed nose toward his destination without so much as another word. The flitting steps of the creature carried him swiftly, but the invitation was open for her to join, and he would not have been perturbed by her company through the rest of his search.