Hideaway Strath Are You My Mommy?

@Hemlock
Seri had woken up this morning as she had every morning since she had stepped foot into the Teaghlaigh, alone. She had always tried to find friends so talk to and play with, but never really had a real connection with anyone just yet. Other then maybe Tapat, but he didn't remember her too often for them to carry on where they left off. It was like being seen as a stranger by the only person she thought she might know. But since she first entered Teaghlaigh she had grown alot and was nearly the size of a yearling. 

She wanted to put things into her own paws and look for someone she thought might be able to help her. Tapat had mentioned a female named Hemlock. Seri had heard the name mentioned before, but she had never had the chance of meeting her. That was going to change today if Seri had anything to say about it. Trotting out of the hole she had found the night before she set out to find Hemlock.

 

While Hemlock did know of the young girl she hadn't made a point to seek her out. Partially, it was awkward to try and assume the whys of her world when Hemlock was so caught up in her own. It made her selfish, but, she had always been that way truthfully. It was worse now that her stomach was growing steadily and so was her gait. She was becoming more awkward and uncomfortable, her movements less refined (not that hers ever had been, but, she'd had a certain grace.) Hemlock was making a slow path through the Strath with a bundle of herbs she'd gathered to take to the cache. She paused, breathing deeply through her nostrils, as she felt a little volley of kicks from deep in her abdomen. 

She chuckled, although she was still terrified and a little awestruck. To think that this was her life - that this was hers - it was a little overwhelming. She would make due though, she was determined to do so. She resumed her slow walk through the territory, unknowingly putting her right into the path of the young woman who had sought to find her. 

Seri was still young and hadn't refined the skills of tracking quite yet. It might have been easier to find Hemlock is she knew what she smelled like, but for now she would have to follow the scent of something she wasn't used to. It could have been a completely other pack member she though she was following or simply the smell of the air itself. Either way it seemed pure luck that she would just to happen to be traveling towards Hemlock as her head was fixated on the ground. It was only when she heard a small chuckle did she look up and see her in the distance. At least she though it was her, at the very least she was a female she hadn't meet yet. 

Seri could also see that this female had a enlarged belly, she wondered why. Seri had never been told about pregnancy before and neither Tapat or Arturo had mentioned it to her before. But luckily for Hemlock that wasn't the first thing on Seri's mind. When she walked up to Hemlock the second thing she saw was the mouth full of foliage within her jaws. "Are you Hemlock?... What are those." she asked her questions one right after the other. Curious on both accounts.

When the younger female approached her Hemlock slowed her already tedious steps, for a moment unsure if the girl wants to talk to her or just carry on her day. It wouldn't have offended her either way, but, when she was addressed it was with a few questions and Hemlock smiled around the bundle of herbs before she set them down at her feet. Among the foliage was a few different types, her preparations trying not only to make her ready for labor and birth but also to take time to prepare the pack for winter. "I am," Hemlock offered with a proper smile now that her mouth wasn't full, before she looked from the young girl down to the herbs at her feet. "I am a healer and these are herbs that are good for different things," She explained. 

"I am guessing you are Seri," She had learned the girl's name although she didn't know a true thing about her - only those basic details. "I apologize for it taking so long to meet you." She could claim her heat, her marriage, Sirius vanishing, her pregnancy; any number of things for the delay on doing her duty but honestly it was more being selfish than anything else. Hemlock simply hadn't taken the time she properly should have and now she felt the guilt that came from that. "Have you settled well?" She asked, a hopeful note to her voice - if not maybe they could work on changing that, as delayed as it was.

When Hemlock set down the herbs she was holding, Seri was drawn to them. She walked up to them slowly and took a whiff of what they smelled like. She though they smelled familiar, but she remembered them being combined with others while she was just walking around. Unaware the a herb she may have just passed could do more then just be foliage. Looking at them she pondered how these plants could do different things, and what those different things were. "What kind of things?" she asked.

When Hemlock guessed Seri's name, her tail began to sway slightly. Even if the two hadn't meet, Seri still felt good to know that Hemlock at least knew about her in some way. She also apologized for not having meet her yet. Surprisingly the apology meant alot to Seri. It showed that Hemlock cared about her which was what Seri was really looking for out of all of this. Everyone around her had left and she felt somewhat like an outcast here. Even though it was the closest thing to a family she had. When asked how she was settling in, she responded, "Um... I like it here, the Hideaway. But I don't really have any friends." she admitted to the female.

 

Hemlock didn't mind the questions, her tail giving a couple gentle wags. She was always eager to share information with others, and, it had been a great while since she had an apprentice. While she explained what she was doing to Tapat she didn't expect him to retain it all - and that was completely fine by her - but she knew that it wouldn't end up being a passion of his. Tapat was more whimsical, and in turn, she feared if he did try medicine on his own it might be worse. He could easily confuse some of the similar looking remedies for poisons. "These will be for when I give birth - to help with the pain, and make sure that I and the babies are strong." She said evenly. "And to keep us from getting sick." She didn't want to endure another episode like with Sirius, that any of her children might be so weak and so disrupted - she truly hoped to avoid it. 

Hemlock watched the younger female for a moment, almost studying her. It was true that Hemlock had been busy in many ways but it didn't mean that she wanted to ignore the youth either. "It can be lonely in a new place," Hemlock hummed out, given that Seri had none of her own family and no doubt would miss them. If not for Arturo, Lotte, Tapat, and the children, Hemlock would have no one either - she wasn't familiar with Reek or Jhala other than knowing of their existence in her pack. "I can understand those feelings, when I first came here I left my family and tribe. My mother and siblings are still there." And as much as she would desperately want to be near her brothers and sister again she had come to terms with never seeing Awenasa again.

Seri continued to sniff around the the herbs wondering how such a flimsy plant could do something like make someone strong. Many wolves didn't see plants as things they should eat and instead focused on meat and occasionally fruits and berries that grew off the plant. This is what Seri had known as well but she wasn't against the thought. She though about trying one herself. Afterall she wanted to be strong too and if they were going to help Hemlocks' pups get strong couldn't it do the same for her? "Can I have some so I can get strong?" she asked looking up at Hemlock.

When Hemlock spoke about knowing how Seri felt, she couldn't help but disagree. She hadn't been unwillingly seperated from her parents at her age, only to be left by her aunt to live with strangers. It might have been true that the feeling of lonelyness was the same but in Seri's young mind she didn't think so, "But you chose to leave. I didn't want to leave my parents and... now there gone.... Even Natashe's gone." her voice was choppy trying to keep down tears.

 

Hemlock chuckled at the girls enthusiastic notion, giving a little nod. "How about I show you some you could take?" She offered, rather than promise that she could gather them for Seri. She didn't know how much longer she could truly make the same progress she needed after all. Soon she'd need to settle down and find an appropriate den of her own - and that would no doubt need to be done while she still had the energy to do so. "We can find ones for you, and you can always ask me if you need help." Hemlock promised. 

She was quiet as the girl let her emotions out, the sensation of Seri's raw pain different than what Hemlock had endured. Being alone for so long - she understood the solitude. That much she could get. It was different, certainly, to be abandoned by your family. She moved closer to gently nudge the girl's chin, giving a breathy sigh. "I am sorry they did that, Seri." Hemlock said quietly. "You will be very strong for it - as much as it hurts now." Of that the healer was absolutely sure. 

Hemlock suggested that Seri and her maybe able to find some herbs for her to take in the future rather then the ones she had with her at that moment. Seri was somewhat bumbed that she wouldn't be able to try anything now. But the notion that she could in the future was satisfactory for the time being. She was much more focused on the loss of her family then at this point. Trying not to cry infront of Hemlock who at this time was somewhat like a stranger to her.

As Hemlock tried to comfort Seri her words only made things worse. 'I am sorry they did that', Natashe may have done that but it was all Seri's fault that she was seperated from her parents. She had wondered off and hadn't been paying any attention. She sat down and lowered her head now unable to hold back her tears and she began to cry clentching her jaw together. "I should never have wondered off. It's all my fault." she sobbed.

 

What Hemlock had with her was more geared towards someone approaching their whelping, she wasn't exactly quick to toss them to a younger puppy. She also was eager to take her out and show her the progress that could be made. They could find some simple, easy to identify plants and that way Hemlock could guide her if need be in the future. While that was a nice thing to think of, Hemlock's brow knotted with concern as the girl clearly struggled with the concept of keeping it together - and it wasn't necessary, Hemlock felt, but she understood. The red wolf didn't like to let others see her breakdown. 

In an instant she saw Roarke somewhere, not the pale girl in front of her, and it was enough to nearly take her breath away. What if he had felt the same - that he was in another pack trying to be strong and trying to hold it all together with whatever scrambles of hope he had left. "It is not," She promised, her own voice thick with emotion. " - You are too young to hold that burden, that guilt. Your parents would be glad to know you were safe and sound." She could not promise that Seri would ever see her parents or Aunt again - all she could truly do was try and support the girl until that day came, if it ever did.

 

I like your formatting.

Hemlock's words made Seri think. At first she though that they might have been mad at her for running off and that if they did ever find her the first thing they would do would be to scold her for wondering off and worrying them. But that wasn't the case. Her parents where out there somewhere worried sick about her hoping that she was safe. If they knew where she was they would be happy she wasn't out in the cold somewhere all alone. She tried to focus on that, how happy they would be to know she had found a place out of the elements with those that could help her. How brave she had been at this young age. 

Hemlock's words sounded genuine, and made Seri begin to believe them. She might never see her parents again, but at least she wouldn't hold the blame with her where ever she went from now on. Her sobs began to ease up and she looked up at Hemlock, lines from where the tears had fallen around her eyes, "Th... Thanks Hemlock."

It took a bit but Seri did calm down, Hemlock not wanting to crowd her during the process. She offered the girl a small smile, nodding as she was thanked - although she didn't exactly know why, she hadn't done anything special. "Any time you need to talk, please let me know." She said after a moment, giving the girl a gentle smile. She wasn't so sure she'd done anything properly - but then she was going to handle things as easily as she could. 

"When you feel up to it, would you like to take a walk and look for some herbs?"  Maybe that would be a good distraction for her and it would give them a chance to talk more. She knew nothing about the girl beyond the superficial things after all, and maybe she could find out about her interests that way. 

Hemlock assured Seri that if she ever needed to talk again that she could go to Hemlock. Seri had been disappointed at first that it had taken her so long to meet Hemlock in the first place but now that she had, she was glad it happened later rather then never. When Hemlock offered that the two go search for herbs and flowers Seri replied saying. "That sounds like fun, but can we do it another day?" she asked feeling emotionally drained for the time being.

if you wanna archive with your next post, feel free to tag Hem in another thread anytime you'd like!

 

Hemlock could understand after such an emotional day that the girl had enough. She gave a nod, giving a soft sigh as she glanced around. "There is no rush," She assured her, although who knew how much longer she'd actually have to be out and about before she was driven to not only settle in her whelping den but not leave it. She didn't know if she would want to settle early or try and stay out as long as she could. "We can meet up again as soon as you feel ready, Seri." She said soothingly - it had been a lot to take in, after all. 

Hemlock assured her that there was no rush and that she could come back to her when ever she was ready. It did sound fun searching for specific plants, as well as learning what kinds of things each one could do. Being so young Seri hadn't decided on a specialty yet, but she had been keeping an open mind to all the different things each wolf in the pack did. For now she simply wanted to rest and collect herself before going off on any further adventuring or searching.

"Ok, I'll come find you then." she stated before slowly walking for to find a place to lay down. Hemlock had been really nice and even though this outing had been emotional and sad she was glad that she was about to meet another one of the members of the pack, especially one so nice.