Sleepy Fox Hollow this goes beyond me, beyond you

 @Elfie?

Mahler had asked her to search for herbs along the southern edge of the hollow, which was easy enough—it didn't require much traveling, as she'd largely stuck to this area during her initial time in Diaspora, besides her trip to Shadow Mountain. There was some wistfulness to it. Just up the slope rested the headwaters of Otter Creek; should she climb to the top, she could see her forest.

Empty. Abandoned. Devoid of Melonii.

It was a strange existence, to be so close and yet know that returning would be the worst idea. Her place was here, now, serving underneath Mahler and Takiyok, a dutiful subordinate. Perhaps one day, her ranks would return. Perhaps Blackfeather could be a home again.

For now, she nosed around for remaining traces of greenery, hoping to bring a good mouthful or two to Mahler's stores before the day was up. It took some effort, as most things had died away, and she found herself getting frustrated at increments. Still, it was her duty, and she took comfort in letting her mind blankly wander as she worked.

Thank you for saving the thread for me! I won't be very quick with my replies in the near future - I hope you won't mind. :)

Elfie had returned from a brief stroll around the area that was his new home and eager to have Maegi's company, only to find out that she was not around. Mild panic set in, he whimpered and circled the area, until she found the tracks and began to follow the trail diligently. 

He worked past and, when the scent flowed not only from the footprints in the snow, but he caught the warmth and flavour of it in the wind as well, he broke out in a frantic run. The idea that she would leave him was suddenly unbearable and scary. And though he was no longer in danger of dying from cold and hunger, he was not willing to let go of his guardian angel.

He needed her in a way he could neither understand, nor explain. Then - there she was and he laughed in relief at the sight of her familiar form. Elfie pranced over to her and wagging his tail both excitedly and submissively, he bumped his nose gently against Maegi's cheek and then retreated, regarding her with a look full of admiration and love.

All his being spoke loud, how very glad he was for having found her.

That's okay! This is moving week for me, so I won't likely be very fast either. <3

She saw the flash of red from the corner of her eye and turned, meeting the boy's beaming face with a smile. She gave him a maternal swipe of her tongue across his forehead, smoothing the fur there. Hi, Elfie, Maegi murmured, happy to see him. How are you settling in here?

She continued to walk along, but slower, allowing her little companion to fall into step. So withdrawn she'd been as of late that she felt she hadn't devoted proper time to the boy. She would make every effort to change that, going forward. He'd obviously been through a lot, and she owed it to him to be present.

Elfie did not feel abandoned by Maegi. He was not needy, he was glad for every bit of attention she got from her and his utmost happiness was just to be in her company, that he could watch her and, if allowed, join in, whatever she was doing. 

So, you can easily imagine, how glad he was, when his guardian angel spoke to him, he beamed in response. "I am good," not that he cared much about other wolves here or the location itself. "Head hurts though," he told her of the crippling bouts of migraine he had at least once a day. 

"And time flows differently," he added, trying to explain the moments, where he froze mid-action and unfroze few minutes later without having the slightest idea of, what had happened. "And ghosts come to visit, but I know they are not real," he said, because now and then his dreams became fearfully real and he had hard time telling apart, where reality ended and the dream-scape began.

Her lips drew tight in a troubled frown as he described his headaches. The other things may only heal with time—trauma tended to make things quite unreal—but physical pain could be mended. But by what?

There must be something we can do for your head hurting, Maegi responded, thinking. Perhaps. . .poppy seeds? They'll make you quite sleepy, but they do tend to help pain. Still, she didn't want a repeat of her disastrous experience on the island. If he didn't need them, she wouldn't give them to him.

Her ears perked as a new idea came to her. Mahler, she said vaguely, then continued, Mahler's a healer. He might know what to do for your pain. She looked over to Elfie in inquiry. Do you want to go look for him soon? She was busy with this errand, but it shouldn't take too long to walk the southern border. Afterward, they could be on their way to the General.

"It's not that bad," Elfie lied and shrugged. He appreciated that Maegi worried for him, but he also did not wish to have her stress over him too much. The boy wanted to see her happy, see her smile and have her love him as much as he adored her. 

"I can wait and then we can find Mahler," he added after a little thought, his eyes searching the she-wolf's face, trying to read, whether this was the answer she wished to hear, whether this would alleviate any concerns she might have.

"What are you doing?" he changed the subject with an obvious air of hopeful "Can I help you?"

She gave him a look that thoroughly suggested she did not believe him, but let it go for now. It would do no good arguing with a boy who already suffered from headaches. Plus, she had a job to do —

I'm looking for useful herbs for Mahler's cache, and mine, Maegi responded, smiling once more. You can help. . .just look for anything green and I'll see if it's something we need. They'll be in sunny places away from the snow, if any plants are even still alive.

With that, she continued her foray, eyes darting as she searched. One ear, however, remained trained on Elfie, in case he had any more questions. She was glad for the company; most times, she preferred to gather herbs alone, but she had been alone far too often lately. It was a desolate existence.

"Green, okay," Elfie nodded and let his gaze dart around the immediate snow covered surroundings. For a moment there he had a feeling that this was not the first time he had been out looking for plants, but, whether it had been in quest for a healer like Maegi or someone else, he could not remember right at this very moment. 

He walked ahead of the white she-wolf, jumped on nearby rock and scanned the area carefully. This paid off. Truly - in a patch, where the sun had melted the snow - he thought he saw something green. Off he went, did some digging and removed a piece of moss. 

Holding it proudly he ran back to Maegi, put it down and looked at her expectantly: "What do you think?"

There was a significant dearth of herbs during the winter, which made Elfie's discovery that much more exciting. Maegi smiled widely as the boy turned to her with a clump of moss in his mouth, nodding at his question. That's great, Elfie! she exclaimed softly, nosing at the greenery.

This is moss, she explained, turning her gaze up to Elfie's face while still keeping her muzzle pressed against the plant. It soaks up water—and blood. You can use it to stop bleeding when someone gets hurt.

She wished she could demonstrate the incredible healing power of moss to Elfie, but it would require, alas, a wound. Perhaps one day, he'd see it in action (hopefully used successfully). This will be great to bring back to Mahler, Maegi praised, lifting her head with the moss clutched gently between her teeth. Shall we look fuh muh? she mumbled through the mouthful, eyes bright.

I will call it moon-moss. Elfie's focused expression change a little, when a random memory resurfaced from the depths of his mind. He knew moss, but not in the context Maegi told him. "I will remember that," he promissed his guardian and nodded eagerly.

"Definitely," he wagged his tail and beamed at her. "Come along," he beckoned her to follow and ran ahead towards the patch, where he had previously found the piece of moss. There he began to dig the snow away, wishing to uncover as much moss as possible.

She was enthused by Elfie's willingness to learn and fervency in gathering more moss, following him with her tail in joyous wag. She bent and helped him dig, catching glimpses of green here and there. A large patch revealed itself eventually, and she tore gently with her teeth, ripping it from its hiding place.

You've found a treasure trove, Maegi remarked, grinning. She sighed happily, staring down at the moss. I didn't think we'd find much of anything until the spring, when the weather got warmer. Plants don't like the cold. And nor do I.

"They don't, I know," Elfie replied inbetween digging and plucking the moss from the ground with his teeth. From what he understood Maegi wished to take it all to the general. How great it would be, if he could carry back even more? 

"That's, what happened to Weej's garden. It died in the frost and..." he had begun the sentence effortlessly, without thinking much, but now that he began to track, what he was saying, his movements slowed and his expression became confused. "...she was very sad," he finished and looked up at Maegi.

"That was not your garden?" he asked hopefully, because, what he had said earlier, made no sense to him.

Ah, he knew. Maegi grinned at his surety, only for her expression to plummet as he trailed off, losing the spark that was there before. She shook her head, knowing somehow that he had revealed something about himself she hadn't known previously—something that, perhaps, he'd forgotten.

It wasn't my garden, she murmured gently. You've only been with me for a short time. Who—who's Weej, Elfie?

She wouldn't prod too much. It was obvious that the trauma the boy had endured had affected his memories, that he may not be able to summon them at will. That was clear by the amount of information he'd given her, despite being otherwise a cheerful open book. She would stand and wait, waiting patiently to see if the fog would clear again, even briefly.

"Yeah? Feels like forever," Elfie wagged his tail cheerfully and smiled at Maegi fondly. Her inquiry did not come as a surprise, he himself was wondering, who this Weej was that had intruded his mind. The garden, which felt so familiar, yet as if it was someone else's memory not his. 

"She's one of the ghosts," he concluded and stopped trying. "You know - I told you. They come sometimes, they appear real, but they are not," he finished more resolutely and from his tone one would conclude that he was not willing to continue this topic.

"Should we take this all to Mahler?" he changed the subject. "I could carry quite a bit and come for it back later," he suggested.

His remark brought a smile to her face once more. I know, she murmured, and then her brow furrowed as he tried to explain to her—and did so, albeit not the way she expected, or needed to understand. The ghosts. She thought of the daedra, and shuddered.

Did he, too, have a connection to the divine. . .sinister or otherwise?

I understand, Maegi said simply, sincerely. She was a little grateful for the subject change and nodded, letting her face lighten. Yes, let's do that. Then we can ask him about your head. Her eyes scanned the moss before them, quietly assessing. I think we can handle all of it between us.

Shooting him another kind look, she stooped and took a great deal in her mouth. She then turned, flicking her tail in a signal for the boy to follow. Talk of ghosts could (should!) come later. For now, it was all business.

fade this out here?