Whitefish River This is your heart, it's alive, it's pumping blood

looking for @Syrma <3

After talking with Ira, she had spent some time going through her plants. She had managed to find some marigolds again today and had stashed them in her cache as well as removing more plants that were no longer useful. She never minded this task; it often gave her time to sort through her thoughts and it was relaxing. When she was done, she shook plant remnants from her fur and turned to do another sweep through the territory. This time, though, she was looking for someone in particular—her daughter. She hadn't seen any of her children the last few days, and she wanted to check in with them and make sure they were okay. She knew she worried too much, but she couldn't help it. Even now that the children were just a few months shy of becoming young adults and had already joined the adult ranks, she worried about them; she didn't think she would ever not worry about them. 

So she set out to find Syrma. At the very least, she wanted to congratulate her on her new rank.

This half of the twin was busy just milling around the riverside, wandering around and looking around at the subtle hints of spring that had really started to show up recently. The tree buds were more noticeable and grass had greened up by the day. Even if some of the nights still got really cold, it was impossible to ignore the fact that plantlife was coming back around them and she was enjoying watching it come. They were even settling back at the riverside, where generally there was much more to see anyway, so this was lending the girl some introversion where she really liked to do her own thing, apparently.

She stopped and turned her head when she noticed her mom beginning to approach her. First, her ears flattened and she knew she didn't have anything fresh to get in trouble about. In fact, Syrma was really only spending time with Spica.. so therefore, her crimes were very minimal today. Hi Mom.... she said, feeling naked without her sister around, and not sure why she felt so "caught in the act" when she was only lazing around watching flowers grow...

It didn't take her very long to track Syrma down; she was exploring near the river. Speedy smiled and stopped in front of her, reaching down to kiss her forehead. Hi sweetie, she greeted in return. What are you up to? Was she inspecting plants? She would love it if any of her children showed an interest in healing. Regardless, maybe they could make this time productive and Speedy could teach her something that she was interested in learning. It was about time, she as well and Spica and Acheron started really thinking about what skills they wanted to learn and perfect. They were a part of the adult ranks now, and so these were things they needed to be considering. They would need to start contributing to the pack soon.

Wagging her tail softly, all content enough beneath her mom's greeting and affection both for now, she did sigh a bit when asked what she was up to. She knew that was coming, and despite some unidentified teenager sulkiness felt against it, Syrma would cough up an answer. However, disclaimer, she wasn't motivated to make it a very good one right now--half her usual whole. Nothing much... she replied first, ears back flat still but gold eyes roaming past her mother then. Just looking at the new green, the girl added after a step back, and a pointed snout towards some low-hanging tree-blossoms--so fresh and new!

She had never seen a springtime come about, and was a bit charmed by the spirit it carried with it. Plus, being back at the river gave her a lot more satisfaction to see in the first place. Why...? she asked, head tilting. What was her mom up to, anyway?

Speedy looked around and smiled as Syrma spoke of the new spring growth. It's pretty isn't it? she asked. Spring is my favorite time of the year. Mostly, she looked forward to gathering fresh plants, but she also loved how pretty it all was and she definitely enjoyed the warmer weather. 

Her question made Speedy chuckle. Do I need a reason to be interested in what my daughter is doing? she asked with a grin. But she did kind of have a reason for seeking her out and so she only paused briefly before asking: Have you given any thought to what skills you want to learn? Like plants or hunting? She wondered if any of her children would develop an interest in healing like her, but it wasn't mandatory or anything. She really just wanted to help them learn whatever interested them the most.

It is, the girl agreed swiftly as she traced her sights through the trees--first up high, then lower, where the greens were coming back in force. Wherever she looked, she could find some, and she didn't know it yet but this was just the beginning; watching the spring continue to transition to summer would surely give her plenty. It feels better, she said after Speedy mentioned it was her favorite and then breathed deep, able to appreciate that it even smelled better than cold, stark wintertime.

But, anyway, she just kind of squinted her eyes a bit at her mom's hopefully rhetorical question. Maaybe, she supplied, probably giving her a good hint that she was suspicious about it in this weird way. As her ears swung out and she tipped in a bit of a frown, she answered Mm, I dunno... for her truest response because she had not found a real concrete passion in any one thing yet--not one serious enough to steer her towards a mentor, or anything of that sort. In her head, she preferred to do her own thing (which by extension really meant things with Spica, whatever those could be). Anything that's not boring. I like to explore, mostly.. see new stuff.. and I don't have a lot of luck at hunting most stuff I've tried, I guess. she huffed, just to say she tried. She didn't have a real inclination towards guardianship or healing either.. not when she filed both under boring from what little she did know, anyway.

It does feel better, Speedy agreed. The summer will be nice and warm too. She wasn't sure yet if they kids would take after her and love the warm weather, but it wasn't like the summers here got anywhere near as warm as the ones back home. So they would probably enjoy it regardless. 

She offered Syrma a playful glare that quickly melted into a warm smile. I love you, so I always want to know what you're doing, she explained. That was the gist of it anyway, aside from figuring out what all she was interested in. And when Syrma mentioned exploring, Speedy's eyebrows lifted a little. Exploring, huh? she said first. You know, Emrik likes to explore too, I'm sure he would love to take you scouting if you asked, she suggested. She trusted Emrik more than anyone to keep her children safe outside the borders of Kaistleoki. And hunting takes practice, she pointed out. I am always happy to teach you some things whenever you want. She would have a similar teaching session to the one she had recently with Spica, but only if Syrma wanted one.

The hope of a warm summer's return paired with their home now back at the riverside did boost her morale, even if her mother's fondness being voiced made her want to playfully wrinkle her nose at it. But again, that was just the hints of ~independent teenager~ making an appearance; never once had she truly needed to doubt that she was loved and cared for.

As for Emrik, she wasn't entirely sold, though it could be a useful lead--if she really needed it, probably. Mm, I'll see.. if he'd wanna, she said with a small nod. Mostly, she liked exploring with Spica. Maybe she should have clarified that piece.. but then again, she had not tried to range with anyone else. Who knew? But how could it be better than with Spica?? Her standards were set very specifically.

Anyway, Syrma sighed a little and went on to say: I dunno if it's just 'cause I'd need more practice but hunting isn't... that fun.. to me. I know it has to happen and we all gotta do it sometimes but.. maybe it's not the job for me, the twin detailed, her voice getting smaller because she was kind of bummed about it not feeling like a good fit. Spica had better doings at it, and she wanted to participate but ugh at the thought of constantly on the trail, waiting around for a good opportunity. She mainly liked the chase part of it, and that didn't feel like the best thing to base her career choices on. Well, uh. Can you teach me some plant stuff? Not.. just for healing maybe? she requested with a small tilt to her head, not quite knowing what she was asking for entirely.

Speedy gave a soft laugh at her daughter's admission. You're right, hunting isn't very fun, she agreed. It's not my favorite either, but it's a necessary skill when you're part of a pack. Everyone had to do their part. Of course, some wolves really do like to hunt, and they do it more often than those of us that have more needed skills elsewhere. She spent most of her time tending to plants and taking care of packmates, so hunting was something she did if they needed her help. Still: But if you ever find yourself on your own, or if the entire pack is needed for a hunt, then it's important to be prepared. She was guessing Syrma probably knew most of this, but Speedy couldn't help but reiterate things for her. She wanted her children to have to best opportunities in life. 

Speedy's face lit up at Syrma's request. I would love to teach you about plants. She never wanted to push her trades on the children, but she always hoped to pass down her plant and/or healing knowledge to at least one of them. Most of the plants I use are for healing, but that also requires that I know what plants aren't used for that, she explained. There are plenty of things out there that are poisonous and there are things that are safe and edible but won't do much to treat illnesses. She paused and looked to her daughter. I could show you some stuff now if you'd like? She could talk about plants all day but she wasn't sure if Syrma was up for it today, which was definitely fine.

Her ears were up, and she drank all of this in--thankful that mom didn't seem bothered by her lack of enthusiasm towards the hunt as Work and even agreed that hunting wasn't much fun. Yeah, it was important and yeah, she knew how to do it but that was about as far as she was happy to go lately, so nodded; she of course was quick to doubt that she would need to ever be fully alone, not so long as she had her sister, but that wasn't really a concern right now, either.

Anyway, she was definitely fine to see the topic shift willingly to the plants. Much easier to digest right now, she felt, as she listened onward and felt herself relax a bit as she did. She didn't spare a lot of thought into whether or not her expression reflected that, though. A little.. maybe. I want to find Spica soon, she mentioned, just to be sure that her sister wasn't going to get into anything too interesting without her in the meantime. How do you know which plants are for which stuff, anyway? she asked. There's so many different shapes of them.. and they're all different in certain places like.. I like the plants here a lot more than the plains, she mentioned. The variety at the riverside gave her a lot to think about, whereas she did not have a discerning enough eye to appreciate different types of grassy growths yet.

Sure, Speedy agreed with a smile. Just let me know when you're done. She wouldn't force her to learn because, well, she wouldn't really learn well that way. Plus, she wanted this to be enjoyable so that maybe she would want to learn more in the future. Maybe next time, she would bring Spica along, although she was pretty sure her other daughter would consider this kind of learning boring and would have no problem telling her as much. 

Syrma's first question was a good one. She smiled at the comparison of the the plants here with the ones back on the plains. The plains would have more useful things in late spring and early summer, but while they were there, she had to agree with her daughter on the distinct lack of anything that seemed useful. Well, I learned what plants to use from my mother and from trial and error, she explained. She began to walk, a tilt of her muzzle offered to invite her daughter along. She searched around them, eventually leading them to the edge of the river. It takes practice and and application, she explained, her golden eyes searching the rocks that straddled the space where water met the riverbank. The more you learn and use them, the easier it will be to identify them. Finally, she saw something useful, and she turned to Syrma. Do you see the soft-looking green stuff all over that rock? Speedy asked, pointing her nose to a large, round rock directly in front of them. That's called moss; it's very useful, she explained. I use it to hold water for cleaning wounds or to give to someone who needs to drink, but it can also be used to stop bleeding in a bind. The abundance of the useful plant was one of her favorite things about living so close to the river.

Nodding her silent appreciation, she felt a little bit bad that she already wasn't planning to be in it for the long haul here.. but those stormier thoughts were soon willed away, or rather, overshadowed for now in favor of listening. As they meandered along, she was dividing her attention between what her mom said and the greenery afoot--for there was plenty to see, but she did note that it sounded like it just took practice, and that it seemed like something you generally learned from your mothers, too.

When directed to the rock with green fuzz on it, Syrma sent her sights right that way and nodded again. She had seen this stuff before! But, didn't know it was called moss or that it was that useful--and certainly, something as straightforward as cleaning a wound seemed very important. Ohh I've seen that around here a lot, she noted, especially near the waterways and around the shaded reaches of the woods. Now looking back, she realized she had probably just categorized it as some weird type of grass. A closer look to see that it was actually quite different hadn't come before. Is it the same green fur that's on some trees? she asked when the thought occurred next.

She was excited that Syrma seemed interested in what she had to say so far, and she was delighted that she even had a question for her. Yes, Speedy answered with an encouraging smile. It does grow on the trunks of trees sometimes. Usually in cool, moist areas. 

She continued to walk, looking for something else to point out. As the river curved, leaving a small, grassy field to their left, a patch of yellow caught the healer's eye. This way, she said, turning and trotting towards the weeds. She stopped in front of them and turned her gaze to her daughter. These are called dandelions, she explained. There was a pretty decent patch of them, stretched out in front of the two wolves. Each plant consisted of a bushy base of long, green, spiky leaves; three or four light yellow flowers grew tall from each base. They don't have much healing properties, Speedy explained. Then she lowered her muzzle and pulled off one of the leaves, promptly chewing and swallowing it. She turned and offered Syrma a smile. But you can eat the leaves if you want, she added. They aren't super tasty, but they'll do in a bind if you've got nothing else to eat. Obviously it wasn't a long term solution, but it was better that starving.

With an undeniable glimmer of self-satisfaction when mom confirmed her tree-greenery suspicions, she took note.. and no wonder it was more prevalent near the river like this if moss liked the moist areas. Syrma gave that another nod, and followed onward to the next point--a patch of weeds, well, at first glance anyway.

Following this suggestion, she zeroed in on the spiky leaves with yellow flowers. She gave them a few sniffs and watched her mom pluck a leaf and eat it. Oh! She.. well, okay! The girl's confusion surely showed for a beat, but quickly her focus went on. What about the flowers? she asked before she followed Speedy's lead and hesitantly picking a leaf of her own. Syrma fumbled it around on her tongue a bit before slowly, carefully, giving it a chew. Once the initial weirdness set in.. it really wasn't that bad. Maybe a little bitter, but not unbearably so.

The flowers are also edible, Speedy answered. Then she smiled as she watched Syrma take a leaf and chew it. What do you think? she asked once Syrma had eaten the leaf. Not so bad, right? She looked down at the flowers. I'm sure the flowers taste the same. Then she reached down and plucked one of the bright yellow blooms with her teeth. She chewed it, examining the taste. She swallowed and then turned to her daughter. Yep, tastes the same as the leaves, the healer commented. But as fun and interesting as this little exploration and tasting was, she felt she needed to explain something. Don't go around eating just any plant, though, Speedy started. Some plants are poisonous and should never be eaten. Sometimes they're pretty and you would never know that eating it could harm you. She smiled and lovingly touched her nose to her daughter's cheek. So until you're more familiar with plants, you should always ask me before eating something. She couldn't help but picture Syrma accidentally ingesting something harmful, and the fear squeezed her heart. She wanted to encourage her curiosity, but she also wanted her to be careful.

Yeah, not the worst thing. Just.. kinda weird, she mentioned, smacking her lips with the bitter taste of the greens as she eyed Speedy testing the flower to confirm that they were the same. Syrma gave the little yellow flowers another lasting look, but wasn't going to hurry to test one for herself. They were fine where they were. On that one, she would take her mom's word for it for today. She could still taste the leaf, anyway.

Her expression gave a little crumple then at poisonous plants. I don't think I'm in too big a hurry to eat many plants... she snickered beneath her mom's fond touch, though noted that some were bad for later. However, Speedy could worry about her all she wanted--it was probably not unfounded knowing the mischief-hunters the twins could be when paired up. But, Syrma was still too new at this and testing her interests out for a good fit anyway. Greens weren't too appetizing to someone who didn't miss many meals, and really.. she kind of liked leaving them where they were to look at, and admire later. Are there any poisonous ones here to look out for? she asked, wondering.

Speedy smiled. Yeah, it is kind of weird, she agreed. There were far better things to eat, of course, but it was helpful to know what you could eat if needed. Speedy swallowed the remnants of the bitter plant as best she could, and then took the few steps to the water's edge. She lowered her head and took a short drink. 

Lifting her head, she looked back to Syrma as she exclaimed that she wasn't going to be eating many plants, which was fine with Speedy. And then her next question made the healer think for a few moments. Yes, there are a few I've noticed, she said as she began to walk along the riverbank. She searched the ground for something to point out. There was a particular plant she had seen recently, and now would be the perfect time to show her daughter so she could learn and be careful around it. She stopped when she found the plant. It was bright green, and its leaves were serrated on the edges. Without getting too close, do you see the tiny hairs along the stem of this plant? she asked. While Syrma examed the plant, she continued to speak. It's called a stinging nettle. You never want to get those on your face or paws because they sting. You also don't want them on your fur because you can potentially get the hairs on someone else. She looked over the plant as she let the information soak in. 

There was also a plant I saw growing along the river last year, she began again. It has petty, light purple flowers and is called an Iris; they are poisonous if eaten. She looked around. I haven't seen any yet this spring, but it's early yet.

New to the notion of plants causing actual trouble, she followed along to the next.. though this one took a moment more to find. Still, she listened, and squinted at the plant in question--the stinging nettle, with its tiny hairs. She nodded, but kind of kept her distance the more she heard, in no mood to be stung by some plant. She thought bugs only did that but guess not, especially if this one did a good enough job of it to get named that way. Yuck, she said through the frown it had brought. At least now she knew to look out for it, though!

As for the other, a purple flower.. Iris.. huh, she cataloged, even without a face to match to the name right now. But, since it was another one of those that needed to be eaten things, she found that easy enough to avoid doing. If you do see any, can you tell me? I want to see.. so I know what's bad, she said quietly. Then, she pricked an ear, thinking suddenly about Spica then over the din of all the plants that had taken up her focus lately. Maybe a good sign that her attention span was about to expire, so, remembering earlier, she gave a little chirp. I'm probably good for now.. though. I wanna go see Spica... she said, and gave her mom a little nudge of thanks with her snout before beginning to take off to track down her twin. She had appreciated this, certainly.. but they had been apart long enough. Syrma was eager to remedy that and see what she was up to.

She couldn't help but giggle at her daughter's reaction to the stinging nettle. Yes, exactly. Yuck, she agreed with a warm smile. It seemed she wouldn't have to worry too much about Syrma being careful around the plant, which was a relief. 

Speedy watched as her daughter took in the information on the flower she had described, repeating the name back to her after a few moments. And when she asked if Speedy would show her the flower if she saw it this year, the healer nodded. Definitely; the second I see one, I'll find you and show you. An easy promise to make; Speedy loved teaching her daughter about plants, and she was excited to see that her interest might grow beyond just what they talked about today. 

But the time for learning seemed to be over too soon, although she only met Syrma's comment with a loving smile and a nod of her head. Alright, sweetie, she said, reaching over to gently nuzzle her cheek. Let me know if you're ever in the mood to learn more, and I'll teach you some other things. She would stay there and watch her daughter disappear into the territory with a fond smile and then get to work inspecting more of the plants that were suddenly sprouting along the riverbank; maybe she could find something useful to take back to her herb cache.