Herbalists' Cache every hour has its sound

A somewhat average and unassuming forest with a floor of pine needles and cones that drop from the coniferous trees. The thick foliage above gives the woods an enchanting ambience at both dawn and dusk, though the real draw of the territory is the vast array of herbaceous plants, berries and mushrooms it offers — if you know where to look. Hidden among the undergrowth and bushes, or tucked away in fallen logs and on the side of trees, a variety of plants, fruits and fungi can be found that are useful for healers, naturalists, and the simply curious alike.

For @Soltero

Rue hadn’t come out here expecting to go herb-collecting, but now that she had stumbled upon these woods it seemed like an opportunity she couldn’t conscientiously pass up. Truly, she had left the Plateau in hopes of escaping her worries, which primarily revolved around the injuries and illnesses her packmates had managed to contract of late. The last place she had expected to find herself when she departed this morning was (once again) in the position of caregiver, but life could sometimes be funny that way.

Rue lifted her muzzle to inhale the crisp air, sorting through the many scents hanging over these woods. The assortment of smells reminded her of Liri’s old medicine den. She followed her nose through the trees, sniffing here there and everywhere in search of something that could possibly be classified as useful.

It seemed he would spend plenty of time outside of the creek domain in the coming weeks - but he had dutifully sworn himself to this task, an occurance infrequently seen, and he did not intend to fail. He did not want to find the swiftcurrent wolves departed from each other's presence... ordinarily he might not have cared, but the creek had found a soft spot in his heart and he was reminded again of the promise he'd made Talos.

The smoky traveller let a puff of frosted air slink from his nostrils, apple-green gaze tipping skyward to peer at the canopy above; this forest was not dissimilar to most, and though it held some beauty, it did not compare to the creek. The soft sound of water running over smooth pebbles, the sharp ripples of frigid liquid, the silver streaks of fish dancing in sync beneath the surface, and the icy spray that drenched his features in a cool mist. No, it would never compare. But he would admire the thin streaks of light that poured in from above, leaking through scattered puzzle pieces of green.

His quiet walk was interrupted by the sound of footsteps nearby, and the Valento's ears pricked upon his crown; this time, he did not hesitate to meander closer, though his tail waved behind with caution, and he halted a safe distance away, releasing a deep chuff of greeting.

Sorting through the scents required much of Rue's attention; she was an herbalist by necessity and not nature, after all. With her focus solely upon the plant smells, she did not notice the packwolf's approach until he announced his presence with a low woof. The young lady jerked her head in the direction of the bark, tensing as the aftershock of the surprise coursed through her body. She was not used to being caught unaware. 

Despite being a stranger (and a man), the newcomer did not seem to mean Rue harm. Rue was no longer a lone wolf, vulnerable to the aggressive whims of a pack wolf. She was no longer a young girl, naive to the desires and intentions of a man. She was not so easily made a victim anymore. These were the things of which Rue often reminded herself, and the reassurance helped her to relax. 

Rue fixed her amber gaze upon the monochrome man, and she found it within herself to offer a reserved smile. "Hello," she spoke, ears twitching up and down as she wrestled with herself over whether to start a conversation. "Ah... um.. you don't happen to have knowledge of herbs, have you?" she finally asked after a pause, deciding that the welfare of her pack was worth pushing through her more reticent inclinations.

He had surprised her.

Soltero observed as her head turned back to face him, watching as the shock fizzed in her expression before fading, pale features settling and eyes of a warm honey-brown flicking in his direction. She was rather pretty, he'd admit - coat washed in champagne and cream, with tall, elegant ears and a youthful visage; unlike his own angular profile. He averted the direction of his gaze (not out of cowardice, but to assure her he was no harm) and silver ears cupped forward to absorb the words she cast toward him. 

"Hello," He returned, though his voice was gruff and low, deep baritones rumbling from his throat. To her enquiry he hesitated, feeling an icy wind sweep through the stormy hues of the fur on his nape, before parting his blackened lips to give an answer he hoped would be satisfactory - "...I know a little. Not much."

"Is there something specific you need?"

Ruenna shivered as the wind picked up, and her eyes flicked upward to study the darkening sky. Such an insistent easterly wind almost certainly bespoke storms brewing over the ocean. Returning her attention to her company, Rue observed that the young man seemed himself a bit tempestuous. The hues of his coat bore a resemblance to stormclouds gathering in a blustery sky, and his deep voice rumbled like distant thunder. 

Rue nodded as he admitted to knowing little. Her expression darkened slightly, but she tried her best to conceal her disappointment. If she seemed too desperate for medicine, the packwolf might sense the Plateau's present weakness. Not all packs were as collegial as the Plateau; some might hear of a sick, struggling pack and decide to take advantage. Although Rue was no mercenary, it did not take a military genius to see that the Plateau was woefully ill-equipped to fend off any kind of attack. 

"Um.. Lavender.. catsnip.. and ah.." What was it again? "..And coltshoof. I mean-- I mean coltsfoot. Those would make a good start,"  Rue answered a bit sheepishly, ears turning down in embarassment as her inexperience with herbs made itself known. 

Hopefully the man wouldn't immediately identify the herbs as the treatment for the highly-contagious disease Liri had called greencough. Or perhaps he would recognize the prescription and decide to keep as far away from Rue and her pack as possible. "But I.. I'm no herb expert or anything--" That was quite obvious. "--I guess I was just hoping to save our medic a trip, if I could." Rue gave her best attempt at a nonchalant shrug. 

"Are you here on pack business as well?" She turned the conversation away from herself, honey eyes regarding the man curiously. He smelled of a pack, there was no sense in pretending she hadn't noticed.

The wind was unpredictable, and whipped through his pelt with a violent surge - vivid eyes squinted against the icy air, and the wheels in his brain attempted to shift and click; there was little he remembered from his mother's lessons, and perhaps luckily for Ruenna, he had no idea what the treatment for greencough was. He did, however, recognise two of the three plants she mentioned, and hummed lowly in thought. "I know of lavender and catnip." He concluded, idly glancing around as though they'd materialize into his vision.

Her trip sounded like a meaningful cause, and though it was true Soltero had learned in his travels to look out for himself and only himself (it was a dangerous world, after all), the young man decided it couldn't hurt to aid the champagne wolfess in her goal. Besides, she was rather cute, and he'd feel a little guilty turning his back and returning to the creek. "Alright. You want me to help you look for some?" 

To her enquiry, the Valento gave a swift nod, silver tail flicking at his hind. "...Technically, yes." He was a man of few words, but many thoughts - there was plenty going on in his mind, but he struggled even with simple things to word his sentences in a way that got his point across, so he stuck to shorter speech.

Bless him for pretending not to notice her awkwardness with plant names. He knew of lavender and catnip, but not of coltsfoot... that was unsurprising, Rue had probably come up with the wrong name for that one. Who ever heard of a colt's foot, anyway? Colts don't have feet. 

The man also declined to mention anything about greencough, another small victory. Rue relaxed a little more; at least she wasn't totally bombing this conversation. It seemed that she hadn't yet said anything that gave away too much about the Plateau's condition. 

"Y-..." Rue was almost too surprised by the offer to agree right away. Her confusion morphed quickly into gratitude, once she realized the stranger was sincere. "-Yes! Thank you. That would be.. really great." Her expression softened, and her honey-brown eyes lit up with warmth. 

The man's answer was not incredibly forthcoming. "That's.. mysterious," Rue commented, a smile quirking at the edge of her mouth. Rue tried again. "..Which pack?" she asked, hoping he might find that question a little easier to expand upon. Just as she could not reveal the entire reason for her errand, perhaps he too had to conceal his mission for the sake of his pack.

She seemed to relax at his words, which caused Soltero to breathe a silent sigh of relief - the last thing he wanted to do was scare someone off with his solemnity; or, strangely, an offer of help. The stormy Valento watched the pale girl idly, rather pleased when her eyes warmed in his direction, and gave a half smile in return.

Ruenna's following statement caused him to blink in surprise, before a short, deep chuckle fled from betwixt his lips and shuddered into the crisp air. "I... ah, sorry. I'm not... the best with words." A salmon tongue slid out to swip across his lips, and he made another attempt. "Swiftcurrent Creek. South-East from here." Then he peered curiously at her, wondering which scent she carried with her -- "What about you, which pack did you come from?"

Rue shrugged off the man's apology, her gaze understanding. "Practice will improve that.." she suggested offhandedly, smile tugging even more insistantly at the corner of her mouth. He was more than welcome to practice with her. Although to be honest, she wouldn't mind a bit if he wished to simply walk in silence, enjoying the scenery as they set about their task. Rue was certainly not one who required constant chatter. Much the opposite, in fact.

"..At least, it did for me," she added, recalling a time not so long ago when she would have been much more reserved with an unknown male. 

As he described his pack, Rue's eyes sparked with recognition. Grezig had spoken of happening upon a creekside pack during her travels. "Yes, I've heard of you all. I'm at Blacktail Deer Plateau. We're situated on the western edge of the mountain chain, right behind the dome." Rue gestured in the direction of Thunder Dome, which would be a distinctive landmark on the horizon if the Cache's canopy hadn't been blocking their view. 

"We're sort of neighbors, I suppose.." Rue mused, letting the observation hang. Her expression lit up as the thought triggered a happy reminder. "Oh! Is your pack going to Yule? At Elysium?" Elysium was a shared neighbor for both packs, so it was possible that Swiftcurrent Creek had recieved an invitation as well.

The idea that she might run into Soltero again was a compelling one. The man's quiet presence was refreshing at a time when Rue's mind felt so chaotic. She allowed her eyes to quickly trace along the sculpted line of Soltero's jaw before directing her gaze back to their surroundings. She had to admit, in addition to being pleasant company, he was also easy on the eyes.

"Practice will improve that..."

A voice echoed into his head, a gentle tone and a loving gaze; his mother had always prompted him in a similar way, had always encouraged him despite the struggles he had (no matter how small!), and it filled a spot in his chest with warmth, a soft smile pulling at his lips. "Maybe." He murmered, silvery tail swaying gently at his rear.

Grey ears perked at her comment, vivid eyes sparkling a touch - ah, the recognition was pleasing to see, for the creek had been terribly quiet in recent times, and often it felt as though the world itself was empty, silent. Not always a negative characteristic... but it grew lonely in the cold days that passed. The Valento's smile grew to a friendly grin, nodding enthusiastically (why was it so much easier to talk to her?) "S'pose we are, huh?" Then he blinked at the mention of Yule, and recalled the conversation with Lily about attending, and the alpha's conclusion; yes, they were going. "I don't know if all of us are, but I definitely am. Are you?" He enquired hopefully, finding himself rather comfortable in her presence. He was certainly not against encountering her again, intruiged to find out more -- there was no denying that she was a beautiful wolfess, and her eyes were filled with an enthralling, soothing ribbon of warmth, indescribably welcome in the frigid winter.

Maybe. Rue gaze lifted to the man's visage when he murmured his reply, and she found a small smile playing across his features as well. She turned back forward to hide her expression as her demure smile threatened to morph into a full-on grin. 

Had Rue known of the silence that pained Soltero, she might have found herself a little jealous that her pack was not equally peaceful. Of course, a quiet territory suggested its own troubles-- those which Rue would never consciously wish upon the Plateau-- but... even so. She would have grown a little wistful... just a little. 

Soltero seemed to be animating more and more as they spoke, his formerly reserved demeanor brightening into chipper amiability. Perhaps he was just one of those slow-to-warm-up types. Rue could relate. 

Rue's eyes-- which often divulged more of her inner emotion than she knew-- lit up once again as Soltero confirmed his attendance at Yule. Her champagne tail fluttered in delight. "I wouldn't miss it," she answered, possibly with more feeling than she meant to reveal. 

Rue inhaled deeply and looked away, feeling a little sheepish that she had made her enthusiasm so obvious. Would Soltero think it childish that she was so excited over Yule? Rue cherished every moment of warmth, closeness, and celebration that the Yule season inspired, and she doubted she would ever grow out of her fondness for the holiday. 

Rue's brow furrowed. "Smell that?" she asked, nose quivering in the chilly air. The calming, ataractic aroma of lavender was a favorite of hers, and therefore more easily recognizable to Rue than any other herb. She scratched a paw over the snow a few times to see if the scent would grow stronger, suggesting a lavender plant buried beneath the wintery surface.

He noted the emotion in her voice as she spoke of Yule, and felt it linger in his chest - it was a little contagious, perhaps, but she seemed to shy away as she took notice of her own enthusiasm; against what she might have believed, he didn't think it was childish. Soltero actually thought her reaction was rather cute, and he was intruiged to see what Yule was all about - he'd never heard about it before... likely another side-effect of being alone for so long. 

The smoky traveller tipped a nose to the sky as another gust of polar wind swirled between them, a little flurry of snowflakes drifting on the air and dusting his pelt in thin lacings of white. Gelid months were not his favourite, but he enjoyed the sights they brought - especially the snow. It was beguilling; enchanting, but bitterly hazardous. Ruenna's voice broke his thoughts, and he breathed in the scents again, almost immediately picking up the aroma of the lavender, and giving a pleased swish of his tail in response. "Yes," he nodded, watching to see if, beneath the snow, the plant grew - if that was the case, there might be more around, too.

Suddenly he paused, blinking before passing a charming, sheepish grin in the girl's direction. "I just realised I never gave you my name. Sorry. I'm Soltero."

Ruenna tucked her head against the gusting wind, and when she looked back up Soltero's pelt was dusted in powdery white. Rue was delighted to see that a snowflake had landed perfectly on the tip of the man's nose, its pearly, geometric designs contrasting against the inky background. In half a moment the snowflake was melted, but for some unknown reason Rue still found it difficult to pull her gaze away from the man's sculpted visage. Rue felt the need to shiver, and not because of the wind. 

The charcoal-pelted man mentioned names, and Rue chuckled at their mistake. "We'll get the hang of this conversation thing eventually," she laughed, "...with practice." Soltero was a lovely name, perfect for the season. Rue couldn't say why, but it was a name that reminded her of long, silent nights and steadily falling snow. "I'm Ruenna," she returned, shooting him a quick smile before she turned back to her digging. 

The lavender plant was emerging slowly as she dug. When she unearthed the first sprig her gaze shot up to meet Soltero's, victory dancing in her eyes. The scent of lavender, which had previously been faint, was now bursting from the snow to wrap itself into the swirling winter winds.

Soltero's gaze lingered on the plateau wolf too, watching as the snowflakes swirled in the air and came to rest on her nape like little stars, frost patiently kissing her youthful features and settling along her shoulders; glittering eyes of vibrant green trailed up, only to see that her own glance had halted on his. The traveller exhaled softly, and a cloud of frosted breath billowed from his lips, dissolving into the following gust of wind.

She laughed, and he found himself savouring the sound, (it had been too long since he heard the sound of laughter) flashing a gentle grin at her words. "Eventually, yes," He laughed back, listening to the crisp crunch beneath his paws when he moved a step to the side (sniffing the air for signs of more lavender). Her name was given, and he found it spilling from his muzzle, almost without his own will - "Ruenna," He repeated, nodding his head and committing it to memory; it was a beautiful name, reminding him warmly of spring, fading into summer - the colourful wash of life, delicate flowers and soft, tapping rain... golden pools of light, too, when the clouds cleared and the sun sparkled.

Success!

They'd uncovered the lavender. Or... Ruenna had done most of the work, but he celebrated the victory with a steady wag of his tail, and breathed in the gentle sounds that blessed the cold winter winds. "There might be more around, too. Do you think you'll need more or should we start looking for catnip?" The Zeta beamed, feeling a strange tenderness bloom in his chest.

Soltero's gaze smouldered as he released a long breath, vapors rising like steam from a latent volcano.  He laughed, and his breath erupted into the air while his features lit up with mirth. Rue was unable to keep her own grin at bay, her tail whisking merrily as they chaffed at themselves. Despite being a man of few words, Soltero seemed to be enjoying his company. Rue was certainly enjoying hers. 

He repeated her name, and it seemed particularly cogent when spoken in his low, rumbling tones. "Rue is fine too," the girl allowed, words slipping out as she spoke without thinking. She refered to herself by the shortened version of her name in her own mind, but she only very rarely gave it out to others. With more thought though, Rue decided that she wouldn't mind hearing the nickname spoken in Soltero's sonorous tenor. 

Soltero offered to continue helping her, and gratitude warmed her expression further. "I hope it will be enough," she answered honestly, brow furrowing with worry. She was no longer so concerned that the man might detect the Plateau's weakness-- Rue thought herself a decent judge of character, and Soltero seemed to truly mean well. "I'd be grateful for help with the catnip too," Rue admitted, "..But I don't want to cut into your time meant for Swiftcurrent Creek." Soltero had mentioned that he was out on pack business as well.

The traveller silently chose to commit the second name to memory as well as the first - he liked it; short and sweet. A following trail of thought caused him to hum quietly, a low rumble of contemplation, before his lips parted again -- "In that case, Solly, or Tero... or anything, really, is fine." He almost surprised himself with the offer, but did not retract it, and instead gazed smoothly in the pale girl's direction, another dusting of snow sweeping up from where it lay to rest on the ground and swirling around his paws.

Truth was, he didn't really want to go yet. Her presence was far more comforting and warm than he'd anticipated, and returning to his familiar duties seemed far more dull than it had previously. Soltero's gaze tipped toward the sky, studying the clouds and the hues that lay behind - there was enough time... wasn't there? "It's alright. I think I can spare a little more before I get back to work." Reluctantly, he decided that then, after they'd located some catnip, he'd have to return to his job.

After she gave her nickname Soltero hummed in thought, and Rue tilted her head curiously. He was a tough one to read... she couldn't tell if he liked or disliked the shorter version of her name. When he spoke, it became apparent that he had not been considering her name, but his own. A funny expression crossed her face, one of both amusement and contemplation. Neither "Solly" nor "Tero" seemed quite right, somehow.  If she had to pick a nickname, she would proabably have chosen "Sol." Or even "Solo." But they were still too unfamiliar to be coming up with new names for each other, right? So she would stick to "Soltero" for now.

The man's gaze lingered on the skies as he contemplated Rue's words, and Rue took the opportunity to allow her gaze to linger on the man. He looked as if he could have been sculpted from rock, all chiseled muscle and grayscale roughcast. Rue drank in the sight quietly, flexing her paws in the snow as her heartrate increased. When he pulled his verdant eyes down from the heavens, Rue made sure to cast her gaze aside as well so he wouldn't catch her looking. 

Soltero voiced that he could spare a little more time. Although her gaze was still cast downward, the edges of Rue's mouth turned up in subdued delight. She had allowed him the chance to excuse himself and he had declined... Rue was flattered, and secretly hopeful that this was an indication that the man was enjoying her presence. She nodded, bringing her eyes back up to meet Soltero's.  "Great! ..Thank you, Soltero." She liked the way her tongue rolled around his name; she would definitely stick to using the longer version for now. "And.. if there's anything I can do to help you with your work, I'm happy to return the favor." She then turned her attention back to the swirling winds, attempting to pull the minty scent of catnip from the sprightly air currents.

She continued to use his name as she had before, but he found himself undisturbed by the concept - it felt more normal to use Soltero... his mother had been the only one who referred to him as anything but. The traveller passed her a sheepish smile, but it smoothed and warmed as his mind shifted to the task at hand; idly he wondered how much time he would have before the sun began to dip too low and he was forced to head home, eyes heavy with the weariness of his trip. He was sure he had time.

Ruenna's offer sparked a glimmer in his gaze, and he gave a soft nod in response: "I appreciate it," came the low rumble of gratitude, tail swaying against his hind as his lips parted to taste the chilled air once more. With the action, another thought traipsed into his skull, and he felt his tongue brush over his gums - what did catnip smell like? He couldn't remember, and cast his eyes toward the champagne wolfess with a raised brow, vision wandering the soft fur of her cheeks before he realized and refocused on the surroundings.

After many heartbeats of silence, he paused, inhaling the minty aroma that tinged the air. The Valento peered back toward Rue, and inclined his head curiously: "Is that catnip?" He sure hoped so, but another part of him frowned internally at the concurring ideas - if that was catnip, and his memory wasn't entirely failing him, then that would mean his time in the plateau wolf's presence was coming to and end, and he found himself reluctant to linger on it.

Soltero expressed his gratitude for her offer, and then he said nothing else. Silence stretched out between the pair, and Rue finally realized that the man was not going to make any requests for assistance. Soltero's mission would remain a mystery, as would almost everything else about him. It was clear to her that getting to know the Swiftcurrent Creek man would be quite a challenge, but for reasons unknown Rue felt compelled to try. 

Was he watching her? Rue's eyes slid toward her companion as they walked, but if he had indeed been watching her Rue had failed to catch it. She pulled her gaze away from Soltero before he could catch her in the very act in which she had been attempting to catch him. As they continued forward, Rue began to scent catnip in the air, but this time she remained quiet instead of pointing it out. As they came upon the spot where the catnip was likely buried, Rue slowed reluctantly. It would be selfish to pass the catnip by and keep Soltero from his business even longer, but the Plateau wolf was sorely tempted to do exactly that.

Soltero then spoke his question, making the decision for Rue. The young lady nodded, casting her gaze aside sheepishly.  "Yeah, it's.. it's here somewhere," she confirmed, doing her very best to keep the disappointment from her voice. She started to dig where they were standing, and it was not long before the catnip was unearthed from the snow. Rue gathered up the herb and then looked to Soltero, taking in a long breath. "Well, um.. I..." Rue cleared her throat. "I won't keep you any longer, Soltero." She smiled, but even so a perceptive wolf would note a touch of sadness in her features. "Thank you. For your help with this." She glanced down at the herb collection at her paws before meeting his verdant gaze once more. "I'll look forward to seeing you at Yule," she added a little shyly, her bashfulness tugging at the corners of her smile.