Deepwood Weald We're up all night playing video games

A chilly fog drifted ominously between the thin trunks, but Lucas hardly felt the cold at all. Thanks to his father, he had a thick, nigh impenetrable winter pelt and fluffy paws that kept out even the coolest weather the Wilds could produce. It was about the only thing Xan had ever done for his son but it was greatly appreciated at the onset of winter. It meant he could travel indefinitely, scratching the wanderlust itch that had taken hold of his bones since his time with the troupe, without ever suffering the elements.

He was always on the lookout for potential pack mates to send to Govinda, but his main objective in the misty weald was hunting practice. Owing to his size, Lucas was never going to be a stellar hunter. The least he could do for Parivaar was make an effort to get better so that he could provide something, even if nine of ten hunts ended in failure for him. One in ten was better than not even trying.

His mind wasn't with him as he padded heavily through the woods, though. His eyes were unfocused as he weaved between the trees, thinking of his siblings and wondering if they had found success as hunters. Wyatt surely had; his dark-haired brother had always been a slinking sort whose build would lend well to hunting. Lucas imagined that Piper was at least an all right hunter as well with her slimmer figure. He wondered what they were doing now, how they had grown, what ranks they held in Bearclaw Valley. There was a light twinge of homesickness to follow that thought, free spirit or not.

She had wandered far from the safety of moonspear, but she was doing one last herb check before they progressed too far into winter, searching all the forests she knew were near from her wandering days. She hadn't been long out of the lone wolf lifestyle, but she already felt a significant shift in her priorities. She had begun to grow attached to her packmates, and so she wanted to be as prepared as she could for the winter. 

The empath moved through the trees quickly and with purpose, eyes on the ground as she searched for plants. The scent of a stranger soon broke her concentration, and she halted her steps to glance around her. Her golden gaze finally found the male a distance ahead of her, moving between the trunks somewhat absentmindedly, and since she was always glad to make friends with strangers, she trotted towards him. Once close enough, she released a soft chuff and came to a stop, smiling and waiting for his response.

Scent trails were splashed across the ground in front of him. If Lucas closed his eyes and turned all his focus on his nose, he could almost draw a map in his mind's eye of the forest based on where the smells went. There, a hare's subtle musk overlapped with the more pungent, lingering aroma of a buck long past. He felt saliva pool around his gums. The trail was fresh.

Lumbering along with his eyes half-lidded now, the boy attempted to keep track of where the hare had gone, but the trail seemed to wind and wend in nonsensical ways. He lost it several times and picked it up again further from where he expected to find it. Much as he wanted to celebrate the small victories in finding it again, each recurrence only made frustration spark in his breast. Why was this so difficult? He wasn't used to being bad at things and it showed on his blue eyes that despite his sunny disposition, being bad at the one thing that would ensure his ability to survive on his own wounded Lucas' pride.

When he lost the trail again, he lost it for good. He was unable to pick it up again. Defeated, Lucas slumped his shoulders and decided he might as well head back home, but then Speedy called attention to herself. He turned slowly, hoping self-consciously that she hadn't seen his hopeless attempt at tracking the hare, and beamed at the brown-and-white she-wolf. Meeting her golden eyes for a moment and then glancing politely away, Lucas greeted her with a bright, Hello! whilst pushing the hare and the lost trail both from his mind.

As she moved towards the seemingly friendly male, the twinge of pain in her still-fresh neck wound reminded her of what happened the last time she greeted a random stranger on her own. She paused for a second, cursing herself and her deeply ingrained habits. She had promised herself she would stop doing this, yet here she was far from home and throwing herself into a meeting with a stranger.

But she was already here, and he already seemed way more friendly than the blackfeather woman, so she gave him a friendly smile as she took a few more steps towards him. Hey, the empath said, smile remaining on her face. I'm sorry if I interrupted something, Speedy offered next. She wasn't sure what he had been doing, but he seemed preoccupied with something before she had distracted him.

Oh, no, you didn't! he said with a beam, and it was mostly true, because who was he kidding? Fat fellow like him, he wouldn't catch a hare in a million years by himself, they were much too fast and fleet of foot. Even if he found the slowest hare in all of the world, he would be unlikely to catch it because he couldn't turn quick enough to follow. If he hoped to be a hunter of any sort, he was likely restricted to large game, which required a pack. There wasn't much he could do to improve on that on his own, having never even seen a hunt.

Was just getting some hunting practise in, he admitted, fixing her with a boyishly soft expression. What brings you here? Maybe she lived here and was familiar with the best hunting places, or perhaps she was another lone wolf looking for a place to stay. Then again, he reconsidered with a curious sniff, she smelled like others. No one he recognized, and quite different from the smell of the sea as well. One question at a time though.

She couldn't help but grin in return as he amiably assured her that she hadn't interrupted anything. It seemed he was working on his hunting, and she nodded in response to his words. Hunting wasn't really a hobby of hers, but when she was on her own, she had to develop pretty decent small game hunting skills; since she had no one to help her then, big prey was out, so she had eaten a lot of rabbits and rodents. 

She smiled again when he asked what brought her here. I was checking to see if there were any useful plants left here, she explained. It was starting to get just a little too far into winter for even the more hardy herbs to still be around, but she was diligent in her preparations for the cold season. She never wanted to be unable to help a pack member, especially from low supplies. Oh, I'm Speedy by the way, she offered when she realized she hadn't introduced herself.

There was a new concept: plants were useful for something. There weren't any healers in Bearclaw Valley that he could recall and the troupe didn't have any wolves that specialized in plants, so Lucas hadn't ever had reason to consider it before. He swept his eyes across the dying foliage on the ground and quirked a brow. They didn't seem like they'd be much good for anything, but he inherently trusted others and didn't have any reason not to believe Speedy.

I'm Lucas, he returned, wagging his tail and meeting her gaze for a second before looking away again. What do you use them for? He thought maybe they'd be good for crushing into some kind of mush, maybe something he could paint with, but beyond that his imagination was too limited to dream up what plants might do. He didn't even know some of them were edible, let alone that they had effects on a wolf's immune system.

Nice to meet you, Lucus, she returned brightly, smile crossing her face as she spoke. She looked around and gave a few wags of her own tail in response to his question. I use them to treat wounds and illnesses, she replied. There are a lot of different plants that can be used to relieve pain and prevent or treat infection, the empath explained further. She thought it a little strange that he seemed completely unaware of the benefit of plants. Sure, most weren't familiar with the details of which plant did what, but most wolves she had met were at least aware that some plants had some kind of healing properties. That didn't mean she minded his question at all; she loved talking about her work--she just thought it strange that he seemed so uninformed. 

She looked around to see if she could find any examples, but so far the forest had been too taken over by winter to provide anything of use. I haven't found much here yet, but you're welcome to look with me if you want, Speedy offered. He seemed nice, and she always preferred doing things with company rather than being alone.

You can do that? he marveled as Speedy searched the ground nearby. He wondered why he'd never heard of this before, but it made sense in hindsight. His life in Bearclaw Valley had been blissfully sheltered, and his life with the troupe had been too high-paced for this sort of scholarly work. When it came to academia of any kind, Lucas was as poor as an urchin. He knew nothing that didn't come from either his instincts or a need to entertain others, and it was completely fascinating to him that there was this whole other use for plants besides just being pretty and smelling nice.

So how do you use them? he asked, eagerly waddling forth to peer at the trunks of trees. He had no idea what he was looking for, but his tail wagged all the same when he found a clump of tall grass (nothing special about it) and brightly asked, can you use this to heal someone?

Yeah! Speedy answered with a wide grin, happy to see he was so interested in the topic of medicinal plants. She waited for him to catch up to her before she started walking again, nose occasionally lowered to sniff something that might seem promising. For the most part, the forest was severely lacking in useful plant life, but she wasn't too surprised; it was winter and getting to be too far into it for anything to have really held out against the cold aside from the evergreen fir trees that added splashes of dark green to the brown and grey scale of the rest of the forest. 

She stopped to inspect the grass Lucas had pointed out, taking in its scent and comparing it to her mental catalog of plant knowledge. Hmmm, she said first, lifting her head to smile at the other wolf. I don't think so, the empath answered gently. But good job being curious. That's most important when learning about new things. She always felt like you learned better when you asked questions as opposed to just taking in the information given to you and moving on. 

The healer resumed her purposeful stroll once more, nose to the ground again as she searched. Looking for plants could be tedious work sometimes, but she never minded it, and it was even better that she had someone to talk to about what she was doing. She neared the edge of the forest where the ground vegetation thinned some, nose moving quickly to take in all the scents. A promising smell lead her to a small brown plant, clearly stripped of all its flowers by winter. Not quite what she had hoped for but at least she had found something to teach Lucas about. This plant will have flowers in the spring. It's called Marigold, she explained first, kind smile on her face again as she looked between the hibernating plant and the curious boy. The petals from the flowers are good for keeping infection from wounds, she elaborated. She would commit this place to memory so that she could hopefully return here in the spring and collect the flowers when they bloomed.

Luc's tail dipped down with disappointment to know that his discovery wasn't useful, but he didn't let it get him down for long. Hopping back to his normal jaunty walk, the jovial juvenile followed Speedy out to where the trees grew sparse. Here the ground was mostly a mix of mud, snow and dead grasses; he couldn't smell anything but muck and old game trails.

Speedy, on the other hand, had a keener nose for botany, for she indicated a clump of dried foliage and explained that in warmer weather this would be medicinal. Lucas' tail waved as he skipped over and dropped his snout to gingerly inhale the plant's aroma, committing it to memory for when spring came back 'round. If you asked him, it kind of smelled like the rest of the grass. How do you know it'll become marigold? he asked, shooting the Moonspear wolf a quizzical smile. What if it turns into something else?

Lucas clearly didn't know how plants worked. He thought they just sort of appeared and what they were was random. Indicating the heavy fir boughs of a nearby tree with a hound-esque point, Lucas next asked, are these useful too?

She smiled at his question, turning her head to him as she answered. Well, the part of the plant above ground dies in the winter, but the roots remain alive underground where it's warmer. So in the spring, new leaves and flowers will grow again. So, if this was marigold before, then it's roots won't change into anything else, meaning that it will continue to be marigold until the whole plant dies and becomes part of the earth to feed other plants, she explained, hoping she was explaining it well enough for him to understand. 

Her eyes followed to the fir his muzzle was pointing to. Hmmm, not that I know of, she answered, shaking her head a little. You can use the pine needles to line the floor of den for extra padding and warmth, though, she added, a friendly smile crossing her face as she studied the tree.

Who knew plants were so interesting? Certainly not Lucas, who was rapt on Speedy as she explained how plants died and came back to life in the warm weather. What makes them die for good? he wondered. He had some guesses, but being a young and optimistic fool with no exposure to death, he was pretty off base. How was he to know there weren't predator plants that ate the prey plants?

How do you recognize it in the spring? he asked, forthcoming as ever with his multitude of questions. He would need to know these ever-so-important details if he ever went looking for it when it bloomed. He considered marking this spot so it'd be easy to find in the future, but for once thought something through and realized that no matter how much he peed, it wouldn't last long enough. Besides, he was loathe to defile flowers in such a crude fashion.

To Speedy's information about the needles, Lucas nodded gratefully. It was astounding to him how many uses plants had, and even more astounding that he had never known it before now.

She thought about his question for a few moments, mouth twisting pensively. I guess there are a few things that can make them die permanently, Speedy started. Fire, disease, overcrowding, drought, and of course us, she listed. She wondered if in a perfect environment, plants would just keep growing forever? Animals had limitations--they got old, their bodies wore out, and then they died, but is it like that for plants? She would have to study that some more and maybe discuss with another healer or maybe a naturalist if she ever came across one. 

There will be pretty yellow, gold and red flowers and long, skinny green leaves, she described, answering his next question. This was one she definitely knew the answer to. Not that she minded the more difficult questions; they helped her learn too, and she was always looking to further her skills. They have a really nice smell in the spring, she explained. You will definitely be able to smell them then. Now the scent was faint--probably only noticeable by someone who had smelled it before, but when the marigolds bloomed, they could be scented by any passerby.

Trotting alongside the Moonspear healer, Lucas felt he was learning more than he had in a while. That wasn't to say that the troupe hadn't taught him a lot, or Govinda; it was just that their teachings didn't have far-reaching practical applications. Speedy's knowledge could be used to help others in a real way, more than mere entertainment ever could. Luc wanted to discover all there was to know about it so that one day, he could lend his aid, too.

Yellow, gold, red flowers, skinny leaves, he repeated back, swinging his tail as he peered down at what would become a marigold plant in the spring. He bobbed his head when she described its scent, though he knew he would have a hard time picking it out. Lucas thought every kind of flower smelled divine; how could he possibly tell one apart from another? With time, perhaps his nose would become as well-tuned to individual aromas as hers was. What other kinds of plants are there for healing? he wondered.

He repeated her description back, and she smiled and gave him an encouraging nod. She was glad he seemed to be so interested in plants and healing; it was a very practical hobby in her opinion, and it was, personally, her favorite way to keep herself busy. She thought for a few seconds at his next question, releasing a soft, Hmmm, as she considered some her favorite healing plants. Well, there are a two different types of bark I like to use for pain, Speedy started. Elder bark and willow bark, she finished. I have found both in different places around here, and they always come in handy when treating wounds or injuries. She thought a little more about what else she could offer. Oh, and there is always moss, the empath stated brightly. Moss is very good for stopping bleeding, which is usually the first thing you want to do when treating a wound. You don't want the wolf you're trying to help to lose too much blood, she explained further. You can also soak moss in water and bring it to someone who is unable to get up and drink on their own. Moss was something she always made sure to keep, or at least make sure she knew where there was some nearby if possible. Ginger root, which you can find in the ground, is good for nausea, she added. That knowledge might come in handy with the upcoming breeding season. The healer definitely made sure she had some of that just in case any of the Moonspear wolves would be expecting pups soon.

As it turned out, there was a wide assortment of useful foliage out there. Lucas listened carefully to everything Speedy listed off, studiously repeating them inside his head. Elder bark and willow bark, moss, ginger root... They'd barely scratched the surface of healing but already he felt overwhelmed by it. He was excited by it, too; even if he felt a little swamped with everything he'd just learned, Lucas was already dreaming up ways he could learn more.

A quiet howl drifting over the trees made the youth snap his head up. That's Govinda, he told Speedy with a softly wagging tail. No doubt he was summoning the Parivaar wolves back for dinner or some other affair. I better go. Do you think you could teach me more about plants sometime? Lucas didn't know where she lived or how far away it was, but if Speedy was amenable to teaching him more, then he certainly was willing to travel to get to her for lessons.

Speedy turned at the sound of an unfamiliar howl, returning her attention back to Lucas as he explained that it was from someone he knew and that he needed to go. She smiled and nodded at his next request. I would love to teach you more sometime, she replied with a wag of her tail. I live in the mountains just south of here with a pack called Moonspear, she explained. You can visit me anytime you'd like. she hadn't taught anyone before, but she realized she loved it just as much as gathering herbs and helping make others feel better. 

She turned then, looking back over her should to smile once more at the boy. Good luck and be careful going home, she added. Then she turned and trotted towards her own home, ready to be within the safety of her pack's borders again.