Moonsong Glacier bustling crowds or silent sleepers

She hadn't expected to spend her first weeks here sick, but life had other plans. It had started with chills and a sore throat, which led to a cough and stuffy nose. She rested a lot at first but now she was just sick of doing nothing. Plus, she knew there was a plant around here that could help with some of her symptoms. 

The marshmallow plant. The leaves could be used for medicine. She knew they were hardy little plants that could withstand the cold. But the pretty flowers she usually used to find them would no longer be there. She would have to rely on her somewhat compromised sense of smell, which would make things more difficult. 

She started around the lake, nose to the ground as she searched. She had to stop every now and then to cough or clear her throat, but she wasn't going to give up. If she found enough, she could store it for the others too.

There were others here that he had not yet met. Fjall, for one — the panther had caught his scent a few times, but thought the man must keep largely to himself. The other was a young woman about Ariadne's age. He had not yet set eyes on her, but he wondered if she might be another daughter of moonwoman. Ariadne had not mentioned having a sister among their numbers, but the other moonwolves were ever traveling to and fro.

Perhaps she was only visiting.

When he caught her scent fresh, Dutch set off in search of her. A view from a distance showed she was as small as cloudwoman, and that she had flame at her nape like Ariadne, but that the rest of her was dark and earthen.

"Peace be," he called to her as he approached, his tail waving high in greeting. "We have not yet met, you and I."

So far, she hadn't found what she was looking for, but she wasn't going to give up. She knew the plants would be around here somewhere—if her knowledge of the plant served her right. Picking up its scent proved to be trickier than she had originally thought with her stuffy nose, which was frustrating. Still, she tried. 

A voice pulled her from her work, and she looked up to see a large, handsome man with a beautifully unique coat and deep, orange eyes. She offered a friendly smile. Hello, she said softly, her voice a little rough from sickness. I'm Aminthe. I'm afraid I'm a little under the weather today. Hopefully, you're doing better?

The panther was pleased to be greeted without caution, and in turn, he abandoned the respectful distance he'd placed between them to reach her side. She was looking for something, and automatically, without knowing her purpose, he began looking, too.

"Whole and hale," he replied with another flick of his tail. His tone invited admiration for his impressive physique, but that, too, was automatic. His features were already creased with concern, and he assessed her condition with his eyes and his nose. He could not tell much from it, and that unsettled him almost more than if he'd been able to smell any particular ailment.

"Dutch," he said, belatedly. "My name. Pleased to meet you." And then, of course, he could not hold back the question: "What are you up to?" And the silent one that went with it: How can I help?