Dragoncrest Cliffs Tired, Hungry, Violent

The warm weather was coming to an end. Phobos could feel it in the way his bones ached and see it in how his fur had begun to grow out. He knew that his health would soon be in decline.

But work had to be done, and so out from his den he emerged to begin what would likely be a day of collecting the remaining herbs before more began to die out. He planned to stay within Sapphique territory this time, for he feared that the Montagne wolves would return should he leave.

He did what he could not to think of that encounter - he refused to speak of it outside of the den himself and Pepper shared.

It was best to leave such things behind.

phobos and pepper kept mostly to themselves. today, though, the red-furred boy traveled past one of them alone, poking around at a scant patch of greenery. curious, he diverted his path and drew alongside phobos, cocking his head in query.

what you be lookin' for? lafayette asked him, a smile curving his muzzle. he knew some wolves were healers and herbalists; perhaps this man was of the same ilk—

and while lafayette didn't have the greatest interest in the intricacies of medicine, he still wanted to learn more about his packmate—who had been mostly unknown to him up 'til now.

he sat respectfully to the side, enjoying the smell of fresh-turned earth and the ghost of aromatics.

A little voice cut through his troubled thoughts, pulling Phobos' attention.

Little Lafayette. Yes - he remembered him from the pearl ceremony. "Anything I can find." He stated, rather bluntly. "Many of the herbs will die off soon, if they have not already."

If he found something to ease Pepper's pain or tame his own illness, that would be a bonus. But by now he could see that in both cases they were not things that would simply leave. Was it worth treating?

He shook the thought out of his mind, deciding to focus on the boy.

"What are you doing out here? Hm?"

why die off? he asked—for after all, lafayette had never seen a winter. he had noticed the varying colors of leaves, changing from green to red, gold and brown. to his mind, though, that didn't signify a dying so much as a transition.

he had no idea what was to come.

phobos' question, meanwhile, brought his dark brow into a furrow. didn't he have the same right to be here as the piebald man? after all, he'd be a man in only a couple moons' time.

exploring, lafayette answered simply, with a shrug. lookin' for t'ings to be doin'. can i help you?

Right - he hadn't thought of that. He supposed that at his age Lafayette would be yet to live through a winter. "The temperature cools and the snow comes. The majority of plants die off and return in the spring." It was far from the best explanation, but he preferred not to talk the boys ear off.

It amused him, the way Lafayette's brow furrowed. Maybe Phobos was treating him a bit too much like a baby. He couldn't be far off from a yearling.

"You can help if you would like, though I'm afraid it won't be very interesting." It would be helpful to have an assistant, of course - particularly one who had so much more energy than him.

his eyes widened at the explanation, then shifted 'round, taking in the vegetation around them. sure, it was true, the leaves had curled and browned as the weather cooled. but he figured it was just a change—not a dying.

though, if phobos was right—and he had no reason to doubt the piebald man—the greenery would return, eventually.

lafayette gave a shrug, his affable smile remaining. i will help, he decided for the both of them. jus' tell me what i need be doin'. diggin' de plants up?

it seemed a very delicate process, but he was willing to learn.

He was willing, and so Phobos would take him along. Just be gentle, yeah? And don't touch the plants without me telling you.

He looked back to Lafayette, his expression suddenly growing serious. I'll turn you into a frog otherwise. He then resumed their walk as though it were nothing.

Truthfully, he did wish for the boy to be careful. There was the obvious fact that many plants were delicate, but some were dangerous too. A pup poisoned under his watch certainly would not earn him any points.

a frog?! lafayette exclaimed, looking a bit alarmed. despite nearing his first year, he was still a superstitious boy at heart. i won't touch 'em, i promise.

he followed the black-and-white man dutifully, and when they reached the intended ground, he stretched his muzzle low to sniff at the greens.

tell me what all dese do, he remarked, cocking his head in curiosity. most of them were squat, stubby plants, barely peeking above the ground. they smelled very nice, anyway—but for phobos to be digging them up, they must also have specific, important purposes.

At the sight of the plant the boy was hunched over, he was quick to nudge him away. Ivy. You don't want that - not unless you plan on giving someone a good rash at least. Or worse, but he was sure the boy got his point. Moving along, he nodded towards a bush of orange berries.

Sea buckthorn was not the best, but if it was here he would take it. There was always plenty, after all. Pick some of those for me, hm? They were good to keep around in the winter, anyways.

It was useful to have someone with younger bones to help out after all.