Herbalists' Cache ticking time

maybe a @Meleeys or @Nagruk ?

the air was crisp with the bite of winter, but star eater paid it no mind. she stood just outside her makeshift den, shaking out a fresh hide before draping it carefully over a low branch, letting the cold air cure the last traces of musk from the fur.
her breath curled in the frigid air, silver eyes flicking toward the distance, where her husband worked to finish the snow shelter.
somewhere hidden.
it would be ready soon. she trusted that. trusted him.
still, impatience curled in the edges of her thoughts, a quiet longing to see it done, to step inside, to carve the space as her own.
but for now, she worked. her paws were steady, her mind quiet, save for the rhythmic motions of her task. when the hide was settled, she stepped back, shaking the stiffness from her limbs, her gaze trailing back toward where sun eater labored.

yeets

Nagruk returns swiftly to Saatsine's forest camp, eager to divulge what she has learned and in turn receive news of the recent meeting. Nose to the ground, searching, she comes across his fresh trail intertwined with another. This one's prints are deeper, an indication that the wolf they belong to is holding more weight.

Her breath plumes white in thought as she spies Chieftain hard at work and, while Nagruk is not opposed to disturbing him, her attention is captured instead by a round figure nearby. A woman - his woman? "You are wife?" comes her blunt question, taciturn as ever as she approaches the hanging hide.

!!

star eater regards the woman with a quiet nod, her silver eyes appraising. she is not unfamiliar with nagruk, though their paths have not often crossed.
and you are... nagruk, yes?
her voice is even, unreadable, but there is a weight to it—a quiet knowing. she glances briefly toward where sun eater works, then back to the woman before her.
her grip on the hide tightens slightly before she releases it, letting it sway gently in the cold breeze. she does not move closer, but she does not step away either.
you will have your own hide some day.

The hide is delicate, expertly skinned and prepped in the way of the caribou hunters. Nagruk is aware of how they make their camps and use the furs of their prey for warmth, but has never considered it a good use of their time. For it would surely slow a clan always moving.

But for a woman fat with pups, she could see the appeal.

Her eyes widen slightly as Wife speaks her name, offering a curt nod in turn. "I have no need for hide." She follows her gaze then to where Chieftain remains busy, and while she does not expect the spark of jealousy that rises, it tightens her chest all the same. "What is he doing?"

star eater's smile is slow, knowing. she does not glance at the chieftain again, does not need to—her words carry the weight of her certainty.
it is not about need, she murmurs, voice smooth as she turns back to the hides, rummaging with practiced ease. it is about power. the larger the hide, the bigger the accomplishment.
her fingers trace over each pelt with purpose, before plucking one from the pile—a grand thing, white as snow with a bold black stripe running down its back. she lays it before nagruk, letting it settle between them like an offering, for her.
he builds a snow shelter. a birthing den.
her tone is casual, but there is something in the way she says it, the way her eyes gleam beneath half-lowered lids, watching for nagruk’s reaction.
then, she moves closer.
there is no hesitation, no uncertainty. she steps into nagruk’s space with the ease of a woman accustomed to being obeyed, to being followed. her breath ghosts along the other’s fur as she scents her, slow, indulgent, before her nose presses to the curve of nagruk’s cheek—featherlight, almost teasing, almost inviting.
a touch that lingers, before she pulls back just enough to meet her eyes.

So this was another Lanzadoii tradition. Nagruk's eyes narrow as the woman flaunts her trophy before her, a silent threat, perhaps. "Your accomplishment," the word is tricky for her to say, leaving Chieftain to his solitude for now. "Being Wife to Chieftain?" Or is there more history that inflates her ego so.

There is some approval to the tilt of her head as the hunter confirms what she is already deducing, an acknowledgement that Wife has done well to pick a strong man to father her cubs. It intermingles with Nagruk's instinctual drive to do the same. 

As the other approaches now, she stands as a proud stag might, allowing each touch and breath of air, throat rumbling something of acceptance before moving eventually to nose the soft tufts of fur beneath a midnight ear. This is the way of their species, to foster connection between two of the same clan. But if Wife seeks submission from Nagruk, she would not find it yet.

star eater releases a low, wolfish purr, the sound curling from her throat as nagruk's touch lingers beneath her ear. something primal, something pleased.
the accomplishment, she breathes, her voice thick as she does not pull away, is starting new life... and killing my old one.
there is weight to those words, but no sorrow. no regret. only the sharp edge of certainty, of a woman who has chosen her path and does not look back.
her silver eyes gleam as she watches nagruk, studying her, liking what she sees. she is strong—like the lanzadoii, like the saatsine, like her.
and gods, her body knows it.
her hormones rage, a fire beneath her skin, making her hyper-aware of every shift, every breath between them. she does not step back, does not temper the closeness, indulging in it. her nose drifts, tracing along nagruk’s jaw, her breath warm where it lands.
you approve, she muses, a whisper between them, playful, testing. her teeth flash, just barely grazing the fur of nagruk’s cheek.
it is not submission she seeks. not from nagruk.
but she wonders how far the other woman is willing to go.

Oh, Nagruk is growing fond of her. The words spoke ignited a twin flame beneath her skin, echoing a mantra passed down through generations of strong women and men alike. As Eros had done before, Wife had shed old furs and become something new, securing a legacy as Nagruk wishes too.

It seems they share more than one thing alike. 

Her scent is fierce, her touch electric, and Nagruk can admire her boldness for it matches her own. "It is way of Tartok," she comments gruffly with a curl of her lips, migrating to the nape where her teeth work the hairs there as she comes to stand over the smaller wolf. Wife brings out a gentle ferocity that the men of Saatsine have yet to stir and, though she is receptive to each advance, her eyes gaze beyond to Chieftain's figure.

star eater hums, the sound low and pleasant as she lets the woman continue, letting her teeth sift through the thick fur at her nape. tartok. she turns the name over on her tongue, testing its weight. it is unfamiliar, but not unwelcome.
tartok, she echoes, a breath of consideration. is that where you come from? her voice is soft, inquisitive, but there is a knowing there, as if the answer is already clear.
her gaze follows nagruk’s own, drawn across the tundra to where her husband toils away, his form rigid and purposeful in the distance. there is no jealousy in her tone when she speaks again, only something amused, something indulgent.
he wouldn’t mind. she tilts her head back just enough to glance at nagruk from the corner of her eye. women of saatsine are supposed to be... close. her words are teasing, but they are not a lie. her people are warm, despite the ice in their veins. it is the way of things. and she is a woman who follows the way of things.

The sound vibrates her chest as the woman comes to ask of Tartok. "Yes," she breathes, and though there is no trace of recognition, Nagruk is proud to indulge her curiosity all the same. "Tartok is family - sometimes, not blood. A name that carries strength." A strength, perhaps, shared by Wife in different ways. 

It is not uncommon for a woman of her lineage to seek the comforts of another lady in this way, but Nagruk's motivations are almost devoid of attraction, searching to possess what Chieftain calls his own. "Your cubs come soon." A pause; she meets the gaze of the other with knowing fire as jaws part to clutch the skin of her scruff. If she wishes to stop, Nagruk would oblige, though her mind is already caught in the tangle of a higher complex.

star eater does not pull away, though the grip of nagruk's teeth at her scruff sends a ripple of tension down her spine. not out of fear—never that—but from the unexpectedness of it, the foreign weight of another woman upon her like this. there’s something testing in it, and star eater’s chin lifts as if to meet the challenge, to see just how far nagruk means to push.
still, her voice remains smooth, unbothered, though the breath she exhales is slow and measured. soon, she confirms, her tone like the hush of wind across the snow, her gaze sliding sidelong as if to point where the shelter rests hidden beyond the brush. he built snow shelter for them. strong. warm.
her belly shifts beneath them, a reminder of what draws this attention to her in the first place. of what makes her precious in the eyes of men and, perhaps now, women like nagruk.
the first lanzadoii born in this place, she adds, as though that explains everything. as though that alone is why nagruk’s teeth belong at her throat.
she allows the hold only a moment longer before drawing her chin back, gently dislodging herself, but not harshly—not insulted. the ghost of a smile flickers at the corner of her mouth.
i see why you were chosen, star eater murmurs, as though sharing some private observation, as though she’s starting to understand nagruk’s place beside them all. her tail gives a faint sway. stay close. when the time comes, i’ll need strong women nearby.

She shivers beneath at Nagruk's advances, a dance of power veiled to look as simmering affection. She can feel every movement Wife makes here: the jut of her chin, the squirm of cubs within her belly. Nagruk's attention is drawn taught, but she allows the woman to pull away. 

"They be Lanzadoii, but they be yours first," her breath is heavy, reeling still from their proximity though she means to remind her that is not Chieftain who would toil for his new life to be born. The other speaks quietly now, and Nagruk cannot quite discern what she means by chosen - but strength recognises strength. "Call for me and I will come." It is her turn now to lift her chin smugly, pleased to have earned favour in Chieftain's circle. She would leave now lest Star Eater stop her.

star eater’s smile lingers, slow and serene, as she feels the woman’s grasp loosen and the space between them stretch once more. she does not stop her. does not tether nagruk in place with words or glances.
instead, she dips her head faintly, acknowledging the promise with a quiet pride. good, she murmurs, voice smooth and cool as the snow beneath their paws. when the time comes, i’ll call.
pindent]there’s something sincere in it—something deeper than mere politeness. nagruk’s strength was evident, and there would be no better hands to help carry the weight of that night if it were needed.
star eater shifts, just enough to glance back at the shelter sun eater built, her belly heavy, cubs restless beneath her skin. and thank you, she adds, as nagruk begins to turn away.
she watches her go, gaze sharp and thoughtful, though she does not hold her. there will be other times. other moments. for now, she lets the wild woman slip into the wind.