King Elk Forest MJ didn't want me, either

At times, he thought he was following a scent he once knew. The grass grew tall and thick between the more widely-spaced trees, and Murdock couldn't decide whether the scent tickling his nose was smattered across the blades or hidden deep within the soil. It didn't matter, he decided. It was an old scent either way, and he'd be hard-pressed to put a name to it. Why even try?

The male cut through the foliage, moving away from the long-dead trail. It seemed to wander instead of travel, and Murdock was much better suited to the latter. The fast he went, the soon he'd get there, he told himself. Only, he wasn't quite sure where there would end up being.

At the end of the night, when the sun started rising just past unbearable, Murdock decided that there was right here. He wasn't travelling any further in this heat. With a loud harumph, the male collapsed at the shady base of the nearest tree and glowered out at the too-cheerful forest around him. He half thought about taking a nap, but it seemed like an awful lot of energy would be needed to get ready for bed. Instead, he simply laid against the tree, hoping something interesting happened before his boredom got the best of him.

Morning dawns bright and early for the forest woman. She doesn't mind the heat, for there is plenty of shade to be found here in these woodlands, however, she decides it is much easier to work in lower temperatures than to exhaust ones-self during the afternoons' hot rays. Her mind recalls a time when she was young and just learning to swim; her mother saying that it is easier for the mind to concentrate during the early hours of the day, and so that's what she does.

Cecily finds what she is looking for by scent, mostly, for the large, fern-like leaves do not stand out amongst the rich grasses as much as it's sweet odour does. A closer inspection confirms her prize and she makes short work of unearthing the brown roots and separating them from the stem with a swift nip. With a grimace, she chews them into a sticky paste, saving a strip out of habit, before finally applying the poultice to the trio of jagged puncture wounds on her shoulder. They are healing nicely, however wanderlust is beginning to itch at Cecily's paws and, as nice as this forest is, she yearns to explore what lies beyond the tree line. With any luck, the herb would speed up the process so she may be on her way.

The piece she'd left un-chewed she places between the branches of a tree as a way to thank the forest; odd to any onlooker but something Cecily has adopted since departing the sea.

It didn't take long before something interesting happened. Murdock had found that, if you waited long enough, you didn't even have to go looking for adventures - which was great, for someone like him. They just came along, easy as you please, often in the form of pretty, long-legged things like the one currently wandering through the forest several yards off from him. Still, Murdock stayed where he was, not wanting to start up a conversation with the woman if she were overly busy, or not actually alone, or crazy in any way, or lookin' for someone to help her. Any number of things could turn him off of a girl before they even met, and his eyes - though half-lidded - were discerning as they tracked the woman's movements.

For a moment, Murdock feared she might even be diseased. Why would a healthy wolf be eatin' greens the way she seemed wont to? But his expression cleared when he observed her spreading the chewed-up plant matter over her shoulder. He was sure that, if he squinted, he'd be able to make out a wound. But why bother?

Standing, the male gave his pelt a brisk shake and padded toward the girl, his steps quiet and unhurried as he picked his way around obstacles rather than finding a way through them. When he was close enough that he wouldn't have to raise his voice over-much for her to hear, Murdock further slowed his pace and called out to her - "Y'alright, ma'am?"

As quiet as he may be, Cecily hears the approaching footfalls long before she turns from her pose by the tree. Her nostrils flare at the scent of the strange man, her sunshine orbs flicking briefly over his earthen pelt before she turns completely to face him, leaving her marked limb airborn for fear of dislodging the paste before it has time to set. She is not surprised to see another wolf here, for she has scented many during her stay, and it is always a curiosity to discover and glean what she can from those that might know the area.

"Ma'am?" she repeats, knowing full well that he is addressing her. "Sir, I'm doing awfully fine." Her tongue slips out to remove the last of the herb from between her teeth before she gingerly presses her paw to the ground. The pain is worse than she anticipated, far sharper than before she had applied the remedy. That was odd. She assumes it will fade, and that it only caused by the initial pressure, and, frowning, returns her gaze to study the newcomer. "Are you from round here?"

Something about the way she spoke gave Murdock the uncomfortable feeling that he was being mocked - but he couldnt say for certain, and he wasn't one to waste time having hurt feelings. The feeling was quickly pushed aside as the woman turned toward him. Murdock's eyes narrowed as he finally got a good look at the woman's wound. Even under the plant fibers, it didn't look 'fine' to him.

"No, I'm from up north a ways," the male replied, taking note of the tentative way the injured appendage was handled. "Looks like that hurts," he said, quickly flipping through his mental leaflet of "helpful plants". It seemed like the woman had things handled, but one never really knew with these things.

"My name's Murdock," he added, hoping to catch her namenin return. Having ruled out 'diseased' for the time being, the woman had resumed being rather attractive. Whether or not she would stay that way still remained to be seen.