Stavanger Bay Tangled in Seaweed

Aimingfora caregiver thread, for @Ford

The den that her aegaeon had helped pick out was a rather roomy alcove, in the spring the brittle curtain of lichen and moss would grow lush and create a hideout. she found that this space would be perfect to help her patients, a place that she could keep another canine in whether they were small or large and they would both be relatively comfortable. Well, comfortable if the other wolf did not mind her curling up next to them. Over the past month she had gathered the herbs that the harsh winter allowed to grow and thrive in this territory, her home. she had dried out most of the plants in the cold sun to preserve them and allow them to be used later, she would just need more for them to be effective. Dried was not as good as fresh but in the colder months, the brittle husks would have to do.

A smile seemed to spread over her lips as she tucked a few more herbs into the holes that were in the side of her den, organizing them by scent and what they might be used for. What did she need now? Her golden tipped ears perked as she thought of what she could probably find an abundance of, seaweed.

Slowly she nosed the brittle strands of lichen ans she pushed her way out of her medical den, the cold wind seemed to be just a gentle breeze as she moved closer and closer to the sound of the sea. It had become a comforting sound, a song that she could listen to all day and today, she was going to enjoy its music as she collected what it could provide her.

The bay had been bustling with life since they had founded, and the titan could not help but to feel a great sense of pride for what had already been accomplished. They had good members with them, and he believed that they would grow to be capable beasts of the water. It had been a short while since they had founded, but already he sought to assist his fellow members in growth. Ford needed them to know that they were in a place where they were expected to fulfill a great destiny, but that they would not have to do it alone. With the strength of all of them combined into one, they had already carved a great path for themselves to follow into the light of godhood.

Picking his way along the beach, the titan caught sight of a familiar figure. Her form moved freely and he noted that she did not seem nearly as fearful of the waters as she had been when he'd happened upon her in the beginning. With a steady stare, the warhound drew closer to the blind woman and released a chuff that would announce his presence was close to her own.

Golden tipped ears seemed to move at every minuscule sound. Not really responding to the constant rumble of breaking waves but rather the sharp cry of a gull, the skitter of a crab as it removed itself from her path. It was rather intense how much life there was near the sea water, how much it thrived on those crashing waves and ever changing tides. She found it soothing, that even here, there was life. A smile seemed to play on her lips as she lifted her nostrils to the sky and inhaled deeply. The bite of salt no longer seemed to sting as much as it did the first week, and the constant wetness now welcoming. 

The smell she was looking for was there but something else, before the cuff of his arrival she had turned her sightless eyes to him. The sound of his presence was marked by his won voice and the way the sand played with his toes at every step, the mute vibrations of the ground helped her judge the distance between them as she finally moved her entire body to face the much larger man. Her golden tipped tail swayed with both anticipation and excitement as she waited his approach. 

"How can I help you sir?" She spoke softly, she restrained her wish to touch him. She remembered he had told her she had to be told to do so or ask permission, so that is what she did. "Us it alright if I touch you?"

It was a good sign that she did not shy away from his approach. Though he had slowed his pace to allow for her to meet him, he did not anticipate that he would have been welcomed so easily. The blind girl had been a concern of his since he'd permitted her entrance into the rift. It was good to see that she had made it as far as she had – that the sea had not swallowed her in her handicapped state. That might have been a derogatory thought to have, but he knew that the lack of sight would have been a severe disadvantage to most who lived so near to the rolling swell. It was pleasing to know that she had found a way to make due.

The girl asked what she could do for him, and then requested that she be able to touch him. He recalled the warning that had been issued when they'd first met. “You may,” he confirmed with a small nod of his head – one she would not have seen. Then, he stood and braced himself for her to approach and to reach out in whatever way she felt was necessary. “I have come to see how well you are settling here in Stormrift? Have you met any of the others?”

She had always been a friendly soul, even though her life seemed to deal her some rather nasty cards. smiles came easier than frowns, here tail moved usually in a rather welcoming matter. even when she was lashed at, bitten, and looked down on by her own father, she was always the one to use a gentle voice and smile though it all. She did not know that the man would not expect this type of behavior but this is what she showed. She greeted and welcomed him with the respect he deserved, he had given her a home when her brother had abandoned her. Allowed a blind girl to live by the sea and be apart of his pack when she could see her own weakness, the kink she could put in his armor if she were to fail him. And yet, here they were, standing just a tail length away from each other. A leader and his wolf.

He had agreed so easily that a sparkle seemed to light up her sightless eyes, a happiness that usually confused those around her. To touch someone was for her to see them, to no longer feel alone and to place a body with the voice that she could hear. Slowly she moved to close the distance, her nose pressing to his shoulder before she twisted her body to face the same direction as he was. Her shoulder pressing into his side.

 She gave a soft sigh at his question, one of comfort and not exhaustion. "I am settling alright, I found a good den that I can use to treat others and have gathered a few herbs that can be used in their dry form. I was about to gather some seaweed actually." She explained everything that she had done but she gave a sad smile when he asked if she had met anyone else, she had not even come across anyone else. Just their scents. "I have not, I have been a little busy but i will follow my nose and bump into someone soon." She jested lightly, looking up at him with her blind gaze.

The titan studied her expression when she had been granted permission to touch him. He was not fond of the touch of others, but he knew that he was required to help her in her time there. She was not wildly inappropriate with the grazing of her nose along his frame. The pale woman merely sought to stand beside him and to use him as a frame of reference for where she was. Only the soft brush of her light coat against his side was a sign that she needed him at all. Whether he was fond of it or not, Ford knew that he was capable of providing for her. In time, he knew that she would grow to be a powerful member of the rift – she would prove herself if given the right room to flourish.
 
Already, she had started to gather her herbs and medicines. The scent of what lingered on her coat reminded him of his mother, and he wondered for a moment what Deirdre was doing, or if she missed her home. Before the memories could be allowed to flood his mind, Ford cast them aside and focused on the company that he had so near to him.
 
Hymn mentioned that she had already found a suitable place to call her own, and that she had gathered as many dry herbs as she could to provide for others who might need them. When she spoke of fetching seaweed, he furrowed his brows and turned his head toward the lapping waves. “I could help you collect the seaweed,” he offered gruffly. As confident as she was out there, the warhound did not like the idea of her dipping below the surface of the water to search for plants. He did know that there would be a day when she would have been able to manage on her own, but he did not wish to risk it so soon.