Fox's Glade i was born a fighter;

@Baelfire ;; a wild thread appears!

the light drizzle had ended a few hours ago but the smell of rain that fresh, earthy smell lingers in the roots of the damp earth. the late afternoon, early evening sky is cloudy but the sun peeks over the threshold of the clouds every now and then as they skirt past. where brisbane's travelled — a glade — was rather isolated, especially as he deigns to give the pack that borders the territory a wide berth as he will continue to do so until the knowledge that he will have to subjugate himself to another's leadership sits better in his chest. currently, the idea roils and aggravates like a festering wound. a few months out of his place among blackshark bay's leadership, evidently, is not long enough to dispel the dominant way in which he thinks and operates and he sees no point in trying to merge himself into a pack knowing that he'll just cause trouble.

attention turns outward, steps slowing as he nears the creek that cuts through the territory, ears cupping forth to attention atop his skull as he bows his head and laps greedily at the fresh, cool water.

since it was spring still, he did not find a lot of good stock. the stock that was here so far was fresh and new, still healing from the winter's grasp. he was loathed to cut down such things in their growing prime. and so he left them alone. for now. "wish I had..." he muttered to himself, bent over the edge of the water source. "no... can't... not..." he scrunched his face up, a soft 'hrmm' escaping him. some plants would just not grow here. that was a bitch.

"fucking... lack of aloe..." it was a damn good plant to have for burns and cuts. his people had traded with the surfacers to collect such a treat. in this northern climate, however, it would not last. most of his knowledge was centered around more foreign plants. "fuckin' cold." underground was always cold but at least they could grow mushrooms and other plants under it. they could control the 'weather' down there. here in the Teekons? you couldn't control anything.

"oh" he would look up, seeing another approach. though they were more off to the side, easy to miss him sort of deal. Baelfire's eyes returned to the water, but he resisted his grumbling.

brisbane drinks until his thirst is sated, despite the ❛oh❜ of surprise that left the other upon the crossings of their paths. in truth, that was the second time that brisbane'd been utterly unaware that there was another presence within his general vicinity until their paths intersected and he tries not to think that it is an alarming trend. one day, he was going to be caught unawares and he was going to pay for it. it seemed a bit strange: an experienced warrior being so unobservant to the going-on's around him but he was becoming very good on focusing his mind on a singular topic: his survival. that meant three things: food, water, shelter. everything else was secondary on his personal 'tiers of concern'.

his attention drawn, the coywolf's gaze takes in the stranger as his head lifts from the water and turns to face the other. lanky, lean, reddish-brown pelage with greying-brown markings, with white accents on his face. brisbane waits a bit to see if the other male intended to say anything more but when the silence ticks by and the stranger looks back to the water brisbane deigns to break the silence with, you lookin' for somethin', mate?

the other would finally speak, perhaps bored of the silence between them. Baelfire slowly looked up at the man, giving a small sigh. "mm. no. not really" he would reply, for how could he hope to find anything when he didn't know what to look for. aloe was a good plant to have; he should have brought some with him when he came the Teekons. it'd be a lot less stress, relearning the native foliage here, when he could go for easier plants he knew. oh well.

he wanted to say 'sorry I tend to get pissed off when I can't do shit' but it fell vacant. there was no need to apologize. if the guy didn't like his muttering, he could get up and leave. it was a bit simple. it was a bit harsh too. Baelfire really didn't get out much to socialize. not since he came here. "vith" he uttered. fuck in drow. "just trying to remember these northern herbs" he'd explain at last with a slight grumble. "the ones I am used to... they cannot grow here."

the stranger looks up at brisbane and replies that he wasn't looking for anything with a sigh as precedes it. for a moment, brisbane is skeptical that it's the truth if just because of the preceding sigh alone but in this instance, as in with most, the coywolf doesn't really care enough to pry. brisbane returns the majority of his attention to the creek with a swing of his head and takes another, smaller drink, left ear swiveled in the stranger's direction all the same. there comes a word that the blackshark doesn't know but can assume readily enough is an explicit with an explanation that follows soon after. the coywolf's head rises from the creek once more and he swipes his salmon pink tongue across his jowls to collect the rogue droplets of water as he contemplates the other man's words.

thought you weren't looking for anything, but brisbane refrains from vocalizing those words, certain as he was that they'd come out trenchant and utterly unappreciated. there a specific herb you're searchin' for? i learned a thing or two about medicines from my mum. i could help. it'd been necessary for patching up warwick and karratha on the sly so taleigha didn't worry and work herself up over what kind of trouble the blackshark trio got themselves into — although after his ascension to beta there hadn't been a whole lot of time for brisbane to find himself in trouble unless one counts the frequent, loud and often times physical disagreements with the usurped and endlessly salty ex-beta: grog.

no, he wasn't really looking for anything.

Baelfire already knew what he wanted but the frost of the north had probably claimed any semblance of them. he'd shake his head. "I wasn't... looking for it. I know aloe doesn't grow here. I may switch it with another plant in my cache that has the same effect" though with less of an excellent result. the juices were an excellent soother. he would pause, looking to the stranger. "though I appreciate you offering to help." well, the guy hadn't bitten his head off so far for strange mutters and his language. even if he didn't know the word.

so the guy, therefore, was decent enough. prove him wrong, though. "so you know a bit of herbology?" that was obvious by the other's words, but still, it was good to clarify. Baelfire's eyes went back to the water, wondering what sort of northern herbs grew around here aside from the ones he was aware of. perhaps this man could tell him more of the plants here. though Baelfire really didn't want to impose much. he already had the merits of a crazy hermit without talking about plants all day.

the stranger corrects brisbane's continued assumption that he wasn't looking for aloe. the name is foreign sounding to the coywolf who knows it's a plant of some sort based upon the fact that they were speaking of plants. brisbane holds his silence until the question is posed and a ❛is this a serious question❜ quirk of his brow is followed by an errant twitch of his right ear and a soft, near inaudible noise. a bit. he replies nonchalantly nevertheless, having assumed that it'd been rather implied by his choice of words. so what's this aloe do? chances were there was something that grew naturally in the teekons that could be substituted for it; and thus far the fauna of stormvale coast and the teekon wilds appears to be the same which was both relieving and helpful.

"hm" Baelfire would respond, lacking some social skills and going into this awkwardly if at all. he had tried to keep the conversation flowing instead of going smartass 'that's nice' when the man went on about learning medicine. that would probably earn him a whack upside the head or teeth in his scruff. "aloe is a soothing plant" he would begin "stock is green. long, thick. grows well in heat. helpful for skin conditions. burns. has a nice cooling effect when the juice is applied to open cuts and sores." he didn't think there was a plant like it in the north.

thus far, the conversation felt a little bit forced to brisbane, like neither one of them was finding it easy to talk to the other. not every conversation, brisbane reminds himself, was going to go smoothly. sometimes, when both parties maintained a certain level of dubiety towards each other that awkwardness didn't always abate. it wasn't like he'd never had conversations like this during his time as beta and ambassador of blackshark bay. at least this conversation was going better than any conversation he'd ever had with grog.

the stranger begins, at brisbane's questioning, what aloe looks like and what it's good for. while the coywolf doesn't know of any local fauna that creates a soothing 'cooling' effect — aside from fresh water, perhaps — he can help with the burns, at least. the brown root of the bracken fern isn't very pleasant in smell and taste but when it's chewed up into a soft paste is good for treatin' burns and sores. the fern itself is pretty easy to spot with it's broad, triangular fronds and, 'course it's brown root stalk.

perhaps it was him to blame over the other man. Baelfire had grown in a community where they sought necks to crunch, scars to give and gruff responses were better than lengthy conversations. they were not unintelligent people, but they seemed to act like children. praying their salvation away, worshipping a deity like Lolth who wanted the worst for them. okay, so maybe they weren't the smartest people.

"bracken fern" he'd repeat, giving a nod. he'd remember the description of the smell and the plant itself. it was good enough, he supposed, for he already knew some plants didn't give a variety of options. he had wanted to use aloe to soothe Vuk's wounds and cool the throbbing down. but he also was aware he wouldn't get that here. "thanks" he'd add to the man. "any northern herbs you know that help after pregnancy?" Treason and a few others were due soon, after all.

a firm nod is given to the stranger's ❛thanks❜, knowing that bracken fern wasn't a complete and total substitute for this aloe plant but it was the closest thing that brisbane could offer. perhaps, were his taleigha here, his mother could provide something else that was more suited as a complete substitute — her knowledge of botany being much more extensive than brisbane's own — alas, she wasn't and brisbane could only offer what he knew of. still, the blackshark thinks, it's something and surely something was better than nothing at all. another inquiry is made, this time a switch from burns to pregnancy. admittedly, pregnant females were a bit out of brisbane's league. he's never really been around them enough to know what happened after pregnancy ( aside from birth, obviously ) nor what kind of symptoms they might have. his ignorance was in the surprise that they suffered from after pregnancy things at all.

determined not to let his ignorance be known the coywolf does not allow his surprise at the question to show through his marred visage. depends on what you're lookin' to cure or help alleviate, mate. brisbane says fishing for more information.

"I wouldn't know" Baelfire admitted with a short bark of laughter, having no experience either with pregnant women. he assumed the other wolf knowing of botany was enough, though not every healer knew of the condition it seemed. he was clueless on midwiving in the Teekons. "my beta is pregnant. I wanted to collect herbs that'd help her." for Treason was the one who had accepted him so far.

so he wanted to help her in any way he could. he'd shake his head as if shooing away an irritable fly. "doesn't matter" if the man didn't know, Baelfire wasn't going to hold it against him. he admitted enough that he too didn't know. he would ask some women in Lost Creek Hollow, some mothers that had already birthed previously. "I'm Baelfire, by the way." they hadn't introduced themselves. though it was clear if the man didn't want to give his name, he was not going to force him.

there's a wave of visible relief that courses through brisbane at the other man's bark of laughter and admittance that he didn't know either. at least brisbane wasn't alone in the general ignorance around pregnant women; the truth was brisbane wasn't even sure he was old enough to sire spawn. the heat season affected him, naturally, though he appears to have entered the teekon wilds when it has begun to wane and would soon be coming to a stop. which meant there was a lot of pregnant females lurking about — his beta included. unless i know symptoms i'm afraid i can't help mate, at least, not yet; there was always room to learn and improve. maybe talk to a mid-wife. they might be able to help. he suggests as the thought occurs to him despite the other man's ❛doesn't matter❜. mostly, they were trained to help with delivery but it struck him as being ill-practiced if they didn't know something of botany to assist the birthing mothers.

baelfire came the other man's name. it was an interesting name, not one that brisbane could say he's ever heard before. brisbane. the coywolf replies with his own name, though it struck him that should the witchdoctor be here and learn of his presence in these wilds that he would never call him by brisbane. it was always hekate — a fuckin' girl's name, he'd learned after finding out the myth behind the name — but brisbane himself never used it. he'd never had the want to be deceptive which was the only reason he felt he'd ever give it to anyone in the first place: was if he had something to hide, or, alternatively if he was trying to hide.

his specialty were plants, not gossiping midwives. he wouldn't know who to approach in Lost Creek Hollow. Treason knew he was a healer, and if she needed help from him, she had the sense to seek him out. until then, he was keen to keep himself far from pregnant women. they had a bark as worse as their bite. "it's fine" Baelfire would assure the other, having hoped they knew something. he didn't ever want to assume a man couldn't be a good midwife - er, midhusband? - or practiced in such things.

"Brisbane it is" he'd reply, about as exotic as his own name. perhaps some European roots. "your mother taught you herbs. lucky" he'd state, recalling the man's words. he would chuckle, shaking his head. "wish my mother had" all his mother wanted out of him was to kill as many outsiders as possible in the name of their god. "I am a disappointment to her." he found the whole thing amusing. the woman who gave him life did not want anything to do with him now. 

"are you a loner?" Baelfire had no reason to recruit the man to Lost Creek Hollow. he was trying to keep the conversation flowing.

there was mention of being lucky that taleigha taught him about medicines and other flora. was he? in truth, the blackshark thought that luck had nothing to do with it. it was what taleigha was good at and though he and his doe-eyed mother couldn't be more different it was a bonding point for them. for better or for worse, brisbane had more of his father in him then he realized ( having only ever had contact with the witchdoctor and lieu of arturo ). i learned to help her, and to patch up warwick and karratha on the sly when the trio didn't want to worry her. and because she genuinely enjoyed teaching me about it. brisbane explains though he doesn't have to.

there's a moment of awkward silence that follows baelfire's admittance that he was a disappointment to his own mother and a general lack of knowing what to say in response. if it makes you feel any better, i'm a massive disappointment to my dad. but that'd stopped bothering brisbane a long time ago. in all fairness, the witchdoctor was a massive disappointment to brisbane; so it was mutual.

yeah, i am. and given that he still feels the reluctance as subjugating him to someone else's rule he isn't so sure that's going to change any time soon.

if it was a winner's circle of disappointments, they'd both be first place. though his mother was a black widow at best. when she stopped her heat, the woman had killed his father. she'd been an old bitch and said that Lolth had 'told her' to do it. maybe it was merely dementia. his parents were both quite old by the time he had come around. plentiful litters every year, and him... being the sole child of the last one. it maybe had been too much for the bitch to take; her last kid not contributing to the society she so worshipped. 

but he wasn't going to say any of this to Brisbane. "don't worry" Baelfire would force chuckle "I'm not trying to recruit" he'd only asked due to the lack of pack scent "Teekons are... a bit of a struggle alone. I wish you luck." if only for the man to find some companions he trusted with his life. he still wasn't sure Lost Creek Hollow had any deeper connections beyond him being their token healer. he had no... deeper relationships there aside from tutoring some of their members. only time would tell.

Brisbane had been gruff, but he wasn't one to talk anyway. Baelfire felt himself rise from the water's edge, having found ample time in talking with him. he should get back before he was missed. or the pack burned to the ground. either way. "thanks for the tips though" he added, speaking of the new plant he had been given the name of. "see you around." hopefully. with an awkward grin, he would turn and wander back to his pack.