Whitefish River Under haunted skies, I see you

@Winterbourne <3

She had been meticulous in her wound treatment since coming here; she needed to the injury to heal properly and as quickly as possible so that she could pull her weight adequately before she became a burden on the whole pack. She had done a little herb gathering yesterday and today, attempting to begin rebuilding another plant cache. The one she had established on the mountain had been plentiful and organized. She had tended to it with care and slowly but steadily developed expertise; it was something she had been immensely proud of, but she had left it at Moonspear along with her troubled past and so now, she needed to get to work creating something similar here. 

She was relieved to find that since settling here where she felt safe, gathering herbs had become a source of peace and comfort for her once again. But, her injury restricted her, and she didn't want to push herself too much and ubdue the healing she had already done. It also didn't help that aside from being wounded, she had a severe lack of energy lately. But, as the the day was coming to and end, and the sky began to turn pink and orange from the setting sun, she found herself blessed with a rare spike of energy. The healer made her way towards the borders, careful to stay comfortably inside the territory; she couldn't bring herself to leave Kaistleoki just yet, afraid that the second she set foot out into the unknown, Moonspear wolves would be there waiting to rip her to pieces.

Another wolf walking the borders made her freeze, and panic took over. Her heart was racing, and she had to suck in a few deep breaths as she tried to calm herself. She scented Evergreen on the young wolf, and reason reclaimed the reigns from her irrational panic; he must be a packmate or at least, someone who knew the leader. A soft chuff left her lips as she moved forward on a small limp. She looked forward to meeting a new packmate.

The chuff startles him from his thoughts, and his limbs freeze, bringing him to an abrupt halt along the borders. He turns with ears perked, gaze quickly finding the woman who'd called his attention. A packmate by scent, but not familiar to him — and wounded, he notices quickly, though he tries to avoid letting his gaze linger. He offers a smile, forcing his tail into a steady sway as he takes a few steps toward her. Hello, He offers, clearing his throat when the greeting comes out a little more garbled than he would have liked. I'm Winterbourne. Are you new to Kaistleoki?

She smiled as the raspy words reached her, giving him a nod as she stopped in front of him. Yeah, I'm new, she answered. I'm Speedy. She motioned towards the borders with her nose. We can keep walking if you want, the healer offered. I can go for a little bit longer. Speedy knew she wouldn't be able to assist him on his patrol for very long, but her shoulder was feeling okay right now. She used the pain to judge how much more she could push herself. There was a fine balance between resting enough to allow continued healing and allowing a therapeutic amount of movement; both were needed in the healing process usually. Right now, she found she needed to take it easy more often than not, but she could afford some activity for now, assuming he even wanted company. She had a bad habit of forgetting that not everyone was quite as social as she was.

It's... nice to meet you, Speedy, He says, genuine but unsure of himself. Uh — yeah, let's walk. He tries not to wince at how awkward he sounds, turning to walk with the woman. His first few steps are slow to allow her to walk at his side. Did Evergreen bring you here? He asks after several moments, stifling his curiosity about her wounds in case it brings up any unwanted memories.

It's nice to meet you, she countered with another smile. She moved to his side and began to walk, quiet for a few moments until he asked about Evergreen. Well, it's more like I found him, and he offered me a place to stay, she answered. She would forever be grateful for his kindness at a time when she really didn't deserve it. What about you? she asked. How did you find your way to Kaistleoki? Was he someone who had been in need like she had been, or had he joined Evergreen's pack on less dramatic terms?