Sunbeam Lair To the Roots

Ah, how she loved the increasing temperatures and delightful rays of sunlight that slipped through the cavern's ceiling. More and more plants were starting to come into season, filling her with a sense of euphoria as she began taking note of each and every one. Whichever species could be used for medicinal purposes were examined and their location stored away within her memory, deciding that she would harvest and store some only when they had truly begun to flourish. Until then, they were not to be touched—not by her, at least. It had become apparent that Ryūjin acted as a sort of beacon for others interested in the medic trade, attracting those interested in the art of healing into their ranks. She did not detest the fact, and was by no means against it, but knew that she would have to set up some rules and the like if they were to keep their home healthy.

The yearling had been loitering around a copse of trees, inspecting the leaves and roots for any signs of pest-related damage, when the sound of approaching steps had caught her attention. When she had looked around to see who was coming her way, she was met with the familiar face of her previous traveling companion. There was something clamped between his jaws—she couldn't quite make out what it was, not seeing enough of the body to tell—and his movements seemed frantic. She wondered what it was that he had, and was also reminded of their last encounter. The cause behind his sudden departure at the borders was something she wished to learn, but did not ask about immediately for fear of causing him to close himself off from her. Instead, she'd offered a smile and a slow sway of her tail, meeting him halfway and asking, "What have you found?"