Silvertip Mountain Archiving my 'herbs'

For @Chaska

Zaria was at the small den she found with Mason. Since the female was often in Fitz's den to sleep at night she didn't need this small cave anymore. But she decided that it was the perfect spot to stash her herbs. In a deer skin she had placed all the different kind of plants and flowers in the deer skin. She carried it that way, in her self made pouch. After all she didn't want to poison herself. This relocation happened at night because somehow she didn't want too many pack mates to know about this. She had relocated the herbs a few days ago.

Now the female had taken out the deer skin and opened it. She tried not to inhale too deeply because the fumes might not be handy to inhale. She sat before her stash. Some Pink Oleander leaves, a few Rhubarb leaves, Dumb Cane and some left over Daphne. Zaria knew the seasons were changing, the rain reminded her of that. So she would need to go on a hunt if she wanted to have a poison stash later during the season.

Chaska stopped on his small walk when he spotted something..odd. He was on his way to visit one of the pack mates, but instead saw Zaria with a deer skin. When she set it down, he saw some plants, which he did not know were herbs, in it. He didn't know what herbs were, and decided to investigate.

"Hello, Zaria. What is that you have there?" he asked curiously as he trotted closer and closer.

Zaria looked over her shoulder when she heard someone call out. She hadn't even hear him approach. That was how much she was thinking about what she needed to so. Her green eyes widened a bit for a moment before greeting Chaska. Would he know that these were all poisons. The slender female looked at the deer skin with all the herbs in it. "I collect herbs and plants," she spoke to him, technically not lying. "Deer skin for easy travel," she explained to the male.

She was wary of him getting to close she didn't want him to pick up a pink petal or some dumb cane. That would be bad since she didn't know how to cure what the poisons would do to the wolf's body.

He looked at the deer skin. He had never heard the term 'herbs', but he did know plants. That's what he knew herbs as. Just as he knew some were lethal to wolves, among other creatures, though he did not know which were poisonous and which were not. And knowing this made him tense up slightly.

"I'm sure it is a good method" he replied, still eyeing the plants. In a sense, it was smart to hold them the way she did. "So what do these ones do? Anything good, or bad?" he asked out of curiosity.

Zaria looked at Chaska for a moment when he asked if they were good or bad. She technically didn't want him to know that. But why didn't she? Zaria actually couldn't find a good reason not to tell him. At least it would make him more wary of her and it wasn't like she was going to poison him. "They bad," she returned to him and then quirked up her lips. It almost reminded her of the story with the trickster.

Zaria looked over Chaska and then smiled more kindly, for once. "Don't worries. I promise not hurt anyone in pack. For bad wolves that what hurt Fitz. Zaria protect pack and Fitz," she explained to him. She sounded very serious.

For a short moment, at least a few seconds, he had a worried face. His smile washed away. Knowing these were the bad kind put him off a bit. But he realized he was talking to Zaria, so there was no need for worry. If she were to ever use it, it would probably be on some poor stupid animal, and that made him feel safer.

"I'm not worrying. I trust you won't ever do such a thing. Isn't that what friends are for?" he asked with a renewed smile. Because that what he thought they were. Friends. "And I feel safer knowing the 'bad wolves' can't get us, with you and your plants around. Who needs fighting when you can just get them sick?" he said, even though he was against unless it was completely necessary. Which he was sure it would be, if it ever happened.

Zaria watched Chaska's face and was worried for a moment. But then he smiled and Zaria slowly nodded. Friends? They kinda were friends right? She smiled a bit because she hadn't even realized she made friends! She nodded in agreement. "Zaria warrior too," she assured. "No one goes past me." She was certain of that. She might be slender and lean but, she was quick and ferocious. No one would come close to their mountain with bad intentions. "Well I wants to kill them, but these will just make them sick yes," she confirmed.

Zaria was even thinking of trying to make a poultice for her paws so she could slash someone and instantly have their wounds be infected with the poison. That would be bad ass. "I like fighting too, but if we dislike pack it is easier to stay not knowing," she spoke, pretty sure of herself.

A wide smile appeared on Zaria's muzzle as he mentioned them being friends. As if she was...surprised. Had she not felt the same way? Yes, she was a bit scary and a bit of a darker state of mind, but she still remained kind to him, and other packmates. That he knew of.

"I was once a fighter..but that was a long time ago..." he lowered his head, a solemn look. Just when he was in a good mood, he had to go there. It wasn't purposeful, though it was far too late to stray away. He did try to stay on topic, at least. And tried on a cheerful face, yet a forced one it was.

"It would be. This way, you wouldn't get your paws dirty. And wouldn't feel as much guilt. Because maybe, just maybe, they would survive. And you wouldn't have to see their dead face if they didn't." He looked up again, staring at her with a sudden seriousness to his gaze. "Whatever you do, never let guilt overcome you. It will take you down a road you do not want to venture upon." He knew this, because he had gone down that same road so many years ago. And with the recent arrival of the nightmares once more, it may come again.

Zaria was surprised how accepting the male was. She had not expected that. But she also hadn't expected Fitz to be so accepting. Zaria felt more home than ever. Who says that all the wolves on the mountain were soft and kind. They might be but they didn't look away from the bad things. Zaria did not share the same thought process as the other wolf. She never felt remorse in fact. She would actually stick around and watch their life end slowly and usually painfully.

The dark female nodded while she kept her darkness to herself. "Zaria no regret. Pick wisely and then no regret. If they poison, they deserve," she pointed out. She nodded strictly because she thought she was right. She had to be careful with the poisonous plants though, hence the deer skin. "I'm born dorthran. I don't feel sorry," she pointed out.

Chaska was glad she had no regret, though a little worried on how she said it. He hid this worry well, but it still scared him. Just a little. He showed no fear on the outside, and kept a nonchalant look.

"Good. Remember that." With that, he dropped the subject and went to something else. "So what are these? What are their names? And where did you get them?" he asked, lowering his head towards them so his eyes were in line with them, suddenly curious, not knowing the imminent danger of such an action. Perhaps he could implement them into a tale. So far, Zaria had been his best inspiration. You could say she was becoming somewhat a muse to his work.

Zaria instantly growled when he brought his nose closer. It wasn't an aggressive growl but a protective one. She wasn't sure if she ever let out such a growl and was surprised for a brief moment. "Carefullll!," she let out heavily accented. "I am not sure if inhaling give hurt," she explained. She stood protectively over the deer skin with herbs. "It is Dumb Cane, Oleander, Rhubarb leaves and Daphne," she spoke then, learning these words was though but she managed.

Her green eyes then squinted suspiciously for a moment. "Why you wanna know?," she asked. Zaria was very confident and she would want to protect her packets but she wasn't so keen on them nosing into her business.

The grey wolf flinched, moving his head right up in an instant in response to her growl. He thought that he might have been getting too curious. And curiosity can sometimes get one killed. That he knew.

"Right. How stupid of me" he replied, somewhat embarrassed. He had forgotten that these could be deadly, especially since Zaria had been talking about it just before. After, he listened intently as she listed the names. "So that is their names" he wondered to himself. "Interesting." Now that he knew them, he could possibly implement them into a story of some kind.

"I was just thinking about putting them into a tale" he answered, "Perhaps one about someone like you. After all, you have inspired some of mine already. Would you enjoy that?" he queried, his tail waving as he waited.

Zaria instantly dropped her lip after the growl since aggression wasn't her intention. Chaska seemed to get that. She could be protective, especially over the ones she saw as close to her. She liked his stories. Zaria looked at him for a moment when he told her that she was inspirations for his stories. on the one hand her vain nature liked the fact that she was so amazing that stories could be told about her, but on the other hand she wasn't sure if she liked Chaska to tell stories about her. She didn't want false stories to be old, like the trickster. That would completely reveal that what was to know about her.

"Not sure. One hand yes, one hand no. Good stories. Not false stories," she pointed out. She could totally play the villain but having her new position there wasn't any room to be the villain could she? "I want to hear new stories about me first, then I say if they okay or not," she decided.

So do you want to start another for the 'Zaria's Tale'?" and if so, will I start it?

He understood that she might want to, and yet not want to. But in the end, she decided on having a tale on her. As long as Chaska told it to her first. And he was fine with that. He was going to anyway.

"Very well. Once I am ready, I will come to you, and we can begin it." He gave a bow of his head as farewell, then turned to leave. He would do so, unless she stopped him.

Yes certainly! Tag me in it! :3 I will wrap up and archive this one!

Zaria nodded in return. As long as she would hear it first she was okay with it. It seemed Chaska needed to think about the story so she picked up her herbs and would do her archiving and thinking in another spot. She didn't mind moving a bit since she would have the privacy.

"Come to me when done," she spoke as a goodbye and then trotted off trying not to inhale too sharp just in case. She moved into a vacant cave so she wouldn't be bothered by other wolves and the possible rain that might come down on her if she stayed too long outside.