Hushed Willows Put a spell on me

| @Valmúaa
| Clear, 23F
| 8PM
| I assumed you meant the thread was for her! If not feel free to shove anyone of yours in <3 

Winter once again came around, darkening the skies earlier and cloaking the witch's presence. On the hunt for more ingredients to bring back to the swamp. The last ones were wasted on the lupine who smudged it all over her face, one that Evanora had to take time to wash away in a creek before accidentally licking it herself. The skulking shadow slunk through the nude weeping trees, winter stripped the life off its wispy branches. They swayed gently in the cool winter breeze, glittering snow dust twinkling in the moonlight. Some of which stuck to the ebony woman's coat. 

She was on the hunt for winter berries. The little red berries that grew on vines during the frost. Their bright cardinal colours were easy to spot even in the darkness. A small pile of the collected vines began to form under a willow tree, every now and then more would be added as the shadow ran to and from the surrounding woods to bring more. From the smell of this place, there were wolves nearby, so she had to work quickly... A snap of a twig would alert her every now and then, stopping the witch in her tracks to look around.

It was once again the sveppum that she was after. She trailed the scent like a hound, eager to grow her steadily increasing collection. @Stjornuati knew of her desire to do this, though it was unclear whether or not he approved. All the poppy girl knew was that these fruits of knowledge would serve the Watch well. Most importantly, they would serve her well in both use and the power she might gain from their need.
As she moved, she found the scent of a coyote, exciting her hunter's heart. Curiosity pushed her forward.
The animal she found was dark, unlike the beasts she knew from the north. Close to her, there was a pile of berries that the little thing had taken from the nearby foliage. This gave Valmúa an idea. You there, she called, and pushed closer to the little black scavenger, a mild sneer upon her lips. Are you harvesting berries?

Wolves. She hated them. All of them. Not one was any good (from on-site experience so far - sorry Taikon our thread fell short right before I took hiatus ;w; i still weep. you were the chosen one). The creature stood still with a vine hanging from her maw, careful to not bite into a venomous berry. The sound of her heart thudding softly in her ears at a steady pace... she waited, hoping the snap was from nothing than the ice shattering the stick under its vice-grip. 

But no. Another came. A vile creature approached her pile of hard-earned berries (well, to Evanora herself but she felt protective over her work). The woman offered a contemptuous smile, and she silently snarled in return. No sound rolling from her lips, only the mute defiance over the presence of a lupine. Aye. Through needled teeth she spoke calmly. Staying closer to the ground in a defensive stance, slithering in her own skin along the ground from left to right as she judged the woman from the lower angle... Shoulders rolling like waves on the ocean just ready to turn sour. What could this she-devil possibly want?

Valmúa watched the hrææta, a kind that her brother hated so much. It was in this little black thing that the poppy girl saw fear, and hatred, and willful ignorance. She made a strange, sideways smile. The lopsided grin related to her own admission of general malcontent toward the little thing's kind. However, this day she was on a particular mission, and Valmúa always had her way in the end.
Little `amaġuuraq`, do not do that. I only come to ask if you have seen the mushroom, those that grant vision to their user, she said simply, careful not to move forward. Her voice was gruff, but held no malice toward the small thing. What a show for no purpose. What a funny little black thing.

The silence was broken as sharp growl as the wolf belittled's the witch's warning. How dare she tell the Wiccan what she can or cannot do in the presence of such a wicked creature like herself. It didn't help that the same hatred was felt toward the coyote as the coyote felt toward the wolf. A mutual disdain between the two ready to erupt. 

An wah makes yuh tink mi wud help you? The venomous words spilled out into the frosted air. Though she spoke, her defensive position did not break. Poised and ready to spring into movement. There was no telling how many of the berries she could scoop up in a moment to make a run for it, it would be a shame to leave them here for the wolf... If she was cautious not to swallow her saliva if she took as many as possible to run with, all should be fine. 

All the while the internal conversation went on, the coyote's eyes flickered from her plan on the berries and back onto the wolf.. ever watching, waiting, prudent of its presence. 

Ignore the random voice/accent change >:Y

lol! all she said was "Aye" in this thread at least :joy:

The little afraid thing spilled out nasty, confronting words, despite her knowing that Valmúa could easily crush her neck with one fell swoop. She was surely a quick tiny thing, and the poppy girl had no interest in feasting on canid flesh today. No, she was here for a far greater purpose.
What do you desire in return? The question was swift and direct. Valmúa needed the mushrooms, and this catty behaviour from the other suggested that the coyote might know where to find them. If the fire woman needed to trade for the item's location, then so be it. The nordic woman noticed the flick of her eyes to her pile of berries, but no step was given toward them. She needed to give the scavenger no reason to run.

right?? I got lucky this time!

Strange violet eyes narrowed onto the wolf as she spoke again, still, no sign of desiring to harm the witch. Slowly she relaxes, muscle by muscle, fiber by fiber she uncoiled the tension within her body. There was one thing she desired from this wolf, she wasn't certain if she would follow or keep to her word - but it was worth a shot. Grant mi immunity inna di immediate vicinity of yuh home from yuh kind tuh forage as mi please.

Though slowly she was unwinding, the coyote was still ready to dart off into any random direction away from the bigger creature. Only once an agreement was settled among them would she fully relax and help this creature find what she was looking for. Mi ave no interest inna trespassing mi ongle wish nuh fi be bothered eff close by.

The thick accent from the other made her different to understand, and the woman who had learned Common as a third language had to keep her ears forward and trained hard. The little scavenger asked for immunity on the areas surrounding her home, of which the Willows were included. Valmúa squinted, thinking about the offer. It could be quite useful to have the little thing to scout for things. She could no doubt move undetected in ways that Valmúa and her white brother could not. However, allowing a coyote to be close to the Watch would be a hard sell for her brothers, who hated their kind.
I am from the Watch, she gestured to the territory that lie on the other side of the ravine. I can give safety from those at the Watch only if you assist in finding other things — my brother collects plants, she said, eyeballing the strange-eyed little thing. If you agree, I must talk to my brother.
She was not about to go behind Stjornuati's back again. At least, not anytime soon. She watched the little coyote to see if she would agree.

Of course, the wolf wanted more, but even the witch knew there was some wiggle room to haggle on the contract being discussed. Eff di agreement lasting den mi accept. A part of her believed it would not work out as the two females seemed to come to an agreement - there was some underlying belief that the wolf's packmates would make this more difficult than necessary. 

Here he sat, midnight tail curling around her toes as if she was positioning herself to wait here comfortably. Mi wi wait here fi yuh return. The coyote wouldn't help the wolf find her shrooms until the agreement came to a full understanding on both ends. There was very little the coyote needed from these beasts, the only thing she desired was safety from their teeth and aggression if she was ever back here to gather her ingredients, that she didn't have to constantly look over her shoulder.

The little scavenger was willing to wait for her to get her brother. Valmúa wasn't sure if he would go for such a thing, but hoped that at the very least, he might appreciate her initiative as well as the communication she now offered. She nodded to the little thing and ran off toward the Watch, her pace quick.
Though it was true that at least part of her intention was to prove her worth, she thought that an ally in a coyote that knew her herbs could be advantageous to the whole Watch. If all they needed to do was ward off potential threats to her safety, it seemed a solid trade. There was an added benefit to gaining good visibility in a wider area than just their borders. Should she wrong the Watch, they could simply kill her.
When she was at a distance within howling range of their Watch, she let loose a summoning call to @Stjornuati, knowing that Solpallur was less likely to see the advantages and more likely to be off on one of his meditations.

Some time had passed since he had a call from the fire-cloaked female that bore the title of systir, not since he had bound her to the woods of the Watch, a punishment that drew her chagrin and resentment in sharp colors. The weeks since then had been quiet and had he not scented her about the territory, Stjornuati might have believed her to run amok, to cause havoc for him and Solpallur in a time where they should have been coming together and learning to work alongside one another.

The snow-feathered raven perched upon his shoulder as occured so often now, the star eater answered the call of Valmua, arriving to her in mere minutes as he had been close to the borders in the first place. Dark eyes looked to her expectantly, ears pitching forward as @D'Artagnan shifted his weight and ruffled his feathers.

His arrival was swift. The white raven hung about on his shoulder, the pair of them looking expectantly. Valmúa did not call upon her brothers ever. Since she had been bound to the Watch, she did not wander about to recruit. She did not bother them with hunting rallies or even to tell of her presence, knowing that her scent was enough for them. For a moment, she regarded Stjornuati coldly, missing the touches and warmth they had once shared.
I have met a strange creature with a proposal that would benefit us, she said, not bothering to beat around the bush. There was no point in such circumstances with him. This wasn't a game the sister had called him in for. She knows plants, medicinal and otherwise, but she is amaġuuraq, she waited for a moment to let the foul taste sink in, such that she might remove it with a spoonful of sugar. She offers to show us their locations in exchange for immunity surrounding our Watch. She is small, and could function as a secret scout, also. I think it is a good trade, she explained, looking away toward where she had left the little black thing. But I wanted to speak to you first, she said, quite serious. For once, there was no play here. She saw an advantage, and she wanted it.

He would listen to her proposal with silence, interested in the little hrææta she had discovered under the boughs of the willow trees. Curiously, the ire did not rise in him as it might have before, though whether this was a result of his encounter with the not-coyote-not-girl ( @Zephyr ) or his general good mood this day was unclear. He was pleased, however, that not only had his sister found something of use but that she sought his approval before making such a deal official.

Without words, the golden crested northerner strode forth, closing the distance between himself and his sibling, only to apply a rough but affectionate nip to her shoulder; the gesture was a reminder that their bond was not forgotten, and that he approved of this deal. Now, she need only lead him to the hrææta who remained on the other side of this exchange.

The coyote sat in silence as the wolf eventually disappeared from view. Once she was free to move around without eyes on her, she lept to the precious pile of berries and swiftly brought them somewhere else. Underneath a bush that she had gathered them from before, where green vines snaked around its evergreen branches, hiding its scent as well as its lush green bottom the little red gifts from sight. Should this turn sour, she wanted the ability to sneak back and take them at a later time...

Once she was ready, quickly before the wolf would return. The blackened creature sat back where she was left to her own devices, marked with the branch she had previously dropped upon her first sighting of the lupine in question. This made sure she found the spot again... this time, without the distraction of her hard-earned treasure on the line.

The nip was all she needed. If things had been fully normal, she might have mouthed his ear and groaned affectionately, but instead she held back, bumping him lightly with her hip. There was hardly pleasure in her features. The fire around him felt weak and cooled in a way that was too sanitized for her to yet bear. She was surprised by his acceptance, for he had once hated the smaller canine cousins. She did not look a gift mouth in the horse, and strode forward to lead her brother to where she had left the little black thing.
It did not take long for them to find her again, sitting just in the spot that the poppy girl had left her. Valmúa's eyes flitted to where the pile of berries had been, then back to the hrææta. A small, curvaceous grin spread upon her lips. She maintained a fair distance from the black coyote, afraid of startling her. To allow not one, but two wolves into her abode was gutsy indeed. My brother, Stjornuati, the sister introduced. She did not speak for him. She hoped only that he was not now playing a game with her and would simply attack her new ally on sight.

Unlike his sister expected, the pale northerner had no intention of turning Valmua's blade back upon her. It was a weapon he had removed from her, however temporarily, without a wish to make her pay for her grievance past the price he had already demanded of her. He was not a creature to continually kick a wolf when they were down, and he would certainly not do so to one he shared blood and womb-water with.

Eyes the color of innards and organs strung from trees and strewn about watched the dark creature, curious and unthreatening, though that was not to say that his presence was not imposing. The shuffle and flutter of D'Artagnan's wings in his ear bade him silent until the bird settled again, a glance given back to the raven before turning his attention upon the coyote once more. This one's systir speaks of a trade, a deal that involves your free roam of these lands, and ours upon the Watch. A pause, as he gather the words of the common tongue to speak further.

She speaks of your knowledge of plants and úrræði. He waited then, for her to confirm or deny, to add or subtract from the statements he made. He wanted to hear what she wanted from her, not because he did not trust his sister in this, but because he wanted to hear it straight from the hrææta's mouth.

Yes... this would be good for her too. Maybe here she could find refugee if needed be if she proved to be more useful alive - maybe they would come to her rescue if she screamed at any predators trying to take a bite out of her. It would take time to earn mutual trust, even then it would be only circumstantial coming from the witch as she was a fickle creature. This was not to be her home, for her home was in the marsh - but if she was here, to have immunity would be beneficial. 

Venom coloured eyes watched the wolves as they approached, doubling and... well, another upon the male's back in the form of a white raven. Something didn't sit well with the coyote seeing the strange thing, the shade was all wrong. Aye. She answers him despite her eyes not quite meeting his until after. Even with their stark differences in height, she felt greater than she looked. Locking eyes with the devil himself without fear, she had her own power even if it wasn't obvious to such... lowlives.

Yuh type like tuh attack even pan neutral lands. Her hatred for their species was clear with the lilt in her voice of their "type". Meaning wolves... mostly of the pack variety. Mi wi teach yuh systir eff mi leave alone pan yuh neighbouring lands tuh hunt an gatha ingredients.

As the two spoke, the poppy girl remained quiet, seating herself as a fine lady might. She found the contrast between their speech humorous. It caused a brief, girlish smile to appear on her lips. As they talked, Valmúa idly wondered if the coyote's face would fit in her mouth. She was such a tiny thing, and so unlike any hrææta that she had met apart from her defensive nature. The northerner was intrigued by her, for she was difficult from the methodical sameness that dominated her life.
The sister remained silent even as the little dark thing spoke. She was willing to wait for agreement. Words would serve little purpose. She believed the coyote to be truthful, that indeed she faced threat from "their kind" on a regular basis. It was nature for wolf and coyote to hate one another. Valmúa was willing to break such a pact with nature should it be of use.