Wild Berry Meadow breath of summer

For @Acheron

The Tundrian woman struck out alone today, but not without meaning. Her path took her away from the reaches of Moonglow and what would soon become Winterglade. Her agenda was simple. To scout for any possible wolves in need of a home and to gather resources. Resources stemming from the earth itself, in particular. She was not a practiced herbalist, but many in her extended family were. Lote could do well with a fully stocked supply of various medicinal plants. Especially now, with her son growing.

She also had not forgotten about her sisters love of artistic painting. Around her neck, she carried a slim rabbit skin. Formed and patched together to take the shape of a shallow pouch. Perfect for carrying a collection of herbs as well as assorted berries. Perhaps if her efforts paid off today, she could introduce the other members of the fledgling pack to the unique art.

She glimpsed the opening towards the meadow by chance. Long before that, her nose had guided her towards the smell of something sweet. The smell of assorted berries, at their peak of ripeness. She would be kidding herself if she didn't say it made her mouth water a little. Out she emerged into the open, pausing to take in the field that was dotted with reds, blue-blacks and purples. A snackers dream and a literal paint shop for any creative artist. Delicately, she inspected the nearest cluster, nosing it, twirled up along the stem on which it grew.

The sweet smell of the berries were what drew Acheron to the valley as well. He knew which ones he could eat and which he could not. He had learned much from his mother in the way of healing, something for which he was grateful. 

It took him a few moments to realize he wasn't alone, distracted as he was with stuffing his mouth with the fresh, tart berries. But when he picked up on her scent, the pale man lifted his head and swallowed his mouthful. A woman was making her way around the berries, as well, inspecting them. He wondered if she needed help figuring out which ones she could eat. 

Acheron moved closer and released a low chuff to announce his presence. If you need to know which ones are safe, I can help you with that, he offered. He always had time to help, especially when his company was attractive.

Her black nose pressed gently against a sweet bundle of some bright red berries. Their smell flooded into her nostrils and she inhaled deeply. A content beat of her tail, lined with her hips followed. Lote would absolutely love this place. It was a bit of a walk from their forest, but worth it. When Fjall was old enough to travel or be left alone, she would invite the dove for an outing.

Using the tiny teeth lining the bottom of her lip, the Tundrian had just been about to delicately snip the smaller, thinner stem on which the berries grew. Before she could close her lip, she heard the low chuff. Pausing, her spring eyes shifted in said direction, while her head remained poised in place. A cute little look for her, if only it lasted a second.

It was another wolf who was browsing the berry dotted meadow. A male on his own. And he seemed knowledgeable, if his words were any proof. She smiled then, in an appreciative way. "As a matter of fact, I could use the help. I am gathering them as a gift for a friend."

He saw the little look she offered first, like she had been caught in the act of something she shouldn't be doing. He would have chuckled if he wasn't afraid of offending her. 

But, she accepted his help, stating that she was collecting berries for a friend. Acheron nodded and moved closer to inspect what she was doing. 

Any berries in particular? he asked.

Even if he had offended her, she was not the type to show such emotion. Not on first meetings, anyways. Those who she kept close at heart knew that she took her time in letting loose fully, even around them. She still managed to always keep her attitude warm and friendly. This man was no exception. 

"Not really, no." She replied, letting her eyes settle back on the particular cluster of red berries she had been about to harvest. "My friend is more of a creative artist. It is the dye she is after more than the flavor. But I think taking some edible one's back as a summer treat would not go un-appreciated."

Interesting, he answered. He had never heard of someone using berries as art before. He was intrigued by the idea. 

Acheron searched around, looking for something pretty. He found some blue ones, and picked a stem of them with his teeth. He set them down next to his company. What about these? They're pretty. He supposed her friend could do something nice with them.

The mystery wolf picked out a cluster of pretty blue berries. Her eyes grew a tiny bit brighter, admiring the vibrancy of the color. "Oh yes! She would love those." She agreed. 

Reaching down, she delicately grabbed them and deposited them into the rabbit skin formed pouch resting at her breastbone. They even smelled good too! Eager to harvest more, she moved next to her company and nosed around for only the most fragrant, ripe clusters. "Hey...they kind of match your eyes." She observed, trying not to let loose a laugh. She cleared her throat. "So...how much do you know about plant life?"

He seemed to have made a good choice for his first pick. The woman seemed pleased, and that made Acheron smile. 

She pointed out that they matched his eyes, and that made heat spread across his cheeks. Oh, yeah, I guess they do, he said. And to her question, he added: I was training under my mom for a while before I came here. I know quite a bit; what would you like to know? It would need to be narrowed down a bit. 

Oh, and I'm Acheron. He realized he hadn't offered his name yet, which was not like him.

The laugh she had been trying to contain came out as a soft chuckle instead. His eyes reminded her somewhat of Makan's blue ones. By coincidence, so many of the wolves she knew and had met, had green eyes. It made her wonder what young Fjall's final eye color would be.

"That's a nice advantage to receive training from your mother like that." She paused to bite and prune at some of the stems holding the berries. Her ears flicked. She was visibly considering his words. "Well...let's start with the berries. I have heard some aren't as edible as others...poisonous even. And...if you could tell me about their flavors...that sounds quite interesting. It is not a subject I am too familiar with."

Her soft brows raised. "Me?" Her tail moved through the air contently behind her. The air felt warm, the sun a little stronger on her back. And the smell of the fruit was appealing. "I'm a naturalist and a hunter. I like to track the herds and study them. I view them more than just a walking meal. The health of the environment as a whole fascinates me." She smiled. "A pleasure, Acheron. I am Keyni."

He was very grateful for the training he had received from his mother. He always had a soft spot for helping others, like she did, and now he had an outlet for that. Well, maybe not so much now that he had no pack, but you never knew when someone would need help. Yeah, she's a great teacher, he answered affectionately. He was, and always had been, a mama's boy. 

She wanted to know about how the different berries tasted. Acheron liked that game. He searched around them and found some soft red berries. He picked a branch and placed it between them. These are raspberries, safe to eat, he explained. They are a little tart but also a little sweet, and they're my favorite. Acheron picked one up and chewed it. He picked another and set it down by her. Here, try it.

She explained that she was naturalist and hunter, that she liked to follow the herds and learn about them. He could tell how much she enjoyed her trade. And when she introduced herself in return, he smiled and dipped his head. Pleasure is mine. It wasn't every day he got to talk plants with a pretty woman.

"Where is she now?" Keyni asked conversationally. "I hope the two of you parted on good terms." She couldn't say the same for herself and her own parents. She tried to keep them out of her thoughts. Her eyes shifted then to the berry he offered. A red one, called a raspberry. She gave it a delicate sniff with her nose. Scooping it up between her lips, she chewed gently. Met with the sweet, slightly tart flavor he described.

"They are pretty good. I definitely would like to bring back some of these with me." She licked her lips clean. Or tried to. Her tongue was still stained with the juices, which she inadvertently spread to the pale fur above her mouth. Guess berry tasting and harvesting was a messy business. "Are you much of a hunter, Acheron?" She sought to satisfy this curiosity. She found herself getting fidgety, shifting her weight from one paw to the other. Sneaking little side looks at him. He had cute brown freckles. Like another guy she had met, but had found no trace of. Sheesh, what was it with her and that speckled look?

She's back home, where she's from, he easily offered. I was there for a bit, but came back here to wander and explore. So yeah, I left on good terms. He was born here, after all, and he was curious how things would look now. 

Keyni liked the raspberries, but Acheron wasn't surprised by that. Yeah, for sure, I'll help you collect more. He picked a few more branches and placed them before her. Then he found another berry that he liked and brought some over. These are blackberries; they're sweeter, he explained, then he picked one up and ate it. 

I hunt to survive, but beyond that, I would say I'm an average hunter, he answered honestly. I'm sure I could learn a lot from you.

"I'm glad that's the case." She said about his mother. "I wasn't born in the Teekons, but I know it well. I had been away for a time, but recently returned over the winter." There were plenty of berries to choose from and his second offering were blackberries. Her brows pinched softly while she sniffed at them on the branch he still held. Delicately she picked one off with her teeth, eating it. "Hm, these are quite a bit sweeter." She would take some of those to go, too.

Her eye was caught by a bunch of pale green berries with a yellow tint, small and round in shape. They were Gooseberries, but she didn't know this. She nudged the bush they were on, but didn't touch them. She wasn't the expert here. "Well, thank you. I certainly wouldn't mind showing you a couple of tricks I've picked up." She smiled. "Oh and I try to save the skins from my catches. Like the one I have with me, for example."

He wondered if Keyni liked to explore too, seeing as she had left for a bit and come back. There might be a personal reason for that, though, so he didn't ask for more information. He just smiled and listened quietly. 

He watched her try the berries. She observed that they were quite a bit sweeter, and he nodded his head. Yeah. Good, huh? 

When she nosed the oblong, light green berries, Acheron pulled a few off and set them down. Gooseberries, he told her. They're not my favorite, but they're okay.

He smiled when she offered to show him some things about hunting. But what he was really interested in was the pelt she carried with her. She said she saved them. That's a good idea, he said, looking over and inspecting the pelt. I could carry plants around while I travel so that I can help someone if they need it no matter where I am. Smart and pretty—his lucky day.

"Oh, so that's what these are." She remarked. Plucking one off, she tried it. "These...aren't bad, but I think I liked the others better. I will still take some. I am sure my friend could use them." And who knows, maybe some of the others would find the Gooseberries more to their liking.

He seemed interested in the art of saving and curing skins, when she mentioned it. After depositing some more berries in the one she carried, she nodded. "It takes a little bit to perfect. It's delicate work and it requires patience. But I enjoy it, knowing I am making the most of a resource." 

This one in particular was a little crudely fashioned. What had once been the ears of the rabbit were stitched in place with a thin, flexible reed. All four leg ends aligned, held in the same manner, to form the dip of a pouch where once the animals back or belly would have been. "I can help you make your own, if you like? My friends would be happy to assist too. I learned from them, first." She smiled, quite eager and hopeful that he would share as deep an interest as her. But there was one last unknown; would he even accompany her back? Well, she would get around to that.

She shared his preference regarding the gooseberries but stated she would still take some back. Acheron picked a few branches of those and added them to her collection. He wondered if she would need help carrying all this stuff to her home, but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable by asking. If she wanted help, he was sure she would ask. 

She talked more about the pelt, how it was delicate work and that she liked it. It was another way to use the prey they needed to survive, which Acheron thought was nice. 

He was looking over the rabbit pelt when she offered to teach him. That's a really nice offer, he told her, looking up to meet her gaze as a smile curved his lips. Thanks, I would like that.

"Your welcome. I think you might enjoy it." She smiled, meeting his eyes. Glancing down, she eyed the collection of berries they had accumulated, now sitting neatly in the makeshift pouch. "This will be plenty. I should try and get them back soon. I'm not sure how long berries will keep like this." Her eyes raised to him questioningly.

That made her think, and move on to the final matter. "It is a little ways back. You are welcome to join me, but I must tell you first that I reside with a forming pack." Keyni kept her voice light, non forced. "Do not feel obligated, but if you are in search of a home, you can come check it out."

She mentioned that she had plenty of berries now and wanted to take them back to her home. Though, she looked at him with question in her eyes when she spoke of not knowing how long the berries kept. Not super long, he told her. A week, maybe two, for eating anyway. He thought for a moment. I imagine for art purposes, they would likely last a bit longer. This was just an assumption, though. 

She invited him back with her to check out her home. They were a forming pack, and she extended an offer for him to stay if he was in need of a place. Acheron smiled. Yeah, I'll check it out, he told her. I'm not really looking to settle anywhere right now, but I would love to have options in case I change my mind. You could never be too prepared in his opinion. 

He would follow her back then, carrying the pelt if she wished for him to do so.