Herbalists' Cache leafy greens

for @Oren !!

Isabella had swerved from the willows back into the taiga; an attempt to take one last look into what the place had to offer. And also, a quick journey to see whether she could find Oren again. She considered him to be a friend, so a check-in was in store, she believed. To see if he was doing good, feeling good, eating good.

Maybe he'd even have more stories for her!

So, from within the forest, she tilted her head back. A howl spilled from her lips, calling anyone who may be around. She just hoped that 'anyone' was her jesterly friend, Oren Kosar. Their last conversation was still fresh on her mind, a smile forming upon her face.

Oren roamed around aimlessly, having previously caught a fairly good hunt earlier, there didn’t seem to be much else to do. Boredom clung onto him as he continued to walk, a sigh exiting from his lips. He’d met what felt like many new wolves on his escapade, but none matched the compatibility he had with one of the first. — Isabella was her name. Isabella Sparrowbeak. The name was still clear in his mind.

He wondered if he’d run into her again and exchange tales as they once had before. It’d certainly be more amusing than what he was doing now — which was essentially just roaming around.

As if on cue, a familiar howl echoed throughout the terrain. His white ears twitched in surprise. He would recognize that howl anywhere — though he’d only ever heard it once before. It was his friend. The one he’d longed to converse with again. Isabella. He returned the howl, picking up the pace as he followed after the noise.

It wouldn’t be until he reached her at this rate, that was for sure.

And her howl was returned! It was Oren, she knew it. The sound was all too similar to the voice that had made her stomach hurt with laughter, and so she tilted her head back once more, another howl that, this time, was laced with joy. Her eyes were wide once her howl had come to an end, searching the forest for the white figure.

Bella had sit, now. Her tail tucked neatly by her thighs. Feet pawing at the ground beneath her. Her actions bore an edge of excitement, tail flicking, thumping against the earth. It's funny, she didn't think she'd ever been this excited in her entire life.

But this was a friend. How could she not be excited?

A recognizable brown coat glistened from throughout the trees. There she was. He jogged over towards her, skidding to a stop directly in front of her. "Isabella!" He called out affectionately between amused laughter. His accent peered out due to his excitement. Rather noticeable. The large wolf nearly toppled her over nuzzling into her cheek fur. Perhaps an unexpected greeting, but one he hoped she would welcome.

"What a pleasant surprise. Rather strange running into you here." Not that it bothered him in the slightest. It was very clear to see the man was more than pleased. His eyes gleamed in anticipation for her answer.

Oren, she returned, her voice steady, though her smile wide upon her maw. A strange sound to his voice as he said her name, but one that she didn't mind. She squinted, continuing to grin as he nosed her cheek. Similarly strange, though one she would not fight. Affectionate in a way she had hardly experienced before.

You're very excited to see me, she hummed, brows raised, teasing. Her tail tapped against the ground beside her. The woman took a breath: Not that that's a bad thing. I'm happy to see you, too, Oren. It was her turn to greet him, then, and she would press her cheek against his own, almost buzzing with happiness.

The oaken lady moved back, then. Sitting once more, she spoke: How have you been? Any more stories for me? She said the second half with a laugh, eyes scanning his face, searching his own hues. perceptive.

He met her gaze happily. Many new experiences rode with him from previous endeavors, and he was more than delighted to share them. "Oh, please." He scoffed playfully. "I’m sure the feeling is mutual. Your call was more joyful than that of a rabbit calling its warren to a cabbage patch." A chuckle followed the peculiar analogy. He had an interesting way of expressing himself, that was for sure.

"You’re right to guess I’ve collected more stories, though." He nodded, taking a seat beside her. "And what about you? How have you been? Do you have anything to inform me of?"  His questioned were keen. Clearly very intrigued by what she had been up to since their last departure.

An odd analogy. A rabbit calling its warren to a cabbage patch? Her brows drew together, a testament to her confusion, though lips still tugged upwards in a smile, nonetheless. He sat next to her, and so she would crane her head to search his gaze. Rather momentarily, however, as she then looked back outwards towards the trees, tall and thick, protective, before she spoke.

I haven't done much, really, she begun. A few days ago I met with another one of my friends, and we met someone named Gossamer. I've just come back up here, for now. To see what else there is to do, before I head back to the mountains. A hum laced her tone as she went, gazing down to her paws as she fidgeted with the grass beneath her. Pushing it, pulling it, back and forth. Green between her toes.

She looked to Oren, then. How about you? Eyes shining, now. Curious! I hope you've had some fun. My days have been very uneventful, she spoke with a wide grin, then: I was actually quite excited to meet with you again, you know. Hopefully you have something to entertain me with!

But even then, she truly was glad to be within his presence once more.

She was right, he certainly had more to share. "Then it’s a good thing you ran into me, hm?" He nudged her. He could talk about the black wolf he encountered, an opposite to him, — a reminder of someone he once knew. Or he could bring up a buzzard hunting story, something fun, exciting. None of it seemed particularly suited for the specific occasion. What would truly stick out?

Ah. An interesting one came to mind. Something genuinely so bizarre that he’d nearly convinced himself it was a dream.

"You know .. speaking of weird encounters, I witnessed something truly peculiar farther into these mountains.”  He titled his head, turning it towards her. "Would you like to hear about it?"

I suppose so, she smiled, returning his movement. Bella watched the man carefully, eyes wide, as he appeared to rack his brain for something to speak of, to tell her, to entertain her with. And she felt herself grow excited. Tail flicked against the ground.

An eager nod: Yes, tell me about it, she said. Then, as if she had remembered her manners, she tacked on a quick—Please.—then focused on him with such an intensity that her eyes nearly begun to hurt. Excited! So excited!

He blinked at her, a mischievous look in his eyes. A tad bit taunting, it seemed. Her pure excitement was truly a sight for sore eyes. "If you insist." He added on playfully before continuing. "You see, I was doing some hunting farther up north from here. A pretty typical day. Perhaps more windy than others." He shrugged. "I say that because I was catching far more scents than usual. One of them definitely more unique than others. It was like .. a mud-covered, birch sap doused rabbit..? With a twinge of our own kind. Certainly the weirdest thing I’d smelled in — well — my whole life, I suppose."

A trace of confusion still lingered on his face just thinking about it. "I travelled up further to catch a better scent, and you know what I saw?" A brief pause follows the question that didn’t seem to need an answer. He was gonna tell her anyways.

"A wolf. A wolf covered in mud, rabbit fur and sap. To make matters worse, this wolf was head-first dug into a ground-hog burrow." He muffled what seemed like baffled laughter as he struggled to go on. "I swear, it was the weirdest thing I’d seen in my life. So much so that I sat and waited for him to make his way out of the hole.  .. Do you know what he told me when I questioned him on what in the moons name he was doing? — He told me that he was curious about the day-to-day life of a rabbit. That he figured if he covered himself in their scent, they wouldn’t think anything of him being there." 

Oren took in a sharp inhale and shaky breath out, visibly fighting back a hysterical outburst now. "Imagine the face he made when I had to politely inform him that what he was attempting to enter wasn’t even a rabbit burrow? For that matter, he was much too big for a safe and smooth way inside! I mean, what type of plan was that!?"

A wolf attempting the day-in-the-life as a rabbit. Isabelle snorted first, as Oren spoke of the scent. The image of a rabbit wet with birch sap and thick with mud was rather comical, in her opinion, but she only grew further shocked—and a bit disgusted, really—at the revelation of it being a wolf covered in mud, sap and rabbit fur.

But she would remain quiet for the duration of his explanation, only nodding or making facial expressions that matched the oddity of the story. But she would butt in, then: Oh, yes, because the tiny rabbits would not at all mind a hulking wolf practically taking down their whole warren, trying to force himself in there. Not at all! And she would giggle. A laugh that would later erupt into something wholesome and joyful.

I think the fact that he was trying to enter a ground-hog burrow shows that he didn't have much of a plan at all, she replied, sighing due to exhaustion from laughter. Her chest heaved, and she would lean against the paler man, should he allow. I just wonder—why the sap and mud? How was that supposed to help him 'blend in' with the rabbits? Bella shook her head, confused.

Because if I was a rabbit, the woman started. And a massive creature smelling like my dead brother, covered in my his hair, alongside sap and mud, was trying to push itself into my home, I would not be relaxed at all! If anything, I would be sprinting—or, well, hopping—away in the opposite direction!

She was smiling as she said this, though. Truly comedic.