Black Morass xo tatted all over

attn @Envy

the scent of imperium lingered strong in the air, but it never hurt to reinforce their claim. with a deliberate motion, she rubbed her side against the bark of a gnarled tree, the musky scent of her marking settling over the damp wood.
as she moved, her attention turned to the task of gathering. the earth, though sodden, was rich, and she knew where to find the herbs she needed. crouching near a patch of moss, she gently plucked sprigs of yarrow and mint, careful to leave enough for regrowth. their sharp, earthy scents rose to meet her nose, mingling with the morass’s ever-present musk.
a flick of her ears caught the distant calls of the crows, and she paused, her gaze narrowing as she scanned the horizon. no immediate threat, but she would not take chances. standing tall again, she brushed the dirt from her paws and turned back toward the heart of imperium’s claim, her gathered herbs cradled delicately in her jaws. there was still much to do, and she would see it done.

Wretched silver grew curious, always curious, enough to slither away from the company of Elowen and Lorcan; leaving them to their vices for a little while. She wanted to gather more intelligence about the scents they'd been following, and perhaps a little part of her wanted to give Lorcan a scare, served 'im right.

A vengeance unwarranted, yet warranted plenty in her own eyes. She slept cold and away from them, her touch was rejected or muted to fit the scene, his attentions were focused entirely on a sweet dove's-calling, and spared to her when Envy trailed too far off-leash; as if she could not handle herself. As if he could dictate the length of her leash when he held another's.

How else could she view it? It stirred a strange bitterness in her heart. She wanted attention but found it just wasn't as satisfying anymore, not from either of them. She didn't really know how to live with such things, she never had been good at it. She would strive to make it satisfying, somehow.

When eyes were not on her, she found herself desperate to make them look. Enough to do terrible things.

Herbalists nose hadn't lead her astray yet, the scent of packwolf grew stronger still, her scrawny figure crept quietly through the undergrowth; tattered ears flicking at the subtlest of sounds on the breeze. Habit lead her to follow a trail of herbal scent, deeper in, further and further until she caught the form of another just ahead.

Envy remained in the brush, intending to stay hidden; were it not for the snap of a twig she carelessly backed onto.

her molten eyes, lit with the faintest glimmer of light breaking through the canopy above, snapped toward the source of the disturbance.
she did not speak immediately, did not call out or demand. instead, her head tilted, almost curious, almost mocking.
with deliberate slowness, the reverend mother turned fully, her posture low and predatory, each step calculated to draw her closer to the source of the sound. the silver girl had stumbled into her territory, had dared to tread so carelessly. ione did not yet know her intentions, but she would not tolerate recklessness.
as the figure of the young girl became clearer through the foliage, ione’s lips curled faintly, a whisper of a snarl that did not yet break the air.
bold, she finally murmured, her voice low, almost purring with dangerous curiosity. she stalked closer still, her gaze never wavering from the girl who had unknowingly summoned her attention.

Well, no point in hiding now, she was rather compromised.

Eh, she could adapt.

Envy stepped out of the bracken, scrawny figure snaking forward and quickly moving to shorten the space between them. Bold indeed.

Beady eyes of vivid crimson looked over the other woman, something between ogling and studying; like she wished to peel away the pieces of her, layer by layer by layer by—. She would quickly shake the unsettling shroud that so often looked over her, trading it for something more friendly, a jarring switch of demeanour, stark as night and day.

Hellooo! She greeted, almost musically as she bowed forward, like a whelpish invitation to play, her tail swished through the air once and then twice. I'm not here to cause trouble for ya. I was jus' followin' the scent of those pretty plants'a'yours. Eyelashes fluttered appeasingly.

She could apologize. She didn't.

the girl's abrupt appearance did not rattle her; instead, it intrigued her, this peculiar mix of boldness and wile. envy was an odd one, that much was clear.
is that so? ione’s voice was soft, measured, with an undertone that hinted at the sharp edge of her intellect. her tail flicked once, slowly, behind her. she stepped forward, a quiet power in her stride as her eyes flicked to the plants in question and then back to envy.
tell me, she said, her tone light but her words weighted with curiosity. what do you know about these plants? ione tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable but intent. she wanted to gauge the girl, to see if there was substance beneath the playful exterior—or if envy’s interest was nothing more than fleeting fascination.

Hardly a moment passed before she spoke, all too eager to spew all the thoughts that cluttered up her brain.

Yarrow and mint. wild- mint. The area is marshy, it perfers its ground ta' be moist. It's the stem with tha' pinkish flowers. Yarrow's the white. She was matter of fact in the way she answered, falling back casually to scrawny haunches and looking ahead as if to say "really? that's all?"

Popquiz! good thing she was a straight A student. Gold star! bravo to you, perfect one.

Her enjoyment could not be kept behind facades, not that she ever hid much, anyways. A passionate glimmer flickered in her eyes. Mint's good for the stomach, helps headaches some. Easy on a pup's system. Envy glanced at her, inquisitive; a guess lingering beneath the silence, oh the things that could be gleamed by something so simple. Yarrow gets rid'a poisons, also helps with the stomach, not bad to use on wounds...

Got the point yet? Envy looked on, a playful tease in the air. I've trained on this stuff since I could walk.

and she had nobody to give these skills to! Envy unwound with each passing day.

ione’s eyes gleamed as the girl spoke, the reverend mother’s lips curling into a soft, approving smile. ah, girl, she cooed, her voice a melodic hum that seemed to cradle the air around them. such knowledge, such potential. it sings from you!
her gaze lingered on the girl, drinking in the passion that radiated with every word she spoke. she could feel the untamed energy bubbling beneath the surface, a river of potential waiting to be channeled.
and of poisons? ione urged gently, stepping closer, her tone warm but insistent. show me what else you know. there is more in you—i see it.
her eyes narrowed slightly, not in judgment, but in curiosity. she tilted her head, watching intently as if the girl’s every movement held a secret worth uncovering. what else do those clever paws of yours carry, hmm?

Of poisons? Envy's gaze narrows a bit, her paws lifting to trace the ground in uncertain shuffle.

It wasn't that she hadn't experimented, or that she had a moral qualm about sharing what she knew; but she almost searched for permission in Ione's glassy blue stare, analyzing her again.

There's lots of em'. More that harm instead a' help. She started, letting her gaze drift over the wetlands that surrounded them, her attentions spared to the mossy ground and sprawling plants, touched by frost but otherwise shielded by the morass canopy. but.... hemlock'll be common here.

She remembered what hemlock did, the slow way it strangled the fight from whatever unfortunate decided to take a piece of it. She always found it best to observe these things, rather than just be told them. If you break a fox's legs, it bites at anything put in front of its mouth. They made for easy subjects, and what good they had done for her! teaching her all sorts of tricks, and all they had to do was die. If it's eaten, it doesn't take long before it makes whatever ate it start convulsing. They vomit, foam at the mouth a little, twitch around and eventually suffocate.

She reported the grim description with a little more delight locked away, not without a theatrical touch. And their eyes get all buggy, they start clawin' at their skin. Real nasty stuff. A pearly mitt lifted to gesture at her neck.

The roots are the most potent. She looked away. Don't ask how I know that.

Why? D'you need somebody poisoned? Envy mused with a tilt of her head.

there was something magnetic about her—a darkness she wore so naturally, like a cloak she wasn’t quite willing to shed.
remarkable, she murmured, her voice soft but laced with genuine fascination. you speak as though you’ve walked this path many times before, child. there is wisdom in you, a depth rare to find.
her lips curved faintly, a subtle smile of approval. knowledge like yours... it’s a gift. a dangerous one, yes, but still a gift. you’ve studied the poisons well, better than many would dare.
she took a step closer, her tone low, almost conspiratorial. i could teach you more, she encouraged, the reverence in her voice unmistakable. teach you the wonders, hone that skill. and practice!

Finally. At least someone appreciated her skills for what they were. She'd been praised before for her quick learning, her prodigal skill, but never her ingenuinity, and never the fearlessness that powered it.

Envy grew weak as she was met with words of flattery, her cheeks flustered, paws shuffled awkwardly against the ground, she smiled something genuine. An unseen web was threading around her, beginning to wind her up in its clutches. Was it really a bad thing if she was already so willing?

She let her tail sweep across the ground, head tilted down while glossy red eyes stayed focused on the woman as she drifted closer with devilish grace; and offered her the apple.

Envy itself was a sin. Of course she took a bite.

I want to. She blurted within seconds of the offer, bounding to her feet and stopping a hair's length away, her muzzle just underneath the other's while red eyes looked up and glimmered, like a child asking for approval. She wanted to know more, know everything.

Devour the world for all it was worth and carve her name into its bones.

ione watched her, the girl's eagerness spilling forward like a rushing tide. the reverend mother's lips curved faintly, her pale eyes gleaming with something between amusement and satisfaction as she lowered her muzzle closer to the girl's.
and what name do you carry, child? she asked, her tone soft yet weighted, as though her words bore the gravity of the morass itself. her head tilted slightly, the faintest shadow of a smile gracing her features as she added, i am the reverend mother. the keeper of its whispers and its secrets.
her voice dropped lower, the tone turning almost conspiratorial as she gazed into the vibrant red of the girl's eyes. if you choose to follow me, to learn, you must give yourself to it wholly. there is no half-measure here. will you step into the shadows with me, and let the morass teach you its ways?

Envy took a few steps back, a serpentine sort of grace in the way she moved, intentionally detached from her usual sharpness. Envy. She would answer with a flick of one tall, shredded ear, flat in voice.

Reverend mother. What a fancy title, she musta been one important lady. Envy felt almost giddy. And she liked her already. How softly she stroked her ego, made her feel all warm and fuzzy... and intrigued. Envy was an opportunistic creature, and she liked to be entertained.

I will. I always have. She said with a firm tenderness. It was what she loved most. The question was easily answered. Already her mind spun with ambition unblocked by hesitation. She stood abruptly, circling the reverend mother with excitement lighting a fire under her feet. When she stood in front of her again, the waif rolled onto her back, exposing porcelain white belly fur. ..If you'd have me.. She mused.

The shadows were not unfamiliar to her. These ones were just darker.

Oh right! Envy shot up to her feet, paused where she was. I have friends that I'm travelling with. I should tell them.. You could meet them?

the reverend mother did not flinch when envy rolled to her back, exposing her vulnerable belly—a calculated gesture, one that spoke volumes about her ambition and the games she played to secure favor.

friends, ione echoed, her voice low and smooth, tinged with curiosity. the word rolled over her tongue like a delicate flavor, one she savored before continuing.

if they are as fascinating as you, then it would be my pleasure to meet them, she said, her pale eyes glinting with interest. there was a deliberate pause as her gaze lingered on envy, calculating and intent.

but remember, child, she murmured, stepping closer, her voice dipping into something softer, more intimate, it is you who must introduce them, not the other way around. let them know who leads here, should they step into our shadows.

ione tilted her head slightly, her lips curling into a faint, knowing smile. come, then, she said, gesturing with a slight nod. show me who you bring.