Sunset Valley Wait for them to ask you who you know

The valley might have been beautiful once, especially in the autumn...but now, it was quite simply faded. Bursts of flaming colour had wilted away to drab yellows and browns, yet on occasion the boy would spot a final, vibrant spot of colour. Autumn's glory faded fast, and the cool winded in his fur was swift to remind him of the next season in nature's endless procession. Winter. His first, something never experienced. He knew that herbs would die then; the reason for Potema's storing and bundling. 

He missed the activity, and yet a thought crossed his mind and he furrowed his brow a minute. Could he not do the same? Things that interested him, he could collect as well. His eyes roamed the clearing, and then he was gone. Wandering the valley, never straying far from the borders, soon his maw held a rather interesting looking assortment of herbs, plants, and something that looked suspiciously like Jimson weed, dried and cracked and potentially not that potent at all.

It had not taken her much convincing to leave the forest behind and continue on her travels. The greens and oranges were carelessly left behind, for Muses had no interest in haunting such a place for very long. Instead, she followed her whim, making her way leisurely along the valley's perimeters . 

Underfoot, the vegetation was slowly dying, preparing for a cold winter as it began to lose vibrance. Her heart thrummed with excitement, for she did not think winter could come soon enough. Her coat had begun to blow out, growing and shedding more rapidly than she could keep up with, leaving white tufts against the base of trees that she rubbed up against, or caught in the brambles of the bushes she strayed too close to.

It did not seem to worry the young wolf, who naively pressed on, eventually rounding on a youth who had a mouthful of dead vegetation in his mouth. Muses halted, offering a questioning look. "Is it common to eat dead plants here?" She queried with deep concern, tilting her head slightly. If winters here were so cold that the wolves had to become scavenging omnivores, then even Muses would have cause for panic.

When the other was suddenly upon him, his gaze blinked once or twice at her sudden appearence, unable to speak because of the herbs he held tightly in his maw. his sapphire gaze regard her with incredulousness at her question, and her sudden appearence. he had heard her approach earlier, for it was hard not to when the ground lay blanketed in leaves, yet had not been expecting her to express such an odd question.

he dipped his head, laying the herbs at his paws and running his tongue along his teeth to rid them of the odd taste of the herbs. "No" he answered quite simply, watching her with waryness. only a moment later did he add on, "they're herbs " he informed her with a glance, wondering where exactly she had come from. the boy had become more wary, observant and quite since his time in the wood, yet he felt there was little to fear from this woman.

Somewhat baffled by the curt response, the pale furred wolf blinked, trying to figure out where to go from there. She became suddenly aware of how odd the youth was, or rather, how odd she was. All she could do was take the stranger's words at face value, for many of the plants in the area were unknown to her, although the method of gathering herbs was familiar. Now cocking an ear, she wondered if she had only imagined a trace of uncertainty in the youth's voice.

"Aren't you supposed to dry the herbs after they've been picked?" The words escaped her maw before she could mull them over. Wide eyed and slightly embarrassed, she tried to back track. "I mean, I'm not really a healer, and most the plants here are new to me. So I guess you'd know better, pup." She peered around sheepishly, wondering if she could find anything that she recognized.

she seemed to know some of herbs, yet claimed no vast knowledge. he watched her a moment, hesitating before speaking. the last time he had wandered from the Grotto to speak to a stranger he had lost his birth family for months, yet made a new one. but he was older now, and less inclined to wander off, so with little added thought he continued. "Mhm." he agreed to her first question. "That's what I'm doing now. Then, when they're all dry I'll wrap them and save them for the winter so they can be used. Because, in the winter all the herbs die and you can't use then." 

thought he had never seen winter himself, and neither snow; or at least not anything impressive, he knew from learning what winter did to herbs. in the spring; a time he knew he must have been alive in yet could not recall, was when the snows receeded and the plants grew back. he harbored a great excitment to see all the seasons in full, knowing as each passed was but a marker in his life.

"Oh I--" She was going to to insist that she knew already, but thought better of it, and quickly stopped herself. "You're right." Her tone was kind as she offered an alternative, remembering that not very long ago, she had been that age, full of bravado and self assurance. "Has the first frost not happened yet?" Tilting her head, she tried to see any signs of an incoming winter. Usually the first frost would destroy any delicate vegetation such as herbs, making them completely useless for gathering and storing. The winter wolves from her mountain would be fully engaged in gathering supplies during late summer and early autumn, hoping to finish stocking their supply dens before the first frost made their lives a little more difficult.

"Did you know that there are other things you can use for medical purposes that aren't destroyed in the cold of winter?" She figured that he had not much winter experience, if any at all. With nothing much to do other than to explore and wander, she figured she had enough time to converse with a growing youth. Perhaps he would be able to share a little information, reveal to her some secrets of the new world she found herself in... Or maybe he could at least eventually point her in the right direction.

Frost. What had Potema said of that? He could not quite remember the woman's words on that, yet he didn't think the first frost had happened, yet. But he could hardly be sure, and uncertainty glinted in his optics as he regarded her. At her next words, however, his gaze glinted with interest, for he had thought that herbs were useless in the winter. 

"Could you...teach me?" He asked trepidantly, offering a sheepish grin as he did so. His interest was evident in his optics, as he eagerly awaited for a reply.

She waited quietly, a million thoughts coursing through her mind. Perhaps the wolves here did not experience frost, or maybe they had another name for it. With a shudder, she fervently hoped that the latter would be the case. She did not think that she could bear to live in a place that did not get cold enough that the world became icy and cold.

At the mention of other ways to prepare for healing during the winter, her young companion's eyes lit up. Muses raised a delicate eyebrow, surprised that of all the things she had said, the young one had taken to this one in particular. "On one condition." She replied swiftly, a sly smile dancing around her mouth. "Tell me your name." It would do her no good to keep calling him pup. He needed a proper name. "My name is Muses." She softened immediately, easy-going and inviting, as was standard for her.

"I'm not from here, andd I don't know many of the plants, but I'm sure we'll be able to find something useful." She vowed, tail swaying gently.

She agreed, and his smile widened hurriedly as he quickly supplemented, "I'm Seff." She spoke next of finding herbs with him, and he dipped his head, demeanor changed now that she was less of a stranger and someone seeming much more interesting, now that they had spoken for a short while.

"Thank you, Muses!" He beamed, excited at the opportunity to learn. He loved knowledge of anything, and the fact that certain herbs could still be used in the winter was certainly a surprising realization, one that required apt investigation. Should she lead somewhere, he would follow gladly.

@Muses perhaps we could fade this with a couple posts?

"A pleasure to meet you." She hummed, feeling herself settle into a routine. It was like talking to a distant relative; not fully comfortable, but she knew there was no reason to feel anxious around the youth. Lifting her nose to the sky, she gave a good sniff to determine which direction shr would go. "The best place to look for medicines during the winter is around trees." Spying a grove of aspen in the distance, she indicated towards the small forest. "Sometimes tree bark, or lichen can be useful." As a hunter, it was necessary to have at least a very basic knowledge of healing, for such a task could often be dangerous. "Shall we?" Grinning at Seff, she trotted offoff towards the trees.

He listened raptly, glad for the chance to learn, and when she took off in the direction of the trees he followed closely at her heels. Remembering what she had said moments prior, he nosed around until he found a bunch of frost-kissed lichen, grabbing it carefully and tearing it from the tree's roots to place it at his paws. Peering at it curiously, he looked to Muses, asking if her, "What use is there of lichen?" Tree bark, he though, he had a dim idea of its usefulness, but lichen, at the moment, escaped him.

"Well, there are a few different kinds to know." She said, digging through her memories. "There is one kind that looks a bit like moss, and another that is black. Both are edible, and will help a bit with things like sore joints -- inflammation." They were not the best, but it was useful to know. "Those can be used as food a well in a pinch." Being somewhat mossy, they filled the stomach and helped with the dull ache of starvation. "Most, you'll want to avoid, especially the bright yellowish green ones. Those are especially poisonous to wolves." Although she looked about, she could not see either of the lichen she had mentioned.