Hideaway Strath and there's no remedy for memory

[table width=80%][tr][td]

figure we can get you tasked and then released into the wild!

 

After separating romance Arturo at the borders, Hemlock had guided @Amphitere into the lands. There was no pretenses given that things would be easy, and she offered no explanation either for the more distant manner of both the leader and his flame colored shadow either. Hemlock had accepted things as they were - and for now, the way she viewed how things must be. "I would like to establish a proper cache here for herbs, something that can be used by not only us, but also less knowledgeable pack mates." Hemlock explained as they headed into the small space she'd considered to make her cache. 

She was open to the suggestion, and it was damn near barren at the moment. "We have recently claimed this Strath as our own, and the nearby Morass serves as our hunting grounds. I have found a good number of remedies in its expanse and the nearby sweep, but there is never too much."  Thar was her opinion, anyway. "To earn a proper space in our ranks we give tasks to the associates, not only to establish and familiarize them with the pack, but, to see what rolls are suited for them. I questioned you earlier because I serve as medic to this pack and have a young ward who has been ill. He improves, but, his health is a great focus to me." 

The realization that if it came down to Sirius or the Fearghals still scared her; she could not pretend she would have trouble choosing between the two. "Would you think this is suitable? "  She nodded toward the small burrow, it seemed cool and safe from the elements - overall it would serve her purpose she felt. [/td][/tr][/table]

Woop, sounds good!

Amphitere had many questions, but she found no need to waste her energy on them as they departed the borders and moved together into the territory that would, with any luck, soon be her home. Teaghlaigh was a mysterious group, and Amphitere had little doubt she would learn more of their inner-workings if she proved useful to them (a lofty, but attainable goal). With as experienced as she was navigating the complex social structures of Raven's Crown, Teaghlaigh offered her a challenge that she hadn't been faced with in years. And she loved it.

Together the pair approached a small, cool, but dry hovel, and it was here Hemlock revealed her intentions and outlined the basics of what being an Associate meant to the proven members of the pack. She listened with both ears fixated on the amber woman, though her eyes occasionally drifted to the floor and back out of respect for the rank the other held. She nodded when she revealed the motive behind her questions on the borders. Amphitere felt a faint pang of sympathy for the poor boy, but knew nature would claim him if their efforts failed. 

The elfish she-wolf excused herself to peer into the den and get a better look at the conditions. It was dry, despite the recent rains, but cool enough and out of direct sunlight. Slowly she scraped her claws over the terra to test the moisture beneath; it was hardpacked and dry as bone. "It would serve," She concluded as she drew away from the entrance and resumed her place near Hemlock. "though there are some mosses and wetland flora that keep longer in damp conditions despite the risk of mold. It could be worthwhile to scout a location for those as well."

[table width=80%][tr][td]

Hemlock had placed some faith in the Comlach, providing her with details about her life and more importantly Sirius' life. She walked a fine line between distrust and wanting - needing - to reach out to people. So far, the only one she had bonded with was her stockinged Banrion. That, at times, felt near close to a betrayal, surely Arturo had not expected her to attach so quickly to Lotte. Certainly, Hemlock had not. Her viridian gaze turned to the woman from the cool of the burrow, giving a sage nod to the suggestion that she made. "A few scattered reserves through the Strath would not be bad." She agreed - especially when it came to the benefit of different types of herbs. 

"I think I would like to gather some honeycomb, as well." She glanced up at some nearby trees, chewing at the inside of her lip. "Your holistics; what did you use?" It was hard to imagine just relying on stones and the skies - but then, Palisander had found the moonstone with Olive, they had both come together to give it to Arturo. "I would be interested in talking with you, more, while we work - holistic approaches are far beyond me." She admitted. 

[/td][/tr][/table]

Amphitere was not a simpleton. She keenly felt the weight of the information Hemlock had entrusted her with, and wondered if she had an automatic leg up over any other would-be Associates by sheer virtue of being older, and wiser, than the usual dispersal wolf. Was the trust born of some (misplaced) desire to appeal to her maternal instincts, or did the Leifteanant see some use in her that Amphitere was unable to define with her little knowledge of Teaghlaigh? Whatever the reason, she devoted her attention to the task, and the company, all the same.

Her ears twisted back comfortably against her flowing ruff as a serene smile settled upon her lips again. "We may yet learn much from one another." Amphitere agreed with a friendly wave of her tail. There was that everpresent part of her that wanted nothing more than to hermit away in solitude, and cloister herself from the dull minds of lesser wolves. But in these genuine moments of affiability, Amphitere was grateful to be in the company of someone not only tolerable, but intelligent as well. 

The interest in her own peculiar brand of healing and spiritualism is once more called into question. She hadn't expected it to come up again so soon, but she shakes her head and moves to explain, "It is... complicated. The legitimacy of it is debated which is why I also take a practical approach to healing." she admitted with a slight frown. "But my healing is derived from the idea that there are other, greater, forces at work in the world beyond what our conscious can detect. Nature is one, and the Astral is the other." 

"Nature, Gaia, Mother Earth—it has many names. It heavily documented in the few cultures I've encountered, because we have all experienced a time where there is unexplained phenomena in our lives. That feeling when your neck prickles like someone is watching? That is Nature. The manifestation of energy. The controlling force behind the rain, the movement of the heavens, and the changing of the seasons. The herbal approach is closely tied to this, because it is nature that gifts these boons to us."

She drew a breath and paused, allowing the information to sink in and giving Hemlock the chance to weigh in.

[table width=80%][tr][td]

There was a little understanding once she had explained; while Hemlock was not a spiritual wolf by any means most of Awenasa was. She had learned early on from her mother's frantic ravings and her warped sense of the world that somethings could not be explained logically. She believed in the real and the here and now - and while she did not despise the wolf for her views she also did not understand it personally. She could not see those that spent their time clinging to invisible spirits like Olive had. "My tribe shared similar beliefs, I feel the concept of the Mother Earth is a common one. I was never religious, for my own reasons, and I choose to rely on what I do with my own mind and my own paws." Hemlock admitted. 

She took the time as she began to carve out the nooks and crannies of the cache - pockets that in her mind would hold her treasures soon enough. "I will admit, to those that trust blindly - I cannot understand that. Comfort is one thing, blind faith....well. I just don't see it." Pun not intended. "When you branched out, was your entire pack against you?" Her freedom after her Mitexi had come with the blessing of her pack and her family; she could not imagine being rebuked for her desire to know more. Leaving her mother behind had been hard, but she expected her sweet sister Rayen to stay with Tiva until the end of her days; her brothers, how she longed to have them close!

"I will agree to the gifts provided, and if I had to, I would hope for the balance of the two. My tribe was mostly family, they were more open minded in recent generations. Awenasa had far more closed off, private views when it was born." Those stories were different - bands of warriors and rogues who had carved out their place; it was all so strange to think now when compared to the docile nature lovers she knew now. The thought harkened to what Teaghlaigh had to become; what had been forced onto it. "It is interesting to see what knowledge comes from such folly - growth, growth in us, in the Earth. That is the true beauty in life."

[/td][/tr][/table]

she likes to yak a lot, sorry Hemlock.

Amphitere smiled and as Hemlock set to work as she talked, she did as well. Though she often came across as a demure, and stately lady of the court, the older woman was far from adverse to physical labor. She enjoyed the feeling of exertion, and the smell of the earth it as it broke apart beneath her raking paws. Hemlock revealed more about herself—her past, and even her own personal opinion on faith and religion. Amphitere appreciated the perspective, especially considering her background. Either you believed, or you were exonerated.

While heaving a bit of dirt away, she cut in on the subject of blind faith. "Neither can I." and then, with a laugh. "Almost. Not all, but they refused to speak up when the time came. Perhaps someday I will be a martyr to some cause or another, but that is of little consequence to me." Amphitere explained in a blithe tone as she toiled away on the cache. Their conversation was evolving naturally, and she appreciated the give and take that came with it. It was not wordplay, nor was there a greater meaning veiled behind the stories. They were simply two creatures sharing experiences.

Her smirk faded and her delicate brow lifted as a fondness revealed itself. She felt an odd connection to Hemlock; as if she understood the sort of world they were unfortunate enough to live in, and the desire to make the most of whatever hand they were dealt. "You are an old soul, Leifteanant." she comments while shooting the other a bemused look. "Knowledge is life's one true purpose. Learn, share, and grow."

She shakes her head and picks up a thread left abandoned earlier in the conversation, hoping to reveal more of her background and the conclusion she wished to draw from the information. "They believed in a God, and her pantheon. Her Divine Light, the Goddess—all made up by some ancient fool too old for his demands to bear weight, so he conjured up an image of a higher power to justify the actions he took to strike fear into those beneath him." She smirks. "Somehow, it persisted for generations, and now the grand majority of Raven's Crown and the families associated with her spend most of their lives seeking approval from something that doesn't even exist."

"Knowledge is a dangerous weapon to those who are too frightened of the truth." Amphitere said as she kicked away another bit of dirt.

[table width=80%][tr][td]

Old soul. That was something she had not been told but in it's same vein, she didn't need to hear it. She just understood that she did not see things the way most people did. She saw, to herself, something deeper - and maybe that was because she struggled to put proper roots down. Palisander was not a mistake, and she will vehemently state that, but he was unexpected. Few things were unexpected. He was. She drew in a breath and let it out with a smile, green eyes drifting across the woman she stands near and for a moment she comes to a stop. "Thank you." It's quiet, but it's true - and the gratitude in her voice promises that she understands what is said and its magnitude. 

"That is the crux of it - gods and goddesses that were made up and dreamed up by wolves who wished to be gods themselves.." Of course there were too many stories of similar higher powers for Hemlock to believe there is no promise to them. She just can't give them too long of her thoughts. "There can be things learned, of course, from those who aren't completely stuck with their heads in the sands." Hemlock mused. "I think that is the place I view religion. It can be learned from. But like all things - it cannot be the only source of knowledge. I could know every plan in the world but what good is that if I do not know what to do with them?" She could prattle off useless information but the meat of what she was stood with was application. 

"Was it all focused on healing in your pack?" They had different respective paths in Awenasa, and she respected that. Not all the others would split their focuses - some packs were far more militant in their thought process. 

[/td][/tr][/table]

Amphitere doesn't do much to acknowledge the quiet gratitude. She glances over as she works, taking a moment to nod, and return to the task. 

Hemlock is wise, indeed, and it is difficult not to find herself growing attached to the woman's presence. Traditionally she prefered her solitude to work and study alone, but in the rare instances she finds herself among a kindred spirit she is hard-pressed to remove herself from them. She listens in silence, absorbing the comments and opinions of the amber woman, and humming her agreement with each point made. "It's a vessel." Amphitere remarks as she shuffles a dislodged stone away from the hole and onto the pile quickly forming behind them. 

The question offered her a chance to stop and catch her breath, which she did before responding. "No, it was a small part. We had a military, gamemasters, and royalty to oversee it all. One could chose their path of the three, but one required a relation to the current royal family to serve in court." 

Their work was near mindless, both females working in tandem to secure a place that would be useful for their future endeavors. Hemlock couldn't imagine subjecting herself to the whims of royalty if it was all about bloodlines. While it was true that her tribe had been mostly all led by the matriarch Kali of their generation it wasn't always that way. Their society was more built on the community, the leadership working mostly as a head of a council. Any wolf could work up, any wolf could grow their roots within Awenasa. 

After they'd dug a considerable amount out Hemlock took a few steps back to admire their progress. It would work, she felt, and it would withstand the basic elements to give them a place to properly plan and store. It was all about the future game - Teaghlaigh was losing the benefit of the small home she'd established and the garden she had planned out. "It sounds that our homes were similar in that regard. We had our pathways, those that favored the more physical endeavors and then the ones who relied more in the strengths of the mind." It was a common process for so many packs but they had laid it out down to an art. 

Once they'd finished their task Hemlock sent Amphitrite on her way to find a densite of her own and Hemlock began to fill the cache with little things she'd gathered.