Dragoncrest Cliffs only the sound of my hands shaking

Nomi was gone.  Ephraim was gone.  And now Bat was gone, too. 

He couldn't say he was surprised about the last one.  It wasn't the first time Bat had run off instead of, you know, like, staying safe in Drageda with literally everyone else.  Bitterly, he wondered if Kiwi would take off again after her this time.  He lay flat on the ground, tucked behind some of Hougeda's dense foliage as he tried not to cry.  He was a strong boy, and anyway, he'd never seen anyone other than Wildfire cry.

Blinking rapidly against the pinprick tears, he stood up and emerged from the bush.  Maybe hanging out with someone would help, but he really didn't feel like playing.

To say she found satisfaction in seeing a child miss their parent would be a bit much but, Rose had to admit there was a certain...comfort found in one's gloom, especially when she could relate to it so closely. It made the world seem a little less lonely if only for a minute. 

So when she discovered the wondering boy with eyes filled of sorrow and heartache, Rose felt an odd sort of attachment to him, unaware that she found solace in his visible distress. It wasn't her place to intervene nor did she feel like she'd make good company for him, but Rose still remembers what it was like at his age to feel so alone and in a selfish sort of attempt to heal old wounds, she decided to give a go at soothing whatever troubles he faced. She stepped out so that her presence would be known to him if he hadn't noticed her until now but, she decided to leave the distance between them up to him to cover, ultimately letting it be his choice whether or not to join her.

Unsure if it was appropriate to be sad or angry that Dalia had disappeared, young Dacio found himself venturing from Hougeda to dwell on his muddied emotions. So much had changed in such little time that he wasn't entirely sure how to process it all. The pack's leader had gone for a time, taking with her a number of their wolves and leaving Blixen as commander. Ephraim had gone with them and, more recently, his cousin Bat had also vanished.

He didn't know what it all meant, or if things would ever go back to the way they were. He hopd they'd come back.

Portia had assured him to the best of her ability, but Dacio continued to struggle with his confusion. He stole away that afternoon, seeking the comfort of his peers and following the trail left by the two-toned Tux. When he caught sight of him, his white-tipped tail twitched to life with the beginning of a happy greeting before it stilled between his charcoal hocks. The sterling Goufa frowned sadly, recognising the sorrow on his friend's features and made to attract his attention with a strained whine - entirely unaware of the adult presence nearby.

In all of his own inner turmoil, Tux has forgotten about Dalia.  He had never met her other than that one time, and although he knew that Dalia and Dacio were related, it had slipped his mind.  That is, until the other goufa emerges, frowning with a plaintive whine.

For a second there is a wrinkle between his furrowed brows.  What reason did this kid have to be upset?  And then oh, yeah.  Tux moves closer to the other child just as Rose steps out, and his burnished gaze moves from his friend to this packmate he does not remember meeting, then back to his friend.

Hei, he says, loudly enough to be speaking to them both, What're you doin'?

The arrival of the second boy was a bit of a surprise, though the frown that came with him was not. Lately it seemed like everyone she bumped into was down in the dumps these days, something she honestly found kind of exhausting. Perhaps she just felt more out of place than she ever had before because while everyone else wallowed in sadness, Rose just remained her usual stoic self.

The boy's question was a pleasant break in the silence and interrupted whatever useless thoughts had been previously running through her head. "I was going to offer to keep you company, but it looks as if you've found someone more suitable." The offer was still on the table and now open to both boys, but Rose assumed they'd rather hang out with each other than with her.

He was not aware of the adult's presence until Tux' gaze turns to look her way, and Dacio follows to observe her step out into the open. The boy shrinks a little at the sight of the crimson wolfess, but he recognises her as a pack-mate and swallows the initial discomfort beneath her cool gaze. Rose was a she-wolf he'd seen in passing since birth and he knew her to be an aspiring medic like his own dam, though saw less of her the more he grew.

Tux asked a question, and Dacio remained silent to politely allow the Kru to speak first. He glanced between the two, moving to close to distance between himself and Tux with tentative steps. Dacio didn't expect the yearling to suggest that she'd take her leave, so he smiled softly up at her. "Can you teach us about medicine?" Dacio asked despite his own knowledge gained from @Portia. He was eager to keep Rose close and more eager for a distraction from their sorrows.

He is glad when Dacio comes close, and even more so when he offers something for them to do.  Medicine would be a welcome distraction from the longing that settled in his heart.  He hadn't taken lessons like this from anyone; so far, he only knew how to spar and a little bit about the stars.  

Of all the topics children his age could come up with, Rose was genuinely surprised to hear him ask about medicine. He was one of Portia's kids right? Maybe it was natural for him to be interested since his mother was experienced in the field? 

"Alright, let's start with some of the basics" she suggests while taking a few steps closer to the young pair. "Yarrow is a white plant that can be found here in the redwoods and is often used to stop bleeding." She stops to look around for any example of the herb but comes up empty handed, only spotting a similar looking plant a few places away. "It kind of looks like that but with a bunch of smaller flowers." 

Tux was inherently terrible at recognizing and differentiating between plants; whatever gene controlled that, he had missed out on.  There was an exactly eighty five percent chance in the near future that he would tell someone that the plant that Rose had pointed out was yarrow, and he would probably also end up telling them that it was Rose who told him that.  He tried to look like he was interested, but in reality he was hopelessly lost.  Maybe if Dacio had suggested something else, like the weather, he would've been able to soak up more.

tosses an ending on this

Her attention is split between the boys but naturally comes to focus on the greyscale child, likely because he seemed far more interested in the topic of choice. She waits to hear any questions the pair may have before mentioning a few more herbs that could be useful later in life. Rose would be content to go on all about where to find the plants and how to properly use them but she didn't want to bore the poor children to death and decided to end the lesson early.

After a few moments she finishes off by letting them know they are both welcome to come ask her questions anytime before offering a quick goodbye and leaving them to their own accord.