Herbalists' Cache every hour has its sound

Sorting through the scents required much of Rue's attention; she was an herbalist by necessity and not nature, after all. With her focus solely upon the plant smells, she did not notice the packwolf's approach until he announced his presence with a low woof. The young lady jerked her head in the direction of the bark, tensing as the aftershock of the surprise coursed through her body. She was not used to being caught unaware. 

Despite being a stranger (and a man), the newcomer did not seem to mean Rue harm. Rue was no longer a lone wolf, vulnerable to the aggressive whims of a pack wolf. She was no longer a young girl, naive to the desires and intentions of a man. She was not so easily made a victim anymore. These were the things of which Rue often reminded herself, and the reassurance helped her to relax. 

Rue fixed her amber gaze upon the monochrome man, and she found it within herself to offer a reserved smile. "Hello," she spoke, ears twitching up and down as she wrestled with herself over whether to start a conversation. "Ah... um.. you don't happen to have knowledge of herbs, have you?" she finally asked after a pause, deciding that the welfare of her pack was worth pushing through her more reticent inclinations.