Herbalists' Cache I see it there, to the east

Sorry if Im a little rusty

Khione's heart sped within her chest, with excitement, fear and anxiety. Snow cracked and crushed beneath her paws as she ran toward the Taiga. "Finally, somewhere new " she thought to herself. White, green and grey alike grew closer to her and she could finally see what she laid before her. Khione eventually came to a stop at the borders of Snowforest Taiga, The Bracken Woods laid far behind her. Her ears flickered and moved left to right in contemplation. It seemed she had two options, a sort of glacier, or snowfield or a forest-type place. The choice was obvious to her, the forest would provide sufficient food, water and medicine as she made her way southeast, so she drew forward. As she walked, thoughts trickled toward her conscious. Flashes of wolves' faces appeared within her mind, one standing one in particular. Khione stopped in her tracks, eyes clenched shut "Enough." She was getting homesick. "You can't go back. Not now. "  Drawing out a final sigh, she continued onward, eyes darting around and making mental notes of the different plants that seemed to inhabit this area. " I see.. hm.. Interesting.. " Khione took to mumbling, a bit of an subconscious attempt to comfort herself as well as drive away the homesickness. The forest was truly beautiful, herbs, plants and berries alike seemed to be strangely abundant. "These must be incredibly resilient to endure such cold"  the she-wolf figured. 

Things were changing for her, and quickly. There was now little doubt to the pregnancy; there was tenderness and swelling in new places, an ache to her body, and she carried more weight than usual. Still, she was nauseous--although strangely ravenous at the same time. She pushed through the nausea, eating as much as possible. Bizarre, really.

And she felt restless, as if trying to run away from the sensations within her. Her conversations with Pema and Gannet had lit a spark within her. The idea of herbs intrigued Lily greatly, and though she didn't know much about them, she was smart enough to be aware that she might need to, one of these days.

This place was full of greenery kept safe from the winter, and she strolled through with wonder in her eyes, poking her muzzle here, there, and everywhere. It smelled wonderful; even if there was nothing tangible to be gained from here, it still brought her peace.

Peace enough that not even her heightened sense of aggression--mama bear syndrome kicking in, she supposed--was set off when the white woman came across her path. Instead, Lily grinned at her, wagging her tail.

Beautiful day, huh? she asked cheerfully. So redolent the cache was that she didn't notice the scent of the Bracken Woods overlaying the stranger's pelt--it might have brought her immense nostalgia, otherwise.

Khione didn't notice the darker pelted she-wolf as she walked, nor did she jump a little once spoken to, nope, not ever. Eucalyptus trained on the stranger, the ivory one spoke " I suppose it is. " Khione took time to look around, the sky patched with clouds and the peaceful quiet of the forest around them. Flowers across the ground gave pops of color and warmth to the otherwise chilly environment. Khione's heart was uneasy, meeting a stranger for the first time was admittedly intimidating. She cursed her sheltered upbringing. " Uhm, so- Whats your name?" 'Why do I have to be so awkward..' the she-wolf thought to herself. Her rump settling on the floor as she sat. As Khione took a moment to examine the female before her, her unease seemed to melt away.  It was sort of comforting to have another female to talk with, and she seemed friendly enough. 

Khione didn't notice the darker pelted she-wolf as she walked, nor did she jump a little once spoken to, nope, not ever. Eucalyptus trained on the stranger, the ivory one spoke " I suppose it is. " Khione took time to look around, the sky patched with clouds and the peaceful quiet of the forest around them. Flowers across the ground gave pops of color and warmth to the otherwise chilly environment. Khione's heart was uneasy, meeting a stranger for the first time was admittedly intimidating. She cursed her sheltered upbringing. " Uhm, so- Whats your name?" 'Why do I have to be so awkward..' the she-wolf thought to herself. Her rump settling on the floor as she sat. As Khione took a moment to examine the female before her, her unease seemed to melt away.  It was sort of comforting to have another female to talk with, and she seemed friendly enough. 

The other's nerves didn't go unnoticed, but Lily didn't mind. She'd rather deal with jitters than outright hostility any day; nerves, usually, were easier to soothe, barring the most extreme of circumstances. She gave the woman a smile, dipping her nose in agreement to the agreement--so cordial!--before answering the query offered.

I'm Lily, she chirped. I live nearby in the willow forest: a sanctuary called Elysium. She drew in a breath, still finding nothing of note upon the woman's fur. (Would she even recognize the smell of the Bracken Woods, should she encounter it?)

She canted her head. How about you? Maybe a traveler, though she seemed fearful for that. Lily hadn't been quite so timid upon her first journey from home, but then, Lily had never been timid. Everyone was different.

The white one's ears flicked and moved as Lily spoke 'What a pretty name!'. Khione's head tilted slightly to the left in wonder ' Willow forest, hm? Interesting'. The she-wolf's eyes widened a bit as Lily smiled and asked her about herself. Khione cleared her throat, " My name is Khione. I hail from Lycaon. It rests to the far north. Im.. " She stops herself, thinking for a moment.. " Im headed east, I've heard of a pack there that I wish to join. " Her formal, if not regal, dialogue was not lost to her. 'I hope I didn't sound too weird..'. Second guessing herself was common at this point in her journey, but Lily seemed to understand. As Khione waited for the other's response, she allowed her eyes to wander to the slight swell in her stomach. 'Pregnant perhaps?'

Lily thought Khione's name was even prettier than hers; at least it wasn't so dreadfully generic. She had never heard of Lycaon, though, and her ears perked when the other mentioned she was planning on settling in a pack to the east. She wondered which; she was a little put out that they couldn't keep her at Elysium.

Which pack? she asked politely, smiling. I'm familiar with all of them in the area; they all would be lucky to have you. Their ranks seemed fairly bolstered, too, which was good for the winter. Lily worried about Elysium, faintly. She hadn't seen Sif or Teleklos in some time, and Pema had been scarce.

She left after a little while longer of conversation, not getting much out of the woman. It seemed clear enough that she would be returning to the willows alone, today.