Mudminnow River Everyone who knew her loved her so.

@Cadeau

Feeling confident in herself for the first time in her short life, Ibis ventured through the forest of her home with a renewed sense of self. She thought of all the pretty things she had seen during her expedition; all the lovely people spread between here and the ocean, and even found herself wondering about what lay beyond. Her world had only recently expanded to encompass the rising sun valley as a whole. There were many places for her to visit. Things to learn, plants to study, people to meet. She was ready for her next adventure.

As she crept east through the claim she found herself in a section of the Hollow she'd never been before. The smell of water in the air was inviting, for she was parched. So she sought it out and in the process of finding the coursing river, crossed out of the Hollow without realizing it. The water pulsed; the smell of the wet rocks, the sight of the shimmering water as it sped on by, even the sensation of the mud between her toes as she drew up close to the edge, all of it was enthralling. Before she knew it, Ibis had gotten turned around and had roamed away from home.

About an hour after her discovery of the river, she had no idea where she was. Ibis told herself not to be afraid; she was a scout, an adventurer, one day a messenger — she couldn't let herself become afraid so easily or dad would never let her go on another adventure again! How would she be able to see the entire world if that happened? So she stayed calm, humming a tune to herself as she looked for a way back home thorugh the trees — but was startled as she came upon a strange creature slithering along the riverside, between the rocks. It was long and dark with bright yellow drawn across its sides.

She was curious, so she followed after the garter snake without any thought as to where she was going.

Cadeau felt her throat itch as it longed for some water, the halfling making her way through the forest. The shadows of the leafy trees above offered mild relief from the sun but still the heat was scathing to her thick brown fur. The halfling was use to hot days, she could recall the searing pavement under her paws back home and the intense warmth concrete emitted. 

It still however did not make a thirsty summer day any easier, contrary to popular belief. Cadeau wrinkled her muzzle up, nostrils flaring as she tried to pick up the scent of water so she could have a drink. Cadeau adjusted her satchel absently with her forepaw and muzzle, making sure the red pitcher plant tied to her chest was secure with all the herbs she carried with her. Once that was fixed, she continued to walk.

Sooner rather than later, Cadeau could smell moisture and hear the soft rumble of the river. Eagerly, the halfling picked up the pace into a steady trot, pushing through the bushes and shrubs to see the riverbed. Her toes squished between the wet sand and pebbles pressed into her calloused paw pads. The spray of the river was refreshing and even more so once Cadeau got to lean her face down to take in a eager drink. Liquid dribbled down her chin, Cadeau raising her head with a satisfied sound. She mentally bookmarked the river to her memory, needing to tell Illidan about it later in case he needed water to drink too.

She saw something canine walking nearby, seeming to stalk something curiously as it threaded it's way between rock and stone. The long legs hinted the wolf was a yearling, possibly her own age group. Cadeau cocked her head, ears flopping around. What was this girl even doing?

The snake made no sound at all. As it moved it seemed to be oblivious of the wolf that followed after it — or maybe it was in a silent panic and seeking freedom before becoming a meal? Either way, Ibis followed after it easily enough. Every time the snake began to divert towards the underbrush of the woods she'd hastily take a step and it would stop, turn, keep going - it was a little game to pass the time.

Finally though, a dark gap appeared and the snake took its chance to slither in to it for safety. Ibis was not trying to hunt the creature, or bother it, but she became so invested in this moment of solo-play that she stopped considering the feelings of the snake. When it began to escape from her she dove after it, missing the head by an inch or two and giving the snake a split-second to hide.

She snapped at it again and almost grappled with its retreating tail, but - it was no use. The creature was gone and she was left as the loser in the game. Yet as she lifted her snout and peered around, she noticed the approaching shape of a wolf and called out to them: Oh! Hello.

The brown female didn't approach right away, mostly because it seemed the stranger was focused on something entirely. She didn't want to risk interupting whatever it was the girl was doing, Cadeau instead observing from where she stood at the riverbed, letting the soft mist spritz her fur and face. It cooled her immensely, Cadeau taking a relaxing breath.

Soon, it seemed what the young wolf was doing was deemed finish, Cadeau seeing her pull away from the ground with empty paws and jaws. Had she been hunting at all? Cadeau wondered, it had appeared like it near the ending of the whole event. Cadeau saw she was finally noticed, eyes catching the halfling in the distance and being called out a friendly greeting. She surmised to finally go up to her, guessing if the stranger was making first content it was safe to do so.

"Hi there," Cadeau barked a hello, smiling politely. She tipped her head curiously, eyes drifting to the spot the girl had been previously. "What over there had you so entranced before?" 

The stranger was polite and friendly, which was a good sign. Ibis had yet to meet anyone that meant her ill and that kept her in the dark over such things - innocent to the more dangerous aspects of the world, naive to the extreme. She smiled at the girl as she came nearer, curious of her, charmed easily by the friendly nature she boasted. Beyond that Ibis was quite vain; it wasn't an aspect of her personality that reared its head often, the last time being when Eleuthera had still been part of Elysium. Her sister had the most gorgeous and plush pelt and Ibis remembered burning with jealousy over it. This stranger was similar: her coat was a ruddy red the likes of which Ibis had never seen before; she was reminded of poppies. The stranger's smaller size also helped to ease any residual nervousness from Ibis - it was rare to encounter anyone that was on the small side like herself.

I found a creature, Ibis explained when prompted by the question. She dipped her nose to the rocks and sniffed at them, but the musky smell of serpent had faded. It was long and thin like a worm, but it moved very quickly. I thought I could catch it, but it slipped between the rocks and escaped - that's okay though, I didn't want to hurt it. Her little tail wagged as she explained the encounter, feeling good about her decision. Ibis was no hunter. Have you ever seen anything like that before? It moved like the river.

Cadeau instantly could tell what the critter the girl was describing, the yearling nodding her head in a knowing fashion. "That slithery creature is called a snake, there's lots of 'em. Some are pretty dangerous though so you might want to steer clear of them unless you know what kind it is." Cadeau avoided those reptiles for that reason, her handbook on their species was still fairly small from living in isolation so long, away from the wilderness. 

The halfling presented her own fangs as if to describe physically just how a snake was dangerous. "Some have teeth like we do here and its chock full of poison, one nip and you could die in minutes." Thankfully, despite her studies into treating a snake bite, Cadeau had never needed to fret about getting bit herself nor treating someone who had been. Hopefully she would never need to.

Ibis felt very good about herself and her discovery. When the stranger spoke though, it became clear that there was a lot she didn't know — and a lot to be wary of. To think of the slithering thing as dangerous or something to avoid made Ibis feel like she'd missed a memo or something. She felt stupid. What if she'd been chasing after something that could've done her real harm? She was outside the Hollow's claim in an area she didn't often visit — how could she have survived had the creature been something more aggressive? What if she'd been bitten - would anyone have found her in time?

She was happy for the warning even if it made her feel like an idiot; the stranger showed off her teeth next and detailed that the snake carried poisons sometimes, which made Ibis' skin crawl. Poison? Is there something I could do to fix it if I did get bitten? Oof, but she wasn't going to go hunting for more of these slithering creatures in the future, no sir! She was reminded of the big green leaf she'd found and had a reaction to, and wondered if that had been poisonous. File snake under things to never touch again.

Cadeau was more than happy to tell the she-wolf how she could survive a snake bite should heaven forbid one of them sunk its fangs into her hide. "What you will want to do if you ever get bit is don't panic. Yeah, sounds stupid but seriously try to keep calm. If you freak out the venom travels faster,"  Cadeau began to explain. 

"Also don't run, the faster your heart rate goes the easier the venom can spread." The halfling adjusted the satchel on her chest idly, muzzle dipping into the pitcher plant to grab a few herbs. "And these things will help treat a snake bite... gimmie a sec, I got a lot of stuff in here." She glanced up with an excited smile, eager to show off her collection of medical plants.

It was good knowledge to have. Certain that it would come in handy one day, Ibis attentively cocked her ears to the strangers voice and then - shocked - watched as the red woman grabbed something from a sling she carried. It surprised her more so that this woman was crafty enough to create such a thing; Ibis studied the pouch-plant that Cadeau utilized and wondered if she could do the same thing, but... That would require identifying this plant and fashioning it upon herself somehow, both feats she didn't feel comfortable with.

The more this woman spoke the more Ibis found she respected her. It seemed like she knew exactly what she was talking about. The girl tried to remain attentive and to commit as many details as she could to her memory - yet even as she recited what Cadeau was saying, her mind went off on tangents and filled with questions. How does she know this? Being chief among them. Can she be trusted? Was a smaller one, a nagging doubt she banished swiftly as she refocused.

The best thing to do would be, avoid getting bitten in the first place. How do you know if a bite will be bad? I mean, the thing I followed never tried to bite me. Maybe it wasn't as dangerous? But then she felt stupid, like she'd asked a very dumb question. Maybe it was better to just assume every snake was a bad thing.

Once the woman finished explaining Ibis nodded and mentally went over things: Venom can spread if you aren't calm, or if you run, so... Venom travels inside your body, kind of like blood, then. Maybe... In your blood? The question was rhetorical, more of a voicing-of-a-thought than anything. The idea of something infiltrating her body and causing harm was terrifying.

Cadeau eventually just said 'screw it' and decided to dump the contents of her pouch all over the ground. It was too much work pawing each specific herb one by one, besides, Cadeau always was eager to educate someone on plant life, even if part of it was to stroke her own ego over how much she knew now. 

At her question, Cadeau glanced up from her scattered herbs to look at the girl. "Oh trust me, you'll know pretty quickly. Ever get sun burn on your ears? Imagine that but with the sheer intensity of a thousand suns and maybe throw in a fire ant sting or three." She gestured rather dramatically with her paws as she described the first sensation of a poisonous snake bite. "You might foam like a rabid animal and puke a lot, some say you'll suffer hallucinations too. Not all snake bites kill but you will suffer... a lot, if you do outlast the poison: healer or no healer." 

At the mention of blood perhaps being linked to the transfer of venom, she couldn't help but add in a hasty way. "Its linked but please don't try sucking the venom out, you'll just hurt yourself or the other wolf." Cadeau pushed a plant towards the girl, showing it off. "This is comfrey, good for swelling. Also, speaking of introductions, I'm Cadeau." The halfling looked up with a polite warm grin.

Soon the woman was explaining this at a rapid pace, using words that overwhelmed Ibis. The girl felt dizzy with all of this new information - this terrifying picture of pain, suffering, and death that was painted in her mind's eye. Ibis had no idea what a hallucination was; she didn't know what rabies was, nor what it looked like; she'd seen vomit, but only the bilious offerings of an expectant mother or a milk-drunk child who'd had too much breakfast.

What she gleaned from all that flurry of information was that venom was very bad, and by proxy, snakes should be avoided. Ibis had no idea what to do when faced with such danger so she would make sure to keep far away from the slithering creatures regardless of how safe they looked. If nothing else, Cadeau had managed to frighten the poor girl on to a safer path.

Sucking... it out? Why would you do that? Er, She had said not to. Maybe swallowing it was worse-off than being bitten. Whatever - too much information at once. There were plants being offered to her too; something the woman called comfrey. Ibis looked at it with bright eyes, but this last bit didn't quite register for her. There were too many other things that had accumulated that she needed to process.

—speaking of introductions, I'm Cadeau.

Snakes. Venom. Halluci --- something? Rabid -- comfrey, Cadeau.

I-I'm... bis. She murmured, then quickly clarified: My name is Ibis. I... um, I live in the Hollow nearby.

Cadeau absently presented Ibis with a strand of rattlesnake master, a spikey looking plant that stunk of carrot. "Some wolves think if it can be injected it means in theory you should be able to take it out by the same means," she explained to Ibis, shaking her lean head. "You just needlessly risk an infection instead by doing it. Also, you can keep that. Heaven forbid you get bit, that'll prevent the poison from doing further harm to you. Its rattlesnake master."

Cadeau didn't really seem to realize that all her nerding out over medical stuff was overwhelming the poor girl until suddenly she flushed, embarrassed she had rambled so much over a subject this Ibis didn't understand like she did. Cadeau got too excited sometimes. "Oh its um... nice to meet you, Ibis. Please forgive me, sometimes I just can't help myself." She meekly picked up another plant to emphasize her point. She hadn't meant to short circuit her mind with so much information.

The words swam around her in a cartoonish manner, almost like she was seeing stars, although gradually she understood what was being said and swallowed up her misgivings; she didn't know what an injection was — but it perhaps referred to the manner in which snake venom was delivered through the skin by way of the teeth. This was not something Ibis understood in the slightest. She'd never been in a situation that would require herbal remedies (except for that time the herbal remedy had upset her mouth and Gannet had quickly fixed her).

Cadeau hastily apologized for her exuberance. Ibis couldn't fault her for being invested, it was a similar zeal that Ibis carried for pretty things. Had she known that her collection of beautiful flowers and interesting plants might've been more useful, maybe she'd have stockpiled differently.

She stepped closer to the spikey plant that Cadeau had produced from her pouch and dipped her nose towards it, sniffing carefully, not touching it. If Ibis had learned anything at all while a member of the Hollow -- it was that not all plants are good plants; but she took her new friend's advice as fact, trusting her a little bit more than what might be considered normal.

Its okay, I like plants too — but I didn't know they had so many mysteries to them. I collect pretty ones, Ibis explained as she looked up to Cadeau again, smiling. You have quite a collection! What is that plant you carry them with? She tilts her head ever so slightly, looking at the pitcher plant with bright, curious eyes. I used a big fern-thing to carry my plants but it hurt my mouth. Gannet -- one of my best friends -- he said it was a dangerous plant. Big and deep green leaves, sometimes with bright colors striped on them like a vee? Maybe Cadeau knew what the philodendron was - maybe not. Either way, Ibis was glad to have someone who understood how beautiful and magical plants were.

Cadeau let Ibis sniff at the spikey rattlesnake master, delicately holding it between her teeth before she let it go to drop at their paws. "If you injest it or slather it on the bite, the plant reverses the severity of the venom!" Cadeau sounded way too excited over this remedy thing, glowing with a kind of zeal. "You collect plants?" Her slanted almond eyes widened and she couldn't help but ask, she tried to muffle the eagerness to her words. "I'm studying a lot of specimens, maybe you could show me sometime? We could trade, I have a lot of stuff too."

Ibis asked her what the satchel was and Cadeau let the she-wolf have a better look, lifting it by the vines she had tied to the red pitcher plant. "Its called a pitcher plant, usually this specimen feeds on insects like flies by luring it with a special smell they like." Her eyes glittered as she felt another bout of nerdom kick down the metaphoric door.

When Ibis talked about a striped plant that hurt her mouth, she looked confused. "I've never heard of anything like that before, plants can be so funny that way. Huh."

She sniffed at the plant offered; the white flowers were so small and delicate, but they smelled very faintly. Maybe they had been picked a while ago and the pollen had been lost while Cadeau had travelled; regardless of that, Ibis decided they were a pretty specimen she'd have to look around the Hollow for. Maybe she could start her own garden of useful plants — if she stuck around.

The pitcher plant was even more intriguing to her. Something like that was a bizarre find. It wasn't native to the northwest but what did Ibis know! She investigated it quietly while Cadeau explained a few more things - then when she offered a trade, Ibis looked up from the pile of plants and smiled to the ruddy woman.

I would love to show you around the Hollow sometime. I mean, if my dad lets you visit... I'm sure we could convince him to allow it if you're willing to teach me about plants. I could even convince my friend Gannet to hang out with us, her face felt flush at the mention of him, and Ibis moved on quickly. Plants can be dangerous. I didn't know until I grabbed the wrong one, but he was there to help me.

Cadeau had never heard of this "Hollow" thing but she assumed it must be pack related, something she was aiming to meet regardless on this little quest of hers. The yearling beamed. "That'd be cool," she exclaimed, nodding her head. She decided she liked this wolf, Ibis certainly was someone she would like to meet further in future. It was fun making friends, something she was still new to after so much isolation. "I am on a mission kind of to meet other packs to maybe settle down in, me and my friend Illidan have been roaming the wilds." She gave a smile after explaining, deciding she better be honest. 

Cadeau noticed the way Ibis seemed to flush at the mention of this "Gennet", she couldn't help but feel nosey now over the reaction. However she had restraint and kept her curiosity to herself, after all they were still strangers to one another. Sure, amiable but there were still limits. "Yeah, some can do a lot of damage if you aren't careful, like nightshade. That's a super deadly plant, the berries look sweet but don't be tricked. One nibble and you'll be felled."

Her smile grew. The hollow is nearby - its due east of here about an hour, if that. Said the girl who couldn't tell her directions apart and often walked herself in to the creek that bifurcated the packlands completely by accident. Telling Cadeau about her poor sense of direction wasn't pertinent; the pack was nearby, that was all she was getting at. When her new friend spoke of someone named Illidan, Ibis' ears twitched. It was a curious name - and a fun mission, by the sounds of it.

So you've seen lots of places then, Ibis deduced. I've only ever lived in this valley — my mum lives at a place called Elysium, my dad is here at the Hollow, and... That's all I know. She wondered about how large the world might be, how many things were out there - passing her by while she focused on her precious plants. How many places have you visited?

Cadeau took note of the location with a thoughtful nod of her head, the halfling trying to forge something of a map to her curious memory. She would most likely come back with Illidan eventually, they seemed to find themselves around packs one way or another. Not that it was a bad thing, it was the entire point of their journey and partnership. 

Why did the thought bum her out though the more she lingered on it? Not the packs themselves but the possibility that this was all there was to the layers of her relationship with Illidan. What did that mean after their little misadventures came to an end? Cadeau hit reverse on the gas pedal and turned the metaphoric car around so her wandering thoughts couldn't cause more mischief, returning to Ibis at paw.

"I'll keep that in mind," Cadeau said with a smile. "Sometimes wandering the land isnt all its cracked up to be, I wish I could go back home at times. Don't take it for granted, seeing lots of places never beats the home you leave behind." Cadeau felt nostalgia run through her veins at the prospect of home, the small town she was ousted from during this year's winter. "I've seen a lot of places since I met Illidan and flew the nest, I never knew so much existed out here. It's very big."

She anticipated a story or some kind of grand adventure with locations thrown out and name-dropped, but that wasn't what Cadeau offered. Instead she stpoke of how roaming wasn't all that great, which begged the silent question — why do it then? Ibis wouldn't let the negativity infect her; she was too excited by the idea of exploring and visiting all these brand new places. So she took the commentary with a grain of salt, and when Cadeau mentioned that the world outside was very big Ibis could only nod at first.

The girl smiled though, and commented: Where is Illidan from? I've been to the neighboring packs in the valley - Easthollow is nearest to us, just across the field. North of them is a big lake and beyond the lake, a place called Swiftcurrent Creek, which I got to visit as the pack messenger. Ibis didn't want to be boastful but she was very proud of all that she'd accomplished (although by any other pack's standards, it probably wasn't much).

Cadeau wondered if Ibis knew of the pack Illidan was from, or even the boy himself. Lately, she was discovering that Illidan had a social circle, not that she minded, it was just interesting to her at how much of a private person he seemed to be. "He's from this coastal pack called Ruslka," she told Ibis, cocking her head if it sounded familiar to her. Cadeau listened to Ibis as she spoke of more packs, ones that sounded new to her ears, the halfling looking thoughtful. "What are those places like?" 

A coastal pack? Ibis had no concept of the sea - she didn't know it existed, so this new word, coastal, made her gawk until Cadeau named the place. Rusalka wasn't familiar in the slightest. She'd have to venture further than Elysium if she was going to find it - an enticing thought.

Answering the question was easy enough: Easthollow is located on the plains, the hills are wonderful at catching the sunlight or for watching the stars; the land comes equipped with some forest too, and some peculiar stones. I don't know much about them — I never got that far when I visited — but they um, they look almost unnatural with how straight they are and how... like, arranged, they seem.

She thought a moment about Swiftcurrent before adding on to her explanation, The next pack - the creek pack - is pretty basic. They live in a forest too but its much thicker, and the river creeps right through the territory. I didn't see much of it either, the girl shrugs and wriggles about awkwardly for a bit, licking her lips, trying to think of what else to say.

Whats -- whats a coastal pack? Is it different from the valley?

Cadeau listened to the information with eagar ears, head tipping to the side like a curious pup. Though, she couldn't help but feel a touch overwhelmed herself at this mountainous amount of pack logistics and descriptions. Wolf packs were still a new thing to her, having only heard the tales of beasts who ate bones and recklessly killed anything that stepped into their domains like savages. The fact there was so much more to then was fascinating, intimidating sure but fascinating none the less.

At Ibis' question, Cadeau could not help but blink slowly in surprise. "Have you ever been to the beach before? Maybe seen the ocean and caught a few waves?" The halfling asked first, arching her brows.

It was like the meeting of two people from different time periods, or something. Ibis was the full-blooded wolf with the ancient knowledge coursing through her body, but very little worldly experience. Cadeau was the antithesis of that: with enough dog to temper her wild nature, yet enough wolf to give her the drive to explore and find those pieces that she was missing. They could help one-another.

When Cadeau spoke of the beach, the ocean, the waves - it was meaningless to the wolf, and the look of confusion that split her features made that obvious enough. No. I -- what's a beach? Waves...? Is it like a lake, or.. A river? I've seen those. The Hollow has those. Maybe it had a beach too and she just didn't know it. Something hidden for her to discover, which was exciting.

The halfling gave a paitient smile at Ibis, not all minding needing to give the girl some details to flesh out the entire picture she was trying to tell. Cadeau knew there were plenty of things Ibis probably knew that Cadeau didn't, it was just the way of the world. "The beach is like what you see here by the river," she explained, Cadeau gesturing to the places where mud, gravel and stone stretch at the edges of the river. "Its made of sand, its yellow or white, really soft and squishy under your paws but has a rough course texture. When water hits it, sand gets soft like mud." 

"And the ocean is just really big water, its salty so you don't wanna drink it. The beach is always by the ocean, they're kind of besties in that way." She grinned as she tried offering a way to remember that the ocean and beach usually went hand in hand should Ibis ever find herself confused over finding it. "You see waves all the time on lakes and rivers but on the ocean they get way way bigger, Ibis. Like, tall as a tree big sometimes if they get crazy enough."

The description that Cadeau shared was somehow terrifying, but magical too. Ibis had visited lakes and rivers before, there were plenty of small waterways throughout the Hollow's claim; she looked out at the river that ran alongside their stationary position and wondered what it would be like to visit this beach place. Water as far as the eye could see - soft, fine-grained sand beneath her paws. The river gurgled softly as it pulsed along and Ibis imagined what it might sound like, feel like, taste like, if it was bigger and more animated — and she smiled. It would be nice to find such a place and see it in person, she decided.

That sounds -- amazing, Ibis' voice was filled with wonder. I'm going on a trip soon. I'll keep my eye out for just such a place. The way you talk about it makes it seem like you really, really love it. Or something about it - maybe someone, she was romanticising the conversation a little bit, but that was what Ibis tended to do. How terrifying-but-gorgeous could that kind of place be, and what sort of people would live there? She didn't ask, and let her imagination construct scenarios and things while she watched the river's flow.