Whitefish River No clouds, we shoot them out the sky

for @Dauntless
Other tags are for reference. Let me know if it's not okay or if I should change something <3

Long after the sun had set was when she usually left the children with Emrik to tend to her other duties. The children were usually asleep by then and hopefully wouldn't notice her short absence. Some nights, she checked on @Dragomir, constantly worried about him especially now that his mother had left. Other times, she checked on @Winterbourne, ensuring that his injury healed correctly, even now that it was mostly healed (assuming?); she worried about him too. Tonight, she needed to replenish her collection of her more frequently used plants. 

She often paid a visit to her favorite willow tree, usually to take some of its bark back to her herb den,  but on the rare chance that she had down time, she liked to sit under it and watch the river. Tonight was not one of those rare times; she had work to do. A pile of marigolds lay near the base of the tree, and the healer stood on her rear legs while gently pulling a sliver of bark from the trunk. She lowered herself and added it to the pile, lifting herself up once more to gather more bark. Once she had a decent pile, she would carry both the flowers and the willow bark back to the caves.

Dauntless had finally worked his way deeper into the territory, and was settling in as well as could be expected after spending so long travelling on his own. He kept waiting for things to click and have this place be his home, but he was beginning to accept that it was not quite as simple a process as it'd been to fall in love with the plateau.

But that day, he came across a sight that made him feel a little more at home. It was a smaller shewolf, apparently in the process of gathering herbs. Dauntless offered a low sound of greeting as he approached, head ducked and tail whisking near his heels. He was reminded at once of Pema, who had taken over as a mother figure for him when his own had disappeared. She, too, had been a healer -- but only after a fashion, at the encouragement of his father. Still, it was how he remembered her, and this woman was even vaguely reminiscent of the woman in stature and coloration. Dauntless wondered what had become of her.

"Hi," he said, sounding a little awkward and uncertain. "Can I help you with that?" Or with anything. He'd been hunting and leaving his kills in the caches, but only on his own. It was lonely work, and he hadn't joined a pack just so he could be lonely.

She hadn't known he was there until he spoke, and she paused her work to greet him with a smile. Lowering herself down to the ground, she took a few steps towards him. He was newer to Kaistleoki, and she hadn't yet had the opportunity to spend time with him. Sure, she answered. I would love some help. She turned and padded back to the tree before turning back to her packmate. I'm speedy by the way, and I was just collecting some of this bark to bring back to my herb den. She raised herself back up on her hind legs. I only need a few more pieces. You just take a piece between your teeth like this— she paused her words to grasp the bark in her mouth and then slowly pulled a sliver until it ripped from the trunk. She lowered herself and placed it in the pile. And then you just pull until it comes off, she finished, looking at him with a friendly smile.

To Dauntless's relief, the task seemed simple enough. He watched her demonstration carefully anyway, and only when it was done did he feel quite comfortable speaking again. "I'm Dauntless," he replied, and then immediately wished he'd said My name is Dauntless instead. But her name was Speedy, of all things, so he didn't think she'd be too fussed about his phrasing. She'd done the same thing, after all.

He moved toward the tree and reared back on his hind legs, teetering awkwardly for a moment before he braced a paw against the trunk and repeated the delicate gesture. Or tried to -- he couldn't get a hold of the bark at first, but after scraping at it with his teeth for a moment, found purchase. It was as simple as she'd made it seem after that, and he dropped the strip he'd procured near, but not quite on, the pile she already had before going in for a second one.

"So," he said between gritted teeth, and then waited until his mouth was free before finishing the thought, "You do medicine, I guess?" Real smart, Dauntless.

It's nice to meet you, Dauntless, Speedy replied after dropping another sliver of bark on her pile. He seemed to catch on pretty quickly without any direction from her, making her gathering far more efficient than if she had continued to do this on her own. A few more slivers would be enough for now. She lifted herself back up against the tree and peeled off more bark, walking back over to the pile where Dauntless was depositing his own piece. She smiled at his question and nodded. Yep, she answered. I'm a healer, usually of physical injuries, but I also help with emotional stuff too if anyone ever needs it, she explained in more detail than was probably warranted, but she couldn't help herself when she spoke of her work. She found that most were far more willing to allow her to help with physical ailments than talk to her about what might be going on inside their mind, but she liked helping either way. What about you? she asked, inspecting the pile. How do you like to keep yourself busy? She looked to him, her expression one of genuine interest; she always like to know more about her packmates.