Herbalists' Cache heilende

when it dawned in the forest of aspens, mahler roused himself and felt hunger spike in his belly. a kill should be made, if for no one else than the pups. more pressing, his ruined medicines. how might he treat anyone without them? 
"@Elke," he urged in a low chuff, inviting the growing child to his side, "come vith me."
they pressed on through the aspen wood, mahler answering whatever inquiries she might make, and soon came upon a rain-wet pine forest, dappled in golden sunlight. he strode between the noble bodies of the ancient trees, marveling at them until he came across a patch of peppermint, and another of lemon balm. "good," he muttered, relieved, noting their locale as he began to harvest them with a glance toward elke.

Golden blonde ears perked to attention at the sound of her name and the pale faced little girl turned her eyes (turning more and more like her father's each day) into Mahler's direction. Scretching, she quietly pried herself from her sister's side and to her father's instead, her torso arching like a cat might to rub along her large from legs in happy greeting. 

From aspens to pine, Elke would ask her father about them and what their names were so she could put name to the different ones. She asked once if she would ever see 'deer's, the animal which held branches on its head. 

When they came to the fairly open little forestry, Elke then watched as Mahler began plucking at flowers, digging, searching. She joined him, sniffing the lemon, then peppermint. Smells good. She says, intrigued by the pleasant scents. She had grown quite an interest in trees, plants, herbs... Why take them? She wonders.

elke settled quickly to an attentive exploration of the same, and mahler hummed in agreement. "these are both medicine," he explained. "i am a doktor, vich means i use these plants, and others, to help take care of anyvone who is sick."
that was why such things must be gathered. mahler began to collect his findings in a neat pile, though his stoneflower eyes lit with a pleased light to see that those were not the only useful plants nearby. "vhat else do you see, elke?" the gargoyle asked conversationally, wondering what she would suss out.

Medicine. She spoke, trying out to see how the word settled on her little tongue. The plants, certain ones as it seemed, could help others who were hurt and sick. Doktor. Her father had always helped both she, her sister and mother so it seemed fitting then that he would be this thing. 

I like that. She spoke on behalf of doctors and found herself bounding forward, searching, looking, upon her father's word to do so. She finds a little bundle of young, rounded golden flowers and noses at them happily. Marigold, unknowingly to her. These help? She questions excitedly.

elke repeated the words, which brought a bow to curve mahler's lips. he watched as his pale-bound child moved away into the foliage to search, ears cupping forward in interest to see what she had discovered.
bittersweet; her name had been the same as the little gilded blossoms that elke gestured toward. "marigold," he grunted, crossing over to stand alongside the girl. "these are good vhen you soak them in vater, and lay them upon a cut or scrape." necessary for his stores as well. "you have done excellently, elke."

He comes to her side and Elke leans into him happily, listening as he explains the name of the flowers and what they were used for. She had done excellent!! Her tail waved with an utmost excitement and she couldnt wait to tell her mother and sister of how excellent she had been.  

I want help others. I want to make them feel better. Like she wanted to help her dad when he was sad, or her  mom when she seemed upset. I'll be careful. She ensured her dad as she bent down carefully to pluck the little flowers by the stems like she had seen her dad do.

She had torn one up with her teeth by mistake. Hoping her dad hadn't seen, she quickly gobbled it up before he could take notice. There! She said as she hoped back to admire her own little pile she had.

mahler smiled at elke, turning a loving eye over the pile of flowers she had gathered. "ve vill take them all," he declared, "but they are nasty to taste. be careful, entlein," the gargoyle instructed, beginning to pad back along their path to where he had spied a pine with a round hollow low along its trunk.
when it was discovered, he lay down his mouthful of herbs and looked about for the snowchild, directing her attention when he found it up toward the little tree-cove. "ve vill put them in there."

She knew they didnt taste the best, having just shoved one into her mouth. Though she didnt let her dad in on that little secret so long as he hadn't caught her in the act. 

So, she lifted up the bundle as carefully as she could and trotted along after her father. Of course she wasnt as well practiced as her father so when they reached the tree the flowers she had gathered were nearly sliced in half by the stems from Elke's tiny sharp teeth. 

Hell, the flower part looked okay, so surely they were still fine! Owkerr... Mumbled her agreed 'okay' as she would lift herself up on her back legs and shove the flowere in best she could.

plume swayed as elke deposited the flowers into the pharmacy cabinet. mahler helped as he was able. when she had finished, he set his own findings inside, and then rubbed a broad shoulder against the bark. "this vill help us remember vhere ve put the flowers," he explained.
standing aside, mahler stepped off, though he turned to look at elke, wondering if she would come along at once or linger. more to be taught of doctoring, but he had learned not to overload small ears with great medical treatises.

With the held of her father to nose the flowers within, she watched as he rubbed on the tree, explaining this would help to remember which tree they were in. Our scent? She spoke and found herself rubbing the length of her side against it too. Now the scent was really strong! 

Tree will protect them. She had not forgotten that he father said the trees were great and strong, like the deer, the elk... 

Sure that the herbs would be safe within, she bounded happily along to her father's side to follow him on.

fade & have another? or we can keep going, totally cool either way! <3

"yes, it vill," he grunted, smiling as his snowbud came to his side. "and yes, that is our scent. ve put it there so that others, like volves and bears and even cats, know to stay avay." chest swelled with a laugh. "they vill smell it and say 'sagtannet is here. ve must not go further.'"
a happy idea, but trespassers still came for what they felt they could take. beneath mahler's eye, however, he saw no reason for them to succeed. "vhat shall ve do next, elke?"

Already replied to one of your newer ones before I saw this. So free to fade. :)

Other wolves, not of her pack (she had only just seen the one in her pack), bears and cats... she didnt even know what those were, not yet anyhow. But she didnt have to worry, they would stay away, like father said. 

We eat? She asks, bounding necknto him and skipping a beat to where she almost lead the way back herself. And the others, too. We have venture ahead. Find home. With full bellies they would be refreshed to travel more. Already the little girl was catching on...

<3

a good plan. she was quick-witted, full of a zeal for her surroundings. mahler was deeply proud of elke; he held it for a moment, turning the breadth of his scarred head to look at her. "food and then adventure."
for the remainder of the next several hours mahler remained with elke, showing her various points about the forest and punctuating their lesson with a meal of rabbit.