it's been a few days, and the draw to the woman's den is grown too powerful to ignore. since then, her dreams have been off. she hardly remembers them, only that when she wakes, she feels more disoriented than usual.
and so midmorning has her slipping off to find the den again. it takes her a short while, but eventually, she manages to locate the familiar scents of warmth and comfort. in her maw, a carefully selected sprig of mint, taken from the plant she'd been mouthing last. she hopes it'll serve as a suitable offering to the woman, for she wants to know more, longs to spend time in the herb den.
it is dark and empty when she peers inside, though the woman's scent is fresh. leathered nose wrinkles, but it doesn't feel right to slip inside without the woman. dropping the sprig, the girl issues a call for @Aphrodite, plopping onto her haunches as she waits, tail swaying behind her.
and so midmorning has her slipping off to find the den again. it takes her a short while, but eventually, she manages to locate the familiar scents of warmth and comfort. in her maw, a carefully selected sprig of mint, taken from the plant she'd been mouthing last. she hopes it'll serve as a suitable offering to the woman, for she wants to know more, longs to spend time in the herb den.
it is dark and empty when she peers inside, though the woman's scent is fresh. leathered nose wrinkles, but it doesn't feel right to slip inside without the woman. dropping the sprig, the girl issues a call for @Aphrodite, plopping onto her haunches as she waits, tail swaying behind her.
July 08, 2020, 03:40 PM
A rabbit is the meal of the day. A brief hunt, ending with a shriek and the snap of a neck breaking.
She had new reason to feed herself. New reason to live.
Of course, Surya's absence left her with an ache in her chest that never seemed to fully go away, but Taikon...she really did like him. And she wanted, more than anything, for him to be happy here.
She hummed softly to herself, dead rabbit swinging from her jaws as she trotted back to the den, surprised to hear Juniper's call. She instantly feared the worst, running full speed towards the den. She flung the rabbit aside when she got there, anxiously checking the young girl over. "What happened? Whose hurt? Are you ok? Where does it hurt? Did it bite you?" She hovered nervously, expecting some terrible answer.
She had new reason to feed herself. New reason to live.
Of course, Surya's absence left her with an ache in her chest that never seemed to fully go away, but Taikon...she really did like him. And she wanted, more than anything, for him to be happy here.
She hummed softly to herself, dead rabbit swinging from her jaws as she trotted back to the den, surprised to hear Juniper's call. She instantly feared the worst, running full speed towards the den. She flung the rabbit aside when she got there, anxiously checking the young girl over. "What happened? Whose hurt? Are you ok? Where does it hurt? Did it bite you?" She hovered nervously, expecting some terrible answer.
July 08, 2020, 03:47 PM
aphrodite is swift in coming, and juniper's gaze is attracted to the plump rabbit swinging betwixt her jaws. hunger tempts, but the appeal of the herb den is somehow more tempting than the call of her stomach. aphrodite's behavior is nervous, worried, and juniper's ears slick back as she picks up on the emotions and feels them in her stomach.
"I'm ok, 'ditey!" she exclaims, tail wagging to enforce her words. "I brought you mint, for your supplies!" she announces, a little proudly, and takes the sprig betwixt her jaws again as she offers it for the woman's inspection. "'o iph wophs haph bad tums you can 'elp 'em," she elaborates around the herbs in her maw, words muffled.
"I'm ok, 'ditey!" she exclaims, tail wagging to enforce her words. "I brought you mint, for your supplies!" she announces, a little proudly, and takes the sprig betwixt her jaws again as she offers it for the woman's inspection. "'o iph wophs haph bad tums you can 'elp 'em," she elaborates around the herbs in her maw, words muffled.
July 08, 2020, 09:05 PM
The pup, despite her worry, is ok.
She blinks rapidly as she attempts to get her heart to slow back down, finally releasing the tension with a laugh.
"You gave me a fright! I thought you were hurt...or someone else was and you wanted me to help." Relieved that this was not, in fact, the case, she gave the pup a good natured nudge.
"Thank you, that is a lovely harvest. You're going to be quite the little healer someday." She lead her into the den and gestured to the pile of mint. "I was almost running out- I used it all up when your mother was pregnant with you. Good thing you brought more!"
She blinks rapidly as she attempts to get her heart to slow back down, finally releasing the tension with a laugh.
"You gave me a fright! I thought you were hurt...or someone else was and you wanted me to help." Relieved that this was not, in fact, the case, she gave the pup a good natured nudge.
"Thank you, that is a lovely harvest. You're going to be quite the little healer someday." She lead her into the den and gestured to the pile of mint. "I was almost running out- I used it all up when your mother was pregnant with you. Good thing you brought more!"
July 09, 2020, 06:31 AM
the girl beams with pride, tail lashing. she follows neatly after the healer, carefully depositing the mint into the pile aphrodite points out, grin still etched on her muzzle. she moves further into the den, inhaling more of the scents here. "can you tell me more, 'ditey? I wanna know all the plants, please." she wants to spend as much time here as possible, wants her own gently drying and fragrant piles.
July 09, 2020, 06:41 AM
The pup's eagerness to learn was refreshing, and she couldn't help but smile.
yes, She really was going to be a brilliant Healer someday. Thinking for a moment on what would be another safe herb to teach her about, she finally settled on Valerian root. She grabbed the pungent smelling root and dropped it in front of the pup.
"This, is Valerian. It smells terrible, I know. But eating a small bit of this will put you in a deep, heavy sleep."
yes, She really was going to be a brilliant Healer someday. Thinking for a moment on what would be another safe herb to teach her about, she finally settled on Valerian root. She grabbed the pungent smelling root and dropped it in front of the pup.
"This, is Valerian. It smells terrible, I know. But eating a small bit of this will put you in a deep, heavy sleep."
July 09, 2020, 08:07 AM
the healer pokes around a moment, before selecting something and depositing it in front of the girl. her nose scrunches, ears sweeping back a moment. "yuck," she announces, though she proceeds to poke it with her paw, dragging it lightly across the floor of the den. "where'd you get it?" she certainly had not found anything quite so pungent while digging through the earth with her siblings. she echoes the name aloud, softly, taking care to pronounce it correctly.
The pup's disgusted expression made her giggle.
"I dug it in a meadow away from here. When you're older I'll take you to it. I'll take you many other places, too. Maybe if Whitebark gets another Healer someday, you and I can go on a journey together." It was a thought that surprised her even as it slipped free of her tongue. The Thought of travel, potentially very far away from Whitebark, with the girl in tow- presumably a yearling or older- brought a tone of fear and excitement through her.
She was slowly forgetting Juniper was not, in fact, her pup. The need to have something love her, to have something cling to her and adore her, was addicting. There was nothing else Aphrodite wanted more than a family, than pups, than anything similar to the life she had been forced to leave behind.
And she would do anything to make it happen.
"I dug it in a meadow away from here. When you're older I'll take you to it. I'll take you many other places, too. Maybe if Whitebark gets another Healer someday, you and I can go on a journey together." It was a thought that surprised her even as it slipped free of her tongue. The Thought of travel, potentially very far away from Whitebark, with the girl in tow- presumably a yearling or older- brought a tone of fear and excitement through her.
She was slowly forgetting Juniper was not, in fact, her pup. The need to have something love her, to have something cling to her and adore her, was addicting. There was nothing else Aphrodite wanted more than a family, than pups, than anything similar to the life she had been forced to leave behind.
And she would do anything to make it happen.
July 11, 2020, 07:46 AM
"yeah!" she agrees immediately, disgust washed away. "I wanna go on an adventure! maybe can we go when —" she pauses, considering a second, "I'm as big as this?" she rises on her back paws a moment, demonstrating a height she thinks is big enough to go on a journey.
she is distracted by something else; a small collection of seeds. she steps lightly towards them, careful as not disturb the little pile. "what're these? they're tiny," she wonders, though her mind remains on the concept of adventure. this is a promise the healer will never regret, as she's sure to be reminded at least once a week.
she is distracted by something else; a small collection of seeds. she steps lightly towards them, careful as not disturb the little pile. "what're these? they're tiny," she wonders, though her mind remains on the concept of adventure. this is a promise the healer will never regret, as she's sure to be reminded at least once a week.
July 14, 2020, 04:34 PM
She chuckled lightly, poking her head out of the den to grab the rabbit she had forgotten in her rush to check on Juniper. She busied herself with tearing the fur off the carcass outside to there wasn't a mess in the den, crunching on the paws and ripping chunks of fur and skin off.
"Not bigger as in size, Λουλούδι μου," she answered tenderly. "Although Size is part of the reason. Bigger as in age and experience. In a year or so. That way if I have children next year they'll be able to care for themselves by the time we set off." She braced a paw on the rabbit and tore, everything from the pelvis down snapping away and loops of intestines spilling out. "Here. Come eat."
she poked her head back in the den to make sure the child wasn't getting into trouble.
"Those are mustard seeds. Crush them up and put them on a burn."
"Not bigger as in size, Λουλούδι μου," she answered tenderly. "Although Size is part of the reason. Bigger as in age and experience. In a year or so. That way if I have children next year they'll be able to care for themselves by the time we set off." She braced a paw on the rabbit and tore, everything from the pelvis down snapping away and loops of intestines spilling out. "Here. Come eat."
she poked her head back in the den to make sure the child wasn't getting into trouble.
"Those are mustard seeds. Crush them up and put them on a burn."
July 19, 2020, 07:14 AM
"that's so long!" she blurted, tail falling. "I'm ready to go now!" she promises, brow furrowed. a year is an unimaginable amount of time, a stretching-on of months she can not imagine having to live through, anticipating.
still, she partakes in the rabbit the aphrodite offers, hungrily securing a length of intestine for herself. "we can go before you have kids!" she suggested, taking in the information about the seeds but far too worried now about the length of time between now and their adventure to ask any further questions.
still, she partakes in the rabbit the aphrodite offers, hungrily securing a length of intestine for herself. "we can go before you have kids!" she suggested, taking in the information about the seeds but far too worried now about the length of time between now and their adventure to ask any further questions.
July 20, 2020, 03:19 PM
She laughs softly to herself at the excited pup, her tail thumping.
" Sorry, Paidi mou, but you must wait. You are young and vulnerable. Not every stranger we meet will be nice. Besides, you have much to learn here, about the herbs, the Gods, and our pack." She crunched noisily on the leg and shoulder of the rabbit.
"So. Today, do you want to hear another story about the gods? Or do you want to learn more about herbs?"
" Sorry, Paidi mou, but you must wait. You are young and vulnerable. Not every stranger we meet will be nice. Besides, you have much to learn here, about the herbs, the Gods, and our pack." She crunched noisily on the leg and shoulder of the rabbit.
"So. Today, do you want to hear another story about the gods? Or do you want to learn more about herbs?"
July 22, 2020, 02:23 PM
she's still discontented about the adventure, but it's clear that arguing won't help. the healer offers a choice, next, and after a moment of thoughts, the girl decides, "herbs!" she scarfs down a bit more of the rabbit, and when both parties are thoroughly sated, they return to the den, aphrodite's quiet lesson enchanting the youngest whitebark.
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