Swiftcurrent Creek Good men are not like buses. There won't be another one 'round in ten minutes.

For @Aquene. No need to match length, I got carried away.

Ruenna trudged through the gray, slushy snow lining Swiftcurrent Creek, continuing onward on her trip down memory lane. She had sniffed around the Arrow Lake for any clue about Diaspora's disappearance or whereabouts, but no hints remained after over a year, if there had ever been any at all. Her former home had been all but taken over by the elements, and Ruenna had hardly found any sign that wolves had ever lived there it all. 

And now here she was, arrived at the next stop on this tour of memories. Swiftcurrent Creek. Ruenna had been unhappy living here, she recalled, except for those sweet moments she shared with the monochrome man who made her heart flutter. Soltero. She could have made a life with him easily, if she hadn't allowed her principles and loyalty to take priority. Now that she had arrived a few years down this path, she wondered if she would make a different choice, given the chance to do it all again. Would she have been able to swallow her disgust for the alpha Kavik-- who had betrayed her dear friend Liri by impregnating another-- if it meant she could have settled down here and had pups in a loving, family-oriented pack? 

Ruenna sighed. It would not do to dwell too long on missed opportunities. She was not in a bad position now, persay. She was newly married to a good man: a man of status and means. It was a match that would have made her mother proud. The foundation of respect was there, and love grows with time. It had been many years since Ruenna heard her mother's advice repeated in her mind, but the echos of Avis's voice had been stronger lately, since her marriage to Germanicus. 

Ruenna's steps began to squelch as the slushy riverbank gave way to the soupy marshland. She stopped, wondering if it was time to start digging for the horsetail fronds buried under the gritty snow-slop.

Aquene had escaped the frigid temperatures of the northern lands. Come summer, she would seek out such weather again, if only to avoid the sweltering heat that came with a thick pelt and an attitude… but for now, the weather was comfortable enough for her no matter where she went, colder even… She had been following the creek since she had first stumbled upon it, hoping that prey would do the same in hopes of filling her belly. She was a shit hunter. She could provide for herself, but her birth pack had been segregated in it’s roles, and so she had never developed her hunting skills as much as another might have.
 
As a healer, her food had simply been brought to her while she had been tending to patients. It had been a comfortable life… one that she almost regretted leaving behind, but the shadow of her mother’s death still lurked over her and encompassed her mind in nightmares that lingered from time to time in the solace of her loneliness. It was along the venture that she caught sight of another, having the misfortune of being downwind so she spotted the woman before she smelt her, her head tilting to the side as her eyes widened. Hesitance filled her step for just a second before she made her way over.
 
Conversation could do her well, trudging through the slush as her paws started to freeze. Perhaps she could find some intelligence of interest that could further guide her travels, not that she really knew what she was looking for. She noticed the way that the woman dug, a frown finding her features instantly when she realized what it was. “Horsetail? Is everything okay?” She asked with concern, knowing that the plant was often used to help stop bleeding and treat ulcers.

Ruenna caught the woman's scent on the wind. She looked up and smiled briefly, giving a friendly wag of her tail before turning back to her task. In her younger days, she may have been more wary of the approaching stranger, but age had mollified her anxious nature. Few wolves, if any, would dream of hurting a wisp of an old lady with a limp. 

Ruenna looked up again when the woman spoke to her. 

"Oh, um. Yes, I'm just stocking up." She gave the woman another brief smile, but this time her honey eyes remained trained on her company. "You know your herbs," she commented. Her eyes lit up. "Oh! Will you help me remember-- horsetail is a good styptic to stop bleeding, but will it also fight infection?" She tilted her head. It had been many months since she had performed the duties of a medic, and she was admittedly a little rusty.

The woman had offered her a friendly smile and a wag of the tail before returning diligently to her collection, which had made Aquene feel comfortable enough to approach. Perhaps she could be of some assistance. She was just stocking up. Some of the tension and worry faded from her expression and she smiled softly and nodded. “Born and raised. My mother was a healer… in my birth pack, women were trained to heal.” Not all women became healers, some were better off as fighters, but they did all learn at least the basics, and she had taken quite a liking to it.
 
The question came and she hummed. “Yes, it can, but I personally prefer yarrow or prairie crocus if you’re looking to fight an infection, or more of, an infected wound. I've only ever used horsetail for infections that aren't associated with an injury.” It was her own opinion, and she recognized that the woman might have a varying opinion, she clearly knew what she was talking about. Aquene had never been one to shy away from sharing her own medical opinion, not with how thoroughly she had been raised and trained. “I’m new to the area, so I’m not sure if either of those grow in abundance here, though.” There were certain regional differences that she knew she had to account for.

So she was a healer by trade, and she held no attachments in the area.

Although Ruenna's present company didn't know it, these pieces of information would add weight to their conversation, intensifying Ruenna's interest. Ruenna was actively seeking a healer for Mereo, as it just so happened, and she sensed that there may be an opportunity here.

"Hmm," Ruenna hummed, nodding along. Yarrow and prairie crocus... didn't those grow together, typically? And they were found in.. 

Prairies. Of course.

"Yarrow and prairie crocus require loose, dry earth, isn't that correct?" Weren't they plants that thrived in sandy soils? Sandy soils such as those in a red sand canyon, perhaps?

"If I showed you a location nearby, do you think you would be able to tell me if it matched the growing conditions for yarrow and prairie crocus?" Ruenna asked. She wasn't sure if she could identify the plants in the middle of winter, without their characteristic blossoms, but it would help to at least know if it was worth it to even bother looking for them.  

Hopefully, the stranger wasn't in a hurry and had time for a pit stop.

It felt almost like a test, and Aquene had always quite enjoyed tests. It felt nice to be able to utilize her knowledge. Apart from when she’d catch a cold, she hadn’t had much need for it since leaving home though she did make a habit of identifying plants as she traveled in order to stay up on her knowledge. The question came and she nodded in return. “Yes, correct again.” She offered, not sure if the woman was genuinely confirming or throwing questions at her to see if she knew the correct answer or not.
 
It was her next question that had her head tilting. “I could… if there are any stems remaining, I might even be able to identify them. Yarrow stems are very distinct, and have small white hairs on them even without their blossoms.” She added in, glad she could be of help. She was aimlessly wandering so she saw no plight in helping this woman out, though she seemed to be quite knowledgeable herself so she wasn’t entirely sure why the woman needed her advice.
 
There were so many questions that Aquene had, and going on this venture meant perhaps she’d get answers to a few of them, so she started with the most obvious one. “Why do you need my advice? You seem quite knowledgeable in florae yourself.” The question was burning on her tongue. “My name is Aquene.” She realized in that moment that she had never properly introduced herself and was sure her mother was scolding her from the heavens for it.

Not only could the healer assess the canyon for the ideal growing conditions for yarrow and prairie crocus, she could also recognize yarrow stems. Ruenna smiled. "That would be very handy, if you have the time." 

After gathering up the horsetail she had scraped from beneath the snow, Ruenna turned to lead the woman in the direction she came. As soon as she began to walk, her heavy limp would be very apparent.

They followed along the bank of the Swiftcurrent Creek. The woman questioned Ruenna's desire for her opinion. Did she sense Ruenna's agenda? ..Was it obvious that this was an interview? 

Ruenna would pass her mouthful of horsetail fronds off to Aquene, so she could speak. 

"My name is Ruenna Redfern." No. That wasn't it. "Excuse me. Ruenna Redsand. Caeso-Redsand." Well, that was a little embarrassing. "I just married," she added, by way of explanation. 

Now, to answer her question. "I'm taking you to my home, the Redsand Cayon. It lies behind that waterfall." Ruenna nodded toward Arrow Falls in the distance. "I have come a long way out here to dig up horsetail, because I did not think to look for yarrow or prairie crocus in the canyon." After a few more lurching steps, she continued, "Travel is not easy for me." Clearly. "If I had not met you today, I might have made this grueling trip for horsetail twenty more times. Or two hundred. And each time, when I returned home, I would have fallen asleep on a bed of yarrow and prairie crocus, completely unaware that an even better treatment for infection lay in easy reach." 

When every step was painful, Ruenna didn't like to waste her steps. She also didn't like to waste her time. She did have some medical knowledge rattling around in her memory, but what good was it if she couldn't access the necessary materials? If Aquene could help her identify better, more convenient treatments, that was certainly worth the time it took to have a conversation with her. 

If Aquene wished to answer her, Ruenna would take the horsetail stems back from her. They could pass them back and forth as they conversed.

Aquene smiled and nodded to the woman, because she had all the time in the world. Truthfully, she was not pressed for time because she created her own schedule. “I have the time, and I am more than willing to help.” She assured her in case there was any confusion as to what the nod meant. She noted the limp that the woman had and frowned. “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened that caused your limp?” Perhaps she could help and be of some medical assistance to help ease the pain that might be associated with it.
 
It occurred to Aquene, that perhaps the woman knew about herbs because of her ailment, but not enough to constitute a full healer. She took the mouthful of horsetail and held onto it as the woman introduced herself. Ruenna. It was a pretty name, and just married. She attempted to speak a muffled congratulations to her through the bundle she carried in her mouth. Redsand canyon. If the name was any indication of the climate, it was promising for yarrow and prairie crocus, but she would need to see if before she decided one way or another. It would be helpful if she could find one of the plants there.
 
She passed the horsetail stems back so she could properly answer. “Like I said, I am more than happy to help. I’ve been on my own for awhile and I don’t like to see my knowledge sitting… I quiz myself when I come across herbs in awhile but it’s good to put my knowledge to actual use.” She liked to help people. It made her feel good, and it was certainly how her mother had raised her. “It’s more than likely it does grow there, at least yarrow. Yarrow is poisonous when ingested which is why it can only be used for open wounds and deal with that kind of infection. Horsetail is better for infections of the lung or other winterborn ailments, though it can be used for open wounds in a pinch.” She explained the full difference from what her mother had taught her.

The medic inquired about her limp, which was to be expected, perhaps. 

"An accident, two years ago now," Ruenna imparted, her eyes reflexively tracking south towards the Hinterlands, where the disaster had occurred. "I was caught in a landslide. It took me a full year of physical therapy and treatment to regain this much movement." Perhaps if she had remained in the Outer Wilds under the care of the Vitale medics a little longer, she would have improved further. But Ruenna had no been able to resist the call of the Teekon Wilds, once she became mobile enough to return to her former home. 

Aquene was happy to help. Perhaps a bit selfishly, Ruenna wondered if Aquene was capable of helping not only the auxilia of Mereo, but also their Matrona with injury-induced, chronic lower back pain. 

Aquene explained the difference in the treatments, and Ruenna nodded along. She would do her best to retain the information, but she didn't have the sharpest memory for herbs and ailments, and her knowledge of the body and organs was limited-to none. Aquene mentioned treating the "lungs," and Ruenna was embarrassed to admit to herself that she wasn't entirely sure what the lungs even did for the body.

"Yarrow sounds like it will suit our needs in the Redsand Canyon," Ruenna noted thoughtfully. After a pause, she explained, "The canyon is home to Mereo, a military outpost that controls passage between the eastern valley and western flatlands. The soldiers have a near-constant need for a topical antiseptic. One auxilia has infected wounds upon her face, presently." This would likely explain why Ruenna was so concerned about the length of the trip to the marshlands-- it was a long way to journey for an antiseptic that she would need to collect with regularity. The discovery of yarrow in the canyon would be a game-changer for her and for the soldiers of Mereo. 

"This way," Ruenna would direct Aquene into a passage concealed behind Arrow Falls. It would lead them through a rather drippy cave system that wound directly underneath the upper portion of Arrow Lake. It was funny to think that in all the time Ruenna had lived along Arrow Lake with Diaspora, she had never known the passage existed. When they reached the end of the wet, narrow passage, they would arrive within the Canyon.

Let's fade here and pick up where we left off with a new thread in Redsand Canyon, since they've changed territories.

Aquene offered a somber attention as she explained that an accident had resulted in her injuries. She was determined to help, if she could. “I know a few treatments my mother taught me for similar circumstances, to help with pain and mobility… if I can find the right herbs in the area I could offer to try and help.” She explained, not wanting to overstep but wanting to offer her expertise further. “I can’t promise much though, I’m from northern territories, and I don’t know if the herbs I need grow here.” She didn’t want to get hopes up despite her offer, but her offer would stand.
 
She nodded at the mention of how yarrow was suited to the needs. They were healing wounds then, which told her that perhaps it was Ruenna’s job to treat soldiers? Soldiers… a military outpost. It was all very intimidating, but the woman seemed to be within a position of power to invite Aquene in which made her feel safer travelling. “I’ve treated many war wounds in time as a healer… I’m sure I can help you find everything you need… and I can help with the soldier’s face. Face infections are tricky, sometimes they fight back against treatment and spread to other parts of the face.” Cellulitis could occur and be tricky, but Aquene had handled situations like this before under the guidance of her mother, and she was confident she could help now. She still was not fully aware of Ruenna’s intentions to recruit her as a healer, but she was starting to get a sneaking suspicion that the woman might want her to stick around longer than just as a guide for this one herb.
 
She followed along through the Canyon, both eager and nervous to discover what laid on the other end. She’d never been around a militaristic group. Her parents and birth pack had been pacifistic in nature for the most part, only fighting when they had to defend themselves and it had been mostly against predators. She had a bad feeling she was about to get a bit of a culture shock.
 

Sounds good! Just getting this up as a fade/reaction post – up to you if you want to do one more ^^