Herbalists' Cache Don't let moments pass along and waste before your eyes

For @Astraeus <3

Slowly, Reverie began preparations for the journey ahead. Soon she would need to call the pack together, bring their combined focus into these efforts — but for now she felt confident in handling these first steps alone. Each day she brought her daughters further through the territory. Soon they would venture beyond the borders for the first time, and that thought was cause for both excitement and fear in equal measure. But they would be prepared by then, she hoped. All of them.

When she was not with her daughters, Reverie took to the willows and the lands beyond in search of budding plant life. Gathering herbs would be their priority in the coming days; hunting was best done on the way, and the willow wolves had skins aplenty after an oddly fruitful winter. All they really needed was to ensure they had sufficient medicines for the long journey.

For the first time in a long time, everything seemed like it would be okay.

The sun was sinking past the horizon as Reverie snuffled intently through the undergrowth. She was oblivious to all else, perhaps a bit too trusting of Swiftcurrent Creek's hold on the land surrounding their own. It didn't occur to her that she might not be entirely alone.

astra:

he is met with a dancer.
a pallid that glowed with the source of life, like the sun, soft and light. but not easy to consume. he guessed by the lacerations of her flesh and the contentful hum that buzzed around her like a fog light.
he was not as fresh, but just as full-built, slow, and masterful enough as he'd been a year or so ago. his mellow eye circles her face as he releases an exasperated, long sigh from his nose like an old bovine.
he stood eerily in an off-kilter corner of her eye where he'd only go unnoticed for a few seconds.

One moment Reverie was blissfully nose-deep in the foliage, humming softly to herself in broken fragments. The next, she found herself staring up into a shadowy face full of scars and a pair of pale green eyes. It was a delicate color, so like the first saplings of the season — but there was nothing delicate about this man.

A startled little yelp slipped from her. She flinched back several steps, frightened for a few seconds before she gathered her wits. It quickly settled in that if he'd meant to hurt her, she'd already be hurt. Instead he'd... wait, had he sighed at her?

Do you go around sighing at women often? She wondered aloud, masking her agitation with good humor. Does it ever work for you?

did he inspire an edge in people? he'd never really understood it, how he either offered a red pill of flashy scisors or the blue pill of dry slaphumor. and he didn't like either of those things. (it's almost like ... he's antisocial to a fault!)
over time, he'd developed the strength to speak in broken words. but because of his limited throat, he could only throw out an brief "no." to both questions of character.

No.

Her eyes flitted over him, taking him in more fully now. Scarred, yes, but not bad to look at. Reverie softened, a faint smile gracing her features. Well, I guess there's a first for everything, The words were playful, but Reverie made no attempt to hide her interest.

If that's what you meant by staring at me, She added teasingly. Was it arrogant to assume he wanted her? By now she was well aware of her beauty, the effect it had on men. She couldn't imagine what else he might want from her.

quick mature mention for the suggestion lol

the man bristled at her tease, having terrible experiences with women before.
he'd never bed anyone, and on the singular off-chance he had tried, on his directionless journey to nowhere, it was a elbow creasing and backbreaking tangle of limbs. he was shrugged off before he could even start. because, she yelled, how could be so wrong?
how could be so incompetent?
it was hardwired in his body, its what he was made for.
he had lumbered away with already kicked pride. if he found reverie beautiful, he didn't acknowledge it.
he turned his eye to the cache of herbs she had been nosing around in previously. he remembers his father and his bottomless coughing fits.
he shirks the memory away.

Silence. The man bristled at her implication, and Reverie could only blink at him for a moment, caught off guard and perhaps a bit hurt. You... aren't interested? The words slipped from her of their own accord, a touch more vulnerable than she would have liked. It just wasn't what she'd expected.

The dual blessing and curse given to every beautiful woman was that she knew, without fail, what all men would want from her. She knew that she would always be desired. She knew it would always be for that, if nothing else. Often it was nothing else. How many men had looked on her gilded figure with warm eyes until they discovered the fire burning beneath? It wasn't her they wanted but the image of her, and she'd gotten used to that. At least they wanted some part of her.

But not this man.

What did he find so repulsive about her?

srry for crappy reply but i wanted to write something for this lol

astraeus pinned his ears back and tilted his crest at her, was she beguiling him with sympathy? he took more interest at her current activity, and chuffed lightly, as if inviting her to speak about anything else than her looks.

Not crappy at all <33

Reverie fell silent too, frowning; caught between embarrassment and agitation. She couldn't decide whether this awkward moment was his fault for staring or her own for assuming. Either way, she wished she could sink into the ground and disappear just then.

Finally, belatedly, her gaze trailed to the herbs he'd been peering at, the ones she'd been nosing around in just a few moments prior. You're interested in the um... the herbs? Reverie began again hesitantly, voice wavering slightly with the last few words as she tried to regain her bearings. Had she ever been so thoroughly rejected before, by anyone? She didn't think so.

he had nearly been taken to herbology he'd been introduced at different times of life but it had yet to take.

just like any brief relationship in his short life.

so he masqueraded his ineptness with just about anyone with feigned interest in the empty pockets of space at a eastward twelve degree angle past their eyes.

but this time, he did want to learn more, reflecting on the lessons that had faded thanks to the carillon of bells that signaled the waves of pain between his eyes and fogged his brain.

Was she meant to take that as a yes?

Reverie decided she would, and indicated the particular herb she'd been scoping out with a quick gesture of her paw. This is twinleaf, She explained quietly, secretly glad to have another topic to dive into while she tried to forget her embarrassment. It's used for treating ah - well. Diarrhea. Okay, maybe she wasn't so glad.

Usually wherever there's twinleaf, there's goldenseal somewhere close. That's harder to find. It's used for infections - but it takes a long time for the plants to mature. Years. Better. Hopefully.

he didn't expect the topic of shit to pass the cherub's lips, so his formed a filmy smile she may have caught in the corner in her eye (did she need twinleaf? ha!) before he dispels it.

a boy through and through.

goldenseal seemed like a productive find. he rises to feet, deciding these pocket worthy moments could punctuate his life that dragged on,

partly because he thinks his father would enjoy this as well.

what does golden seal even look like?

he begins sniffing the ground, pointing his nose to his best guess, looking back at reverie.