Ara had always been fond of this Willow forest. They brought her a sense of pace that she rarely found these days - she longed for the solitude that their far-reaching boughs brought her. It was under these very trees that she had met her mate for the first time, and also under these trees that she had discovered a love for plants and trees. She could still remember, so clearly, leaping up to snag one of the small branches and rip it off, carrying it proudly back home to her father as though she'd found some great prize. The memory made her both sad and happy at the same time, and a wistfuk smile rested on her features as she drew closer to the lands.

Her expression wilted slightly when she caught the scent of a pack. It smelled fairly new, but evident nonetheless. Disappointment settled quickly over her, and she wished suddenly she hadn't gotten so excited over the idea of this small journey. She would never dream of trespassing, and she had no good excuse for entering a strange pack's territory. She supposed she could say she was just collecting - the satchel that hang across her back, filled just slightly with herbs she had collected along the way - proved that she was a healer. The truth was, though, that she was here for more selfish reasons.

Couldn't hurt to ask, though, right? It was hard for her to just walk away from this place. Her eyes roved the Willow trees as she stopped a fair distance from the border, considering for awhile before deciding to lift her head and call to the alpha here, hoping he was a reasonable wolf but understanding entirely if he was not willing to let her into their lands.

Roza's first reaction to the howl coming from the border was to slip back into the den she had been resting in front of. However, as she listened she realized it was coming from Fiori's direction. That got her curious and she pulled herself, with some effort, to her paws and she started making her way over to the border. It was a good thing their den was closer to the border than not or it would have taken her a long time to get over to their guest. Waddling everywhere with this pregnant belly was no fun. She was surprised to not see Ganta there before her, but perhaps she had just been in the right place at the right time. She smiled when she saw Ara standing there, her tail wagging gently behind her at seeing the vaguely familiar face. She certainly knew of Ara, but she wasn't positive they had ever spoken. "Hello!" she called as she got closer. Honestly, she was just excited to see someone she knew. Making new friends was hard and Ganta was the only one she knew here so far. Talk Abbey Others

There came a call and, to Ganta’s surprise, it came from the direction of Fiori. It was the first time he’d heard one of the other pack wolves ask for his presence, but he didn’t doubt there was good reason for it. His ears perked and he set off, frowning for but a moment when he caught Roza’s scent along the way. What was she doing, out and about like this? He couldn’t help but fuss over her a little, okay, a lot… He wanted to make sure was safe and secure for when their pups were born. The last thing he wanted was for another accident to happen. Not that her facial scar had really been an accident… Still, Ganta didn’t feel a threat from Fiori wolves. Fiori had been the pack of Roza’s birth after all. So when he arrived, sure enough, there was his beloved and a Fiorian whom he’d yet to have met. Ganta dipped his head to the she wolf, remaining respectfully on their side of the border as he called out to her. “Greetings. We’re your new neighbors, the wolves of Dragoste. Was there something I could help you with, miss?” He canted his head to the side and then noticed the strange satchel on her back, an herb happening to stick out. “Are you a healer?” He inquired softly, waiting to see what she might have to say. "Talk" "You" Think

It didn't take long before someone to arrive. It was immediately obvious that she was pregnant, and the site brought a small smile to her lips. It looked like she was due any time, and her gaze glimmered with warmth as Roza approached. "Hello - and sorry to bother you," Ara started softly, though it felt very much like the other woman wasn't the least bit bothered by her arrival. It took her a moment to realize that she'd seen this woman before, back in Fiori. "You're.. Leo's daughter, right?" She asked hesitantly after a moment, wondering to herself why she had left Fiori to begin with, though it was none of her business and she would never dream of actually asking her.

Another figure appeared from the corner of her eye, and she lifted her head to find the approaching figure. Though his scent had not been apparent to her, when Ganta drew closer she remembered quickly that she had met him before. The meeting had been brief, but he was more memorable than she was -- she'd never seen a wolf with such long fur between his ears before, making him quite hard to forget. "Thank you," Ara dipped her head in response to his polite greeting. "I believe we've met, though it's been quite some time. My name's Ara." Her lips quirked up slightly in a polite smile as she addressed him.

Before she needed to express her reason for visiting, he asked if she was a healer. She nodded mutely, taking a moment to regain her voice. "I am a healer," she answered, more certainty in her voice now. If there was one thing in the world she was confident of, it was of her skills. "That's mostly why I'm here," she admitted with a slow nod. Her gaze found Roza again, considering. "White willow bark has some pretty useful medicinal properties, and it's been awhile since I've collected any. And.. truth be told, these lands of yours are among my favorite places to be." Probably at the top of the list, though she did have fond memories of the lands once claimed by the Kingdom of Seracia, where she'd spent her early life. "In return, I could offer you something that you might find useful." She shrugged her shoulders a bit to force her satchel to shift, using her nose to tug the handle and leaned down so it rested on the earth. Gingerly she nosed through the herbs she had gathered thus far, grabbing a few trillium flowers and gently setting them at her feet. It wasn't a common herb, but it grew liberally in the mangrove. "This is trillium. It's good to be eaten before childbirth. It can help ease the pain." Perhaps Ganta might be convinced it was worth the risk of letting her in? Not that there was truthfully much risk at all, but he didn't know her well enough to judge - and she would likely let them have the trillium if they wanted it, even if they didn't want to let her in.

Roza nodded and grinned when Ara identified her as Leo's daughter. "That I am! I'm happy to see someone from Fiori over this way." Soon enough her mate came to join them and she looked to him with a smile. Her expression grew more surprised when Ara mentioned that they had met before and she chuckled. "Small world after all, hm?" She let Ara and Ganta exchange a few words, but once the conversation turned toward an herbs and what brought Ara out this way she gave the healer her full attention. She glanced back over her shoulder at the willow trees that were oh so plentiful in their new home with a new light. Were they really that useful? Her gaze came back to Ara as the duo-toned woman went digging in the bag that she had with her, pulling out a small grouping of flowers. Roza's eyes widened with surprise when Ara placed them at her feet, her ears pricking forward to listen closely to the woman's recommendations. It was a small gesture perhaps, but Roza was so touched. Her expression softened with gratefulness and her tail wagged happily behind her. Maybe it was just the pregnancy hormones making her extra emotional, but the small gift made her want to give the healer a huge hug. "Thank you so much, Ara... I really appreciate it." She glanced toward Ganta as she spoke, adding, "Of course you can come get some willow bark. Right, Ganta?" They had tons of willow trees after all. What was a little bark? Talk Abbey Others

Ara! Of course, now that the woman said her name the brute remembered meeting her before. She was indeed a healer, and he’d asked her that the first time they’d met. His nerves must have really been frazzled from recent events to forget a face, though to be fair their meeting was fairly fleeting. His ears were turned respectfully towards the older woman as she spoke, finding interest in her knowledge about white willow bark. His gaze shifted towards the trees around them for a moment, his ghostly gaze shining with thought. Then his gaze shifted back to Ara, watching as she pulled out an herb. He dipped his head respectfully to her before speaking, though his mind had been made up simply over the fact she was a healer and a Fiorian. “But of course she can! You are more than welcome in our lands, Ara… forgive me for not recognizing you sooner. There have been quite a few things on my mind in starting Dragoste off after all.” He gave a small smile. “I thank you for the trillium as well… It is a welcome gift.” He glanced back towards Roza and then looked to Ara again. “It might seem… a strange idea… but Fiorians are welcome in our lands as much as those from Dragoste are. Fiori holds Roza’s family… they hold my trust.” The man chuckled softly. “All I’d ask is a quick howl letting us know you’re coming in so Dragoste wolves don’t misunderstand your purpose when you need to return.” He leaned into Roza a little, giving a small smile. He just hoped his judgement on such a thing wasn’t too naive. He hadn’t spoken to Leo about an alliance yet, or at least a peace between their packs… but why would Leo become their enemy when his daughter was the secondary? Ganta mentally scoffed at himself. Things were going to be fine… At least in that regard. When it came to his own kin… Well… He’d handle that. "Talk" "You" Think

Ara's posture grew more relaxed as Roza made it clear she wasn't bothering her. "I'm happy to see you're well," Ara admitted, a smile twisting up the corners of her mouth slightly. Fiori had always treated her well, and she thought quite fondly of the Adravendi family. She paid no mind to the fact that Ganta didn't remember her; their meeting had been brief enough, and she was certain that he had far more on his mind than she did these days. She appreciated that he treated her with the same sort of kindness that Roza presented her with, and she decided quite quickly that Dragoste was a pack she could consider friendly, and she was sure Leo shared the same sentiments if his daughter was living here.

Ara found her tail wagging a bit faster at Roza's gratitude. "Anytime, Roza, Ganta," the woman offered, her words genuine as she nodded to them both in turn. She meant it, too. The herbs were less a bargaining tool than a gift, and one she was happy to offer again even if they refused her offer. But instead, Ganta explained she was welcome in the future; she simply needed to call and let them know what she was doing. She hadn't expected the offer to make her feel so grateful. There were so few things in her life now that were constant - her pack, and her herbs - and the possibility of losing access to one of her favorite lands, and her favorite trees, made her feel more panicked than she wanted to admit.

She let relief wash over her, letting out a slow, content sigh. "And.. I don't mean to presume, but if anyone here ever needs any assistance, you're welcome to come and call for me." Ara was confident in her abilities, and she knew Dragoste was a new pack - she had no clue if they had experienced healers here or not. "Call any time at all. I'd be happy to help you two." It would give her something to distract herself with, and she almost looked forward to the day her skills were needed again.