OOC: So the goal is to collect some herbs (Dandelions & Marigold specifically) and mix a concoction.

Kahaia was finally a yearling and had spent her time as a such doing what most every almost-adult wants to do. Exploring and learning of course. Since she had long departed from the pack that so lovingly took her in, she had been practicing skills they made their best attempt at teaching her. However, our little flower was not that great at listening, often drifting away in her thoughts. Still, one skill that especially stuck with her, was healing. She was always fascinated by how their tribe used plants to heal wounds and ailments. It was hard to believe that all you had to do was crush something up and eat it to help solve your problems. But our girl had seen it with her own eyes!

She'd spent almost the entire summer looking around for herbs such as Wintergreen and Ginseng Root and had no luck. Her main problem was remembering where to look for them. She could have sworn Ginseng Root preferred to be in the sunlight, but maybe she heard wrong? Or was she thinking of a different herb altogether?  Anyway, Kahaia figured she'd revert back to the basics. Easy herbs that were plentiful. Lass wanted something useful to carry around with her, something she could use to help cure peoples wounds. The most basic mixture she could think of was a combination of Dandelion and Marigold.

One thing she did remember was Dandelion could be used for more than just digestive problems and appetite. It could also be applied topically for joint pain, bruising, and inflammation. Pairing that with Marigold, whose petals can be applied topically as well to heal burns and cuts, would be a perfect concoction for someone with a few injuries from hunting or fighting. She may even be able to prove herself useful to a few packs and make some alliances for future trades. Oh, that would be something, alliances with packs also meant learning more! Learning about culture, language, and maybe even a few of their healers could give her a few pointers!

Motivation to succeed was at an all-time high. Kahaia kept her eyes peeled, but there was so much lush foliage around. So many plants and herbs, she was starting to forget what Marigold looked like. While it was easy to remember what Dandelion looked like, she was having trouble seeing any! So many flowers and weeds, how was she gonna tell the difference? Kahaia was starting to grow weary, disappointed in herself. Huff escaped her maw as she looked around more, snout pressed to the ground. Maybe they would smell different, more like medicine. The girl was determined to do this and confident enough to believe she could do it all on her own.

The man was traveling endlessly, though he honestly wasn't minding that too much lately. It kept his mind off other matters he wasn't keen to focus on just now. Wandering the grove that had once been filled with pristine berries, he noted the few remaining rotting ones that littered the ground. A couple clung to some of the branches and vines for dear life, but their time was short and all were spoiled. The smell was usually tolerable, but with the heat it was getting a little overpowering. The heat was probably why so many berries were falling, an idea he was more convinced held truth as he noted the slight wilting of the plants themselves.

Herbs were surprisingly bountiful here, which was probably one of the reasons he wasn't terribly surprised to find someone wandering among the flowers and plants. He wasn't sure if she'd noticed him, but he was inclined to introduce himself to possible fellow healers, so Jouko would approach after a moment. "Looking for something specific?" he asked with a friendly smile.

Kahaia was startled by the man's approach, but he seemed to be offering help. Help the girl was insistent on refusing. "Dandelions and Marigold, making something for hunting injuries. I've got it though" She had to assure him that she knew what she was doing, it felt necessary. Still, this man might have actually known a little more than herself about healing. As much as she was trying to avoid it, Kahaia knew she wasn't doing too well looking for these herbs on her own, not with the rest of the herbs in her way. Perhaps if she started a conversation, he might end up helping her stumble upon the herbs. "Uh, what are you looking for? Anything in particular? I might be able to help you." Yep, that's right, you're the expert here Kahaia.

She looked around for something to prove her own skills, spotting some red berries lying on the ground. "Elderberries, helps your immune system. Maybe this is what you were looking for?" These were elderberries right? Truthfully, the girl had never actually seen elderberries, only heard about them. Hopefully her guess was right, otherwise, the teen just made herself look like a dimwit.

He listened as she explained what she sought, though she assured him she was not in need of help. Suit  yourself, Jouko was hardly one to be pushy, despite the fact that he sensed the statement was more the product of pride than truth. Aggie did that, asserted that she was perfectly capable of doing whatever thing she tried even if she was in need of help. Jouko never minded though, he was patient enough to wait for the other to come around, and kind enough to not make someone feel lesser for needing assistance. He'd just smile and shrug, "Sounds like a nice combination." he didn't really have much else to say on the matter. Maybe he was too practiced in letting others do as they pleased, but it tended to make things easier when he didn't make a fuss.

Contemplation at her question that followed would be interrupted briefly as she pointed to some berries. Eyeing the shiny red things, he noted that they were almost… too shiny. He didn't mean to start this investigation, but now that his interest was piqued there was no stopping him. He sought out the plant they came from, searching the area thoroughly, though when a cursory glance at the nearest bushes yielded nothing, he'd sniff the berries and seek their origins out that way.

When he found himself standing before a somewhat short deciduous shrub. Shaking his head, he gestured at he plant by pointing a forelimb at it, "The berries look similar, but the plant tells you more accurately. I think these are Red currants. The plant doesn't grow as tall, and the leaves have five lobes where elderberries have leaves shaped more like ovals, with somewhat serrated looking edges." He would turn to look amiably at her once more, tail swishing through the air behind him. His tone held no derision, but rather was light-hearted and suggested he was more focused on how much he enjoyed identifying the plant than anything else.

Looking around the area, he shrugged and sighed softly, "I'm more exploring now though, anyways. Sadly I've sort of lost motivation to do any extensive gathering myself lately." There was the faintest hint of sadness in his voice, but it evaporated when he continued, "I'd enjoy herb hunting with you if you don't mind me tagging along, though." Where was his sister? Normally she appeared by now, and not being able to check in with his sibling was beginning to be more worrisome than he'd anticipated. Maybe she was fine, but he'd really like to know for sure.

Kahaia watched nervously as the man eyed the berries. It seemed she was wrong, but she listened to him carefully. It seemed this man knew a lot more than what she'd originally assumed. Of course, the girl was a little disappointed in herself for not really understanding before and making a fool of yourself, but this man was so polite. Before she could get a chance to interrupt and thank him for helping her, he answered her original question and even seemed to be asking one of his own. The girl was obviously going to accept his help. As long as this man kept spewing words of wisdom all evening, then she was going to appreciate his company and assistance.

"I really appreciate this, thank you so much!" She would lead them, looking for the dandelion first. Of course, it would be an easy feat, as dandelion seemed to be everywhere. Kahaia moved gracefully through the tall grass, keeping her eyes peeled for some dandelion that was in good shape still. Emerald gaze caught just what she'd been searching for, so the girl grabbed some. She was sure to get the whole herb, root and all. She wasn't sure which part she needed to make this little mixture, but it seemed like something this man would know. Little flower soon realized how rude she had been, making no introduction and just going on to do her own thing. "I'm Kahaia, by the way. Do you have a pack around here or something?" She wasn't all that familiar with packs in the area still, as she had been so sheltered before. Her search continued as she waited for a response from the man. She was beginning to get frustrated with herself before she realized that she now had a helper! Lass would wait for the brute to finish before asking for help."Can you... can you help me find the Marigold?"

"Talk."

He smiled, blue eyes shining, shrugging lightly, "No problem, I'm inclined to thank you for the opportunity to occupy myself." It got dreadfully boring being alone. He'd managed to create some kind of semi-friendship with Malleus, though it was mostly based around herbs and Jouko's penchant for learning and teaching about non-herbal healing tools. Any chance to hang out with someone and get out of his head was time well spent.

She led the way to begin the search for herbs and Jouko would happily trot after her, scanning the sea of plants around then in case they passed something he might be interested in returning for. Nothing stood out too much, but, that was fine. He sat by while she gathered the dandilion, appreciating how she would carefully harvest the plant. When she introduced herself he remembered his own manners and cheerily replied, "I'm Jouko, nice to meet you." Shaking his head, the man chuckled. Pack life still wasn't appealing to him. Even if he did dislike being on his own, he still didn''t care much for the idea of having others that could tell him what to do. "Oh, no, I'm just doing some wandering lately. Exploring, I suppose. I do a lot of traveling, always have, but sometimes I amuse myself by teaching healing lessons on whatever feels fun on any given day."

He hadn't realized she was struggling, but was happy to join the effort to find her chosen plant. "Absolutely," he assured with a nod, wading through the vegetation and beginning the search. He'd definitely harvested Marigold before, but not from somewhere with this many other plants growing in a great big mess. He circled through the open spaces, eyes open and nose scenting the air for traces of the plant in question. It was only when he turned back towards the bushes that he caught a whiff of it.

Standing still, he lifted his head and glanced towards Kahaia with a grin, "Smell it? I think it's pretty close."

Kahaia was glad to have someone else's company while she hunted for the herbs. She appreciated the help where she could get it, no matter how stubborn she seemed to be. So far, living on her own, she'd come across many helpful people, and hadn't yet met an angry or violent soul. Kahaia was probably one of the luckier ones though, as she knew all too well the evil residing in others. She chuckled when he stated that he was a wanderer, much like herself. She didn't blame him, pack life could be very complicated. That was never the case in her past, as the pack that took her as a pup treated her as one of their own, but she wasn't willing to share that just yet.

He agreed to assist in her search for the marigold and caught a whiff after looking around. Strange, because normally her nose was fairly decent at its job, how had she not picked up on the scent earlier? Kahaia pointed her maw in the same direction he'd claimed the smell was coming from and took it in for herself. It definitely smelled familiar, but how could he be so sure this was marigold? Little flower shrugged, but she'd move forward, careful to step in the open spaces as she didn't want to crush the plants. Delicate paws kept her moving with haste, but she'd slow herself down to make sure she stayed in stride with her new companion.

Little red wolf took in his appearance and couldn't resist the chuckle building up in her throat. "You know you remind me a lot of the healer that was teaching me." Their build was almost exactly the same, and they were both darker colored wolves. She hadn't remembered too much about her mentors, but the one she was referring to in particular took her in, it was hard to forget someone as nice as he was. Kahaia was all too distracted in her thoughts to notice the marigold sitting right before her eyes. She caught a glimpse in her peripheral vision, as she had been watching Jouko, and her ears perked up. Was this really it? The herb looked like it was in decent condition. Decent enough for her to try and mix these herbs to make herself a little goto healing paste. "Would you like to help me gather these and make the paste? I've never really done it before, I'd like to do it right the first time around though."

"Talk."