Walk | Talk

Autumn’s change to winter had come too abrupt, and too early, in the inexperienced mind of the young wolf. She was cold and miserable, shuffling her feet from paw to paw and she made her slow gait through the thick snow. It had started to trickle down in the late reaches of the afternoon, and the young girl had gotten turned around in her way back to the den she had dug out for herself the day before. The scents, fresh before the snow, were buried now, and her nose stung from the pain of pushing it into the damp wet surface all around her.

There was no helping it now, she wouldn’t make it back to the den tonight, already the last rays of light had faded and she would be in the full grasp of night in a few moments. Miserable, she stamped her feet again, dislodging snow from her damp legs. She shuddered, and shivered, trying to glimpse something, anything, beyond the white of the trickling snow. How did anyone navigate through this? Shoulders hunched and head lowered, she pushed on, her progress slow and heavy as she made her way blindly forward.

She didn’t notice the change in her footing until it was much too late. Her foot thuddered too heavily downwards, a slope, not a flat surface before her. Unable to catch herself, pushing too heavily on her front paws to make headway through the snow, she crashed forward. She slipped down the ledge, a tumble of snow shook loose and came down with her. She flailed, and splashed with a cry. Water! It wasn’t frozen yet, but was colder then the snow, and with a wet coat she would never get dry. She shoved forward back to the bank, and scrambled against the side. More snow toppled down on top of her, and she couldn’t find purchase. She cried out, as a healer she well knew her danger, and she was afraid. She put her back into it, flailing, desperate, and her paws found earth beneath the snow. She threw her weight forward, scrambling, and heaving until she was ashore once more. Her sides heaved, and her entire body shook with heavy shivers. She lay there in the snow for a time, searching for the strength to continue on.

Adarra walked, with a slow gate. She knew Boreas pretty well, and she liked the cold. She had a very thick pelt, and to her, it was very warm. She wasn't chilled at all, but as she walked she heard something that made he shake to the bone. Her ears perked and before anything, her instincts kicked in, a cry a very loud shriek hit her in the head. It echoed, and as she was a healer she had to help. She was fast and she was worried, what happened. Her ear's pinned and her charred lips pulled back into a worried frown, she came to a stop. There in front of her was a yearling, soaked and shaking. Damn, she must have fallen into the water, she won't survive if she stays out here in this weather. She looked around, there was an oak tree it must have been an old animals den. She ran over to the girl and tried to nudge her onto her own back. Adarra spoke softly, "I'm gonna help you." she hummed. She trotted to the den, it was big enough for both of them, and a lot more. But they were both pretty small. She put the girl down and would go to circle around her. She aimed to keep her warm, at least till she was stable enough for her to go and find some herbs. Hopefully, if any were still alive. "Talk" Think

Walk | Talk



The lethargy set in quickly, her head felt sluggish and old as she struggled to think beyond her crisis. She was cold, in the middle of nowhere. She knew there was a lake behind her, beyond that, she didn’t know the territory. The snow continued to fall, and the chill flakes against her damp coat began to feel warm. That was a very bad sign. She knew that, and she knew she should feel fear, but her thoughts were slow and unresponsive. She was warm and tired. She needed simply close her eyes, and everything would be okay…

A perfect snowflake fell, dancing across the air, to land on the nose of the wolf. Her pale blue eyes looked upon it, marvelling at its beauty upon the dark form of her snout. Before it had a chance to melt, a dark shape echo through the flake, and her eyes struggle to focus beyond what was immediately before her. What was that shape? Before she it could definite fully in her vision, she felt pressure on her side, something was pushing her. No, she was warm and sleepy, couldn’t they just leave her be?

The voice spoke, and the calm tones of the strange broke the spell of the cold, she blinked quickly, the movement shocking after the stillness of her body. Help, yes, she needed help. “T-thank you” she rasped, and let the woman take most of her weight, scarcely helping the stranger as she towed her forward. She hoped this wolf knew where they were going, because Riva was clueless.

The shape of a den at the base of an oak tree solidified before her, and then they were inside. She fell in a heavy heap on the den floor, wet snow falling off her in cold clumps, and she stiff body barely responded as she tried to move herself into a tight ball. The stranger seemed to know what she was doing, and curled her own body around her. Already she could feel the weight and warmth of the woman, and feeling began to creep back into her limbs. With feeling, came the terrible cold. A ferocious shiver wracked her body, and she gasped softly. She bore through it, and when it passed she began the slow, but important job of cleaning herself. She tried not to take too much of the liquid inside of herself, licking it and spitting it out. She didn’t want to lower her core temperature, but so long as she remained soaked, warming would be difficult. She washed the snow off her herself, section by section, appreciating the warmth of the woman beside her.

When at last she was done, exhaustion over took her. “My.. hero” she rasped, a wry smile on her lips, before unconsciousness tugged her under.

Adarra smiled, as the woman began to move. She pushed herself into the woman, keeping the woman from becoming too cold. She began to lick the woman, trying to keep her warm. A soft smile lay on her face. But as the woman called her, her own hero she was surprised. But she only smiled. When the girl drifted to sleep, she knew she would need the sleep. She would continue to groom her before she knew that it was time to get some herbs, she stood up and pushed out of the den. She sniffed the ground and pawed at it softly. She caught a scent, of a plant she takes for herself most of the time. Weed, she smiled she needed this. She nipped the stems off right next to the branch of the plant. Taking only three leaves, these were for her Depression. She looked for something to put them in, there was a part of a deer hide, must have been from a cougar or bears kill. Well, she was going to use it. She set the leaves inside the hide and continued on her hunt for herbs. She smiled as she found a bush, yes it was! It was Valerian Root, she ran over and began to dig up the plant. She grabbed it, and set it down in she then chewed off all the roots. She then put them inside the deer, hide okay so not all the herbs died out. That's great. She sniffed the ground and went looking for some Lamb's Ear just in case, it always got to be too safe than being sorry. She found the sent of the plant, but there was no plant in sight. It must have been buried. She began to dig into the snow, she found the top of the plant so she began to dig around it. Finally, she got it uncovered. She nipped off about six leaves and placed them inside the hide. Lamb's Ear was used as bandages for smaller wounds, or when chewed could be used to help swelling and irritation in small wounds. She now needed to find Boneset, which was mainly used for cold and fevers. And muscle pain. She sniffed the ground and for a couple of minutes found nothing, then she almost stepped on the plant. She began to dig it out of the ground, once uncovered she bite of a branch of the plant and placed it in the hide. She walked back to the den and began to nudge the girl trying to wake her up. "Talk" Think

Walk | Talk



She dreamed of the perfect snowflake, dancing and fluttering about her. Always out of reach of her quizzical nose, teasing her as it dipped forward, almost close enough to touch, and then it was gone again, leaving her nose touching empty air. She had at first felt a strange sense of nothingness, but as the dream progressed it took on a darker undertone. The seemingly harmless snowflake darted in, taping her on the inner muscle of her thigh, the tip of her paw. Everywhere it touched brought sudden and sharp pain. It crawled up her limbs and she yelped,

Shocked awake, eyes widening in alarm as she stared face to face with her rescuer. She possessed her mental functions now, through apparently not her voice. "Uhh" was the inarticulate word that escaped her. She realised then that the waking world didn't save her from the pain that had started in her dreams. She hoped back and forth, warmth had returned to her limbs with a fire of pins and needles. She stomped her paws on the ground, working through the feeling.

Once she was done she turned her eyes back to the kind stranger, embarrassment in the cool tones of her gaze. "Thank you. It's not every day my folly leads me so close to disaster. But it's not every day I meet a kind stranger, either. So I suppose your kindness balanced out my foolishness" a hint of a smile returned to her lips, and she arched her neck forward, sniffing. "Is that boneset? Good thinking. Your... a healer too?" She paused thoughtfully. "I'm twice blessed today it seems." And doubly surprised, too. Finding herbs in the snow was no small feat, and what was before her smelt fresh. The seasoned healer had brought her just what she needed, clearly having no problem navigating the land that was so new to the younger girl.

Adarra grinned, "Yes it is, and yes I am." she chuckled. She looked back at the girl, she took out the Boneset. "So this is for you fever and muscle pain." she noded. She pulled out Valerian root, "I thought this would be good because you might have a slight headache, caused by hitting the water so hard and the shock of ice cold water hitting you." she cooed. She hummed to herself, "Just don't consume too much of any of that, it all can result in bad things." she looked across the woman's body if she had any cuts, which she most likely has, she did land in a very rocky area. "Do you have any cuts? It wouldn't surprise me." she cooed. "Talk" Think

Walk | Talk

The stranger grinned at her, and Riva grinned right back. She couldn't find it in herself to feel woe for her current predicament. She had gotten herself into this mess, and the older wolf before her had gotten her out of it. She owed it then to this healer to show her appreciation and thanks in the form of a smile and returned kindness. She sniffed the air as the woman produced another herb, Valerian root. She recognised the smell and look of the plant, and her appreciation for the dark toned wolf grew. "Good thinking, my thanks" she gently took the stem of the plant, accepting it and the warning both. She knew the drill, a little bit helped and a lot harmed. She nodded her head, showing she understood. She put this herb and the boneset to use.

She hasn't considered flesh wounds, and paused to take stock when the stranger suggested it. Her body still felt numb so she knew any wounds might not be felt yet, so she combed through herself with care. There was a few scratches on her pads, and they oozed blood slowly. She would be feeling those later, walking on cracked paws was no one's definition on fun. She sighed softly, and accepted the lambs ear, too. "Your an angel. Thank you. I really don't want to think what situation I would be in now if you hadn't come along." Her smile seemed a little shy now, ears a little lower as she acknowledgement her folly.

"I would love to be able to refer to you as something other then 'stranger' in my head. What can I call you? I'm Riva" She introduced herself.

Adarra only smirked as she took the herbs, "It isn't a big deal, I only hope others would do the same." she sighed, as she watched the girl. Take the herbs, she knew she would need the Lamb's Ear, she chewed a few of the leaves. Then placed the matter on her cuts, she would then put the unchewed leaves over the cuts. As she sat back up the girl spoke again, oh lord where were her manners! "Oh, well! I'm Adarra." she cooed. Her tongue slide over her charred lips, as she focused her yellow gaze back on the yearling. "Well, I'd say you rest and you shouldn't go out and about for the rest of the winter. Your pads will heal by then, and your muscles won't be tense. Nor will they develop any issues from trauma. But if you do you could experience arthritis at a young age." she cooed. "I will take care of you, and see to it that you get the right herbs and all." she continued. She lowered her head slightly, "I respect your decision, so if you want to leave you may. I at least want to be friends, for anything." she finished. She gave a soft smile. "Talk" Think

Walk | Talk

Riva had so far had a mixed experience with wolves. She wasn't so certain just anyone would have helped her in the way this lady had. Still thanking her lucky stars, She allowed the older healer to apply the lambs ear to the tender cuts on her pads. They were small little tears to the skin, But her new found friend was right in the fact that they would be slow to heal. Pads always were. She would have given similar advice to a patient in her place, but Riva wasn't a part of a pack and didn't have the luxury of a long time to heal. "I understand the risks and I accept them. I'll certainly take it easy, but I can't stay in one place a whole season. My herb supply would dwindle to nothing, and I would go mad with the boredom of sitting." She smiled, the expression gentle on her youthful face.

"There's a proverb I know, that says healers make the worst patients. I fear I'm likely to prove the accuracy of that"
Her friend introduced herself, and Riva had a name to put to the face and kindness of the healer. "Adarra." She echoed, getting to her feet with a grimace. An unfamiliar seriousness came over the girl then, outlining the silvers beneath her eyes as she looked her friend in the eye. "I'd say you've earned more then my friendship here Adarra. You saved my life tonight, and I won't forget that. I owe you a debt, and if you ever need something, you can call on me to aid you, and I will come" there was a gravity to her voice, a seriousness in her air that stood in contrast to her young age.

Then the moment was over, and she was smiling again. "And besides, I'll be sticking around for a while yet well I get my strength back. I would love the pleasure of your company well I recover"

Adarra chuckled softly, "Oh, Riva... I know only too well!" she barked, her voice echoing slightly in the small den. She shook her head in amusement, I believe she will make it through the winter, without to much damage done to her. she thought, with a small kind gesture that spread over her feature, not quite enough to be called a smile though. As the girl spoke again this time she lessoned well, "I'd say you've earned more then my friendship here Adarra. You saved my life tonight, and I won't forget that. I owe you a debt, and if you ever need something, you can call on me to aid you, and I will come" she must have been quite serious and Adarra knew how she could repay her. Again the girl spoke that she'd be around for awhile, so she could heal. And yes that was a good idea, but now she wanted to ask her something. "Would you be my companion for traveling and such? That's how you could repay the debut. It gets quite lonely... But that's only if you can deal with me?" she cooed, a bit of a chuckle filled the air after she spoke. "Talk" Think

Walk | Talk

The warmth of the two girls had taken out the bitter chill of winter, and her coat had dried after the attention both of them had given to it. The warmth filled her veins, and she knew she was no longer at risk of getting hypothermia. She could still see the snow falling, gentle dances of white against the dark. She didn't know how much time has passed when sleep had claimed her, but it couldn't have been long.

Her eyes glanced back to Aderra, the older warmth also seemed perfectly comfortable in the small den, which was shaped so the angle of the wind didn't enter. She hobbled forward, rearranging herself so she could curl back up on the mossy floor.
"A companion?"
She hasn't expected her friend to cash in the favour so quickly, and well she wasn’t keen of the same places and the same faces day in and day out; her wondering nature was at play there, she also recognised that this was the least she could do. "I would love to travel with you for a little while, I feel we could learn much from another, and I would rather enjoy it." Her face creased into a pleasant smile as she looked up from her paws, "yes, I will." She agreed. She would travel with Aderra for a time.

Adarra smiled, "Thank you Riva." she smiled, her darkened brows creased. She went to nudge her friend, to show her pleasure. She was a true friend, most and her first real friend. And she was now no longer alone, she had Riva. And that was nice, she had a friend. She chuckled, "Riva if you would like this could be or temporary den?" she cooed. She sat back on her haunches and looked around but it wasn't super comfortable. "I'm going to gather some moss and feathers. To make this place better, than I can dig it out more. Just so it is bigger, so we can store herbs and such." she hummed, stepping out of the den. And padding along the tree's she found a few feathers, grabbed them and wrapped them in dry moss. She padded back to the den, slide in and started to make a nest. Big enough for about four wolves of there size. She then began to dig out the den, which she knew would take some time. She wanted their temporary den to be comfortable till either Riva was okay to walk or just their future den. Whatever it was, she wanted it to be comfy. "Talk" Think

Walk | Talk

The young wolf couldn't help but wonder at Adarra's request. Was the woman lonely? She did seem to be another nomad, out here alone as Riva was. Only, for Riva it had been a choice. Was the same true for her friend? She didn't know enough about to her to guess. It was these thoughts that spurred to her to speak again. "Even when we do part ways, you can always call upon me, we are friends." She didn't make friends lightly, (even if this encounter did seem to contradict that) and she looked after them with a fierceness when she had them. It was her wondering nature that limited her friendships, her shyness in situations that didn't include hearing.

Adarra suggested they keep this den as a temporary place to hole up, and Riva nodded her head in acceptance. "That makes sense. I wouldn't want to wander too far too soon." She agreed, and her muzzle quirked into an amused expression. "And we know there is herbs and fresh water nearby..." through the water was freezing, this she could attest to.

Adarra spoke of leaving to gather items and Riva shot to her feet in surprise, grimacing as she put weight against her injury. She glanced outside and saw it was still dark and snowy. "There's no rush, we can go out in the morning. The snow would have died down by then and well be able to see what we're doing." She was crazy to want to go out in this, and Riva hobbled forward to nudge her gently with a paw, hoping to encourage her to stay. "Curl up with me, there's still some moss on the floor from the previous occupant, and we can sleep or tell stories to while away the night." She didn't want Adarra to go back out in that weather.

Adarra looked back at the girl okay, she'd stay. She nodded and walked over to the wall of the den. She curled up and she began her own story, "I have a story, about my early life... It's of death and sacrifice, some I barely remember. Some I have flashbacks of quite a bit." she cooed, pawing at the ground nervously. "My mother was very kind and loved her mate. Who gave birth to me and my brother, and a few other siblings. My father was quite smart and was very manipulative. His brother, my uncle was the Alpha of our pack, but his mate died soon after I was born. When my uncle found out he turned tail and abanded his pups. Which my mother raised as her own." "A plague swept over our pack and killed off quite a lot of our pack, including most of my siblings and cousins. My brother and my cousin... Or two cousins survived. my brother slowly got farther and farther away from us. But he always came back with a kill for us. One day my father returned, with two females in tow. My brother and him shared some very mean words. A little later, my mother had a chat with Drakan, and he ended up pity killing her. He then killed our father, the two females that were with him fled, my brother, turned on his own family. Killed my mother for no reason, and-and" she began to sob. "I wish I could have stopped it, my brother did something that I can never forgive. So I fled." she finished. Her eye's clouded with tears. "Talk" Think

Walk | Talk

She listened in silence as Adarra spoke. She mentioned the kindness of her mother, and Riva wondered at her own. She knew so little about her. She knew she had come from this land, and she had abandoned her child in a bed of crisp autumn leaves, a blue ribbon wound about her little form. She didn't know her mother's intentions, Only that she would have died if the healer that adopted her hadn't found her. She also suspected that her foster mother knew more about Riva's birth mother then she had told her. She touched her nose to the blue material that was bound gently against her forepaw, the bright blue tones kept clean and well kept despite its years.

Her thoughts were brought back to Adarra's story as it took a darker turn. And she growled softly, drawing her body further around the older wolf in a protective gesture. Riva was a healer, but if ever a wolf deserved a beating, it was her murdering brother.
"I'm sorry"
She said softly, through she knew the words were little in light of what Adarra had told her.

She had spoken her sad tale easily, and could only assume that time had worn smooth some of the pains of what she had endured, opting to voice it without a moment's hesitation. It was for this reason that Riva dared voice a question, she wasn't poking at a raw wound, she was inspecting one that had already begun to scab. "You said he gave her a mercy killing. It didn't sound like anything he did was out of mercy, So what made you choose that word?" Riva's question was gently spoken.

Adarra, paused as the girl spoke. "He killed her because of her loving her mate blindly, even though he took on different mates. He killed her so she wouldn't see her precious king die, although I don't like my father I hate my brother for this. I think if he were to ever see me, he would pity kill me. He must think his family betrayed him, though he betrayed us." she cooed, her head lowered to lay in between her paws. she pressed her body into the girl, she felt safe. "I swear my brother, is the living carnation of hell. He kills everything that's in his way, he wanted to kill the harmless females that my father brought with him. He has these teeth, that have a tendency of poking out of his lips. His whole life, he has been fighting against a demon. I swear, its come to me in dreams. I guess it finally took control." she finished her sentence. And just lied there, he had left scars inside her soul. She would never forgive him. "Talk" Think

Walk | Talk

Adarra answered her question easily, and Riva sighed softly, a long, slow exhale that showed pale in the cool air. “Sounds like a sickness of the mind” she said softly. Sometimes people are raised bad, and sometimes they were simply born with something wrong inside of them. It sounded to her like Adarra’s brother was like that. It was still possible he had snapped with the pressure of his father perading woman in front of them, unfaithful to his partner, but she didn’t think that was enough to cause such madness like Adarra spoke of.

She kept her body tightly woven around the healer, offering her comfort. “It’s not an easy past to live with - but that’s what it is, the past. It’s not your life now, and you have your whole future ahead of you.” sometimes that was the only way to live, without looking back. Of course, she couldn't’t take her own advice. All she could ever do was pick and prod at the unknowns regarding her birth, and birth parents. Who had they been? Why had they abandoned her. She realised she might never find the answers, and that was like a thorn in the paw that she could never pick free. Always niggling at her, always there.

She was going to give in soon to the exhaustion creeping up on her. The yearling let out a soft sound that was half yawn, half sigh. “I’ll see you in the morning, Adarra” she whispered, laying her head on her paws, pressing it gently against the side of her friends coat. It was peaceful, and warm, and better than sleeping alone.

Adarra lessoned to the girl, she liked her. She was a good friend, she shuffled closer to the girl. She felt safe and she liked that, that great part was she was safe. Safe with her friend, safe with her best friend. Her company was all she needed, but sleep she needs to and she accepted the offer that they see each other in the morning. She would stay still for a few minutes, her head nestled in between her paws. Her golden eye's gleaned. As she looked outside, soon she yawned. And she began to drift to sleep. -Exit Via Sleep- "Talk" Think