ooc. gathering some lavender, if anyone would like to join! Things had slowed down infinitely within the family, and Olya was taking the opportunity to gather herbs in the warmer climates. With spring settling into the lands, new growth was sweeping over the lands. However, she had slogged through far too much mud to get to where she was standing. The late morning sun was warm on her pale back, a blessing after such a harsh winter. She had feared that Lirika would fall ill, as her age took its toll. Thank the gods that she had remained healthy. Dove grey paws picked a way towards a strange arrangement of stones. She wasn't looking for anything in particular, so whatever she found first would be what she gathered today. Hopefully the weather would prevail until the evening, allowing her a chance to possibly dry some herbs. A splash of vibrant colour caught her eye. A small lavender plant, just beginning to bloom. This would do just fine, yes. Leaping atop a rock that served as a wall around the herbs, she carefully stepped into the ring. Places like this were not to be traipsed into lightly. This was a fairy circle, no doubt. She must be vigilant and respectful, and offer thanks once she gathered her lavender.

His father had left early that morning without a word and hadn't even bothered to tell him. His father had become more aloof after they had been pulled back out to sea, while before he had been eager to teach him about herbs and spar playfully with himn lately he had become cold and distant. Perhaps the fault had been with him. Was he simply too old now that he was a juvenile? The steely look that had fallen over his once frantic father's composure made him uneasy. They had both hunted relentlessly after they had made landfall, until his father had regained most of his strength.

Today. his father had simply said and that was that. They plunged back into the sea, tossed by the waves, this time with his father in the lead while he struggled to keep pace with him. The thought left a chill in the pit of his stomach.

He slipped from the den they had hastily dug the night before and gone to explore, his thoughts in turmoil as he wandered aimlessly. His tail tucked as pack scents surrounded him. There were two reasonably sized packs bordering these lands and the thought of being caught by either made him nervous. A pale figure landed on a rock beside him, sending him bolting a measure of distance away, his eyes wide and his fur on end. She didn't smell of either pack, but the scent of other wolves was on her. He dropped low, terrified and ready to flee, calling for his father.

Sadly there had been a decent amount of herbs that hadn't cured properly, the winter took it's toll on them and he had to throw them out. Now that the warmer weather came he needed to get his butt into collecting herbs. Restock the storage dens and get his butt in gear with getting his pack together. He has had some bumps in the road so far, but he wasn't letting that discourage him. He had plenty of things to keep him busy, the only bad part about that was he didn't know how in the world he was going to try and find some loners looking for a pack to join. He wasn't sure if trading or finding members was more important and at times he wished his father was here to help, but he had to figure it out himself. Trudging into the territory he held his head low, scanning the flora for herbs he recognized. Opening his satchel with his muzzle he moved on, slowly wondering and searching, moving further into the territory with each step. Mostly he was finding Boneset, but he wanted some lavender also. He only picked a few of the boneset and moved on trekking closer and closer to the stone formations. Soon two scents mingled with the flora and he lifted his head, blue eyes looking around. Ahead of him were two forms. The young male smiled, wagging his tail lightly before letting out a softer bark letting the two know of his presence before he would continue to approach them. "Hello," he said as he grew within talking distance, stopping then to be sure they would be okay for another to join. He wasn't too sure of the situation considering the darker hued male seemed to be low to the ground and looked somewhat terrified. "Speech" 'Think'

As soon as she stepped down, the shuffle of grass and the sharp inhale of breath alluded to another's presence. Dual toned gaze fell upon the small, quivering form of a boy. No doubt close to her apprentice's age, but far smaller. The wideness of his eyes and the stiffness of his hackles betrayed his fear. Oh dear, had she frightened him? He was pressed so tight to the ground he might well have been sinking into the earth. "Do not be afraid, child." She murmured, radiating calm and warmth. Her low vocals were soft, gentle. "I mean you no harm. I am just collecting this lavender for my stores," she slowly lifted a paw, waving it toward the delicate fronds of the plant. It was not much later that a towering male with a pelt like a late evening storm arrived, tail wagging and expression soft. "Hello," he greeted kindly. The shaman matched his friendly expression, offering a kind smile. "Hello to you, young man." she offered, dipping her broad head politely. "Are you also here to collect herbs?"

His eyes were fixed on the woman at first as she bid him not to be afraid. Easier said than done, especially for one so much larger than himself. At the arrival and brief introduction of the second male his legs began to tremble. The dark male was even larger than his father, and without any thought for what the ramifications might be, Rain slunk closer to the woman, using her almost as a barrier between himself and the gigantic male. His heart continued to pound as he watched the two interact, his wide eyes darting between them and then coming to rest on the woman. Would she defend him? His father had always said females were more inclined to help pups even if they weren’t their own, but he swiftly reminded himself that he was no longer a pup, but nearly fully grown. Speaking  Thinking You

He left respectable distance between them before he stopped, the light colored female was the first to speak and his blue eyes focused on her, tail wagging in a friendly greeting. He was lucky, she was a healer and asked if he was also collecting herbs. "I am in fact, some of my stock didn't cure properly and I lost them in the winter so I'm looking to restock," he said before his eyes noticed the younger male. His smile faded as he realized that the male looked terrified. It made him uneasy because he didn't like someone being terrified of him. He meant no harm, non at all! So he did what he thought would be the best move he could to prove he was harmless. Flopping down into a sternal laying position he attempted to make himself smaller. Maybe that would help the other male feel more comfortable? "Just looking for herbs, I mean no harm," he stated. "Speech" 'Think'

The boy watched them both, with eyes like one of Lirika's children. Perhaps these eyes were common in these lands. Red and yellow, like fire. His delicate form lifted only far enough from the ground to slip a little closer to herself. One brow twitched upward, but she quickly schooled her expression into something warm and friendly. He had moved in such a way that he was further from the other male. However, she didn't think too much into it. There was no point in wasting her energy on it. Rather, she put her focus on easing the tension in the situation and remaining friendly and open. "I am in fact, some of my stock didn't cure properly and I lost them in the winter so I'm looking to restock," the male replied. She bobbed her head in acknowledgement. "Well, I am more than happy to share what I find with you." She said to him with a smile. Bisected eyes flicked between the dark coloured males as the larger flopped easily down to the ground, making himself small and approachable. Ah, yes. That was quite smart of him. To the skittish boy, he made a point of saying "Just looking for herbs, I mean no harm," A hum of agreement came from her. "Would you care to join us in our gathering, dear?" she questioned softly, her rumbling vocals remaining as gentle as possible. Her gaze drifted towards his features, searching them. His fear brought up the desire to protect him, to steal him away and keep him safe. However, that wasn't her place. She tamped those emotions down.