The day had been too hot, but the night provided a gentle breeze that cooled the desert landscape. Iolaire, a night time creature as always, padded silently across the soft sands. She was in search of Ocotillo plants. The collected specimens would serve in aiding those with fatigue issues, swelling and coughs. One could never have enough herbs and so the tiny woman had emptied the majority of her pack in the hopes of filling it.

Desert creatures scampered here and there, also taking advantage of the bright, moonlit night to carry out their scavenging and hunting. Short of rattlesnakes and scorpions, she wasn't too worried about the areas inhabitants. Moving up a dune, she used her higher vantage to scan the area for the plant in question. And there, cresting the opposite dune, was her quarry. A small sound of pleasure rumbled up from the tiny wolfs chest and she made her way to the Ocotillo. Seating herself upon the sand, the little dame curled her tail around one shapely hip before setting to work. All parts of the plant were useful and so she began to process the greenery then and there, separating leaves, bark, roots and flowers. Being a rather large plant, it would likely last her the season.

He hadn't been to the desert before and at first found the sandy dunes difficult to navigate, but as night fell upon the terrain, he was beginning to get the hang of it. Paws sunk in the soft sand, though not too deeply, as he kept wandering deeper into the desert. The boy passed a few plants here and there but he did not know what they were, or if they were useful, and thus he left them alone. Ahead, on the peak of the same dune another wolf sat and Sandor paused...hesitant to approach at first. The yearling observed as she meticulously picked apart a plant. Curiosity would get the better of him and he moved forward, a soft bark to announce his presence. "Hi....umm...what are you doing?" He would ask, head tilting to the side as he came to a stop a respectful distance away.

Obsidian ears shifted, catching the  soft whisper of moving sand. Head tilted soon after, one green and gold eye landing upon the young wolf as he drew near. She scanned him quickly, noting the mixed colors in his pelt as well as his general demeanor. When he spoke, it was simple curiosity that poured forth. Soft, accented tones emanated from her own maw as she prepared and explanation. "Gathering Ocotillo. It's used in healing." Having no way of knowing whether or not the boy was healing inclined, she left it at that.

Tucking the last of the items into her pack, the small woman flipped it shut and slid the strap over her neck so that the bulk of the pack rested against her right shoulder. Once that was finished, she gave the young wolf her full attention. "And you, lad? What are you doing out in the middle of the desert at night? Not a very desirable place to be." One silver brow arched as she offered the query.

Sandor remained a respectful distance but as she spoke, mentioning it was for healing his curiosity turned to interest with ears pulling forward, body leaning closer to see. The boy was disappointed as she finished quickly and put the plant pieces away in her satchel. He frowned slightly, but chose to inquire further. "How does it work?" He asked, was it edible? Topical? Both perhaps? He was new to healing, he only knew of a few plants here and there but none that were from the desert.  If she was willing to teach him more about the plant she'd collected, he would be greatful. 

Ears twitched as he regarded her curiously as she spoke. Why was he in the desert? Shoulders rolled in a shrug as he reclined into a sitting position. "I'd I'd n been in the desert...I figured I'd explore it a bit." It wasn't a great answer and was perhaps foolish, but it was honest.

His curiosity interested her and with a pull of her skull, she motioned for him to follow. Perhaps he was intrigued by healing after all. "Ocottillo generally grows in clusters. We should find another one right over this dune." And they did. Two more of the spiny plants rested in the valley between dunes. Settling herself beside one, she began to process that one as well. Though one would have been enough, dried herbs lasted for quite a while if stored properly.

Iolaire began her explanation, pointing to each piece of the plant as she worked. "Ocotillo has many uses. Each piece of the plant can be used for different ailments. You can chew the bark to combat fatigue. Brewing a tea with the roots helps the body with swelling. The flowers can also be added to the root tea. This mixture helps to clean the blood and help with circulation." Onyx ears swiveled in case he had any questions. If he didn't, she did.

The boy admitted to having never been in a desert before. Iolaire chuckled softly and gave her small skull a shake. "You aren't missing much. I'm more of a deep woods gal, myself." She gave a shrug. "There are useful plants in the desert though. As a healer, you often have to travel to undesirable places.'

She beckoned him to follow and he did so eagerly. Rising quickly to feet and following close behind as they created the dune to find two more plants on the other side. Sandor watched with rapture as she began to deconstruct one plant, ears absorbed the words she said as she explained the uses of the plant. He nodded eagerly as he watched and listened, waiting until she was done before speaking. "Can you use the flowers by themselves?" He asked, noting how she had said they could be added to the tea and roots but had said nothing of the petals alone. "Can it be toxic in large doses or addictive?" Perhaps his mind delved to the negatives too quickly but it was something he would need to know as a healer. It was just as important to know the I'll effects of a plant as it was to know the good. 

Sandor would move to the untouched plant and try to replicate her movements, picking pieces off and setting them next to her. He had no satchel or way to transport the plants she might as well take them, it was just good practice for him. "Like this?" he asked, pausing to look at her to make sure he was doing it right. When she mentioned the desert he laughed softly. "No kidding. Its much more boring than I'd thought." He offered with a soft snort of amusement. His head bobbed as she mentioned useful plants and going to undesirable places. "It's good to know what is useful in all climates. Never know where you will end up." He perhaps knew this better than most. He was not native to these lands, but had travelled a great distance at a young age to get here.

The boy did ask questions and the tiny healer was pleased that he did so. "You can use the flowers alone. The tea tastes better that way, but it's not as potent." She continued to answer his other questions. "Toxic in large doses, yes. The bark will irritate the stomach lining and you'll get rather ill if too much is ingested. Same with the root tea. Addictive? No." He had a good mind, it seemed. These were very worthwhile questions to ask. She wondered just who he was.

Iolaire was even more pleased when he sat down at the opposite plant and began to process it just as she had. She nodded in approval. "Just be wary of the thorns. Thankfully most of them are large enough to avoid, but new growth can trick you and poke you pretty nastily." She'd had many a pricked paw pad from working with cacti, but was a seasoned pro now.


More wise words came from the boy and Io again arched one slender, silver brow. He still hadn't introduced himself, so she decided to take the initiative. "I am Iolaire Akeldama. Healer and Ambassador of the Ashen Armada. Who might you be?" She couldn't deny her curiosity.

Sandor continued dissecting the plant, although his pile was not nearly as clean as her own. He listened to her as she explained that it could cause harm in large doses but it was not addictive. He bobbed his head slightly in a nod, showing he was still listening. "How long do you let it steep?" He asked, trying to pry as much information as he could. Just as she mentioned the thorns, he felt a pain in his paw causing him to sharply recoil before grinning at her. "Thanks for the warning." The chuckle was soft and relaxed, he was at ease around the smaller wolf. He finished dissecting the plant, careful of the thorns this time. When he was done he turned his full attention to her. She was introducing herself, he nodded at her name and title, offering his name in return. "I'm Sandor."

More questions erupted from the boy and Io, being the lovely teacher that she was, answered in time. "Steeping time depends upon how fresh the plants are. It's best to steep dried plants and the longer they steep, the more beneficial the brew." A light shrug was given. "And also the more bitter the brew. Perfectly safe to mix with a bit of honey to lighten the flavor." Bitter brews were hard to drink but honey made most things go down easier.

A moment after she warned him against the thorns, he'd pricked his paw. Io smirked and finished her task. These weren't large plants. She'd seen much, much larger. It proved just how water deprived this bit of desert was.  Other greenery was scarce as well which didn't surprise her. Only the heartiest of plants could grow in such desolate climes.

The boy soon gave his name and, just as he had, Iolaire accepted it with a nod. "And what are you doing here? Truthfully, this time." It didn't make sense for him to just be exploring a desert because he'd never seen one. He was in the area for a reason. The boy was still young and shouldn't have been too far from home just yet. He was hiding something.

Sandor listened as she explained the length of time to steep; he nodded slightly, grinning at her mention of the honey. “If you can get it without being stung a billion times, you mean.” He hadn’t attempted to get honey, not yet, but he had seen others try when he was a young pup. It had always been funny for him to watch, but as he developed an interest in healing he found it less and less amusing. He’d have to brave the bees at some point to get honey, but he was glad that time hadn’t come yet.

When she spoke again, it was to question him further about being in the desert. Head cocked to the side curiously as she spoke. He hadn’t lied to her, he was only exploring. “I was exploring…like I said.” He answered, tone hinting at the awkwardness he suddenly felt. He’d never had someone challenge his word- they’d always taken it at face value. Though, now that he was older, he should have expected it. Still, the yearling was taken back by her not believing him. He wasn’t one to just spill his guts; he had no reason to tell her that he had been alone as a pup for many months before finding Lirim. He certainly had no reason to tell her that his parents were gone, his rank and title stripped of him. He did not want to bring up those painful memories.

Getting stung while collecting honey? The woman chortled softly. "Smoke is the key. It makes the bees dormant while you collect. It doesn't harm them. Simply makes them tired." She'd collected honey many, many times. If done properly, there was no stinging involved. Good thing too. If you were stung, the bee that stung you would die. If you were stung a lot, not only would the bees die, but you could possibly die as well.

The boy seemed a little irritated at her continued questioning. He also seemed a little dense in this regard. "You're awfully close to the Ashen territory. Not a very good place for a young wolf to be." She knew that Sirius had abducted young wolves before. She knew that he condoned slavery. She wouldn't put it past him to take a wandering child and try to turn it into a warrior. Iolaire didn't wish to know the boys past at all. She only wished to know what his goal was in these parts.

His head tilted to the side as she chortled at his comment on being stung. He nodded she spoke of using smoke, he hadn't realized it made them dormant. "That's very good to know." He replied, now all he needed to do was figure out how to make a fire to produce the smoke. He was sure he could figure that out...somehow. Anything to keep him from getting stung by a nest of angry bees. 

When she mentioned being near Ashens territory he frowned, making a bit of a sour face. "Seems I'm destined to be forever running into Ashens borders." The boy would say with a hint of humor in his voice. He'd already ran into the Empress once, and now a member of the same pack and near the border. "It's not my intention to cause trouble. I really was just exploring." He offered with a shrug. He remembered the Empress' warning of not to come back and had little interest in calling her bluff.

Iolaire could see the gears working in his skull. He knew of fire, but she doubted that he knew how to make one. "Want me to show you?" Digging in one of the smaller pockets in the front of her pack, the small woman pulled out a stone and a chunk of metal. Pulling together some of the bits of plant that were too dry and damaged to use, she struck flint and sparks flew. Leaning down, the woman blew upon the sparks and soon a little fire was burning between them. "Steel and flint," she said with a grin, pristine white teeth flashing.

It seemed as though he'd run into Ashen wolves before and her brow furrowed. He surely hadn't run into Sirius. Sandor claimed that he didn't want to cause trouble and the woman gave a single nod. "Just be careful. Especially if you value your freedom." She wouldn't go in depth, but hopefully that would serve as sufficient warning.

Rising from her place, Iolaire pulled her pack over her neck, settling it in place. "Well, it's been fun. Good travels on your way back home." With a nod, the tiny fae kicked sand over the smoldering fire, effectively extinguishing it before turning and padding back towards Ashen. Hopefully the boy would go in the other direction.

Without having to ask, Iolaire would digbin her pouch and produce two types of stones. He peered at them closely, noting the differences in the stone and flint. He observed as she struck them together, a spark appeared and then she was gently blowing on it. A small flame would breathe to life on the dried plant and he grinned, glancing from her to the flame and back again. "Cool..." He muttered, in awe. 

Her warning was taken in with a nod, a defiant flash glinting in his eyes. He didn't understand that she spoke of slavery, he only thought that she meant they were smothering. It seemed their lesson was at an end as she gathered her things and stood. He followed suit, "thank you for the lessons." He called as she turned to go back to Ashen. Without hesitation he turned and followed his own tracks the way he had came. Away from Ashen.