Hmm, so this was interesting, Memento Mori thought as she entered an unfamiliar territory that morning. Dawn had barely begun to rise over the horizon when she had discovered cattail creek - a place properly named if all these cattails were anything to go by. They swayed lazily in the cold breeze as they attempted to shake the dusting of snow off. The white stuff had covered the entire area in a thin blanket and gave it an almost serene look. The world was quiet, so very quiet… and for the moment, being alone in that silence, Meme was enjoying it. She was sure Rein would enjoy the snow as it got a bit deeper near the castle as well - he really was a pup at heart. Jacques on the other paw would be hiding away for certain. The cold made his scars ache and she could see firsthand why that was such a big deal thanks to the scar going down either side of her back toward her hips. Padding closer to one of the sycamore trees, Memento Mori sat at its base and turned her head toward the slowly flowing water of the creek. Undoubtedly such a place would offer some wonderful fishing opportunities, Meme thought to herself. A bit of a shame it was so cold. Even with her fur fluffed up against her body the pale-eyed woman was not eager to risk getting wet for any reason. Still, it was nice just to be able to watch the water flow along. Her ears perked forward and she took in a slow breath in and then out. As much as she was enjoying her time at the Hallows it was still important to her to get some time alone. "Talk, 'Think.'

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn was scoping out fishing spots in Auster. Typically she lived meal by meal. She hunted when she was hungry and didn't give too much thought to the future but since she was planning to head up to Boreas to avoid the worst of Auster's winter she needed food for the journey. Some fish jerky would be excellent. It was a bit too cold to be wading into the water so Jynn decided to make a fishing basket and trap the fish. It meant a longer wait but she was content to cuddle up somewhere and relax. First things first, she needed materials. She started gathering rivercane pones and grape vines and when both she and Tahmores had enough they trotted along the river looking for a good place to work. Near a slower part of the creek she spied a familiar face. Jynn set the mess of brush down and barked out a friendly greeting. "Hey Memento! How are you? What brings you out this way?"

Memento Mori had managed to settle down nicely, relaxing for a good while before the sound of someone, or something, approaching caught her attention. Meme lifted her head, gaze pulling in the direction of Jynn, her companion, and the mess of materials she was carrying. Curiosity reflected in her eyes but Jynn beat her to the punch with a greeting and a couple of questions of her own. There was nothing wrong with that though, Meme thought to herself. “Greetings, Jynn, it’s been a little while.” And it had. Last time she had seen Jynn was before she had gone to the Hallows. “I’ve been well, and I hope you have been as well.” Memento Mori remained where she was. She was comfortable, though she motioned for Jynn to join her and talk if she wanted to. “I just needed some time to myself for a little while, and you know how a wandering heart can be.” The femme chuckled softly. “I finally went to the Hallows to meet up with my cousin and join the pack as a guest. How about you though? What have you been up to since we last spoke?” "Talk, 'Think.'

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn settled down with her supplies, sticking the river cane poles in the ground and angling them to form a teepee like frame. "Yep, I've been doing well. Just getting moved up into Boreas." It seemed that Mem had found a place for herself with some family and Jynn was glad to hear it. She chatted as she worked, using her paws and Tahmores teeth to start weaving the grapevine to form a large basket. "Mostly I've just been wandering here and there. I'm not quite used to the winters in Auster yet so I figured I'd spend more time up in Boreas for now while I work on some winter gear. This… is not that, its a fishing basket. But still," Jynn chuckled, "I'd prefer to use this than stick my paws in the cold water."

Some time back she'd used hides cobbled together on her paws, head and back to help keep her warm when she went to see the ice bridge. If she could refine such work she could make a better go at the colder environments of the world.

Memento Mori blinked curiously as Jynn settled in with her supplies and began to work with them while she spoke. “Boreas, huh? It’s summer weather there, yeah?” She grinned a little. If she wasn’t visiting with the Hallows she might have headed up to Boreas herself to avoid the colder weather. The cold always made the big scar on her back hurt a bit more. It wasn’t anything that would keep her from going about her daily tasks yet but she suspected as she grew older and gray it might have more of an impact on her. But ah well, the mistakes and lessons of the young became the wisdom of the old. “It’s a bit reassuring to know you’re still wandering. Always good to see a familiar face about.” Meme canted her head to the side curiously as she watched Jynn work. “Understandable. Getting wet in this weather could potentially invite sickness and as a loner that’s definitely not ideal.” She grinned a little after that. “This is rather fascinating, actually! I’ve never seen anyone build a basket before. Will you show me how? I’m getting a general gist watching you, but to actually know the process could be beneficial.” Memento Mori had shifted to her paws now. “If you have enough materials that is. I don’t want to potentially mess up your method of getting food in this weather!” "Talk, 'Think.'

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn nodded at the mention of summer. "Yep, it's quite a bit warmer. I'm hoping to find a place to settle that's not super hot but we'll see." Jynn finished wrapping the vines around the structure of the larger basket and was about to set to work on the smaller one when Mem expressed interest in knowing how the baskets were made. "Sure! Its pretty simple in concept, just a bit time consuming. I have these rivercane poles that I use as the basket ribbing and grapevines as the body. First I decide about how wide I want the opening and how tall I want the basket and chew the rivercane to the proper size."

To demonstrate Jynn used her teeth and broke off smaller sticks and stuck them down in the ground in a circle to make a much smaller basket that would fit inside the large one. "I then tie the ends together with cord as well as one end of the vine." Taking leather cording in her teeth she used her paws to corral the loose ends and tie them as well as one end of the grapevine.

"Then you just weave it in and out until you get to the bottom. You can then pull it up and finish it off. I'll be sharpening the ends that are in the ground for mine since its for hunting. Make sense? I'll show you some weaving." Jynn took the loose end and started to use her teeth and one paw to weave it in and out of the river cane ribbing.

Memento Mori couldn’t blame Jynn for wanting to find somewhere to settle that wouldn’t be super hot. The weather could be a killer if you weren’t careful. She kept her pale gaze on Jynn’s work, however, watching how she wrapped the vines around the structure of the larger basket. It was curious work, something that she felt could be used to work on similar baskets to store items in. Thankfully Jynn didn’t mind telling her how it worked, warning that the task could be time-consuming. Meme didn’t mind that, however. Listening quietly, she let her gaze slide over the rivercane as Jynn mentioned it. So chewing it down to size would be needed once she figured out the proper size. The Hallows might even have tools to make it a little easier too, she thought. She watched as Jynn demonstrated what she meant as she broke off smaller sticks for a smaller basket that could fit inside the larger one. Further instruction was then given about tying the ends together with the cord and one end of the grapevine. Memento Mori watched, fascinated, watching as Jynn then showed her the process of weaving the grapevine in and out over the river cane ribbing. “This is very fascinating,” Meme noted, taking in a breath. “Where did you learn to craft like this? A lot of my own has been touch and go, experimenting, but the way you work shows a more knowledgeable approach.” She peered at Jynn as she continued to weave the grapevine. “And since this is for hunting… does that mean you’re going to leave the basket in the water in order to try and catch the fish?” She tilted her head to the side. “...and have you done this before? You know it will work?” "Talk, 'Think.'

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn continued weaving until the smaller fishing basket was finally done, she went about sharpening the edges as well. Stopping to comment she looked at Memento. "You can make baskets to carry things in a similar way." She set the smaller basket carefully inside the larger one, tying the two together so that fish would be funneled from the smaller and into the larger, where the spikes of the smaller would prevent them from swimming back out, or at least make it more difficult.

Jynn smiled. "I learned this from my mother. I started weaving when I was very small, its taken a lot of practice to get efficient at it." She nodded at the hunting inquiries. "Yes, I'll set it where I think a number will gather closer to shore. You can also bait the traps with worms and such but most fish will be curious enough to swim inside, especially as it seems like shelter but once the go in it's harder to get out past the spikes of the smaller basket. I'll show you, maybe we can catch something." She picked up the basket and waded into the creek, setting the basket in a spot where the current wasn't as swift and the river dipped inland more. She climbed out and shook out her coat. "Now we wait. Or… I mean in some cases you can try to shepherd the fish toward the basket but that can be a bit hit or miss."

Make trap 3/3
Catch something with trap 1/3

So baskets for carrying things could be made in a similar fashion. That was useful information, especially for when Memento wanted to gather things for well, more crafting! This could be a method to gather more materials. Jynn said she had learned about weaving from a young age from her mother. It must have been nice, to have a mother who taught you things. Not that Meme was opposed to learning in the present day of course. She watched as Jynn set the baskets in the water and settled down to wait with the maned wolf. “This is pretty neat. Though corralling the fish towards the basket does get rid of the whole purpose of the trap. You’re trying to avoid the icy water, after all. And if there is a chance they’ll be startled around it rather than into it then it’s not really worth it, you know?” Meme tilted her head to the side. “I am curious how effective it might be in winter, however. It seems as though fish are lazier this time of year. Hopefully, you’ll get enough to make a proper meal!” "Talk, 'Think.'

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn chuckled and nodded. "Yea, exactly. I mean it wouldn't be so bad in the summer but these winter days, brrr!" Sometimes she wondered why she didn't move north already to the warmer weather. It was probably her stubborn streak. Sure, she wasn't technically built for this weather but she wasn't going to let that stop her from exploring and perhaps some of it was a matter of pride. She could survive in the cold just as well as anyone else! Sure, she had to figure out a few tricks in how to go about it but she was confident in her ability to adapt.

"Yea, I'll be curious to see as well. On one paw the fish are more sluggish, but on the other food is scarce for them as well, they might be more likely to take a risk going into a strange cavern in search of food."

Jynn licked at her wet legs, tucking them underneath herself to warm up a bit. She looked to Meme. "Do you do much crafting? I'm curious, have you ever made anything to keep your paws warm in winter weather?" She had cobbled something together years back but it was not sturdy work and hadn't lasted through her journey.

Make trap 3/3
Catch something with trap 2/3

Memento Mori had to admire the work Jynn was doing. She was right, the cold weather would make the fish more sluggish but, if they were searching for food when it was scarce this time of year, they might be willing to search in a new place. It made her grateful that wolves had higher intelligence than prey animals. They were lucky, really. Wolves seemed better to adapt to new situations than the prey that they chased. But the question of how well the traps would work shifted to something directed at her, regarding crafting. Memento grinned at this, giving a nod. “Actually, I have. It’s been experimental thus far, with the first being a bit of a flop. I’ve been working with different hides, though I’d imagine you’d need some sort of critter with a water-resistant one. I’ve been working with hide and threading through some twine made of cotton. The basic premise is to get a smaller bit of hide and thread the twine around the outside using bigger stitching. Fine work is… well, difficult.” At least with paws and a maw it was. “I leave some of the twine loose on the outside, step inside, and pull it tighter around my paw. Covers it up pretty well. Just be careful not to get it so tight you can’t get it off. Then you’ll be tearing up the whole project and starting again. I’m not sure how long they’ll last, since my last ones were made of rabbit fur and started to soak through after a while… I’m thinking if I got hide of a water-resistant creature it’d work better. You could probably put wool or something on the inside too, insulation to keep your paws warm.” Memento gave a sheepish grin. “A lot of my crafts are touch and go. I never really know what’s going to work until it’s done.” "Talk, 'Think.'

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn wrapped her tail around her paws as she waited. There wasn't much of a giveaway when there were fish in the trap. It was a case of just waiting and then checking though some times the larger fish would splash and ram against the sides of the basket, creating movement. Still, with the natural movement of the water, it made it hard to tell.

Jynn's ears perked up as Memento mentioned that she had experimented with making foot coverings. She spoke of the difficulties of stitching and Jynn nodded, glancing at her own paws. She wasn't very dexterous and neither of her companions were either. Between herself and Tahmores she could usually get something put together but it was rough work and prone to falling apart. "Yea, I get that. It's really hard to know what will work until you try."

A splash caught her attention and she looked out to where she'd set her basket. "Oh, I think I've got something. One moment. I should've tied a string around this so I could pull it up from the shore." Ah well, such was the life of a crafter. It was a constant course of learning to make improvements. She slipped into the water and pulled out the basket, careful to tip it so the fish would stay in. Once back on shore she tipped it and out fell a bluegill about twice the size of her paw. "Better than nothing!"

Make trap 3/3
Catch something with trap 3/3

Jynn was sympathetic to her struggles. It was hard being dexterous with the paws their kind had, and it didn’t appear as if the companions Jynn had made it any easier. Rein at least tried to help her from time to time, but Jacques had none of the crafting, snorting with disdain at the very idea of trying to shape something with his paws. Memento was far more stubborn, wanting to make things work somehow, some way. She enjoyed the challenge of crafting, even if things didn’t always work out the way she wanted them to. “Exactly. I find that the learning and experimenting process with crafting is one of the joys of it, you know? Not knowing what may work, and getting ideas on how to make something better.” Meme grinned a little. Crafting would always be her true calling. Sure she might have some fighting skill, but it wasn’t really what she wanted to do with her life. A splash caught Jynn’s attention and Memento Mori perked her ears, her pale gaze trailing to the basket as it was pulled out. A fish had indeed been caught in the trap. Not a very big one, but a meal was a meal. “A catch is a catch, and one well deserved. You can always put the trap back in while you munch that little guy, and hopefully you’ll be able to catch more before long.” Meme told her. Her ears perked, the sound of birds in the nearby trees shuffling and causing snow to fall being noticed as well. “Not to mention it seems like there might be a decent amount of small game here as well.” Memento Mori chuckled. “You know, you should visit the Hollows sometime. Maybe bring some of your crafts to trade. I’m sure our Aegis would be receptive of your talents. Could be an easier way to get some things.” Meme suggested. Sometimes trading for goods was easier than making them yourself. "Talk, 'Think.'

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn happily snapped up the bluegill, her jaws working as she tore off chunks of meat, not fretting over the small bones as her powerful teeth ground them up into swallowable pieces. Her mother would have scolded her, warning her to be careful, but Jynn had learned the hard way as a loner not to let meals lay around too long or they'd attract scavengers and other predators. Last thing she needed to do was attract a curious bear or something.

It didn't take her long, soon the fish was gone. She considered Mem's words and nodded with a smile on her face. "Yea, that sounds like a good idea. I spend most of my time exploring as a loner and little time interacting with packs. Of course I've had some negative experiences so I don't go out of my way most of the time." She chuckled. "Don't want to get captured. Where is the Hallows exactly?"