Ever since Syanna returned to The Hallows and Solaire had begun to become more independent as a healer she found herself with more and more free time. For the longest time she was The Hallows primary and at times only healer, but she finally had some help and now she wasn't really sure what to do with herself. There was nothing wrong, necessarily, with still being in the infirmary while the others were working, but she didn't want Solaire to feel as though she was constantly watching him. Besides, if Syanna was also there she was just as capable at teaching her nephew as she was. Branching out of the infirmary and the castle in general was something she had never truly been comfortable with, but she wanted to be.

"Thank you for coming with me," she said to Mercury as she walked beside the Commander, looking up to him with a warm smile. Eilwen flew above them with a basket in her talons so that Gwyn wouldn't have to carry it, though Gwyn was sure it would be too heavy for the raven to cary once it was full of berries. She had used a berry gathering trip as an excuse to get herself out of the castle, but in a way it was also an excuse to get some time with Mercury. He was a busy man and ever duty bound to his responsibilities just like she was so she didn't mind incorporating smaller side tasks into their day in order to pull him away from patrols and training and the like. She had grown quite fond of Mercury ever since the day she had found him bleeding in the infirmary that had ended with a run in with a boar. It had been an interesting, mildly traumatizing, and enlightening day all around.

After they were in the cover of the Grove she went looking for berry filled bushes and Eilwen placed the basket down beside her before the white raven went back to perch somewhere among the branches. Given that they were still in the height of Auster's summer the berries were more than plentiful so they had a full array to pick from–literally and figuratively. "What do you like more? Blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries?" she asked curiously, glancing back over her shoulder at Mercury.

"Gwynevere & Mercury"

Mercury glanced over at the smaller wolf beside him with a smile. “I’m always happy to help you, Gwynevere” he told her. Busy man or not, he came when the healer called for him. He too enjoyed her company. Being needed was a positive as well. It was true that Mercury thrived off being useful. It was part of what made the Hallows work so well for him as a home.

It didn’t take long for the dark toned wolf to find berry bushes, and he considered her question for a moment. They were still in Hallows territory, so there was no reason for him to stand almost protectively at her side. Sword on the outer side of them, so he could unsheath it quickly without hurting her. There was no need for it, but some things were simply a habit. “Hmmm… I’d have to say raspberry. I like the hint of sour.”


"Gwynevere & Mercury"

Gwynevere gave Mercury a little smirk and chuckled when he mentioned his preference for raspberries because of the sourness that mixed with their sweetness. There was something almost poetic about a fighter as sweet as Mercury was liking something so sour and sweet. "That's a good choice," she agreed, shifting around the bushes a bit till she found one that was dotted with raspberries and she began to pluck them off and set them into the basket. If they were his favorite she'd make sure they had plenty of them to snack on when they got home. "I know they're one of Briar's top picks for the pastries she makes for the pack's feasts and events so if you haven't tried one of those yet you definitely should. They're very good," she said conversationally while she worked, her tail wagging gently all the while.

It wasn't often that she got herself away from her work to do something as simple as pick berries or just spend time with someone just for the fun of it. It was getting a little easier to get away now that Solaire was coming into his own as a healer and Syanna was back in The Hallows, but sometimes it still took the promise of getting to spend time with someone like Mercury to convince herself she could step away. When the raspberry bush was mostly harvested, she held the last one up to Mercury on the end of one of her claws, offering it to him with a smile. "The summer berries are always the best." There was something about that extra bit of heat and humidity that seemed to make them all the more juicy and delicious.

She moved across to a strawberry bush then and as she sat the basket down to start her collecting again she noticed how Mercury moved with her, the protective Commander naturally falling into guard duty despite the fact that they were still firmly within Hallows land. Maybe some wolves might feel like it was overbearing, but it made her smile. Growing up as the pacifist in a family full of sword wielding, daring warriors, she had learned long ago that protecting someone was their way of showing that they cared. Still, if this was her time to relax then it could be for him too. She stepped a little closer and pressed her shoulder to his as she continued to pull strawberries from their stems and place them in the basket, glancing up at him with a little grin to show that it wasn't a mistake of him accidentally being in the way.

"Gwynevere & Mercury"

“I haven’t, but I’ll have to give one a go!” he said warmly, the thought of freshly baked sweets was already making his mouth water. When she stepped up to the raspberry bush, he found space to harvest a few of the berries, and add them to her basket. Popping one in his mouth as he did so.

She stepped up, and brushed her shoulder against his, and he glanced over at her in surprise. The motion seemed a little forward for the healer, and her grin seemed… inviting. Cheekily, he grabbed another berry off the bush, and made a light toss. “Catch!” he said as he aimed for her mouth with the thrown fruit.


"Gwynevere & Mercury"

Mercury picked one of the berries from the bush she was collecting from and told her to catch, almost catching her off guard, but she managed to snatch the berry out of the air just in time before she missed it entirely. She ate the berry with a giggle, giving him a bright smile as her tail wagged happily behind her. As much as she admired his loyalty and duty as a warrior, she did really enjoy these little glimpses of who he was when he was "off the job," so to speak. She chuckled as she leaned more into his side without really thinking about it. It was a rare thing for her to be so at ease and not over analyzing what was going on around her or on guard and it felt nice to have a moment like that even if it was fleeting.

She realized suddenly as she finished eating the berry he tossed to her how she had leaned into him and how close her nose was to his. Her marbled mint and lavender gaze met the rich blue of his and she froze a bit, her cheeks flushing with warmth at the realization. Part of her–a very small and rarely listened to part of her–wanted to just seize the moment and close the small gap between them to kiss him, but her uncertainty and shyness won out before she could and she glanced away with a bashful smile. She cleared her throat as she shifted away and pretended to move on to another bush, trying to ignore how her heart was pounding and mentally scolding herself for not being more careful and for not having the courage to just make a move.

"Gwynevere & Mercury"