Caedes moved through the forest with a mechanical precision, his mind distant and detached from the task at hand. The formidable obsidian colored wolf now seemed a shadow of his former self, his emerald eyes dull and unfocused. Each step was methodical, his powerful frame navigating the underbrush without conscious thought, driven solely by muscle memory. He was content to be away from thought, from wallowing. He did not wish to return to his den. Not yet.

He paused by a patch of moonlit ground, where a cluster of medicinal herbs grew. Without a sound, he lowered his massive head, his nose barely twitching as he identified the familiar scents. With a deliberate, almost robotic motion, he began to gather the herbs, his claws deftly plucking the plants from the earth. His satchel at his side, he sat hunched over as he worked.

The pain and grief that had disturbed him so now felt distant, as if walled off behind a barrier. The vibrant emotions that had surged through him were now muted, leaving only a hollow echo in their wake. He was present, completing tasks, but so utterly unfeeling.

"speaking"

Aster had been resting on a mossy branch when she spotted the wolf moving through the shadowy, foggy forest. Hard not to notice a massive, scarred wolf with a satchel! She tilted her head as she watched him. Aster had learned, through her travels and various talks with multiple species, how to spot a creature more likely to talk than attack.

So what if the biggy wolf was, well, big? And had a skull mask accessory? Fuck it, she was a blue jay. To such a wolf? A little bird took too much trouble to kill and defeather.

So, she fluttered her wings noisily. Let him know she was there, really, and then she glided down to a lower branch. If he wanted to attack, she’d have a good shot of flying away, but now he could hear her without her having to screech.

Her feet clutched the grippy lichen, and she tilted her head as she looked at the wolf gathering plants. “Wow, those must be real valuable if you’re doing all that with tooth and claw. I didn’t know wolves had a use for plants?! How weird!”

The blue jay trilled to herself. Then added, “I’d offer to help, but, eh, you understand, what with you having all those goddamn teeth!”

Caedes' ears twitched at the sound of fluttering wings, but he did not look up immediately. He continued his task, mechanically plucking herbs with deliberate precision. When the blue jay's voice cut through the silence, he paused, his eyes remaining on the ground as he listened to her chatter. Slowly, Caedes lifted his head, his dull emerald eyes meeting the bright, curious gaze of the bird. He regarded her for a moment, his expression unreadable behind the skull mask that adorned his face. Her words were light and playful, the exact opposite to the heaviness that weighed upon him. His own relationship with his raven companion was strong, so he was more so inclined to respond to the feathered intrusion.

“We all have our uses for the resources of the earth,” He replied, his voice low and gravelly, a hint of the pain he felt echoing in his tone. “These herbs... they heal. They numb pain. Even a creature like me finds solace in their touch.” He shifted his massive frame slightly, adjusting his satchel with a practiced motion. “Your offer is appreciated, little one, but these tasks require a delicate touch and a knowledge of what each plant can do. Besides,” He added, a faint, almost imperceptible flicker of amusement in his dull eyes, “I would hate to see you lose any feathers.” He moved to a new patch of herbs, setting his satchel back down and continuing to examine which he would be taking and which were better left undisturbed.

"speaking"