Shilah gazed down into the basin filled with grasses dressed in autumn's finest, swaying in the breeze and the sunlight. Perfect! If there was ever a good place to go gathering for autumn herbs this basin was definitely it. So far the gathering had been slow going but bit by bit he was getting a spare storage den packed up. So for Shilah had not made concrete plans for the winter. He was not quite sure where he would settle and there was a chance he'd make like the birds and just try to migrate to a warmer location to wait out the snow. Although he hated to do that… in all honestly Shilah was rather fond of the snow and the quiet winter nights despite the harm the season did to his profession as a healer. Striding into the basin Shilah began his search. He wondered if there was still an yarrow about that he might utilize. There were a few other autumnal grasses that held potential but it was all a matter of what he could find. Speech

Tornach moved at a loose-limbed trot through the dying splendor of autumn. His nose was to the ground, his eyes constantly seeking through the browning grasses rather than peering around him. He was looking for any of the herbs he'd memorized from Zuriel's stores - he didn't yet know what most were for, but he had a good memory and a sharp mind so he was certain he would find something usable if there was anything to find. With his mother and Regulus sick so often, he was certain that his sister and father could use the extra herbs to help them. If only he knew which herbs they actually needed. He wanted to know what Zuriel knew, wanted to use those herbs to heal, but he was always reticent about asking for help. He wanted to learn on his own, but unfortunately healing was not as easy to stumble along through without help. He didn't know the names of the herbs, and many of them he'd never seen fresh, but he was determined, and had no idea he was set onto a slow-speed crash course for a smaller, older healer...

Stalking through the shimmering grasses he was doing his best to focus on the task at hand. He'd been working at getting back into the swing of being a healer after having been taken out of commission during the plague. Shilah felt that his metaphorical wounds had healed but there were still scars. Still snips of nightmares and hallucinations. The moments when everything he was was stripped away in illness and he'd dissolved into some sort of monstrosity. Til he was rescued by Bard of course. Shilah wondered where the other man was now. He hoped he was well. Shilah was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the young wolf that had proceeded to bump right into his hind end. With a startled yell Shilah bolted forward and spun around, ears flicking back as he stared at a large young man. "Ah! Oh umm… hello there." His ears flicked slowly back to neutral position as he gazed warily at the other wolf. "Are you looking for something?" Speech

Distracted as he as, Tornach had only a flicker of awareness - maybe it was a movement, maybe it was scent - and an instant to recognize the inevitable collision before he was upon the smaller male. He had time to, startled, throw his head up so he took the brunt of it on his chest instead. The other male yelped and leaped forward before whirling to face him.

Surprised, Tornach stared for a long moment, eyes widened, before a deep embarrassment washed over him. "I am very sorry, sir," he said sincerely, sketching a quick bow to the older wolf. "I was not looking where I was going..." Clearly. "I was seeking any late-season herbs I might find. I am terribly sorry for troubling you."

The boy stared at him with wide eyes, clearly as surprised as Shilah was by their collision. The older male hadn't been expecting to run into anyone but he didn't mind a bit of polite company. The boy seemed nice enough and quickly apologized. "It's alright, I should have been paying more attention myself." The boy mentioned that he was looking for late-season herbs. "Oh? Are you a healer then? As it happens I was looking for some late-season herbs myself. Perhaps we can combine our efforts and share in the spoils. My name is Shilah of the Nomads, who might you be?" Speech

The other male was quick to accept his apology, and Tor relaxed a touch though he remained deeply embarrassed by his faux pas. His ears stood straight in interest, though, as the male mentioned he too, was looking for herbs, then drooped as he asked if Tornach was a healer. "I'm afraid I'm not," he answered regretfully. "I would like to be, but I haven't been able to get any training in it. I have memorized the herbs that my sister uses, but I don't know the names or what most of them are for..." He winced internally at how terribly naive that sounded - looking for herbs he didn't know the names of, or the uses of. A flash of resentment filled him over that, that surprised him and was quickly shoved down into the furthest corner of his soul. He did not know how to deal with the negative feelings that leaked through his control, did not know where they came from. He was an adult, after all, and it was up to him to seek out his own training. It was hardly his mother's fault that she'd been too sick his whole childhood for anyone to have paid much attention to his training. Hardly Zuriel's fault when he'd never asked her what the herbs were she was using to help her or Regulus. He swallowed down the resentment, and shrugged, acknowledging that it was a stupid idea. The male gave his name as Shilah of the Nomads, and Tor's attention was piqued again. Hadn't his mother mentioned the nomads? His grandmother had been one... no, had been related to them? They were supposed to be uncommonly good healers, though the only one he'd met, and only met briefly, had not done much that he could see to judge by. "I am Tórnach Branán Adravendi," he gave his name in solemn formality in return. "Would you..." he hesitated. "Would you be willing to help me learn? You could keep any herbs we find in return?" Walk, "Talk" Think

Shilah watched the youths expression droop as he stated that he was not a healer but that he desired to be. The nomads ears perked in interest. He was always happy to share his knowledge and aid in the growth of aspiring healers, especially those as polite and genuine as this boy seemed to be. He introduced himself as Tórnach and asked if the nomad would be willing to help him. Shilah smiled. "I'd be happy to teach you what I know Tórnach and I have no problem sharing the spoils. It is nice to have company while hunting for herbs. At the moment I'm hunting Fireweed. It is a late season herb, a weed that is fairly common, it does best in newly-burnt fallows but also grows well in clearings and open woods. It's a slightly hairy plant that can grow anywhere from a foot to seven feet high. You'll know it by it's brilliant magenta and violet flowers though it's a bit late in the season for it to be flowering at full bloom. I'd keep an eye out for it's fruit. They're oblong, slender forms crowned in fine silk of white or violet." He hoped that was a decent description. "Shall we search?" He started heading deeper into the clearing, pausing to see that the boy was following. Speech

The healer indicated he was more than willing to teach him, and a wave of happy relief swept over Tornach. He'd never received anything approaching formal training in healing. Fighting, yes, even hunting, but not healing. It had always been Zuriel and his father's domain, and he'd been hesitant to bring up his interest in it. What little he knew was largely self-taught. Having someone interested in teaching him was... it was just incredibly freeing. He made the effort to visualize the plant as Shilah described it, and he wondered if it matched any of the herbs in Zuriel's stores. It was hard to say really, from a brief description of what the plant would look like fresh. He set out after Shilah with a solemn sort of enthusiasm, though, keeping his bright eyes sweeping around them. He wasn't sure he'd recognize the plant if he saw it, though - he wasn't quite certain what Shilah meant by "hairy", though he could keep an eye out for the pods. To pass the time while they searched, he would do what he often had so much difficulty in bringing himself to do - actually ask questions. "What is fireweed usually used for?" he queried.

Shilah kept his eyes peeled as he searched for the fireweed, striding confidently through the basin until finally he caught sight of a small patch of it. "Tórnach! Here is some." The leaves of the plant were stained red and tufts of white seed fluff were sprouting here and there from the plants which stood a good 4-5 feet high. Shilah reached down and began to gnaw at the base of the stalk until he managed to pull one of the plants free, turning to answer the boys question. "Fireweed has many uses. You can use it as an astringent and it also can also be used to ease sore throats and help with conditions such as diarrhea and dysentery. Taken internally it can also help with gout and rheumatism." Shilah reached down to gnaw off another stalk. "It's a great anti-inflammatory to combat swelling in wounds or the gut and the mucilage acts to sooth irritated tissue. It also has antispasmodic properties that make it useful for combating asthma and coughs." He plucked one last stalk. "There… I think this should do it for me. I'm investigating the properties of the roots as well. Those are easiest to dig up after you remove the stalk." Shilah moved to one clump of roots and began to dig, working them free of the earth. Speech