To say that I ached would be a massive understatement. How long had I been in the water, at the mercy of the currents? How had I not died? At least I was dry now. I could go the rest of my life without ever touching water again.
I found myself laying on the bank of a lake, clear of the water, but letting my body sink into the soft earth of the shore. I could feel the remaining salt and sand nestling into my skin; I would need a bath. Gross. More water.
Tail curled expertly to cover my nub of a leg, to obscure the view from any creatures that might be lurking, but the truth was, godzilla could sneak up on me right now. I was so lost in my own head that I was dead to the world.
How had I ended up here? How had I survived? I didnt deserve it. I didnt deserve anything. A cowardly wolf who ran from her problems, from her children. I sucked in a long breath, intercostal muscles of my ribcage protesting the expansion. Well, I had made my bed, and now it was time to lie in it. I was never one to plant roots in any place... it only made sense that my time with my family and my love had come to a horrible, firey end. It was an endless cycle that I as doomed to repeat for the rest of eternity.
Skull lowered slowly, chin resting on my forepaws; my ears flicked idly, but I still was not truly listening for anything. Gaze was fixated on the sunlight reflecting off the surface of the water; shimmering, glittering. Slowly my eyes unfocused, and lids fluttered shut; not anywhere near sleep, but finally relaxing enough that my entire body didnt shake from exhaustion.

*Herb collection - Ginseng root

With his nose to the ground, Oleander kept his teal eyes peeled for the little red berries that he was so desperately searching for. He had heard from a stranger that a very rare herb grew here, and he was curious to see if he could gather any of it before winter rolled in. Because of the dry seasons, he had been seriously lacking in any sort of herbs for his collection, even when it came to seeds for his garden. With a sigh he lifted his head, looking to his left to see where Cedar had ended up. The black-backed jackal was sniffing near the lake, and he was about to head off in another direction when the form of a resting wolf cut across his path of sight. Taking a pause, his head tilted to the side as he watched her for a moment. She was laying awfully still, the stench of ocean water still clinging to her fur. Blinking in alarm, he wondered if she was okay. It was pretty cold to go about taking a dip in the water, and he wondered if she was going to catch a chill. The wind carried the promise of a colder season within it, ruffling her fur. His concern rose, but what was he supposed to do? If he just walked over and laid beside her she might try to bite his face off. Ollie swallowed back a whine, turning to his brother to see what he thought about it. The smaller canine just shrugged his shoulders, going about his own business. Honestly, sometimes he was a lot more trouble than helpful. His tail flicked behind him as he fought with himself, until finally he just padded over anyways. He wasn't just going to leave her like that. As he grew closer to the stranger, he cleared his throat to try and capture her attention. "Ignosce mihi, excuse me miss," he said softly, leaning down to try and press his nose against her foreleg. "Do you need some auxilium, some help?" His habit of mixing Latin words into his speech didn't stop here, and he stood very awkwardly in front of her. If she wanted to warm up, he was sure that him and Cedar laying on either side of her would aid in that goal. Speaking of that jackal... Oleander looked up to see him heading this way, rolling his golden eyes at the wolf's pleading look. He was hopeless with the social construct of conversations, and honestly he would be lost without him. Turning back to the female, he awaited her answer. "SPEAK" -- "CEDAR SPEAKS" -- "SPEAK LATIN"

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Perhaps I had indeed drifted off into sleep, for none of my senses alerted me to the approaching male. A cold nose pressed into my leg, a deep but gentle voice sounding off near my ear. Perhaps a millisecond too late, the alarms sounded off in my head. Wolf! Wolf two inches from your face! Danger! And before I even really knew what was happening, my body jolted in one swift, awkward motion into a sitting position, hind legs attempting to push my body all the way up, but in my half-asleep state, I didnt take into account that I only had one.
Right leg heaved hips off the ground, but with no left leg to counter the momentum, my hips just flung wildly to the left, hitting the ground again with a thud and eliciting a stifled yelp.
I froze then, in my splayed out sitting position, forelegs wide apart, chest awkwardly low; my right hind was flung out to the side, my full weight resting on my nub of a hip.

How. Freakin'. Embarrassing.

My ears pinned to my skull, heat flooding my face. How d I recover from this? Oh right, I dont. Good going, Simber.
Tail thumped quietly against the grass; Sorry about that... I, uh, I wasnt paying attention... I winced at my own stupiditiy. Way to make a first impression.
Emerald gaze stared at the strangers paws, only briefly flicking to his little companion. A...jackal? Interesting.
Wait....had that wolf spoken latin to me?
Eyes flicked up to the male, his pelt a menagerie of tawny grays and his eyes a soft blue. I was desperate not to let my horrific introduction force an awkward silence to fall over us, so I spoke the first thing that came to my head: You have nice eyes.
I visibly winced again, groaning internally. Oh my god, kill me now. Why was I like this?

It would seem that despite his intentions, he had still startled the woman. When she sat up far too quickly, he dodged backwards to avoid colliding with her. However, she didn't stay up for very long. In a quick flash she was back on the earth, leaving Oleander's head reeling as he tried to catch up. It had all been so fast that he hadn't noticed that the wolf before him only had three legs, his tail tucking between his legs ever so slightly. Too stunned to say anything, he stood there in utter silence, teal eyes wide as he gazed at her. Cedar let out a snort, a small smirk on his mouth. The wolf looked over to his companion, eyes narrowing slightly. He may not be an expert in conversations he knew that it was rude to laugh at someone who had fallen. The woman spoke, his head quickly returning to her. He offered her a hint of a grin, dipping his head slightly. "Quod bene, it's fine," Oleander said quietly, his body rising up so that he stood at his full height again. At least she was okay, or so he hoped. A thick silence spread between them, as Ollie was just as bad at keeping up discussions than he was with starting them. He was thankful when she spoke again, complimenting his eyes. A bit taken aback by her statement, he felt a soft flush work its way up to his cheeks. "Umm... gratias ago..." he stuttered out, forcing himself to take a seat before the stranger. Once more the male fell silent, making Cedar let out a sigh. He really was useless sometimes. "Are you okay, miss?" the jackal said, eying his brother to see him smile thankfully at the smaller canine. He was quite used to it by now, having to save him from social suicide. He wanted to nudge Oleander to say something nice back, but he knew that without some verbal guidance it would be lost on him. "SPEAK" -- "CEDAR SPEAKS" -- "SPEAK LATIN"

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The male tucked his tail during my outburst, instantly taking on a submissive posture. Had I startled him that much? Quod bene He spoke again; so it was Latin. How odd. It was a language my mother was fluent in as a high priestess, a language I had picked up here and there, but it had never truly stuck with me. I looked down the man's Jackal companion and I nodded. Im fine, I think I just bruised my pride a little bit. I laughed softly, assuring them that I was, in fact, okay. The only thing I suffered from was being an absolute idiot. With a small groan, I hoisted my hind end up, lone leg quivering slightly, but it was a much more dignified posture than before. I lowered my head and shook out my pelt lazily, riding it of some debris. Latin is not a language you hear too often anymore. I spoke, straightening myself to my full height, which was...laughable. A mere twenty-seven inches; I stood in the (metaphorical) shadow of the splotched, tawny man. Brow furrowed as I tried to recall some of my latin... Okay, come on Simber, you have to know something. Think of all those hours mom spent drilling you. Quid agis? I offered, not sure if I had pronounced it correctly, or even if it meant what I thought it did.That means 'how are you' right?I asked, a soft smile forming on my maw. He was clearly quiet, withdrawn even. But I was one known for running my mouth and forcing anyone with ears to listen to me, and at least engage slightly, so I figured he would decide rather fast if I was a nuisance or not, and I would not stop him from going about his day if he so chose. "SPEAK"

Cedar nodded his head when she said that she hurt her pride, a smirk on his inky lips. She wasn't very graceful, and when she stood the jackal understood why. He cast his eyes away from her missing limb, only to see that Oleander had spotted the same thing. He was staring quite openly at the stump of a leg, and he cleared his throat and softly bumped against his brother. Oleander shook her head and glanced at the black-backed canine, a question in his gaze. Cedar only shook his head, telling him silently that staring wasn't okay. He could see the rush of embarrassment that took over his features, and he suppressed a laugh. He was such an odd creature, that was for sure... Ollie turned back to the woman with a look of muted horror, his ears flicked back as he tried to think about something to say. "Quid dicam esse?" he asked under his breath, but the jackal just ignored him. It would seem that he was on his own for this one, ashamed of the fact that he had been staring at her missing limb. He was quiet for far too long, feeling quite awkward as he racked his brain to find anything to say. Something was better than nothing, right? "Quid accidit? What happened?" he asked softly, almost muttering as the words left his mouth. Was that okay? Was he allowed to ask? Glancing at Cedar, the jackal just shrugged his shoulder. What a delight he was being today. Oleander found himself clearing his throat again, shuffling his weight across his paws in an uncomfortable way. "Sorry I'm not very good at... haec, this," That was his way of explaining his manner, picking up a paw to draw a crude circle in front of himself in the air, motioning to the conversation in a metaphoric way. Honestly he sucked at talking, usually Cedar helped him. Today it seemed like he was quite literally throwing him to the wolves, and the man swallowed hard. He had already made a fool of himself, there was no going back now. Soon she grabbed his attention in a much better way though, saying that Latin was hardly spoke anymore. His whole demeanor lit up entirely, the excitement palpable on his face. His gray tail thumped on the earth as she offered him a statement in Latin, and while her pronunciation was slightly off she had the right idea. "Hoc iam dudum expertus sum, qui dicit alio potes! Bonum est in occursum adventus tui;" he fired off without thinking, letting his eagerness get ahead of him. It was only when she double checked the meaning of quid agis that he realized that she was probably rusty. His face fell slightly, but it didn't lose all sense of joy. "Close, it means 'how do you do'," he answered quickly. "SPEAK" -- "CEDAR SPEAKS" -- "SPEAK LATIN"

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My ears flicked about at the mumbled latin, but it was clear that it was for his companion and not for me, but the jackal made no move to answer him. Again, the taller male spoke in latin, and I furrowed my brow, but he was quick to correct himself with the English. I laughed softly and the males gesture; it was sweet, cute even. He was uncomfortable, but he was trying, and I appreciated that. But I didn't get a chance to speak on it before he launched into his latin spiel. My eyes went wide as I struggled to comprehend it all. I knew a few of the words, sure, but not the whole sentence put together. He stopped though, fixing my translation. I would have to remember that. Shoulders rose and fell in a nonchalant shrug, a soft smile reappearing on my maw. "I lost a fight with a bear trap when I was younger. Nothing too exciting." Talking about my accident did nothing to me; I could speak of it freely, discuss it with others, and use my knowledge to help others who might be dealing with anything similar... it was what really sparked my interest in healing. When my mother was trying to teach me, I was too young, too full of energy to appreciate her words. But now, it was all that I strived to be. "My name is Simber, by the way. And, if it means anything at all, I think you're doing just fine at this... at haec" I did my best to copy his pronunciation of the pronoun. I took one awkward step forward, closing the distance just a little bit between me and the male. "Im obviously nowhere near your level... perhaps you could help me brush up on my Latin sometime?" I asked, canting my head to the left. This was good. My outburst and fall hadnt totally foiled my chance at making a new friend. "SPEAK"

When she said that she got it caught in the bear trap, he visibly flinched as he felt his own leg ache in sympathetic pain. "Paenitet, I'm sorry," he whispered, his habit of mixing Latin in with English forever taking over his speech. It was a habit that he picked up from his parents, and not one he saw himself losing any time soon. She didn't seem to be offended by his questions, to which he let out a soft breath. But still, even though he wasn't quite sure what a bear trap was, he was sure that it was very strong. To take down a bear was no easy task, and to snap off a wolf's leg... Oleander shuddered again, shaking his head back and forth as he tried to push away the painful thoughts. It made him ache, he couldn't imagine the pain that the woman had to have gone through. He was curious about how she survived, but the wolf knew that that would be quite rude to ask. So he pushed passed it, smiling softly when he offered her name. Oh wait, names! Crap! Lowering his head he let out a sigh, shaking his cranium back and forth. How silly was he that he just completely forgot to introduce himself? What an idiot he was. "Paenitet, sorry. I'm uh..." he already said that he was bad at conversations, so he just shrugged his shoulders. "I am Oleander, and this is Cedar," he explained, motioning to the jackal beside him. Simber took a step closer to him, and Ollie watched her with careful teal eyes. She asked if he wanted to help her brush up on her Latin, and he all too eagerly nodded his head. He really did miss speaking it, and it was nice to meet someone who even spoke just a touch of it. "Who taught you, your genus, family?" The man guessed, his tail tapping on the earth behind him. "How long as it been?" Since she spoke it, that was, but being the clueless wolf he was he left that part out. Hopefully she would understand what he meant. "SPEAK" -- "CEDAR SPEAKS" -- "SPEAK LATIN"

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A rush of a crisp breeze raked its icy talons through my coat, prompting a shiver to skirt down my spine. It wasnt even truly winter and I was already becoming fed up with the cold. I shrugged off his apology, "Please, don't apologize. It builds character." I paused, making light of the situation with a half smile; it was always odd meeting new people. Some were immediately disgusted by me, some took pity on me, some spared me little more than a passing thought, figuring I would be dead within the year. But all saw me as the same thing: incomplete. Dont get me wrong, this isnt a pity party. It was a fact of life. I am not one for hiding my flaws, as I really and truly have no choice, but I believed that made me stronger. There was nothing that anyone could use against me; what you see is what you get. I was just... me. The gray wolf seemed to stutter over his words before he introduced himself and his compatriot; "Its a pleasure to meet you both!" I chirped, wondering how the two became acquainted. It seemed odd to see a jackal roaming with a wolf, but then again, I was not from these parts, so I really had no idea if it was odd. When Oleander nodded, agreeing to help me brush up on my latin, I couldnt stop my tail from wagging. Well, at least my blunder hadnt driven him off. Ears pricked for his question, and I nodded; "My mother spoke three languages, but latin was her favorite." I explained, probably offering up too much information, but hey, I was an open book, remember? My face fell slightly at his next question, tail slowing just a little bit. "It has been a long time..." I trailed off, swallowing. "But I shouldnt be a lost cause! And Im sure you make a great teacher." I perked up, offering the much more reserved male some positive encouragement. I tried to think back to my childhood, to the lessons that my mother forced Orestes and myself to endure; would the language come back to me quickly? "SPEAK"

It made him wonder what she meant when she said that it built character, but again he didn’t press her for questions that he knew would upset her. Quickly her mood shifted when introductions were made, his tail swishing behind him as he spoke about her mother. Three languages, wow! Oleander hoped that he got there one day, other languages were fascinating to say the least. He chuckled when she said that he would be a good teacher though, his head shaking back and forth. "Et sic, so so. You would be surprised at my teaching skills, I think," he said, pulling himself to his paws and stretching out. It was then that he remembered that he had come here for another reason, his teal eyes growing wide as he glanced around the lake. Oh, he had come to see if there was any ginseng root left! Turning to Simber, he dipped his head in a sort of apology, glancing around once more. "Do you know anything of herbs, Simber? I came here looking for ginseng radix ginseng root. It is quite rare, but I heard it may grow here. Spero, I hope," with how dry it had been he wasn’t sure if it would even still be alive. It liked damp areas, around the lake would be a good place to start. Glancing back at the russet woman, he tried to stay focused on her while Cedar stood, getting a head start in their search. Oleander hoped that the woman knew a little about healing, it would be nice to have her as a companion as they searched. Plus, because it was such a rare plant more eyes wouldn’t hurt. "SPEAK" -- "CEDAR SPEAKS" -- "SPEAK LATIN"

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I watched the male as his head swung, eyes widening for a minute as he seemed to scan the lake and its shores; head canted left as I watched him ith inquisitive eyes, emerald gaze briefly darting out to the landscape to follow his searching gaze. Crisp. It was dry and cold and...late autumn. Beautiful, really, even if the cold didnt really agree well with my joints. While I was focusing on horizon, Oleander had turned back to me, inquiring on my knowledge of herbs. My ears pricked up, an excitement bubbling up within me. Tail wagged and I chirped: "Herbs? I know a thing or two!" Perhaps I was a little too excited. Back in my last home, I had truly mastered the art of healing. Helping people was something I took great joy in; it was the one skill that I could truly cultivate and develop. But, I had to rein myself in. I was skilled for my old home, but I highly doubted I would compare to anyone in this region! These lands were far more vast, and Oleander seemed leaps and bounds smarter than me. My brow furrowed; "Ginseng?" I questioned,"I've heard of it...but I've never actually seen it. It wasn't indigenous to my old home." I explained, pacing forward a few tentative steps, eyes flickering to Cedar briefly. "But, I could help you two look for it if you would like?" I offered; what a better way to get to know these lands than to find some herbs! Ginseng was a root that could help strengthen your immune system, as well as an energy boost and a medicinal way to lower stress. "Its probably not a bad idea to keep some on hand with winter setting in." I mused idly, waiting for Oleander to lead the way. "SPEAK"