Woodland Sprite
Serene had begun her travels towards her homeland, when the environment of this particular grove caught her wandering eye. She had grown in the woods nearby, and yet she had never venture through these particular trees before. It was strange, the way the trees were few and far in between, gave the air a very open and fresh feeling to it. As if the grove hadn't been here for very long. Slowly did the fawn woman weave through the trees, admiring their specific beauty and examining the terrain for clues as to what had happened.
It became blindingly clear that the soil in this region was different than others she had visited before. As she dug around the roots of one of the trees, the soil felt thick, healthy almost. It was beautiful, and if Serene had to bet on it, she would think some special herbs would take root in this very soil. Intrigued with the idea, the sandy fae began to shift through the nook; sticking her muzzle into brush and sniffing around, trying to find something familiar to her or at least interesting to look at.
"Speech"
Taking a deep breath of warm, autumn air Lydia sifted through the scents. She frowned. Nothing yet that hinted at the presence of lavender but she had a feeling she was on the right track. Deftly picking her way through the redbud trees she searched for a good place for the plant to grow. She silently chastised herself for waiting so long in the year to stock up on some plants but her first spring of freedom from the Abraxas had been a real journey in finding her feet again. She'd finally learned to stop glancing over her shoulder every few minutes. She'd finally been able to sleep through the night without jumping at every little sound. Pausing, Lydia waited for a bumblebee to cross her path before she continued. She was sad spring was coming to an end. Day by day the light's presence would grow shorter. She slipped around a tangle of raspberry bramble only to notice a lovely young woman sniffing about the brush. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't see you there." Her ears flicked forward. "Were you looking for something?" "Talk" "You" Think |
With her tail held high in the air and her nose stuck close in the ground, she didn't notice the other woman's approach. Amber gaze suddenly found a plant looking at least somewhat familiar to her, and then there was a voice behind her. The tan female leaped out of the bush with a jolt of surprise, snapping to look at the stranger. It was a beautiful silver woman with eyes as blue as the sky, but her aura was the most welcoming aspect. No immediate sense of danger came from her, which was surprising coming from a complete stranger. Nonetheless, Serene would appreciate a friendly face any day.
She let out a nervous chuckle when she realized she had been caught off guard, and decided to offer a small smile to try and brush it off. "No, it's my fault. I need to learn to keep my head up and out of the bushes." As if on cue, she felt something foreign sticking out of her coat, and shook herself quickly to watch a stray stick fall to the ground. Great first impression Selene she scolded to herself. When asked about her actions the fawn woman glanced back towards the brush with a curious gaze. "Yes, I was curious as to what herbs might grow in this area. I thought I saw some Motherwort in there a second ago." Her gaze shifted to the woman once, more, curious about her story. "May I ask what brings you to this beautiful grove?"
"Speech"
Lydia was pleased to find that the other woman was friendly despite Lydia accidentally sneaking up on her. She giggled a bit as the other shook her coat out to send a stick flopping onto the ground and when she began to speak of healing Lydia felt a warmness blossom in her chest. Another healer! Oh, this was a wonderful encounter. She smiled sweetly at the other. "My name is Lydia. It's nice to meet a fellow healer out here. I was hoping to gather some lavender and then do a bit more exploring. The soil here is wonderful and I'm sure there are many fantastic herbs just waiting to be found." Lydia had been neglecting her exploration and was really wishing she'd spent more time learning the lay of the land. Part of her felt she had been here before but she just couldn't be certain. She'd been traveling so much that some of the territories were starting to blur together. Suddenly she realized she could smell the faint scent of lavender and she froze for a moment. "Oh! Oh, I think I smell the lavender, it's not to far off… to the southeast it smells like." She grinned and turned back to the other woman to see if she was game on following. "Talk" "You" Think |
Such a kind spirit this woman had, it felt warm and welcoming, as if her presence lightened the scene like a blaze of sunshine. It was refreshing to be meeting another woman with a similar demeanor to her own, and even more so that she was taking an interest in the herbs. The silver woman spoke of her purpose here, as a healer, as well as introducing herself. Serene smiled widely at the mention of Lavender; one of her late mother's favorite herbs. She had no idea that the purple flower could grow in this environment, though looking around now, she could see a few places it might take up root. Thinking about her future, Serene thought about her upcoming trip to visit Branch again, and it suddenly dawned on her that she should be collecting herbs to bring to his stock piles. "It's wonderful to meet you Lydia, my name is Serene. My mother loved lavender, and I know of healer that would much appreciate the gift. Do you mind if I join you in your hunt?"
Suddenly Lydia announced that she could smell the sweet scent of lavender, and the fawn woman took a deep breath in the direction she spoke of, catching the faintest scent of lavender in the air. A large smile spread across her lips as her tail began to wag softly, eager to go herb hunting with a fellow healer. "Well then what are we waiting for? Let's go get some lavender!" And then they were off; Serene would want Lydia to take the lead, as she seemed to be more in tuned with her scents than the blonde woman was. Long creamed legs stretched across the nook, her tail outstretched behind her, the feeling of excitement pumping her with energy. But curiosity clawed at the back of Serene's throat, desperately wanting to know more about this woman. "Miss Lydia, can I ask where you come from? Maybe a pack somewhere close by?"
"Speech"
Lydia's tail wagged lightly back and forth as the woman introduced herself as Selene. She was such a pleasant and amiable soul that her name seemed well given. As serene as the waves upon a lake in spring morning. She smiled pleasantly as Serene spoke of lavender. Lydia herself was rather partial to lavender. The scent alone made her think of spring. "Oh, yes please. I would enjoy the company. It's been awhile since I've had the chance to meet another healer." "Well then what are we waiting for? Let's go get some lavender!" With the wind in their favor Lydia took off with a smile on her face. She paused every now and then to make sure she was following the correct direction of the scent. Bounding through the area she couldn't help but enjoy the lovely autumn day. She turned to Serene as the woman asked her a few questions. "I originally was born in lands far from here but I have yet to join a pack here." She didn't consider her captivity under the Abraxas being part of a pack. She paused suddenly as she saw the fading violet flowers stretching up from the ground of a few lavender plants. "There it is!" She bounded over to the lavender with a grin. "What about you Serene, are you part of a pack here?" The woman didn't smell like pack but she could've joined recently. She elegantly bent her head to begin plucking fronds of lavender. "Talk" "You" Think |
It was nice to be out herb hunting again, for the fawn woman hadn't really been out on one since her mother passed. Back when Esmeralda was around, Serene would go out herb hunting almost everyday, at least for a few hours. But now that she lacked her mother's company, she found the task to be rather... dull. Conversation made herb hunting fun and exciting, which meant company was required. Thankfully Lydia seemed alright with Serene tagging along, and it made the blonde woman fill with joy.
Hearing that she wasn't part of a pack made Serene curious, because she couldn't believe that out of all the wolves she could meet, she would end up meeting a lone, female healer like herself. But in front of her stood just that. Her thoughts suddenly wandered back to Branch, and his idea of a healer pack back in the Weeping Woods. Serene knew he was in need of good, honest pack members. Maybe Lydia would like to go visit him, see if his pack of Healers was a good fit for her?
"That's a shame. I know of an upcoming Alpha that is looking for healers. I'm sure he would love to meet you." She tried her best to keep the suggestion as casual as she could, but excitement was probably evident in her voice. Lydia then pointed out the violet strands of Lavender they had been searching for, and Serene's whole face lit up like an early sunrise. She quickly went to work, as did Lydia, working to gather up what bundles the two of them could carry. That's when Lydia asked if Serene was a part of a pack, and blonde quickly shook her head. "I've always been a loner, so the idea of pack life is foreign to me. But I have considered joining one. I've met a few alphas that have sparked my interest."
"Speech"
Pleased with her gathering she stepped aside to let Serene get what she needed from the plant. She planned to dry the herbs and if she could, find a way to place them at the entrance of her den. The scent helped to soothe her and it would be nice to have some reminders of spring before winter moved fully in. Of course, she had yet to decide if she would stay in Boreas for the winter or instead work her way into Auster… well, maybe not that far south. The west was bound to be warm enough and then she wouldn't have to risk getting to close to where the Abraxas had set up site. "That's a shame. I know of an upcoming Alpha that is looking for healers. I'm sure he would love to meet you. Lydia turned to Serene with interest lighting up her eyes. "Really? What's he like? I have to admit I would really like to settle down again eventually. I prefer the pack life to being a loner, for one thing it certainly makes it easier to keep long term stores." That and the food was definitely better. Lydia had taken to scavenging to feed herself most of the time. For Serene it seemed she was far more used to being a loner. "Well, I say it would be worth a try just to see if you like it. Are there any other herbs your looking for out here? The Redbud Nook is quite bountiful." "Talk" "You" Think |
Lydia's interest in the pack made Serene happy, she felt like she was being helpful for Branch. She happily chirp her response. "His name is Branch Wreckage. He lives in the Weeping Woods, which just so happened to be where I grew up. He is very knowledgeable about herbs, and I think he would really like you." Which was true, there was no version of this world where Serene could see Branch and Lydia not getting along. They were both so similar they would blend beautifully. She smiled at the thought briefly before hearing Lydia's words, pulling her out of her day dream. She looked about the woods, trying to remember to call them Redbud Nook. She then turned her gaze down to the herbs they had already collected before turning back to Lydia. "I think this will be alright. The Nook was kind to us already, I'd hate to be greedy."
"Speech"
Lydia listened quietly as Serene described the potential pack. The man's name was Branch Wreckage who was living in the Weeping Woods and also seemed knowledgable about herbs. It really was a tempting to consider joining a pack. Could she? Did she dare, especially with the likes of the Abraxas running about? Lydia mulled the thought over in her mind but ultiamtely she could make no decision. Part of her was still toying with the idea of possibly leaving Boreas and Auster altogether but… well, she couldn't go to her homelands either. She nodded and smiled at Serene's statement. "I agree. Well, it was a pleasure to meet you Serene. Perhaps we'll run into each other again. Take care!" Gathering her herbs she set off to her storage den in the east, mind whirling with possibillities. -exit- "Talk" "You" Think |