But you'll never find the answers, until you set your old heart free

Lydia hummed to herself as she jogged out into the snow. Her pack bounced a bit on her back, completely empty and ready to be filled with useful herbs. She hoped to find some white willow bark in the weeping woulds to add to her winter collection. It was a staple for certain poultices and she hadn't yet stocked up. Time to remedy that. The afternoon was crisp and cold but at least the sun was out and the wind at a minimum.

She slipped into the woods and began to examine the trees she came across. Nope. Nope. She paused by an interested tree but decided against experimenting with different barks just yet. She'd need to plan carefully to start such a task. It took awhile but then she saw it, a large tree with rough, greyish bark. Excellent! She was off to a good start.
 

Riva was wondering through the pack's territory, stretching her legs and taking a much needed break from her cataloguing. Winter had been harsh on her herbs, but she had done better this winter then she had the year before. It certainly seemed like living in a pack had its advantages. The short young girl felt dwarfed ass he passed through the towering trees of the Weeping Woods. She almost glanced over the other healer, the whites and greys blending in well to the tree trunks and snow, before a second glance confirmed the movement she saw as another creature. She blinked, and somewhat recognised the woman, she had seen her fleetingly at Branch’s recruitment. It was a shame she had lived in this pack for a season, and still didn’t know the other healers here. She loved to share her knowledge and learn, and upon seeing her now, decided to make a beeline for the other. She stopped a polite distance away, and looked up at the tree that had caught the other woman’s eye. “White willow bark? Good find. I’m Riva, we met briefly a while back” she introduced herself with a smile. ""

But you'll never find the answers, until you set your old heart free

Lydia approached the large tree, her tail wagging slightly as she admired the rough, greyish bark. This was a fine tree and she made note not to take to much. Removing some of the bark could leave the tree vulnerable to infection or pests, the later wasn't much of a concern with winter but spring was, she hoped, just around the corner. She made note to visit the tree in the spring when it would be flowering. She loved the site and smell of flowering trees and nothing spoke more of spring to her than that. Lydia bent her head and sniffed around the tree, looking for a good place to strip off some bark. It would be easiest to take the bark in the summer but the seasons were not on her side. She spied an area where a deer and rubbed against the bark and nodded to herself. Yes, that would be a good place to start.

She heard the approach of another wolf and turned to see one of the other Kesali healers. She felt embarrassed that she didn't know the girl's name. Lydia had meant to socialize more but her old habits kept her focused on work, especially with the harsh winter necessitating preparedness. The girl introduced herself as Riva.

"Nice to meet you Riva, I'm Lydia. I thought some white willow bark might come in handy. It's nice to be able to gather some medicine so close to home." She'd been making several trips into the warmer areas of the south such as the gulley but travel in an unpredictable winter could be hazardous. "What brings you here? Are you looking for something in particular?"