She was on her own today, which was a strange feeling. Eris had spent so much time between her family and Oxide lately that had grown accustomed to the comforting shadow and familiar scent of someone else. No matter. She wouldn't let it shake her. Although her family was taking shelter in Legion, she found the grounds of the old orchard more comforting than the pack lands. This was where she'd reunited with her family in Boreas, and it would always have a special place in her heart. Plus, it always smelled delicious.

Eris was on the hunt for a rare berry that she'd heard populated these parts. Because it so small, it was difficult for her to pinpoint its smell against the rotting fallen fruit. If only she had an extra set of working eyes... she could remember its bright red color very clearly. Wintergreen would be a wonderful addition to her stock. Whenever they found Amaretto, she wanted to be prepared for all outcomes.

Her niece would likely see all of Boreas before she turned two if their current pace continued. Belle wasn’t sure that she would enjoy forever travelling, soon she and the girl would need a place to settle. For a while at least. Ban was learning fast, though Deathbelle could easily continue teaching her she needed diversity. For now Belle sought out the orchard, hoping she might find a bit of fermented fruit. Mostly to store away for future use, partially so she might have a relaxing afternoon to herself.

Decorated paws carried her through the woods, the floral fruity smell dampening her senses as she stumbled upon another she wolf. Belle didn’t run into her, but the Klein woman stumbled as she stopped in the clearing. The girl (She was a girl not even two years old yet.) was a bit smaller than herself, but held somewhat similar markings. Was this another Klein child? Curious the woman cleared her throat. ”Are you alright?”

Eris turned in the direction of Belle's voice, looking just slightly to her left. If she squinted, she could make out the shape of a stranger and an unfamiliar scent. A new friend? Eris smiled and bobbed her, "Oh, yes, I'm quite alright! Actually, maybe you can help... I'm looking for a rare berry." She scuffed her paws, trying not to let her embarrassment show. Eris had thought she would get along fine without any company today, but she supposed that she was wrong.

"I'm looking for a very small, bright red berry. I'm a healer, and I'm trying to stock up before summer ends," she explained, gesturing to the orchard at large. This was as good as place as any to harvest some late-summer herbs, and at least it was familiar enough that she could get around without bumping into anything. "Do you think we could look together? We can split the harvest." Most wolves seemed to have a knack for something around here, and this new female wasn't a healer, she most certainly knew one who was.

As the girl turned around Belle became less sure of her first assumption, there was much more doubt in her lineage now that her face was revealed. Bright eyes watched as the girl proclaimed her answer, she was fine but could use a little help. Deathbelle could speak rare berries, though she doubted getting knowledge from the girl would be so difficult. She seemed to have loose lips, and continued to go on. Belle decided to be more amused than annoyed at the young girl.

”Do you know the name of your bright red berry?” Belle asked as she allowed her decorated toes to carry her closer to the small healer. There were many bright red berries, some of them she was sure the young she wolf knew were poisonous. She looked down at the girl she was sure now did not carry any Klein blood ”I can agree to those terms in exchange for my help,” she finished still wondering what berry she was looking for. ”I am a healer as well.” At least she knew the healing art, poisons were more fun.

"Oh, of course! I'm looking for wintergreen. I know it's dangerous in large quantities, but I've also heard it's good for pain relief," Eris replied, perking up as the stranger agreed to help her. She had been uncommonly lucky in her travels - most everyone seemed pleasant and helpful. What a nice place they'd managed to land in, albeit there was a sinking feeling that had begun to follow her. If all she encountered were pleasantries, when would the other paw drop? Surely there had be some bad to measure out all of this good.

She smiled when Belle said she was also a healer, taking a moment to acquaint herself with the stranger's scent as she approached. It was distinctly feminine but somehow green and bitter - as if she'd been making salves, but not the kind Eris was familiar with. Filing away that tidbit for later, Eris turned and tried to locate the scent of the berry with her nose to the ground.

Before long, she stumbled upon a small crop of woolly lamb's ear, which she stopped to collect a few larger leaves from. Oxide's wounds were getting along well, but these made excellent bandages and were always good to have around. "I'm Eris Pyre of the Ademre. Since we're working together, what's your name?" She called as she worked.

Woolly lamb's ear collected

As Deathbelle asked the girl was forthright with the identification of her herb. Belle had yet to see any of the chosen herb here within boreas. Rare indeed. However, it was useful as a pain suppressant as well as a poison in higher doses. One had to be immensely careful in handling the herb. She was impressed by the tiny girl had the gumption to go after it. As far as healing went, gathering dangerous herbs was always a gamble.

The girl came around to give her name, and Belle was wholly satisfied that this was not another abandoned child. One sibling leaving his children to fend for themselves was one thing, but she might have had to start a fight if there was another. The girl seemed rather naive, and the Klein woman wasn’t about to let an opportunity go to waste. ”You have the pleasure of meeting Princess Belle.” She told the young girl as she lifted her head proudly, still unsure how well her little healer companion could see in the first place.

She smiled amusedly as she came up beside Eris and gathered her own leaves of the fuzzy plant. Belle had been blessed not to have to deal with any lacerations since that woman in Auster, but her stores would need restocked as well. ”Have you found any Wintergreen here before?”

"Princess? Is there a monarchy here?" Eris asked, her ears twisting quizzically. This would be the first she'd heard of it, but that didn't necessarily mean it wasn't true. She was young, though, and this stranger - this Princess - was so sure of herself that Eris felt it would be rude to question it. Maybe Belle was insane and took some small comfort in playing these kinds of fantasy games - if so, Eris could play along too!

"Well, I'm a Lady in my homeland. I was arranged to be married to a very handsome Duke, and I hope one day he'll find me," she said, wagging her tail briefly. Of course, the Adem didn't believe in marriage or mating for life in the strictest sense, but there were certain pairs and groups that found each other by chance and were never far apart. "A few weeks ago, I swore I smelled it in passing, but it's hard to make anything out with all of the fruit," Eris grumbled, completing her stash of woolly lamb's ear and tucking it next to a broken down fence post that Lament had once marked. This way she'd be able to find it for sure, even against the strength of the other smells.

Belle wasn’t lying. She was a princess to a Kingdom that was no more. Hannibal had failed them, the whole of the family, when he lost his challenge to gain a pack. The Klein woman had never let go of her knowledge of her lineage. Hamiclar was a King, and his children the prince and princesses of the Klein empire. Deathbelle perked her ears, but wasn’t sure if she believed the wispy child as she spoke of being a lady and marrying a duke. Her words were light, and with out the depth Belle felt to her lineage.

”Yes,” she did lie about the state of her kingdom, but was it a lie if she knew it would rise again? ”but that sounds nice, dear.” she tried to hide the condescension, she wanted to befriend this girl, likely she might even be able to take more than half the harvest if she played her cards right. ”I’ve noticed that myself,” she told her as she lifted her nose to the air to try and sniff out the elusive herb. She wasn't looking forward to carrying the lamb’s ear and looking for the wintergreen. ”Is this exactly where you smelled it?” Magenta gaze looked around them, missing the distinctive berry and dark green foliage.

"I suppose it was a bit further towards the tree line, maybe just before the woods begin?" It was a rather elusive herb. Eris could tell that Belle didn't quite believe her story, but she wasn't sure if she should flesh it out any further. Her hands-off acknowledgement reminded her of how the other warrior students had treated her after she had taken the Oath of the Star: oh, yes, very nice, move along, more important things to do here.

She pricked her ears and listened, catching a faint bird call from the nearby trees. Eris loped towards the noise, using it to guide her to the forest. As the sound grew louder, she slowed down and put her nose to the ground again. Further away from the rotting fruit, scents became more distinct again. With any luck, they'd find the herb soon. "If you're a Princess, where is your royal guard?" Eris asked innocently. Weren't princesses precious things to be kept far away from harm? Not that Eris could foresee any harm befalling Belle here, but still.

Little Eris Pyre of the Ademre was not so sure of where she had smelled the wintergreen, but Belle was careful to make a note of the place in question. Subtly she shifted herself in that direction. Belle continued to take a sniff of the air as her delicate paws carried her forward. Her eyes were alight and shifted from tree to tree and she looked for the bright red berries. ”It likes to be dry, and with the summer we’ve had most of the woods could offer optimal growth.” She’d hoped she might be able to narrow down their search. ”Maybe we should start where the ground is highest.” Though the orchard was mostly flat there were a few small hills and valleys.

”In my family a princess should be able to take care of herself as well as a prince.” Another truth, even when the Klein Empire stood at its peak there had been no royal guard. ”My father, the King, taught me to be a warrior as much as a princess.”

"Oh! That's fascinating," Eris said truthfully. The idea of a warrior princess was incredibly exciting, like something out a very elaborate story you would tell a pup. She twitched her ears to and fro, smiling as she continued to see the plant she was looking for. They were just outside of the woods and among the forest's new growth from the spring - everything smelled bright and fresh. "Oh! I spy some meadowsweet," Eris announced. Her paw signed the Ademic for excitement without realizing it, even though there was no one around to take notice.

She carefully harvested the meadowsweet, piling some of the blooms near a tree that Ballad had marked on their way to the battlefield. By using both of her siblings' scents as points of interest, she would be able to backtrack once they finally found the wintergreen. Belle would have the best chance at spotting it in the end, so Eris had mostly resigned herself to waiting for the other female's cue.

"Was your mother the Queen, then?" She asked, picturing a quaint royal family. Family was something she understood, even if hers wasn't royal. A father figure who cared enough to teach his daughter how to defend herself as well as how to rule must have been a treasured patriarch. He certainly sounded wise.

Meadowsweet collected

Deathbelle seemed to grasp and keep the young girl’s attention as she spoke, mostly with truth about her past. At least she did for a moment until a much more important herb was spotted. Belle watched with deep magenta gaze as the dark and white marked girl raced up to the meadowsweet eagerly. ”Grab a bit for me will you, dear?” Pet names were not a common occurrence in the Klein woman, but Eris was very sweet and reminded her too much of her sweet Ana. "Was your mother the Queen, then?" Belle tried to hide her surprise at the question as she looked away.

Yvonne was still a touchy subject for the Klein Princess, and despite that she didn’t feel like stretching the truth to Eris. She’d lived with the truth her whole life, and her mother didn’t define that. Still, she loved and missed the woman dearly.

”No, but she loved my father very much.” her voice had grown distant, her loss evident only barely. Belle shook herself and looked where they were already heading. Was that a hint of red? ”I see something red. This way,” she offered before walking that direction. Eris could easily catch up when she had enough meadowsweet.

Eris, always happy to help a friend, gathered some additional herbs for Belle without complaint. She was just thrilled to have some help in spotting the elusive wintergreen. Some wolves in this region had animal companions that shadowed them, and she wished desperately for a friend of her own. With the help of another creature, gathering would no longer be a two wolf job. Eris was great at giving directions, after all.

Love. She knew that feeling. Lament, Ballad, and Amaretto had taught her that love was powerful and unshakable. Love had driven her from her home, and love would bind them together for life. "Love is wonderful," Eris murmured, half to herself.

She bundled all of the meadowsweet together, then trotted eagerly after Belle. Had they finally stumbled upon their quarry? The bright red of the berry was nearly unmistakable, and the other female seemed knowledgeable, so Eris had high hopes.

The girl gathered the herb for Belle as well, carefully prepping the plants. There wasn’t much special care to take, though if she held too tightly to it sometimes her gums would start to go numb. It was an interesting sensation, and kept in mind to experiment with when she had a toothache. For now, she would preserve it and place it in one of her caches. ”Thank you,” she returned politely as her attention was shifted to the red that had caught her eye. She didn’t hear the part about love.

There weren’t many berries on the bush, and fewer flowers, but she could tell by the almond shaped leaves that this was their plant. ”And we have our rare berries.” She told the girl, wondering how she might approach the plant. This wasn’t meadowsweet, it was harsh just touching the potent plant. ”How would you harvest this Eris?” She asked curiously, wondering if she had a plan.

"You're welcome!" She responded brightly with a little wag of her tail. Gathering with company was always better (and more productive) than gathering alone. Maybe Belle would like to meet again in the fall for collecting herbs of a different season? Eris hoped she might.

"Oh, yes! You've spotted it," she said gratefully, sniffing carefully at the berries. This was certainly it! But Belle posed a good question - how was she going to gather the dangerous plant? Eris sniffed at the roots of the plant. It was small and shriveling in the heat. "Perhaps we could dig the whole thing up? Grab it by the roots and dirt?" She offered. The plant was native here, so it was bound to appear in other parts of the forest, but it might be nice to have it closer to home. "But... to split it," Eris pondered, wondering how Belle could take her share.

"Well, you did most of the work. How about we dig it up, and then maybe find a large leaf? If you grab the berries with the leaf wrapped around them in your mouth, that may work. I only need a few of them, and you can keep the plant," She suggested. Belle could replant it wherever she wished, and maybe Eris could visit every now and again for the berries.

Confirmation came quickly as Eris followed her towards the potent herb, the girl lit up as she realized what was being presented to her. She could tell the younger she wolf hadn’t thought quite up to this stage quiet yet, her thoughts turned as she debated how to answer Belle’s question. It seemed she didn’t quite have a fully thought plan laid out, but she seemed more of a go with the flow kind of girl.

Belle listened to her assessment, but didn’t have much use for a whole plant. She’d be better off returning here when she thought she might need berries. She also didn’t think a mouthful of dirt sounded particularly pleasant. Sounds reasonable, however I don’t need the whole plant either. I think I'll use your leaf plan and grab a stem for myself.” Then she would have leaves, flowers, and berries to preserve. ”Now for an appropriate pile of leaves to harvest our find.” She looked around for a plant that would work as a glove.

Eris nodded along as Belle agreed, then set her nose to the ground to try and search up a suitable leaf. They would need an older tree, so she headed a bit deeper into the forest. The steamy summer meant most of the trees weren't ready to give up their leaves. What it did mean, however, was that there was a thick carpet of moss on the dim forest floor. Her tail and ears flagged with excitement. "What about some thick moss?" She suggested, already scratching up the edges of a sizable piece.

Once she'd detached it from the earth, Eris carefully grabbed the edge. She retraced her steps slowly back to Belle, flicking her ears to and fro to follow the other female's voice and any other stray sounds she might make. Eris dropped the moss before Belle, nosing it towards her. "So, how should I go about it? You seem very knowledgeable. I knew this berry might be dangerous if accidentally ingested, is there anything else I should be aware of?"

With only the shadow of a quick nod Eris was off in search of their leaves. Belle remained with the creeping plant, being careful not to allow it to touch her as she observed it. She waited for Eris to return patiently all white deciding which branch might be her perfect find. After going over about ten she decided on one. It had a relatively thick base, with two longer branches sprouting off. On one last years berries lingered, on the other flowers that might have produced this year’s berries.

Eris returned quickly though, not carrying leaves like she thought she would, but a thick moss instead. Belle couldn’t decide which was better, but probably would have trusted a leaf over porous moss. The girl offered some of it to her, and asked a couple of questions as she did.


”You should try not to touch it as much as possible, and always keep it away from pups. It can easily cause death in the young. Adults usually suffer from rather severe gastrointestinal distress. As well as hard to the liver.” She offered as she picked at her moss to get it into the correct shape.

She nodded very seriously, taking important note of Belle's advice. She was such a knowledgeable princess - Eris couldn't help but look up to her. Doubtless, Belle was an honored and valued member of her royal family. What would Lament think when she told him that she'd made friends with a princess? He tended to indulge her, so even if he thought it was a fanciful tale, he would likely still believe her. Maybe he'd get a chuckle out of it.

Planning to tell him next time she made her way to their temporary home, Eris asked Belle quietly: "Would you like to meet again at the turn of the season? Perhaps nearby? We could gather together again." She was nervous to hear the older female's response. Hopefully, it would be a yes.

She waited for Belle's answer, shuffling her paws nervously. "Could you tell me how you're using the moss as you pick the berries? With the sun going down now, I can't quite make out the fine details." If she could see, she would be able to observe just fine. Trying to stay positive (and not curse Tor), she leaned in to try and get a closer look at Belle's methods and make out what she could.

The girl’s admiration was not as apparent to the Klein woman, though her words revealed a bit of the emotion. Deathbelle perked a brow curiously, but said nothing besides an answer to her question. ”If you’d like,” the girl warmed Belle’s icy little heart. Ana’s features flashed before her more than once, and she was feeling a bit soft anyway. ”Maybe I’ll bring my niece along as well.” She mused, knowing Banshee wasn’t incredibly impressed with plants but her aunt hoped she was warming to their usefulness.

Eris shuffled closer and admitted a weakness to Belle. Her gaze lingered on the young woman a moment as she leaned closer to Deathbell’s work area. ”I’m protecting my mouth from any residual oils. Without a protective layer of fur its very easy for it to penetrate the skin.” She explained, ”I’ll get you some berries, and I’m going to pick this branch for myself.” Belle offered before coating her mouth in moss, and awkwardly harvesting a few berries before retrieving her branch. ”Now, how to transport them home.” She said after removing the moss.