Viviane had poked her nose out of Valhalla in a rare venture outside of the borders, though she hadn't gone far. Goodness knew she needed to get out more - even she was starting to feel a bit isolated there. She had gone looking for the desert-dwelling plant that soothed burns with the gel inside its fat spikey leaves. She didn't know if she could find any, since it was early in the year and things had been.. odd... from the volcano. But she had begun her first heat cycle and it was making her anxious and restless, and so she had needed to get out before she got snappy at someone and caused bad feelings, so it was more an excuse anyway. That and she knew that some of her pack members were planning to venture closer to the volcano again, and there was still a great deal of danger from wildfires and earthquakes in that area so she thought it would be a good idea to seek out anything that might help. She had decided to take her search around the red rocks nearby, but had found herself needing to go further afield than expected to skirt the outside of another pack's borders. They weren't Ashen's usual lands, but she didn't want to take any chances so she kept her distance until she reached the open desert just beyond the rocks. She kept a wary eye on the rocks, but otherwise allowed herself to be engrossed in the search. It would take her mind off her heat, anyway.

Bourbon didn’t often go out on his own without Lucretia, but when he did it was because he was gathering herbs. The pair weren’t often separated, but with what little spring they were afforded the healers were forced to be hard at work. Sometimes that meant alone. The dog hurried himself along, eyes and nose working as he searched out any plants that would be helpful. He had a list at the back of his mind, but with everything being scarce he wasn’t going to be too choosey.

With his long haired tail wagging at his hips happily Bourbon made his way onto the sand. Not near as hot as it might have been were they not at the tail end of a volcanic winter. His attention was quickly drawn to another figure on the dunes. She was small, her build reminded him a bit of Lucretia, and as he thought about it the healer Iolaire. He wondered if she too might be out scouting for something useful.

He offered a friendly bark so he didn’t startle her as his light footed form carried him in her direction. She looked to be about two, and by the scent of her in her first season. Bourbon was on his best behavior, he was a good dog. ”Hello there,” he started, his tail actually wagging faster now that he was closer. ”Hate to bother, but you seemed like the kind of young lady that is out collecting plants.” He offered his observation, yes Luce had duties elsewhere and couldn’t be his second pair of eyes, but maybe he could find a substitute. ”I wonder if we might exchange a bit of knowledge or tag team a few bushes?” With perked floppy ears the dog presented his big and waited eagerly for her answer.

Viviane saw the movemeent of a figure across the sands towards her and paused in her search to watch alertly as it approached. It wasn't a puma as she had been keeping watch for, and while at first glance she thought it was a wolf with markings similar to hers and Geoffrey's, it was in fact... not? Caution turned to curiosity when he approached closely enoygh for scent to reach her despute the wind being wrong. His tail was wagging, and hers, slowly at first, began to do the same. He definitely wasn't a wolf, but he looked close enough that the few differences were easily dismissed. And look, he was nearer her size than most wolves, even a little smaller, and both his ears were creased partway down like her right one. They were practically twins! "You aren't bothering me at all," she exclaimed, beaming at him with all the open guilelessness of a puppy. He knew she was out looking for plants! He said she looked like someone who would so... so she must be doing something right, to look like a healer. Then her tail slowed. "Oh, but I don't really know much. I wouldn't be able to offer you anything. I just know that I'm looking for... a plant with fat, wide spikey leaves that has a goo inside for burns. I don't even know what it's called," she told him apologetically. "I wouldn't be nuch help with exchanging knowledge."

She was probably the most dog like wolf that he had ever seen, but she was definitely not a dog. His own appearance seemed to encourage her as he watched her posture shift from wary to almost welcoming. She was sweet, and her smile was bright as she assured him that he wasn’t really a bother. Bourbon offered his own good natured grin in return.

Even if she hadn’t been the healer that he thought she was he might have tried to scope her out for help obtaining supplies. He chuckled as she looked a bit dejected and told him that she wouldn’t be much help to him. It also sounded like she was searching for aloe, a hot commodity with the volcano’s fiery fury. ”No need to fret,” He offered softly with a smile, his head lowering slightly as he wagged his tail in assurance. ”We’ll find your plant, which I suspect is aloe vera.” Bourbon told her as he straightened.

”Are you a student?” He asked her curiously before shifting direction. He thought he’d seen a huge one a bit farther off on his way towards the she wolf. ”My name is Bourbon by the way, what can I call you?”

Viviane perked right back up when the male said he would help her find her plant. "You'll help me? Oh thank you so much! I wasn't sure I would be able to find any by myself." And she had so desperately not wanted to return empty-pawed. "Aloe vera," she repeated to commit it to memory, then beamed at him again. "I've learned something already."

At his introduction, she blushed, her ears turning hot in embarrassment. Hiw rude of her not to have introduced herself! "Oh, I'm sorry! My name is Viviane Adravendi. I'm an apprentice healer in Valhalla. Its a pleasure to meet you, Bourbon." She frisked along with him as he moved in another direction, clearly with someplace in mind. "Do you live nearby too, Bourban, or do you travel around?" She had heard stories about the Nomads, who were really well known healers who travelled a lot, and wondered briefly if he was one. But no, she was sure they had been wolves, and as wolf-like as he was Bourbon was clearly some different, related species, like mule deer and white tail deer being different but similar. Like the dog, she kept glancing around for those semi-familiar spikey leaves, though she kept looking back to him curiously.

It seemed most of her worry would leave her as he offered his help. The dog was more than pleased to help out a young lady like herself. Especially another healer despite their differing packs. His white tail wagged happily as she made note that she had already learned something. She was quick to give her name once he’d given his too. ”The pleasure is all mine.” He assured her with a smile. Bourbon enjoyed teaching and her disposition was friendly, he was at home with her.

He led them forward as she offered up a little bit of small talk. Surely the little plants couldn’t be too hard to find. ”I live in the pack called Ashen. Up in the Redwater Rocks right now.” He told her easily as his feathered legs carried him over the crest of a hill. On the southern facing slope was exactly what he was looking for. There was a bit of desert weed, but it also seemed like a perfect place for aloe. Five huge plants were scattered over the hill along with many smaller aloe plants. It was like they found aloe paradise. ”I believe we’ve found our quarry.”

She could harvest quite a bit and he could harvest even more and there would still be aloe to use for years to come. ”I’ve had luck with brining whole plants home with me.” He offered as he looked over their field. ”Otherwise it's easy to just peel back a few leaves.” Bourbon told her as he inched forward and worked a whole plant from the ground. It was a smaller pup from a bigger plant that was only just developing roots.