Aranea knew she wouldn't be around The Hallows long, at least for a little while but she wanted to make sure the dens would be stocked well for the winter time and there would be no better time for her to get her stock in before she went to Abaven to birth her pups. It may have been too cold by the time she returned to The Hallows so she wanted to make herself useful while she could. She invited Sota along if anything to get him out of the packlands for a short time, but she wouldn't take him far in case something were to happen. He may have been a tiny fellow but Aranea, especially carrying the hidden weight of pups, would still have a hard time taking him back herself. Not that she wouldn't try her best to help him. Though she didn't know him entirely well, she found a good sense of friendship in his presence and wouldn't take it for granted. Her goal was to come out and look for the more rare herbs, ones that would be harder to scavenge especially once the cold front hit. She would stay slow for Sota to keep up with her but she wasn't in much of a hurry anyway. They had the whole day and if anything she didn't mind coming back later to collect if he needed to head back to the pack to rest. But she had a feeling he would be eager to stretch his legs and not feel so trapped even in the safe and caring environment of The Hallows. Word Count: 267 words Word Count Goal: 2500 words Walk "Talk" Think

Healing itself was hardly anything Sota was skilled in, but he knew enough about plants (and trees, of course) to get him by. Before joining The Hallows he'd spent most of his time wandering on his own for so long now that sometimes all he had to pass the time was the environment. He spent plenty of time exploring his surroundings, and today he was content to do the same to help Aranea build up some herb stores for the upcoming winter. Perhaps he might not know what was most useful, nor for what, but he could certainly help her find something of interest. While the growing was still good it seemed like a good idea to find some herbs that were more rare.

Sota was glad to stretch his legs. Staying in one place didn't suit him, though he'd had to make do due to necessity. What he really wanted to do was climb among the trees, but sadly for him he was sure he had a long way to go before he reached that state again. Staying on level ground seemed a much better option, especially given the fact that he still walked with a slight limp, and when the weather changed he often felt his leg begin to ache. But today was a pleasant day and he was feeling more himself, able to keep a decent pace - slow but steady - as he trailed along after Aranea. "What do you think we'll be able to find?" He spoke up after a moment, twisting his head around to watch a small bird passing them by, swooping down low toward the ground and then up again. This was a peculiar landscape, so he wondered if anything exotic might grow here in the soggy earth surrounding the mangrove trees.

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Keeping a gentle eye on Sota, she wouldn't want to seem too obsessed with keeping him safe outside the pack lands and would want to keep his spirits up by allowing himself to continue healing and growing on his own. Her nose hit the air as a bird swooped by, and she wasn't too sure what they would find or what the actual goal would be. "I'm not sure, I know there's plenty of different herbs around here but we will need to find some more rare to stock before winter." Just out loud thinking if anything. Aranea figured Sota's general knowledge was pretty good, but she would be more than happy to teach along the way. As they ventured farther into the mangrove, she'd spot a few common herbs or herbs that wouldn't be necessarily of use to them. Alfalfa may have been good for her, but seeing as the pack was nearing their resource limit and considering her circumstances of leaving to have her pups in Abaven, there wouldn't be any litters coming anytime soon. The horsetail was a little hard to spot out of the number of fluorescent flowers and it would be beneficial to the pack considering they were an open pack of healing but she would consider coming back later to grab some. Her ears perked as she spotted a light white and pink toned flower growing off the edge of the waterways and close to the trees. She'd flick a look to Sota hoping he'd noticed her attention onto the plant and she'd carefully try to move around the water flow to the location of the flowers. "Marshmallow. It's good for sore throats and colds." She gave a small smile, if anything just happy to share the information. "It'll definitely be useful come winter time." That would be obvious at least. Sore throats and winter would work hand in hand, and it would at least be good to keep around at this time. "It's a little uncommon, but not super rare. We should probably scout for some other herbs." She'd begin to pick the flowers at the root for their venture around the mangrove and then their journey back. For now, she'd keep the stems carried in her mouth as they moved on. Maybe Sota could carry the next batch. Total Word Count: 951 words Word Count Goal: 2500 words Walk "Talk" Think

His quiet confidence had begun to falter after his accident. Not being able to get around was hardly ideal for the independent little man, but he was infinitely grateful that this pack had allowed him to stay here and recover. Over time he was beginning to feel like himself again, even if some days were more difficult than others. Having a familiar face around definitely helped. Today he was glad to get up and moving, and hoped he'd be at least mildly useful as a traveling companion for the day. He knew he could manage to be good company, if nothing else. Getting The Hallows stocked up on herbs before winter came was a worthwhile goal, one he was happy to aid in.

He watched as she spotted something, veering off towards it. The white and pink flower caught his eye, and he padded after her. Marshmallow, it was called. Good for sore throats and colds. He'd try to keep that in mind. "Good to know," he acknowledged, studying the plants from a distance. Aranea mentioned it wasn't terribly rare though, and they best keep looking. Gathering them up before they continuing on, Sota watched her for a moment and thought. "Do you think you'll stay here for long, Aranea? In The Hallows, I mean," he explained with a soft chuckle. Upon their first meeting she'd admitted she wasn't one to stick to one place forever, something Sota could relate to. He wasn't totally sure if he'd stay here forever but it seemed a good place to settle down for awhile while he figured things out.

"I don't think I could go back home now, but it's hard to really imagine staying in one place forever, whether it be here or somewhere else." Truthfully he felt strange not having any close companions anymore, nothing to tie him down; it'd been so different growing up, as close as he'd been to Balsam, but maybe that was all part of getting older? He'd thought that Eris and Oxide and Casper might be all be more permanent fixtures in his life too, but they'd come and gone too. "I'm sorry, let's keep looking," Sota let out another gentle laugh as they moved along, narrowing avoiding a particularly mushy patch of earth around the roots of a mangrove tree, his head lifting as he searched for anything that looked usual up ahead.

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She'd look towards Sota as he asked and continued his out loud thoughts. She wasn't disturbed by the pause they took. Though Aranea was quite fond of Sota and his company and intelligence, they didn't really know much about each other entirely. He'd apologize which Aranea would give a slight shake of her head before turning to move forward in their search. "No need to feel sorry." She'd try to assure, it was better to get to know each other more either way and she could feel that Sota felt the same way about knowing someone inside the pack instead of being surrounded by mostly strangers. She knew Tamsyn too and it definitely helped her with her harsh depressed feelings overall. "I'll be going away for a little bit. I'm going to Abaven to give birth to my pups." She'd give him a side eye with a small smile, she wasn't sure how surprised he'd be by that news. "But I'm coming back. I think helping wolves in need inside The Hallows just calls out to me." And it was a whole truth. If she felt like she belonged anywhere it had to be here where she was putting her skills to use and healing those in need, especially with The Hallows being neutral with wolves of all alignments. She may have had different feelings when she was younger, but she was molded into a much different woman now as what life had done to her and probably others too she was sure. "I've had a really hard time finding where I belong over the years. But I'm hoping this will be it for me." As they moved on and she spoke, she would veer off again towards the trunks and roots of some of the larger trees. She was looking for Trillium, it had a number of different uses that would be good for the upcoming winter or just for general use. She'd willingly listen to anything Sota wanted to speak about or open up about. She after all felt a different way when they were together. Maybe she just felt like being around him didn't remind her of any of her old ties to the world. Tyranis, or her first litter of children. Or even one of the many packs she was in. She felt very comfortable around Sota but even just a bit happier too if anything. She'd stop at the rare white flowers growing through the roots of the wetland tree trunk. She'd place her current herbs down beside her while she picked the few Trillium flowers at the root and started to put them in a pile in preparation for their next search. She'd be happy to go back to The Hallows with just the Trillium and the Marshmallow, but she was sure there was one more herb they could give a try at before heading back. Total Word Count: 1,831 words Word Count Goal: 2,500 words Walk "Talk" Think

"Pups?" Sota perked up almost instantly, looking surprised. Maybe he had noted her weight gain, but he hadn't paid much mind to it at all - it wasn't his place anyway. "Congratulations," he offered, glancing back her way with a gentle smile. Pups were always a good thing, as far as he was concerned. It wasn't something he himself thought he was ready for anytime soon, but he was glad that they'd have more pups running around... or so he hoped. She confirmed she'd be coming back, which meant her pups would too. "Well, I wish you a safe birth and I look forward to meeting them." Really, Sota loved children and the prospect of more running around The Hallows sounded good to him. He didn't mind looking after them and giving them guidance where he could; at the very least it gave him something to do, and he was content to keep busy as much as possible these days.

He smiled at her thoughtful words. She was probably twice his age, and had a lot more life experience, but he could relate to how she felt - even if just in his own way. "I understand that myself. I'm hoping the same for me." At the very least, it was a thought worth exploring. He couldn't possibly go home now after so much time away, and likewise the thought of roaming aimlessly for a purpose seemed like a waste of time. Maybe he was exactly where he was meant to be. Once that thought had stuck with him, he was having a hard time releasing it. This world was different than the one he'd been born into. The Songa had emphasized self-preservation and honor. The importance of raiding and theft had been stressed, though Sota found himself wondering if a different sort of life might be more meaningful to him. Sure, when he was in a better condition he could steal a meal out from someone's nose before they knew what was happening, but what did that matter? All that stuff seemed wildly unimportant when you had a group willing to work to support one another, and he'd never cared much about honor anyway. So long as he was being the best version of himself and being kind to those around him, he found himself not really caring about much else.

He watched as she gathered another plant, sneaking forward to give it a little sniff. Having noticed some a few yards back, he directed himself back that way and gathered a few flowers for her, hoping he was harvesting them properly. "I never thought I'd fit in here - not in the Hallows, but this whole world. When I first came here, I was terrified. Everyone was so big. I felt like a child living among giants," he admitted as he headed back over to her, gingerly dropping the flowers at his forepaws for a moment. He'd been only a yearling then, if he was remembering right, and everything had been so unknown. How quickly that had changed. "All the wolves I grew up with were small. Even you'd be considered a giant among them," he let out a chuckle at the thought. Having met many wolves much larger than Aranea, the thought was a laughable one, but it was true. And though that scary newness had faded, he found himself no less enthralled with the wonders of the world the more he traveled and learned - even the hot springs had been quite the find for him, nothing like he'd ever experienced before.

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His congratulations wouldn't go unnoticed. Still, with her feeling more in tune with the pack, it seemed she had only told Resin and now Sota about her new soon to be pups. She would offer a smile in return and see as he would turn back a little to grab some of the trillium he had spotted that she had missed. She wouldn't catch on to know that he thought she would be coming back with her new children. And he was sure to be surprised when she came back without them. But there were a couple different reasons for her leaving them with their father in Abaven, as much as it hurt to think. There wasn't enough resources in the Hallows to foster another litter of pups, but also without Allegro she felt defenseless regardless of the protection the pack would give her. She felt Allegro and Abaven could protect their children better than herself and The Hallows. And unfortunately for Allegro, she wanted to keep pursuing her calling to the healing of other wolves here. As she always had, especially with her interest in Sota in particular, she'd listen intently to what he had to say while he was picking and when he returned. She'd grab her two piles of herbs and flick her head to move on. It seemed she had grown used to speaking through her mouthful of flowers over the years, perhaps she should be looking for a bag to carry everything in. "I was a bit too brave in my younger days. But where I came from before, most wolves were about my size. I was definitely surprised the first time I met you, considering most wolves I met are in fact giants as you say. But can't say I've ever met a grown wolf as tiny as you. Not that it's a bad thing." She gave him a side smile as she approached a thicket of sticks and branches. She'd place her pile of flowers down to look at the brush curiously trying to decide how to find the best way in. She'd look to Sota for only a couple seconds, "I hope you can find your place in The Hallows, or where ever, I've grown to find what would make me happy overall is better than settling." She'd then turn back to the brush and scuffle the half part of her body through in the maze. The sticks scratched at her slightly but it wouldn't bother her too much. Deeper inside the thicket, she'd find that Alder Buckthorn and go to snap the branch off at a thinner part. She struggled a little but wouldn't linger inside the brush for long. She'd come out with two branches of the berries, twigs hanging off of her shoulders from the brittle thicket. She'd see the twigs with a glance of her eye, but wouldn't worry about them in the slightest. "Did you mind carrying the other flowers for me?" This should be well enough to take back to The Hallows, and at least she felt accomplished to bring in the stock before the winter and before her leave. And all in good company at that. Total Word Count: 2,954 words Word Count Goal: 2,500 words Walk "Talk" Think

Aranea didn't correct him on his assumptions and so he didn't press the matter. He was the type to keep to himself anyway - no doubt when she returned without her children he wouldn't ask her directly anyway. It simply wasn't his place to pry into the affairs of others, even if he was curious. Regardless of the circumstances, bringing forth life into the world was always a beautiful thing and Sota was happy to be a friend for her through it, even if it just meant accompanying he while she went herb-collecting.

Her words earned a delighted little chuckle. It was a strange thought that some wolves might consider his small size a detriment, at least in these lands. "Believe it or not, where I was raised, it was seen as esteemed to be my size. Any smaller and you'd practically be worshiped!" He exclaimed, sounding a bit entertained at the thought. Sometimes he wonder if he would've risen in the ranks of the Songa, but he'd never been driven by fame and fortune as so many of his peers had been. Even his best friend had abandoned his dreams in search of love - and Sota truly hoped somehow he'd found it, even if he'd never know the end of that story.

He nodded and offered a kind smile at her words. She was wiser than he could ever hope to be at her age, he'd already decided. "Settling isn't really my style, but I've learned I'm pretty adaptable. I think I could make my home just about anywhere. But only time will tell if it'll remain my home forever," Sota admitted with a content sigh. Currently, The Hallows was precisely what he needed, even if he might feel differently next year or even next week. One thing he'd learned was that taking life day by day wasn't such a bad thing, that it was okay to not know where tomorrow would bring him. This was all he really needed for now though, simple moments like this. He watched with a furrowed brow as Aranea ventured into the thicket, moving to pluck a few stray twigs from her coat as she returned. "You got it!" He agreed, happily to grab the flowers she'd been talking about it from and begin their trip back to The Hallows.

-fin!-