Well that's new
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Kiyo had ventured much farther west than she’d ever been before in search of herbs, particularly those for coughs or colds. Winter was in full swing in most of Boreas, meaning snow layered the ground and destroyed most herbal vegetation. However, she knew in most western coasts the weather was much more fair and arid, meaning the cold didn’t reach it quite as harshly. She hoped that she could be able to find some herbs, specifically watercress, that she couldn’t find in her neck of the woods.
Her journeys took her dangerously close to the borders of many packlands that she hadn’t encountered before, turning it into a several day journey, and as she went, the nights seemed to get longer and longer. Her companions and her would cuddle up in the evenings with a well lit fire, staring warily into the darkness that always seemed to have eyes peering back at them. Strange colored fireflies, the likes of which she’d never seen before, dotted the landscape, hovering and darting to and fro. It was mesmerizing, really, but it made her feel unsettled in many ways, sending creepy crawlies tip toeing up her skin.
Kiyo, Yui and Aki were out traveling later than they would have liked, but they’d finally made it along the coast and had been collecting some herbs late at night. In the distance, she’d seen the sheen of light the huge moon had cast on the surface of the small pool of water garnered by the oasis. The trio had happily headed to it, looking for a respite for the evening that carried much needed refreshments. The pool would no doubt be fresh water, which was hard to come by, it seemed, in the area they had come across. As she got closer, she realized that they would have company. He was a large man, though not nearly as large as her son and his brood, and cloaked in a base of ruddy cream. It was overlaid in black, as if a shadow was being cast over him and she had half a mind to look upward to make sure he wasn’t about to be ambushed. She noticed a hawk dip down from the sky to land near him, and his deep voice echoing off of the stone and dunes that surrounded the oasis showed that, perhaps, it was his companion.
As she neared, she was able to see what he had been speaking of. The plants glowed a strange hue she’d never seen before, aside from on the algae that sometimes washed up on the shores of the Archipelago. Her silver gaze narrowed in suspect and alarm flared through her when she saw the man reaching out toward it, her pace lurching forward to a trot. “I wouldn’t touch that,” she warned, unable to see that he had rested his paw just nearby. “In my experience, things that glow usually do so as a warning to those that may want to harm them,” she expressed. Her long, luxurious tail, which, at present, was tied up neatly in a bow on her rump, gave a twitch and she offered a friendly smile to replace the concern that had previously marred her gentle face. Her companions moved to remove the medical bag that clung to her shoulders, though they eyed the man warily to be sure he wouldn't pose a threat to their lady.
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It seemed the man had the same thoughts in mind, agreeing with her statement to not touch them. She gave a nod in approval. He explained that he’d been there before and hadn’t seen them glow as they were and her head tilted to the side, her ghostly silver gaze looking down at the plants with even more curiosity. It really was odd that they would begin to glow out of nowhere. She’d never experienced anything like it, and, it seemed, neither had her company.
He asked her what might have caused them to glow, likely noting her pack and outing her as a healer. Aki and Yui busied themselves making camp, setting up bedding from their own packs and beginning to garner sticks for a fire to stave off any cold that may have threatened to move in. “I’m not sure, to be honest. I don’t believe I’ve heard of a plant suddenly beginning to glow when it had not previously. Perhaps there is something in the dirt, or in the water?” she suggested, suddenly eyeing the oasis’ water warily. After all, the plants had to pull from somewhere. Then, she jolted, suddenly aware she had not yet introduced herself. “My apologies, where are my manners? My name is Hattori Kiyo, though please call me Kiyo,” she said, offering a low bow of her antlered head.
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He introduced himself as a man named Drachen, a name she hadn’t come across yet, and labeled himself as coming from a pack called Valhalla. She tried to remember if her son or daughter-in-law had told her about the pack in question, but she drew a blank. She assumed they were neutral, because she certainly knew the names of packs that they had conflict with or were allied with. She gave a nod in acknowledgement and, by the look in his gaze, she could tell he wanted her to elaborate on Ashen. “Valhalla,” she mimicked, testing the name on her tongue but likely failing. English was not her native language, as was evident by the accent that laid itself upon her words, and names outside of either Japanese or English alluded her entirely. “I come from the Ashen Empire, to the East,” she replied, allowing him that knowledge.
He got to his paws, asking if she would like to inspect the water with him and she thought on it for a moment before getting to her own dainty paws. Surely it wouldn’t hurt, and she could potentially collect a sample while she was at it to test it on the herbs back in the Empire to see if they would produce the same glowing effect.
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