Halo was still learning what familiar plants grew where. Such was life, now that she was making her life somewhere new. Getting the lay of the land and all, it was so much. The tenderhearted girl was easily overwhelmed, taking care of herself would mean taking things fairly slowly. Not that she would– there were the needs of her pack to attend to, and she would do what she needed to. Those needs largely had to do with the patching and binding of wounds. Cuts and scrapes, bites and various other damage that came from fighting. A pack filled with warriors, she had to be prepared. It was with horsetail on the mind that Halo set out, gaze keen. She wouldn’t stray too far from the Armada home, but she needed to check the wet, soggy soils of the mangrove. The girl would make an attempt to bring home what she could carry, as long as the roots stayed intact. Maybe she’d be able to cultivate it in her bed of herbs. The mid afternoon sun was pleasant, and really, she was in a decent mood. Not a bad day at all for an adventure.

Life was slowly returning to normal... well, mostly normal. At least Gloom was recovering, though her normal (and his normal, for that matter) wasn't what most would consider normal. But it was their normal and for now that was enough for him. Wasn't like he'd ever really had big hopes for life, not since he was a child - now he spent most of his waking hours in a strange half-conscious state, torn between daydreaming and reality. It was no doubt a coping mechanism and he was vaguely aware of it, but whatever helped him get through the day, right? It'd been a long time since he'd visited the mangrove, but today seemed as fine a day as any to visit. Strawberry, his little finch friend, seemed to take a quick liking to the place. She flitted up ahead of him, swooping from one tree branch to the next, occasionally diving low to the ground in search of something to eat. Now that the lands were returning to life she too seemed to be more herself and he was beyond pleased with her company. Distracted by watching her red form disappear and reappear as she put on a show for him, he slowed when the scent of another touched his nose. Apparently she was much closer than he'd realized. Slowly, he veered around one of the trees and paused abruptly when the pale figure of a stranger popped up in his field of vision. "H-h-hello," he stammered lamely, tail instinctively tucking between his hind legs.

Halo was finding her new normal. So it goes, when you have to completely start over. Maybe that was the source of the gloom that seemed to color her world. A grey filter through which to view pretty much everything, even on the good days. It wasn't so much that it bothered her, just a fact of being. Still, certain things were enough to bring her to life. She's softly grateful for the sun warm around her shoulders, and the warmth of the spring day. Grateful as she was, there was still the anxiety that came with being away from the safety of the Armada boundary. Horsetail. She needed horsetail, and she would keep her gaze trained on the ground until she found it. Halo didn't realize there was someone out here until he spoke. The tenderhearted girl nearly jumped out of her skin-- how could she be so stupid. After the predator incident, how could she be caught unaware like this? Though her heart pounded in her chest, when she finally lifted her gaze to look at the man, she was a bit surprised. His tail tucked between his legs. As her pulse returned to normal, Halo was able to steady herself. "I'm sorry," her eyes were still wide, both ears pressing downward. "I, um, was just looking for some herbs," Halo rambled, nervous. She felt the need to explain... heck, she could probably explain herself out of existence at this rate. "Sorry," had she taken over the same spot he was searching? Oh no.

Though he was momentarily frozen in his tracks by spotting a stranger, Strawberry's light birdsong helped ease his nerves enough to keep him grounded. The day was bright and forgiving and the sun felt warm against his cheeks, and no matter what else was happening he still had those things. He inhaled sharply as the stranger noticed him, trying to steady himself on paws that seemed to suddenly sway beneath his slender frame. "D-don't apologize," Spirit assured her quickly. As if keeping an eye on the two, Strawberry flew to a low-hanging branch and paused her flight to observe them.. not that she could do anything at all to protect him, but he was comforted by her watchful eyes anyway. "M-maybe I could help?" He offered timidly, his ears flicking as he tried to gauge her reaction to his proposal. Now that his sister wasn't ill he didn't feel quite so pressed to replenish his store of herbs; he could definitely help her out if she needed it. Might as well return the favor he'd gotten searching, right?

The soft bird song really was pleasant. Don't apologize, his words came, and though he tried to reassure her, Halo... well, she's Halo. "Sorry," apologizing for apologizing was pretty much the way things went for her. The tenderhearted creature was sheepish, averting her eyes. He really was tall, and dwarfed her significantly. Still, it seemed he really was no threat. Her pulse was beginning to steady, returning to normal... as normal as it ever was. His offer took Halo by surprise, her gaze flickering back to his face once more. "Only if you want to, and you're not busy," her words came quickly, before she could stop them. Honestly, she was just glad to not be quite so alone out here. The mangrove seemed like it could harbor some fairly scary predators, and Halo did tend to worry. "Did you come out here for herbs too?" The question was quiet, as her fear started to ebb away it was replaced with curiosity.

Spirit gave his head a little shake, trying to dismiss her worries as best as he could. If anything he felt like he was the one who ought to be apologizing, waltzing up on her accidentally and interrupting whatever she was doing. Fortunately for them both, the smaller wolf didn't seem bothered by his presence - well, not really. Maybe she seemed a little bit nervous and unsure of him but Spirit couldn't blame her for that. He was glad when she accepted his offer to help, his apprehensive features abruptly breaking into a shy but clearly enthused smile. "I-I'd love that," he admitted swiftly. "N-no. I mean, not really. I'm learning, but mostly I came here just to clear my head," he admitted. Now that Gloom was recovering he didn't feel quite so hard-pressed so search for herbs, but replenishing his stores wasn't a bad idea either. "W-what are you looking for? A-anything specific? Oh - I'm Spirit," he added sheepishly.

It was hard to truly bother Halo. She was the patient sort, likely why she was so good with puppies, and likely why she made for a good healer. Gentle as well, the girl regarded the taller boy carefully but softly. Every part of her was so incredibly soft. Maybe that softness was a weakness, but she wasn't fussed. In the scheme of the world, there were far worse things to be. His enthusiasm was a balm to the nerves of the tenderhearted creature. "If you have any questions I can try to help answer them," her gaze was soft, starting to lead the way over the soggy ground. While not the most experienced healer, Halo was familiar with the way things her parent's nomadic band did things. "Do you want to talk about it?" Though Halo was a stranger to him, if he needed to clear his head, maybe she could help. Emotional support healer on duty, if you will. "I'm Halo," she introduces herself in turn. Spirit, another name for the growing list she needed to keep inside her head. He was tall, but stepped lightly like she did. The pale girl walked beside him, gaze flickering for only a moment to his face. "It's nice to meet you." Her smile was meek, but genuine. As he asked what she was on the hunt for, the girl's tail twitched at her haunches. "Horsetail is what I'm mostly interested in, but I don't know if we'll find any out here. I um, I haven't been around for long, so I'm still learning where things are." Softly, Halo explained. When she didn't know exactly what to say, she had a habit of rambling. "If we're lucky, maybe we can find some trillium. I'd love to take some home with the roots intact to plant in my garden." Her words were gentle, filling the space between them. Halo looked curiously to Spirit once more, for just a moment. "Where are you from?" It's a gentle kind of curiosity. She was still learning about each of the packs, and the homes they kept. From there, her eyes tracked back to the ground, once more looking for her quarry.

Though he wouldn't mind replenishing some of his stores, maybe some herbs to help boost her immunity would be useful, as well as some herbs just in case she got sick again. Maybe something to help them both sleep would be good too; sleep didn't come as easily these days as it once had. Sometimes Spirit wondered if it ever would again, but that seemed the least of his worries when he was alive and well, and so were Gloom and Void. Really, he couldn't ask for much else.

"T-things have just been... hard. M-my sister was sick for awhile, but she's better now, though I still worry about her all the time," he admitted bashfully. Talking about himself, especially to near strangers, wasn't something he was used to doing and so he quickly dismissed those thoughts in favor of focusing on Halo, which she introduced herself as. He allowed a small smile to touch his lips as he nodded in understanding. "I-it's nice to meet you too," Spirit managed timidly. Small talk wasn't his biggest strength and so he was glad when the topic shifted to something much easier for him to talk about: plants.

Not only was she a healer, but she had a garden? His eyes widened with interest and he realized he was gawking slightly. "A.. garden?" Spirit repeated. He liked the sound of that, of tending to his own private garden rather than aimlessly wandering in search of plants he needed. He'd heard of horsetail but wasn't sure he knew what trillium was. "M-my pack is.. Abaven. It's just a bit north of here," he explained. "W-what about you? You have a garden, so you live close? Oh - we can start looking. I know what horsetail looks like," Spirit told her quickly, his words an anxious jumble as they spilled out quickly before he was too afraid to say anything at all.

Halo's gaze on the man was soft, tail wagging gently at her haunches. She was soft, understanding. Though Halo had gotten here just on the tail end of the sickness, and she'd live entirely in the aftermath of it. Life here would likely never be the same, and they'd come together and learn how to move along after. "You worry because you care, it's okay to worry," the words were soft. "Just try to treat yourself like you're someone you care about too." Halo had to remind herself of the same thing regularly. She'd do well to take her own advice... baby steps. "Have you been taking care of yourself, as well?" It was a soft question, and maybe a bit of a rhetorical one. A reminder. Always gentle reminders. Plants were far easier to talk about, and Halo was grateful for the change of subject. He asked of her garden-- the pale healer's eyes were alight. "I have an herb garden near my den, I'm learning what grows well here," her voice was small, and she nodded when Spirit said they could start walking. Halo moved with soft steps over the marshy ground of the mangrove, gaze trained on the ground. "Very close, I live with the Armada." And she was proud of that fact. The tenderhearted girl was relaxed, paying more attention to the ground than really anything else-- including where she was going. That was okay though. "I haven't met anyone from Abaven before," it was a soft comment. "Is there anything that I can help you look for?" Two sets of eyes were better than one, after all.

Spirit wasn't sure he'd ever met anyone quite as soft and kind as Halo, but even her warmth couldn't quite melt through his anxious exterior.. though he was put slightly at ease regardless. Her words didn't seem to quite sink in to his head though. He'd never worried about himself, no matter how terribly he was doing. At least he looked like he almost could pass for someone who took care of themselves - though he was still unusually thin for a pack wolf. "Y-yeah," he started, his voice nearly a whisper. "I-I guess so."

Her herb garden sounded so lovely. His eyes remained wide with interest as they walked together, and he tried to envision what such a thing might look like within Abaven's lands. Maybe he could recruit Gloom to help him work on something like that once she was fully recovered - maybe a project would do her some good and help calm her down when she was feeling anxious. He quite liked that idea, the more he thought of it, and he expected Strawberry would too. Halo explained she lived in a pack called the Armada. He'd never heard of it, but he didn't really pay attention to much outside of what was going on in his own head, and his immediate surroundings. "N-no. I'm happy to help you though," Spirit admitted honestly, his tail giving a slow but steady wag behind him as he trailed after her, occasionally glancing around in search of the one herb she was looking for that he felt he could identify.

I guess so, but Spirit didn't sound so sure. Halo looked to the man, lavender gaze soft on his face. She thought for a moment, but didn't want to pressure him. After all, the boy was still basically a stranger... but she could worry. Still, Halo felt a little safer walking beside him. There was safety in numbers. He was long legged, quite tall-- taller than Halo, but shorter than a lot of the Fatalis wolves she lived with. He had light steps, and was maybe a bit suspiciously thin. That was okay, though. Beneath Halo's fluffy coat, she was too. Still recovering from being on her own for a bit too long, and that would take time. "Just... be kind to yourself, okay?" Her gaze was soft on Spirit's face, and it held for just a moment. "Maybe if it's okay with Sirius, and if you want to, I can show you my garden sometime?" It was a gentle offer, but Halo was happy to share what she'd learned so far. Healers would always do well to learn from each other, or at least, she thought so. The pale girl's steps over the ground were easy, careful. With her keen gaze, she checked each of the plants on the ground in turn. The land out here was so lush and lovely, and Halo would let herself to be absorbed in it. "Thank you," the words were soft, a bit of a smile on her lips. Spirit's company was nice. "What's Abaven like?" Halo couldn't help herself, she wanted to know. The question was gentle. There were so many different packs, and learning their different ways of being, ways of life, was something that fascinated the tenderhearted girl. Genuine interest rang clear as she walked with the man.

Self-care wasn't something he was at all familiar with; he focused so much on those around him, from his mother and his long search for her, and now to his sister. She needed Spirit's help much more than he needed his own, and that was enough for him. He gave a little nod at her words, though was much more interested in what she had to say about her garden. Visiting sounded a bit terrifying - no, it sounded a  lot terrifying. He didn't know anything about packs besides Abaven and wasn't sure he was ready to find out. But he nodded politely at her suggestion, deciding if she really wanted her to visit he could push aside his nervousness to try. "Y-yes, I'd love that," he half-lied. He really would like to see it, he just wasn't sure he was brave enough.

And speaking of other packs.. what was Abaven like? The question suddenly seemed impossible, like something he couldn't begin to answer. "I-it's home to me," he started to explain quietly, his pace slowly slightly. "M-most of the wolves in Abaven are my family. W-we don't really get involved in the business of other packs. I-I guess we're neutral. It's quiet there." Was that what she wanted to know? He wasn't sure he'd given a very good answer.

As long as Sirius said it was alright, Halo would be happy to show the man her garden. The wolves of the Armada were a more warlike people, and (other than Sedna), they didn't really appreciate the work she'd put into it. The Warlord did, but he didn't really... understand it. And that was okay, different strokes for different folks. But still, it was nice to have the company of another healer, of someone who would get it. Halo had put so much work into it, the idea that there was someone who'd understand... yeah, that was cool.

A home, a family... she was still getting used to that. She was getting used to the idea of having a family. Halo continued browsing the ground for herbs. Trillium would be so useful, and awfully good to find. It was a rare one, though, and Halo wouldn't get her hopes up. "Did you grow up there?" Maybe it was too intrusive, but the pale healer couldn't help herself. A moment of living vicariously through someone who'd come up through an environment she couldn't even dream of. There was something wistful in her tone. Family. Who would have thought. Maybe she could view the members of the Armada with the same warmth. Maybe.

In a particularly moist spot in the soft earth, something caught Halo's eye. With long, bouncing steps, the girl approached the plant. "Spirit, come look!" Excitement. Genuine excitement. "This is trillium, I'm actually surprised we were able to find some," her tail wagged. With her gaze bright, the girl looked to the much taller man. What an excellent find.
"Halo"

The question caught him off-guard, though it shouldn't have. "N-not really. My mom and I, we got separated from Abaven for awhile. W-we've always been back and forth, but I'm not leaving now," he said quietly. The truth was that he'd only leave if his sister wanted to, but he didn't need to get into the finer details of things, not with this woman he'd just met.

He padded along after her, beaming when she told him they'd found some trillium after all. He was glad, though he was beginning to feel the nagging feeling he ought to be heading back home soon. He just hoped he might find her again, and that he might find the bravery to ask to see her garden next time. "I-I should probably head back home. B-but... thank you, for spending time with me," Spirit smiled sheepishly before bidding his farewell and heading back to Abaven's lands.

-exit Spirit-