The return of daylight was not missed on the dark furred child, who found himself constantly searching for new reasons to be out and about. The warmth of the sun on his dark fur, turning the ebony hues iridescent as an oil slick, was unspeakably splendid. He closed his eyes just to feel the warmth on his eyelids, and turned his face up to the cascading rays. The world was burgeoning with life all of the sudden, and more new noises cropped up with each passing day. He was listening to the songbirds that roosted in the rafters of the old barn, they sang with high pitched melodies each time they returned to the nest. Lately, there were more little voices piping up from the nests. The gawky youngster crooned quietly to himself, trying to match the warbling tone of their little songs of the parents feeding their young. Tightening the muscles of his lanky neck and throat, tipping his chin down and to the right- just a little bit down, coil the tongue.. purse the lips a little? Tilt your head like... that! His inner monologue choreographed the movements of his skull until he found himself forming a shaky, pitchy version of the barn swallows' song. Oh so pleased with himself, the boy's scraggly tail beat happily on the terra by his hip. His oversized paws clenched rhythmically at the dirt beneath them, claws digging little furrows into the earth as he massaged the damp soil with delight. Spring was so great, he wanted it to be spring forever. ""

With a small bouquet of feverfew added to his bag Álarr trekked back into Fireside territory to set up his new herbs for drying. He couldn't be more pleased to have the sun back and just in time for spring. The plant life had suffered but at least many of them had been dormant for the winter, sleeping longer than usual and now bursting forth with renewed vigor.

He skittered to a stop as a strange… well, what was that noise? He was fairly certain it was a pup but he hadn't the slightest idea what the noise was meant to be. A howl? Curious he headed for the source of the sound to find a pup that was undoubtedly one of Chaos'. "Hello there, out enjoying the day?"

He felt the approaching pawsteps long before he could hear them approaching, at first they were no more than an imperceptible trembling of the ground beneath him. Then, a rhythmic series of slow thuds, until he could hear them coming closer through the lush grasses that surrounded the old barn. Sightless gaze remained fixed on something in the middle distance, though he did move his muzzle and tip his ears towards the approaching wolf. He'd begun to get very good at distinguishing certain characteristics by scent, but it wasn't entirely foolproof. Sometimes if they had spent time with the livestock right before he ran into them, he couldn't tell who it was- except for his dad, and his siblings. Their scents were branded into his brain by now. This wolf was not one he was familiar with, and his scent mingled with a floral perfume. He was big, he was definitely an adult, and he was... possibly carrying plants. When the voice that accompanied the rest of the wolf met with the gawky child's ears, he was relieved to know he had been at least mostly correct. An adult male, whose voice was coming from way over his head. A lopsided grin split the boy's dark maw, and he let his head loll back a bit. "Listening to the birds," he crooned in his pitchy singsong voice, downy tail thumping against the ground a few more times to really drive his jovial mood home. "making bird sounds, too." there was an undeniable note of pride in his voice as he mentioned that second part. He thought his little harmony with the barn swallows had been excellent, personally. "How come you smell like plants?" he asked next, making a show of sniffing the air a few more times. Yep, definitely some kind of leafy aroma, but he wasn't fully certain what it was. ""

Álarr watched the youth curiously. At first the boy seemed to be staring straight ahead at him and then the little head craned up as if trying to focus on his face. Álarr bent his head down to get a closer look and noted that the boys pupils were large and unfocused. Ahh… it didn't take much to come to the conclusion that the boy was visual impaired. How much was a bit difficult to say but he had to guess a significant amount. The boy explained he was listening to the birds and trying to make sounds like them. Well, that explained the unusual squawking he heard earlier. The boy seemed to be compensating for his sight with his nose for he immediately focused in on the strange scents emanating from Álarr's bag. He smiled softly. "I am the Master Healer of Fireside. I gather herbs to help those that are sick feel better. My name is Álarr."

Despite his eyes not working, he was more than capable of figuring out when someone was getting into his personal space. Which is exactly what the large male did, the faint brush of whiskers and breath sliding over the end of his snout. Most might not have noticed the sensation, preoccupied by the looming face near theirs and obscuring their vision. Without such persuasions, the lanky child screwed his face up at the strange tickling against his nose. As the face withdrew, the man spoke up again. As it turned out, the plants were meant for healing, and he was the best around at helping sick wolves. A curious hum bubbled up in his throat and spilling onto his tongue, auds perked with interest. "So you were helping everyone when the ooze got them?" reedy vocals crooned, and he hauled his front end off the ground so he could sit up and stop craning his neck so awkwardly. He'd learned very quickly that he should at least try to make it seem like he was looking at someone when they spoke. He only remembered after that first question that he was supposed to respond to an introduction with his name. "I'm Raven!" he crowed, much like the raucous bird after which he was named. The gawky youngster didn't want Álarr to think he was rude, and then tell his dad. Getting in trouble sucked. One of the barn swallow parents took flight from the rafters and whizzed out of the doors, left ajar while the rambunctious kids and livestock were let loose for the day. His keen ears picked up on the fluttering of tiny wings, and one of them swiveled immediately to follow the path it took away from the pair of wolves and out towards the distant orchard he hadn't visited yet. ""

Álarr nodded lightly at the child's question before realizing the automatic gesture was not at all helpful. He sighed softly. "I did my best but I too fell ill." He wished dearly he could've done more for Valdís and Ásvor but the harsh reality was that healers were not invincible, nor were they miracle workers. Any healer worth their salt had experienced the loss of a patient. It was a part of the process and the experienced gained no matter how much it might hurt.

"It's nice to meet you raven. If you like you're welcome to walk with me. I was out to gather some healing herbs." He wasn't sure if the boy was interested in healing but perhaps he'd like to get up and move around a bit. Granted Álarr didn't know the first thing about guiding a blind pup but at least the range was fairly flat.

The older wolf informed him that he had tried his best to help the pack, but he’d gotten sick himself. A gentle whine of sympathy bubbled up from his slender throat, and the gawky youngster found himself frowning lightly. ”Well I bet everyone is grateful, and if they’re mad at you for getting sick I can ask my dad to beat them up.“ He assured the large male, nodding safely to himself as he did.

At the offer to come on a little walk to collect herbs, the boy shrugged lightly and got to his paws. ”Sure, can you tell me what they’re for when we find them?” He asked as he stretched out an ungainly forepaw until his toes brushed against the male’s thick foreleg. Now he had a waypoint of sorts, and could figure out where to position himself. ”What kind of stuff do you find around the barn, anyways?” The dark furred youngster questioned in a singsong crook of childlike delight, waiting for the telltale signs of movement from the massive male to prompt him to get moving himself.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips at the boys comments. "I appreciate that, Raven. I don't think that will be necessary." The wolves of Fireside, as far as Álarr knew, were practical and realistic wolves. They knew how the world was and that included the fact that not everything was fool proof and sickness and death would happen regardless of ones skills.

The boy agreed to travel with him and he thought about the useful plants he'd found around the range during his life here. There were many indeed. "Certainly, and there are quite a few useful herbs that grow around here. It will take awhile to find them all. Let's look for Meadowsweet first. It has a distinctly sweet smell. Let's find it first and then I can tell you more about it. One moment." Álarr ruffled around in his bag and pulled out some dried meadowsweet which he set on the ground. "This is what it smells like."

With the minimal distance between them, it was easier for Raven to get an idea of what Álarr was doing at any given moment. The steady rumble of his deep voice felt like it was rattling through the dark furred boy's narrow chest every time he spoke, and it was oddly delightful. Álarr explained that there were plenty of useful plants- herbs, he called them- nearby. A skeptical frown flashed across his dainty features, and the Saxe child had to contain his doubt. If there were so many medicinal herbs around, how come he didn't know about them? Seemed strange. Álarr suggested that they look for meadowsweet first, and offered to tell him more about the herb once they'd found it. All at once, excitement began to simmer beneath his skin and his thin, fluffy tail began to wag gently at his hocks. He waited patiently while the older male made some rustling sounds, leaning closer to the source of the sound until the damp pad of his nose bumped into the soft leather of Álarr's satchel. Ah, he was carrying a bag with his herbs in it. That made sense. The whole thing smelled strongly of plants, various aromas of spice, tang, loam, and sweetness all mingling into an overwhelming concoction that flooded the boy's sensitive nose. Rocking back on his heels, he unleashed a loud sneeze that nearly knocked him off his paws. Once he'd shaken himself vigorously to rid himself of all those smells, and the brief distress of being made to sneeze so violently, he caught the sound of Álarr's voice again. Oh, he was being offered a smell to track. Perfect, he was getting good at that! The susurration of the grasses under a heavy paw drew him forward until he could detect the faint smell of the meadowsweet. Leaning in, he bent his thin elbows until his nose was all but pressed into the grass itself. The herb was primarily sweet smelling, like the name would lead you to believe. However, there was an earthy undercurrent that he couldn't quite name. Oh, wait, yes he could. Nutty. Sometimes the barn swallows dropped seeds and nuts onto the barn floor, and he had become fairly familiar with the notes of their scent. Just enough to be able to identify it now, lingering in the undercurrent of the meadowsweet's scent. "Ooh, I like that." he said simply, straightening up and lifting his nose to the wind. At the moment, the breeze was coming from the west, he thought. He could smell the faint, briny hint of the Rio Grande, with all of its fish headed for the ocean to the south. He couldn't catch any of the notes he'd just smelled from the herbs, though. "You go first, I'll just walk beside you." he decided with a lopsided grin, glancing over in Álarr's direction and waiting for the healer to get moving. It was easy enough to follow a moving target, especially a large one that was moving slowly to accommodate a blind child. ""

Álarr chuckled lightly as Raven sneezed after sniffing his satchel. That was perfectly understandable. He had a good haul in his bag and it was almost time to empty it. Of course he always kept small amounts of his most used herbs on his person at all times if he could. He never knew when he might run into someone in need of assistance and he could trade his services for a hot meal or other items.

He stood patiently as the boy familiarized himself with the smell of the meadowsweet. Scent was valuable in identifying herbs. Some healing herbs had mimics that were poisonous, even fatally so. Sight alone was not a reliable method to telling them apart. "I agree. It is a very pleasant smelling herb." Unlike some he could mention but those would be for another day.

"Very well, I'll start heading straight and you direct me where you want me to go." Álarr started forward slowly, looking for Raven to set the pace and direct the duo to the growing plant.

The older male agreed to lead the way, but that he would let Raven direct them wherever he thought was best. With a quiet nod of assent, the gangly young boy did his best to keep stride with the much larger wolf. As the familiar scents of the barn faded away, there was a greater variety of smells available to catch. Without the overpowering, earthy musk of livestock to cover up anything nearby, he could get a better idea of what was lurking around him. He kept his nose tilted up, searching for the sweet notes that he was already learning to associate with the meadowsweet. "Do you go out all the time to collect plants?" he asked, taking a moment to give himself a break from sniffing about aimlessly. Maybe he could convince Álarr to let him come along, he'd help look for plants if it meant he would be allowed to roam beyond the Fireside borders. While he listened for a response from his companion, the young wolf caught the faintest trace of meadowsweet on the breeze. This was fun! He didn't usually get to do anything like this, where he could put all of his energy to use to hunt for something- aside from hunting down one of his siblings to pester them. A shake of his head and a soft snort, clearing his sinuses so he could draw in another snootful of air. Yeah, that smelled right. "I think there's some this way," he announced, veering right and ambling along as he held his head higher to follow the current he had caught. ""

Álarr worked to slow his pace so the pup wouldn't have to race too much to keep up with him though it took some conscious thought to do so. He was so used to just striding ahead. It was a good reminder to slow down and take in the landscape around him. It was a gorgeous spring day. The sun was shining and the breeze was light and gentle. The sky was a sheet of blue with a few clouds here and there but nothing that spoke of bad weather to come.

"Yes, quite often. Spring is a good time to gather and preserve what I can for the winter." And after such a long winter his stores were almost completely depleted. He listened as the boy directed him. "You're doing well," he encouraged as he followed just a pace behind.