Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn fussed with the mountain goat hide, using her teeth to try folding it over her left front paw while holding it in place with the other paw. Her companion Tahmores snatched up a piece of leather cord and attempted to assist her. She was determined to make herself some little booties to keep her feet warm when traveling in the north during winter. She already had a fur cap made, though it was a bit awkward to wear as it flattened her ears.

Nearby in the grass was a mess of scraps of hide and a few booties that were ok, but not what she wanted. At least the sun was out. The breeeze was chilly and she nestled down in the grass, listening to the soothing sounds of it rustling while she worked. She was glad the pack that had been here was gone now and she could experience this land fully. It was just a shame the weather wasn't a bit warmer. Well, if she could just get clothing figured out it wouldn't be an issue in the future.

Birna watched Jynn, curiosity alive in her eyes. It had never occurred to her to make coverings out of hide. Then again she had no reason to. The snow leopards coat was thick, plush, and made for extreme cold. If anything she needed a way to keep cool in the sweltering summers of Boreas but adding on layers would probably not aid her in that respect. Instead she preferred to just skirt around the seasons, to move as the weather moved and with starting a small reindeer herd that would be for the best anyway. Reaching out a paw for some of Jynn's scraps she turned them over in her uniquely dexterous paws.

Speech

Venom paced along with her long lost brother, curious to get a little insight that delved deeper than their brief reunion when he joined Ashen. She did take note of his activity within the pack, so she wished to take him on a scouting mission with her. Venom frequented the territories around Ashen, just to keep an eye on the goings on. That was becoming more difficult with the proximity of everyone else around her, but that wasn’t a thought for today.

The pair of them walked the old Armada lands, swaying through the grasses before Venom noticed a pair of predators. On guard the Empress led Incubus forward, but she relaxed visibly at the sight of them. They looked familiar, Venom couldn’t remember if they had met before. However, the maned wolf looked to be struggling with a crafting project, and Venom’s motherly side stepped forward. She gave a quick glance towards Incubus before saying, "You look like you could use a little help there.” Venom tilted her head slightly in question before she added, "May I?”

"Venom"

Incubus was rather pleased to accompany the Empress on a bit of a scouting mission. He'd been doing his part in meeting his pack mates and assisting where he could but he hadn't spent much time with Venom since their reunion. She was a busy woman with an Empire to run and so many moving parts with family, so he didn't expect much attention at all. Thus, when she had invited him out he accepted without a second thought. Pink and blue eyes scanned the plains for any activity. The stench of the Armada still lingered, it'd likely take a long time to wash away due to the length of their stay. He was rather curious as to why they moved in the first place. When Incubus was a youngling Ashen and Armada were rather intertwined. - As inky jaws parted to reveal his curiosity he watched Venom's attention flick to two bodies in the distance. Jaws shut as he took in the forms and they moved closer. Incubus tensed slightly in those moments, to find others so close to the border, but as the distance closed a rather wholesome scene was revealed. A dark brow raised as their steps slowed to a complete stop. Incubus silently took in the Maned Wolf and their feline counterpart. The two were making some sort of clothing out of leather. Pink and blue eyes flicked to the pile of booties before looking back to the pair they were working on. - To his surprise, without hesitation, the Empress stepped in and offered to help. He caught her glance and offered a little cock of his head but nothing more. The male watched the two strangers as Venom stepped closer, he was prepared to step in if anything got weird. Honestly, it was the large Clouded Leopard he was mostly weary of. Such an impressive creature could surely take down a Wolf easier then the Maned Wolf.  - For the moment he remained still and observant. Facial features relayed none of his weariness, really they relayed nothing but simple neutrality.

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn was really starting to wish she had a bird or monkey companion but she would never willingly banish either of hers. Though if the jaguar had decided she had had enough and wandered off that was one thing. Tahmores was her best friend. She couldn't imagine him going anywhere. As she nipped a piece of the hide her ears shifted in response to movement in the grass. Her head snapped up and she saw a pair of wolves approach them. She wasn't sure what to think at first but they didn't seem aggressive and the female stepped forward to offer her assistance.

Jynn smiled. "Hey there! Sure, I'd appreciate the help. My name is Jynn, are you an artisan?"

Birna fiddled with a thin strand of leather, trying to see if she could weave it through the holes with her dexterous thumbs more easily than Jynn, if just to poke at the canine a bit. When her traveling companion snapped to attention, Birna followed suit. Her ears were keen but not as keen as Jynn's hearing. She kept her hind legs tucked beneath her as a pair of strangers approached. Jynn was more outgoing and quick to accept their approach. Birna was wary yet. She was still growing accustomed to canine body language and she didn't always trust her interpretation. The woman seemed friendly enough, offering to help with the crafting task.

Speech

The cat remained silent, but that was of no consequence to Venom. She was used to Plague’s snow leopard duo who were for the majority, silent and observing creatures. Incubus managed to give her his trust as she communicated subtly to him her intentions. And the maned wolf was surprised, if not friendly as she was confronted by Venom’s intrusion. While the Empress did not have the dexterous paws of some, she could always rely on Poison to back her up. Like he could read her mind, the giant squirrel leapt to Venom’s back.

"My name is Venom, and not quite, but I have a decent amount of crafting experience.” SHe told the woman as she made herself comfortable before the strangers. "My friend here is the real crafter though.” She introduced the squirrel as he scampered down her shoulder and began to work over the supplies. "I assume you’re working on some warm shoes. These can be kind of tricky,” Poison lifted to pieces of hide for all to see. "You’ll need a sole, the part you’ll be walking on. Its better if this material is more sturdy leather. If you boil it you can make the piece more rigid to better protect your paw pads and to keep it from wearing out swiftly.” She offered as the boots began to come together.

"Venom"

The interesting duo seemed nice enough. The feline showed no aggression but offered no words, much like himself. The skinny russet one offered a pleasantry and an inquiry. To Inc's surprise his sister did most of the talking. Pale eyes watched carefully as the lithe lady got to work. Explaining various tidbits of information as her Squirrel companion got to work. After a few moments to hanging back Incubus drew closer to get a look at the booties they were making. Careful steps were made until he sat down next to the Empress. "Why would one wear these?" Perhaps it was a silly question to these crafty folk but he was genuinely curious and figured he should offer something to the gathering. He surely wasn't going to start crafting a set, this was not his forte.

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn glanced to the squirrel, the movement catching her attention and once again she wondered if she should try to find a companion with more dexterous. She stretched her own toes reflexively. Birna had amazingly dexterous paws but Jynn was not blessed with such a gift. The woman introduced herself as Venom and explained that she had a fair amount of crafting knowledge.

Jynn nodded to Venom and turned to her companion. "Yes, I'd like to find a way to keep my paws warm. I'm not built for the cold northern climates but I still want to explore more of them. Warm coverings on my paws would enable me to explore for longer and be more comfortable while doing so." She looked closely at the pieces of hide as Venom held them up and explained that she would need a sole of more sturdy leather and how to make it.

Birna listened quietly and followed along with the wolf's instructions. While she was not in need of such coverings she was interested in crafting various items, especially those she might be able to trade later. The reindeer would not live forever and she intended to use every bit of those that passed on or had to be culled from the herd. Her ears perked up at the mention of boiling the leather. "That is interesting, I didn't know that boiling the leather would harden it. Is there anything to look out for to know that its boiled long enough?" Birna had an interest in crafting armor and protective coverings as well and hardened leather seemed like a good material to utilize.

Speech

Venom continued to explain as the squirrel used his dexterous paws to help complete the garment. The maned wolf answered Inc’s question, Venom had to admit she found herself agreeing with the woman. If her goal was to explore the northern reached having a pair of leather coverings for her paws would make traveling snow much easier. Though it wouldn’t make sense as much for the snow leopard. Maybe more so for the tropical dweller she had been for so long.

Birna asked her own question about knowing how long the leather should be boiled. "Its funny you ask. The boiled part is the shaping process, you need to start with leather that is tanned with the bark of an oak tree. The toughest leather from a hefty source, like cattle or buffalo.” That was another lesson all together though. "You’ll want a softer material to make up the top so that your toes have more comfort and dexterity.” Venom finished as the squirrel produced one full bootie from the materials provided. The pattern was relatively simple, but quick to make. "They’re not terribly difficult, so if you don’t like walking on the hardened leather you could make the whole shoe from one source more frequently.” Venom ended, ready to answer any more questions.

"Venom"

Pale pink and blue eyes moved around the clearing from crafter to crafter. He took in the process as their paws worked and had to admit he was impressed. Incubus was not the crafty sort nor had he seen such confident work. An inky tail swished to wrap around his side as his question was answered. The leather booties were meant to protect paws from the elements. Inc offered a nod of understanding, he could see how they could help in that way. Personally he couldn't' see himself sporting them. But, if the Maned Wolf needed them to explore, why not? The male quietly listened as the trio talked further about the boiling process. Despite never intending to make booties he felt his curiosity peaking just a tad.

Come down, come down sweet reverence

Jynn listened carefully as Venom continued to speak, her large ears focused soley on the woman. She'd tanned hides with brains before but had never tried it with oak tree bark. She'd have to give that a try some time. It was a shame the hide needed to be from cattle or buffalo. Such large prey was difficult if not impossible for her to take down. She did have Birna with her though, as well as their combined companions.

"Ok, that makes sense. What do you recommend is the best way to keep them on your feet?" That was another area she'd been struggling with. Being a bit of a rambunctious traveler she'd had trouble keeping them on and would occasionally trip over herself.

Birna joined Incubus in listening quietly. Her paws were made for the snow and she did not like the idea of covering them, especially as her claws and electrostatic paws were a key part of her self defense. Instead she hoped to take the knowledge gained here and apply it to other pursuits. She loved hunting and her dexterous paws made crafting easier than for others of her species. She wondered quietly how well the hardened leather could hold water and other materials. Maybe she should use these techniques to make herself a water skin or other type of bag for her travels. Being a nomad meant she had to either carry what she needed or rely entirely on the environment around her.

Speech

Venom had mostly finished the lesson, the best way to make the shoes was to stitch the two pieces together, but she assumed they would have similar results with pine tar glue. Venom wasn’t sure, as she looked at the other faces in their group, if anyone would really get much out of this lesson but Jynn. She couldn’t read the leopard’s face and Inc had long gone silent. The maned wolf went on with another curious question about keeping said booties on her paws.

"There are a couple of options to utilize, it will depend on what you find easiest and most convenient.” Venom started as her white gloved paws idly fiddled with the materials before her. "The first is to make sure your first cuts will fit over your paws snuggly, so you can slip your paw in and out but they stay on your paws while you walk or run.” Venom went on instructively. "Another option is to weave a rope, twine, or string at the top so that you can secure them with the tightened string. If you have a companion with opposable thumbs it would be much easier.” She gestured to Poison once more as the squirrel vaulted to her shoulders.

"Venom"