While she had been wandering Auster for a considerably long time- most of her life really. It seemed that there were always new things to be seen if you only looked hard enough to see them. It was easy for her to recall a time that she had traipsed around the edge of this particular wood before- but never cut through the middle of it. However, today she found herself doing just that- but for good reason. Kiliaen was after a specific elusive herb, identified by the name of Wintergreen. It grew all year long, so it wasn't that timing was the issue. But it was rather finicky when it came to the conditions that it would grow. It was the kind of plant that did best in a bright spot but ultimately concealed from direct sunlight. Shaded, but not dark. It was going to be a challenge, but she was prepared and looked forward to her casual hunting trip.

With those specifications, she thought she would try searching through the Grapevine Cathedral, and as she got deep into the territory, she was not disappointed with her gut feeling. There were only small halos of sunshine that broke through the dense canopy, the rest of it was shrouded to some degree or another. The jewel-toned atmosphere was dyed a deep color of emerald as far as the eye could see. However, the ground was covered in very little plant growth other than an even carpet of feathery grass. It was the lack of direct light that made everything so lush. But while the general absence of ground cover might be a discouraging sign to some, it left her with a sense of confidence that if Wintergreen grew here, there would be no missing it. In her search, she would just have to pay special attention as to where the drafts of light fell. And with that, she should be able to find what she was looking for without a huge hassle. Simple enough. Unfortunately, it was likely going to be easier said than done. But at the very least, it was a nice day for a walk through the woods.
360 / 1500 Words

As she aged, Rheum found herself feeling more and more adventurous. Willing to go farther on her own, without the escort of her uncle or parents, Rheum actually enjoyed the journeys. Sometimes traveling alone was more fun than with someone else. You could go at your own pace and stop whenever you wanted. She knew her uncle was a patient man but could tell at times that he didn't particularly care for her frequent stops.

Today was one of those days when she found herself alone. Headed west along the coast, Rheum began heading inward toward a place she had only been once before. Before she had left home, she had heard her mother and Tenshi talking about what plants they were low on. One stuck out to her because she hadn't ever heard of it before. Wintergreen. They had mentioned how it was hard to find but the ideal plant to have for headaches and other mild pains. There supposedly weren't any significant side effects which was another good reason to keep it in stock. Plus it supposedly had a nice minty flavor!

Wanting to be helpful, Rheum continued to make her way to the Grapevine Cathedral. While she wasn't sure she had seen it the last time she had been here, it was the only place she could think of that matched the description her mother gave her. Bright but out of the direct rays. Remembering how the canopy had holes for sunlight to beam down into, she hoped her guess was right! Hurrying her steps, she ducked beneath a few branches and entered the domed cathedral. Distracted by her search, she almost didn't notice the girl she had met before, Kiliaen.

Rheum smiled in a friendly manner when her nose picked up the familiar scent. Turning her gaze from her goal, she let her tail wag a few times as she headed over to Kiliaen. Letting out a quiet boof so the girl knew it was her, she stopped a few feet away. "We meet again," her voice is soft as she looks the girl over. Appearing to be in good health, Rheum isn't worried right away. "Are you staying here?" She asks curiously with a small tilt of her head.

Word count 734/1500

While her search had begun with confidence, over time, she became quite humbled in her pursuit. Kiliaen came in with the expectation that her hunt might be on the challenging side. But before she even had time to absorb the shift of light, she had suddenly spent the better part of an afternoon searching for the elusive wintergreen. Her path was like a child's game of 'connect the dots' through the waning halos of light. At each stop, a thorough investigation of the surrounding vegetation.  While the plant should be with its signature red berry this time of year- she couldn't rule out that the fruit had already been eaten by another animal ... or even if it had fallen off and died. And in an atmosphere that was already stained emerald, imaginably so, there was some difficulty identify the plant that was already green that lacked any other blatantly obvious distinguishing features.  

After what seemed like her hundredth stop through Grapevine Cathedral- the hundredth opportunity for a trickling annoyance to cut through her resolve, she could no longer hold back her frustration. With a surge of emotion, she huffed an aggressive exhale followed by a deliberate swipe through the plush grass with flexed nails. She felt resistance from the ground- her claws raking down to the dirt before it was all said and done. Of course, it would be at this moment that she recognized that she was no longer alone. Kiliaen quickly composed herself, taking the opportunity to more thoroughly scent the air.

As she turned into the soft breeze that filtered through the trees, she was met with a familiar girl- or young lady as it was. As she came into earshot and offered that of a friendly greeting, the emotion from her own earlier outburst was already fading away. "So it would seem! I hope life has treated you well since our first meeting." Kiliaen answered genuinely. Looking the girl over, there wasn't any evidence that she immediately noticed that would indicate otherwise. Though, she wasn't given long to complete her silent examination before she was met with a question of pleasantries. "Not quite," The older fae began. "Not far though. I've been staying around God's Garden- a meadow northeast of here." She introduced, but then wondered if Rheum was familiar. "I'm not sure if you've seen it for yourself, or not, but it has an astounding variety of plant life. Beautiful at the very least, even if you aren't as interested in the gardening aspect of things." Kiliaen finished, painting a better picture of what appeals it had to offer on the assumption that her company had never been.

On the topic of plants, she hesitated a moment before continuing. "That's actually the reason why I'm here today ... I'm after something that doesn't grow out that way." Kiliaen introduced, allowing her gaze to drift away from Rheum to pan the surrounding forest. "I'm looking for a specific plant, it usually has quite a bit of red berries on it this time of year. It generally stays low to the ground, and has teardrop-shaped leaves ..." Kiliean trailed off, her amber gaze returning to the strawberry-tinted fae for a moment before continuing on. "It's called Wintergreen. Have you ever heard of it?" She asked out of polite curiosity. At this point, she would take all the help she could get.

However, just as soon as the words left her lips, a small, freckled splash of red caught her attention in the distance. Her heart lurched in disbelief, as she immediately narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me," Was all she was able to manage to her company. Neglecting an explanation, Kiliaen turned on her heels, approaching what she was hesitant to trust to be the treasure she had been hunting. But the closer she got, the more sure she became. As the excitement of success flooded her soul, she called back with fevered enthusiasm. "Nevermind! This is it!" And there was so much of it! More than she would harvest for herself- but perhaps that would leave more for future harvests if she could memorize where it grew. In her exhilaration, she couldn't help but begin collecting what she had spent so long looking for. But after taking only a few cuttings, she remembered that she wasn't alone. Sheepishly looking back to Rheum, she cleared her throat. "There is plenty to take if you would like to gather some as well." Even if she wasn't medicinally inclined herself, perhaps there was someone back home that was. One could always stand to have an extra pain reliever around just for safekeeping- and that was only the beginning of Wintergreen's benefits.

1513 / 1500

It was not lost to Rheum that Kiliaen appeared frustrated. The slight twinge of the other fae's expression was apparent, but Rheum wouldn't push on it. No, she was more interested in listening to the description of God's Garden. The clearing she spoke about was indeed a location she hadn't been to previously but had made a note to make her way there eventually. Rheum was always polite if not on the quiet side as she allowed Kiliaen to lead the conversation. Nodding at appropriate times, she didn't find it rude when the fae suddenly broke away.

Tracking the girl's movements with her own yellow eyes, Rheum followed silently. Taking her gaze off of Kiliaen as the girl stopped in front of a gathering of bright red berries, Rheum let out her own little gasp. "I actually came here to look for Wintergreen as well," her soft voice confirms as she smiles away Kiliaen's sheepish expression. "I would love to gather some to take back to my pack," she steps forward and begins to gather with Kiliaen. Their companionable silence was sprinkled with small talk as they picked what they could carry before taking their own separate ways.

Word count 1500+/1500