Her youngest daughter's ravenous desire to learn was something that Manea was more than happy to foster and would have taught her anything she had wished to know–if it had been in a subject she was even the slightest bit well versed in. She considered herself fairly talented in a good number of subjects, but healing and the skills that went into it had never been one of those subjects for her. She had leaned on Irilyth for quite some time now through two of her three pregnancies and the numerous times that she and her family had found themselves injured in one way or another. While she certainly didn't doubt Irilyth and Ikigai's ability to teach and share the knowledge that they executed so professionally, she loved Mariah's curiosity and of course wanted to provide for her every wish. She had expressed a desire to learn from everyone and so Manea would make sure she had a chance to do just that.

Knowing that one of Elysium's former healers, Indigo, had taken up residence in one of their near by allied packs, she had made a quick trip to speak with him and Kotori to arrange a lesson with the violet man for her daughter. She wasn't sure if they would make a regular occasion of this or if perhaps they would branch out even further to Ashen or The Hallows for more teachers, but this was a short trip from their borders and certainly the easiest to reach. She neared the borders and paused, giving Mariah a smile. "Here we are!" She then lifted her head, calling for Indigo specifically to come meet them. Since their visit wouldn't be a surprise she didn't expect to be waiting too long. Still, she settled back on her haunches to wait, lifting a paw to gently pat down a bit of ruffled fur on Mariah's back.

"Manea Mendacium"

When Manea called on him for assistance he wasn’t one to say no. She had been kind enough to house them for a time, and even if he and Aslatiel had worked for their keep he still felt a continued debt to the Mendacium Monarch. Plus, she sought out his expertise to help her young pup. Indy had a soft spot for puppies, as was obvious in the way he treated his own. He loved to teach and didn’t hesitate in assistance. Plus it meant adding to the good will between Valta and Elysium.

His massive frame loped the border to where Manea waited with her young daughter. He gave a slight nod of greeting to both of them before he shook his thick winter mane as sat down before them. ”Hello again, Manea.” He greeted verbally while his blue eyes shifted to the girl. ”I’m Indigo, I’ll be your teacher today.” He introduced himself with a little bow.


Indigo Arcturus Fatalis

Leaving Elysium's territory behind was more exciting than she had originally thought. It wasn't a difficult journey, and their destination wasn't too far away in the grand scheme of things. But the promise of a new healer to learn from outside of the ones that lived on Alias Island was something that she was pretty enthusiastic about. However, the butterflies in her stomach didn't manifest until her mother announced that they had arrived at Valta. Her summons was something that was familiar to her, and the paw along her back brought a sense of comfort. However, when the violet-hued man came into sight, she was immediately captivated.

She sat quietly, though her mind raced as her attention remained fixed on Indigo- as he came to introduce himself. As he offered a little dip before them, she couldn't help the grin that began to tug at the corners of her lips. "I'm Mariah ..." She started, for the first time in her life, suddenly feeling a little sheepish. She cast a quick glance to her mother for reassurance, before continuing on. "What first?" Mariah asked curiously, ready to get started as soon as they could.

She could feel the excitement and nervousness from her daughter and it made her proud and happy that she was able to provide these experiences for her little girl. Mariah was so bright and picked up knowledge faster than she could ever hope to and all she wanted to do was encourage that. She didn't often take advantage of the influence she had as an alpha and her ability to call upon the alliances she had made, but she certainly would if it meant finding the best teachers and instruction for Mariah. While she was sure Ikigai and Irilyth were wonderful teachers, it would still be good for Mariah to see more of the world and interact with others outside of their small, protected circle of wolves.

Indigo arrived quickly and she gave the large, violet man a warm smile as he approached. "Hello, Indigo. It's good to see you again." The Valta man's attention shifted to Mariah then to introduce himself as her teacher. She gave Mariah an encouraging smile when her silver gaze glanced up toward her, giving her daughter a small nod as she handed over the reigns to Mariah and let her take the lead. This was Mariah's show and she was simply here as a chaperone. When Mariah asked what was next, she lifted her gaze to Indigo as well, letting him guide the lesson however he wished.

"Manea Mendacium"

The young Princess introduced herself in return as she let her nervousness briefly show through her polite exterior. Indigo nodded to Manea before he lowered himself to the ground, he was still a huge presence but a little less intimidating on her level. He perked his red marked ears as she almost excitedly asked what was going to be first on their agenda. Indigo had a couple of things on his list, but it depended on what level she was currently displaying. The healer tilted his head curiously as he answered. ”Well, it depends on what you already know. I hear you’re a pretty good healer.” He winked playfully.

He lifted himself just enough to bring out his supplies. ”Have you ever used lavender before?” He asked her with a tilt to his head as his big paw offered her a sampling of the dried fragrant flower.

Indigo Arcturus Fatalis

Something about Indigo- or perhaps it was just the situation of traveling for a new mentor- made her a lot more humble than she would have been at home. When he answered her that their first part would be dependent on what she already knew, she felt a surge of nervousness. “I want to be, but I’m still learning.” She insisted- trying to avoid him setting his expectations too high. The last thing she wanted to do was disappoint her new teacher.

When he went on to bring out the first item on his agenda, she immediately recognized it as something familiar. However, her experience with lavender was rather limited. “I know of it, but haven’t really used it.” Mariah responded after her brief moment of examination. She recognized seeing it in the stores in the medical den back on Alias Island. Unfortunately, a lot of what she had experienced so far in most of her training was theoretical, rather than practical application. And while it was easy to do trial and error with something she knew to be poisonous ... healing herbs were a lot more finicky.

Code By Whiskey. Art By Cull

As Indigo settled down in front of Mariah to begin their lesson, Manea waited for her daughter's attention to be fully taken by the large, violet male before allowing herself to take a step back and lowering down onto her stomach a small distance away to observe. She knew only the bare minimum when it came to healing, which was why she had brought Mariah here today, so she didn't have much to contribute. She was simply here as encouragement and support for her little girl and to enjoy the sight of Mariah drinking in knowledge as she did so well. She was proud of all of her children and was always astounded by how quickly they learned and absorbed the world around them. Indigo presented Mariah with a bit of dried lavender, asking her whether she had used it before, and Manea listened curiously with a little tip of her head. She had never seen lavender in use either besides in fragrant oils and such–not so much in healing. Perhaps she would be able to learn something today as well.

"Manea Mendacium"

She mostly seemed like a sweet humble little girl, but he knew with the new environment and strange teacher that she was likely just shy and nervous. However well she was hiding both of those qualities. Indy felt a little sense of pride in his brand new pupil, and found himself seeing his own puppy self within her. The thought made him smile as he couldn’t help reminisce about his lessons with Iolaire and Meadow.

As he asked about the lavender she answered truthfully, she had indeed heard about the plant but she had no real experience with it. Indigo nodded knowingly and adjusted his lesson plan accordingly. ”Lavender is one of my favorite plants, not only does it smell quite good, it has many uses.” He began simply enough. ”I’m still learning new uses myself, but some of the most common are light pain relief, stress relief, and it even has some antibacterial properties.” Indigo told her easily while he opened up the floor for questions from the young healer.

Indigo Arcturus Fatalis

As Indigo explained that Lavender had a variety of uses, she nodded along. Committing every single detail he had to offer her to memory. The large brute was certainly right around its scent- she could smell its sweet earthy tones from where she sat. It made it unique- pleasant even. As he finished his description, she was already prepared with a line of questions. “How is it used?” She asked softly, looking away from the flowering stalk for the moment to meet her teacher’s sapphire gaze. “Is it eaten? Or applied in a salve?” She clarified, trying to express exactly what she was looking for in an answer- providing the only options she was aware of.

It was only then did she realize she didn’t feel the closeness of her mother. In sudden surprise, she quickly glanced over her shoulder one way, and then the other before she found her mother resting just a short distance away. Offering a gentle grin, she lingered for a moment, before returning her attention to Indigo as he answered her question.

Code By Whiskey. Art By Cull