Now that Delphi had two companions to help her with her... hobby, she was unstoppable. Binti easily carried the flint and steel that Vidarr had given her so that they didn't have to waste time creating friction fires or attempting to carry live fires down the mountain. On her other side, Manny, the Tasmanian devil she had recently captured, carried a small bundle of dried wood. In Delphi's own jaws, she carried a small kettle found in the mines, a canteen of water, and her trusty satchel full of different dried herbs and berries.

Unfortunately for her recent endeavors, with winter coming in at full force, she would not be practicing any poisons until her other pieces of bark and leaves had dried fully. For now, she would get better at crafting tisanes and ointments. After waiting for the morning's storm to pass, Delphi made tracks through the mountainside down to the steppe. There, she had found a small place that had three large pieces of stone that made a 'U' shape with a fourth piece that was leaned over the open side as a sort of lean-to entrance. The square-shaped room was rather large, well large enough to fit the three of them plus maybe one or two other wolves of decent size plus their fire and materials.

While she would have preferred the warmth and safety of her hidey hole, there wasn't enough ventilation within it to keep her or her companions safe from whatever fumes she created in her teas and concoctions. Instead, she would compromise for this. Still cold, but the small crackling fire that they made quickly warmed them up enough that their toes and noses were no longer frozen. As Delphi waited for the water to begin to boil in her kettle, she tried to teach Binti and Manny how to count their toes.

Where was that blasted wolf? He'd even snuck into her hidey hole, but found it empty. In fact, he realised he hadn't really had to go looking for her before. She always just seemed to sort of turn up. He shook a paw at the pesky owl that had started to follow him around and growled at it. "Go away, or make yourself useful and find Tox" he said, before turning and trotting away. He didn't expect anything to come of it, so he was surprised when the thing returned to him, letting out a caw and indicating that he should follow.


He did so, and found himself heading to the ruins in the Stone Steppe. He sniffed around, and sure enough he found her scent. He glanced up at the owl and scowled instead of thanking it. 


He trotted into her little area, a package swaying in his jaws. Wrapped in the coat of the cat they had taken down together, and dripping blood. He placed it on the ground, letting the sides of the coat go, revealing the bear head underneath. "There you are." He said, before crinkling his nose. "What's that smell?'

Both Binti and Manny let out hissing sounds of warning as Strai approached with his bundle. The companions, mostly Binti (Manny could care less), were not quite fond of the boy. Or at least what he had done to poor Binti. Why was he always in the damn crossfire of things? Delphi looks up, raises a paw to shush her companions, and waits curiously to see what Strai has for her. His words leave her head tilting and looking at him in confusion as he drops the bundle and a bear head appears all blood and gore right in front of her.

"You've been looking for me?" She questions with a raise of her brow before remembering she needs to add her herbs into the pot. The water was just beginning to boil! Pulling from her satchel a mixture of dried elderberry, mint, and lavender, she drops it into the pot and motions for Binti to give it a good swirl with the stick they'd found and carved into a spoon-looking thing of sorts. Once that is settled, Delphi addresses Strai's question. "Winter tea for when we don't feel good," she answers simply, not caring to go into all the details. As if he would even care anyway. Wanting to get back to the... bear head in the room, Delphi looks from Strai to the bear head and then back up to him.

"Why is there a bear head in here?" She says, wrinkling her own nose at him.

"Smells weird." He informed her, not really familiar with the idea of tea. "And maybe I was. Gotta pull someone's tail around here." Woops, that was probably insulting. He made no effort to withdraw it. His eyes challenging instead as they settled on her. Then, down to the bear. His tail turned the ground behind him, and he grinned. "There's something in its mouth for you" he told her. Would she peel back those gums and see? 


Its teeth had been knocked out and reused. He'd turned them into a tie she could wrap into the rest of her tail. Hidden in her fur, sharp and deadly. If anyone else ever tried to take what was left of it, they'd be in for a nasty surprise. He'd never made a gift for another wolf before. He felt himself oddly shy as he waited for her to see it.

Her fur bristles and ears fall backward. Not at the tea comment. She agreed to that. The tea usually did smell weird, but with the right combinations, never tasted too awful. Tenshi was surprisingly good at making the tea taste nice. No, it was his... other comment. About her tail. At first, her heart rate spikes, and her lips tremble with a growl in her throat. She wants to lash out, to respond to the emotion. Grinding her paw into the hard stone, she inhales a deep breath and closes her eyes for a moment. Nope, she wouldn't bite. Ha. She was better than that. He didn't deserve to get a rise out of her. Instead, Delphi drapes a delicate and somewhat menacing smile across her lips.

"Too bad I ain't got much left for you to pull, Thrall," the pup seethes through her teeth as her eyes open and she stares daggers back at him. If he wanted to play that game, she could play it right back. No longer would she allow herself to be volatile and eruptive. She would be bold, dangerous, and serious. Eh okay, no promises to that last statement, but she would try her best. Small, but mighty. It would be her tagline someday!

Strai wouldn't be leaving her snarky for long. Instead of pushing the insult further, he motions to the bear's head. Something about something being in its mouth for her. For her? Was he right in the head? Had he fallen and gotten a concussion on the way down? Strai didn't give gifts. Especially not to her. Delphi's brow furrows as she looks to him suspiciously. Her gaze darts back and forth as she watches him look at her expectantly with his tail wagging. Could she trust him?

"If this is a prank..." Delphi starts as she reaches forward with her paws. Slowly, she peels back the bear's jaw to reveal the sharpened teeth tied into the tie that he had made just for her. Her mouth opens in surprise as her own tail sweeps the dusty ground. "Strai," Delphi's voice is a mere breathy whisper as she reaches forward to pick up the gift. "It's perfect!" She smiles brightly, her body beginning to wiggle with happiness and forcing herself not to jump on him for a big hug.

He admired the way the growl built in her throat. If she wanted to throw down, he was more than willing to assist her. Right now he was cool headed, but he knew how quickly he could turn volatile in her presence. He was surprised and almost disappointed with how easily she pushed it back down. He'd have to do a little better if he wanted to insult her, it seemed. She was developing thicker skin. Good, she would need it.


"I can still tweak the edges" he assured her, as if she would be concerned that he couldn't. She finally looked at the bear, and her next words amused him. He half wished he'd left a snake  in its mouth. Alas. Instead, she opened it to reveal the teeth wrapping. He moved forward then, though he didn't take it from her. "It'll tie into your tail fur, and if you lay it right it'll be hidden" he explained. He didn't bother telling her why.

She is still flabbergasted at his gesture. As happy as she was, she still was suspicious. Why was he giving her gifts? Was it an actual prank? Did he mean it? Especially with it being a weapon… Wasn’t he concerned she would use it on him? Her brow furrows but tail is still sweeping the stone behind her. Both of her companions are unsure as to what to do so they tend to the tea that bubbles slowly in the kettle.

“Strai,” Delphi whispers. No, no crying. She didn’t cry anymore. There was no point to crying. Though she was elated and excited and oh man. Nope, no crying. “Thank you so much,” her voice is choked against her tightened throat. She picks up the tied teeth in her paws to look at them closer. All for her? This bear wasn’t the bear they’d taken down though so she looks up at him suddenly. Her eyes move over him quickly.

“Are you okay? You’re not injured are you? This bear isn’t the one we took down,” her voice is quick as she scoots closer to him. Delphi can’t see any obvious injuries but that didn’t mean he wasn’t in pain.

He shrugged at her thanks, but he was excited too, and it showed "This way, if anyone does tweak your tail, they'll be in for a shock" he said. He did want to help her grow stronger. Shore up her defences. It was clear by now that she would find trouble anywhere she went. 


He rolled his eyes when she scooted closer, concern in her voice. "Please, like I can't take down a grizzly…" he teased. Okay, so the head was almost bigger than he was. He grinned again and playfully swiped at her new teeth tie, so that it swung in her mouth. "Want help putting it on?' He asked, neatly dodging any admittance of help with the grizzly. He was still flush with victory, and in a better mood then usual.

At first, Delphi was a bit... insulted. Did he really believe she couldn't handle herself? But then she realized he was being nice. For once, Strai wasn't trying to insult her. He was trying to protect her. Her heart wasn't sure how to feel. Getting used to this side of Strai was an adjustment she was still adjusting to. Delphi relaxes once her brain settles into realizing that he isn't out to torment her. Instead, she rolls her eyes at his grizzly comment and lets out a snort. "That head is bigger than me. There's no way," she raised a brow at him as he swatted at her teeth tie. Who had helped him take the grizzly down? Surely it had to be someone of grand size or strength or both. Hm, well, if he wanted to keep it a secret, fine. Her thoughts are pulled elsewhere when he offers to help tie it into her tail. Delphi smiles and nods happily. "Oh, yes please!" She places the teeth tie in his paw, stands up, and then turns so that he has a better view of her jagged tail. "Delphi" & "Strai"

“It’s okay” He said with fake sincerity, “Not everyone can take on a grizzly the size of this one.” it would probably come up at some point that he had help. After all, the other wolf had kept the pelt. The second she saw the rest of the bear, she would know he hadn’t taken it on alone.

He accepted the teeth-tie when she dropped it into his paw, and turned around. The scraps of her tail were plush, and he pushed her fur aside as he brought the tie around, and clasped it together. Soothing the fur down around it until the teeth were almost completely hidden. He still remembered the look of fear on her face when he moved too aggressively towards her. She didn’t like to talk about it, but it was clear it affected her still. They were… friends now, apparently. That meant keeping each other safe, right? he gave her tail a pat. "There, done. Now what on earth kind of tea are you brewing?" He asked, pointing towards her work with his nose.


"Speech"

Delphi sits as still as she can as Strai ties the teeth into her tail. Though it made her nervous having someone be so close to the spot that pained her the most, she decided to trust him. To let him see the place where her tail had been ripped off. Thankfully Ulmaria had done a good job patching it up so the leftover scar tissue didn't look absolutely dreadful. Inhaling deeply, she held her breath for a moment as she could feel him pushing the hair on her tail around. Closing her eyes, she thought of nice things like cuddling with him and picking berries to keep the emotional turmoil away.

Once he was finished and her fur was smoothed back, she opened her eyes and released her breath. Willing her heartrate to calm itself, she was glad for the distraction when he asked her about the tea she was brewing. "Thanks," Delphi mentions as she turns back to face him. Her tail feels heavier now, almost as if it was back and wagging it feels unusual, but she does it anyway. Happy to tell Strai if he really wanted to know, Delphi moves over to her kettle where Binti and Manny are calmly keeping an eye over the concoction.

Shooing the companions to the side (they didn't give much argument aside from being away from the fire), Delphi sits beside it and pats the spot beside her with her paw. "So I grabbed some ginger that they had in the storage back from when the band lived in the desert. Ulmy says ginger is good because it has vitamins and will boost your immune system. I also managed to snag some chamomile, green tea leaves, and some elderberries I'd foraged recently and let dry," she gave it a few swirls and leaned in to sniff the fumes that wafted over the kettle. "I drop it all in and let it steep until it smells good then I usually have Binti and Manny help me strain it. You can drink it without straining but then you get yucky chunks in your mouth," Delphi scrunched her face as she let out a little laugh.

"Any questions?" She looks over to Strai with a curious look, wondering if he understood anything she was saying.

Delphi && Strai

Showing kindness and appreciation was still definitely a very new thing for Strai. He wouldn’t have made the effort for just any wolf, but then, Delphi wasn’t just any wolf. She was his very first friend. He watched as she turned back towards him, her tail wiggling behind her.

As her attention turned back to the tea, he followed her to the little fire, and settled in beside her. The close proximity to Delphi didn’t bother him as much as it used to. In fact, he liked it enough to ignore any discomfort. He rested his chin on her shoulder so she would have to awkwardly work around him to sort out her tea. “This pack was a band first?” He asked, curious. If Delphi remembered that, then it being a pack must be relatively new.

She mentioned a bunch of herbs that meant nothing to him, and of its scent and straining it. He nodded along with her, as if he understood. “And then you drink it?”

"Speech"

The weight of his chin upon her shoulder was comforting as much as it was annoying. Her only sign of annoyance was the roll of her eyes and the hint of a smile as she moved sluggishly to compensate. Continuing to work on the tea with her companions, she looks at him from the corner of her eye as he asks a question about the band. Ah, yes, that perhaps might be confusing. "No, uh, you see. While the old man was scouting territory to claim for Heidinn, he was a part of my mama's band that she led with my da and other mum. There was always a bunch of nonsense about gathering his family and finding the right place for them. Once he brought Tenshi back from the south, they settled on the mountain and then took in my family band. Not that we needed it, but I think it was easier on Mama," Delphi's voice grows soft as she ends her rambling. Thinking about her mothers made her sad because they seemed to always be sad too.

Letting out a sigh, she is thankful for the change in topic. "Yes, then we can drink it!" She giggles and gives her head a soft shake. "No one wants to get chunks in their mouth!" Delphi exclaims with another disgusted look on her face as she finishes stirring the pot. "I think it's almost ready," her gaze turns toward the companions, giving them a nod as they come closer to help strain the thick pieces out with a wooden sort of spoon that had holes carved into it.

Delphi && Strai

He eyed her mixture dubiously from his position over her shoulder. Wondering if she was making the tea for them, or for some other reason. He supposed if she was going to poison him, she would have done so by now. He had certainly given her a lot of opportunities to do so. He had let her in close, a fact he still struggled to wrap his head around. She was a weakness to him… and a strength. He was starting to think his mother had it all wrong. He had created a point of vulnerability in himself with Delphi, but he felt that together they were stronger. 

That didn't mean he wasn't going to tease her mercilessly.


"To most predators, you're just a chunk yourself" he told her, nudging her shoulder with his chin. "So, does this tea have a point in the end?"

Delphi lets out a laugh. "That one was a reach, even for you!" She retorts back as she turns her chin to look up at him before nudging his nose with her own. Smiling, Delphi turns back to the kettle to finish skimming the liquid. In the meantime, her companions take away some of the coals with pieces of bone so that the temperature would lower and not scorch the metal or tea. "I was mostly practicing today but the point of the tea is to help when you're sick," Delphi leans over slightly so that he can smell the concoction better. It was as strong mixture of tea leaves, ginger, and mint. "If your throat is itchy, this will help. Or if you just feel crummy," she nods before leaning forward to sniff at it. Steam rolled off of it into her face and she couldn't help but enjoy it.

Now that the tea was finished, it was time to go show Tenshi and Ulmaria! Leaning back from the kettle, she twists until she can look up at Strai. "Thanks for the gift, I bet it'll surprise anyone who tries to mess with me," Delphi comments with a smile. "Now shoo! We can hang later. I gotta go show this to the ladies and see if I did good," she sticks out her tongue in a teasing manner before reaching up to lightly lick him on the chin. Once she is untwisted and back to facing the kettle, she removes herself from under Strai's position over her shoulder and begins packing everything up with Binti and Manny.

"Meet me in the spot," Delphi says with a smile before leaving the little hideout and heading back to the mountain.

- exit-

Delphi && Strai