buzz off!

The season was much cooler here in Auster than the one previous.
The seasons were reversed in the southern continent, and winter had been unimaginably hot and dry. The fires from the drought season had torn dangerously through wooded lands and destroyed many herb supplies, while blocking pathways to precious water sources. However, they had subsided now with the coming of rain, and it had restored some of the foliage, but much of it was dead for the season, and would only grow new shoots in the fall. It was the very reason Talis had raided Celestial in a forceful attack to try to gain resources that they had desperately needed. And it was why Sterling wandered the gardens with scabbed wounds upon her body. She didn't know what she'd do if she even found any herbs - she had no idea which kind would be useful for treating wounds or reducing pain. She'd received some treatment, but her wounds were still bothering her.

As she trotted through the beds of flowers and herbs, many wilted and brown, she knew she was wasting her time. Well, at least if she was looking for any plants. She'd never be able to identify the plants she'd need. Shrugging to herself, she continued wandering, until she spotted a curious, white and black-mottled wolf ahead, who seemed to be nosing around the herbs. Sterling had never seen the wolf before, and she knew from meeting strangers previously that there was almost something interesting to be discovered in meeting new wolves. So, she bounded forward until she was closer to the stranger. "Hey there!" she called out as she neared, discovering by scent that the wolf was a she, "What're you looking for?" She stopped several feet away from the lady, waving her tail in the air as she greeted the stranger, admiring the lady's coat markings while she waited to see how she'd respond.