Nature, Nurture

It is so easy to speak and be herself with Spirit. The innate mothering instinct Meadow has comes out around the shy, kind wolf. Honestly, if he didn’t have a pack and a mother who would probably kill her if she did, Meadow would steal him away with her to teach all that she knows. The thought, while fleeting and silly still manages to bring a playful smile to her face. Listening as he agrees to trade off with the travel, she dips her head in acknowledgement and already starts planning her next trip. A bright smile rests easily on her lips as they walk and the thought of coming back soon keeps her heart light.

The horsetail pretending herb diverts her attention but Spirit knows that it is an imposter. The praise flows from her and he promises he has not done this before. A playful wink is tossed his way and he speaks of his mother being a healer. Nodding, she says, “Well, it seems you were born with a great eye for herbs! You are very lucky. It took me many years to learn that ability.” It really had. Most of her life had been spent learning a flower from an herb and what each one did. Her praise might be given easily but it is genuine and heartfelt.

As their time together goes on, Meadow finds herself growing tired. It is not from being with Spirit but from her teaching. It can be exhausting. She wants to make sure every detail is correct and that she is not giving any misinformation. So, when she asks if he has any questions and he says not at this time, the small healer agrees, wondering if he is also getting tired. Sometimes, the earthen hued wolf can try to cram too much into too short a time. It might be a good idea to give them both a rest. He gives his thanks with a shaky smile and it makes her own smile grow even bigger as she tells him, “Thank you, Spirit. For being such a great student.”

When Spirit bounds forward toward a plant, Meadow follows closely behind him. He sniffs the plant before pulling back to examine it. He really is good at finding herbs. The smell and shape immediately tell her that he has found the elusive plant and she moves to his side to say, “You really do have a gift Spirit! This is horsetail. See the tubular leaves and that distinctive smell? This is the plant we have been searching for. And look…” her paw moves to point nearby where a small cluster of the plants are growing. Quickly she counts the horsetail plants and notes that there are eight plants altogether.

Smiling at Spirit, she shrugs off her saddlebag and takes out two strips of leather to bundle the plants in. Putting one next to Spirit, Meadow says, “Okay, I count eight of the plants, so we each get four. Why don’t you watch how I harvest it and then you can go collect yours? After that we should probably call it a day. I am getting tired and I bet you are too.” Offering him another smile, she moves forward to the plant. Carefully, making sure not block his view, she gently reaches down to pluck the herb with her teeth. She snaps the plant off at the base, near the ground, leaving the roots behind. Placing the herb on her strip of leather, Meadow nods to him to show he can go collect his.

Working quickly, she moves off to collect her other three plants before returning back to place them in the leather. Once all the herbs are in their home, she takes a small piece of cloth and ties the leather closed, insuring that the plants are safe and will not spill out on their journey home. Offering Spirit a piece of cloth to do the same to his, Meadow then places her bundle in her bag and puts the saddlebag back over her shoulder. Looking to her new-found friend, she asks, “Spirit, you did such a great job today. I will be happy to teach you again soon. I should head back to my pack before it gets much later. Are you going to be okay if I leave now or would you like me to walk you to the border of your pack?”



"Speech!"

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