Shed a leaf when necessary

The scrutiny that befell him as soon as she lifted her head from the fluffy drifts was both surprising and refreshing. He rarely encountered anyone who matched his wary, shrewd nature. The sharp downturn of the corner of her mouth and pinch of her brows into a light scowl bounced harmlessly off of his apathetic shell. “What’s it to yer?” she quipped, shoulders rolling back defensively as she stared him down. For a moment, all the yearling could do was blink at her. Thankfully, her sour expression gave way to a half grin and a gentle wagging of her slate grey tail. “Jus’ kiddin’. Yer interested in plants?” she asked in a friendly tone, to which he dipped his head in a small nod. Her accent was throwing him for a bit of a loop- he wasn't accustomed to the unique lilt and twang of her vocals in the way he had been used to the various accents of the Ashen empire. "Do yer know why I’d bother ter gather these ones but not those?" she enquired with a little jerk of her head towards the pile of uprooted ferns to one side.

A small hum of uncertainty rose in his chest, barely audible as he leaned closer to inspect the fronds that lay in the snow. Vibrant brows pinched together in thought for a moment, before he returned his two toned gaze to the shorter fae. "Those ones are still green, younger than the ones near the outside of the bunch that are dead now." he said with characteristic softness, plush banner sweeping across his hocks as he glanced between the lady and her harvest. It was mostly a guess, his expertise lay in fungi for the most part, he wasn't as comfortable dealing with leafy plants.

"Pontifex" || "Hallux" || "others"