Botany 101

Kane would never find fault in the mirth and enthusiasm of the young. He remembered what it was like to be her age, eager to please and ready to prove himself to the world. Jane was ready to do the same, to hit the ground running and show the world what she could do. He wouldn't chastise her, he would encourage her, let her excitement blossom and bloom just like the flowers all around them. "That's the spirit!" he remarked with a hearty chuckle, then proceeded to follow behind Jane while she scoured the gardens looking for the herbs. She asked what boneset did and he chuckled again. "Now now, little dove, you're getting ahead of yourself. First we need to find the boneset."

And find boneset, she did! After a short time of searching around the gardens, Jane found the ivy-like vines growing along the sides of one of the ruined walls. "Well done, Jane!" he remarked, stepping closer to inspect the boneset with an approving smile. "Boneset is a delicate flower, so we want to be careful when we harvest it. Try to take the whole vine if you can. Luckily, nature has given us all the tools we need for that." Flashing a grin to her, he lifted his paw to show off his claws, then used one to carefully cut away the vine until a section of it fell out. He caught it and stowed it in his satchel, then stepped aside so Jane could try her paw at collecting the plant. "Boneset is useful for making medicines for respiratory illnesses, like colds and flus. But it's also good for body and muscle aches. A good herb to have on hand, especially in the winter when wolves are more likely to get sick."

Once Jane had collected enough boneset, Kane looked around the gardens some more. "All right, that's one plant down! The elderberries should be easy to find. They grow on large shrubby bushes, and their dark purple color sticks out from all the green."

"Kaneonuskatew"