Lyndvarr was on the hunt for the plant known as Earthsmoke. He hadn't found any within Yfir's borderlands and so he'd taken to traveling but that wasn't terribly uncommon for one studying the healing arts. Many of the most useful plants always seemed to grow somewhere else. Lyndvarr's white toes spread for a moment as he took in the feel of the sand between them, the strange black sand. Head down he started sniffing around taking in the curious scents of this new area. The air was chilly this summer day but such was the way of the north. Lyndvarr flopped on his side in the sand to take a breather, just letting the ocean air wash over him.

Starling was hunting, though not so much in the meat sense. He was hunting for certain herbs, taking a break from his training to add to his stores. He sure would have a lot to carry back to Abaven, but at least he'd be able to refill his stocks. His eyes were sharp, determined to find anything he knew of, and even things he didn't know much of either. If it was colorful or seemed to be of use he'd carry it home to Arian and ask her opinion. The ocean here reminded him of the new herb Arian had taught him, Earth smoke... He wondered briefly if it would be here. She said she had found it around Donostrea...whatever that is. When his gaze settled on the oddly colored wolf he blinked slightly, tilting his head as a wave washed over him. Who in their right mind would lay in the ocean...here of all places! This place was so cold, it was nothing like Abaven. So with curiousity he trotted towards him. "A-are you o-okay?" He asked softly, keeping enough distance between them so he could make a break for it if he had too. But the healer in him wouldn't let this go uninspected. If the man was hurt, Starling could possibly help him...or at least assess what was wrong and call for Arian. "O-or are y-you just l-laying in t-the ocean-n beac-cause y-you're c-crazy." He tried to joke, a small, timid smile upon his lips as he stared at him,, tilting his head just slightly. "Burn Baby Burn" "Italian"

Lyndvarr cracked an eye open at the approach of a strange male. The other didn't seem to aggressive and thus he did not worry about leaping up to defend himself. Lynd got to his feet and shook the sand out of his coat as the man spoke in a jerky, halting fashion. The viking man gazed curiously at the other before shaking his head. "I'm fine, just resting before I continue herb hunting." Ocean? What? He'd been lying near the ocean surely but not in it, that would be crazy. Though he supposed from the angle the other man had approached him at he must've looked awfully close to the water. "Ah no, I was enjoying the ocean breeze but not the ocean itself." He chuckled. "I am Lyndvarr Finnvi, who might you be?"

As Starling got close to him, he instantly regretted every stuttering word he said. Embarrasment colored his cheeks beneath his fur as he scrunched his face up, quickly looking away from the man. "I-ah I'm s-sorry." He said quickly. The man was perfectly dry, just enjoying the ocean breeze rather than the waves himself. Oh, Starling was quite...silly. He cleared his throat then before something caught his attention. Did he...say something about herb hunting? "O-oh? A-are you a h-healer?" He asked with excitement, suddenly perking up from his previous embarrasment. When asked him name, he shifted slightly, tilting his head. For a moment he was cautious, but the man seemed...well, not harmless. No one was harmless, even finch managed to give him a good bruise or two. But this man seemed kind of trust worthy. Plus, he was a healer. "S-Starling Destruction." He said with a gentle smile, stepping closer to him now and at less of an angle. "Wh-what are y-you hunting for?" He wondered if this man knew of other herbs around here, things Starling didn't know about. That was his whole point for being here, right? To learn more about healing, incase he was ever in the north and needed what this territory had to offer... "Burn Baby Burn" "Italian"

Lyndvarr brushed off the apology, what was there to be sorry for? He shifted back and forth on his paws in the sand, amusing himself with the sensation. Sand wasn't something they had in abundance back in Yfir. He nodded at the boys question. "Aye, I am healer and warrior both. Are you a healer to by chance?" The boy introduced himself as Starling Destruction and by his questions Lyndvarr assumed he'd run into another healer. Perhaps the other had knowledge to share? Kassander and Warja had been busy of late and Lyndvarr hated to bother them with lessons. It was true that Starling was younger than he but as a boy he'd kept his interest in healing fairly secret to please his father's desire that he be the pinnacle of a manly warrior. It was hard to practice something when you had to do it by yourself in secret. "Aye, I'm looking for Fumitory um… I believe it's also called Earthsmoke. I don't know much about it really, just the general appearance of the plant. And the fact it can be gathered here. I don't even really know what it's for it just sounded cool." He laughed to himself realizing he probably sounded like an idiot. "Do you know of this plant, Starling?"

Starling shifted slightly when the man spoke, though his voice seemed rather...gentle. There was something odd about him, like a sweet snake in his plains that could strike if he stepped wrong. But then again, Starling usually felt this sort of awkwardness around most adults at first. Lyndvarr would state he was also a fighter and Star's blue eyes would life, bright and curious. A fighter and a healer? "Y-you m-must be very...t-talented." He said with a gentle smile before nodding. "I-I've p-pretty much b-been a healer since I-I was born...I w-want to l-learn to f-fight but I'm n-not very....c-coordinated." He'd laugh weakly then, looking down at his oddly large paws that he often tripped over. They never seemed...to match his body structure, even though he was practically full grown now. When Lyndvarr asked about Earth smoke he couldn't help but perk up before nodding so quickly. Oh! He knew that one! It was odd how it kept coming up, even though it didn't have much use to him. "Y-yeah, actually. I-it umh, actually. C-come with me! I'll sh-show you." He said with a grin, dipping his head before he quickly turn and trotted in the direction where he knew some were, when he and Arian came here to hunt it the last time. "Talk" | "Italian"

Lyndvarr stretched as the wind shifted again sending a light shiver down his spine. He grinned at Starling's compliment. It was sweet of him to say though Lyndvarr had never felt particularly special. His storm blue gaze would linger on the earthen male as he spoke of being a healer since birth. "Really? Then you must know quite a bit." What luck! Someone who might actually be able to train him in the healing arts. His learning could go so much faster with a teacher. Lynds luck continued as Starling mentioned that he knew where to find Fumitory. Excellent! Lyndvarr trotted after Starling, coming up beside him but lingering just a little back to give the younger male the lead. "Thank you for showing me. You know…. coordination comes with practice. You don't have to be born gifted to fight. It's like learning plants except… in a way you are learning your body and that of your opponent." He wasn't sure if he was making sense but a thought was forming in his mind that was so tantalizing it spilled out of his mouth before he could stop himself. "Say, would you want to trade knowledge? Healing lessons for battle lessons?"

Starling would trott along, using a similar path he and Arian had taken. The spot he had extracted Earth Smoke from was off limits because it needed to grow back, but he could at least use that as an example. There was bound to be more near by anyways. He would smile softly as Lyndvarr remarked on his knowledge, and he'd shyly nod. "I-its basically a-all i do" He said softly, which was true. But he worked exceptionally hard, its what he did. He wasnt lazy, his games were herb hunting…he worked hard on his knowledge. When Lyndvarr spoke of coordination hed glance towards him. The more he thought of it the more he knew it must be true. After all, after Motif's lessons he didnt trip as much… but what the man said next shocked him into stopping. Clear blue eyes would grow wide as he looked at him. "R-really?" He asked softly, a slow grin overtaking his shock as he quickly nodded. "O-oh thatd w-would b-be awesome! I…umh..i-i live i-in the s-south though, i-im only visiting h-here for l-lessons. S-so it wouldnt b-be every day." But they could plan it. Lyndvarr could come visit him or he could come up here or they could meet in the middle. At least, thats assuming the man lived up here. "Burn Baby Burn" "Italian"

Lyndvarr followed along, enjoying the cool air of this northern beach and the experience of traveling in a new territory. The viking man grinned at Starling when the other man said he pretty much did healing all the time. That had to be quite a thing to be that specialized. Lyndvarr's healing had been somewhat neglected. However, he hoped with time and practice to become a master at it. Lyndvarr nodded as Starling mentioned that he lived in the South. That was quite a journey. "Ahhh… I see. I live in the North. Well, maybe we could meet once a season and alternate who travels? I could head South next time and then you can head North. Yfir is seated on some of the best herb gathering grounds in the north. If knowledge is being traded I'm sure my aunt won't mind me inviting you into the terra to do some gathering." He was pretty sure at least. He might have to check with Katja but trade was a time-honored viking tradition and establishing trade would be beneficial to both parties.

Starling was practically giddy, in the only way knowledge and the idea of new teachers could make him. He was very very lucky so far, meeting so many different wolves that could teach him so many different things. Sure, they all seemed so far away but that meant he could kill two birds with one stone. Collect the herbs of the region and learn what they do. How could life be sweeter?? He grinned back at the man, his blue eyes shining brightly, and then he paused, awe filling his face. "Wait, really??" He said in pitched excitement, his eyes growing bright before he nodded quickly. Not only would he be able to have access to exclusive plants but he could learn to fight as well? This couldnt get any better. He quickly nodded, unable to form his excitement into words as he did before he finally arrived to the small patch of earth smoke he had left behind. Switching over to teacher was realitively easy, even if his wide smile never left his face. "Th-this is earth smoke, it g-grows in w-wet areas, mainly around sea water. I-it h-helps alleviate urinary problems." He said with a gentle smile, delicately touching a petal. "I-it has a v-very distinct c-color, and you must ingest for it to work." He would look up at Lyndvarr then. "Th-this patch i l-left behind to g-grow back s-so we cannot t-take from it. B-but there is defintally more a-around if you want to begin your search" "Burn Baby Burn" "Italian"

Lyndvarr could feel excitement bubbling in his gut at the prospect of having a devoted healing instructor. He was going to study hard and impress his aunt and the other healers with what he'd learned. Lyndvarr nodded again as Starling spoke. "Really." He grinned, any knowledge gained from Starling would be useful to Yfir and even offering to improve the battle skills of fellow Alacritians would help bolster Yfir's fighting skills as well. One could not improve if ones opponents were always subpar. It was a win-win to be sure. Soon they arrived at the patch of Earth Smoke and Lyndvarr took a deep breath of it, sniffing around the plant to take in the unique aspects of it's scent. Sometimes he found it difficult to tell herbs apart, especially if they weren't in flower. Lyndvarr chuckled. Urinary problems? Well, this wouldn't help for battlefield wounds but a wolf never knew when they might be afflicted with something. He stored the knowledge away as he examined the short plant. The deep almost blue-green sheen of the leaves gave the slight appearance of smoke rising from the ground in this particular light. He mused to himself if that was how the plant received its other name. Beautiful purple flowers adorned the plant as he wondered what parts were used. Lyndvarr glanced at Starling, head tilting slightly to the side. It was an interesting philosophy to leave some to grow back. He'd have just taken the whole plant. Nodding he set his nose to the ground and began the search. "I can find plants faster by scent than sight." Like a tracker Lyndvarr moved first one way and then another til he picked up on the scent he desired, quickly following it into a slight ditch where a decent patch was growing, the delicate vines tangling around each other. Lynd barked happily. "Found some! What parts of the plant are used? Are there any parts that are poisonous?"

He would smile as Lyndvarr dipped down to sniff around the herb, understanding instantly. Starling usually used more visual cues on the types of herb, but sometimes it comes down to scent or even taste. It was so natural for him that he almost forgot to talk about the scent qualities, just the sight. But for something like earth smoke, the sight of the flowers was very distinctive. When Lyndvarr ran to find the scent trail, Starling would trott behind him though at a much slower pace than the older man had gone.   He would grin brightly as his "student" found another batch of herbs, and he would nod his head quickly. "E-excellent!" He said happily, stepping up towards him and gazing down at the plant. Before he would answer Lyndvarr's question, he'd carefully paw at the ground, digging through the dirt with nimble paws, and gently tugging it from the root. Hopping a little to the side he'd drop the plant on the ground and carefully bite though the stem that held the flowers to the stalk, and one of the leaves. "Y-you injest th-the flower, to al-alleviate l-liver problems...wh-which you c-can usually sp-spot through u-uniary problems o-of your patient." He said with a small smile before looking up to Lyndvarr. "T-too much, however, c-can easily c-cause stomach problems. Us-use a sm-small dosage a-at first and g-go up from there, b-because "too much" ch-changes for each wolf." He'd nod then before switching to paw at the leaf. "Th-the leaf is d-different h-however. It-it's very good for sk-skin irritants. Y-you would ch-chew the l-leaf enough t-to make a paste and lick it o-onto the irritant." He'd look up at Lyndvarr then, humming lightly before he smiled. "Wh-what is your field, Lyndvarr?" He would ask then, knowing that this depth of knowledge was not...required for some healers. "A-are you m-more of a...w-war medic?" It made sense, for fighters to want to know more about how to heal battle wounds rather than liver failure. "Burn Baby Burn" "Italian"

Lyndvarr listened attentively as Starling explained the plant. He was slightly disappointed it didn't have a lot of use for battle wounds but urinary infections could happen and skin irritation was pretty common be it from thorns or adverse plants. Gently Lyndvarr reached out to snip the plant off above the roots. He may as well bring the stalk back with the flowers and leaves and perhaps if he left the roots it might grow back though he couldn't be sure. Lyndvarr gathered four fronds, figuring that would be a good amount to start with until he determined how much of it would be useful to keep around. "Aye, I specialize in battle-field medicine. I'm not sure how useful Fumitory will be for my purposes but it's a start and may come to be of use. If not for me then maybe for Kassander or Warja. How about you Starling, do you have a specialty of some kind?" Lyndvarr's attention turned back to the fumitory. "Say Starling? How long is Fumitory around and when does it bloom?"

Starling would watch as he plucked the flower, tilting his head slightly. That wasn't very good for conserving, was it? He would just smile gently at Lyndvarr as he clipped a few pronds from the plant, his own stores were well stocked in Fumitory that he didn't need to take more from the earth. He was very concious of the idea of "running out". When plants were picked or dug up, it took a long time, most often a whole year, for them to grow back if they ever did. What if he hoarded important herbs that ended up dying in his store and someone else desperately needed it? It wasn't fair, was it, and it was his biggest conundrum that his mind was always trying to solve. When Lyndvarr spoke again, Starling blinked and looked up at him. Specialization? He shook his head slowly, thinking about that. "N-no, I just w-want to learn i-it all." He said with a gentle smile. How useful would he be if he specialized in fight medicine and then his entire pack got the plague? Not very. "I need t-to learn it all." It was his life mission, his entire purpose, was healing. He had too, and he would stop at nothing to learn it. Not just for himself and his pack, but for everyone he came across. Who knew if he might come across someone who desperately needed help, and he didn't know how. His destiny came with a lot of responsibility, and he had to get as much knowledge as he could to be as useful as he could possibly be. He would blink down at the plant when Lyndvarr asked his question, and he'd nod absently. "Th-they bloom in th-the summer months, really. V-very versitile.." He had noticed, these plants had been around since he started his training in the early spring. "T-tend to st-stick around untill th-the first chill. Y-you sh-should only h-harvest th-them when th-they're in bloom, though." "Burn Baby Burn" "Italian"

ooc: sorry its so short xD

He rehearsed the words in his head, willing them to stick so that he could put them to good use.  It wouldn't do to learn all this new information then to lose it all as soon as he returned back to Yfir.  Lynd eyes his gathering.  Yea, that was probably enough, open wounds were far more likely than urinary infections. "Need to learn it all?  Are there not other healers in your pack?"  Lyndvarr was lucky to have at least a few others though it would be somewhat limited with Kass spending time in Abaven.  He nodded at Starlings words regarding the plants growing season. "So ok, how do you determine dosage with this plant?  Both for injesting and topical applications?"

Starling would toe at the plant almost awkwardly, knowing his dream of learning "everything" was a little far fetched. Perhaps it would be better to focus on one aspect of healing, since Abaven did have battle medics that were, technically, meant to specialize in battle healing. But Starling...he couldn't do that. That was like limiting yourself to one kind of meat, or only talking to wolves that started with the letter A. There was so much to learn, and every time he learned new things his life grew richer...so why would he limit that feeling? At Lyndvarr's question he hummed lightly. "Well...no" He said slowly. "M-my sister and my brother b-both like to h-heal, and my c-cousin, and my a-aunt..." Abaven had quite the number of healers, but did he have to dictate his learning by their knowledge? "A-as a healer...i-isn't it o-our responsibility to sh-share our kn-knowledge with an-anyone sick or i-injured? If I f-focus on i-illnesses, a-and I come a-across a w-wolf with a r-really bad battle w-wound...i-isn't it unfair o-of me, t-to leave th-them injured? H-how can I c-call m-myself a h-healer if I o-only know h-half the trade." No, he shook his head. "I n-need to l-learn all I can, for th-the sake of e-everyone I meet." He said with determination then, before sighing softly. Maybe that was a very selfish way of thinking. Did knowledge really make him important, or justified in helping whoever he met? Did healing really give him that right? He would blink up at Lyndvarr again, boy the man had lots of questions. But it was good! It was great! The more you knew about one individual plant the better. "W-well I supposed i-it depends on the size of th-the patient, as w-well as the age. Be wary o-of pregnant wolves for in-injesting, I'd actually a-advise against it. But I g-generally start with the s-smallest doseage for i-injesting and i-increase in small amounts if n-needed." He said softly, leaning down to pick a flower and gently cut the flower from the stalk. "For a y-young h-healthy a-adult female I-I'd start w-with.." He'd gently tear a small flower from the rest of the bloom. "A-about this size. I-increase slightly f-for males or w-weight. D-decrease if th-they are y-younger than two o-or older than e-eight.." He said softly, looking up at Lyndvarr. "F-for sk-skin irrit-tants you h-have to make a paste. I s-suggest the e-entire flower d-dependent on the size of the i-irritant. I-if it causes th-the irritant to s-swell or w-worsen, w-wash it off w-with cool water i-instantly and use aloe or lamb's ear." He said then, hoping it all made sense. Healing wasn't something you could really describe in cut and dry terms. Each wolf had a different immune system, and it was up to the healer's to figure out a correct dosage for that wolf. Start small, and work your way up. "Burn Baby Burn" "Italian"

ooc:  sorry if the endings abrupt xD felt it was time to wrap this one up

Lyndvarr chuckled a bit as Starling listed off all the members of his family that were healers. If he thought about it he couldn't name another wolf in his family that had been a healer… well, except for his mother. "Fair questions I suppose… though I don't know how doable it is to learn everything. I want to focus on the battle wounds, when I have that down then I think I'll branch out and trust my fellow healers to cover things like illness and labor. That's cool you want to learn everything though, I wish I had your drive." And your confidence. Even after spending a couple seasons in Alacritis he still felt like healing was something he needed to practice secretly. Lynd mentally jotted down notes as Starling went over the dosing. "Makes sense, thank you Starling for all your help! I better get back to Yfir soon. I don't want to worry my aunt. You should swing by some time when you're in the area and I can give you a battle lesson. Take care!" -exit-