How was it possible for a land mass to be so large? She left like she had been wandering for ages now, but she still had not seen it all. She hadn't seen either of her Goran friends in quite a while and she was beginning to wonder if she ever would. Surely they were around here somewhere, but for the time being she would assume they were fine and off to their own devices. The gods had always favored the two of them plenty, she didn't know why that would change now. She was never the type to cling to one wolf for any length of time anyway. Well, not usually. It was getting awfully lonely and she still craved a tutor to teach her what all of these new plants and herbs around her were. She peered around the delta that she found herself in now curiously. As if the world wanted to echo her thoughts out into reality, her emerald gaze landed on a curious plant a fair distance ahead of her. Her gold marked ears perked with interest and she trotted toward it. It was pale green and seemed to have a light fuzz on its leaves. She bent her head to sniff at the plant, a soft hum sounding in her chest. There were some plants in this land that she was familiar with, but some, like this one, were a mystery. If only she could find a healer from this area... "Talk" "You" Think

Ara missed her wife. It'd been far too long since she was gone; since spring, at least. The months had gone by painfully slowly, and she wished more than anything that Novel was home again. Her heart was feeling unusually heavy, and she felt at a loss for what to do - and so she would wander, aimlessly, figuring at least looking for herbs or simply just moving might keep her mind occupied. This place was soothing, at the least, and she found herself slipping into a peaceful rhythm as she traveled near one of the streams that she knew let out to the ocean. Though the world was growing colder, some plants still clung to life, though many were beginning to die as winter set in. An audible sigh fell from her lips as she moved, taking one slow step after another, her head hung low to the ground as she tasted the air for familiar plant scents. Something stood out - a wolf, not an herb, and slowly she would lift her head and search for the stranger nearby. She wasn't terribly close, but close enough to get a decent look at. Her coat was black, harboring mesmerizing golden swirls, and something on her front limb glimmered as it caught the sunlight. Taking care to not seem threatening, for the last thing she wanted to do today was to upset someone, Ara would offer a slow bow, in the form of a greeting.

A breeze drifting past her carried a wolf's scent on it and she'd lift her gaze from the plant in front of her, instead landing on a woman who had a very similar coloring to herself except a bit more muted. Oria had met very few of the native wolves of this land since she arrived here so seeing someone now was very interesting. A small smile touched her lips and she returned the woman's bow. She then noticed the scent of herbs that clung to the woman's fur, a distinctive characteristic only healers truly had. Suddenly even more curious and interested she stepped around the lambs ear she had been examined and trotted closer. "Hello there," she greeted with another slight nod of her head. "This might be a strange question, but do you happen to know what that plant is and what it does?" she asked, nodding over her shoulder at the plant she had been examining before. "I'm a healer, but I'm not from these lands and I seem to be finding many herbs that I've never seen." "Talk" "You" Think

Ara couldn't help but crave companionship after being without it for so long. If this stranger proved to be less-than-friendly, though, she would be quick to leave. She was a pacifist and never wished to start trouble. Thankfully, though, the woman's posture stayed relaxed and friendly, and Ara would mirror her own features with a steady smile as she wandered closer. She offered a pleasant greeting, and she felt her tail beginning to sway where it lay at her hind paws, eager to meet someone new - and hopefully someone friendly. "Hello," she would offer, her voice soft and wary as she examined Oria. As she drew closer, she noticed the object around her limb was some kind of bracelet, and she envied it for a moment before lifting her gaze once again. "Sorry if I'm interrupting anything," the woman would add offhandedly. But.. it seemed she wasn't. The stranger noticed right away that she was a healer, it seemed, for she was asking about the plant in front of her. She knew that a healer's scent was something easily noticed, and she found herself grinning as she took a few long strides closer, though maintaining a reasonable distance while observing the plant. "It looks like lambs ear," she offered, a bit tentatively despite being sure in her knowledge. She hadn't used it herself, but it was a useful plant to know where to find and how to use. "The leaves are really soft, almost like fur. It's good for bandaging, I guess." She'd never gotten to use it herself, though was interested in examining it if nothing less. "My name's Ara, by the way," she'd offer finally, her expression soft as she gazed at her.

Oria was quick to give a small shake of her head and insist, "Oh, no, not to worry. You are not interrupting anything of importance." She couldn't say that staring at an unknown plant was worth being considered "important". Surely it was a helpful herb of some kind, but it wasn't a reason to make this woman think she had been incredibly engaged. When the woman grinned and took a closer look at the plant in question as she began to describe what it was, Oria sent a quick and silent thank you to the gods for finally putting a healer in her path, or at the very least someone who was familiar with herbs in some way. She glanced from the woman to the plant with awe, studying it and storing its name away. Finally, her first lesson in this new place! Lambs ear... What a peculiar name. What an interesting plant though! Used for bandaging... Yes, she could see how it would be good for- Her gold marked ears twitched when she realized the other woman had spoken again and she had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she almost hadn't noticed. Goodness, that wasn't very polite of her. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Ara," she said with a small smile, lifting her green gaze to Ara's face again. "I am Oria." She dipped her head in a small bow as she introduced herself, her tail waving gently behind her. "I can not tell you how long I have been looking for a healer from these lands that could shed some light on these mysterious herbs for me." "Talk" "You" Think

The mere mention of plants, and of healing, was enough to ignite a passionate fire within her heart; it shone in her soft gaze as she looked at Oria, for she could not bear to hide her interest. She nodded at Oria's words of encouragement. She said she wasn't interrupting, which she was happy to hear. Personally, she wouldn't mind being interrupted to be questioned about plants. Ara could imagine very few scenarios in which she wouldn't want to be taken away from her task at hand to indulge in a conversation, or lesson, about healing. Her smile was genuine as she watched Oria absorb the knowledge she offered, which was minimal at best, but better than nothing. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Oria," she replied with ease, tail flicking behind her with pleasure. "I'm happy to help with what I can," Ara offered eagerly, her head nodding to accentuate her point. "I've studied herbs since I was a child, so I may know some helpful things." She couldn't help but wonder what sort of herbs that Oria encountered, that she might never see.. the thought itself filled her with wonder and awe, and some of that was visible on her face as she watched her quietly.