Kavdaya Of The Nomads

How does the time fly by so fast? It was a thought that often crossed her mind as she sorted and stored herbs in their various deer and rabbit hide bundles. Winter was in its latest stages, and Spring would be here before they knew it. With it would come a bounty of herbs to replenish her dwindling supplies. With it would come an influx of new life; fawns on spindly legs, and hairless, sightless, deaf kits hidden away deep in the warrens of rabbits. With the arrival of Spring would come the departure of her first pupil in the family, Zuriel. She’d be sad to see her go, but in a way, there was gladness in the leaving. Zuriel needed the venture into the world. There was only so much Kavdaya could teach her young relation when a lot of the plants she had worked to imprint descriptions of and uses for into the young woman’s mind didn’t grow in this end of the continent, if anywhere at all on it. With Spring, also came her seventh year of life. And her sixth cycle of heat. For the last several years, she’d simply ignored the cycles. She’d kept busy, and taken herbs that dulled the effects of a body that was preparing itself to house new life; and threw quite the tantrums when no measures were taken to begin those new lives. She simply hadn’t been looking for a prospective mate; there were herbs to gather, categorize, learn, and store. Regulus and Surreal had both been ill multiple times over the last year or so, and she had been helping Zuriel and Falk, supplying her knowledge to their efforts. She already feared Surreal would never be quite as powerful as she had been before the illness that had sunk in during her pregnancy. The older woman still had a faint rattle in her lungs, and a light cough that refused to let up. So love had not been set to the forefront of her priorities. Part of her wasn’t too bothered. If it came, it came. And if it didn’t? Well, she could always adopt children and raise them as her own, much like Erani had done. Still… Another part wondered what she was missing. Alright, well, she knew what she was missing, to be honest. Love, companionship, a shoulder to lean on, and an ear to confide her fears and dreams to. She was padding down the ravine, headed out to gather any herbs she could find, and wasn’t paying much attention to where her paws took her; or what was ahead of her. Should she take young Solveiga out on a gathering expedition? The girl seemed eager to learn. It had been a while since the last healer’s meeting, too… She was slacking. She didn’t like that. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Winter was drawing to a close and the aging male could feel it within his bones. It already had been an unnaturally warm cold season and he could tell that spring would soon be on its way. With it came a sense of anxiety. Not because he feared the coming spring, but rather he feared the season after it. Summer would be around the corner before he knew it and with it came the realization that he was getting old. He hadn't felt old lately. Sure his stamina wasn't what it once was and it took him just a little bit longer to recover from things than he used to. He still did them anyways as his brain refused to believe that he was nearly an elder by the standards of most wolves. Eight... Eight. He was going to be eight. That was a terrifying thought. A part of him was compensating for the short amount of time he had by traveling so much. He was still around for the important things and already he was planning a trip for him and Baine. It would be best for him to get in all the last bit of training he could for the girl before he got too old to travel anywhere. He didn't fancy the life of sitting around feeling useless. Sure he could share experiences with Surreal's children and act like an actual elder would, but he was a busy body. He enjoyed having things to do, places to go, and others to see. He needed in his life. It was all he'd really ever known in his life. Adjusting to a slower paced lifestyle was going to be rough. He could feel it. Then there was the regret of not settling down sooner. The longer he sat and thought about it the more he envied Surreal and Falk. What if he'd never left Ardent and had stuck around? Would he have gotten to stick around with Surreal and her family? There was even a remote part of him wondering if he'd be in Falk's place and be Surreal's mate instead. It certainly could have been a possibility in an alternate universe. Of course he was never one to overstep his boundaries and hadn't entertained that idea for more than a few seconds. Instead he pined after the idea of a mate and children instead. He'd always enjoyed youngsters. Even Avalon had settled down with a second mate after Newol had left her. Of course she was younger than him, but if she could find someone surely he could too? He honestly couldn't see it happening but it was a nice idea nonetheless. With these thoughts in mind Creed exited his den and slowly picked his way towards the ravine. Perhaps a walk would help clear his head. Not feeling up to a border patrol, he instead decided to just let his feet do the leading. He was already quite familiar with the Vericona plains so there really wasn't much "exploring" he could do of the place, but a walk was certainly a wonderful idea to start off with. After a while though he soon realized that his peaceful stroll was becoming a bit boring. Feeling the itch to actually do something the male paused at a patch of flowers. Were those useful? Were they something Kavdaya or Zuriel could utilize? He plopped down next to them and stared intently at them trying to figure it out. He'd never any good with herbs or plants and never had picked up the naturally knack healers had for them. Still he'd sit there and stare if it meant he'd be of some use. It may take him a while but he was sure he could figure it out, right? Walk, "Talk" Think

Kavdaya Of The Nomads

What would she do for Solveiga’s first lesson? Pick random herbs for the young woman to pick through, see what she knew already? She’d have to see what Solveiga knew of healing wounds and illnesses. Was she an innovative wolf? Kavdaya hadn’t met her one on one. Regulus had informed her of the young healer moving in, and she’d caught a few glimpses between herb gathering expeditions. Small, very small. It would be hard for her to shift a larger patient without something that would bring leverage. She was so deep in thought that she completely missed the large, monochromatic ball of fluff in her path. She hadn’t been going at a high rate of speed, but it was enough to draw a yip of surprise from the woman as she jumped back to clear her nose of fur and looked to see whom she’d crashed into. “Oh! Creed. Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. Is everything alright?” Her amethyst flecked sapphires roved his larger form, checking the Right Wing habitually for injuries or signs of illness before they returned to his sea green, gold flecks gaze, satisfied that he wasn’t hurt or sick, but curious to see what he needed. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Creed was focused so intently on the plants in front of him he had no idea that he had company headed his way. He hadn't noticed Kavdaya approaching up until he felt something bump right into him. Quite surprised at the interruption, Creed leaped to his paws in an instant and whipped around to see what had hit him. His demeanor calmed immediately once he realized who it was. He noted the concerned look on her face and he offered her a reassuring smile hoping to ease her worries as she apologized. "Yer fine. Ye didn' cause any physical harm." It wasn't like she'd bowled into him and he could still take a good beating despite his age. "Ah was just lookin at these plants wonderin if ye'd find them useful." He said while turning his head to look back at the patch of white flowers. If it'd been something to do with hunting he would have excelled at it. His nose was great for tracking prey but when it came to plants he knew nothing. Neither of his parents had an affinity for it either so there wasn't anyone who could have taught him when he was younger. Celestial didn't seem to be in dire need of anymore healers so he didn't care about learning. He was curious about being able to tell which plant was which so he'd be useful in helping find them when the warmer months came back. "Are ye alrigh' though?" He'd question curiously looking the female over with worry. Even though she hadn't hit him hard he was positive she'd bumped his nose which happened to be a rather sensitive spot for most. He knew what it was to hurt yourself there. He couldn't help but be curious as to what had her so occupied that she'd ran right into him. It was actually quite humorous now that he thought about it. He didn't talk to Kavdaya often so it was a nice incident. Walk, "Talk" Think

Kavdaya Of The Nomads

The Right Wing offered a smile, and Kavdaya’s expression automatically shifted into a warm smile in answer as he assured her that she hadn’t caused him any harm. She was glad, though she’d not thought at once that she might have injured the large male. As he went on to mention the flowers, her amethyst flecked sapphire eyes dropped to examine them. There weren’t many plants that bloomed in winter, even late winter, but she bent to give it a further look. Yarrow? So early? Well that was nice. “Yes, these are very useful. This is Yarrow. Good for cleaning cuts and stopping bleeding, as well as easing fevers; and that’s only a few uses to be named. Thank you, Creed.” Her head rose and she rewarded the Right Wing with a gentle grin, fluffy, long-haired tail waving behind her to accentuate the pleasure at the find. His query brought a pause, her head cocking slightly as one ear flicked back. Concern? Why was he concerned? “Yes, I’d say I am. Everyone’s healthy, though Surreal still has a rattle in her lungs that won’t quite go away.” She paused, sifting through her thoughts with a frown. “I am the Master Healer, but I have only held one meeting for the healers and the pack to address the learning of Healing. That’s… not good.” Left unmentioned was the other little niggling part of her mind that said the window to motherhood was closing much more quickly than it seemed. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Kav was quick to spout off a few of the uses for the plants, no surprise there considering she was the master healer, and she even congratulated him. He was honestly a bit surprised they were sprouting so early but the winter had been much warmer than usual and they were very far south. Spring was surely right around the corner which was great for the healers but rather a damper for him. His coat really wasn't meant for warmer weather but he endured regardless of the temperature. He was doing his best trying to memorize what these flowers were and their uses. He'd never been any good at healing but if it meant he could help out where it was needed he certainly would give it a go. He could tell it would take some training to be able to remember each and every use, but he was sure he could eventually remember what each plant looked like and their names at least. He'd most likely never be a good healer, but if he could gather plants on his travels he certainly would. She answered his question easily and, despite the fact it wasn't very in depth about herself, she willingly told him the state of Surreal. He frowned at this bit of news. Between the sickness, pregnancy, and her age it didn't seem like her health would ever fully recover. At least she had let Regulus take over. It meant she could focus on her mate and newest litter and just relax in comfortable retirement. Something she certainly deserved. He was intrigued to hear she hadn't held another healer training in a while. Ears pricked forward with interest as she mostly mused to herself. He certainly knew how that felt. He hadn't held any training sessions himself, but he certainly could have put more effort into Baine's training. He still had yet to plan a trip with her, but he was determined to do it soon. "Well Ah'm sure ye could plan one soon. Ah'd be interes'ed in showin up ta one if ye did." His words were encouraging and he offered another smile with them. He was sure a few of the other pack mates would be interested in showing up. Maybe one or two of Surreal's pups as well. Walk, "Talk" Think

Kavdaya Of The Nomads

She caught his several expressions as he listened to her speak, and she couldn’t help but be grateful that he didn’t react negatively to her admittance that she’d been lax in her duties, instead offering encouragement, and an offer to show up. A warm smile blossomed along her features, amethyst spangled sapphires twinkling. “Thank you, Creed. That would be very much appreciated. We all need to know at least some kind of healing. I can’t be everywhere at once, and if someone gets hurt where there are no healers within calling distance, they need to know what to look for to staunch a wound, and…” She took a breath, trailing off, before she amended, “Well… It would do my heart good to know they would know what to do if they get hurt out there.” Her eyes flicked up to study the Right Wing, her head cocking as one ear perked, the other falling back. “So what brought you this way? Just looking for herbs to bring to us, or did you need something?” Her Irish laden voice was curious, but held nothing but a coaxing gentleness in its undertones, as her tail swept about to curl around her haunches. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

There was one thing that Creed couldn't deny and that was Kavdaya's passion for healing. He could tell that once she was on the subject she could clearly talk forever if given the opportunity to do so. Not that he minded at all. As much as he feared looking stupid doing something he knew nothing about he was still interested in the subject nonetheless. He had no doubt that he'd most likely poison someone accidentally if someone were to put him in charge right off the bat, but he'd still give it a go. She did have a point after all. It would be good for everyone to know at least the basics. Patching up wounds, what herbs were good for simple illnesses, and how to treat someone until a more experienced healer could get to them. A siege was the first thing his mind jumped to. Anyone who fell in battle from major wounds would certainly need immediate attention and with the amount of wounded the healers would have a lot on their plate. It would be simpler if everyone knew at least something. He could imagine Regulus would have no qualms about the future healer meeting being required for everyone to attend, healer or not, if she decided to hold one. "Well no promises on bein' any good at' it, bu' Ah'll give it a go." It was worth a shot, right? The Right Wing instantly became curious as Kavdaya threw him a curious look and put one ear back and the other forward looking as if she was about to ask him something. His own head cocked to the side in mild curiosity as he tried to fathom the questions that might run through her mind. Surely it was something rather predictable. His curiosity was soon sated as she asked him what his intentions were and he offered her a sheepish grin in response. Originally he hadn't been looking for herbs. So far all he had done was gotten lucky. Things could have ended up the other way and he could have brought her something poisonous instead by mistake. "Ah, no, no' really." He admitted. "Ah really was jus' bored and lookin fer somethin ta do. Saw some flowers growin and mah mind jus' wen' from there." He could easily say he didn't need anything, unless it was entertainment, in which case he definitely needed. There was only so much to do on border patrols and those got old fast. "Wha' abou' ye? Ye up ta anythin' interestin?" Walk, "Talk" Think

Kavdaya Of The Nomads

A soft chuckle left her at his words, and the snowy female’s head cocked, amethyst sparked sapphire gaze twinkling with amusement. “It’s amazing what comes out of the forest of one’s mind when they need it badly.” She remarked, Irish brogued voice tinged with amusement as her brow-points lifted, tugging at the mark between them. His sheepish grin brought a gentle smile to her jaws as he admitted his reasoning for being in the area. “The mind does tend to wander. As for myself, I was doing a lot of thinking, and not a lot of looking where I was going.” A soft laugh broke from her. “I was considering calling the healers together, or going out to see what plants are available to pick, but I may have to wait a little longer for Spring to truly roll into life.” Her eyes lit up as a thought crossed her mind. “Perhaps you could help me with something, though; that would give us both something to do.” Her features broke into a grin as she looked up at him, her tail wagging as she waited for his answer. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

As Kavdaya compared a forest to a mind. Creed couldn't help but watch the marking between her eye brow spots as it shifted. It wasn't the first time he'd seen it before but it was the first time he'd actually taken a good look at it. He wondered how she'd gotten it, but rather than change the subject he kept his questions to himself to wait for a later time. There was the possibility that a better opportunity would arise for him to ask her. Until then he'd be patient. She smiled gently at him as she explained what she'd been up to. Running into people definitely didn't seem to be on the to do list today, but he was glad she had. Her company was certainly enjoyable. His thoughts shifted to her duties. He couldn't imagine what it was like to be a healer. Lately it seemed like it was rather slow. Unless someone got sick during the winter there weren't really many herbs they could gather. Even with spring arriving rather early it still would be a little bit until everything was in full bloom. He didn't blame her for looking for something to do. He noticed the expression on her face change and his ears perked up at the mention of helping her with something. He couldn't imagine what she'd want help with, but whatever it was he was sure he wouldn't mind. "Sure." He replied eagerly. "Wha' did ye have in mind?" Walk, "Talk" Think