The sun cast its' gaze across the sparsely snow-covered ground, assessing the damage caused by the cold and the snow. Today wasn't as cold as the day the carrier of the blaze rekindled the coals of his relationship with his sister. The memory of their first embrace in a year brought a shiver through his spine. He could smell her still, even though he'd left her a few days ago. It was time he had looked over this vast land, and his travels had taken him far, but it was in this distance that he felt whole. The world still spun regardless of his movements, but it just seemed pointless to lie in wait. He needed to move, he craved action, movement, and his thirst to better himself was more than enough to fuel his movements. His dark pelt rose and fell as he walked, his paw pads kicking up snow and loose dirt as he glided across the terrain. Those molten yellow-orange circled eyes lit up as he crossed into an orchard. Curiosity killed the cat, right?

Setekh stopped, marveling the wonder before him. Rows and rows of trees, shrubs, bushes, but most, if not all, as far as the eye could see, were bare and dead. Piles of questionably round objects half-squashed littered the ground he walked on. Leaning down, he approached the closest half-orb and prodded it with his nose. Almost instantly, the brute reeled backward, brown liquid oozed from the fruit and his scent was filled with foul and damnable things. Stifling the urge to vomit, the brute bared his fangs and growled, his stomach churning. It's a good thing I didn't eat yet today... His eyes glistened with sick tears, and his tail lashed angrily behind him. Backing up the beast glared at the fruit one last time, before ambling on, deeper into the grove. For a moment, the trees held a sense of wonder, but now... Now he sensed they held a power, a sickening power.

The thought festered in his mind, and he stopped before another gnarled tree. It's branches twisted upward and out, praising the heavens, while also drooping in spots. The goliath bared its soul, all but one low branch. Setekh inspected it with a curiosity befitting a child, his eyes questioning the glistening orb hanging from the tree. Though everything else around here took on a deep brown tone, or even green, some looking fuzzy, and most looking completely inedible, this one looked like it called for someone to eat it. Encased in ice, he watched the water drip from the tendrils, and he desire to lap at it. He sat, gingerly, his tail brushing away some of the foul smelling items, and his tongue moistened his lips, "So this is the fabled forbidden fruit... How delicious." He mused, his vocals reaching out into the near-silence, a few stray crows and ravens scoured the skies, searching for meals, "Now comes the real question, how to taste your... innards." His ears lowered, and his head tilted. How indeed, or more importantly, was the inside of this frozen treat as rotten as the ones that fell to their demise?

ooc: I'm interested in getting Setekh into learning about plants, both healing and poisonous, because his skill is healing, as well as possibly make some friends/frenimies/acquaintances, and maybe one enemy, but be forewarned, any of Setekh's family can intrude at any time in his threads, and if attacked, it's likely it won't be a fair 1 v 1. This post is marked mature because he can and probably will be for mature audiences.

Despite her original plans, Ara found herself heading just south of the knolls toward a place she'd been to more than once before - the orchard. Winter was still here, but fading fast, and with the cold dissipating came a new sense of urgency; finding a place to settle with Athena, as well as her son and hopefully his children was highly appealing. The thought of settling down soon in lands with milder weather, too, was wildly appealing.. and so here she was, padding across the ground lightly dusted with snow, noting that much of it seemed to have been melting. While the orchard hadn't fully bloomed yet, it was certainly on the downward slope of winter. With the passing of autumn, the trees generally released most of their fruits, but a few stubborn ones clung here and there; and no longer were they frozen solid, but with the slow melting of ice they'd started to decay and droop from the branches, and soon they would fall completely as the trees started to bloom. This place didn't smell the greatest overall, but to a trained healer the undertones of new life could be scented among the decay - a subtle reminder that spring would be here soon and that flowers would blossom on the trees, soon followed by their fruits. Ara didn't expect to find anyone here, so when she spotted a relatively young wolf perched near the side of a tree, her pace slowed. He was closer than she'd expected, her attention on the frees and bushes that surrounded her rather than any possible wolves she might find nearby. He seemed to be observing the trees, perhaps surprised by what he was encountering, in such an odd place. Curious, she watched for a long moment before the dark-furred female took a few long strides forward. The herb bag she carried, still far too empty for her liking, hung loosely around her neck, bumping against her front left leg lightly as she walked. "Finding anything of interest?" Ara asked softly once she was within earshot, a ghost of a smile touching her lips - her posture was friendly, tail flicking where it lay behind her, her head lowered slightly as she nodded in greeting.

Stuck in a daydream, he watched the encased fruit sway on the branch. With a start, a noise sounded behind the brute, and like a song, his head and ears swiveled to catch her tones, "Finding anything of interest?" Inhaling deeply, the young male twisted, his eyes curious, and his lips drawn into a loose smile. In this place of mystery, it's too hard to resist beaming, with a nod, his gentle tones caressed the air, "I'm not quite sure I'd call it interesting but it's nothing short of miraculous." His head inclined to tilt toward the dripping mass, curious to see what his elder would say about it. In this current moment, Setekh was more or less curious about the world around him, and what were the odds he'd run into someone new, an older female that smelled of strange scents, more than just other wolves. Setekh stood, and moved a little to the side, so that she had space to move toward him should she wish, and he couldn't help but staring at her sack, "I hope you don't find me being rude but... What's the sack for?" His head tilted, his golden necklace bouncing lightly off his charcoal colored fur. His eyes narrowed slightly, mere curiosity brightening the molten core of the boy. He wouldn't lie, she was quite curious looking as well. A refined beauty. He sat again, allowing his tail to curl along his paws, his patience proving its' worth today. So far, he'd traveled from two ends of this place and was vaguely interested in the knowledge this place could hold. Not to mention, after rekindling more than just the flames that burned between his sister and him, there was a chance that he could find more of his family. It was always bittersweet thinking of his family, because in one moment, he remembered happiness, but... Then it would twist to viewing his bloated and decaying mother. He shuddered, and blinked back these memories, She doesn't need to know, it isn't something that would make you welcomed. He grinned almost apologetically, "My name is Setekh, I'm... I'm new around here." Looking down at his paws, he gently nudged a blackened ball. Unlike the first, this one was hard, and cold, and no juices squeezed out. He stuck out his tongue and kicked the piece away before turning his attention back to his new company, and added softly, "I can't imagine many wanting to explore this area... It's rather," he debated on what to say, not knowing if he was being too harsh on the items that littered the ground, "Putrid." The word came out with a wrinkle of his mouth, and anyone around could see that he had experience with the rotting fruit. It was quite comical. "Talk dirty to me"

Ara was pleased at his friendly reaction, watching as he turned with a start and smiled in her direction. Most wolves, though, she'd found to be quite friendly. She was blissfully unaware that the fact that most wolves were kind toward her was often because her own demeanor was so warm and nonthreatening - though she wasn't at all naive to the evils of the world. At least this brute didn't seem a threat, and so slowly she would take a few long strides closer to him, her own expression brightening with a meek, but genuine, smile. His words showed he appreciated the sight, which was enough to officially pique her interest. "Miraculous is a good word for it," Ara agreed easily, nodding slightly as though to stress her agreement. "Though it's interesting, too, in my eyes. Is this your first time here?" Talking to her, or even hinting at her, about plants and herbs and even fruits was enough to get the introverted woman to open up quickly, like a flower bud unfurling in the sun, without intention. "If you think this is miraculous, you ought to come here in a few months, when these trees and bushes are all blooming with more fruit than you can imagine." Ara had always liked this place, and her eyes lit up as she explained it, hoping it might catch his interest. But her soft exuberance was short-lived, the female calming slightly once she realized that she'd started talking a bit excessively. She smiled softly again at his question, her gaze briefly dropping to her satchel. "Oh, this is something I found a few years back. It's surprisingly useful for carrying things - mostly herbs and flowers for me." Ara was sure she would've never thought of it if Novel hadn't found a similar one so long ago. The satchel reminded Ara of her missing wife, and once she'd seen something that she thought might be the same.. she hadn't been able to let it go. The thing was tattered, but still worked for its intended purpose, though she was cautious in traveling with it for fear it might get snagged and rip on something. It seemed he wore something around his own neck, too, which she admired from a distance. Though she'd never had an affinity for trinkets like that, she could certainly appreciate them from afar. Finding herself more comfortable now, she too mirrored his actions, lowering herself to her haunches nearby. "It's a pleasure, Setekh. My name's Ara." She had long since dropped the surname she had taken from her wife's family, finding it easier to exist without needing to explain, in the off-chance she came across another Destruction. The hurt had been bottled up for so long that she was content to avoid anything that might upset that perfect balance she'd worked so hard to maintain. His observation earned another quick nod. "It is quite awful right now, comparatively. I'm telling you - return in a few months and you'll be enchanted by the beauty here." The corners of her lips twisted up in another smile, stronger and more certain this time. "And right now it's not all bad," Ara shrugged gently, her gaze sweeping across the lands, wondering if she could find a few sprouts of growth here and there. Maybe not of the fruits yet, but perhaps some bits of foliage had started to peek up from beneath the light layer of snow that had begun to melt.

OOC: BLAHHHHH Bad post I'm sorry. x_x

He nodded slowly, almost ashamed at the fact that it was his first time entering this place, or seeing such strange things, "I'll admit, it is my first time... I'm not quite versed in this land yet, the terrain is rather... difficult to maneuver." There was a tilt to his head as he listened to her words, slightly confused, but he processed and let his brows furrow as he mulled over her words, Fruit? It wasn't a surprise that the boy was a bit confused, he was young when he began traveling, and fruit was not something he was accustomed to, he spoke softly, embarrassed, "Is... Is fruit edible?" Setekh hoped she wouldn't judge him, but if she did, he would hold his head high, she didn't need to know his thoughts. His back arched, and he leveled his eyes with hers, but he still felt quite imbecilic. A smile crawled across his face as he watched this intriguing female. Her excitement brought a strange sense of longing to his core, and though he was a rather stubborn and brutish young man, he felt for her. He also watched with a slight horror as she tried to reign herself back in, Who has already clipped your wings little birdy? Setekh's brows furrowed, and he turned his attention away from her. He didn't want to get angry thinking that someone broke this woman's spirit so badly that she couldn't get excited about things without fear of judgement from others. He kept quiet for a time, his focus on her voice and her words as she finished speaking, not quite knowing exactly what to say next. Clearing his throat, his ears and head turned toward her again, and he angled his body more toward hers, his interest clear, and he spoke again, "Herbs?" Not in so many words did the boy speak, but he did smile sheepishly, as he chuckled and spoke again, "Forgive me if I'm overstepping some boundaries, but... I'm interested in learning what plants are around here that can be help, and can be harm. I... I've taken a shine to some from my home, but here I'm rather turned around." He listened to her words and he spoke softly again, turning away, shyly, playing innocent and young like any male would, "Even in this visual wasteland, there's always some beauty. You may just have to look for it." His comment wasn't directly toward her, but it could be. He merely meant that with the disgust, there could be some death, or some sickness, and that fascinated the young male. His paw reached out again for the fruit and he applied slight pressure. As it oozed below his paws, he wondered if someone would vomit from this. It's strange to see that from that statement there could be two entirely different meanings. "Talk dirty to me"

Ara noted that he almost seemed hesitant to admit that he'd never been here before. She, of course, had been born in these lands - much of the terrain, in particular the more central and eastern lands, were deeply familiar to her. She'd been to this particular orchard more than once; she remembering spending time with Novel here long ago, in the spring before the flowers on the trees had turned to fruits.  "Yep, fruit," she said gently - her voice gave no indication that she thought he was being stupid. Ara knew there was always knowledge to be gained, and wouldn't fault anyone for not knowing something, no matter how simple.  "And it is edible! Fruit is very sweet. Definitely something you only want in moderation," she added with another smile.  "It's hard to imagine that rotten thing tasting good, but I'm sure in a few weeks that will have fallen and a new flower will form. Another few weeks, and you might even find a piece of fruit in its place." At his next question, she nodded again.  "Herb is just another word for a plant that has some kind of use," Ara explained, her tail waving lightly behind her at his hesitant interest.  "A large majority of the plants and flowers you find have some kind of purpose, however minimal that purpose might be, believe it or not." If he was from lands far beyond those of Boreas, or even the southern continent, well.. it was no surprise he felt lost here! Ara knew as well as any how vast the world and its inhabitants was, and plants were certainly no exception. His declaration that there was always beauty - you just needed to find it - she nodded in quiet understanding.  "I wouldn't eat that thing, if I were you," Ara warned him gingerly, watching his interest directed back toward it as he watched the fruit.  "It'd probably make you sick. Who knows what kind of worms might be living in there now." The very thought made her cringe, hoping nobody would dare try that sort of thing.