To say Circe was pleased with Pnuma's progress was an understatement. He'd stayed close since she'd found him and under her watchful eye his leg was healing nicely. Almost too nicely. If at any point he seemed like he was going to leave them she'd have to slow down his speedy recovery. Because Pnuma was doing so well Circe felt comfortable with bringing him along on a gathering foray. Today they were looking for elderberries and their search had brought them into the rat's nest known as Gambit Briar. It was a bit late in the year for elderberries, but Circe was hoping that the warmer climate in the south meant they might still be growing or at the very least that they hadn't rotted off the branches yet. So far navigating the Briar was proving difficult. In most places they had to walk single file and more than once had to stop and clear the little-used path as tangles had begun to grow across them. Once already Circe had found a patch of elderberries, but what fruit remained on the vines was shriveled and useless, and the plants were nearly bare of leaves. Circe paused to hold aside a coil of thorns so Pnuma could squeeze through the narrow passage without getting pricked. The thorns bit into her lip but she ignored the slight sting and was careful to hold the vine gently to avoid any real damage. Word count: 236 "Circe" "Gwydion"

Pnuma seemed a bit peppier as the days went on, mostly due to having someone to follow around and talk to. He had spent most of his days as a traveler alone, though speaking to the occasional wolf he passed. It was nice having someone he could reliably return to whenever he wanted to talk. The spirits offered some social relief in desperate times though they could barely hold a conversation, their voices mingling and merging into an indecipherable mass of white noise as they all spoke at once. They didn't seem to acknowledge other spirits resided in his mind, though he could sometimes catch a short exchange of words if he was listening close enough.

He obediently trotted behind Circe, now brave enough to put pressure on his injured leg, the splint offering extra support as we walked. Pnuma was excited to be brought on a foraging trip. With winter here and freezing all the herbs, he thought it was a good idea to find whatever still worked before it too succumbed to the frost. Though Pnuma wasn't the most familiar with the plant's healing properties, he knew what Elderberries looked like and focused on trying to find the black berries through the thorns.

"Thank you," he said, giving a brief nod of gratitude as he pressed through the now open tunnel of thorns, thin legs expertly avoiding the barbs that littered the ground. His scrawny frame allowed him to dodge most of the thorny vines, able to squeeze through gaps in the thorns with relative ease. However, Circe's help was much appreciated. He sought to return the favor, though he was much too small to make a dent in the barbs large enough for his friend to enter comfortably. It didn't stop him from trying though, grabbing a vine in his teeth as he exited the passage, pulling it aside to hopefully prevent at least a few thorns from scraping into Circe's pelt. Small needles grazed his cheek as he did so, but he was so eager to help he didn't care. The woman had done so much for him already, fixing his leg and offering him a band; he wanted to show he was thankful in any way possible.

Word count: 370

OOC: so sorry this has taken me so long! D:

Pnuma thanked her when he was safely through the passage and she dipped her head in seemingly gentle, humble acknowledgement of his thanks. The young male was coming along nicely. He followed her everywhere; a grateful, inquisitive little shadow. Circe was growing rather fond of his presence. His interest in plants and their uses was nice, and she found sharing her knowledge rather enjoyable. He was quick to return the favor; holding back a tangle of thorns so she could squeeze by. It was no easy task for the giant. The creatures who had forged the path they were on were much smaller than her so her broad shoulders and towering head were in constant danger of being pricked and scraped. "Ah, and thank you," she said with a gentle chuckle. Circe's gaze fell upon a dark purple cluster hanging from a nearby vine. Her eyes lit up and she made a beeline for the plant, but the withered appearance of the berries quickly dulled her bright expression. Right plant, wrong time. They were probably too late to make use of them. She didn't know how long the berries' remained potent after losing the support of the vine, but it seemed fair to assume that the ones she was looking at (that were very nearly raisins) She was quick to direct Pnuma's attention to them. "There are a little too far gone, I think, but we're going in the right direction." Circe glanced back at her companion with a sly expression that said she was about to test his knowledge. While she hadn't formally taken him on as an apprentice his interest in healing was too good an opportunity to pass up. She would be remiss if she didn't use it to draw him in closer. "Do you know what elderberries are good for?" Post Total: 301 Thread total: 907 "Circe" "Gwydion"