Burdened with lofty goals, and a large branch that was practically a log, Drífa slowly worked her back end backwards to where she hoped to start her summer garden. She'd know of other wolves that had transplanted herbs they'd found and grown them successfully. Drífa was a bit skeptical of how well she'd do so far north and so she'd naturally gone to the gorge where she'd had a garden before and new it was possible. This would just be for the summer, to get a few plants started while she worked on her green house. She hoped to build something south of the ship so that it was near enough that the ship would help block the bitter north winds.

However, that was still a ways away. She needed to focus on her summer garden. Halla was tending to the plants they'd hoped to transplant. She had taken soil and gently put them in some spare jars to take with her. It had been a rough journey but as most were northern plants it hadn't been too long and they were already acclimated to the weather here. Drífa set down the log and stretched her jaw. Oof, she needed to invent a better way to carry large objects.

Cannival had been making a long journey across the world after her encounter with Kirby, Motif's companion panda. He'd explained to her the circumstances of her disappearance, and how she'd been held captive in a neighboring pack. Once she'd been freed, they'd been separated. Cannival went to Abaven lands to check on her shortly after the eruption and found the territory destroyed and no scent trail leading out west, it was her assumption that her friend's packmates were all dead. Surely once Motif found that out, she'd have gone somewhere else. And so the lioness moved from territory to territory in search of the lost girl, hoping to reconnect at last.

The north was one of the last places the cat had checked - she hated the cold, and assumed Motif would too. However she was running out of territories, and found herself in the sprawling northern landscape regardless. Once she reached the gorge stale scents reached her - the first scents of wolves she'd encountered in weeks. Eager, the lioness moved in to investigate.

Instead of finding Motif, she saw a white wolf looking fluffy and suitable to the north. If Motif was here, it would be a northern wolf who would know about it. "Hello." She greeted cautiously, keeping her head low as to not seem overbearing. The wolf was maneuvering a log and Cannival tilted her head in curiosity. "Are you okay, ma'am?"

Drífa dutifully worked her way backwards, log between her teeth. Halla was back at the garden laying another stick in place to build a small barrier. It was more a means of marking what Drífa had planted and what was natural rather than to keep out any plant eaters. A shift in the wind and a strange scent was Drífa's only warning to the lion's approach before the voice called out. It was polite and deep and when Drífa saw the cat her fur immediately stood on end and she dropped her branch. What on earth was a lion doing this far north! She eyed the cat warily but the other's tone seemed polite. Drífa licked at her teeth to remove some bits of bark.

"Ah, yes, I'm fine. Just, trying to get this branch back to my garden. It's been slow going but perhaps I am overly ambitious. What brings you so far north? I don't normally see lions up this way, even in the summer."

The stranger was certainly eyeing her with uncertainty, though Canni did not feel hostility from the wolf. She was learning to accept that the canines of this land simply distrusted her and that it was something she'd have to overcome. Rather then hate them for their prejudice, the lioness had decided instead that she would do her best to change their collective mindset with kindness. They all had to live here together, right?

Cannival gave the woman a small smile, careful to not show too many teeth in the expression. "I'm here looking for my friend, a little wolf. Actually, she's probably huge by now. A yearling, at least." Golden eyes grew softer and more sad, and for a moment she wondered if Motif was even still alive. She had to be, right? Kirby had seen her not too long ago. "Her name is Motif Destruction, have you seen her?"

She was not blind to the woman's struggles with the log, and seeing as she was asking for information the least she could do was offer her assistance. The lioness moved to the other side of the log, leaning her shoulder against it's end and looking up at the wolf expectantly. "You pull from that side so I know where it goes, and I'll push." She offered, crouching low and digging her paws into the ground for traction. How did this tiny wolf decide she was going to move logs all over the place? And better yet, why?

Drífa was intrigued that the lion was looking for a wolf friend and she wondered if the lion was the companion of this wolf. After all she had Halla and had seen plenty of wolves with other companions. She sat down for a moment, her eyes gazing off in the distance as she tried to recall if she'd heard the name Motif. She turned to the lion and shook her head gently. "I have not seen a wolf named Motif Destruction. However, I did run across a Rhythm Destruction not long ago. She was headed back to the Abaven homelands. Perhaps you could ask her?" Destruction didn't seem like a last name that was all that common so she was willing to bet that this Motif was related to Rhythm. Perhaps Rhythm could point the lion in the right direction.

The lion moved to the other side of the log and looked meaningfully at her and she nodded, grateful for the help. Drífa seized the log and began to pull. She worked herself backwards carefully, rotating and moving until the log was in the position it needed to be and she set it down. It was the last piece she needed to create her neat little square where she would plant her plants. Her tongue lapped at her mouth and she turned to the lion smiling. "Thank you, I appreciate that. I'm trying to get a little garden going here while I still have the summer to work with." She moved into the square and began to scratch and dig at the soil. She'd tilled it earlier but since then more brush and debris had blown in so she decided to loosen the soil once more before she transplanted her plants. It was then that Halla appeared, walking on three legs with the plants gently nestled in her free arm. They were wrapped in moist deer hide with soil still left around the roots, or as much as she had been able to keep with the plants.

Cannival heaved with the wolf, feeling the woman shift and rotate it until it fell into position. She stepped back to look, her head tilting curiously at the square Drifa had created. The kindly wolf was thanking her for the help, and Canni yearned to ask more about the garden she was working to create. "Abaven is where Motif is from." She confirmed softly, remembering returning to the land and how the volcano had destroyed their thicket. "Do you know if they've moved? I went looking for them, and nobody was left..." Her voice trailed off, and unspoken alive on her tongue. Did Abaven see the volcano brewing and flee to safety? The idea squeezed at the lioness' heart, and she hoped desperately that her friends escaped their deaths.

"Abaven had a garden too, I accidentally wrecked it when I first met them." The memory was a bittersweet one, the first day Shaye had welcomed her into Abaven's heart. If they were still alive, Canni wanted to find them and help them rebuild. It was the least she could do. "How do you make a garden? Would you like some more help?" As she spoke, the wolf's companion came through with plants in her arm. Cannival backed up for her, eyeing the deer-hide bundle with curiosity. She couldn't identify the herbs stashed within, and wondered how the wolf planned to plant them in a way where they'd regrow. Especially in the cold north.

The lion, Cannival, stated that the wolf she was looking for happened to be from Abaven. It seemed curious to Drífa that the lion didn't go searching there first but as the great cat spoke it became more evident as to why. She'd checked after the volcano. That made sense. Abaven was far to close to the volcano to have remained during the worst of it but she had no idea if they'd returned to old lands. She shook her head. "I can't say for certain though they almost certainly moved after the eruption. However, I can't say for sure if they've moved back. Rhthym did not mention any lands I was familiar with. Perhaps you could try visiting their old pack lands to see if they returned there?" She hoped they had but she had few connections outside of Winterfell and just couldn't say for certain.

As she spoke she worked at digging up a section of the garden. Cannival mentioned that Abaven had had a garden and the little anecdote intrigued her. She supposed she shouldn't be surprised that she was not the first healer to consider growing needed herbs nearby. "Sure, if you'd like to take that half of the garden and start scratching it to loosen and aerate the soil that would be great. To make a garden I just fence off an area or mark it in some way so that it's easier to recognize. I then till the soil, usually a couple of times. The first time to pull and shred plants I don't want and the second to get things loosened up for planting. Then I dig up a plant roots and all or you can gather the seeds. I'm transplanting some marigold and I've saved some yarrow seeds from last fall."

Marigold was running in short supply thanks to the volcano. It's usefulness for burns was invaluable now and yarrow was her favorite herb. It had so many uses but it didn't grow as close to Winterfell as she would have liked. The marigold was an experiment entirely. It did not usually grow in the north but she wanted to see if she could at least get it to take root in the summer and survive the summer. Then she could use her greenhouse to monitor the plants health and extend its life. It would of course die in the winter. There wasn't much that would survive a northern winter but she'd be curious to see if it managed to regrow.

Drífa gently used her paws to dig two small holes. In one Halla held the plants roots in the hole while Drífa pushed dirt up around the base of the plant until it held. In the other she places a small seed and covered it up. She glanced up at Cannival. "Then it's just a matter of digging a hole and planting the plant or the seed. You'll need to water after planting it of course. Would you like to try with some of ours?"

She had her next clue as to where her little friend might be found, and a part of her wanted to abandon this stranger wolf to sprint down south once more and scout Abaven's homelands for little lost Motif. The other part of her however was exhausted, and also wanting to see this garden through. She'd hurt Abaven enough by leaving them to her own devices for so long, the least she could do is bring back some knowledge even if it meant she took longer to return. The she-wolf began digging and instructing Cannival further on how the process was done, and obediently the lioness moved to the other half of the soil and raked her claws against it gently as she'd demonstrated.

She focused intently, plucking out the shredded old plants and dropping them gently over the other side of the log barrier. "Won't these plants struggle to grow here? The soil is colder and more tough then down south." The seasoned wolf was faster then Cannival, and when she glanced over Drifa was already digging holes for her seeds. The lioness went back to tilling - quicker - to get it prepared for when the wolf and her companion made it to her side of the garden. She'd mentioned watering the new plants, and Cannival's head tilted in confusion. "Do they not receive enough from the rain?" She questioned, stepping back after her land looked similar to the wolf's and ready to import the seeds to. "How often will you need to make the journey here to water them?" From what the lioness was aware, the closest pack was still territories away. This poor wolf was in for a rough summer if she'd need to tend so carefully to these plants.

Word Count: 2238 / 2500
[OOC: Tasks say we need to do a time skip as well before prompt is done to watch the seeds sprout! Canni can stick around nearby and be the garden's scarecrow for now :P]

Drífa worked with Halla to continue planting and once again she was grateful for the monkey's agile hands. She lifted her head and nodded at Cannival’s question. “Indeed, there is a good chance this will fail but that’s why I’m testing transplanting them here. This garden is temporary and not really meant to last into winter. If I can get the plants to grow during summer than perhaps I can extend their lives with the greenhouse I seek to build. The logs should help shield them from the wind while they’re small.” The yarrow would eventually grow above the logs but as it did grow in other areas of the north she hoped it would be more resilient to the gorge.

Halla had reached into Drífa’s bag and pulled out a canister of water and then began to water the plants. It was only a little water, she’d need to go and refill the canister several times. “We water to help set the soil around them. For the transplanted plants it wakes up their roots and for the seeds it can help signal them to begin germinating. I believe we’ll get enough rain for the yarrow but I don’t know about the marigolds.” Marigolds were hardy but as they didn’t typically grow this far north she’d need to watch and tend to them. “I plan to check every few days at first until I get an idea of how often they may need water.” She settled down on her haunches. “You’re welcome to come visit later if you like to see how things are doing. I much appreciate your help.”

——— time skip ———

Drífa had been tending to her garden and this day she was terribly excited to arrive. According to Halla the yarrow seeds she had planted were sprouting. When she looked over the garden barrier she saw them and grinned, delighted to see them growing so well. It would take time to see if they would make it in the long run but to know they’d taken root was definitely a good sign. The marigold’s were also looking pretty good. They would at least survive the summer though she was doubtful they’d last long into the fall. She had to fuss over them to keep them going and as soon as frost started to fall across the land they wouldn’t have long. Still, even if it were just for another month it was nice to have fresh marigold on hand.

Cannival nodded politely, gifting the woman a smile as she offered her the opportunity to visit. She was curious on how this would all turn out, and before she could plant a garden for Abaven - if Abaven was truly still around - she'd need to see the end result. "I'll stay here for a while, at least make sure nobody messes with them." The lioness somehow felt maternal towards the baby plants, wanting to see them bloom and grow. If a stray monkey were to try to swipe them she'd surely remove the offending hand before letting their work go to ruin.

-time skip-

The lioness checked on the plants nearly every day, having settled herself in the gorge to wait until their progress had shown. Occasionally when she arrived, Drifa was already there and the pair would exchange thoughts on their growth, and the lioness learned much in the way of gardens. This time Drifa was coming in at nearly the same time as her, and when Cannival approached to check on the seedlings her heart was warmed. The older wolf's smile was infectious, and Cannival grinned at her with pride for their work. "Look at our babies, growing up." She mused playfully, settling down beside the garden with her head upon one of the logs to observe. "I'm excited to do this again, for Abaven. You think you'll be able to manage without me?" Her voice said her words weren't serious, the lioness knew that she was not an important factor in this success. She'd merely shown up at the right time to lend a paw, but Drifa had the whole thing covered alone.