Excitement stirred Lúta to wakefulness just as the sun rose over the horizon. She had a home. Slipping out of her makeshift den she peered across The Hallows territory. Mist hovered atop the grass and a gentle breeze stirred the trees above her. It was time to get to work.

Lúta slipped through the forested area until she found a clearing not too far from the Hot Springs. She had gathered all the herbs she had from her temporary storage dens and she sought to get them squirreled away in her new home. It made sense to have a den near the springs where healing medicine could be administered, in particular she remembered the man she'd helped her some time back. Summer was rich in herbs and plant life but they were already a month or so into the season. Autumn would arrive, swiftly followed by winter. Lúta was eager to be prepared.

Taking a deer scapula in her jaws she scrapped at the grass and dirt to loosen it up. Her claws were sharp and deadly, longer than those of an average wolf but they were made for shredding flesh more than they were for digging so it helped to break up the area she wanted to dig in first. Once that was done she got to work using her front paws to fling away dirt. She started digging the opening so that it would face away from the springs. She wasn't sure if the area tended to flood but she wanted to be ready just in case.

Resin had been awake and moving before the sun began to eat the land. She had left Tamsyn in their makeshift den. The pregnant woman wasn't feeling terribly well. Once more, Resin cast her singular gaze towards the high falls a distance away. She wanted them. She needed them. With pups on the way, she needed to be sure that they would have enough space for the pack to grow and thrive. And so she set out that morning to mark the borders of her territory. She'd marked with scent trails and with thick gouges in the outer bark of trees. Wolves would be blind in more ways than one to not realize that they were crossing into claimed territory. After inspecting the Falls, Resin made her way back to the Springs. The woman grinned as she noted Luta was already hard at work. Coming up beside the woman, she peered at the hole being dug with the shoulder blade of a deer. "Do you need help?" Filled with determination and pride in this new venture, Resin was intent on helping all members. "I wanted to thank you, Luta, for joining me." Black ears pricked forward. "I know that we can do great things together." And she meant it. She held the sunset woman in high regard and had seen her skill in both fighting and healing first hand. Luta was a good wolf to have around. "Speech"

Dirt scattered into the air, the rich scent of soil lingering as she dug. Lúta paused when she heard someone approach. She carefully backed herself out of the partially dug den to see Resin there. Lúta smiled. "I wouldn't say no to an extra set of paws. Just working on getting a temporary supply den here until plans are finalized." She knew Resin had a vision for how everything would be laid out so she wanted to be flexible.

"Thank you for starting this endeavor, Resin. It has been awhile since I've had a place to call home and it is much appreciated." Lúta had always expected to settle down again but she had never seemed to find the right fit. The Hallows was an exciting opportunity. Lúta moved over a bit so Resin could get her paws dirty. "Do you have any concrete plans regarding storage for herbs? I'll get my various stores moved over as soon as I can. Autumn will be here before we know it." It seemed every day that dawned moved just a bit quickly. Time was forever accelerating, second by second. Lúta wished just once that it would slow down.

Resin settled in beside her friend to help dig. Her large, wide paws scooping earth away from the hole with ease. The closest ear swiveled to the side, catching the sunset woman's words. "I'm glad to have you. This vision of mine requires a steadfast, reliable team. You fit the bill." She quite liked Luta and had from the moment they met. It put Resin at ease to have someone so level headed on her side.

The big woman settled back as she was questioned, sitting on her haunches. She cast her singular gaze towards the falls that rose up on the horizon. "I'd like to have the pack build their homes up above and keep the visitors down below. If building your home down here would be easier for you, however, that's acceptable as well." Her sister had built her hut down below to easier see to the wounded.

As for herbs and things. "My sister, Meadow, has built a hut at the edge of the treeline where she intends to live and store her herbs and other healing items. I believe she crafted it to be a steam hut?" One brow raised as she spoke the last. "We have many herbs there thanks to the stores that my daughter sent." Resin looked sidelong to Luta. "If you could confer with Meadow, I would appreciate it. She's a nervous sort, but you are both the packs lead healers, so it would be ideal."

Lúta continued digging, forcing dirt out of the way. She wondered where Hala had gone as the macaque had a nifty bison bone shovel. She turned her attention to Resin as the older woman explained some of her plans. She nodded. "That sounds good to me. I'd like to make my home up higher. I just thought it might be useful to have a storage den for items we're more likely to use down here by the Hot Springs." She was still young and with a warrior's build she could traverse the path easily enough. Though she did intend to spend most of her days around the springs, helping where needed and having ready supplies on hand would be useful.

Lúta's ears perked up at the mention of a steam hut. "Oh, like a sauna?" She'd hoped to have time in the winter to get something built out of wood planks, similar to the one's they'd had when she was growing up. She had some lavender oil saved for the occasion but it seemed so far off.

Lúta nodded eagerly. "Yes, I plan to as soon as I finish taking stock of what I have. As a loner I tended to ferret away items along my most common travel paths." She'd stuck mostly to the northern herbs she was familiar with and she was eager to see what other plants Meadow could introduce her to.

Resin nodded as Luta explained her thinking about having a hut down below. "Hopefully you and Meadow will have enough to get us through the winter. If not, we can always make a trip to the Armada to borrow things." No doubt Sirius and Iolaire wouldn't mind. She knew that there were healing supplies in excess as she had helped her daughter collect some. Iolaire's cottage was stocked full.

It seemed as though Luta was interested in Meadow's steam room. "Aye, like a sauna. Fitting for hot springs, eh?" Wide paws continued to pull at the earth. They were making decent time with the two of them. She decided to share a bit of her newfound knowledge with the sunset woman. "The den's that I've dug out so far, I've lined with clay, then set a large, hot fire inside to temper and harden it. It seems to keep out the damp fairly well." She planned on telling the rest of the pack the same thing. If they could keep their homes dry, they might as well.

Lúta nodded, it was good to have a backup in case they didn't have what they needed. "I have quite a haul of herbs I've collected and dried over the years and it sounds like Meadow is on top of everything. I'd be very surprised if we're running short on anything." She sighed wistfully as Resin mentioned that the steam room would be like the sauna. She nodded. "Oh yes, that is a wonderful addition. It will really come in handy with winter around the corner." As much as she enjoyed sitting in a sauna for pleasure, the steam would do wonders for those ailing with congestion and other respiratory issues.

Her ears perked up at Resin's suggestion. "I should very much like to see how that's done. I think we have this big enough for on site storage for now, until I talk with Meadow. I don't know if she'll want everything in one place or if we should divide it out."

It was good to hear that Luta was so well supplied. She knew that Meadow had been working hard on her stores as well. It made the scarred woman feel more at ease with two adept healers. Surely they could handle anything that came their way. If they believed that they needed more help, Resin wouldn't mind them plucking one of the other members for training.

Ears perked as Luta spoke of wanting to see the clay process that she'd used prior. The big woman nodded. "Of course. When we're done digging this to your specifications, I can show you. The clay around the hot springs is rather abundant." She'd barely had to move at all to harvest the clay to line the dens. It was a good thing. Having to travel miles and transport clay back would have been a nightmare.

Resin wanted Meadow and Luta to meet anyway, so the Aegis shrugged lightly when asked about split stores. "We could ask her now, if you wish." It would be no trouble to call her sister so that the healers could meet. Resin was curious as to how the pair would get along, but Meadow could get along with damn near anyone, so she wasn't terribly worried about it.

Lúta finished out the walls of the storage area, making sure she had a few shelves dug into the side of the walls for storing tinctures and other items. She could use pitch to add in antler tines and large bird feet as hooks to hang and dry herbs. When she was done she trotted out of the den and shook the mud and dirt from her coat. "Ok, I'm ready to see how this is done!" She was excited to learn about a new process to help lengthen the life of the den. It would be particularly useful in case of flooding. She didn't know yet if this area was at risk for flooding but better save than sorry. Lúta nodded. "Yes, if she wouldn't mind I'd love to meet her! Though, I completely understand if she's busy, I'd hate to interrupt." She was eager to hear the older woman's thoughts and share what she had gathered so far in terms of herbs so they could compare notes.

At Luta's excitement over learning the process of lining the dens with clay, Resin grinned and moved towards one of the farthest springs. She began to dig with her wide paws, shoveling the top layers of dirt away until she came to a layer of clay. It was a very long process to harvest enough clay to line an entire den, but really, only the floor needed to be lined.

Taking up a chunk of bark, Resin piled clay onto it then pulled it into the den that they'd just excavated. "I simply coat the floor and walls with the clay in a thick enough layer that it will dry, but won't crack through." She began tamping down the dirt, packing it flat with her paws. She then applied a layer of clay over top, careful to smooth it as flat as possible. "Once the floor is coated, let it dry, then start a really hot fire in the den. Let it burn and the clay will harden." Once they were done with this, they could locate Meadow.

Lúta trotted quickly after Resin, eager to learn this new process. They soon arrived at one of the springs where Resin started digging. Lúta quickly joined in, setting her legs wide as she flung large scoops of dirt between them, her larger paws aiding her in flinging large amounts of earth. Even though she'd need to clean her claws after this was done she enjoyed the feeling of dirt and mud between her toes. Lúta glanced at what Resin was doing with the bark. She shrugged her pack off her shoulders and pulled out a square of rawhide which she set near where she was digging. Once her pack was back on her back she started scooping up the clay onto the rawhide so she could drag it back to the den.

Seizing a corner of the hide once it was full she dragged it back to the den after Resin. They then got to work tamping the dirt down and spreading the clay over top. She took big gobs of clay and slapped them on the floor before spreading it down. She chuckled. "I would've loved doing stuff like this as a pup. I used to drive my poor mother mad playing in the dirt."

Having laid the clay, Resin turned her attention to Luta as the woman spoke of having loved to play in the dirt. The grey woman chuckled. "I didn't have much time for play. It was always lesson after lesson for me." That was why she was the beast that she was today. War had been hammered into her from her first breath. Play was there, but it was always geared towards war.

Resin called for Meadow as the pair worked, releasing a howl for her sister. As time progressed, the small wolf didn't show. That was very unlike Meadow and a bit of concern seeped into the woman's mind. The giantess began to collect wood for the fire to harden the clay in the den. When they were finished, her sister still hadn't answered her summons. Casting her golden gaze to Luta, Resin's brow furrowed. "I have to find Meadow. Light the fire within and it'll harden the clay. I can come check on you later." The Aegis cast an apologetic glance at the healer before moving off to find Meadow. If she disappeared again...

Lúta continued to layer clay on the inside of the den, taking care to smooth it out evenly. If it was too uneven she imagined it might crack when they fired it. She glanced sympathetically at Resin, hoping the other woman hadn't seen though she did feel bad that the other woman didn't have much time to play. She supposed in that way she'd been lucky even if she had had numerous lessons she could still find time for a bit of enjoyment. Though, the enjoyment almost always led to some sort of punishment but often, in Lúta's mind, it was worth it.

Lúta looked up as Resin stated that she was going to look for Meadow. She nodded. "Sure thing, I'll let you know how it turns out!" She knew how to light fires and fire ceramic pots so she had a good idea of how big to make the fire.

-end?-