Not much had been able to drag Jigsaw from his den after his father's death, but on this night through the small den opening a strange inviting glow had poured in. It had woken him, invited him out into the brightly-lit evening and for a moment, allowed Jigsaw to forget the troubles of being orphaned and to simply exist in the majesty of nature. The first thing he noticed was not the odd colored bugs that danced through the air, nor the looming full moon nor the ways the stars streaked through the sky - no, Jigsaw was focused upon the plant life and how some of the herbs scattered through the nook glowed a faded and tantalizing blue. Ever since he was a pup Jigsaw was a very tactile-focused wolf. Now as an adult and without his father to remind him 'no, you can't touch lava' he was forced to be his own protector. He sat himself directly infront of a glowing plant to where it was nestled between his paws and stared down at it, warring with himself over whether just one poke of it's glowing pedal could be acceptable or not. "Speech"

Áskell was relieved when his patrol finally ended. The night had been terribly unnerving. Not only did the moon glow bigger and brighter than he could ever remember but it seemed a number of creatures were starting to obtain an unusual glow as well. In particular were the fireflies which persevered through the winter's cold and shed their golden glow for one of blue. It was strange, it was disturbing. Áskell, slipped into the redbud nook, making a beeline for his den when he spied his brother. He blinked for a moment in surprise as Jigsaw had essentially become a recluse and wasn't often to be seen. "Jigsaw! Do you-" He stopped as he stared at the glowing plant that his brother was staring at. "Sheesh, even the plants are glowing this winter."

His ear tilted toward his brother as he heard his name called out, but his attention remained focused upon the glowing plant. Askell seemed just as confused by the strange happenings as of late, and that was saying something when his sibling was much more out-and-about then he was. "Do you think they're dangerous?" He murmured. Reaching down, Jigsaw picked up a small discarded twig in his mouth and gave the pedal a gentle nudge. He didn't notice a change in it, except perhaps it's glow had intensified slightly. "Could you knock me out a coyote or something sometime to test it's effects on?" Askell was a skilled fighter even in his young age, and Jigsaw had little doubt that the other boy could acquire for him some sort of suitable test subject. Perhaps it was a cruel thought, but what if all their herbs took on this otherworldly glow? They had to figure out if each plant still worked the same, or if the eerie blue touch had made them dangerous. "Speech"

Áskell crouched down to get a closer look at the mushroom and shrugged lightly. "Hmm, I don't know. I wouldn't risk it though. A lot of things with bright colors are poisonous so maybe its like that bright red mushroom with the white spots." His magpie had warned him of such things when he was younger and more curious about sticking things in his mouth.

His ears perked up as Jigsaw asked for a coyote. "Oh yea, sure. Let me see if there's one around here." Winter meant scarcity and coyotes along with other smaller predators were drawn to wolf packs and wolf kills where they could scavenge an easy meal. It took some time but soon Áskell found a coyote. He mauled it's hind legs and dislocated its jaw. However, there was something strange about this coyote. Áskell seized it by the scruff and hauled it back to his brother. He dropped the whimpering creature and gestured to its tail which was glowing the same color as the mushroom. "Uhh… Jigsaw…. I think something really weird is going on."

Jigsaw murmured a thoughtful acknowledgement to his brother's assessment, glad the other boy's thoughts followed his own on the matter. Brightly colored things were typically unsafe to eat, there would need to be a series of tests done before any of these flowers or herbs could make it into any Habari member's bodies. There were pups within their borders too, and Jigsaw made a note to mention to Veigar not to touch or lick any of the glowing things he may stumble across. Askell left in search of a coyote and Jigsaw's head raised in surprise, glancing away from the flower finally to watch the yearling depart. Well, he hadn't said right now but, he appreciated his brother's enthusiasm and willingness to help. Jig continued with manipulating the plant through other means, poking at it's pedals and roots with his stick and eventually very cautiously unearthing it - taking care that a large chunk of soil came along with it so he did not touch its large roots while he excavated it. Askell's voice returned to him shortly after, his confusion audible. "Hm?" Jigsaw turned from his work, laid eyes upon the glowing tail of the coyote, and gaped his jaws open. What was going on? This would not do. He tried to ignore the sounds of pain coming from the subdued creature and how otherworldly this all was, focusing on his brother and trying to channel the professional within him. "I don't think we can use him." He determined dejectedly. "I can't guarantee if he survives ingesting the herb if it's because it's safe, or because his body has a unique adaptation." What a waste of Askell's time and the coyote's life. "Speech"

Alas, Áskell's efforts weren't going to help his brother with the experiment but at least he'd dealt with a potential scavenger sniffing around their stores. "Shoot, ah well. I wonder if the coyote ate one of the mushrooms and that's why it's like that? Maybe tomorrow night I can find a better one for you." There was nothing he could do about it now, he just hoped that if the coyote was glowing because it ate the mushroom that it wasn't poisonous and that whatever was wrong with it wouldn't transfer to him. Either way, he didn't care to leave the coyote to die of its wounds. It's whimpering and screeching might attract a larger predator to their borders. Áskell caught the coyote by the throat and it shrieked until it finally expired.

Jigsaw

Something feels off. You also find 3 crystals. Maybe these are worth keeping…

Áskell

A chill dips into the air. Yo͆ͥ̚u also find 1 crystal. Maybe these are worth keeping…