It was hot. Halo was more than ready for summer to fade away, honestly. She needed it to. The heat that seemed to come on every single day made her sleepy and uncomfortable, feeling a bit like she was suffocating under her pale coat. Today especially, it seemed to be unseasonably warm. Usually hiding out inside her den was enough to keep her cool, but it didn't seem like that would do for today. Still, there was too much for her to get done, too many things on her to-do list to justify just going for a swim. She couldn't rest when her head was too busy.

Well, at least she could take her dishes to wash. Halo would carefully move from her den to the Rio Grande, bucket of smaller dishes hanging from her jaws. By her side, Mr. Raccoon clutched the larger jar that she usually used for tea. Once it was clean inside, they could fill it with water before returning. That seemed reasonable enough. Really, she couldn't be more pleased that she'd taken Sedna's advice and acquired herself a companion. Not only was he helpful, his presence seemed to help with the lonesomeness that seemed to creep in more often than Halo liked to admit.

Setting the bucket down in the grass on the river bank, she picked up the first of the dishes, handing a bowl to Mr. Raccoon as well. Best to get started, right? To the water's edge she made her way, being careful to tuck herself into the shade cast by the sparse trees near the riverbank. From there, she dunked the vessel into the river, scrubbing at the various bits of crushed herbs that had dried to the inside.

"Halo"

I'm Tired of Looking for Answers

Birna was regretting coming down from the high mountains of the Maw to the hot and humid southern lands but after getting heckled by two mountain lions over her kill she figured she'd take her chances. The snow leopard had eaten what she could but saved the markhor hide to finish processing. It would be of little use in the summer but would be a boon in the chill of winter, especially as she planned to head back north at the earliest convenience.

Birna dragged the hide to a shaded place near a large river so she could work in peace. The chances of being attacked over a hide were slim but she was cautious. She spread the hide out, using rocks to anchor each corner. As she padded to the river to grab the last rock she saw a wolf heading toward the river with a jar. "Hello," she said gently. This wolf did not seem to be a threat.


Speech

A threat... frankly, Halo is the farthest thing from it. The soft, pale creature is far more concern with the bits of dried poultice that have stuck to her jar than the world around her. Some days, that would prove to be dangerous. The one track mind tends to be a concerning fault, but that was okay. She would be okay... most days. The pale girl frowned to herself, chipping at the remnants with one of her nails. As she turned to ask Mr. Raccoon if he'd give it a try with his smaller, more dexterous hands, Halo heard a voice.

Easily startled, the girl dropped her bowl into the water with a plop. A sheepish smile crossed her lips, and she looked up to the source of the greeting. She hadn't smelled another wolf out here and... oh that's not a wolf. Her pulse picked up, an ear flickering back. All Halo could think of was the panther that had attacked her on her first day in Boreas. No, no, she was okay. The pale girl did her best to steady her breathing, and hopefully her heart rate with it. No, this wasn't the same. This wasn't a panther. This was a woman with pretty spots that spoke gently, and appeared to pose no threat. Halo offered a smile of her own, fishing the bowl from the water. "Good afternoon," the words finally came, her tone sheepish.

"Sorry, are we stealing your spot?" She's apologetic, sheepish. Ever concerned about intruding, she is. "We can um, we can grab a different spot to do dishes." Halo offered a meek smile. It's hard for her to get around her nerves when it came to social situations.

"Halo"

I'm Tired of Looking for Answers

Birna directed her eyes to a nearby rock that she desired to use and placed a paw upon it to shift it from its place. Among her kind focused and intent eye contact could mean intent to harm, and while she did not know if this was the case among wolves she did not wish to send the wrong signal. The wolf greeted her and fiddled about with some strange vessels. Birna pushed the rock, rolling farther into the bushes.

"Nay, I'm only here for a little while to work on this hide and then I shall go." She placed the last rock and gave the hide a glance over. It looked good. She had kept the markhors head and placed it between her paws. "What do you do with those vessels of yours?" She could do with some conversation while she worked. To tan this hide she would need the brain. Serrated fangs pierced bone and she crunched away at the skull.


Speech

The cat was doing something with a rock... pushing it? No, rolling it. She didn't seem bothered by Halo's presence, something that the tenderhearted creature was grateful for. She'd do her best to relax, even if it was only a bit. She wasn't intruding, or at least, she didn't seem to mind the company. Right, a little more focus on her own breath (had she been holding it? oops), and then on the dishes. On the task at hand.

Ah, she was tanning a hide, the rock made sense now. Halo's gaze was trained on the bowl, finally scraping loose the last of the herbs within it. Mr. Raccoon took the bowl from her paws and set it in the grass to dry, returning with another dirty dish for each of them. "I'm a healer, so I use them to mix herbs when I need to make salves, as well as dyes for marking my records." Her words were soft, gaze trained on the red stains that colored the bowl she'd just begun work on. This one would be a bit tougher, and she wasn't sure exactly how far she'd get. Ah, well at least if the color wouldn't bleed on whatever she did next, it would be good enough.

"I'm Halo, by the way." A soft, pleasant introduction. She figured it was best to offer her name, rather than be strangers. "This is Mr. Raccoon," she introduced her companion as well, and he looked up at the sound of his name. As far as Halo knew he didn't talk, but maybe he'd surprise her someday. For now, though, he remained quiet and happy to stay busy.

"Halo"

I'm Tired of Looking for Answers

Birna cracked the skull open, discarding pieces of bone as she made the hole wider and wider. She listened quietly as the small wolf explained that she was a healer. "Ahhh… I see." Birna reached a paw into the skull and carefully scooped out the brain, using her claws to sever the spinal cord. She tossed it onto the hide.

"A pleasure, my name is Birna. My companions are elsewhere but should they return I will gladly introduce them. Is that your pack just to the north of us? The scent seems different but then I am not used to deciphering pack scents yet." Birna put her weight onto the brain, squishing and smashing it into smaller pieces. Using her paws she began to massage it into the hide in order to tan it.


Speech

Satisfied she'd gotten loose all she could from the dish, Halo set it with the others to dry in the sun. Sure, there was still some staining, but that was unavoidable when working with strong colors. The water from the vessel had run clear, and that was good enough for her. The pale girl wasn't quite sure how she felt about the background noise that came from the crunching of bones, but it seemed that Birna knew what she was doing. It was fascinating, really, just how skilled she was as she processed the hide.

"It is, yes. I'm from the Armada. You might be able to smell Ashen too, it's right next to us." Halo explained, her words soft as she continued with her chore. These were a bit easier, a few saucers and plates that hadn't been sitting for quite so long, and hadn't been as dirty to start with. Vessels for dry mixtures too, things that probably didn't need to be washed but... well, Halo could never be too careful, right? She was a worrier at heart.

"Have you been here for long?" Halo realized that it was likely a silly question. If Birna didn't know about the packs and their scents, and how to tell them apart, it was likely she'd only just arrived. She feels maybe a bit silly as she continues on washing her dishes and setting them in the pile by her side. Had she put her paw in her mouth? Maybe. Conversation is hard sometimes, but Halo was doing her best.

"Halo"