Recluse was remaining close to the mountain for the time being, with Wendigo sick her maternal instincts had kicked in hard but she knew she couldn't fret outside his den the whole time, still some part of her refused to go too far in case he needed her, she wanted to be ready to rush to his side, and was nervous that she would take to long to do so if she patrolled her other borders. She was admittedly less composed than she usually was because of her worry but she was doing her best to keep herself together. For her kids, and for Eraithus. More than ever she wished to hold her young children close, they would be old enough to leave the den soon and some part of her hated that, though she couldn't help the excitement she had for what they would become... Conflicting feelings for sure. ”Speech”  ’Thought’

Widow couldn't wait for the day she would be allowed to leave the safety of Habari's borders. Not that she didn't enjoy her home, but she really wanted to see that boy from the Carnival again. He lived close, in Ashen, but just far enough that he was out of reach. He was the only one that didn't seem to mess with her about her size and although she had come to better terms with, it still felt good to know that someone was on her side.

There was only so much she could do at home besides spy on the pack members, hunt for the plants pictured in her book, or pick on her brothers. Although all three options weighed about the same, Widow grabbed her magic book and went out into the early morning light to match the pictures in its pages to some of the plants around the base of the volcano. Settling herself down, she cracked open her book and started flipping through the pages searching for something that looked familiar from her wanderings around the pack lands.

"Speech!"

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The morning sun was peeking over the land, spreading it's warmth and its light over Boreas, and with it it's blinding brightness and scalding heat. Recluse had been out too long, her worry over her son driving her to push her luck. Even Galho had already taken wing back towards the nook to roost among the branches of the slowly dying trees, leaving only Lilith to help guide her back to the safety of her den, away from the consequences of her overly protective nature. The idea of snuggling up with her young ones, with holding them close even as they were growing quickly too big for the den she and Eraithus now shared was a balm on her heart, soon they too would be leaving to carve out their own spaces but for a few moments longer she could baby them, much as they might wish otherwise. So maybe it a was a tiny bit unexpected to find her daughter on her way back, the girl's scent as familiar to her as any of her other children's. Lilith gently hissed directions in her ear and the woman approached the dark shape of the only girl from her most recent litter. ”What are you up to love?” She asked as she approached, aware even with her limited vision of how quickly the girl was out stripping her. Widow was the biggest of her children by far, though Recluse did not fret over it, Widow was her gorgeous daughter regardless of her size and to some extent Recluse couldn't help but wish she'd been blessed with her daughter's superior height, though she dared not say it aloud, she would encourage her daughter's self-image where she could but it she hadn't failed to notice the way Widow seemed to respond to comments on her size, she would not pour salt in that would. ”Speech”  ’Thought’

As she compared a plant to a picture in her book, quickly coming to the realization that it was elderberry made obvious by the, well, berries growing on the plant. She couldn't read very well yet, but could at least make out that the berries were good for general health. Although she wasn't exactly interested in the helpful plants, it was certainly good to have.

At the sound of her mothers voice behind her, her tail started to wag and she eagerly turned to her. "Hi Mom!" She hadn't expected to find her out so close to sunrise but was excited nonetheless. Any time she got to spent with her mom away from her siblings was a treat.

"I'm studying the plants in this book and seeing which ones I can find around home." She started, clearly excited about what she was doing. "See this one? It's called elderberry! Helps make you healthy. Not very fun, but useful!" She plucked some berries off and offered them to Recluse, subconsciously eager for her mothers involvement in her learning.

"Speech!"

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Widow was admittedly a bit harder to pick out against the dark of the rock as her vision would start to really strain under the light than any of her other children. She brushed up beside the girl, squinting towards the pale shape of the book next to Widow, she literally could not see what the page was but she still couldn't help but feel proud of her daughter's clear passion. Widow showed her a plant and Recluse squinted at it too, doing her best to take in what parts of it she could, up close it was easier to see than the image on the page. ”And what sort of fun are you looking for hm?” Recluse asked, gently bumping her daughter, her tone was teasing. Recluse was no stranger to drink and though she'd yet to try it herself she knew some wolves smoked some herbs to experience a euphoria, but she also had an inkling that her daughter wasn't looking for substances of that kind. ”Speech”  ’Thought’

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"Speech!"
Lucky for Recluse, her exploring and studying hadn't led her to the cannabis plant but it would only be a matter of time before she got her paws on it. It did grow in the pack lands naturally, anyway. Her mothers words made her laugh though, a simple giggle that implied perhaps a more dangerous, risky kind of fun. If plants could heal others, what else could they do? They nourished the food they ate, healed their wounds, and many other things the young girl had only yet to discover.

Looking up to Recluse then, she held back her frown when she realized how hard she as struggling to see. Able to see in both dark and bright lights, Widow often forgot how difficult it must be for her to see at times. Distracting herself from the thought, she looked up to Recluse and smiled a toothy grin.  "Poisons!"

The sound of her daughter's giggle reached her and Recluse couldn't help the grin it brought to her face. The woman gently bumped her daughter again, using the context of that touch to swing a foreleg around Widow and squeeze her for a moment, soon enough the young girl would be too big for Recluse to hold her. In a sense that was true of all her children but Widow would be the first of her children to outgrow her so thoroughly that she wouldn't be able to really hold her in her arms again... That thought was a sad one and Recluse had to banish it from her mind. The girl answered and Recluse gave her an eyebrow raise, feigning some amount of shock. ”And will I have to start asking your brothers to test our food from now on?” It was said in a teasing tone, obviously she did not expect her daughter to actually be using it on her family or pack mates but she did worry that the young girl might be tempted to test it on others in the pack. ”What else does your book tell you?” ”Speech”  ’Thought’

Being wrapped into her mothers half-hug was bittersweet. On one paw she loved it, but on the other she was well aware of how big she was getting. It wouldn't be long before she dwarfed her she thought, and despite her best efforts the flash of worry across her face was unmistakable if caught. She pushed it out of her mind quickly though, focusing back on her book.

Widow flashed a devilish grin to Recluse when she teased about testing the food. "You might need to find someone to start testing their food." She was only half kidding really. Where was the harm in 'helping them sleep' for a few hours or giving them a tummy ache for being a brat? Her smirk faded as Recluse asked about her book and she quickly flipped through a couple pages. "Mostly just plants and what they're good for, but there more on this side about something called elixirs and potions?" Her tone was questioning as she flipped to the back section of the book where there were a few blank pages scribbled in.

"Speech!"
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Recluse chuckled at Widow's teasing words, she did not expect her children to get along if they did not naturally get along but she also expected that they knew that she would not tolerate any deliberate attempts to harm each other either, so she was willing to accept her daughter's words as a joke. She squinted at the book as Widow explained, her daughter's voice telling the woman that her daughter had some confusion. Recluse considered for a moment. ”I am admittedly not particularly knowledgeable about plants but from my understanding, their properties can be changed, enhanced or minimized with prepared, like being steeped in water.” ”Speech”  ’Thought’