It was not unusual for the behemoth of a woman to rise early in the morning. As the dew would spread across the grass-laden lands, her eyes would flutter open to a new day. Barely trickling over the horizon, the warm rays of sun trickled down through the treetops to grace her pelt that was a myriad of greys and golds. Her coat was made to hide her in the depths of mountains, not the rolling hills and dense trees of this southern region. Even the hotter than normal weather for this time of the year was unusual to her, but she would adapt quickly. Shaking off her pelt from the night's moisture, she rose with a lengthy stretch of all four of her limbs. Each toe splayed out to warm her muscles from a good night's rest. It had been her first full sleep she had experienced in a long time and that only made her heart pang more. To know that her body and mind were finally growing accustomed to being alone hurt more than she wanted to admit. Brushing off the feelings of neglect and fury that rumbled in her belly, she began her travel down the creekbed in search of a new plant. Here, in this strange and new place, were a lot of new plants that she had yet to discover. The one, in particular, she was looking for had been one she'd overheard someone else talking about. Tall, thick green stalks with fuzzy brown tops grew along the water in bunches which they called cattails. Why? Tenshi couldn't explain that, but she would accept it as it was. Having heard that it was good for burns and injuries after being burned or cultivating the sticky honey-like residue from the base of it, she knew she had to take some and replant it elsewhere. Having it grow closer to where her permanent base was, for now, would be more than ideal. Snuffling the grass along the creek with an occasional sip or two from the clear waters, she began her search. word count: 346

word count: 246
total: 592

Ophie wasn't really sure why she hadn't turned around and headed back home just yet. She wasn't one for travelling-cause come on, look at it- but Auster was so very different than Boreas she couldn't help but linger on the what ifs. Wonder what her life would be like if she lived here instead, surrounded herself with a change of pace to break the monotony of her existence. Following the sound of soft flowing water, Ophie drew to a stop as she noticed a massive and gorgeous lady by the river. She was big but not like...domineering, Sirius or Azure levels of big. Just hefty, in the right kind of way. And her coat was real pretty too, exotic, but also like that yellow sort of moss that grew on really old rocks. Ancient, like the stranger was a relic of a bygone era. Even her antlers looked otherworldly, almost brittle.

Ophie never been very good with strangers, didn't know how to handle herself or her words and soon found herself floundering. Standing there like a right spud, ready to tip over at any moment.

Except the lady seemed distracted, head dipped down as she gazed at some sort of plant. One Ophie couldn't put a name to.

"What are you um- hello, I mean!" She cleared her throat, eager to start again. "I'm Ophie. Are you looking for a plant...I can help- though I probably won't know what it is...or what it's used for. Sorry."

Distracted would never be a word to describe Yama Tenshi. As much as her focus may seem to be on something else, the rest of her senses were on the world around her. Both ears nearly turned in different directions as she listened to the animals surrounding the thicket and which way the wind rustled. Her eyes subtly lifted above her eye line to peer at the scenery around her. The glassy water trickling quietly south, the bright green grasses that grew in patterns around old trees with twisting limbs. So as she drew closer to the cattails she searched for, she was not surprised by the female that approached. It appeared that the girl was nervous. Tenshi could smell the uncertainty from here. Even as her chin tilted slightly from her nosing position in the grasses, her paws paused and she watched carefully. Unlike many wolves that she had encountered in the past, this one seemed different. The way her belly bulged carefully under unkempt grey and teal fur was not the same way one's would while pregnant. Curious, she wondered why the girl seemed so... out of shape. Unpleasantries wouldn't do when she currently had no friends. Not that she particularly wanted to make friends, but enemies she did not either. An almost serene smile swept over her lips as the girl showed herself from the shadows and introduced herself over stumbling words. Ophie. Was it short for something? Staring back at those big blue eyes that mirrored the frothy ocean she near disliked, Tenshi blinked a few times in silence. The girl was young and eager to help and in Tenshi's many years of existence, it was something she admired. "A pleasure to meet you, Ophie. I am Tenshi," her deepened tones are as slow as a rock's erosion over time from battering elements. "Helping in any way one can do is all that I shall ask for," letting her lips teeter up more into a friendlier smile, she let her elegant features nod over to the cattails that bent in the warm summer breeze. Thankfully, Tenshi would consider herself a teacher in some ways, but typically only around younger pups. This girl would do. "I need to gather that plant over there. It is called Cattail around here," finally her steel-blue eyes wandered toward the stalks that nearly threatened to burst open at the subtle touch of a toe. "One must be careful when gathering. If you burst the tops, they will explode into fluff that you do not want to ingest," Tenshi's thickened accent searched for the proper common tongue words to plainly explain what she needed. "We will need to snap them at the very bottom of the base to gather as much of the sap that is inside as well," the mountainous wolf explained as her large paws carefully navigated her toward the grouping of cattails. Once she was close enough, she waited patiently for the plump girl to wander over so she could show her how to properly harvest the plant. word count: +509 = 1101

Word count: 126
Total word count: 1227

Cat tails. They didn't really look like cat tails to her, all slinky and long. Then again they had a nubby bit on the end, sort of like a lion, if she squinted? Real hard, till everything started to get blurry and dark. Anyway, she nodded along, eager to take in every word Tenshi had to say-real pretty name by the way- as though she'd stumbled upon a fountain of knowledge. Someone who could impart some real important information to the wannabe healer.

Maybe she'd actually take this lesson to heart, make a marked improvement for all to see. She stepped closer and sniffed at a lone cattail, it didn't smell very edible.

"But what is it used for?" And more importantly: "Can I eat it?"

Tenshi was somewhat grateful the girl was eager to learn and be helpful. Even as she began to gather some for herself, she paused when Ophie asked if she could eat it. A short laugh left her as she gave her head a soft shake. "I don't believe you should. Typically, it is used after it is burned to make a paste and help disinfect wounds. The honey-like stuff at the bottom is also used for the same thing. You can try to taste it, but it will be bitter," her shoulders shrug nonchalantly as she continued to gather as much as she could carry. Once she was done, she glanced back to Ophie. "If you are staying near this area, perhaps I can teach you some more," there was a pause in her accented voice before she nodded. "I have to get these replanted quickly before they dry out," she was finite in her words before shooting Ophie a small smile around the stalks between her teeth. "It was a pleasure teaching you," a soft hum emitted from her throat before she turned to wander off with a small wave of her tail in regards to Ophie as a goodbye. Traveling at a quick pace back toward her permanent home, for now, Tenshi found a small pond nearby. The ground surrounding the water was mush enough to hold the stalks firmly. Placing the plant efficiently in the mud after some clearing, she stood back to admire her work. Hoping that the plant would take to the new environment, she sat down to watch for a few minutes. Letting the sun soak her back, she finally sighed. Feeling a bit tired, she was glad to have helped someone else today and not just herself. word count: +293 = 1521

Oh well, all right then. Ophie's nose wrinkled, how come stuff could be used for healing but not eating? Didn't really make sense to her, till she recalled Tenshi saying the tufts might explode into dust...and eating dust didn't sound like a good time in her opinion. Ah well, there were plenty of edible things out there, she just had to use her nose and maybe move faster than a trot to get here.

Nodding, she stored away the information as best as she could. Whether she'd actually remember it or use it in the future was yet to be seen, but she felt as though she learned something today. It hadn't been a complete waste of time.

"Thank you Miss Tenshi." She wasn't sure why she felt the need to be so formal now but... ah well.