Winter was fast approaching in the north and several autumn frosts had beaten down many of the herbs a healer would normally gather. It was, however, an excellent time to gather a number of roots. With her companions in tow she headed out into the afternoon sun in search of Abcess Root. It had been awhile since she'd been out herb hunting and it was important to get the packs stores as full as possible for the winter. While not a ranked healer she was knowledgable and knew enough to assist her pack in this effort.

Gossamer entered the Mile-High Woods, searching for damp grounds and shady river banks where her quarry was most likely to grow. Ásta followed close behind.

Atreus had set out from the caves without a plan for the day, though he had the determination to make himself useful to the pack somehow. He had a lot of ground to make up if he wanted to work his way up in the ranks. He struck a fresh scent leaving the caves as well, heading out towards the forest, that of his aunt Gossamer. Maybe she would need some assistance, or if all else failed he could try to hunt on his own, or take a patrol. Lengthening his stride, he set out after the scent. His search ended at the sight of his aunt wandering in search of something with her red fox companion trailing behind. Eyeing the fox, Atreus made a note to consider finding animal companions of his own to assist him in his own endeavors. If they were good enough for a respected warrior like Gossamer, they were certainly something he needed to seek out himself. "Good afternoon, Aunt Gossamer," he rumbled politely, fixing her with his habitually icy gaze.

Gossamer relied on her nose even more than her eyes, trying to catch the scent of her quarry. Instead she caught the scent of one of Aris' kids, Atreus. She paused in her searching and dipped her head in greeting to the boy. He'd grown swiftly, another marker of how little time was on her side. Her family was getting so big at this point it was nearly impossible to really get to know everyone within, especially since battling her inner demons stole so much of her precious time.

"Atreus. You look well. How has training been going?"

"Gossamer!" Kylfa raced up next to her. "There are coyotes digging at the food stores. I don't know that they'll get in all the way, but surely its not advisable to let them do as they please."

Gossamer scowled, the bloody things had exploded in population over the spring and always they were poking and testing the larger predators that lived nearby. She glanced to Atreus. "Time for some practical application. Let's take care of these would-be thieves." Kylfa turned and bolted for the stores with Gossamer shortly behind. Rather than the usual entrance Kylfa led them past the western gate and up the side of the mountain. Approximately where the food storage cavern was located beneath the earth were a group of four coyotes digging furiously down. Her eyes narrowed. They couldn't be serious… surely they'd hit rock eventually.