Something dark lingered in the bi-colored eyes of the young girl. Her tail was healing finally, but the trauma still stung at the back of her eyes. It felt as if every moment she was looking over her shoulder. If she didn’t know who they were, she didn’t approach. Lately, she’s been playing with dangerous plants more. No longer did she want to heal, she wanted to hurt. This is what is on her mind as she sits upon the cold stone. A bitter wind bites at her ears as her brow furrows at what is placed before her. Paws are chilly but she continues to smash and grind the leaves and berries into a smooth mush. Her plan? To make a salve of sorts that actually induces hives and itching. She isn’t sure if it will work but she has snuck some berries from the stores and dried her own poison oak leaves after her last gathering with Aji.

Kiela hardly knew the wolves within Heiðinn, and though she knew she would never be the most social of pack members she figured she ought to at least grow familiar with the wolves around her. Even if much of her time might not be spent within their borders, but rather scouting and searching for information. Both of other wolves, the health of the herd, and whatever else she could gather information on that might prove useful to her pack. Weather patterns. The movements of certain prey animals. The fluctuations in temperature. All things that were important, but often overlooked by wolves who were caught up in other things. The scent of a wolf unfamiliar to her reaches her nose as she wanders the plain. That alone isn't enough to cause unusual intrigue, but the scent that accompanies it is strange - something pungent, vague sweet but also acidic. She was curious nonetheless and slowly made her way to the wolf, visibly a child. She gave a nod of greeting as she approached, studying her - there was no judgment in her gaze, though she was admittedly curious.  "Afternoon," she spoke softly.  "I'm Kiela. We have not met yet." Head tilted curiously as she studied what the young girl was doing. "Need some help?" She had no clue if she could offer her any assistance, but offering felt like the polite thing to do - and if Kiela had a soft spot for anyone, it was children.

Unsurprisingly, the mixture makes her toes tingle slightly. Though she was careful not to fully touch the oak leaves, there was no not touching it either. Not minding the numbness as it felt similar to when it was cold out, Delphi continues. Mashing away until the pulp of berries is smooth and she can pick out the small seeds and stems. What she is making isn't anything that could kill someone or even harm them in any serious way. No, just something dangerous enough that it would leave them itchy for a day or two. If they were to ingest it though... That was an outcome she couldn't guarantee. Mulling over who to try this on first, Delphi looked up at the sound of paws drawing close. The wolf that approached was not familiar to her either other than maybe remembering Vidarr mentioning something. Herder? Right? A vague comment about two wolves, one grey and reddish-hued like the one in front of her, that herded large animals. Reindeer? Is that what they were? The questions linger as Keila greets her. Delphi's response is a quiet chuff as she continues to smash the berries into the bottom of the bowl. "We have not. I am Delphi," her voice is tart, almost sour, but not toward Keila. Toward the world. The nasty and evil world that was insistent on causing her harm. Keila's offer of help does make her ears perk up. Help. A humming noise vibrates in her throat as she looks from her concoction back up to Keila. Should she be honest or should she lie? Would it be mean to try and potentially poison a pack mate? A troubled expression crosses her as she contemplates. No, this Keila had done nothing to deserve anything mean done to her. Yet. "Do you know anything about poisons?" Delphi's question is straightforward as her bi-colored gaze lingers now on Keila.

Kiela had never been part of a pack, so the finer intricacies of it were new to her. The tribe she'd grown up in had been different than Heiðinn; there were no roles, no rank structures, and as children she and her peers had been taught to take care of themselves above all else. Loyalty wasn't something instilled in them, but something that formed naturally. She was under no obligation to protect anyone, but here... it felt different, almost expected even if it hadn't been made explicit. Though she admittedly always had felt a little drawn to children, in a way she didn't feel toward most. But her role around the children of the pack was unclear. Was she to mentor? To protect? To treat as equals? The latter felt most natural to her, and so she'd approach Delphi as she would anyone else. She nodded to the girl's introduction but said nothing further. Pleasantries had never been her strong suit and she understood if Delphi felt the same way. Her question, though, made her pause. Poisons?  "Not much," she admitted. The question was a curious one but she understood now what Delphi must be doing. Strange that she'd admitted it, though maybe that meant she wasn't really trying to do anyone here harm. Perhaps another wolf, a wolf who was more nurtring, might take her concern to one of her caretakers... if she had those? Kiela wasn't sure, but she knew these things weren't her responsibility. Parenting sure as hell wasn't her job and she wasn't about to start. "Who do you intend to poison?" Her question was straight forward, not accusatory in the slightest.

Delphi contemplates again when Kiela admits that she doesn't know much. No one did really. It was a shame. She figured the Vikings would at least have some knowledge on how to harm their enemies without being noticed. Then again, knowing Vidarr, she could see why they didn't. Brash and reckless wolves they were. Amusing really when Delphi thought about it.

The pup was going to continue finishing her... ointment? Salve? A pulpy mixture is really what it was when Kiela asked her who she intended to poison. Bringing her clean paw up to her chin, she taps it a few times in thought. "No one really. Just nice to have options," she gives her shoulders a shrug as she turns her gaze from her bowl up to Kiela. "Not a big weapons-type of girl, I guess." In truth, Delphi had not thought much of what type of wolf she would be. At one point, she had wanted to hunt, but the thrill of hunting wasn't as... exciting as getting into fights. Because at least with another wolf, it was a challenge rather than hunting down prey that simply ran instead of fighting.

"Do you fight?" Delphi asks plainly, blinking her big eyes up at Kiela.

When it came to things like healing, and herbs, her knowledge was sorely lacking. Kiela vaguely knew which plants were safe to each and which weren't, and what qualities made a plant outright dangerous, but beyond that she was ignorant. Perhaps learning some more basics wouldn't be such a bad thing but she hadn't needed that knowledge yet and so she wasn't sure she ever really would. The pup's answer was a curious one, but she wasn't wrong. "Sure," she agreed, more nonchalant than dismissive. Not that Kiela was a particularly violent wolf but she'd have no qualms defending herself if she had to. Poisons wouldn't really be her style though, definitely not; she'd use brute strength if she had to fight. This girl was quite small though and she supposed maybe strength wouldn't ever be something she could depend on, so she'd have to be creative. "I understand. I don't use weapons either." She shrugged slightly at her question. Maybe she wasn't going to be good company according to Delphi but she was content to engage with her anyway, no matter what the girl thought of her. "Not really. I would if I needed to, I just don't care enough to, I guess." The Jarvela were generally a rough-and-tumble sort of family. Friendly (and occasionally, not so friend) brawls had been common among both the youth and adults back in her homelands but she'd never really been the sort to engage. Kiela wasn't competitive, mostly focusing on her own interests rather than getting involved in the affairs of others. "Taking care of my reindeer has always taken precedence above all else. They don't leave me for much time to fight." To protect them from needless violence she would gladly engage in a fight, or to protect herself - but beyond that she couldn't think of many reasons for her to become violent.

Delphi's ears flick back for a moment. She supposed since the woman was rather large and burly that fighting wasn't a necessity. Wolves wouldn't mess with a female like Kiela because well, she could just sit on them. Unfortunately, Delphi could not do that. Biting toes and ankles was the best she could do even with her elongated fangs. Her lips purse as she shrugs, brushing off the disappointment of not getting to practice any fighting today. Maybe Kiela would want to learn about poisons. Maybe it would help keep her reindeer safe. Or, hm. Delphi thought for a moment as she continued to stare curiously at Kiela.

"Makes sense," Delphi finally says as she lets her gaze fall from Kiela down to her lumpy mixture of leaves and berries. "I gotta find different ways to do things. I don't think I'll get much bigger than this," she lifts a paw to motion at herself. Small stature and all, she had enough fury and intention to fill at least ten of her. "I found out that stinging nettles can really get someone good, but too much risk for myself. Poison oak seems to be easier cause I can dry it and mix it with berries," the pup points to her bowl. "If I can throw it in their mouth or their eyes, it'll at least irritate them enough to throw up or cause some pain," she shrugs again as she goes back to smashing the berries around until they smoothed out.

"What's so special about your reindeer?" Delphi asks after a few seconds of silence, her gaze continuing to linger on her task at paw.

For a moment Kiela wondered if fighting was something she'd eventually have to get more accustomed to. She was no fool; she knew what sort of pack Heiðinn was, and she had no qualms in joining their raids if necessary but it seemed to her their fighters were plentiful and her skills were best used elsewhere. But if Delphi had inclinations toward fighting, she was wise not to let her size be a limiting factor. It was wise to play into your strengths and use them to your advantage - and clearly in Delphi's case it was her mind rather than her sheer strength. Being resourceful like that was commendable rather than worrying, especially since it didn't sound like she was trying to poison some unsuspecting packmate.  "And this poison oak would work quickly enough to disrupt a fight, you think?" Kiela questioned, genuinely curious. Perhaps she could find a way to utilize such knowledge as well. How though she wasn't sure. She mused over it as she watched Delphi continue to work, watching as she smashed the berries down into a smoother paste. The question about her reindeer disrupted her train of thought though. It was something the often-quiet woman was always happy to talk about.  "My family owe their lives to the reindeer. The lands we come from are far north from here, lands even less hospitable than this, where prey was scarce and we survived off feeding from the reindeer herds. Keeping the herd safe meant we would always have food. We'd keep predators from going after them recklessly, only culling those who were old or injured, and otherwise holding the herd back. A… symbiotic relationship." She fumbled over the word for a moment before finding the right one. "They no longer feared us and we made sure they were safe, only killing as necessary. To me, they are sacred," she explained carefully. Her words were gentle, spoken with a sort of reverence for the prey animals that not many wolves felt, but she always had - and always would.

Kiela's question brings a smirk to Delphi's face. The woman's honest curiosity warms Delphi's heart. Though she had plenty of others who took interest in her, she also was still young and quite dramatic so any sort of attention made her feel good inside. Not that she would vocally announce such ideas. She didn't want others to pity her or think poorly of her. She already had issues with feeling small and insignificant, she didn't need the pack thinking she was a drama queen either.

Delphi takes a moment to think before answering. "I'm not sure. Not keen on trying it on myself so don't know until I try it out," her smirk turns impish as she peers up at Kiela from her position on the stone. She wouldn't fault Kiela for not wanting to be a fighter. There was a point in time when she wasn't interested in fighting either. She still wasn't very good at it either, but nonetheless, she was determined now! Maybe this Kiela would have some good ideas later down the road.

Instead of interrupting, Delphi listened. Kiela's soft and careful words resonated within the small pup. A sacred prey animal? The idea was interesting. To have a symbiotic relationship with a prey animal requires a level of intelligence above the average predator. Delphi lets out a thoughtful hum as she continues to work out the lumps in her poisonous salve. "So you protect them and in return, they provide food. Them being reindeer is of little importance," her voice is thoughtful as she glances up at Kiela.

There was no one in the pack Kiela would overlook, no matter how small nor young; she knew age was not the biggest contributing factor to a wolf's worth. Not when she'd met so many wolves who were older than Delphi and considerably less inventive and inquisitive than she seemed to be. Kiela followed her line of thinking, giving a barely-audible snort at her answer - nearly a laugh, if she was the laughing type. She grew considerably more serious at the talk of her reindeer though. Though she wasn't necessarily surprised that Delphi took her words seriously, she was glad she seemed to really be listening to her, enough to even make an observation of her own. "I suppose you're right," she mused aloud. "The reindeer were simply the most accessible food source back in my homelands, so it was... almost natural that we formed such a relationship with them. Things are different here, but I still feel responsible for them as a whole. That was why I came here in the first place. To find a new herd to tend to and live and die with." Sure, there were other things that had happened alongside that, but ultimately that was her life's mission and that had not changed, even with her being part of Heiðinn.

Unlike Kiela, Delphi did not hold the same relationship with animals. While her mother was a hunting expert and had taught her many lessons on the circle of life and how she should respect all that she killed, Delphi still didn't quite get it. They were animals. Sure, she was an animal too, just like the others, but from what she could observe, they were more intelligent. Aside from birds and other animals with thumbs, most animals didn't appear to be smart enough to care whether or not wolves took of them.

Delphi considers Kiela's words with a thoughtful hum. So it was Kiela's life mission to tend to reindeer. Yet, she hadn't noticed any reindeer herds except for one north of the mountain in the sound. It brought questions to her mind. "Do you not have your own herd? I have not seen a herd like we keep the sheep. If you are their keeper, are they allowed to roam freely? Do you not want to be with them at all times?" Delphi's head tilts slightly to the side as she peers at Kiela curiously. Why she was so interested in reindeer was beyond her. Perhaps she just wanted to understand Kiela's culture.

Delphi was curious, but in a respectful way - even if she hadn't been so thoughtful Kiela would've likely engaged with her anyway. Her views were solid, strong enough that disagreement or disrespect of them wouldn't perturb her. Maybe she'd be less likely to speak on her beliefs, but she had no problem sharing them now with the younger girl. "I have chosen a herd as my own, but they're not like the sheep. They cannot be contained in the same way." Kiela explained thoughtfully Perhaps for creatures who were larger than wolves, that might be possible? But their instincts were not necessarily to be herded, not in the way sheep and similar animals might be. Even if such a thing were possible, she had a feeling a life of captivity would not bode well for them. "They roam freely but I watch them when I can, and try to ward off predators needlessly going after their numbers, if I'm able. In the spring I'll likely lead a hunt and pick off one of their older, weaker members that is slowing down the herd, which will help them grow stronger. Taking down one of their young, or stronger members..." She shook her head. "That would not help them in the same way." Her reverence for the reindeer was not something she had simply happened upon, or been taught. She'd lived and breathed it since the day she was born; it came as naturally as breathing. Explaining something so second-nature to another wolf was difficult, but she was glad to try anyway.

Delphi is too smart for her own good. She listens and understands Kiela. Knows that her culture is her own, but there are still more questions. "Predators are fierce. Do you have others to help?" She didn't phrase it in a way that was meant to insult Kiela, but not exactly out of concern either. More so a large herd of reindeer would be a prime target for any meat-eating predator. How was one wolf to keep all predators at bay? It sounded like a lot of work for only one wolf to manage.

She puts her work aside so she can fully give Kiela her attention now. "A hunt, you say? I'm sure there are plenty here that would enjoy that," Delphi comments as her mind wanders to her mom and how much Celeste enjoyed hunting. "My mom is small, but she's really good," her lips turn up into a smile as she really looks at Kiela. "Do you like being here in Heidinn?" The question might be too probing, but she's young, dumb, and her filter doesn't work as well as it should.

Kiela has never been sensitive, nor is she least bit defensive. Delphi's questions come across as curious rather than argumentative and Kiela has happy to engage with her on the topic. She'd remember the girl was a curious one, as Kiela was generally happy to teach what she did know, enjoying teaching as much as she did learning. "No, not here," she admitted. "Hard to find wolves who feel like I do about them." Did it bother her? Not, not really. If being around like-minded wolves was that important to her she would've stayed in her homelands, instead of coming all the way to this once-new world. Delphi acknowledged her idea of a hunt, expression that her mom would probably be interested. Kiela made a note to seek her out and she if she was interested. It wasn't like she could cull a full grown caribou on her own, no matter how hard she tried. The girl asked an interesting question then, one Kiela wasn't sure how to answer at first. "I've enjoyed it so far. I can't say I'm used to staying in one place for so long, though." Víðarr knew she would come and go as she needed to, that had been part of the plan, so it wasn't like she felt tied down here. "What about you? I mean.. when you're older, do you think you'll stay here?" Maybe it was a little too difficult of a question for a kid, but she was curious anyway, even if Delphi had never thought about such things.

Delphi sits and thinks about Kiela's question for a moment. A silence settles over her as she peers down at the mixture that's in the bowl between her paws. Her face wrinkles slightly, an obvious tell that she has thought about this before. It was something, a predicament really, that had plagued her mind, the thoughts at the back of her head, ever since Cyanide and some of her siblings started traveling to Ashen every so often to visit aunt Venom. As much as she loved Vidarr, Delphi doesn't think it was ever supposed to be a permanent home for them. Things had taken such sour turns that it had made it hard for her family to travel - which had been the agreement from the start, right?

Finally looking up at Kiela, she shrugs. "I dunno, maybe one day I'll go, we'll see," Delphi brushes it off, avoiding the feelings that grip her heart. Deep down, yes, she wants to leave. As soon as she's old enough, as soon as Vidarr doesn't need her, she'll be gone. Out into the wilderness to find her own self.