Even as the echo answers to the voiceHibiki no ko? ni ozuru ga gotoshi. The boulders scattered about him had a relaxing effect on the large male's mind. Their smooth sides were pleasing to slide his eyes upon, the moss and sandy soil soft under his paws. A gentle breeze whistled through their gaps, as if the monoliths were attempting speech. Bhaire looked over his shoulder, trying to spot the white speck of his new new companion in the dusky sky. A very few faint stars were just beginning to shine, obscured by clouds. "See anything, Odd?" he called up. Bhaire heard no wingbeats, as was any Tyto's ways, but he was not surprised when the pale owl swooped down to perch on a large stone beside him. "Mayhaps over the next rise. It's blue, you say?" Bhaire nodded and proffered his shoulder to the small owl. He was still weak from his brush with death, and Bhaire's shoulders were his preferred method of transportation. They took off again, near silent atop the moss, aside from occasional conversation. They had left their home territory the day before, searching for a certain flower that was said to grow in this stoney moorland. It was a small flower, with delicate petals, and was supposedly nearly impossible to find. Bhaire had thought that perhaps with Odd's keen eyes and unusual viewpoint, they might stand a better chance. "For one so dedicated to the gods," Odd began, "you seem unusually keen to alter the life course of others. Healing, and all this nonsense. Does it truly work?" Bhaire chuckled and tried once more to explain the finer points of herbology to the skeptical avian. It had not been the first time, but since their meeting the bird was proving to be actually quite the assistant, and a good friend besides. "Talk" Think "Odd"

Tiny white paws would carry the quiet girl behind Bhaire as he set off from Ludicael. He was one of her mommy's healers and since her aunt Symphony had abandoned her lessons she needed to find someone else to teach her. She had cried so much after the departure of her dear mentor, she didn't understand why she was being left and it had hurt her immensely. Still she had not found the courage to ask the male and his owl to teach her. ? Small Elohim, the young golden tamarin who was perched upon her back, had been with her the entire time she suffered from the loss of her mentor. He had done his best to comfort her and dry her tears but she still desperately missed her aunt. He had made her promise to start smiling again, and had suggested that she talk to Bhaire about some training. ? She would follow after him timidly, knowing that he could very well tell her no and send her back to her mother, but she hoped desperately he would accept her request. Glittering blue eyes would stare in wonder at his bird, it's presence on his shoulders much like her own Elohim. She still had yet to muster the courage to talk to him so she would wait in the shadows of the giant rocks as he spoke with the wondrous bird.? "Speech"

-accidentally deleted this like an idiot=

Odd's head swiveled before Bhaire's, his ears ever keener. For all that his eyes could not narrow, suspicion played in the way he ruffled his feathers. "Someone approaches," was all he said, before launching himself into the sky once more. Bhaire too was curious, and cursed his poor vantage point. Grumbling he turned, looking for a boulder that would suit his purpose. He climbed to the top of the nearest and scanned the horizon. A white wolf came quite suddenly to his attention. She lingered a ways back, and appeared to be following his trail. He smiled at the young thing, holding in laughter. His voice was deep and warm when he spoke, his cadence clear as to carry out over the stones. "Hello there, young one. What might you be doing so far from home?" She looked familiar, her frame and coloration so reminiscent of the alpha's brood that he could not doubt this young fae had a place among them. A small golden monkey perched upon her back, and he smiled, looking into the sky for just a moment. It was only very recently of course that he had joined Ludicael, and therefore could not say for certain. At any rate, she did not seem to belong among the stones and moss. A brush of wind was all the warning he got before Odd's light frame alighted once more upon him. "There is another, as well," he said, gesturing with a wing. "A small thing." Bhaire looked, but could not seem to pick it out among the stones. A low bark turned him another few degrees and there, among the moss, he saw another dark fae. What are the odds? He chuckled to himself, and began picking his way down from the boulder, and up another more between the two young shewolves, hoping to get a good view of both wolves in question. As he closed in, the scent of one, the pale fae, wafted upwards. Ah yes, certainly one of the Destruction clan. He smiled down at her and spoke. "You are one of Queen Song's children, are you not? It is nice to meet you." He turned to the other and cocked his head. Yours, though, is not a scent I know. Worry not, I am about as harmless as wolves come. I'm only here in search of an herb. I am Bhaire, and this is Odd." He wondered if either would respond, and if so, with what? He was curious and pleased to see that the pale fae had a creature in her care as he did, and more curious yet to know why he was so fascinating that he warranted stalking. Surely this took hunting practice to extremes? As for the other, many of the same questions persisted, only added to by a larger sense of mystery. "Talk" Think "Odd"

She would be caught before she had a chance to reveal herself, the owl much better at catching wind of followers than any wolf she had ever met. He would address her immediately, his voice reaching her easily over the somewhat flat land. She would peer behind her rock, letting the rest of her body follow as she realized completely that she in fact had been caught. "Hello there, young one. What might you be doing so far from home?" She figured he would realize she was from Ludicael, but only a smile would sit upon her face in an answer, "We have been found out, Novel. Maybe now is a good time to ask?" A bark would then make her realize they were not the only creatures to have found Bhaire in his travels. Novel would look to see yet another young girl. She looked incredibly familiar, there were very few wolves Novel had met and most of them lived in her pack. But she was certainly not from Ludicael. Where had she seen the other young she wolf? Bhaire would speak again, his deep voice calming, she could feel the slightest boost in her confidence at his next words, "You are one of Queen Song's children, are you not? It is nice to meet you." She would pull herself more near to his form, her smile a bit wider as she approached. "Song is my mommy. I'm Novel" she'd say quietly as she would let her gaze wander to the other girl.. where had she met her before? SHe would tilt her head and wrack her brain as she searched for the information. It had to have been before she met Elohim. "Ara!" She'd squeal as she remembered her name. They had played tag once when their mothers had met. It had been incredibly long ago, but she still found a way to remember. "Do you remember me?" she would call excitedly to the other pup. "Speech" "Elohim Speech"

Though she was far more timid than either of her siblings, she knew that she had to meet others in order to expand her knowledge. To train and to become a true healer. It was not an easy path -- certainly not a cop-out or those who didn't want to fight or hunt, even if some saw it as that. She knew many herbs could only be found in distant lands... so far away that she couldn't even fathom how long it might take her to get there. And some were useful, valuable, perhaps even hoarded by wolves much more daring than herself. She would have to learn to talk to others and to show a facade of fearlessness and courage.

But she still felt quite nervous approaching this man and his rather larger bird companion, and though she tried to mask the hesitation she felt, it was written plainly about her childish features as she drew closer. His attention did not land upon her immediately, but instead seemed fixated on another young girl, before coming to settle upon herself. The smile that painted her features was genuine and warm, and only grew as he spoke to her, introducing himself as Bhaire and his bird as Odd. "M.. my name is Ara," she introduced herself softly, her manner of speaking proper and gentle. "What herb do you seek, sir?" She wondered why it was that she seemed drawn to kindred souls. It seemed the few she had met who were interesting in healing were gentle, compassionate wolves -- it seemed only fitting that wolves with these qualities would be so interesting in learning to heal others. Though she knew herbs could also be dangerous, made into poisons so strong that they could even kill a creature.

Her attention drifted to the other girl, and she took yet a few more steps near. For a moment, the girl struck her as a complete stranger, but quickly she began to recognize her scent, and memories of that day by the willow trees began to come back to her. "I do remember you!" She would reply, her enthusiasm quite unusual for the often contained girl. "It has been awhile." She had wanted to return to the forest, knowing that she and her siblings alike had all had a fair amount of fun -- but it seemed both of their families had been quite busy. And so much had changed.

Even as the echo answers to the voiceHibiki no ko? ni ozuru ga gotoshi. Bhaire could not hold back a knowing grin. That these two young wolves might know each other, both so far from home, could not be mere coincidence. And it had been Bhaire who had brought them together, if he could believe the small primate on the porcelain fae's back, and he could not ignore this either. He cocked his head and watched their interaction with interest, pondering. The young one has a question for me, then? She clearly would need time to broach the subject, so he let his own inquiry fade away, and turned back to the two before him. He wondered at the growth each young fae had gone through, and how they now saw the other. What paths had they trod from that point to this, and what had their ventures cost them? He could not muse as long he would have liked, and he could have sat their all day tumbling the situation about in his mind, for the darker young girl had posed him a question. He looked back to the horizon, searching for the tall blue-violet stalks. "I seek Blue Vervain, young Ara. It's roots are good in a remedy for stomach distress, and the juice of it's leave will cure a cough or sore throat. I am looking to build up a supply of these cold weather plants before the season turns." It would not be much longer, by the look of the stars the night before. He had seen both the Crab and the Hydra, certain signs of winter's demise. Bhaire chuckled and looked to Odd. "We have been hunting it for the better part of the day, and as it would appear, being hunted as well?" Bhaire leveled a mockingly stern glare at the children, yet an easy smile danced across his maw. The antics of pups never ceased to amuse him, and if they would like to come along, he would have been more than happy to teach them a thing or two. "Talk" Think "Odd"

Ara would let herself come a few steps closer as she realized who it was that addressed her, Novel was glad to be reunited with her young friend. They had enjoyed quite the play time back in the woods. Silently she would wonder about the wolves who her mother had brought her to meet all that time ago. What had happened to them? She would smile and let herself grow a bit more bold as well, she was not normally so timid but since her aunt had left her she had only wanted to be with Elohim. He would tell them of the plant he would seek, and Novel would look back to Elohim, had they seen what he looked for? Elohim would shake his head, he had not seen the plant either. Though they certainly had been following the man, "Umm, sir Bhaire... I was just wondering, since my mentor left me... would you teach me?" She looked up at him hopefully, her heart was broken when she had heard Symphony had left her for a man who lived far away. "Speech" "Elohim Speech"

Ara's heart felt considerably lighter upon recognizing that this girl was not only a familiar face, but a friend of the family as well. A gentle wag started at the base of her tail, making it sway slowly and carefully behind her. Still her sapphire eyes were alight with curiosity, wondering about this herb he spoke of. And still she wondered why it seemed she was drawn to kindred souls, to wolves who were interested in the art of healing and herbs. It was a strange thing, but not something she would dare complain about it.

The plant was called Blue vervain, and was something she had never heard of. "I would be useless in your search, sir," she admitted somewhat bashfully, wishing she knew more. "But, what does it look like?" Her knowledge was limited, but slowly expanding as the winter weeks drew on. She could hardly wait until the snow melted and plants and flowers were in full bloom again. How much she would learn then! She nearly quivered with excitement at the thought, but contained herself, taught to always be docile and well-mannered with no exceptions.

A gentle laugh would escape her jaws at his quip, but her attention would shit to Novel as she asked the man a question -- if he would mentor her. Feeling as though she was suddenly intruding, she would take a few steps away, letting her paws carry her around the stones, nose sniffing at the strange structures. It seemed Bhaire was from Ludicael as well, which pleased her, as it somehow gave her more reason to trust him. They were an allied pack, as far as she knew -- and her mother's friend Song and her family lived there.

That the young ones did not know of Blue Vervain did not dampen the drab male's mood, but instead improved it. An opportunity to teach! He smiled, his excitement growing, but trying to keep a cool demeanor. He thought back to when Abbot Kahn had brought him to the side of the trail they walked, and pointed the herb out to him. To Ara he said, "Blue Vervain looks a bit like a mint. It is a tall stalk, with narrow, toothed leaves growing up and opposite of each other. The small flowers grow in fang shaped clusters, and are bright blue. Whether they will be in bloom in this odd climate, I'm not sure." He looked between the young girls, checking their attention, looking for any sort of shine in their eyes, any passion. It was a surprise of course, when young Novel asked for him to mentor her. He blinked a few times, allowing her words to process. To teach those who sought knowledge was one thing, but to be a direct mentor, to have a pupil? He could not deny that it was an extremely exciting and tempting offer, but something held him back. If Novel pressed him, he would say yes, but first he would try to do right by the small, frightened fae he had come to Ludicael with. "I would love to have a pupil," he began, "But I have taken the study of theology as my vocation. I know of herbs from my life before. I would be honored to teach you, but perhaps Lily would be more suitable? Unless you seek an education in the gods as well as herbology?" Bhaire waited eagerly for her answer, conflicted over what he hoped she would say. "Talk" Think "Odd"

Quickly he would tell them of the flower he searched for, Novel and Elohim would both perk up, taking in the knowledge as well as they could. Both would wish to store the information, and hopefully they would have a visual to match what they searched for. Little blue flowers in the winter though, she was sure she hadn't seen that. He would then go on to tell her of his study in not herbology, but theology just as she had hoped. Yes, she wanted to be a healer, but she wanted to have the dreams that her mother had. She wanted to see the beautiful scenes that had unfolded before her mother's bicolored gaze. "That is exactly what I want, sir Bhaire! Mommy told me how pretty her dreams were, and I want to have them too!" She would become rather excited instead of being quite so timid before the somewhat stranger. She would back up a bit, and look again to Ara, "Maybe we could help you find this Vervain, as a first lesson?" Her head would tilt slightly as she looked again to the man, hoping he would say yes and become her mentor. "Speech" Think "Elohim"

It seemed as though the young girl hardly blinked as she watched Bhaire with obvious curiosity and delight. She would mentally store the image of the plant this man was seeking, though she was not oblivious to the fact that he seemed somewhat surprised by her admission of ignorance. Her blue eyes would sparkle and glimmer with awe at his short tale. "I have not heard of herbs that thrive in such cold places," she admitted softly. While she knew that many plants grew best in varying humidity, and in different kinds of soils, it seemed most flourished in the sunlight and the warmth. But Ara knew she had so much yet to learn.

And yet he continued to speak on of his true passion, of gods and such things. Things she had very little interest in. Her father had told her that there were no gods. That the things that ought to be worshiped were living things, like the tall willow trees that she adored so deeply, and the sun that rose in the sky each night. But she would hold her tongue, pondering as Bhaire spoke to Novel once again. She suddenly felt like she was intruding a bit, and she would stiffen slightly as she looked away, eyes dancing over the distant horizon. "I can leave you two alone, if you want," she suggested gently. If it was a lesson meant for only members of Novel's pack, she would not feel right staying -- but she would certainly not depart if her company was desired.

Even as the echo answers to the voiceHibiki no ko? ni ozuru ga gotoshi. Novel seemed so excited, Bhaire could hardly deny her any further. He finally nodded his aquiesence, eager to know what the days ahead of them would hold. To have a pupil of his own! He wondered what his family would think of him now if they could see him, and how far he'd come. Her excitement over becoming like her mother warmed Bhaire's heart, and he thought back to how frequently he'd wished to become like Abbot Kahn when he was younger. Well, I'm one step closer now. "Well, I can't promise visions, but I can certainly promise that I will help you with all my power. Ara spoke up then, offering to give the two some privacy. Bhaire smiled down at the darker furred fae and shook his head. There's no need for that, young Ara. I would be honored to teach you both a thing or two, whether it be for the afternoon, or the next twelve moons. I would appreciate the help," he said gently, with a chuckle. "If the plant isn't in bloom, of course, we'll have to be very lucky. Extra eyes will be much appreciated." He looked up to Odd, and found the barn owl watching the proceedings with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. The owl did not much understand wolves, but he was enjoying learning more of their ways with every passing encounter. Due to Bhaire's friendly nature, it was easier than he might have hoped. "We'd best be off then," the owl said, clicking out a buot of laughter. He launched himself into the air, and began to circle overhead, waiting for the band to set out once more. Bhaire looked back to the girls and said, "I've heard owls are very wise creatures, we'd best listen to him, eh?" Bhaire turned back the direction he had been heading before, hoping both girls would pick up his trail. "Talk" Think "Odd"

It seemed that Ara was very knowledgeable about plants as well, she seemed so quiet compared to most of her siblings. Novel remembered how she had not even known how to play tag the last time they had seen each other. She wondered silently if the girl had gotten any better at playing, but it seemed she was pretty good with herbology. She would watch as Ara's demeanor changed and she spoke of excusing herself, "I can leave you two alone, if you want," Novel would shake her head playfully, of course she wanted Ara to come along with them! She didn't have very many friends, and she hoped that someday she could consider the she pup as one. Bhaire would tell her he would try and teach her as he replied to the other pup kindly, There's no need for that, young Ara. I would be honored to teach you both a thing or two, whether it be for the afternoon, or the next twelve moons. I would appreciate the help, If the plant isn't in bloom, of course, we'll have to be very lucky. Extra eyes will be much appreciated." Novel couldn't help the smile that would form on her face as she realized that her first lesson would be now. Bhaire's owl would speak then, Novel was made quite sad as she remembered Atlas, her last mentor's owl. She would sigh inwardly at the remembrance of her lost teacher and aunt. She still was at a loss as to why she had been abandoned. A fear would strike her as Bhaire announced they would be off, "I've heard owls are very wise creatures, we'd best listen to him, eh?" She would nod encouragingly as she tried to push her fears back down. Bhaire wouldn't leave her... but her own aunt had, why would he be any different? She would gulp, and hope desperately that she could trust him to keep his promise. Her tiny white paws would follow after the man, she would push away her thoughts of being left once again in favor of finding the plants he needed. "Speech" Think "Elohim"

Though she had offered to leave the two to their lessons, she watched with keen interest in her eyes as Bhaire spoke on. She had little interest in learning of about the gods, the ones that she was not even sure existed -- but of herbs and plants, she was more than willing. Even still, this man seemed quite knowledgeable, and despite everything, she would likely listen politely to everything he had to offer her. It was better to receive potentially false knowledge and question it, and learn from it, than get nothing at all.

Wide blue eyes watched as the owl flew overhead, scouting for the wolf; what a strange duo. And yet Bhaire pushed away her offer to leave, and she couldn't help but smile and let a soft giggle escape her lips. Novel agreed that she would be welcome, and she would quietly pad after the other two. "Novel," she would question softly as they walked. "How was your mother been? My mom misses her." Much had changed in Seracia, and she was certain that Ludicael was no different.

Bhaire allowed the peaceful silence to wash over the group. The landscape was serene and calm, and the faint beating of Odd's wings lulled him into a calm, near meditative state. He listened, as if from a distance, as Ara posed Novel a question. He allowed his mind to fade back into his zen like trance. Thud-thud, thud, thud-thud, thud... His footsteps matched his heart beat and he let loose a long exhale, reveling in the calm. This sort of walking meditation was one of the first tricks Abbot Kahn had taught him, back when he was young and upset about being orphaned. It had not always been so easily accepted, but it hardly bothered him at all now. Family was family after all, whether you shared their blood or not. A glint of light off to the right, much like the gleam of silver or a flash of starlight, caught his eye. Startled, Bhaire came up sharp and blinked in it's direction. He saw nothing that might have birthed the phenomenon and frowned, trotting over to investigate. A strange, sharp odor filled his nose, much like that of fresh crushed herbs and juniper. The land was as scrubby here as elsewhere, filled with similar plants and and the same stones. Nothing seemed to stand out at all, until he rounded a small stone and saw a sprig fresh shot up form the earth. It's flowers had not bloomed, but the branching of it's stems was evident. It was Blue Vervain. With a smile, he sat back on his haunches and pondered. He would not have found it had the strange light not drawn him off the trail. Like silver, he remembered, Or starlight. He considered for a moment that his goddess Almary was patron of the stars, as well as all that was lost. Like herbs, or orphans... A warm breeze ruffled his fur and he smile. Whether an omen or a trick of the eye, he had what he'd sought. It was too young to pick, but perhaps more would spring up as the season progressed. Knowing of this location, should a patch of the flower spring forth, would be useful knowledge. "Girls, I believe we've found our mark." "Talk" Think "Odd"