'New pack and a new rank.' The grey-black she-wolf closed her eyes and took in a long deep breath as she let these thoughts sink in. It was amazing, they just let her in like that with no questions at all. That caused the corners of her lips to raise in a small smile. "I hope this works out." She spoke, vapor seeping out from her jaws and forming a cloud before her but vanishing within seconds, eyelids slowly pulling apart of reveal storm grey eyes. It felt good to know she was welcomed into the pack along with her brother and other wolves, she wouldn't be entirely alone. When she thought this thought it made her lower her head and look over her shoulder towards the direction of the pack. "Unless he has his paws full with that female..." The smile slid away, sighing as she remembered what happened with the last female he was involved with.

"Enough." She growled, pushing herself up onto all four. Loccian shook her head with a low growl as she tried to push those thoughts away. She wasn't going to think about that, didn't want to be reminded of the past. This was her life now. In this second life she was Seracia's Healer, Baroness. She took care of the sick and wounded and her pack member's pups. It was the best for her, the small wolf was not built at all to be a hunter or fighter for the pack.

Being knew to this part of the land she thought it would be a good idea to check it out, make mental land markings so that she could figure out where certain herbs were located, once the snow melted. Right now she stood a couple yards from the pack's camp, throwing it a quick glance then forward. With a shake of her body, throwing snow off that had gathered in a thin layer, she moved, the small snow fall quickly becoming heavy.

Maverick emerged from his den, having found it nice to be able to sleep without his brother and sister so near. Kamala wasn't the problem, it was Valkis, but he was glad to be without both of them when it came to his sleeping quarters. His den wasn't exactly the nicest, nor the most comfortable, but anything beat being sandwiched between two other yearlings, his mother, and his father. The three fourths grown male stretched, bowing his front half forward and allowing his front legs to stretch properly. The same was done for the back legs before he aimed to head for the delta for a drink. He would have to go near the northern border to get the purest water available, for the water in the south was brackish and not always the best tasting. No, the southern delta was good for fishing, but not for drinking. However, a she-wolf caught his eye before he could venture off. It was his caretaker, and the baroness Loccian. Green eyes would set upon her as he strutted forth, dipping his head in the cordial greeting he'd been taught. Baroness, He called her as a smile flickered across his lips. Eyes of forest green scanned over her hungrily, finding her frame to be pleasing to the eye. Most recently his hormones had made him start taking note of the female form, and she was no exception. A beautiful day, isn't it? Spring had struck Seracia full-force, leaving nothing but blue skies and sunshine in it's wake. He liked this weather, it was particularly nice for exploring. Speech,

Loccian had been in her own little world, zoning out with her paws carrying her who knew where. It wasn't until she heard a voice that her ear flicked to the side and her body suddenly froze, eyelids blinked before her grey gaze moved off to he side to be greeted with the sight of the young prince, Maverick.

Immediately she cleared her throat and dipped her head to him in greeting, straightening herself out and holding her head at shoulder level, something she hasn't stopped doing since joining Seracia. It was just a habit. "Hello young prince," She spoke in a soft tone, turning to face him with a small but shy smile. His comment on the day caused her to lift her head to look up at the sky for a few seconds then look out over the land with a nod of her head. "It is beautiful indeed. I apologise for earlier," She replied, looking back at the young wolf. "I would have come to the hunt but I have not been trained in that area, so I found no reason to attend, I was out looking for herbs." She explained, her tail tucking in slightly as she spoke, unsure of whether he would be upset that she saw no reason in attending.

She did feel bad for not attending, it was her duty to care for the pups and she didn't even bother showing up at the hunt or their little one year party. If she had shown up she felt like she would be a bother and would only get in the way.

The blackened she-wolf seemed to not have noticed him arrive, but she became aware of his presence and quickly greeted him. She called him young prince, which resulted in a raise of his brow. Had she been talking to his father? Of course, it could just be an affectionate nickname, but he couldn't help but wonder if she might know something about him being promoted to Heir and Prince of Seracia. As she apologized, Maverick's brows furrowed slightly. What did she have to apologize for? Had she done something wrong? He surely didn't know of anything. But then she elaborated, further explaining her reason for not attending their party. Sadly enough, Maverick had been so entertained with the idea of hunting for the first time, he hadn't even noticed her absence. Still, he would never admit this to her, and tried to put on a sympathetic face. "Oh it's fine, you missed out on some good hunting, though." A smile crossed his lips accompanied by a wave of his tail. Maverick understood why she didn't come, and really wasn't hurt by it in the slightest. "Where'd you go to find the herbs?" He'd found some interesting plants in different places in Seracia, and wondered if any of them might be useful to her. Maverick knew nothing about herbs or healing, just that from time to time he needed patching up and Loccian always knew what to do. But maybe, just maybe he could help her out if he had indeed found some herbs. Speech,

Since it seemed like the two would be there talking for a bit, Loccian decided to sit down. She lowered her bottom down, tail turning and slightly laying on one paw with her head still held low but ears up to catch what the youngster had to say. It was a successful hunt, the lot probably had a good time running around chasing the prey and bringing it down, then to devour it. The thought of it caused a small smile to form on her lips, if only she was bigger and stronger, trained in the ways of hunting. The feeling of catching her first large prey, it would be wonderful.

When he asked where she went to find herbs the she-wolf turned her head and motioned towards the direction of the delta. "I went over to the delta, various plants grow around it. Some right next to it and others a couple yards away." She explained, looking back at the male. Now that she thought about it she would have to gather some things for the females that would be birthing this spring, usually the perfect time to have pups since everything was growing back. She would also need something for her head, lately she has been getitng pains but would keep forgetting what it was that she needed. Now that she remembered and was out, she could get it. Maybe Maverick could help, if he was free.

He listened intently, curious as to where one might find herbs. Maverick had always found healing to be quite intriguing, but his father had assured him he would not have time to learn healing and become a Knight - and possibly Heir. Yes, the Prince position was what weighed on his mind the most, and he was sure fighting would help him hold the position - if he did indeed receive it. However, knowing a bit about herbs couldn't hurt anybody, could it? Ever-inquisitive, the yearling listened as she told her tale. So the most herbs were found near the delta. That was where he'd been exploring, as he often spend most of his time swimming and practicing fishing. "Could you show me what a few of the herbs look like, and maybe explain what they do?" Of course if she was busy he would understand, but the noble really was interested in what it was to be a healer. With as ambitious as he was an explorer, Maverick could really use some experience in the art of stopping bleeding and keeping wounds from being infected later on. He was all boy, that was for sure. Speech,

Loccian was a little happy to see that Maverick was listening to what she had to say. In most cases others owuld not pay attention or take her word for anything because she wanted to be fighters or hunters for the pack, something more "useful" to the pack. Unlike them, her and the healers before her knew that the plants all around them could help them in times of sickness or when injured. It was then that those fighters and hunters realize how important the plants were around them.

A large smile formed on her dark lips when the male asked if she could show him what some herbs looked like and what they did. Some would probably think it was silly for the male to learn such things when he could possibly become the leader one day when his father passed on or retired. It made her happy to see him wanting to learn about the plants, it would aide him in the future for sure just like any other wolf. "Sure, if that is what you would like then I will teach you about the plants in Seracia." She repelied with the smile still there and a bit of a happier tone in her voice while her tail wagged against the ground behind her.

"Shall we go now or do you wish to meet me there later?" She asked, pushing herself up onto all four and giving a quick shake to dismiss any dirt or leaves out of her fur. She was okay with either one, if he wanted to go now then great but if he had somehting he wanted to do then she didn't mind him meeting her later on for their little herb lesson.

ooc: It's funny that Maverick was cute in his previous pic but now that he is 1 he looks fierce and beasty in his pics. XD lol

Healing - while not the most physical of trades was certainly something he was interested in. He found it intriguing that natural plants could be used to cure ailments, injuries, and other maladies. Not to mention, healers had to be really intelligent to remember all the combinations and what certain plants could be used for. A smile crossed his lips as one emerged on hers, happy that in some small way he had made her day. Maverick was certain that not many others paid much attention to her, but he didn't care about them, right now he just wanted to learn. Knowing things was always good, especially with how adventurous he was, and how many times he got hurt. Knowing pain relievers and blood-stoppers would only help him and couldn't possibly hurt. "Thanks," he muttered as she said she would teach him about the plants. At least this way he could help himself sometimes, and not always have to rely on the helping paws of others. As she asked if they should go now, Maverick nodded his head. He had no plans today, much like any other day. Mav shook lightly as she did, ridding his coat of unnecessary dirt and debris. "We can go now." He took a tentative step, waiting for her to lead the way. Maverick would follow wherever she led. "Speech,"

Saying he was ready to go now the she-wolf gave a nod of her head. A paw moving in front of the other to turn her body, grey eyes looking over her shoulder to see him take step after her. As she began to move forward she wondered how this would go. Would he be able to learn from her and be able t use it on himself correctly when needed or maybe be able to help somebody else if he was nowhere near her? She gave herself a small nod, Maverick was a intelligent wolf, if shown how to do something she was sure he would be able to get it within minutes when it took most a day or two to properly remember how something was done.

As the began their little journey to the delta, where she would find something for him to learn basics about, she looked to the young prince. Would he be the one to take his fathers place once he was done with his duties? Oh yeah, she almost forgot about Gideon, Gerhardt's brother. he was the prince for now but what about after him? Which one of the pups would take the spot of Alpha and continue to run the pack? Thinking about this made her think about the future, how log would she be here? Would she be able to have a family at some point? Would she even be allowed to as the Baroness for the pack? As a Baroness she had to take care of the pack's health, would a family distract her from those duties?

"So," she began, looking away after realizing she was staring at him oddly while lost in her thoughts. "How has your day been so far? Anything interesting happen yet?" She tried starting up a conversation, a walk i always awkward when silent and she didn't want that to happen. With her question she looked back to the male with a small smile.

He was eager to know, to learn, to prove himself. Somewhere deep in his mind he was assured that if he knew things his siblings didn't, it would put him ahead for the future, for the crown. It was what he strove for more than anything else in the world. Maverick wanted to be Prince, wanted to be King someday. To lead Seracia in his own special way. A King brought justice, ensured tranquility, and sought the greater good of his subjects. Maverick wanted to be King. But he also wanted to just know things, to be good at everything. Fighting was a given, as a King needed to be skilled at battle. But healing was important too, for a battler often needed healing. And Hunting, who didn't need to know that? Everyone needed to at least be able to bring down small prey to sustain themselves in the event that others could not pitch in and help out. Maverick knew the gist of hunting, and he knew that fighting came partially by instinct alone, but healing.. healing was entirely a learned skill. It was healing that he assumed would be the most difficult to learn. As she began to step forward he followed suit obediently. She was kind enough to teach him, and he would be respectful enough to keep up. The noble's tail flagged out behind him lazily, waving back and forth in rhythm with his steps. The two paraded toward the delta where he was sure a lot of plants would be located. He knew they were there, just didn't know what they might be used for. She had been looking at him for quite a while, but Maverick just assumed she was admiring his pelt. It was quite unique. Then, she spoke. "Nothing really interesting, no." He gave a slight smile, more out of habit than actual necessity for one. Life here was boring, at least for the yearling. There weren't any others his age to play with besides his siblings, and Valkis was an absolute bore. Kamala wasn't so bad, but she always seemed to get up before him and be out exploring or with their father. It worried him how close the two of them seemed to be, Maverick hoped she wasn't weaseling her way into the position of Princess. "What about you?" It was kind to return the question, but he also was genuinely curious. "Speech,"

She moved on towards the location they would be going, ears held up and tail slowly wagging behind her as she listened to Maverick. So, nothing of much iterest had happened for him. She kind of figured, there was not much going on in the pack since she joined. She liked that though, she would rather have nothing going on than have something bad happening. Hopefully, nothing bad would ome to the pack in the near future. She didn't want to hear the cries of wolves and see the terrible wounds.

Then the young wolf asked her, a shake of her head quickly following as she turned to watch the path before them. "I'm afraid that my day has been quite, boring. All I have odne is check my herb stock and think about where I would go to gather more. And seeing as I have not really talked to others, I spend my time alonoe somewhere." She explained to him, soft voice but holding something in it that would give away that she was lonely even with her brother being there. Yes Octavian was with her but they didn't really talk, she took care of her herbs and he checked the borders or spent time with his female. Just thinking about it cused a sigh to escape her lips.

The boy paced evenly beside her, having really come into an elegant walk now that he was older and subsequently larger. His paws were still a bit large and he was still rather lean and lanky, but overall he was filling out nicely. Soon enough the fox-apaloosa boy would be an incredibly handsome sight. In another season he would reach his full height and length, and would then begin to really pack on the weight. It would be then that his lean frame would fill out and he'd be almost as impressive as his father - maybe even a bit more. A smile crept across his face at this thought. How come you don't talk to anyone else? You're pretty easy to talk to. It was the truth, Loccian was one of the easiest ones in Seracia to talk to. A few others had received a passing hello from the noble, but not many had gotten a full-blown conversation from Maverick. He was more of an explorer, not exactly a man of words. Not that he couldn't hold a conversation, he just didn't often choose to. Speech,

His question, if Loccian did not have control of herself, would have caused the shewolf to freeze. It was unexpected, both just asking and from him saying she was easy to talk to. It made her happy to know he thought so but at the same time she was a bit bothered by it. Yes she was easy to talk to, on her good days but there were times where she would fall into random bouts of depression and completely avoid her packmates. Of course she was careful at those times, making sure she was around when needed. Other than that, she just had a bit of a hard time talking to others because she wasn't use to it in her birthpack. carrion did not allow it. With a light sigh she looked over at the young male for a brief moment before looking away, her tone changing into something somebody could identify as sadness or loneliness. I... it's complicated to explain. Was all she said, head lowering while they walked. How could she explain to this young wolf what she had to go through as a child, the physical and mental abuse from her adoptive mother and the disownment from her father. Brothers either ignoring her completely or ditching her for a female. How could she explain that she didn't really trust wolves because they did one of those things, not bothering to show her any kindness or any sign of love. She was jealous, that was why he was nice to those around her when they actually did stop to talk to her. All she wanted, was to feel like somebody cared. After a few moments she took a deep breath, coming to a stop just a couple yards from where their location was. She thought about what she would say, grey eyes falling upon Maverick's green ones. I don't talk to most because I don't wanna go up to them and just be turned away like I was nothing, it happened... a lot in my birthpack. So I just wait till somebody comes up to me, then I know they are making an effort to acknowledge my existence. She explained to him, having looked away when she began. It was, embarrassing to explain to him and as soon the words had left her mouth she regreted it. Why would he want to hear that, why would anyone want to hear another wolf complaining. My Speech! Your Speech!

Still lacking some of the social skills of an adult wolf, Maverick saw nothing wrong with his question. An adult would have perhaps phrased it differently, or not asked it altogether. Things like this were sensitive topics, and he realized that at once as her tone shifted completely. He fell silent, realizing he'd just ruined their small talk while strolling to wherever she was leading him. Leave it to me to make things awkward. The two continued on, but soon enough they reached where they were going, and she turned to elaborate further. Maverick suddenly felt quite upset with himself that he was making her tell him all of this. He gazed at her empathetically as she told her tale, finding it quite sad to hear. I'm sorry all of that happened to you. It was all he could manage, but he hoped it would be enough. He took a few steps forward, muttering something else he was sure she could hear. I know you exist. Perhaps he should have said that first. Time passed and he stared out at the delta as it rolled by, finally finding the need to break the silence again. He looked down at a few of the plants near his paws. So are these good for anything? He stepped back, not wanting to crush them in case they were good for healing. Turning his head to face her, a smile grew on his face as he waited for her to explain things to him. Speech,

The young male's words were comforting and she appreciated it, even though it was few it managed to make her crack a smile. Thinking about it usually made the shewolf feel down and so she owuld isolate herself normally but she couldn't do that now, not with Maverick here. Loccian was here to show him some herbs, what they looked like and what he could do with them to heal a wolf or himself if a healer was nowhere near him. It would be a benefit to him. The shewolf was walking around looking for something to teach Maverick about but within moments she heard his voice. So are these good for anything? Her ears perked up, grey eyes fixating on the young wolf before her legs carried her body over to him, stopping just beside young prince. She examined the plants before him, trying to identify it and it's use. It was a stout, plant with many spreading branches, long-stalked wedge-shaped leaves, 2 feet long and 1 foot across, heart-shaped and of a grey color on their under surfaces from the mass of fine down with which they are covered. The lower leaves were very large, on long, solid stalks, more than a foot long, The upper leaves are much smaller, more egg-shaped in form and not so densely clothed beneath with the grey down. The stalks had round heads of purple flowers. Burdock. This here is Burdock, the roots can be used for infections. You crush them up till the juices come out and spread over a wound. She explained to him, grey eyes falling upon the smile that had formed on him, a small one forming on her aswell. These usually don't grow here however, they grow best in a open area with light and well-drained soil. She added before turning around and searching for another plant. Could you dig up some of the roots, we are running low on them. And be careful with those flowers, they will break off and get stuck in your coat. She explained with a smirk, it was funny watching wolves get frustrated by the scales that seemed to not want to come off. My Speech! Your Speech! ooc: Going off warriors herbs. XD

He examined the plant, finding it to be nothing special to the untrained eye. He was an untrained eye, and to him it looked like shrubbery, just like everything else that grew around the delta. He didn't see a lot of difference in this plant and anything else he'd seen. Then again.. she was the healer. She was trained to know stuff like this, to distinguish between plants. As she began to explain it, Maverick listened intently, ears swiveling forward with interest. A Burdock. It could be used for infections. As she asked him to dig up the roots, Maverick's eyes widened slightly, but then the boy set himself to work. Front paws would scrape the earth tentatively at first, as if he were afraid the plant might somehow become angry at him for unearthing it. However, when it did not spring up and attack him, he set forth with more fervor, slowing only as roots became visible so that he would not cut them. Carefully and somewhat craftily, the boy unearthed the plant, leaving the roots exposed. However, in all of his commotion he had lacked much attention to the last part of her speech, which had been to watch out for the flowers. A few of them had broken off, depositing into the plush fur on his chest. He stepped back from the unearthed plant and huffed, craning his head down to bite in frustration at the flowers which clung so heavily to his coat. "Argh!" He would cry as he chewed relentlessly at the burrs. A sheepish grin clouded the boy's face as he turned his attention to her. "D'you know how to get these out?" Speech,

Loccian watched with grey eyes as the young male listened to her explaination of what the plant was and what it could be used for. After asking him to dig some up to bring back to camp she took a step to the side, walking off a few feet before glancing over her shoulder at Maverick starting to dig up the plant. A smile formed as she watched him slow down once the roots were visible, he was smart for that. Most wolves would have kept going and not realize they had ruined the herb by cutting up the roots to where they were barely usable. It wasn't until he had tried to carefully unearth the plant that the shewolf turned around, head held low and a paw over her snout. He didn't seem to catch what she said about the burrs on the plants and ended up having some fall off and stick to his coat, looking rather silly to her and even cause a chuckle to escape her lips at his "Argh!" Instead of turning around to help him the shewolf took a few more steps away, stopping infront of another plant as if she didn't hear him because she was wrapped in looking for more herbs. With a paw she touched the leaves, turning them to get a better look at the plant befor her ear swiveled to the side at Maverick's voice. "D'you know how to get these out?" That smile was still there as she lifted her head and turned it to look at the boy, a raised brow at how many burrs had found themselves into his coat. "Oh boy... did you not hear what I said about those Maverick?" She asked with a small chuckle, turning her body and trotting over till she stood right in front of him. Loccian shook her head slowly at the sight, there were burrs on his chest and along his side, even a few on the top of his head. The ones on him were mostly whole but where the male had tried to get them had broken up and would be a bit more difficult to remove. The only thing she knew in how getting them off, trying to grab as much as possibly with your jaws. "Since they are there, the only way to get them out is by picking them. So if there are any you can reach grab those and I will grab the rest. Be careful though so you don't break them up and make them spread." She explained with the smile still there, grey eyes moving away from his green to look at where all the burrs were. She stepped closer to him, reaching over and carefully grabbing a group of three burrs between her teeth that was on the top of his head. She pulled them out, shifting her jaws so she wouldn't pull his hairs, pulling away and dropping them in the spot where Maverick had dug up the plant. My Speech! Your Speech!

He couldn't believe he'd been so foolish as to let all of this stuff get stuck in his fur. She had warned him, but he'd been so eager about learning that he hadn't been conscious of every detail of her instructions. As she plucked a few of the burrs from his head, he winced - expecting it to hurt - but then realized that she'd removed them almost painlessly. He craned his head down and de-burred his chest and shoulder until he could no longer see any on him. "That's better," the boy would chirp with a smile. He wagged his tail lightly and then looked down at the plant he'd uprooted. "Is there a special way you have to store plants?" He had no clue if you could just dig a hole, or if you should keep them in your den, or where a healer might store their valuable plants. He supposed maybe a smaller den next to a regular sized den would be a good storage location. He would assume that keeping the plants dry was a big part of keeping them fresh. But did they need to be cold, or warm? He knew so little it was actually surprising to the would-be prince. At one time, when he'd just turned a year old, Maverick had thought he knew it all, and had it all, but now.. he wasn't quite so sure. Maverick spotted another plant like the one he'd just uprooted, and advanced toward it, digging it up with ease and excavating the roots without getting burs caught in his coat. At least he'd learned from his mistake. He picked the plant up by the leaves, roots still attached, and carried it to where the other one was, placing it next to the first and then looking up to Loccian for her answer. "speeeeech"

After carefully pulling the burrs out without pulling any hairs or causing any pain, Loccian smiled as Maverick commented on how it felt better to have them off. She was sure it felt nice, she had gotten them stuck in her coat when she was younger and oh how terrible it was. She had run through a batch of them, burrs covering almost every inch of her body. Of course when she had gone to her "mother" about it she simply struck the young wolf and walked off. Complaining on how stupid she was and pathetic. So she had to sit there in the den with those things on her, whenever she tried to remove them they would break up and just make things worse. A day passed like that until the healer finally came to help her, an older male who was kind to everyone. Her ear swiveled to the side when Maverick spoke, pulling Loccian out of her past and back to the present. She took a step forward, tilting her head to listen to the question he asked. "Is there a special way you have to store plants?" She smiled with a nod of her head, folding her legs to take a seat beside the young prince. "That's a good question to ask. A lot of wolves think you can just put them anywhere and leave them, but that is not true. Some plants have to be dried out in the sun first and kept in a dry place, some need to be kept damp but most you can keep just laying neatly around as long as the location is not too warm or cold. Some plants you can leave laying around but have to keep spread out and some you can wrap in leaves to protect them from the elements." She explained to him, hoping he could understand what she was saying and not get confused. She sometimes confused herself at times when collecting herbs and preparing them, but since she has been here it hasn't happened a lot and when it did it was only minor things. After her explaination she watched the young male walk off and start digging at the ground, leaning to the side she looked at what he was doing and realized her had found another Burdock plant. The smile only remained there as she realized he was getting another burdock sitting up and watching him walk over with it still perfectly in tact before continuing on. "For this we have to..." She looked down at it in thought, an ear swiveling to the side in thought as she went through her memory of what had to be done with this plant. "Keep damp by getting a leaf with some wet moss then put the roots on top of it to keep it moist. To fight infection we need the juices from the root, then we crush it up and rub it on wounds." She continued, giving a nod to herself before looking to Maverick. "Don't forget that, alright?" She smiled, giving him a small push with her paw before quickly pushing herself up onto all four. My Speech! Your Speech!

It was all quite intriguing to him, how many different plants there were, and the different ways you had to pick them. Some probably required digging like he'd just done, while others you could probably just pick off the leaves or berries. Still others might have different techniques for harvesting. He wondered if he would ever be able to remember it all, and continued to wonder this as she answered his question. "How on earth do you remember it all?" He would say, only half joking. His brow raised curiously as his ears flickered forward, awaiting her answer. He knew she must've studied all of this for years - even perhaps her entire life - to be able to remember it all and recall the information when she needed it. She then went on to explain how to store the Burdock they had excavated, and Maverick listened with much curiosity. So this plant needed to be kept moist. That made sense, since if the roots got dry they would probably not be as useful. "I wont," he would respond when she told him not to forget. Running the procedure through his mind three more times, Maverick was confident he would remember it when she asked him again. "What's next?" He perked up, eagerness lacing his words. He felt like a pup learning to hunt or fish for the first time. He supposed this was probably even harder to learn than those two tasks combined. "speeeeech"