A thin creature picked her way through the trees. A wan evening sun shined through and illuminated her russet fur. Her eyes were blue and vacant. Lost. Home. Gone. Her ears folded against her skull and her russet tail kissed her cream hind-legs. Her gait was fluid but if one peered closer they would find the shiver that coursed through her whole body. She was nervous. She had hunted this morning, and the image of the bleeding hare stuck in her mind. It stuck in her claws, between her pads, on her legs, on the white fur below her jaw... Eating her... She had washed in the river, watched the rivulets of blood coming away, but in her mind the image was not so clear. She felt tainted, poisoned, and although her stomach ceased to hurt she wished she hadn't hunted. I'm sorry. The distressed woman continued on her path.

Build me up from bones, Wrap me up in skin, Hold me close enough to breath me in

Lydia travelled toward the souther end of the eastern territories. She'd been as busy as a bee, gathering and collecting for the coming winter ahead. Lamb's Ear would be a useful herb and she was running low on plants to bind wounds and treat the swelling. Spring and summer were the only times for her to gather and while she didn't plan to get into any battles it was always best to be prepared. Now where to start looking? She gazed out across the delta, taking in the expanse of water on the horizon and the variety of grasses, sounds and scents. In a way it was almost overwhelming.

She sifted the rabbit skin in her jaws that was folded up at the corners, a small pouch to carry her bundles of herbs. She'd managed to get a good haul and the Lamb's Ear was last on her list. Almost done… almost done… as she searched about her she caught sight of a rust colored woman. Lydia's first instinct was to shrink down in the grass as far as she could go but as she watched the other woman seemed clearly distressed. Lydia carefully set down her herb bundle and called out. "Hello? Miss, are you ok?"

She was halted by a voice. A feminine chime on the wind carried to her slender ear. She turned to see another woman of ebon, concerned eyes focused on her. The furs along her back rose with apprehension at the intense study and she took a tentative step back. It was a moment before she answered, her voice a little strained, "Yes... I'm fine." Who was this woman to ask, anyways? Her eyes narrowed as she studied the stranger. There was a delicate bundle of herbs below her jaw; set carefully upon the earth and they attracted her interest. She remained where she was; not close, untouchable... A comfortable distance away. But curiousity still got the better of her and she sniffed the air, hoping to catch a scent of the other. Where did she come from? What was in her bundle? Her ears remained flattened and her demeanor shy; but she replied a little gentler, "I'm Valencia, who are you?" It was the best she could do to be kind, but she was on edge. Strangers, others, made her nervous. The whole idea of a conversation was foreign to her but she tried. It was better than walking alone, anyways.


OOC: Sorry for the wait!

Build me up from bones, Wrap me up in skin, Hold me close enough to breath me in

Lydia did her best to appear relaxed and calm.  She hated to see the other take a step back in fear but she knew the feeling all to well having been a bundle of nerves since she'd been separated from her family.  She wondered if the other woman had had a similar experience.  The woman replied hesitantly, stating she was fine but the tone of her voice caused Lydia to doubt it but she wouldn't press.  It wasn't her place anyway.  The woman introduced herself as Valencia and Lydia gave her a nod of formal greeting.  "Nice to meet you Valencia.  My name is Lydia.  I'm a lone healer out collecting herbs.  What about you?  I don't suppose you've seen any Lamb's Ear about have you?"  She wasn't sure if the other was a healer but it was the best she could do to start a conversation.  She felt her stomach turn and knot and hoped she was saying the right thing.  The only other thing she thought she could possibly talk about was the weather. 

She wanted to run. The feeling was ridden in her limbs; the furs along her neck rose, the russet woman perched upon a precipice. But she didn't run. She stayed and she waited; blue eyes upon the other. The more the stranger spoke the more Valencia began to soften and she let her muscles relax. The stranger was calm and spoke with ease; and the more she studied her, the more she found a likeness for her. She was like the sky. The night sky, dark as the sea, streaked with silver metals. Her eyes were blue like her own, but deeper, fuller. Her eyes flickered for a moment. Lamb's Ear? She hesitated for a moment, then replied. "It is nice to meet you, too. I am a loner... I, well, I am a loner too..." She thought more every day that she should have gone with her brother; but it didn't feel right. When had they ever got along, anyways? She looked around her. "You don't mean... A lamb's ear?" she asked awkwardly. The idea of a poor lamb's severed ear made her shudder and want to vomit. "I'm sorry, I don't know what that is... Or where." She felt a tad useless standing here. What should she do?

Build me up from bones, Wrap me up in skin, Hold me close enough to breath me in

Lydia did her best to calm her own nerves, to try and give some sort of aire of demureness but also of calm.  Adding her own anxiety to the mix probably wasn't helping matters.  She took a few deep breaths and smiled gently as Valencia spoke, stating that she was a loner as well.  At her next question Lydia giggled softly.  "Oh goodness, I didn't even think of that!  No, it's a plant that they call Lamb's Ear because…. uh… oh, I guess I don't know but the leaves are very soft and are shaped kind of like a lamb's ear I guess."  Lydia felt a bit silly that she'd never contemplated the name before.  It was something she'd just accepted as fact.  "It makes good bandages so I thought it might be good to have some on hand."  She shrugged lightly unsure what to say next.  Why were conversations so hard?  She willed herself to think of something to say.  "I uh… so, what brings you here?"  Oh yes… very smooth.