With exceptional care Malleus dug around the root of an exceptionally hard to find plant. He hadn't set out to collect ginseng, but the moment he'd laid eyes on the plant he'd known he needed it. Malleus had yet to find the plant anywhere in auster, but he could think of a few places he might be able to coax the plant to thrive. In any case it wouldn't hurt to try, so it was for that reason that he'd painstakingly fashioned a pouch out of moss, cattails and twigs. It was ugly, delicate and probably going to fall apart on him, but it was all he had at the moment. He straightened and squinted down at the hole he'd dug. Honestly he wasn't sure just how much dirt he needed to keep to give the plant a fighting chance. Plants were picky. Too little soil and too many cropped roots, and they died of shock. Too much dirt and by the time he made it home his neck would be permanently cricked. He needed to find a balance...

How exactly summer had passed her by so quickly, Ara really didn't know. It seemed as the years went on that the days and weeks and even the months all sort of blurred together - looking back on the last few years of her life seemed uncannily like looking at a reflection in the surface of a lake or pond. Her recent past felt little more than a barely-recognizable semblance of reality, oddly detached from her every-day self, though Ara tried not to dwell on this too much. Instead, she spent most of her time consumed with her day to day life - and right now, since winter was just around the corner, she was concerned with building up her stores of herbs before the cool season set in. The elder female had been to Firefly Lake many times. It was a good place to collect herbs, so it wasn't surprising that she caught the scent of another wolf as she padded toward the lakeside. What was surprising, though, was what he was doing - it wasn't often she saw a wolf so carefully digging at the roots of a plant, and her interest was immediately piqued. From a distance she didn't recognize the herb, but as she drew a bit closer and sniffed at the air she decided it was something called ginseng. A rare plant, and one she hadn't seen for some time. While another wolf might be envious that he'd found it before her, she would make no effort to coerce it from him. Instead, she simply watched, her soft blue gaze curious. "Planning on planting that at home?" Ara inquired gently - not knowing where his home was, but figuring if he was digging at the roots so gingerly that he must have plans to keep the thing intact for one reason or another.

Malleus paused to scowl down at the half exposed root ball. He wasn't sure if he needed to dig deeper. Honestly, if he had to choose he'd rather get more dirt than too little. While it certainly wasn't his first choice, he'd accept a crick in his neck if it meant upping the plant's chances of surviving the journey. "Planning on planting that at home?" He glanced up and was surprised to see a woman standing nearby. He'd been so focused on the ginseng that he hadn't heard her approach. I am, he confirmed. "Ginseng is one of those plants that I seem to be able to find only by chance." He glanced down at the plant before shrugging demurely and smiling at the woman. "So I thought I'd do something about that."

Her approach was slow and cautious, not wanting this stranger to feel territorial over his lucky find. Or perhaps it was more skill than mere luck - she didn't know either way. Still, she was curious and couldn't help but pass up an opportunity when one presented itself to her. And though the stranger did seem surprised at her sudden arrival, he didn't seem overly aggressive or put off by it, so she would close the distance between them a bit more. Her smile was soft and genuine, and she nodded in understanding. I know the feeling," Ara agreed, eyes narrowing slightly as her gaze focused on it. "Mind if I get a better look at it?" The older female asked gently, not wanting to be a bother to him, though truly wanting to get a better look at it - in particular, its roots. "I can't say I've seen ginseng up close before. Do you know what it's used for?" Ara had a few ideas of her own, but wondered if he knew any himself. "My name's Ara, by the way." A slight heat rose to her cheeks, feeling slightly anxious at how quickly her interest got in the way of her usual wariness, but it felt largely like she couldn't help herself.

The mortal woman asked if she could take a closer look and in response Malleus nodded. "Not at all." He stepped back so the ginseng wasn't hidden in his shadow and the woman could look without feeling like he was right on top of her. Her interest in the plant made him curious. Perhaps she was a healer too? Who else would take an interest in a boring little plant like this? "Well, Ara, it's a pleasure. The name's Malleus Abraxas and ginseng..." he eyed the plant for a moment as he considered the plant's uses. "Is invaluable to fighters. It boosts energy, lowers stress and protects the individual from illness." His eyes rolled heavenward as he tried to bring to mind its other uses. "If I remember correctly, it's also good for inflammation and existing infections."   "Malleus" - "Pascal"

Ara's posture was borderline submissive, though mostly neutral, as she took a few slow steps toward Malleus and his ginseng plant. If he was possessive over it, he did not seem it, and she wouldn't be too wary of him lashing out at her.. especially since she had no intention of doing anything but observing. Abraxas? Her brows furrowed slightly as she tried to recall where else she had heard that name. Oh, yes, just recently she had helped a man by the name of Ashiel Abraxas after an incident with a group of buffalo. "The pleasure is all mine," she insisted gently, finally moving to recline to her haunches slowly. He'd been a kind enough male, and his surprise at her free assistance had been odd, but not overly so. This Malleus definitely reminded her a bit of the other Abraxas male that she'd met - and that was definitely a good thing. She knew nothing else of their reputation in these lands, other than the impression she'd formed herself of them. "It is," Ara agreed with a faint smile, nodding. "Apparently it can be invaluable in battle. Apparently it can help prevent, or alleviate, shock. I've never had much experience tending to the battle-wounded myself." She wasn't at all bothered by this - the world would be a much better place without conflict, as far as she was concerned, but she knew enough to help in such a scenario if absolutely necessary. "What about you, Malleus? Have you tended to battle wounds yourself?" Her gaze sparkled with curiosity, head tilting as she eyed him instead of the plant now.

While he tried to be unobtrusive, Malleus couldn't help but study the woman as she looked the ginseng plant over. Even without knowing her age Ara was quite possibly the oldest wolf he'd ever met. Abraxas weren't exactly known for their longevity so Malleus didn't have much experience with elderly wolves. The weak and the old tended to be cut from the lot as soon as it was clear they'd outlived their usefulness. Ara seemed to defy what he thought an old person should look like. Although her body showed signs of an advanced age, she didn't strike him as a fragile, tottering old crone. Her eyes were bright and her voice was strong, and it was quite clear in the short amount of time that they'd been talking that she was sharp as a tack. Malleus nodded in agreement with her assessment and filed the bit about shock away for later use. In response to her question he nodded again, then said, "Quite a bit, actually." He smiled, chuckled softly, and ran a paw over the plant's cheery red flowers before seeking out Ara's gaze again. "My family seems to be made up of the 'fight first, ask questions later' types. You might say I cut my teeth on tending battle wounds." He eyed the plant again, then said, "I've never used ginseng in my treatments of fighters, though. It's one of those plants that's never on hand when I need it."   "Malleus" - "Pascal"

What an interesting family this Abraxas was proving to be. Ara wasn't one to dwell on the politics of these lands too much; she cared little who possessed power, or who tried to take more than their fair share. Although she wasn't a fan of fighting in general, she took a more liberal approach to how she regarded others.. she'd never met a wolf she'd outright disliked. Everyone had their own story, and she could recognize that. She wondered briefly what sort of family this man might belong to... though judging by Malleus' description of his family, she had a fairly decent idea. A battle-friendly sort of family, who tended to act before thinking. Ara smiled, amused at his description. It was certainly different from her own family. Though her father had been a fighter in his younger years, her parents - as well as the siblings that she had met - had been more introspective and slow to react. Either way, even in her advanced age, she appreciated meeting wolves of different upbringings and cultures. Her smile brightened a bit, amusement dancing in her bright blue eyes. "That does seem to describe the other Abraxas I've met quite well," she teased lightly. "That fellow had enjoyed a run-in with a stampede. I'm surprised he only had the minor injuries he did." Only briefly would she dwell on the family member of his that she'd met before her attention shifted back to healing. "You're lucky to have found it, for sure," she stressed with a nod. "If I were you, I'd guard it carefully. I'm not sure where you plan to plant it, but I'm told deer love snacking on it." Her gaze was still light, obviously thrilled by the company and the brief talk of herbs, no matter how short-lived it might end up being.

His ears pricked as she mentioned previous encounters with Abraxas. He wondered who she could be taking about. Her demeanor had him thinking she'd met one of his milder relatives otherwise she would have run for the hills upon learning his name. Malleus couldn't think of any Abraxas who'd said they were heading this way, but the rouges didn't keep anyone in the loop so it was entirely possible she'd met one of them. "That sounds like my kin alright," he joked. "The familial hard head probably saved his life." The woman was a wealth of wisdom, it seemed. She cautioned him to guard the plant carefully. Malleus took her words to heart. Perhaps some kind of fencing, or netting, would be a good idea. He'd have to see if Pascal could whip something up for him. He grinned and dipped his head appreciatively. "Thank you, I'll keep that in mind." Ever so gently Malleus pried the plant loose. With care he gently worked the root ball into the pouch he'd made and once it was in he carefully pulled the cattails tight around it so it wouldn't dribble dirt as he walked. Once done, he straightened ad fixed Ara with a smile. He was pleased not only with what he'd collected, but with the conversation he was having. Malleus was so pleased, in fact, that he was unwilling to leave just yet. "I bet if we look around we can find another if you'd like a plant of your own. I doubt this one grows all by itself."

Malleus didn't seem the least bit surprised by her description of the Abraxas that he'd met, which said quite a bit about the family in general. They sounded like the fearless sort - the type to act first and figure out the consequences later. Her own family, at least the ones she'd grown up with, were quite different, more reserved and cautious in their actions. The comment about his family's hard head made her laugh, shaking her head at the thought. "He would've been fine without my help, truthfully, but I figured I ought to patch him up since I happened to find him." Ara thought better than to divulge the name of the male she'd encountered. She had no clue if him receiving help might be something his family would frown upon, or tease him over - she'd stay out of their affairs unless Malleus specifically asked, but he didn't seem terribly interested in prying. She watched as he carefully unearthed the root of the plant, fastening it carefully. She appreciated the care he used, and enjoyed analyzing his methods and comparing them to her own. It'd been awhile since she'd spent time with someone who shared interests with her, and it was honestly refreshing, no matter the outcome. Malleus suggested then that they might find a plant of her own, and she beamed, a bit bashfully. "I'd love that," she admitted, albeit a bit tentatively. She didn't want him to go out of his way to help her, but she'd be pleased to spend more time with him if he was truly willing. "Thank you, Malleus." With that, the two would set off together to look for another plant, one she could hopefully take back and find somewhere safe to plant on her own. - end -