THEY’RE TRYIN’ TO KEEP HEAVENS GATES OPEN LATE FOR ME Spring brought with it a loss of morning frost and chill, and his lame leg rejoiced. The herbs were blooming all over the territories that Abaven had in its possession. As his body had healed and recovered, his wounds scarred over; he felt safer venturing further from the den he shared with Miss Shaye. Today he decided he would go out and gather some herbs. He'd been using up more than a fair portion of the pack's stocks in his recovery, and felt rather guilty for doing so. Thus, he'd repay their kindness by contributing to the pack that had taken him in. Failing that, he'd at the very least familiarize himself with the local plant life. As he ambled along, the sun was nearly at its height for the day. It's blissful warmth beat down pleasantly on his ebon back. In this moment, he was aware of the fact that he had never felt content like this. He didn't feel afraid, nor was he afflicted by the urge to escape his own battered skin. He breathed in deep, relished the moment. Catalogued it for future remembrance. Then, he set off into the area surrounding the rapids. The banks were beginning to swell with water, and he made a point to avoid the area where the rapids were strong. Instead, he headed higher up the stream to where it was wider and calmer. ~~*herbology starts here*~~ He found a familiar tall plant almost instantly, lurking near the treeline. He padded closer so he could make note of its condition. In this moment, he remembered that his only training with herbs consisted solely of poisons and basic medicine. He frowned, more to himself than anything. This was a prime example of hemlock, a very deadly plant. The tall, hollow stem supported thin branches whose leaves resembled small ferns upon each finger-like extension. The lower half of the stalk was streaked with shades of ruddy mahogany and deep purple. At the very end of the topmost half of the branches, broad clusters of pallid, lacy blossoms. They mimicked boneset to a degree, but were most definitely on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of use. His heart hammered in his chest. His last master had taught him all about his namesake herb. he swallowed down his panic, but not before the image of his master writhing and convulsing on the cavern floor had flashed across his mind. Hemlock was not here, this was merely a plant that shared the same name. The same deadly reputation. He struggled to return to his inspection. Any portion of the plant was incredibly toxic, though his master had favoured using the leaves. They were easiest to disguise as something harmless, and sprinkle onto someone's meal as seasoning. Failing that, he often passed off the blossoms as boneset and his victims were none the wiser as they ingested the deadly flowers. To gather it, some kind of blade or shear was required. Any contact with the plant in its living state tended to have ill effects, and it was only safe to handle when dried. The onyx male wondered if he could request a tool of that variety from someone to gather some of the hemlock. Then, all he would need was a container or skin in which to safely hold and transport the fronds until they could be safely dried. Perhaps it would be better not to harvest poisonous herbs. He frowned. Thoughts turned to their usefulness for trading instead. Surely someone else would be willing to pay top dollar for well crafted poisons, and they could profit. This was something he would ask of Miss Shaye at a later date. He wandered away from the hemlock plant, in search of something else. Anything familiar would work, even if it were another useless poison. He listed towards the area that bordered the rustling thicket, knowing the shade the tall foliage provided would be ideal for many herbs. It didn't take long before he happened upon another familiar sight. Though it was only flowering at this stage, he recognized the tall belladonna plant right away. Upon closer inspection, this was another perfect specimen. Clearly Abaven was not in the business of clearing away its dangerous flora. All the better for him, it seemed. For its size, the stems of belladonna were rather thick and woody. The branches were sparse, but equally fibrous. They extended outwards at greater angles than the hemlock. The broad, oval-shaped leaves ended in sharp points and grew in small clusters of two or three, sprouting with a few inches of room between one another. Amongst each cluster of leaves, there were bell-shaped flowers. Dull purple, with hints of rich green at the edges. They were rather lovely to look at, and would become shiny ebony berries come summer. For this one, the sweet berries were the best things to use for poisons. While they were nowhere near as potent as the roots, they were shockingly easy to use. Their taste was agreeable, and often the victim was unaware they were in danger upon ingesting them. In tiny dosages, it could be used to cause serious complications with pregnancy that could result in miscarriage. Improperly distributed, though, it would simply kill the mother alongside the pups. The symptoms of a successful poisoning were vision impairment and fever, before paralysis set in and ultimately killed the victim. To gather the berries, though, the utmost care was required to pluck them from the plant without breaking their shiny skin. Another plant in which he would prefer to use a knife of some kind to simply sever the entire stalk upon which the berries rested, and take them to another location to pluck away. The male turned away, and wandered closer to the banks of the rapids. The water was calmer in this portion, especially with the abundance of water from the melting snow of the north. Near the banks, amongst a cluster of sparse shrubs, he spotted something unusual. He didn't expect to see foxglove near the rapids. It tended to prefer wooded lakesides. He plodded closer, wondering if perhaps he was mistaken. Those downturned purple flowers were so distinctive, he knew he was correct. Laying one over the other, ascending up the top third of their woody stem, the delicate magenta blooms caught the eye from any distance. This specimen was certainly on the small side, barely reaching his shoulder in height. He narrowed his eyes, inspecting the inside of the bell-shaped flowers. Yes, they had the distinctive dark spotting on the inside of their petals. The tiny, rounded leaves that ascended the stem in clusters were soft in appearance, but their fibrous hairs were incredibly dangerous. He hummed softly in appreciation of the beautiful arrangement, but made sure not to come into contact with the plant. In large doses, any part of this plant could cause a painful death by causing the heart to beat strangely, and ultimately fail. His master had taught him the secret to creating an effective poison with it, which consisted of brewing a potent tea from the leaves, flowers, and the seeds (if they were available, otherwise the other two would more than suffice). However, he had always made sure to gather the soft petals and flowers with a blade of some sort. This steeled the male's resolve to acquire one of his own, so he could make use of his knowledge and begin to cultivate his own store of poisons. ~~*respond from here*~~ Satisfied that he had gotten a few things done before the sun was high in the sky, he ambled to the edge of the rapids for a drink before he set out again. Perhaps he could gather some other herbs, more suited to curative purposes. That way he could begin replenishing the stocks he'd used up. Better yet, he could scout out a storage area to keep his planned stock of poisons. (WORD COUNT: 1016) "speech"

Do not go gentle in that good night Spring had since come to Abaven, and the scent of growing things and herbs reminded her terribly of the times she had spent with Rhythm, training to be a healer. How her life had changed so drastically. If she had known what was to become of her future, she definitely would have spent more time with Bass. she would have loved to learn more about the history of this place, and his take as an Alpha, well she had still had the chance. No changing what was, however, and she would simply do the best she could. She was thinking about the future when she caught sight of Epitaph, taking a drink by the rapids, with the scent of herbs heavy about his coat. She angled herself to head in his direction, walking down the bank of the stream. The earth was soft beneath her paws, and as the stream occasionally split across a rock here and there, a spray would rise up and brush across her. She found it refreshing, and kept close to the water’s edge, until she was right upon the man. She stopped, and called out to him, always a little weary about startling the man who had already been through so much. She spoke his name, before approaching closer, and taking a seat not far from him. “Busy day?” she asked him with a kind smile. For someone who spent a lot of time in her den, she hadn’t pinned him down for a chat in a while, and knew that it was past time that she did so. He was a gentle, kind man, who she trusted completely with the welfare of her children. She wanted to speak to him about upping his responsibilities, but slowly, to give him time to adjust to the idea. rage, rage against the dying light Speech

THEY’RE TRYIN’ TO KEEP HEAVENS GATES OPEN LATE FOR ME The sound of a voice, calling out his name. The male flinched instinctively, the water on his tongue dribbling back into the rapids. He knew before he felt the need to panic that it was Miss Shaye. He lifted his head, tongue receding behind his teeth. There she was, strolling towards him with a jovial gait. The onyx wisp smiled hesitantly, swallowing down his unease. Miss Shaye was good, she wouldn't hurt him. He was starting to get that part down. By the time she settled down by the riverbank, he had allowed his tail to wag gently against his heels. “Busy day?” she asked warmly. He bobbed his head a few times. He'd gotten quite a bit done. "I've been testing my knowledge of the herbs that grow here," he replied softly. He was barely distinguishable from the rush of the water. He hobbled closer, settling down before Miss Shaye with a contented smile. "there's quite a few species of deadly plants here, you know. We ought to warn the children before they go out, that they shouldn't touch anything unfamiliar." he mused, mostly to himself than anything else. A spike of panic gripped him, sent alarm tripping down his spine. She'd come here for a reason, no doubt. And here he was, rambling on about his own business. Foolish worm, Grim growled at the back of his mind. "What do you need, Miss Shaye?" he questioned softly, more assured that she could hear him now that they were closer together. "speech"

His instinctive flinch was the ache in her heart. It was the kindle to her fire, and the reminder of what she would do if a slaver ever crossed her path. Vlad got off lucky, being passed on to Valentine. Every time she saw Epitapth, a part of her wanted to tear the guilt apart. What had been done to him never should have happened. She breathes it away, turning in into fondness as she smiled at the young man. He was a sweet wolf, who had been nothing but a help to her, even if he still had a lot of adjusting to go through.

He would bob his head in answer to her question, and she was curious what had kept him busy. It was good to see him out of the den. Of course, her interest changed from happiness at him being occupied, to weary at what he was saying. Dangerous herbs? She hadnt known about that. She should have, she had trained for ling enough as a healer. She just hadnt concentrated so much on dangerous herbs. Her area of expertise had been injuries and sickness, not accidental poisonings.

He settled down before her and she settled down herself, so she wasnt looming over the smaller wolf, she leaned forward and gave him a fond nuzzle. "I'm glad you brought this to my attention, I had no idea" she admitted, already considering the applications. "We have no need for dangerous herbs, unless they have medicinal purposes?" She pitched her voice into a question, but didnt pause. "Woukd you be willing to be part of a team organized to dig them out and salt their roots? We should remove them before spring fully blooms" she decided.

He asked what she needed, reminding her that she had wanted to speak to him about other matters. "Oh.." she said, thoughts still twisting around what he had told her "Yes. I wanted to see how you would feel about taking on a garden of your own. Abaven is a large terratory and one herb garden isnt enough for it. Would you want the project?" She asked him. It was a legitimate concern, and would ease him into larger responsibilities.

THEY’RE TRYIN’ TO KEEP HEAVENS GATES OPEN LATE FOR ME Verdant gaze shuttered as he noticed her features shift from pleased to wary. Oh no, he'd done it again. She was upset with him. Though she leaned close to nuzzle him affectionately, he was already tensing up with anxiety. "I'm glad you brought this to my attention, I had no idea" she finally said, vocals soft and hesitant. "We have no need for dangerous herbs, unless they have medicinal purposes?" she didn't pause for him to answer, and he knew she wasn't interested in using these herbs. "Would you be willing to be part of a team organized to dig them out and salt their roots? We should remove them before spring fully blooms" she offered then. Auds flat against his skull, tail beating nervously against the ground, he thought hard. That would be tricky. "Some of the toxins might be useful for cleaning infection, if diluted. Belladonna," he waved a paw in the direction he'd seen the plant. "induces paralysis, so if it were diluted properly it could serve as a sedative." he offered softly, gaze locked on his dark paws. His body thrummed with anxiety. He'd been stupid to bring it up, he was such an idiot. Foolish worm. Grim snarled in the back of his head. He sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm his whirling mind. "I would need to take some time to train them on how to remove the plants safely, many of them are too toxic to touch." he finally replied, though he wasn't ready to meet her gaze yet. He felt ashamed for bringing up his previous teachings- they didn't belong here. The soft sound of Miss Shaye remembering what she'd come by to talk about drew him away from his thoughts. "Yes. I wanted to see how you would feel about taking on a garden of your own. Abaven is a large terratory and one herb garden isnt enough for it. Would you want the project?" she offered warmly. She didn't sound mad anymore. Slowly, he lifted his gaze to meet her eyes and search for any hidden emotion. There was none of the irritation or disgust he was anticipating from her earlier reactions. Auds dared to lift hesitantly from where they were pressed against his skull, flickering towards standing perked atop his skull. Tail swept across the leaf litter a few times. "I would like that, Miss Shaye." he rasped, attempting to keep his features neutral. Miss Shaye was the leader, she was offering him an opportunity to help the pack and make himself useful. "speech"

He would mention some of the properties for the herbs, and she paused. Her first instinct was to tell him to remove them regardless. There where safer herbs that could do the job, but he was holding his body nervously, his tone soft, and his eyes on his paws. She didn’t want to simply disregard his words because she didn’t like them. He deserved more than that, and these herbs had been here for this long without causing any harm. ”Hmm, I haven’t heard of those herbs before. Perhaps if you where to carefully pick some samples and grow them in a more secluded part of your garden. We could use them, just in a controlled manner” she could revise it later if it doesn't work.

“That’s sensible” she said as he offered a suggestion. “If we organise some wolves to work with you, and train with you, they could be your specialised team in dealing with any dangerous herbs we might find in the territory. I would be ok with you taking samples before destroying them, if you wished to keep some around for medicinal purposes. We could build some sort of safety neat around your herbs to discourage the unwary or overly playful.” She considered the implications of what she was saying, and decided they were okay.

“The same team could help you build the garden, and you could use some of the apprentices of tending it, so they can learn safety around dangerous herbs in a controlled environment. Would you be okay with all this? If you aren’t, speak up, I won’t be mad” she promised him gently.

THEY’RE TRYIN’ TO KEEP HEAVENS GATES OPEN LATE FOR ME Miss Shaye was silent for a few beats. Was that hesitation? No, certainly not. ”Hmm, I haven’t heard of those herbs before. Perhaps if you where to carefully pick some samples and grow them in a more secluded part of your garden. We could use them, just in a controlled manner” she offered in response to his offer for making use of these dangerous resources. Tension bled from his shoulders, auds flickering hesitantly. She seemed amenable to his suggestion as he went forth, and she even seemed inclined to offer him a chance to test his theory. “If we organise some wolves to work with you, and train with you, they could be your specialised team in dealing with any dangerous herbs we might find in the territory. I would be ok with you taking samples before destroying them, if you wished to keep some around for medicinal purposes. We could build some sort of safety neat around your herbs to discourage the unwary or overly playful.” He bobbed his head gently, agreeing with this course of action. Removing the herbs wouldn't be the worst idea, with so many children living in the pack lands. However, how exactly to dispose of them would be difficult. He was already beginning to consider his methods as she continued to offer her own thoughts on their next actions. “The same team could help you build the garden, and you could use some of the apprentices of tending it, so they can learn safety around dangerous herbs in a controlled environment. Would you be okay with all this? If you aren’t, speak up, I won’t be mad” Miss Shaye's voice was soft, encouraging. He felt safe here, despite his earlier misstep. "Educating future healers seems like the best way to avoid problems down the road, I would like to help." he murmured, tail swishing against the leaf litter again. "I think it might be best to keep a separate garden, outside of Abaven, for the deadly herbs. Somewhere adventurous children can't stray, but where I can still walk to tend them without..." he trailed off. He felt silly, mentioning it. "straining myself." he finished after a brief pause. The thought of disposing of the toxic flora returned to him, and he frowned. "It will be difficult to remove the toxic plants safely," he finally admitted. "tossing them into the rapids might cause their toxins to leak into the water, and I worry that burning them might disperse the poison into the air. We can't leave them to rot, either. That would risk them cropping up in that spot next spring." he mused hesitantly, glancing to the large female every few words. "What do you suggest, Miss Shaye?" "speech"

She hesitated again, she didn’t like the idea of Epitaph leaving the territory on a regular bases to tend to herbs. She felt protective of him, an emotion that reared its head at the mere suggestion of building a garden outside of her protection. She considered the options for a long time, running them through her thoughts back and forth. “What if.. You build it in Serpent’s Plains, near where the territory runs up against Crystallum Cliffs. In or just outside our territory there. Wolves don’t wonder too close to the edge there” she pointed out, and the cliffs where treacherous to climb, no one would be likely to ambush him from the cliffs, he would be safe.

It was also an easy stroll across the plains to the cliffs base where he could build the garden. He presented another problem to her, and she considered it for a good long moment, he told her burning, burying, and washing them away where all out. “Collect what you can, we’ll wrap them in some cloth left over in one of the old healer dens, and me and Rhyme will carry them to Mount Volkan, there are some lava trails there we could chuck them in. that should destroy them pretty soundly” she said, knowing Rhyme would be willing to take the journey with her.

“With these duties, I’m going to settle some responsibilities onto you, okay?” she said gently. “I’m going to give you the rank of Baldrian, which is a high ranking healer. You would still defer to Vail’s authority, but you can take on apprentice and give directions to the lower ranking healers. So, you can train them to dig out these herbs and to help you start your garden. You could also take on an apprentice, and well how you train them would be up to you, I would advise you start them on your safer garden.’ she said with a smile, eyeing him carefully to see how he was handling this.

THEY’RE TRYIN’ TO KEEP HEAVENS GATES OPEN LATE FOR ME Cerulean gaze shuttered for a moment at the mention of a separate garden outside of Abaven lands, and the male felt shame warm his cheeks. Of course, that was a stupid idea. He was stupid. “What if.. You build it in Serpent’s Plains, near where the territory runs up against Crystallum Cliffs. In or just outside our territory there. Wolves don’t wonder too close to the edge there” Miss Shaye returned, though her voice lacked any malice or irritation. He pondered it for a moment, but didn't see any problem there. Being close to the cliffs might provide shade for some of the less forgiving herbs, and the would be more inclined to thrive there. He nodded mutely in agreement. If it didn't work, he could always mention it to Miss Shaye and see if she had any other ideas. In regards to the disposal of the malicious herbs, she offered a solution. “Collect what you can, we’ll wrap them in some cloth left over in one of the old healer dens, and me and Rhyme will carry them to Mount Volkan, there are some lava trails there we could chuck them in. that should destroy them pretty soundly” she decided. "Just be sure there are no groups living nearby, there could be some residual effects from the smoke as they burn." he warned lightly, gaze drifting towards the direction of the foxglove and belladonna he'd been admiring. The dark dame's voice took a more soft, gentle tone as she spoke again. “With these duties, I’m going to settle some responsibilities onto you, okay?” she posed cautiously. The wisps heart leapt into his throat, hammering suddenly. “I’m going to give you the rank of Baldrian, which is a high ranking healer. You would still defer to Vail’s authority, but you can take on apprentice and give directions to the lower ranking healers. So, you can train them to dig out these herbs and to help you start your garden. You could also take on an apprentice, and well how you train them would be up to you, I would advise you start them on your safer garden." Stunned, and a little dazed, the male could only manage to stare blankly at her. He'd already received one promotion this season, and he was still reeling from that. Did she really trust him that much? He had only been here for a season, and spent most of it recovering from a lifetime of abuse. The rest had been served as a nanny to her children. Was he really ready to hold any form of authority over others? What if no one felt inclined to respect a lowly former slave, with limited experience in the field of healing? Vacant gaze pinned upon the lead alpha, he couldn't work the lump out of his throat to speak. "O- okay," he finally managed to rasp, vocals coming out rougher than usual. "I might need some time to adjust before I take on an apprentice." he admitted hesitantly. What if she wanted him to pick one now? He could barely recall his own name, let alone a promising apprentice! Auds tipped gently back, wary of this power he'd been offered. "speech"

He would offer her a gentle warning, and she would take it seriously, she gave a small nod, and a smile. “We will” she promised. They had no intention of hurting anyone else in the disposal of the herbs. They would take care to keep everything safely wrapped, and the cloth would be disposed of with the herbs. The specimens he wished to save, he could do so. She trusted that the gentle man had no desire to hurt someone, and would keep his dangerous garden under observation and see how he went. It would be good to give him this small touch of authority and responsibility. Who knew, perhap Vail would like to retire and concentrate on raising a family one day. If Epitaph was more comfortable in his own skin at that point, she would seriously consider him.

She could see the idea shocked him, and knew he would need time to adjust to just this change in his life. She would keep her other thoughts to herself for the time being. “That’s fine” Shaye agreed as he voiced some concerns about adjusting. “What if you enlisted Poem and Motif to help you build the safer garden, your already comfortable with those two, and might give you some idea what it would be like” she offered. It would also keep the two of them occupied, and perhaps they might even learn something. She wanted to give both of them a diverse education before Motif chose her field, and Poem became Alpha. “If they show themselves to be responsible and careful, perhaps, perhaps you could set them to helping remove some of the less dangerous herbs, or ones with mild and temporary side effects.” learning caution would do them well, it was just hard as a mother to suggest it.