Halo was on high alert, and had been since the panther incident.  What was happening?  It was beyond her understanding, but enough to keep her from sleep.  Enough to keep her from being able to truly rest, though she likely needed it.  The swim here, the panther attack... being effectively thrown out by her own family.  It was all too much, especially the last bit.  Heck, it was the last bit that weighed heavily on Halo's mind, and heavily on her heart.  Everything else was secondary.  All she could do now was not let it get to her, but that was easier said than done.   On the stiff spring breeze, Halo had caught a familiar scent-- lavender.  Into the breeze she picked up a rolling jog, excited at the very prospect.  Medicinal properties notwithstanding (though help with the sleeplessness she'd been experiencing would be welcome), there was something so incredibly comforting about the smell.  Her original den back home had been among the lavender fields.  Halo's gaze was keen as she climbed atop one of the fallen stones, getting a better vantage point to seek out her prize.

She had skirted along the mountain, unsure of if it was even semi-active, but not wanting to take any risks. Plus, she doubted there would be anything useful up there, other than a cool vantage point, but on that same idea, there was a much nicer mountain just to her left she could climb instead. Maybe she'd head up there next? Inoki was following the wind in both senses of the word; she was going where she pleased, and there was also a sweet smell in the air. It reminded her of... lavender. The idea to grab a few sprigs and tuck them behind her ear so she smelled nice to everyone she met was tempting, and so she curiously followed the wind as it shifted. To her surprise, she did not come across a lavender bush, but instead a small ashen-hued wolf perched atop some strange stones. The smell of lavender was still around, but she did not think it was coming from the wolf. Inoki moved closer, tail wagging in a friendly manner down by her hocks as she lifted her head back to look up at the other woman. They were starkly different in coat colour, almost like day and night, but both had a petite look to their forms. It seemed she was also searching for something, and perhaps she would be welcome to some assistance. "You looking for anything specific?"

It was hard to relax. No, Halo was painfully alert as she trained her gaze on the grounds that spread at her feet. There was something nearly eerie about this place, but beautiful all the same. Haunting? Something like that. The tenderhearted creature had her guard up. When was this going to get easier? How long would it take to truly get comfortable here? Halo couldn't answer the questions that echoed around between her ears, but that was okay. These things came with time, or... well, she could hope they did. She could smell the stranger on the shifting breeze before she came into view. At least it wasn't a panther. Halo had become far more aware of her surroundings since the encounter with the infected predator, which was likely for the best. Sometimes it bordered on paranoia, but she'd be fine. She took a beat to steady herself, peering curiously at the woman as she came into view. This one was actually around her size, for which the tenderhearted creature was grateful. Maybe not everyone out here was a giant. Ah, and a wagging tail-- a good sign. Halo's tail wagged in response, eyes glimmering in the spring sunlight. "I smelled lavender on the wind, I think it was coming from over here." Her voice was quiet, and the girl carefully stepped from her perch on the ruins. "Have you seen any?" It was a gentle question, Halo seeking confirmation that she'd at least come in the right direction.

The other woman offered up a friendly wag of her own, and that eased any wariness Inoki had about her. She was not a paranoid wolf to begin with, but as a loner she could never straight up trust every wolf she came across, but she had found that generally when a stranger displayed cordial body language they were pretty okay. Her ears perked up at the mention of lavender, and she opened her mouth in a grin. "You smelled it too?" Perhaps this woman also knew a bit about plants, and maybe they could share their respective knowledge to buff up any areas either of them were less sure in. Inoki shook her head at the question. "Not yet, I was hoping there was a bush somewhere in this direction." She sniffed the air again, trying to pinpoint the direction the sweet smell was coming from, but it was a little difficult to differentiate the exact location with all the other smells in the air too. "Maybe we could look for it together?" She asked in a hopeful tone. It would be easier to search with two pairs of eyes and two noses, and they could cover twice as much ground.

While not generally paranoid, things had been... different lately. This place wasn't safe, with the disease that seemed to plague the land. Though not as bad as Halo understood it was at its height, the predators here were still... there was still something wrong. The land was still sick, and Halo still felt the need to worry. Still, she was able to relax as the stranger spoke. "That sounds good," Halo nodded once, agreeing that they were better off looking together. Once more, the breeze kicked up around them, and she could smell the lavender. It was nice, really. The soft, fluffy creature closed her eyes for a moment as she raised her face to the wind. Tenderhearted as she was, it was a comfort. Always a comfort. "I think it's this way." Halo spoke softly, looking over her shoulder to the darker girl to make sure she was following, attempting to lead the way. She put her nose to the ground, jogging towards the north, mindful of the ruins themselves. With Halo's luck, she could trip out here.

She grinned as the other woman agreed with her, more than happy to have someone else around while they both searched. It would be a fun experience, and they could chat while they looked, too. Inoki swiftly followed behind her, falling into step once she caught up, and angled her head sideways to glanc at her new companion with one eye. "I'm Inoki by the way," she said with a soft chirp. Her focus then drifted away to the foliage around them, eyes scanning the undergrowth as her nose lifted in the air to try and follow the sweet smell to the source. It was a very nice flower, one of her favourites at that, even if it wasn't poisonous in the slightest. But she couldn't be completely inundated with the dangerous plants; sometimes it was nice to just have a nice-smelling flower that couldn't kill her if she accidentally ate it. "You a healer? Or just looking for lavender for recreational use?"

They could search together, and that was certainly a good thing. That, and there was safety in numbers. Safety in this place, as long as she was with someone else. Halo moved alongside the dark girl, her gaze still careful on the world around her. There could be more predators like the one with the disease, the one that had been stalking her earlier. It would keep the tenderhearted creature looking over her shoulder. Inoki, her name came, and Halo smiled softly at her. “I’m Halo, it’s nice to meet you.” Soft, gentle in the way she regarded the other woman. Ever gentle, really. The question came as her gaze trained on the breezy hillside before her. “Both, actually. I’m a healer, but I haven’t been sleeping well lately,” Halo admitted, sheepish for a moment. “What about you, Inoki?” Right, use her name, commit it to memory along with the others. Halo was doing her best. “I think I see some, up this hill.” Her pace picked up just a bit, but she didn’t want to take off without her new acquaintance.

"Likewise." This woman seemed nice, if a little quiet, but not everyone could be extroverted and out there. More reserved wolves were needed to balance out the world, otherwise everything would just devolve into chaos. As for herself, she could be one or the other, it just depended on her mood that day and who she was with. Some days she could be particularly boisterous, almost as bad as a young pup, and other days she could be fairly quiet and unassuming. She glanced at Halo as the woman continued to speak, her mouth drawing into a brief thin line at the mention of not sleeping well. Inoki could understand that, and she was sure most wolves had had that issue at least once in her life. "Well hopefully the lavender helps so you can get a good night's rest tonight." Her words were accompanied by a very gently shoulder bump and a smile. "I dabble a little in healing, know a few things here and there, but I'm particularly fond of the more dangerous and poisonous plants." Once she learned a bit more about the poisonous plants she wanted to try her paws at creating some concoctions that had effects not limited to making a wolf feel better. There were no specific plans yet, but she had some bussing ideas brewing up in her mind. Inoki picked up the pace to match with the other woman as they made their way up the hill, and the closer they got the sweeter the smell became. She stopped next to the lavender bush, gently pressing her muzzle into the purple mass and taking a deep breath, a soft moan of delight leaving her lips. It smelled fresh, and instantly made her feel more calm. "I could never tire of the smell of lavender. And there's more than enough here for the both of us to grab some!" She'd definitely take a couple sprigs along with her for her travels.

Halo was quiet by nature. She was a careful, soft, curious creature. In the way that her parents had raised her, Halo was accustomed to not raising a fuss, and doing her best to fly under the radar. Seen and not heard, as children were meant to be. Now that she'd reached adulthood, it would be a hard thing to shake. Meek and mild, the pale girl was unlikely to change that any time soon. Breaking out of her shell would be discomfort... discomfort was something Halo had enough of already. The move away from home, being out on her own... all of it was uncomfortable. Halo wouldn't reorganize the entire way she saw the world, at least not yet. Maybe in time she'd break out of her shell. "Thank you," her voice was soft. The bump to her shoulder was friendly, and Halo giggled softly. As Inoki spoke of the poisonous plants, the dangerous plants, Halo's eyes went a bit wide. Gratefully, her gaze was already back on the land around them. Was this woman more dangerous than the pale creature had previously anticipated. "I've learned some things about healing, mostly from my mom." Her tail swished at her haunches. Really, Halo was doing her best to stay calm and relaxed. "I've never thought about dangerous plants, other than making sure that I avoid them when I'm gathering herbs. Mushrooms make me pretty nervous," her smile was meek, tone sheepish. The lavender-- oh! Halo seemed to light up at the scent, tail wagging happily. "Me neither, I love it so much," right, enough to bring her some relaxation. A calm came down around her shoulders, and she was pleased. Playfully, she took a sprig of the plant and tucked it behind her new friend's ear. "It's beautiful." There was a soft wonder to Halo's tone. The day had improved substantially already, and the girl was glad.

Inoki was too distracted by the lavender bush to notice Halo's reaction in response to her mentioning her fondness for the more dangerous plants, but she did pay attention as the other woman continued to speak, she just wasn't looking her in the eyes. Her ears however, were turned to listen, even if her eyes were elsewhere. "Was your mother a healer? Or was that just a hobby of hers?" Inoki had picked up her knowledge here and there from a few different wolves, and some through her own trial and error, but her own parents had very different skill sets more inclined towards hunting and fighting. She finally removed her face from the lavender bush to look back at Halo, now noticing the meek tone of the woman. "They're not so scary as long as you know what you're doing. I only deal with the plants I know of, wouldn't wanna risk accidentally poisoning myself, after all." She grinned now, hoping to alleviate any worries the other woman had. Her eyes widened in surprise as Halo deftly grabbed a sprig of the flower and tucked it behind her ear, a soft laugh of delight leaving her mouth. That had been exactly what Inoki had planned to do! She went and grabbed a sprig of her own, gently placing it behind the ear of her friend closest to her, snuffling softly against Halo's cheek as another soft laugh escaped her. "It sure is beautiful," Inoki said with a warm smile, although her attention was more on Halo than the lavender bush itself, as she stared at the woman who she could consider to be a new tentative friend.

Thinking of her mother left a bit of heaviness in Halo's chest. The melancholy that carried her so often persisted easily, but she was used to it. Always used to it. Who would she be without her filter of soft grey? Really, the pale girl didn't know herself without it. Right, the soft grey made her who she was, and she could hold that dear. "She was our healer, but we didn't see many injuries beyond scrapes from hunting and all," really, it was mostly routine things. Helping with the birth of pups, taking care of the old. It was a fairly peaceful band, and maybe that was why they didn't see use for another healer. Halo's mother was enough, and she'd be a burden... just another mouth to feed. The melancholy and the grey thickened a bit at the edges. Inoki spoke of the poisonous plants, a grin on her lips. There was an effort to set Halo's mind at ease. She appreciated it, but there was still some apprehension in her. To accidentally poison yourself of all things, that sounded scary. "Maybe some day you can show me some of the plants you know," her tone held a soft interest, tail wagging loosely. They could be friends, right? Halo certainly thought so. It would help to learn about the plants that made her nervous, and this wasn't the sort of thing you learned about through trial and error. As the shadowy woman tucked a sprig of lavender behind Halo's ear in turn, she smiled softly. It was gentle, and the contact to her face... it was the first sort of contact she'd had since leaving home. The first friendly physical contact she'd had in longer than that. She didn't balk though, and her eyes glimmered faintly. Her gaze had returned to the lavender bushes, tail wagging loosely. For now, she remained oblivious to her new friend's tentative advance. "Do you have somewhere to sleep tonight?" The question was casual, soft. Halo had no idea if Inoki was from a pack or not, but (especially with the strange state of the world) two would be safer than one.

Halo's description of what her mother had done wasn't far from what most packs dealt with, even the healer in her own birth pack hadn't done much more than that except for the occasional bout of sickness. The knowledge she had gained beyond that was from outside wolves, or during her travels after she had left home. "Don't really need to know much more than the basics to be a healer," she said with a small shrug. Not all wolves in the healing profession needed to be experts on anything and everything, and sometimes have niche knowledge of the main things was all that was necessary. She grinned at the thought of teaching her new almost-friend what she knew. That would be a fun prospect, and one she was definitely willing to do. It was likely she didn't know too much more, but maybe her knowledge was part of a different aspect of healing than what Halo knew. "I'd love to! As long as you also show me what you know." It would be good for both of them to pool their respective knowledge together, and that way both of them got something out of it. The other woman didn't seem overly receptive to Inoki's advance, but also didn't shy away from her. Perhaps she was oblivious to the meaning behind her words? Maybe Inoki needed to be more direct, but she also didn't want to scare Halo away by pushing too hard. She shook her head, a soft nuh uh leaving her mouth. That was going to be a problem for future Inoki once night fell, as she travelled around so much that sometimes she just had to fall asleep in a bush or under a small tree. "Not yet, but I was thinking of finding an old fox den to curl up in." That would be the preferable option. She was still looking at Halo now, not having broken her stare since she put the sprig of lavender behind the other woman's ear. "You're welcome to join me if you don't have a spot of your own."

As the pair stood together among the lavender, Halo couldn't help but let go a soft yawn. She was already getting sleepy, relaxed from the scent of the lavender and the presence of someone else. Someone friendly. Safety in numbers was enough to set her at ease to a degree. Beside Inoki, she was safer than she had been since arriving. Safe because she wasn't alone. Halo was trusting by nature, maybe overly so. As Inoki mentioned learning from Halo as well, the pale girl's tail wagged. "I'd be happy to! I've done a lot of cleaning and bandaging wounds, and I can show you how to make a splint," there was a softness in her gaze. The tenderhearted girl was starting to be more and more at ease. Halo is a soft, oblivious creature. There was the idea that she would need to love herself before she could love someone else, and that would be a very long time coming. The grey filter through which she saw everything had impacted her view of herself overall. A fox den sounded nice, and it sounded safe. Halo came up from the lavender plant, holding a reasonably large stick from the lavender plant in her mouth. The tenderhearted girl's tail wagged. "I was going to ask if you wanted to find a spot with me," her voice was soft, but a bit muffled around that stick. "I would like that, it's safer," Halo smiled. "Are you um, are you getting tired?" Though the pale didn't want to impose, she was starting to feel just how tired the day had made her.

"I look forward to it!" She'd never made a splint before, so learning how to from someone who had firsthand experience was a good idea to her. It would be nice to chat healing with another wolf, as other than that one meeting with Iolaire she hadn't had much of a chance to teach or learn. She grinned as Halo agreed to share a sleeping spot with her tonight, already imagining how nice it would be to curl up to another warm body. For too long she had gone without someone to cuddle with during the night, even platonically, so it would be a nice addition to her usual lonely routine. Inoki shrugged. She was a little tired, as it had been a long day, but she could also still go a few more hours before really needing to take a rest. However, if her new... friend, yes, that seemed like a good descriptor, was feeling tired, then she was more than happy to search out a spot to sleep sooner rather than later. "A little. Finding someplace quiet does sound like a good idea right about now." She decided to also grab a decently large sized branch of lavender for the trip, figuring it would be a nice addition to the spot they would rest in, and that way she could keep a few smaller sprigs with her for the comforting smell. "Should be an old den somewhere in the forest," she said with a motion of her head, trying to enunciate her words around the lavender in her mouth. Inoki would then start walking at a gentle pace, more of an amble than anything, wanting to take her sweet time in searching for a suitable place to curl up with Halo for the night.

"Me too," Halo smiled warmly. There was so much comfort in not needing to be alone. Her tail wagged as she stood beside the shadowed woman. Relaxed... very comfortably relaxed. It was still cold at night, and the pale girl tended to put off a good deal of heat. Her coat was thick and warm, and she was happy to share that warmth with someone else. Comfort and safety in numbers. At the shrug, Halo felt a bit bad. "We don't have to if you don't want," she offered, concerned that she would be pulling the woman off to sleep earlier than anticipated. Still, she wouldn't break the relaxed posture and air around her. A quiet place would be nice, and Halo was looking forward to finally being able to relax. Beside Inoki, she could simply be. They each had a stick from the lavender brush, and it was rather nice. The forest. Halo kept an easy pace, confident steps over the ground. Her tail wagged loosely at her haunches as they moved, happy to keep the ambling and gentle pace. Between the two of them, an easy quiet hung in the air. It was all pure comfort. "How long have you been here?" Her question was quiet. Was Inoki new like she was, or had the shadowed woman always lived here? Soft conversation in the fading light of the afternoon.

Inoki shook her head, smiling as widely around the lavender in her mouth as she could without it falling out. "I don't mind at all! It'll actually be nice to have an early night tonight." Usually she was up quite late, but she also got up fairly late as well, long after the sun rose. Early mornings weren't really her thing unless she either had a lot to do that day, or needed to do something specifically early in the morning. But if she had someone to curl up with? That was a good reason as any to go to bed earlier than usual. They walked in silence for only a short time before Halo spoke up, and she took a few moments to think over her answer. She hadn't been here very long, not even all the moon phases had appeared in the sky since she first stepped onto this land, so a very short time in total. "Not too long, enough that I've explored a few places, but I'm still getting my bearings." She was using the volcano as her main landmark to figure out where she was going most of the time, and it seemed to be working well so far. Her head turned to briefly glance at Halo, curiosity in her gaze. "What about you?" She'd then return to looking through the trees for any of the telltale signs of a fox or coyote den nearby, but one ear would be twisted to the side to hear what Halo had to say.

Inoki's words comforted her nerves, a smile playing on her lips. The pale girl was glad for it. She was cautious, meek by nature. That caution leaves her not wanting to cross anyone, or step on any toes. She had to worry, she had to be concerned. Offending anyone could spell danger. Still, Inoki seemed to be safe. A friend, a safe presence by her side. "Thank you," softly, her gaze rested on the dark woman, just for a moment. Halo was an early sleeper and an early riser, and she hadn't been able to rest well lately. The silence between them was easy, not awkward. Halo was grateful. Her question had been soft, and Inoki's response had Halo nodding softly. Not too long, but she'd certainly explored more than Halo had. They moved easily together, able to keep pace-- girls of similar height, something that Halo would come to realize wasn't the most common thing out here. This really was the land of giants. What about you? Halo considered a moment. "Just a couple of days," the words were soft. The girl was tired, and the reasons were clear. "I think I see something up here," Halo gestured with her muzzle towards a hollowed out tree just ahead.

Inoki gently brushed her shoulder up against Halo's as the other woman uttered a soft thanks, letting out a soft chuff around the lavender. Halo was easy to be with, and she felt a sort of contentment she hadn't felt with another in a little while. Some wolves she felt like she just clicked with, and it was almost as easy as breathing talking to them, or even just existing near them. A soft hmm escaped her jaws. So Halo had only just recently arrived then. Well that was probably for the better, as she had missed the sickness that had come upon the lands like a plague. Lucky for her, as Inoki had seen firsthand how bad it had gotten for some of the infected wolves. Her gaze moved to where Halo was motioning, and after a few moments she spotted the hollowed out tree. For wolves larger than them it would've been a very tight squeeze, but as they were both pretty small and petite there should be enough room for them to comfortably curl up together. "That looks like a good place, good spotting!" She headed towards it, stopping in front of where a entrance lay and putting the lavender down to the side. After a quick sniff test to make sure nothing was inside waiting for them, Inoki peeked her head in for just a few moments, satisfied that it would do just nicely. She picked up the lavender again, intending on bringing it inside with them to set to the side, and motioned with her muzzle for Halo to go inside first. "After you. You can have the best spot seeing as you found it." As long as she had a warm body to curl up with, Inoki didn't mind where she was sleeping.

The physical contact was nice, it was easy. For that, Halo was grateful. Sometimes things could be so dreadfully uncomfortable... especially for her. She was a shy creature by nature. Shy didn't always go so well, especially when trying to put herself out there. Out where? No, that was no matter. Halo was trying to live a bit more in the moment, instead of letting her anxiety over the future get the best of her. The anxiety... it could be a lot sometimes. She was glad she didn't have to be alone. Inoki was good company, and the two of them were able to keep easy time as they walked together. At the praise from the darker woman, Halo's tail wagged. There was a bit of a glimmer to her soft purple eyes in the fading sunlight. They were able to make their way easily to the hollow, and on closer inspection, it was a bit smaller than the pale girl had initially anticipated. Still, they were both small, and it would be a comfortable enough fit. Inoki was the one to sniff test it, and inspect. Halo, meek as ever, was grateful. There was a bit of anxiety to her, and having someone there to help check it out was comforting. As Inoki offered Halo first choice of spots, she shook her head. "Noooo," she enunciated, "you're the one who made sure it was safe, you take first pick." Her tail wagged. Really, Halo was just so incredibly grateful she didn't need to be alone.

She grumbled playfully at Halo when the other woman insisted on Inoki going in first, and brushed her face against her new friends' cheek before daintily hopping into the hollow tree. It would certainly be a tight squeeze, but they were both small and she had no qualms about cuddling closely with someone else. She circled a few times, lavender still clutched in her jaws as she determined where the best spot to lay down would be, before settling on her side with her face poking out towards the entrance. Inoki figured Halo would prefer to curl up further inwards and more out of sight, so she was happy to be a buffer between the other woman and the outside world. She set the lavender in front of her muzzle, right at the entrance, and splayed her front legs towards the inside of the hollowed tree, so that if Halo was open to it she could wrap them around her friend to better share their warmth together during the night. Inoki was sometimes a bit of an aggressive cuddler, liking to take control and almost protectively grasp whoever she was curling up with, and she hoped Halo wouldn't mind that too much. "You coming in?" She said with a wiggle of her front paws, inviting the other woman to hop in and curl up next to her. "Got a perfect spot for you right here."