Lothaire's most recent wanderings brought him to a beautiful pocket of earth with an ungodly amount of plant life. The gray wolf was used to extravagant gardens, but nothing quite compared to the rolling green hills with brightly colored flowers as far as the eye could see. It was breath-taking, truthfully.

As he walked through the plethora of flowers and herbs, he couldn't help but notice many delicacies that would make helpful concoctions for healing. He was definitely not as well-versed in the art as he hoped to be, but perhaps one day he'd be able to change that. Maybe he'd be able to find someone to help mentor him once he finally settled down somewhere, but for now, he was content to admire what the beauty of nature. His ears remained erect and alert on top of his crown, if only because he wasn't daft enough to believe every wolf that dwelt in these lands was friendly. He'd gotten lucky so far meeting those who were, but he didn't want his luck to run out.

Lothaire paused in his strides, his firefly gold eyes examining the path before him to ensure there was nothing that would stick to his fur. It had taken him far too long to groom the stickers from his fur when he first settled in at Armada territory. He wasn't looking to repeat such an arduous task so soon.

 

Fern Gully was perhaps her favorite spot.

Eden knew she shouldn't travel far, so it was within reach of her musings. The pups were growing; she could feel them inside of her, and it wouldn't be long before they were born. Or at least she showed a bit more. Ahead of her, she spots a pale brown wolf. Almost an ash brown. Her paws are heavy these days, but she made a beeline for him.

"Hello, sir" just because she was part of the Plunder didn't mean she wasn't able to speak civilly to strangers. Eden stopped as she neared close enough, wary inside her mind "a fine location, no?" she continued, making it clear she only stopped him for a conversation of some type. Being around pirates, pirate pups...

Ignis...

She longed for some company that wouldn't yell, accuses, or even scares her regularly.

"Speech"
1/3 - met new wolf

AS HER OWNER...
ignis praetor is allowed in any thread, even ones marked private
baelfire, diablo, rivin and aresenn are also allowed due to being her children

Lothaire had been prepared for another to arrive, so it hadn't caught him off guard when her voice cut through the silence surrounding him. His head was on a swivel when he turned toward the female to regard her. He was surprised to find streaks of green through her fur that wasn't paint, but looked to be markings. How peculiar. He didn't see any cause for alarm, if only because he didn't know what sort of reputation the Plunder had, nor did he know he should be wary of wolves carrying the scent.

"Good day, miss," he said cheerfully enough, his paws carrying him away from the plant he'd been inspecting to come closer. He didn't get too close, seeing as he was keen to respect her space as well as maintain his own. He may be a social creature, but he didn't much like the idea of no space for himself. "It's quite lovely, yes. What do they call this place?" He inquired, his head tipping to the right.

"This is called Fern Gulley" she smiled kindly at him, realizing he also placed space "are you new to these lands?" Eden looked at him properly, giving him her full attention now. It was natural to be wary, but she sensed no hostility from the man. Perhaps he didn't know she was carrying children, but would that matter? He seemed a kind man "my name is Eden" she added, dipping her neck to him "I am part of the Pirate's Plunder, a pack down south a bit."

Unaware Armada had dealings with the Plunder on a negative note, she continued to be pleasant. Even if she knew... she would still treat the man nicely. He had done nothing to her so far. She didn't need to fear him or ignore and avoid him. Pack politics were a thing though... But she honestly didn't believe Sparrow would care much. The King of the Pirates did her own thing. She didn't seem to care about other packs. "Who might you be, sir?" Eden adds to him, lifting her gaze.

"Speech"
2/3 - met new wolf

AS HER OWNER...
ignis praetor is allowed in any thread, even ones marked private
baelfire, diablo, rivin and aresenn are also allowed due to being her children

Fern Gulley.

It was the perfect name for a stunning green terrain such as this one. "That's a beautiful name," he commented, offering a dip of thanks in return for the information she provided. Her follow up question earned another nod as the male rolled his haunches beneath him to recline back. His tail wrapped about his hip, letting the white and black tip tap against the ground. "That's a lovely name,"[b] he complimented with ease, seeing no reason not to say it. He wasn't interested in her past casual conversation, and compliments weren't terrible to give.

In truth, every pregnant female gave off a scent that any male could sense, but Lothaire wasn't interested in the pups she carried with her. It was none of his business. [b]"My name is Lothaire Morei," he dipped his head in greeting. "And to answer your inquiry more in depth, I am new to these parts. I was a former noble in lands far from these, but I've since lost the silver spoon I once held in my mouth." He didn't think it necessary to go into further detail than that.

"Before I left my previous home, I'd been learning a bit of healing from my mother. She was a spectacular healer, and this place reminded me of her. Would that I could pick up on my lessons where she left off."

"A pleasure, Lothaire" she smiled at him, ignoring the nagging feeling of unease. It wasn't his fault. Her conversation with Ignis had been pleasant enough until he force claimed her. She couldn't look past that even in another male "well, you are in luck" Eden continued, glancing away from him to view the Gulley "I had come out here to gather herbs. I am... sort of a healer, not quite a master." She shakes her head with a giggle.

"I had thought to get horsetail - do you know what it is used for?" If he was learning, he could know. If not, she would gladly tell him "the Gulley is a good source of herbs, I'm quite sure you'd find anything and everything here" Eden began to drift away, sniffing along the ground for the plant "if you like, you can join me. I do not mind." She added over her shoulder at the man. He had sat down, so she didn't want to bother him too much.

"Speech"
3/3 - met new wolf

AS HER OWNER...
ignis praetor is allowed in any thread, even ones marked private
baelfire, diablo, rivin and aresenn are also allowed due to being her children

"Likewise," he agreed, allowing his lips to turn up into a small smile in return. She seemed a little uneasy, though he wasn't certain why he was getting that impression from her. Maybe something had happened in her past? He shook his crown to clear his mind of the thoughts--it wasn't any of his business. All that mattered right now was his interaction with her. His ears twitched on top of his skull when she declared he was in luck, and she was a healer. "I don't think you need to be a master to call yourself a healer," he responded. There were all sorts of different skill levels, after all.

"I'm not certain that I do know what it's use is for. I've seen it before, I believe." Lothaire moved from the place he'd been standing, his paws carrying him slowly after the femme. He was careful to preserve the distance initially placed between them, if only because he didn't wish to make Eden uncomfortable. "Doesn't it have tube-like stems and leaves that are scale-like?" He thought that was how his mother had described them to him. "What were you hoping to use the horse tail for?"

Received healing lesson: 1/3

"Well, no, you are right" she chuckled as she searched "but I am still learning, hence me saying such a thing." Eden was perhaps the only healer in the Plunder, and when her pups came... Would she have time for such a thing still? She'd have to balance her work and daily life as a mother equally. It was not fair to sit on her rear and nurse children all day. The Plunder had value to the woman.

She nodded to his words. "The spikey parts, even topically, can bind open wounds" Eden replied, spotting the herb in question. She walked toward it and began to dig it up "so it is important to leave a bit of it uneven in a poultice..." Her white paws soon became muddy brown as she dug, the plant enjoying the semi-aquatic soil. Rain and storms had littered Boreas as of late. She wondered if it was all over or just in the South.

"Speech"
1/3 - collect herb

AS HER OWNER...
ignis praetor is allowed in any thread, even ones marked private
baelfire, diablo, rivin and aresenn are also allowed due to being her children

"I think it's admirable that you're still learning. As long as there's still growth, one is still living, no?" If one were to stop growing, they might as well be dead. At least, that's what his mother always said. He trailed after her, his eyes of firefly gold searching the surrounding foliage for the horse tail the woman searched for.

"You mean they can be used to close open wounds? How does that work?" He questioned aloud, wondering how one developed the skill to push the needle-like part through the flesh. "Do you push it through the edges of the wound?" He came closer to her as she began to dig up the vegetation she'd been looking for, his head dipping to take a closer look at the plant. It certainly didn't look like a horse's tail to him. As she told him it was important to leave a bit uneven in a poultice, his face scrunched up in slight confusion.

"I'm afraid I don't understand, miss. Perhaps you could show me what you mean? Not now, of course," he added on, not wanting to be a nuisance to her. "Perhaps once we've finished collecting the herbs you're looking for?" He could always carry the herbs for her, after all.

Received healing lesson: 2/3

"Oh, no... no. Do not do that. please" she appeared momentarily startled at the thought "only use it in a poultice - it must be chewed or ground and wet" Did he not know what a poultice was? "topically means applying it directly to the area needing it; not all over the body" Eden quickly explained to Lothaire "you usually apply gels, lotion, and poultice. But you can also inhale the 'dust' of a plant after being crushed. Not an actual whole plant."

She continued to dig up the horsetail, already keen to store it away in a den. She would have to ask Sparrow if she could use a spare location to put all the plants she had gathered. "A poultice is a wet bandage. It dries and hardens, like glue, and keeps infection and dirt out" Eden breathed a bit heavily, leaning back to alleviate some of the pain from her back. Goodness, these pups were already doing a number on her! "you usually use... spit, or water. Chewing a herb can lose effectiveness if you spit out the excess; it is best to use the entire pulp."

"Speech"
2/3 - collect herb

AS HER OWNER...
ignis praetor is allowed in any thread, even ones marked private
baelfire, diablo, rivin and aresenn are also allowed due to being her children

To say Lothaire was embarrassed was an understatement. He hadn't quite understood what the femme had been trying to tell him when she said they were helpful for helping to close wounds. His ears slipped back against his crown, but he tried to shake his embarrassment off before it could take root of him. "I apologize - I misunderstood your instructions initially," he said, his golden gaze watching as she continued to dig at the horse tail she intended to harvest and take home with her.

"Ah, I understand now. I have only learned about a few plants prior to coming here, and the techniques used to heal are still very new to me. I know that lavender has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, so it's good for minor cuts and bug bites." He felt it necessary to show he wasn't a hopeless case, after all. His ears perked forward, watching as Eden's breathing became more labored. "Do you need any help?" He asked, concern becoming evident in his eyes.

Received healing lesson: 3/3

Eden smiled kindly at him. "It was a fair question" she pointed out to Lothaire "the only way to know something is to ask; at least you have no shame in such a thing" She bent again, still breathing a bit difficult but refusing to show weakness. That is part of what got her into this mess. She worked faster, gathering the horsetail as she went digging. The root of the plant was pulled out and placed to the side "w-well if you don't mind, I could use a hand carrying this all back..."

He had asked after all. It would be quite rude to simply ignore his presence and his assistance. "I would like to gather as much as I can before..." Eden felt her head slump, chin hitting neck. Ah, right. She couldn't go out as much as she'd like anymore, or was allowed to be out for that matter. Ignis might think she was sneaking around on him... Why did he care about that anyway? "well, before winter hits again" Eden brightened a bit, neck arching again "it was a particularly cold one when I came to Boreas." Luckily, she hadn't been a vagabond for long.

A gentle reminder the Plunder was strong and capable.

"Speech"
3/3 - collect herb

AS HER OWNER...
ignis praetor is allowed in any thread, even ones marked private
baelfire, diablo, rivin and aresenn are also allowed due to being her children

It would have been far more shameful having not asked, he realized. Imagine if he had tried to push the needle of the plant through someone's cut flesh to bring the two sides together. The very thought caused him to shudder a little now that he'd said it out loud, but he decided her words didn't require a response from him. He watched as she labored to retrieve the plant from the earth, and while any other gentleman might have simply stepped in for her, he felt that would have been far more rude. He'd offered his assistance, and it was up to her to accept it.

"I'd be glad to help you carry everything back," he said, though he felt curiosity grow within his chest when her form crumbled in on itself for a second. Was she okay? He'd been about to ask her what was the matter, but she seemed to perk up again before he could ask. It wasn't his place to bring back the momentary lapse in behavior, seeing as he'd only met her earlier this day, but he'd remain mindful to ask her if she was okay if it happened again. He stepped closer to the plant she'd discarded, and dipped his head to wrap his jowls gently around the stalk. With a practiced swing of his head, he let the plant rest on his shoulders before turning back to her.

"I do not mind the winter too much, but I believe many herbs are harder to find once the cold sets in, no?" He paused before fixing her with his golden gaze again. "How many of these were you hoping to get?"

"Thank you, Lothaire, you are too kind."

She rose to all fours as steadily as possible. He would pluck the herb from the earth and throw it onto his back. "I have plenty of binding wound herbs" Eden continued "I just wanted a variety - in case anyone was allergic to certain ones" It did happen and averse effects did happen! She didn't want the Plunder to become sick due to her own carelessness "this shall be enough." She nodded to the ones on his back, leading him back to the border.

"In a pitch, I can use cobwebs to bind wounds, but I do prefer a poultice" Eden mused mostly to herself, not used to talking to other healers - even budding ones. The Plunder had no children that liked herbs and plants... Maybe one of her own would pick it up? "it dries and falls off on its own" she chirped happily, nearing the end of Fern Gulley now "we're here" she hadn't strayed far from the border due to her condition "thank you for talking with me." She turns back to him.

"Speech"

AS HER OWNER...
ignis praetor is allowed in any thread, even ones marked private
baelfire, diablo, rivin and aresenn are also allowed due to being her children