She'd had her first healing lesson, and already she wanted more. Ara was beginning to grow anxious, not just for knowledge, but because her father still had yet to return. Her mother had assured her that he would be okay, that everything would be okay soon; but it was obvious something was wrong. Jendai seemed to think that their sire had been taken prisoner, but it was hard to imagine a man so strong being forced into submission. The mere thought of it made a whimper bubble up from the girl's chest as she walked, hating the idea of anyone telling her father what to do. No. He was strong and unbreakable. But he was gone for now, and she did not doubt he would return to his family soon. But until then, she had to gather herbs and prepare, just in case he was injured when he returned. She was too naive to realize that Loccian or another skilled healer would be best suited to actually healing a war victim. She felt like it was her job, and so she marched with surprising courage for a girl so young, out of her home and into the unknown.

Ara had only wandered out of Seracian territory a select few times. Though she felt nervous, there was obvious purpose to her gait. She was an odd sight, not quite as beautiful as her mother with her flawless ebony coat; instead her pelt was dual-colored, her head and belly dappled with creamy hues, a sharp contrast to the black that draped her back and limbs. Movements were far from graceful, but she certain looked like she knew what she was doing as she traversed far from home. One step, two steps -- quickly she lost track of how many she had taken, as the landscaped changed into something far more lovely than her home. Minutes turned to hours, before she managed to see something promising. Though the land was not quite as bright as she knew it would have been just a season ago, it was still quite lovely, and she was happy to see that many plants remained here. Blue eyes would scan the horizon, searching for one particular purple plant that Loccian had taught her so much about.

It took a long while, but the girl caught a glimpse of dull violet. She would begin to rush forward eagerly, as though they might disappear if she did not hurry. As she drew up close to them, her eyes old her that some of the plants had begun to die, but there was some lavender still remaining, and she smiled rather proudly at her find. She was unaware how long the plants would live, but knew if she kept some damp that they wouldn't dry out and shrivel up so quickly. Carefully she would sort through the plants, using her teeth to tear some stems from the base of the plant, before setting down the plants on the grass below.

CALLISTO Walk | Talk | Think It had not taken the stoic young pup very long to return to the Serpent Plains. Since her first visit, her knowledge of herblore had been given new fuel through the mild teachings of the healer Cael and she had been eager to retrace all of her steps inside and outside of Ludicael in search of anything that might prove itself useful in some manner of medicine. Of course, her knowledge was still incredibly limited. Of all the plants out there, the only two she had taken to recognizing by scent and sight were sage and mint, the latter of which whose scent still overwhelmed her sensitive nose at times. She had begun gathering sage and held a small cache of it within a little secluded space she had claimed in Ludicael - well away from the prying nose of her irritable brother - and now that she had gathered what she deemed a sufficient amount she thought it time to tackle the more difficult challenge. The lands of her temporary home had proven to be a hotbed for the mint plant, though only in the sparse locations between the abundant waterways. The weather was not helping either, giving the ground such a chill that most of the plants had already begun to wither away to wait out the cold months that were soon to be upon them. She had gathered what she could from the locations that she had found, but it had been lacking compared to what she had already gathered for sage, and feeling the need for order she had decided to set off in search of more elsewhere. In her haste, she followed familiar paths out of her home and eventually her eager wanderings brought her back to the Serpent Plains, a location she was pleased to note might prove fruitful with its own waterways and mild location. Callisto followed alongside one of the shallow creeks that ran through the territory, evading the location she had once run across a strange male pup and her sister on the off chance either still haunted nearby, and let her nose lead her along, occasionally wandering further away from the water source though always drawing herself back. Her movements and searches were methodical and precise, all designed by what she could scent of the plant she sought, until a new scent greeted her. It was one part plant but one part wolf, and though the typically evasive girl felt the stirrings of flight beginning to crawl up her grey colored legs she could not bring herself to depart so quickly. Wolves and herbs meant healers. Healers meant more knowledge. With care, the silvery-blue-eyed youth tiptoed in a crouched posture closer to the source of the scents, drawing herself further and further from the waterway she had been clinging close to. The smell of the plant became more defined, decidedly unlike the two that she could recognize, and so did the smell of the wolf. It was not until she saw the other - at which point she was also visible - that she realized she had wandered upon someone not very much older than herself, rifling through a plant that grew before them. Callisto's pale gaze immediately fixed itself on the lavender shrub, curious about the color and the smell as well as its purpose, before she let her attention wander and fix upon the curiously colored girl. Not much older than herself... I wonder what she knows... Boldly, unafraid, the younger grey and pitch pup approached the other, her rather serious and focused expression fixed upon the girl and her work with the plants. "What are you gathering?" she asked, foregoing any introductions or formalities; they were all a waste of time to her. Why dodge the real question when the plants were really what she wished to know about? Finally close enough to warrant herself near enough for conversation as well as to give herself a better view of this curious new plant, Callisto halted her slow approach and continued to peer at the other wolf, wondering if she was perhaps a healer like Cael and what she might be able to learn from her. Image by Maka.

Though the young girl was very unassuming when meeting other wolves, not at all one to judge others, she was quite critical of herself. Often to the point of making herself feel quite downtrodden for not knowing more about the world around her -- even if her knowledge often exceeded that of her siblings. Ara was constantly thirsty for more, wanting to know everything there was to know. Particularly about healing. And she found herself once again growing frustrated with her lack of knowledge. Why hadn't she asked Loccian how to keep herbs fresh? She knew plants needed water to live, so had assumed they would need to be kept damp. But did factors like light factor in at all? Would it matter if they were laid in the sunlight, or placed in the back of her family's den? What if they froze? Would they still be as good? She figured it varied by plant, and her mentor had shown her how to apply fresh lavender, so she didn't know if it would work as well -- or at all -- if it had been dried out. A sigh escaped the dual-colored girl's lips, a testament to the irritation she felt at herself for having not asked more questions.

She was so engrossed in her self-appointed task that she hardly noticed when a stranger approached. Her father had taught her to always be vigilant, and never trust others unless you had a reason to, especially wolves of unknown packs and rogues. The stranger's voice reached her ears long before her scent did, and Ara would slowly turn to face the young girl, jaws parting and dropping a small bundle of lavender to the earth, adding to the growing pile of herbs. Not an overly socialized girl, her first instinct was to grab her pile of lavender and run, but the more rational half of her mind kept her frozen to the ground where she stood. Had the girl been trying to sneak up on her? She seemed a bit younger than herself, and not openly threatening -- so Ara would let herself smile a bit at the stranger, tail swaying lightly where it lay draped behind her.

"This is lavender," she explained, not at all matter-of-factly; instead, her sweet lyrics were full of hesitance and she suddenly found herself concerned as to whether she had misjudged entirely and this was a different plant. It would be awful to give the girl false knowledge, but she leaned to sniff at the plant again, and a wave of nostalgia washed over her. No, it was definitely lavender, and she would nod reassuringly at her declaration. "You are not from Seracia, are you?" Callisto's scent was entirely unfamiliar, but she didn't want to assume anything.

CALLISTO Walk | Talk | Think For a split second, she thought the girl she had approached might take off without saying a word. Any other time, it might have delighted Callisto to know that had that effect on others - rarely did she wish to partake in casual conversation or bother with the need to make friends - but in this rare instance she actually wanted the girl to stay. She had been tending so carefully to her plant, as was evident by the small pile of it that sat upon the ground beside her, that the grey and pitch pup was convinced she knew what she was doing, that there was some level of plant and herb knowledge here that she could take from. If the dark and light wolf left then she would lose out on that. So for that moment, stunned and yet trying to determine what it was that she had done wrong, Callisto's silvery blue eyes widened a fraction, almost in disbelief. But thankfully she stayed, even smiled, and attempted to answer Callisto's inquiry by informing her that the plant was lavender. "Lavender," she repeated under her breath, committing it to memory as she dared another step forward led by her nose to sniff curiously at the plant. Unlike the sage, with its thickly green scent, and the mint that always seemed much too strong for her nose, this one was actually quite lovely, enjoyable even. It was rich but soothing and sweet and...happy. It seemed strange to her that the mere smell of the plant should elicit such a strong reaction to her, but at the same time it hardly mattered. This was a very nice plant, and already she was eager to bring some home to store with the rest, perhaps even to show off to the rest of her family. She had continued to sniff at the plant, enjoying its sweet aroma, when the girl interrupted her with another question. The stoic pup paused to glance her way, just for a second confused as to what exactly "Seracia" was, and answered simply with, "No." Seracia... Was that like Ludicael? Or Amenti? A pack? Willing to risk sounding foolish on the off chance she might prove to have fully understood the question after all, Callisto added, "I'm staying in Ludicael." Would the other girl even know where that was, or even have heard of it to recognize it? Had she accidentally completely changed the subject by not understanding the question? Attempting to steer things back onto a more manageable course, she made another attempt at friendly conversation, her expression still rather serious and unsmiling. "I'm Callisto." Image by Maka.

It seemed that her father's disappearance had only made the girl even more withdrawn, but of her flaws she was oblivious -- her quiet nature was seen by her family as stern diligence. So engrossed in her task had she been that the arrival of another left her temporarily stunned, but her surprised faded fluidly as the girl spoke again. The girl spoke the plant's name -- lavender -- eliciting another smile from Ara's delicate features. "Doesn't it smell nice?" she inquired softly, not only a gentle attempt at conversation, but a question she truly wondered. It was a beautiful smell to her, accentuated by the fact that it was such a versatile and useful plant, and so easily found too! Ara was amazed at the plant, only vaguely aware of the hundreds of herbs that surrounded her each and every day, though she wanted with all her heart to fill her head will more knowledge than was possible. It was a shame that her interest would be sparked so strongly in the season when plants were the most scarce, but it only gave the girl more to look forward to when winter passed.

The girl said she was not from Seracia, and she would watch with a curious tilt of her head as she explained. "I have heard of Ludicael," she offered gently. Despite the girl's serious expression, Ara was not at all spooked. Though she did not smile, she did not scowl either, and her face was unmarred by anger. "I'm Ara." Her name was simple, one syllable; not at all beautiful like her siblings' names. "Are you a healer, Callisto?" Her new acquaintance was young, like herself, but she was oblivious to what knowledge she might possess.

CALLISTO Walk | Talk | Think The younger pup's ears perked suddenly upon hearing that the black and tan girl knew of Ludicael, suddenly thinking that perhaps she had answered right and that Seracia must have been another pack after all. I wonder where it is, she mused, though she refrained from asking aloud. It was only a small curiosity she felt, nothing really worth mentioning at the moment, and she was already preoccupied learning of the other's name. It was a simple name, easy enough to remember and not long enough to confuse. In fact, she felt an odd sense of companionship with her, sensing in this older yet timid girl something akin to what her sister was like. Circe was often quiet and somewhat reserved too, though oftentimes around their family group she was merely content and relaxed. When asked of her skills, Callisto merely blinked at first. Was she a healer? "No," she answered, once again going for simplicity. She was far from knowledgeable enough in plants and their uses to call herself anything, and without any experience using them she was of even less help. "I just like the plants," she added after a moment, motioning her muzzle downward to take another little sniff of the lavender and let its scent soothe her. Yes, she was definitely going to need to start collecting this too. "I only know of sage," she replied, mentally comparing the two scents and easily identifying their differences. Were all plants this unique in the smells they gave off? "And mint. I don't like mint," she added with a little shake of her head, drawing her thoughtful, pale gaze from the plant to look over at Ara again. "I'm gathering too." Image by Maka.

Ara felt drawn to this stranger, though she hardly knew a thing about her. The two of them seemed to share at least two things in common -- they both were interested in herbs, and they both seemed rather quiet and reserved. Ara was so different than her siblings, who seemed so outgoing and sociable. Instead, this girl was quite withdrawn, though she was very polite and well-spoken. Still, her face was alight with wonder; when she was very little she had met one of her mother's friends, and her children, who were also from Ludicael. But it had been a mere playdate, one that had never occurred again.

She almost felt something akin to relief when Callisto admitted she was not a healer. It wasn't that it would be embarrassing to be have her younger acquaintance demonstrate that her knowledge and skills were superior, but she simply was glad that Callisto seemed to be on an equal plane as herself. "Me too," she replied with a bashful smile.

Her head would tilt as she listened to the girl share her own knowledge. "I have seen mint, but not sage. What is it used for?" How bright her gaze was, brimming with the desire for more information, but knowing it was a bit overbearing to request too much too quickly. "And have you found any around here?" It was difficult at times to not stop herself from gathering everything that looked useful, but she knew some plants were dangerous and others were even lethal; going around trying them all herself would be stupid.