Admittedly Ava was somewhat surprised when her idea was met with such apprehension. Maksim's expression was especially concerned, and it seemed their young neighbor had found the idea similarly distasteful. She furrowed her brow and gave an eventual shrug. They could be light with their jaws, sure, and the problem only arouse if they broke the plants while they moved them... which could definitely happen. "I've been known to be reckless," she admitted with a sheepish grin. "Perhaps too much so." She never really thought herself to be one at fault with optimism, yet here she was in the wrong. It was never too late to learn something new about yourself, apparently.

Understanding that her plan was out she was still reluctant to return to square one, until Ataneq proposed his modification. She smiled instantly, both impressed with his quickness and pleased with the compromise. There was certainly tree bark to spare around these parts and with all the nearby moisture they would find the bark on the easy side to strip. Passing her amber gaze between the two males she responded, "Let's go with that, then. Paws only. No teeth." Ava kept her authoritative command to a minimum as Maksim and Ataneq were here because they had chosen to be, and she'd not let her ego bloat so far to forget to be grateful for help.

"I'll scout a location to bury them, and when I come back we can all drag these lethal plants well away from anyone we care about." Certain that Maksim and Ataneq would not find trouble with each other, Ava turned away from the towering stalks and set down the bankside, following the rapids as they moved away from pack territory.

Ava seemed a little startled by Maksim’s protest and he glanced down briefly. She seemed to admit to maybe not thinking things through enough and he was relieved she had not taken his words offensively. Tree bark, however, was suggested and the grey shifted his gaze from Ava to Ataneq. Yes. The large wolf was certainly glad that a solution that did not involve putting toxic plants into mouths had been found, one that Ava agreed with. The Baranski had to hand it to the youngster: tree bark was an excellent idea. Again, though, he opted for silence rather than vocalising his approval; talking openly around suspicious strangers was not a strong point of his and whilst it had been confirmed that this Ataneq fellow meant no harm it was simply difficult for him.

As Ava departed to scout out an area suitable to bury the deadly plants, the Darkwater subordinate turned to Ataneq. “I suppose we’d better find a suitable tree to strip bark from.” It would need to be thick and strong but not so much so that it would be difficult to remove. Maksim also would rather not get a mouthful of sap, too. He gestured with a nod of his head towards the treeline before turning, expecting Ataneq to follow. Glancing from tree to tree, the Baranski had no idea what kind of tree they’d need. “You seem to have experience with this sort of stuff, Ataneq,” he mused, “what sort of tree do you think we should be looking for? Oak? Birch? Or something else?”

The subordinate was more than a little miffed that he knew as little as he did about flora. That life choice had been placed upon Anzhela but, whilst Maksim was glad he’d been given suitable training in using his bulkier body to his advantage, he couldn’t help but feel he should know more. He wanted to know more.

Ava let no obstacle go untouched by her vibrant gaze, looking specifically for a hard surface in a convenient place. Though the walked the riverside she had turned her head further inland, not particularly wanting to provide any water to the lethal plants she was trying to kill. Several minutes passed as she scrutinized possible sites, refusing to settle.

She found a small cluster of rocks several meters away from the water huddled against the roots of a tree and pondered if it was worth to effort to start digging. On the one hand should the ground here ever erode the rocks would prevent the plants from going anywhere, on the other who knew if there weren't more rocks hidden beneath the surface? She was hardly apt to blunt a claw or stub a toe when this so direly needed to be accomplished, but Ava, lacking in x-ray vision or any similar super power, had no choice but to give it a go. The location was prime, the requirement was necessary, and she would do no one any good by wasting time.

With her hind paws planted in the ground for better grip the dark she-wolf began to dig, scraping away grass roots and mounds of dirt and little pebbles with a small amount of caution. When the dirt gave way and she found little surface resistance hidden below, she approached the task with more fervor. The hole did not have to be wide so much as it had to be deep, so she performed her task diligently. Her forelegs slipped further and further into the cool ground, collecting the displaced terrain in order to re-cover the area later. When she was finished she was practically elbow-deep, noting they might have to push the plants further in and risk breaking the stalks. As long as they didn't lick their toes and washed up in the river afterward, they'd all be fine.

The work had been a little tedious, but she knew relaxation was a luxury not yet available. Still they had to carry the plants here, using utmost care, and dispose of them as best at they could. Optimistic yet Ava returned, dirt-knuckled and more enthusiastic, to see how the men had fared in her absence.

An oak tree was the bark of choice, it seemed. Nodding his head, the Baranski scanned the trees either side of him. “I’m certain we’ll find some White Oak nearby.” White oak, white oak … huffing, Maksim shook his head. He’d never been good at spotting precise plants—hadn’t the patience for it, really—but he knew he had to in this case. Ava was depending on him and this dark furred youth. He wouldn’t let her down, wouldn’t let his pack down. As so, he continued onwards. He made sure to glance over his shoulder occasionally, check what Ataneq was doing. Usually, though, he spent his time looking for a strong oak tree. Hopefully it wouldn’t take too long and they wouldn’t keep Ava waiting.

Caught up in his thoughts, Maksim suddenly stopped walking to pause, squinting between the trees. Familiar branches reached desperately through the canopy. White oak? He had to get closer. Briefly nodding to the black male, the Baranski approached the thick trunked tree, expecting the black boy to follow after him. Glancing it over, the male smiled. Yes, seemed he’d found the tree of choice for their little mission. He turned back to face Ataneq with a nod. “Seems like a good enough tree,” he began as he watched the male with an almost steely green gaze. “How do we go about this?” He rolled his shoulders as he took a step forward. “You show me how it’s done. I haven’t the slightest clue as to how to go about stripping a tree.”

Maksim nodded as he watched Ataneq before moving around the tree. Rising to his full height, like some sort of small bear, by standing on his hind legs, the Baranski eyed the bark. Resting his paws on the tree he began to scratch at it. His claws raked against the cracked skin, almost clicking as they went over each bump and crook. The tree’s skin chipped in some places but the brute was certain he would get the job done. Ava would probably be waiting for them; they’d have to move fast.

He wasn’t sure how long it took until sufficiently sized parts almost peeled away. In order to speed up the procedure, the Darkwater male had begun to bite at the edges of the bark and tug as if he were trying to pull tough flesh. With his teeth gripping the bark (though not too strongly) and his paws working at clawing and scraping, Maksim pulled his head back. A slight crack jerked him from his focus and he dropped the fragment of bark. He almost let out an odd chuff at the piece. It seemed to be a good enough piece …

Picking up his tree piece, he manoeuvred around the tree to check on Ataneq’s progress before gesturing with a shrug of his thick shoulders. Time to head back, they couldn’t keep Ava waiting. Maksim turned quickly, heading back to where the cowbane waited almost sinisterly. Picking up the speed into a jog, expecting Ataneq to be following, the grey male expected to see Ava appear through the trees soon enough.