There was a soft, cool breeze rustling through the thicket today, helping to counter the burning heat of the sun. Aideen had woken up today with a clear resolve, ready to take on a task she had been postponing for all too long. As the sun rose somewhere beyond the trees, quickly warming up the land, she went through her infirmary store, rearranging a few things, and bringing in the herbs that had dried over the previous day. Then she carefully picked out a few select plants, among them some fungi meant to strengthen the body, and a few herbs that might stabilize and calm the mind. The last ones in particular held her attention, they were new in her collection, something @Nina had told her about when she inquired into afflictions of the mind. This particular kind of disease was still largely a mystery to the young medic, but one that fascinated her greatly and she wanted to learn more about; Unfortunately, Nina doesn't seem to know much more... Plants were only a small part of the cure for this type of ache, so much she was beginning to understand, it took time and talking, and careful maintenance of the environment around the patient; I have so much left to learn...

The patient she had in mind now was one she knew desperately little about though, which was what she would aim to rectify today. Once Danica had been installed after Iopah brought her to the Woodlands on that fateful day, Aideen had had very little to do with the young woman. As her mother, Nina had taken on caring for the sick girl, and Aideen, being her student, and entirely inexperienced in illnesses like these, had retreated. After returning from her trip to the east, the fiery medic had seen very little of the pale lass, and though she had gotten the impression that Danica was better, she didn't know exactly how things were with her. As a medic she was interested in the state of the wolves around her, and eager to help care for anyone who might need it. Even though Nina surely had her paw on the situation, she was plenty busy with leading the pack, and Aideen would much like to take any work she could off the overburdened queen's shoulders.

So with her little collection of medicine clutched tightly, the tri-colored woman set out to find Danica, hoping that the young mother would be open to a conversation, if not directly about her state of mind, then maybe just about this and that, so they could at least come to know each other better. She didn't know where Nina's daughter had chosen to den with her young pup, it seemed she had made an effort to keep it secret, so Aideen decided to head for the Glade, since it had seemed the silvery girl seemed to have had a special connection with the place. What she would do if she did not find Danica there, she didn't know.

The path was well known to the budding healer, the Glade being a particularly great spot for gathering medicinal herbs, and so, she drifted off in her own thoughts while she walked. She remembered the first day she met Danica, a young, unkempt girl with wild eyes, one minute yelling at Iopah, the next carrying on like a pup, playing in the snow. Her state had been erratic, manic, violent one moment, docile the next, and Nina had made it clear to her apprentice that this was not an affliction that could be cured. So now Aideen tried to ready herself for dealing with a patient in this state, remembering how Nina had tried to calm her using simple, kind words and peaceful memories.

She was completely startled when a voice suddenly sounded from the bushes, stopping dead in her tracks as Danica's cream and silver silhouette appeared out of the bramble. Aideen tensed, ears falling backwards and tail flicking nervously behind her as she watched the younger woman closely, ready to retreat further at any move from the other. But rather than aggress, Danica flattened her own ears, waving her tail low and spoke in a softer voice. Aideen smiled in relief, taking half a step back to sit herself down, gently laying her bouquet of herbs between her front paws to free her mouth up for speaking; "Of course Danica." She answered warmly, looking at the younger wolf with her ears half raised in a friendly manner.

"In fact, that is why I've come. I hoped we could get to know each other a little better?" The vixen medic smiled softly at Danica, overjoyed to see the young mother so much better, and happy at the chance to, finally, get to know the other pack mate a little better; And not just ANY pack mate, Nina's daughter! So she waved her own tail eagerly, straining to keep her smile from growing into an all out grin. "I would love to meet you son, but I absolutely understand that you want to feel safe around me first." She added graciously, bowing her head lightly as an invitation for the pale girl to ask any questions she wanted; This is exactly what I hoped for!

Grey-dusted brows lifted curiously at Danica's statement, ears flicking in interest. The girl was timid, though not fearful, and she spoke freely and soundly; A definite improvement! Her laughter was a little shrill, but it seemed to come from simple discomfort, not madness. It made Aideen smile happily. So did the young mother's obvious curiosity, and when her question broke into the medic's own words, she immediately paused, tilting her head encouragingly. Danica apologized, seeming to retreat a bit, appearing nervous for the reaction. Aideen shook her head lightly, giving the pale lass a reassuring smile; "No trouble." She assured, lowering her snout to pick through the plants. "They are medicine, some to stimulate your milk production, and help you and your son grow healthy and strong. And some others in case you needed help sleeping or staying... calm." She explained while she sorted the herbs, happy to pick aside some of the stronger mental agents that it seemed Danica would not need.

The ivory girl quickly regained her confidence, smiling broadly at Aideen's words, and the older woman smiled back. She listened intently to Danica's explanation, nodding lightly as she spoke, to show that she understood. It was after all true, that they were strangers to each other, and a young mother's wish for privacy, for herself and her offspring, was easy enough to understand. The addition about manners made a small, warm chuckle bubble from her throat, an encouraging smile curving her lips; "I see no problems with your manners Danica, don't be afraid to speak, it takes more than a few slips to insult me." She winked, hoping to further calm the other, she had come to talk, openly and casually, she didn't want the girl to fear unintended provocation.

Danica's attention seemed to have drifted, deep green eyes gazing into the distance; Her mother's eyes. The healer noted. Though that seemed to be all the girl shared with her dam in as far as physical characteristics. Suddenly those eyes returned to her, an unexpected question spoken, in a slightly awkward tone. Copper eyes widened in surprise, a moment of stunned silence following. Then they met those emerald green, honestly glowing in their warm light; "Oh, my story? I don't have much of one. I left home to seek out new adventures, came here, and found a new place I wanted to call home." She looked around at the thicket, smiling contently; "I don't know whether it's pleasing, but at least it's not sad." Her smile was directed at Danica again, head once more tilting encouragingly. It was no secret that she was curious about Nina's daughter, whom she had heard so little about. The way she had asked her question, it didn't sound like she was immediately intent on telling her own story, and Aideen did not want to prod at her, but if Danica wanted to talk about herself, the medic was more than ready to listen.

Danica's joke made her smile broadly, tail waving in recognition even as the pale girl cringed back. She still seemed so nervous, so afraid of making a mistake, and embarrassed about her own words, and it made the healer both a little sad, and amused; She's young yet... There was plenty of time for the cream pelted lass to gain confidence, after all - as Aideen would soon learn - she had many a reason to be timid. Still, the healer aimed to do all she could to ease the girl, keeping her seat relaxed and posture neutral, warmth in her eyes and a friendly smile on her face while her tail wagged reassuringly behind her. This made her duck her head in shame when she saw Danica's reaction to the little playful gesture; she had hoped to loosen the tension, not create more. So she moved to at least restore what she had ruined, nodding lightly and speaking softly: "Being a mother can be taxing, especially for the first time and at such a young age." She assured; "Nina taught me as much. If you take some of this each night, you will sleep easier, and both you and Daniel should grow even better than you already are." She pointed her nose down at the herbs, smiling commendingly at the lighter female - She did seem to be doing a great job already though; As much to be expected of Nina's daughter?

At the comment about her story though, Aideen's smile faltered; No regrets? Where should she start? Sometimes she regretted leaving home at all, though there were so many things she would never have experienced if she hadn't; She missed her family, her mother; She could be dead now... She definitely regretted running away from Coal that first day, by Heartleaf Creek, if she had stayed with him, he might never have been hurt so badly. Then there was Ashanti, the training medic still felt like she could have done more... And of course that day in winter, when she was stupid enough to leave the territory alone and got caught in that snow storm, sweeping her away from the Woodlands when she was needed most. Well it was a long list. And sadness? Well there was plenty of that too, the ones she had lost, the ones she would never see again, her friendship with Iopah now broken by forces out of her control. No, the picture she had painted might have been way to rosy, but she didn't say any of this to Danica, there was no need, Aideen had lived through those trials and, mostly, she was better for it, she kept holding her head high.

Now it was the younger woman's turn, and Danica turned her eyes to the sky before beginning her tale. The vixen wolfess followed her gaze, watching the leaves rustling in the light breeze while she listened to the story. It was a long and windy one, but Aideen listened patiently, and with no small amount of curiosity. Danica was no bad storyteller, and her emotion translated easily, even while they weren't looking at each other. Aideen closed her eyes, listening quietly, though several different expressions flashed across her features as the tale went on. Only when the young mother reached a point that her audience of one could recall, the return to Secret Woodlands, lead by Iopah, did Aideen lower her own head, copper eyes looking to meet vibrant greens. Danica had more to tell though, of her sons conception, and a mysterious gent. One bright-rusty ear flicked but otherwise the medic didn't react, waiting silently instead, to hear if there was anything more her pack mate wanted to add.

Only when she was sure Danica had finished, did Aideen move to speak again. She had seen the flash of tears in the other's eyes as she looked back in direction of her son; Not strange after such an emotional story. But she had also seen the joy on the young mother's face when she spoke of her pup; Her little blessing... It tugged at the training healer's heartstrings, both because she could relate to that connection to child, hoping, wishing that one day she would feel the same; And because it warmed her to see so much positivity and joy in someone who had been through so much. "You have had a hard life Danica, experiencing all that in just two years. But it makes me happy to see that you have found meaning in it, I think you will make a wonderful teacher." Aideen finally said, voice soft and warm. She smiled at the pale girl, feeling honored that she had chosen to tell her whole story, glad that they now knew each other closer; "Thank you for sharing all this with me, I know it couldn't have been easy. It was lovely to hear you talk though, admittedly I was... A little nervous about your mental state, after our last meeting." The healer's ears fell to the side, slightly embarrassed, but she thought it best to be honest, and after all, she was in charge of the health of the pack, so it was her duty to check in on everyone. "I'm very happy to see you are doing so well now, and your son too." Another wide smile was flashed at the pale girl, copper eyes twinkling lightly as she added; "You know I was the runt of my litter too, two brothers born before me, I know all about how that can be. But it taught me a lot, I'll probably never see my brothers again, but I'm very thankful for what they've given me."