Aquene had been resting, just as she always seemed to be. A gentle snore could be heard from the front of the den as her bones ached just a little more than they used to. She hadn’t heard the call at the border, nor was she aware of Nash’s decision until he had made the introduction, and told her of the new wolf to join them which had caused her to stir from her slumber in the herbal den. So when Apollo, the eager pup, found his way to the den, she yawned and stretched out. Her belly already swollen. It felt as if it grew faster each litter she had.

She would sit up, a sleepiness behind her eyes as she spoke. “Just Aquene is fine.” She offered, the title of ‘Miss’ making her feel old. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Apollo… Nash has told me you have an interest in my craft, yes?” She asked, verifying mostly for herself that she’d remembered the brief conversation with her husband correctly in her sleepy daze. Her tail swept across the ground, moving more towards the mouth of the den and out of the near suffocating scent of herbs that she found comfort in.

That was when she noticed the adornments, her eyes widening from hints of shock as she studied them carefully… “What on earth do you have stuck in your fur?” She knew they were feathers… perhaps the better question for the shocked Shaman was why.

She listened as the child began to ramble, a hint of an amused smile on her features. She remembered having that eagerness, badgering her mother and then her uncle Lachesis with all sorts of questions… even after the training became hard and intense, she had found that she loved to badger them. She wasn’t sure if it had been more comfort or a thirst for knowledge but it had become a habit nevertheless. Her brows raised in surprise as he spoke of loving flowers… of not being able to find his mom.

There was much to unpack, but by this stage of her life, the Shaman had plenty of experience looking after lost souls, be it her own children or the children of others. “I can see that.” She added in, listening as he explained about the feathers, and how his mother placed flowers into his fur. The entire notion perplexed her, but then she’d only used plants for healing, never as adornments nor did she think to. Surely that had to hurt? The stems digging into the skin under the fur? And how to get them to stay?

There were far too many questions for her to ask at once. “It’ll be some time before the flowers return, especially here on the mountain.” She offered to him. “But in terms of healing, I can help you learn. I’ve been a healer my whole life… I learned from my mother, and later my uncle. I’ve been the Shaman here my entire adult life.”

First winter, and lost his mother… there was a sadness that she fought to keep internal as he explained more of his story… and then asked questions that he might already know the answer to if he’d still had his mother to rely on. She must be worried. After all, she recalled how distraught she was when Kateri had gone missing that first season, and it didn’t sound like he had any siblings either who might be able to help him find his way. She’d make a mental note to warn the guardians to keep an eye out, just in case a loner scent was spotted lingering that might be his mother.

“It’ll be at least a moon, maybe two… it depends on how the winds blow.” At least, that was what she had always been taught. In her time on the mountain, she’d seen some winters fade early and some cling for dear life. Only time would truly tell… she hoped for the former, and that soon Spring would be upon them… Spring with two litters… one that would make her a mother once more, and one that would make her a grandmother.

“Come inside…” She explained at his questions, a soft smile as she moved back into her den, able to trace through the many scents. It had been nearly three years prior when she had dug the den out herself, tracing notches with her claws and sometimes even her teeth for hours on end to carve out the notches where dried and brittle herbs laid. “Winter is hard, and my stores are much lower… but I preserve what I can here. It dries up, becomes brittle, and it doesn’t work as well but it maintains some of it’s properties that can still help even in the harshest of snows… during this time of the year, near the turn to Spring is when it’s hardest. I only use my stores here when I absolutely have to because it becomes such a precious resource.”

She wondered briefly about the extent of his training. Perhaps he’d had the basics before he was separated from his mom or his grandmother’s pack? She would not pry too much into his background, instead listen to his next question. “There are… but it is not easy to teach without situations arising… one can use their paws to re-place joints that have popped out of place, but it cannot truly be demonstrated until someone dislocates something… you can use body heat and a dry den to help combat hypothermia, but until someone faces such a situation it can’t be applied.” She explained, citing a few examples of various things.

She felt hands on and practical learning was the best path forward… just as she’d slowly been doing with @Eclypse throughout her childhood since her youngest had showed such interest in her craft. It was relieving, the idea of having two pupils to help her as she grew older, and knowing that by the time she was done training them that the Cove would be in good hands for at least a few more generations.

Aquene was practiced… she had been, from a young age. She’d started with the more basic knowledge but her mother and her uncle had done a good job in introducing her to situations, and there had been no shortage of serious injuries at the Cove either. It allowed her to consider herself a true expert in her field… one who could treat almost anything that she came across with relative ease. She hummed gently, closing her eyes for a moment as she considered his words. He knew more than the average wolf, but practical experience was always the way to test the mettle of a true healer.

“I have little doubt that you’ll be able to learn here… sadly, with our locale on the mountain… we see no shortage of injuries and the likes. For now, we can start you with simpler herb collection… in the summer, we pick less often, letting the plants grow and grabbing what we need… but once winter comes we’ll begin to try and build reserves and attempt not to use them too much.” She explained simplisticly. She had her own method and organization of which she would make him most aware… but there was time for that.

“Learning the helping plants from the dangerous ones is a good first start, and she was wise to teach you even if you were not bedazzling yourself with such adornments… I fear our locale on the mountain may not be the best for such decorations either… though flowers grow up here in the summer, they are not quite the usual you will see near the base. They are tougher, heartier.”