Black Thorn Downs Finding Friendship <3

@Inali

Firefly was getting used to life in the downs. She felt like this was truly her home. She was a fast-paced yearling who loved adventure and excitement and she had plenty of that since becoming a member of Black Thorn Downs. There had been the incident with the moose and the border crossing problem with Sophelia. Other wolves may have been relieved to get through these types of things and find some down time. Not Fly. She had been wandering around the camp all day and was starting to get restless and bored. Then, the yearling remembered the she-wolf who had helped Tokino fight the moose, the same she-wolf who had helped Firefly handle Sophelia's border crossing incident. Fly didn't know much about the girl, but Fly wouldn't mind getting to know her better. She seemed relatively nice and Fly hadn't seen Kova (her usual company) all day.

Determined and glad to have something to do, Fly decided to set out in search of the blue-eyed she wolf whose fur was similar to her own. Fly would ask the girl what her role in the pack was and see if she could teach Fly anything new. Or maybe she could teach Fly some fighting moves; Fly definitely needed them. If a fight had come down between her and Sophelia she would have lost badly. At that thought, Fly decided to ask about the fighting moves. First, she had to find her. Fly trotted out of camp and weaved her way through the thorns, only getting her fur stuck once or twice (an improvement since moving here). Once she was out of the camp, she picked up her pace and started scouting the territory in search of her would-be friend.

(This post was last modified: Oct 03, 2014, 08:55 PM by Firefly.)

Lugh was already stocking up his stores for winter, making sure everything was in it's place and ready. With how harsh last winter had been, Lugh didn't want to be caught unprepared when snow finally covered the ground. Thankfully, Tokino was healed up enough from his bear run-in that Lugh had the infirmary all to himself now. It had not only given him the opportunity to dig out the sides of the den, making the little burrow much larger than it had originally been. The herbalist had also begun to carefully organize his stores, packing each new nook and cranny of space with more dried herbs. After spending the morning shuffling and sorting through his stocks, Lugh found himself with an angry headache buzzing through his head. While herbs could be used to heal, carrying them around in his mouth all morning left behind enough residue of each to combine into an unpleasant affect. While he knew just what herb would cure an ordinary headache, he knew the best solution in this case was probably to just get some fresh air. He shimmied his little body backwards out of the infirmary entrance and out into the blindingly bright world. His yellow eyes blinked blearily into the sun as he gradually got acclimated from the darkness which he had previously been muddling about in. Wobbling at first, a little dazed still from sniffing and gnawing on medicinal plants all morning, he set off carefully into the surrounding brambles. With each step, his head cleared a little bit more, and each fresh lungful of air was truly pleasant after spending so much time in a dusty musty den. A flash of red fur through the tangles of blackberry branches caught his attention. She was a packmate, that much he was sure of, but he had unfortunately been so busy he hadn't really gotten to meet her yet. He'd have to fix that. "'Ello there!" He called in his lilting, accented voice as he walked towards her, his dusty brown tail wagging happily behind him. His ears were directed forward, curious and friendly. "Ya out lookin' for somethin'? Or jus' gettin' some fresh air, too?" He asked.

table by Grey / 2014

Fly's search was interrupted when an unfamiliar voice chimed "Ello there!" The yearling quickly spun around to see who had greeted her and her warm brown eyes fell on the dusty brown figure of an older male."Ya out lookin' for somethin'? Or jus' gettin' some fresh air, too?" He asked in a pleasant voice and Fly's tail lifted in a show of delight. Happily, she trotted over to the dusty brown wolf she had not yet had the pleasure of meeting. His light colored eyes were a perfect match to his soulful voice; both indicated a wolf who was easy-going and happy by nature. Fly loved to meet new friends, especially when they had such positive energy.

The yearling had assumed the male was a pack mate, but just to be sure she sniffed the air. Of course, he carried the scent of the Downs, but he also smelled like...flowers, or herbs. Fly cocked her head to the side in curiosity. "Why do you smell like plants?" She asked innocently, but then quickly realized that it was rude to have answered his question with one of her own. "Oh, and I was out looking for Inali. My name is Fly by the way." She added, hoping that that sounded more polite. With a wide smile and a wagging tail Fly chirped "I like your accent. What's your name?" Excited to make another new friend in her pack, Fly temporarily delayed her search for Inali but made a mental note to go in search of the older she wolf a little while later. Or perhaps she will find me, Fly thought hopefully. Then she could spend the afternoon with two of her pack mates.

@Firefly

Lugh returned her smile, his already flailing tail picking up speed. Usually when anyone commented on his accent, it was often because they couldn't understand him, rather than any appreciation for the Whelan clan's customary dialect. So Lugh was delighted to find that someone out there liked it. "Why thank ya, miss Fly," He said with a bob of his head. "I was jus' sortin' out the infirmary. I've been so busy in there I 'adn't 'ad the chance to introduce myself yet, but I'm Lugh Whelan, the resident 'erbalist." He said with a wide grin, obviously quite proud of his position in the pack. He really liked to be helpful and lend his skills where he could. "Inali, hmm? I've 'ad my head in the sand, so-to-speak, all morning so unfortunately I can't say where she'd be. Best guess is keepin' an eye out for bears considering the nasty one ol' Kino ran into. Though I don't s'pose I've ever known a nice bear, come to think of it." Lugh rambled, quite content now that he had someone's ear to chatter off. He walked closer to Fly, turning around to stand beside her and giving her cinnamon furred shoulder a friendly nudge with his own. "I can 'elp ya look for 'er if ya want, though? Ain't no 'arm in that, I don't think. Even if we don't find 'er, company is always nice. Unless ya got somethin' else you've gotta be doing?" Lugh tilted his head, waiting for her response.

table by Grey / 2014

Quote: @Inali , you can join in at any time if you want:)

Firefly was pleased to see that the herbalist beamed when she complimented his accent. She waited patiently as the older wolf rambled on about Inali, being a 'erbalist, and whether or not bears were nice. Fly paid little attention but smiled and nodded encouragingly none-the-less. The girl had a hard time staying focused, but she was content to just enjoy Lugh's good energy. As he came over to sit next to her and nudged her shoulder in a friendly manner, he offered to help search for Inali. With a quick, excited bark Fly accepted his offer and jumped to her paws, ready to take off.

As she paced back and forth, she offered an idea of her own. In her high-pitched, soprano toned voice, she offered, "Maybe you could show me some herbs along the way and tell me what they mean. My mom knew some of them and tried to teach me what she knew but she didn't know much. I'm sure you could point out all kind of new herbs and plants and all of their uses. I want to be a hunter, but I think its good to know a little bit of everything, right?" Fly asked, but the question was not meant to be answered. Instead, she happily continued her rambling "I still need to learn better fighting moves, but that's what I am the worst at so it will be the hardest. I have good memory so I think I'll be able to remember the herbs that you point out and maybe one day I can use them to help someone who is hurt!" Fly paused to take a deep breathe and hoped that Lugh would agree to teach her about herbs. She knew that she was talking too much and too fast, but Lugh's positive energy and his own chattering had only boosted her normal excitement. Fly admired Minka and loved Kova like her own brother, but she could already tell that she would feel the most comfortable around Lugh.

Lugh's butter yellow eyes followed Fly back and forth as she paced, wondering what it was she was doing but was too polite to ask. Once she had suggested that he show her some herbs as they looked for Inali, he excitedly jumped up to his feet. "Ah! Great idea! I think e'ryone should know at least a couple 'erbs. You know, the important ones, at least. Pain, bleedin', food ain't agreein' with ya, that sort o' thing. Even a fighter oughta know 'ow to take care o' 'erself" Lugh said, his brushy tail whipping to and fro as he walked past Fly, nudging her shoulder to signal her to come along with. "First o' all is th' blackberry leaves. We got so damn many of 'em 'ere I figure I should point 'em out first. Gnawin' on a mouthfull of those'll clear up itches and rashes, which is pretty handy for flea season." Lugh glanced to Fly, a glint in his eye and a mischievous grin on his lips, "And I ain't jokin' 'bout flea season! I seen a big brute o' a wolf chewed down to skin an' bones by the things! Barely 'ad any hair left on 'im, an' not one wolf, let alone a 'ealer, wanted to see 'im lest they caught them, too! I tell ya what, if you run into a wolf missin' all his fur and crawlin' with bugs don't go pluckin' 'bout for some blackberry leaves! Ya oughta run for the 'ills! We're all worried 'bout bears and cougars, but those fleas'll really get ya!" Lugh couldn't help but throw in a few embellishments, if only for the sake of spinning a good yarn. From what he remembered, the poor wolf did have some fur left, and eventually someone did help him out. But that didn't make for much of a cautionary tale against the evils of tiny bloodsucking insects. Lugh kept on trotting alongside Fly through the brush, keeping his eye out for the next thing to show her.

table by Grey / 2014

(This post was last modified: Nov 05, 2014, 01:21 AM by Lugh.)

Fly happily followed Lugh as the older wolf nudged her shoulder and began walking through the brush. Fly was happy that he had explained the blackberries first because she had been wondering about them as of late. However, his story about fleas left Fly looking like a gapeseed. A wolf crawling about with no fur? To Fly that sounded like the makings of a horror story one might tell to pups to keep them from wondering into the forest! Fly had had fleas before and they certainly never seemed more scary than bears or cougars, but if they could make a wolf tear out all of his fur then they sure were a force to be reckoned with. Perhaps the nasty little bugs had shown her mercy or maybe her mom had just got them all out quick enough before they could do too much damage. Looking up into Lugh's buttery eyes Fly felt lucky that she finally had someone to teach her this stuff. Her mom had always taught her this stuff and while she had no intention of going to look for her anytime soon, Fly was glad to be able to do something that reminded her of the strict, impatient, snappy woman who had taught her everything she knew. Lugh didnt really remind her of her mother, he was much better company, but learning about herbs did and she was content to learn as much as she could from Lugh. "So blackberries to stop fleas, got it. What's next?" Fly asked eagerly, a beaming smile across her maw as she looked up at the friendly old wolf. "Speech"

Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

Lugh returned Fly's smile with his own grin, "Itchin'! Not fleas! Ya can smear all sorts of things all over yer body fer fleas, but I think takin' a swim's about the fastest way to get rid o' the buggers. The itchin' hangs around after they're gone, is th' problem. That's when ya pull out the blackberry." Lugh continued to talk as he walked, rambling on as was his habit. "Now th' next one's a bit 'arder to find. It's easier to go pickin' for 'erbs in the spring an' summer, before all the flowers fall off an' things dry up an' die off. That's why I've been workin' my tail off all summer," he told her, as he poked his nose about the grass and bushes, evidently looking for something. He fell quiet for a while, simply walking and focused on searching. Finally, he seemed to light up, his ears perking as he looked back to Fly. "'Ere we go! Devil's nettle!" Lugh called back to her, before pointing with his paw at the tiny little plant situated between the long blades of browned grass. It formed a clump of green, the stems thin and spindly, and it had tiny leaves running up all the stems. "I think some people call it yarrow, too. In the summer it'll 'ave little white or yellow flowers. It's good fer a lot of things, wonderful for any sort of bleedin'. Just gotta crush it up a bit with yer paws or teeth an' rub it on the wound. Ya can also chew it up for toothaches, stomachaches, an' fevers."

table by Grey / 2014

The plant she is looking at in the end of this post is Goldenrod just FYI. Im not good at describing plants, especially when they dont have flowers. lol

Firefly's skin heated under her fur as Lugh corrected her. Of course his voice was filled with mirth and not at all as condescending and frustrated as her mother's had been, but it sill made her feel embarrassed to have been wrong. Blackberries are for itchin', she thought to herself, adopting Lugh's accent as she tried to sear the words into her memory. She continued to repeat the phrase to herself as they continued on their walk. As they walked Lugh rambled about the best time of the year to look for herbs and why he had been working so hard to find them during the summer. Fly nodded attentively, but often found herself distracted by his accent. It was pleasant and she liked to hear him talk if only to hear how he pronounced his words. He fell quiet and Fly remained quiet as well. It was obvious he was focusing on looking for something and she didnt want to disturb him. Fly jumped as he turned and called to her "Ere we go! Devil's nettle!" Then, she quickly scurried over to where he had found the plant so that she could see for herself. The plant was green with thin stems that had tiny leaves all over. Really, it looked like most plants did to Fly: green. But she tried to find a way to distinguish it from others in her mind. Lugh claimed that in the summer it would have white or yellow flowers and Fly believed this would help tell it apart form some other plants. She pursed her lips, dutifully trying to retain all of the information Lugh prattled off about it. Good for bleeding and toothaches and stomaches and fevers. She nodded as she tried to memorize the list. Her attention was deterred by the sight of a bright orange butterfly passing right in front of her nose. The butterfly continued on for only a short distance before landing on the long stems of a plant with fuzzy green leaves. Fly smiled and without glancing back at Lugh since she didnt want to lose sight of the butterfly asked, "What is that plant? The butterfly seems to like it." Fly tilted her head curiously, awaiting Lugh's answer. "Speech"

Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

@Firefly Sorry for the wait!

Lugh was still considering the little tuft of yarrow when Fly wandered off. He was half considering uprooting the little plant and bringing it back with him, but the infirmary was already so stuffed... Maybe he could still find room for it. After all, nice herbs like this one that weren't too shriveled or frost shocked would be hard to find later in the season. He started to think about how he probably should widen out the medicine den before the ground froze too solid to dig. Lugh was still fretting over the plant and the current state of the infirmary when he heard Fly's curious voice flit towards him. Suddenly pulled from his reverie, Lugh glanced up to look for her, finding the red-furred girl a short distance away staring at something else. He trotted over to her, his bright eyes curious at first but lighting in delight at what his pupil had found. "Ah, ya got a sharp eye, lass!" He said as he sidled up to her side. "That is goldenrod. I mean, it doesn't look so golden now, but in th' summer it'll have some nice golden flowers up top. If you can crush it into a paste, it's good for achin' sores an' wounds. Ya can chew the leaves for sore throats, and the roots are good for toothaches. Which comes in mighty 'andy if there are teethin' cubs if ya can get 'em to take it. They tend t' not like the taste so much..." Lugh told her. He couldn't help put nudge his nose into the plant, jostling the butterfly off and watching it flutter around overhead. "They say it brings good luck, and if ya got a sweet'eart ya might just surprise 'em with a nice bouquet of flowers," Lugh added with a cheeky grin and a wink. "I took some goldenrod with me when I visited that Secret Woods pack over yonder, but they didn't seem terribly impressed... See, that's why it's good yer learnin' this stuff, so when nature springs up gifts like this ya don't overlook 'em!" Lugh said with the closest emotion to irritation the normally jolly Whelan would likely ever display. He still wasn't sure what to think about his run in with the Woodlands' scout, though he did think she seemed less than impressed with him, his pack, and his gift.

table by Grey / 2014