Blackberry Fields little lady, come and fade me

@Jessie <3

These lands were new and strange to her, used to travelling alongside rivers and through forests, it was not all that often that she found herself exposed as she did within the fields. She noted the strange bushes, carefully stepping, placing her paws where she knew it wouldn’t get her into trouble and nowhere else as Lilya examined her surroundings. She couldn’t afford a fight, not without any family and not without a home, nor had she ever been truly interested in fighting… always running and talking, but never fighting. Perhaps it was her parent’s constant persistence that she learn to protect her homeland, or perhaps it was the fact that her sister had died while they were trying to take their minds off of that constant training… she didn’t know.

Or perhaps it was that itch that she felt starting to fade from her paws as the days went by, that urge to run and explore that while it never truly faded, was starting to dull just enough for her to consider everything… it was her demons that kept her running still, the demons she knew would never fade… the ones that probably hadn’t followed her this far. After all, who would waste months tracking one wolf who got away, a wolf who couldn’t stay around to fight the battles of her family?

And yet, she couldn’t find a way to stop, at least not for long… though these surroundings did intrigue her as the peppered girl found herself sniffing at the berries that were starting to sprout on the bushes, almost wondering if they were edible… she’d never seen them before, nor had she tasted them… it left her to wonder. Lilya wasn’t going to risk it, though, because one wrong berry meant certain death.

She was definitely expecting. The first few days after she had done the deed with Drestig she had expected to feel guilty but all she felt was happiness...and stress. She knew that they had a deadline that they had to reach now. They were expecting someone now and the two of them needed somewhere safe for the delivery. It would have been safer if they had a pack to back them but with Jessie's lack of social skills and the rate they were going at, it did not seem as if they were progressing very far. The only guilt that she felt was that she had failed in bringing any recruits to their crusade. Often, Jessie would retreat to Blackberry Fields. It was far enough away from Nina's lands that the woman could run peacefully without a care and the land was open enough that if the pack came for a hunt, she would be able to retreat. From what Drestig had told her back when they had gone on their scouting trip, however, Nina was friendly and the gray woman was not too concerned over enjoying herself in the fields. At least, until they moved on. The pepper-and-salt colored lady had experienced quite a bit of nausea but it did not hinder her walk through the fields. Usually, she minded her own business but as she walked, the figure of another came into view, as well as the berries she was sniffing. While Jessie was no overly familiar with the berries in the field, she did know a thing or two about the cherries that grew in the orchard, and those were poisonous. Her voice was soft but firm when she called out to the other woman, ”I wouldn't eat those if I were you!” She was not a threat in any way and stood a comfortable distance away. She did not want to endanger any lives she could have been expecting. If she needed to, she would run, but hopefully the other woman would realize that she was just trying to do the right thing. Jessie Tainn

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(This post was last modified: Apr 20, 2016, 03:58 AM by Jessie.)

She kept sniffing around them, curious about the berries and cherries that grew all around her… just one bite would tell her, but at the same time just one bite could kill her. She was trying to figure out if the pros outweighed the cons. She was almost tempted to take that bite… but she couldn’t decide if it was worth the risk… she was about to… and then she heard the voice that caused her to halt, tensing at the soft but firm voice that warned her not to eat those, her head tilting slightly to the side as she spotted the woman, noting subtle things about her.

She smelled like her mama had right before she left… pregnant with pups in the middle of a war… it hadn’t been her best decision but her parents had thought that it might help secure their hold onto the Run which she didn’t think it would. If anything, it made them vulnerable because they were all concerned about the pups… but she wouldn’t know the end result of that, because she’d been a coward and she’d run from the war with no meaning. It had been a lost cause, they were losing, two against one with both of their packs outnumbering Otter’s Run, if even by only a little.

The woman seemed like she lacked the labeling of ‘threat’ in Lilya’s eyes, warning her which led her to believe that eating the berries would have caused her arm… something she was thankful for. “Hello there! What’s wrong with t’berries?” She wanted to get a verbal recognition, in case it was actually some kind of territory thing instead of the food themselves. “M’name’s Lilya.” Where were her manners? The other woman deserved a name, especially if she'd just saved her life.

I am so sorry!

She was prepared to flee but it seemed that the other woman realized that she was not a threat. She seemed to take her warning in consideration and turned her attention to Jessie. The blue-eyed wolf's voice intrigued her, it was an accent she had not heard in the lore before and her ears flicked forward in curiosity. The question was valid and was accompanied with her name. Emerald eyes observed the larger woman briefly before responding, ”Most of the berries around these parts are poisonous. The orchards just over there are filled with them.” Jessie pointed in the direction that the cherry orchard was in. Then it was her turn, ”My name is Jessie. It's nice to meet you.” She shifted awkwardly then, not knowing where to go with their conversation. She tried to search her brain for something say and remembered a conversation from back when she was in Swift River. Her heart beat anxiously in her chest as she stood there, emerald eyes trained on the stranger. Tilting her head slightly, to make it seem like she was interested, she asked, ”Have you lived in the Lore long?” It was the best conversation starter that she could think of. Aside from knowing the berries, Jessie was still remembering this side of the mountain, the side she had called home for over two years. Now that she was returning, Jessie knew it was time to reacquaint herself with knowledge of this side.   Jessie Tainn

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A lynx has left behind the remains of a deer. +5 Health

@Jessie <3 Totally fine

The lady’s words confirmed the nagging suspicion that the girl had, a soft frown on her features as she glanced at the berries she had very well almost eaten before a soft smile fell across her features, looking back to the woman who was introducing herself. “Pleasure ta meet ya, Jessie… Thanks f’the warning ‘bout the berries!” She felt the need to express, knowing that those berries now very well could have killed her… she preferred to stay alive, thank you very much. Then there was another question, whether or not she’d been in the Lore long… the Lore? Was that what this place was called? Either way, it was a name she stored to memory as she shook her head. “Nope!” She popped the ‘p’ sound off her maw.

That was a question she knew the answer to, and one she wasn’t going to refrain from answering. “Almost brand new in fact, tryin’ ta learn my way ‘round all these places. Confusin’ at best figurin’ out where to go and where not to.” She explained with a slight tilt of her head. “Ah take it you’ve been here for a long time?” She asked curiously, figuring if she knew the berries were poisonous, and that there were a ton other ones that were just like it in the orchard nearby that she’d been here long enough to figure it out.

This woman intrigued Lilya, there was something about her… she couldn’t quite place what it was, but there was something. “Do ya know the lands 'round here well enough to tell me 'bout them?” The more knowledge she could muster, the better things would be... right?

The other woman was extremely friendly and Jessie found she wouldn't mind to be in her company more often. It wasn't too annoying but the soon-to-be mother knew she wouldn't make a habit of speaking with her pack mates too often. At least, she hoped she wouldn't have to, it was what she had done within the bend. Only Hotei, Drestig, and Triell held her attention and that was never for very long. She liked to be in solitary and doubted it would be any different during this new life. The woman opposite of her had an interesting twang to her voice. It pulled Jess in and forced her to listen closely to what she was saying, trying to pinpoint where the accent may have originated from. However, the woman was quick to turn the questions on her and the widowed Tainn offered her a tight smile when she replied, ”You can say that. I've traveled quite a bit around these lands. I served as a scout for many years here.” That was enough, it was brief and enough information. She was certain that she had not traveled the whole of the lore. Certainly there was always more to be discovered but Jessie had definitely walked the ground of the lands traveling from pack to pack and back home again. She was one of the ones that had discovered the other side of the mountain, but that wasn't important in this conversation. Her eyebrows lifted at Lilya's other question. Her legs were starting to ache. ”Sure. I hope you don't mind if I sit down though.” The pregnant woman did just that, settling her haunches on the ground gently and comfortably before continuing, ”Is there anything in particular you want to know?” Emerald eyes gleamed at the timber wolf. Giving out information was what she always exceeded at, especially when it was educating them. Hopefully, she would be able to help this woman. Jessie knew she hadn't been able to help anyone else out in quite some time. Jessie Tainn

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It was nice to be able to hold a conversation with other wolves, something she admittedly hadn’t had in quite a long time before finding the stretch of land that had come to be called the Lore, and it gave her the tendency to ramble a bit, though nobody seemed to mind, or at least they’d never informed her that they were annoyed with her and her strange babbles. She was quick to answer her questions with a soft smile, one that Lilya still held on her features in return. She’d travelled around the lands for many years, served as a scout meaning she used to be part of a pack, or at least Lilya was pretty sure.

Yeah, it sounded like it was for a pack. Lilya gave a bit of an eager nod as the other woman took a seat, finding herself collapsing down on her rump to follow suite. “O’course I don’t mind.” Her scent was different than that of the others, and despite Lilya’s mother not carrying the year after she was born, she recognized that scent off of others she’d encountered while on the run. Then there was that age old question, one that folks around these parts seemed eager to answer to help a loner out… something she wished she’d seen more of before, not that she could argue much. “Jus’ infermation ‘bout the dangers in t’area like th’berries so I don’t eat or wander somewhere I’m not s’possed ta be.”

Lilya just wanted to avoid trouble, and she was hoping this other loner would be able to help her do just that.

The woman in front of her seemed respectable enough and Jessie gracefully took her seat, finding a comfortable position. She found that as her pregnancy wore on, her joints got sorer and the Tainn decided that it was her least favorite part about being pregnant. She huffed softly, ears flicking forward when the other woman spoke against. She tilted her head, thinking back to her days in Swift River. She was certainly no herbalist but she remembered the warnings from back when she was a subordinate under Indru and Corinna. She gave a soft laugh, making it clear that she was not the best for such advice, ”I am no medic, but I know there is an orchid nearby and the berries there are very toxic. As for other dangers, during the winter, there tends to be more landslides on the mountains. Sometimes they are nearly impossible to navigate during the winter, I definitely suggest finding a pack before then.” Jessie's tail flicked behind her, a small smile planted on her lips. For the past few years of her life she had been a diplomat for her pack. That was not going to easily go away, she knew. Silently, she waited for the other woman's response, wanting to know if she needed any more information about the lands. After all, it was only a matter of time before she would have to return to Drestig. It was only amount of time before he would begin to worry and she did not want to find herself becoming annoyed with him. Jessie Tainn

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She kept a wide grin on her features, doing her best to appear non-threatening, because in all actuality she couldn’t read minds and there was always that possibility that strangers were pretending to be kind when they could be the very enemies that she’d been running from this entire time. She claimed she wasn’t a medic but her logic seemed sound and it wasn’t a risk she was willing to take to see if she was being lied to. Avoid the berries in the orchard and the berries in the bushes too. She made a mental note of it as she nodded.

It provided some heartsease to know of surrounding dangers… dangers she hoped those who were following her didn’t know either… perhaps they could deal with themselves rather than her running for the rest of her life. She never thought she’d wish death upon another wolf, but if it meant her own freedom and peace of mind, then let them turn over in their graves. It sounded harsher than she thought it would, but it was, in the end, the truth. She suggested finding a pack and Lilya shook her head lightly. “M’fraid that a pack wouldn’t be the best plan fer me… got demons followin’ me and I couldn’t put another in danger like that.” That was all she planned to say on the matter.

"What about you? Ah pack in yer future, maybe?" Wasn't it dangerous to have pups with no one to watch your back? The caring soul wondered if the soon-to-be mother had plans to settle down... she didn't smell like a pack, at least not from what Lilya could tell, and that caused concern in itself. After all, the woman had saved her life!