Heartleaf Creek fame, liquor, love

@Clover

And there's an old man sitting on the throne

Rhaegara had once thought that she would love to travel, but she found that love greatly diminished in her limited capacity to choose her own adventure. She had little doubt that had things not gone down the way they had, she’d be leading right now, or at least still standing strong as heir apparent, honing her skills to one day take over for her parents, and choose a mate to go along with. It was custom, tradition… it hadn’t been ideal for her. When she chose someone, she wanted it to be for love but it was not the way.

Still, even with those burdens off her chest, she felt hollow and incomplete. She was venturing the lands surrounding the forest, gathering a lay of the land as she intended to bunker down in one area in the winter months until the throngs of spring were upon the lands she now wandered. It was difficult. She could admit it was difficult… but Rayvne wolves did what they had to in order to survive. If her parents were to be believed, the Spirits watched down upon them and blessed them… Rhae did not think she could possibly believe in such things anymore, not after how cursed they must have been to deserve the fate they had.

She padded along the creek, snow lightly crunching underneath her as her pelt fought off the occasional strong gust of biting wind. It seemed like a nice place, a quiet place… one where she might be able to reflect. She found herself sitting near the creek edge, looking out over the body of water that had not quite frozen from the cold... she could, admittedly, get used to this.

that's saying that i probably shouldn't be so mean

After escaping the claustrophobic nature of the woods Clover had decided to search around for a bit more open spaces and fresh air, though she did not want to go too far away. She has continued following the stream, deciding it would be better so she could easily find her way back in the still snowy landscape. The icy wind tugged at her fur, and she was thankful that it was thick, but even then the cold still seeped into her body, and she shuddered. It would do her some good to find a warm place to rest for the night, as surely it would only get colder when the sun disappeared.

Her amber eyes were peeled open for any sign of herbs or medicinal plants as always, but in this snow all she could find would be the roots, but finding them without seeing their flowers would be next to impossible. She would have to wait for the snows to melt and the flowers to bloom before she could restock her supplies. So far she only had a meagre amount of basic herbs that would do in a pinch, but she wanted more if she could find any. Clover raised her head as the scent of another wolf wafted with the gust of the wind, ears pricking when she realised they were close by. She followed the trail, and quickly found another wolf sitting at the edge of the creek. The other female was covered in a myriad of tawny hues. "Hello," she called out softly, not wanting to frighten her.

@Clover

And there's an old man sitting on the throne

Rhaegara was thankful that her fur was naturally thick and warded off much of the cold that winter brought. It could be quite miserable in the summer, when the sweltering heat made her perpetually uncomfortable, but in this moment it was doing her a kindness. It allowed her to be on the water where the winds could bite but not quite penetrate the thick tawny mass that protected her body. She breathed out a content sigh before she was turning away from the waters edge when she caught the sight of the other wolf. She was much smaller, and she was around the same age if not a little older. “Hello!” She greeted back as the woman had seemed friendly enough, at least in her eyes.

She would defend that the last thing she needed right now was a fight. With winter settled in, medicinal plants were hard to find, and unlike the woman (unbeknownst to her of course that Clover was a healer), she was not a healer. “How are you?” It seemed like the polite greeting, coming to a talk a few paces from her as she took another seat in the snow, her tail curling around her as much as possible as she tilted her head lightly to the side, a curious but overall friendly expression on her features. The more wolves she met, the easier it would be for her to adjust to these lands. Though she had found that she liked them quite a bit already. For now, however, she did not offer a name.

that's saying that i probably shouldn't be so mean

Her tail wagged slowly behind her, happy but also relaxed, to show that she did not mean any ill will towards the tawny female. Winter was harsh enough on its own without having to worry about running into any ill-tempered wolves, especially for a wolf travelling on their own as she herself was. "Cold, she said with a soft laugh at the other females' query, happy to meet another wolf who seemed to be as friendly as her. "Been exploring around here for any medicinal plants but, unfortunately, I think they're all buried beneath this snow." Waiting until the snows melted would be her best bet before she could dig up any roots as, while she had a decent amount of knowledge, she still did not know everything.

When the other female sat down Clover followed suit, tilting her neck back just a bit so she could easily look her in the face. The snow crunched beneath her haunches as she sat, and the stream trickled quietly off to the side. "I'm Clover!" She said enthusiastically, tip of her tail tapping lightly against the ground. This was the first other female she had met in a little while, and really hoped they could get along. She was a little lonely and wanted someone she could consider a friend, although maybe that was asking far too much for now, so she guessed a friendly acquaintance would have to do.

And there's an old man sitting on the throne

The woman in front of her was approachable enough, friendly but not overly so and if Rhaegara were being honest, she didn’t think she had an aggressive bone in her body from the way she was presenting. Of course, Rhaegara had been wrong before, so she had her guard up… it was just more relax than her meeting with any other stranger. She let out a soft chuff of amusement because she could understand the cold. “Aye, it’s frigid today.” She relented, listening as she explained that she was looking for medicinal plants. “Are you a healer?” She inquired, head cocking to the side wondering if she was well trained. Rhae wasn’t injured, but perhaps if she were ever injured again, it would be possible for her to seek one out after all.

She had given up home of such things, thinking these lands were deserted, apart from Adelard… Clover. It was a nice name. “Rhaegara, but most people just call me Rhae.” She returned with her name. “I’m not much of a healer; I don’t know anything about plants even.” She revealed, considering her friendly enough to be a possible ally, and perhaps a friend. “Do you know if anyone else is wandering around these parts? I’ve barely seen anyone since reaching these strange lands… it’s a little… unnerving?”

that's saying that i probably shouldn't be so mean

You smell the remains of an elk nearby. Enjoy your feast! +10 Health

Clover nodded, a large smile on her face. "Indeed! I've been learning about medicinal plants and how to aid others since I can remember." In her pack it was tradition for the leaders to also be healers so that they could show that not only were they there to guide everyone, but to also care and look after them. The rest of the pack was also expected to have at least limited knowledge of the basics. She still felt that she had a lot more to learn, but definitely knew enough to help someone if they needed it.

"It's nice to meet you, Rhae," she said in response. The name suited her well. Her head cocked to the side curiously, a little shocked that Rhae revealed she did not know anything about plants. It was unheard of where she came from that a wolf had no knowledge whatsoever, and the healer inside her had an urge to give her a quick lesson on the basics. But as they had only just met she pushed it down, maybe at a later time if they saw each other again she would offer to teach her just a little bit.

She nodded again at Rhae's question, head turning to glance behind her at where she had come from. "I've met a few other wolves back that way, but you're right, this place seems quite uninhabited." Usually there were stray wolf scents here and there, but for a little while there had been nothing on the winds. It was almost as if this place was a ghost land, with few souls wandering around.

And there's an old man sitting on the throne

She had been the Princessa of her birth pack, though back then she had known it as a tribe she had since learned the other terminology for it… but her parents had not taught her much when it came to healing, they had focused instead on diplomacy, citing that a good leader would keep the peace, and there would never be a need for the healing arts. The more she was out on her own, the more she realized that was complete fox dung. Sickness happened. Hunting injuries happened… and those definitely required a healer. Overall, she felt she’d been left at a disadvantage.

She greeted her in turn, and she even seemed curious when Rhae admitted her faults. It was true, and she had been hoping to learn but she’d never had a teacher and the winter months made things more difficult due to the harsh weather killing any possible medicine… or at least, that was what went through her head. She did however, answer the question Rhae had laid out. “I met another as well; I’m travelling with him currently.” She answered, though she was a little ways off with the promise of catching up. She was on a short trip back from where she had previously met Huddy, aiming to reunite with her travelling companion before the sun started to set. She had felt guilty, jumping off in the hopes of finding food. “I’ve never seen lands this rich so lacking in packs. It makes me wonder what happened.” She mused aloud.

that's saying that i probably shouldn't be so mean

She glanced around, ears pricked at Rhae's mention of another wolf. "Is he nearby?" Clover was always wanting to meet new faces, excited by the prospect of meeting someone who could offer her something to learn. She was always open-minded to new skills, figuring that the more she knew, the more she could help others. She would of course offer to teach them something about herbs or healing in return, as that was only fair. It was possible that Rhae and her travelling companion could join up with the others she had met nearby; there was greater strength in numbers and even with the winter firmly taking hold of the lands, it would not be too difficult to find enough to eat.

Clover frowned slightly, her nose scrunching. She had to agree with Rhae, for a place that would be so bountiful when the snows melted, there seemed to be so few wolves around for miles and miles. It was a little disturbing, if she had to be honest, and it made her wonder why it was like a ghost land. She nodded sagely, a soft hmm leaving her maw. "Well I just hope that whatever happened here doesn't happen again." Her mind could think of many things that could have occurred to drive any wolves out, and none of them particularly good. But that was in the past, and she needed to focus on the future, her future, one that hopefully involved her joining a group of wolves - pack or not - and being able to do what she did best: helping others.

And there's an old man sitting on the throne

The question fell and she offered a sympathetic smile. “Not particularly; admittedly I wandered a bit looking for food…” She needed to start making her way back there, she knew… but a few more minutes of conversation wasn’t going to hurt anyone… at least she thought that. She didn’t know much about the other woman, other than the fact that her name was Clover and she was a healer. The vague scents on her pelt suggested that she was also not travelling alone, but Rhae did not see it fit to pry. She had her own travelling companion, after all.

“I hope so too.” She did not wish to see an event cause mass panic or anything of the sort. She hoped whatever had driven the wolves out before, it didn’t come back and happen again… or if it did, she hoped it was after her time. She could see herself spending a lot of time here in these lands. They were nice, despite the harsh winter climate… she couldn’t wait to see what these lands looked like during the spring or even summer… if these lands were still open. She knew that it was possible there would be packs claiming territories here soon enough, but if they stayed open then they could certainly circle back around. She wasn’t sure hoe Adelard would feel about it, but the only way to know was to ask.

that's saying that i probably shouldn't be so mean