Sanguine Cove With the echoing hymn of my fellow passerine

A massive wolf padded through the territory of Sanguine Cove. He was large and nearing adulthood, although by the way he held himself it was as if he didn't know he was able to raise his head above his shoulders. He Had thick golden fur with a flaxen underbelly and mane. His face, paws, ears, and tail were dipped in chocolate and he had golden eyes. He had feathers woven into the fur of his tail, placed in with purpose from feathers he had spent the better part of yesterday looking for.

Apollo padded over to where Nash had directed him to go to see Aquene in order to speak with her again. He was excited at the prospect of becoming her apprentice. Fighting and hunting had never been an interest for him. He often balked at any violence, preferring not to fight instead. He disliked the idea of causing harm to others despite his large size. Perhaps in another life he would have been a strong fighter but in this world he was not. He had already eaten and rested and felt like a new wolf after this. He had even found feathers to put in his tail after he had cleaned up. He needed to find flowers once they returned. But he wanted to meet Aquene as soon as possible so he would look for someone later. Apollo was like a mossball for information. He was going to leave for Paradise Falls once he was able to figure out where it was. He needed to find his mother as soon as possible.

He stopped outside the den that he had met Aquene in. "Hello, Miss Aquene? It's Apollo."

---

OOC→ This happens a day after Apollo's joiner

Image from Pixabay

(This post was last modified: Apr 01, 2024, 05:10 AM by Apollo.)

Note to self - At the time of this thread, Aquene is now 30 days pregnant.
This day marks the end of embryogenesis, the first phase of gestation. Expectant mothers may see a drastic change in their diet; she might have a decreased appetite.  Her belly will also begin to look noticeably swollen as the pups take up more space in her abdomen.

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.

Aquene Slayer

Apollo's tail wagged as he saw the she-wolf emerged from the den. His head tilted ever so slightly. He'd never met a she-wolf who seemed to be with pups. He understood the matter abstractly since his mother explained it somewhat to him. She'd only detailed that women can carry pups when they have a mate but never detailed what exactly it entailed. She did look tired though. He dipped his head. "Yes, yes I do. I've always wanted to be a healer. My grandmother was one and I...I was supposed to go back to my mother's pack to learn from her but I can't find my mother." His gaze dropped but he perked back up again. "My mother already taught me about dangerous flowers!" he said brightly. "I love flowers."

His head tilted slightly again as she asked him what he had in his fur. "They're feathers! I love decorating myself with pretty things. It's winter now so I can't find any flowers. My mother put flowers in my mane when I asked her to because I love pretty flowers. I also like feathers and they're the only adornment I can do myself. I like looking pretty!" he said brightly. "Oh, sorry I'm rambling again."

---

OOC→ i love Aquene sm

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.”

Aquene Slayer

Apollo looked slightly saddened by the news that flowers wouldn't be around for a while. He wasn't great at tracking time just yet in terms of full moons like his mother tracked them. This was actually his first winter he could remember since he was born just after winter so this was his first. "This is my first winter. I was born in spring." He wondered what he would do without flowers for so long. It felt like winter took forever to end. He loved the green months and thought he might go mad again since winter felt like it took an eternity to go away. "How many full moons until the snow goes away?"

He brightened up almost immediately at the prospect of learning about healing. He nodded, his tail wagging. "I'd be honored to learn from you!" he said with a smile. "How do you manage during winter when there's no plants?" He was of course very curious and happy to learn, although he realised it might take some time before he learned about plants considering it was winter after all.

---

OOC→ lalalala

Image from Pixabay

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.”

Aquene Slayer

Apollo looked a bit saddened by the news. Another moon? Possibly a second? No plants at all, no flowers no herbs. That would put his training back for a bit, not to mention finding his favorite flowers again. He sighed dejectedly. What was he supposed to do with himself now? However, he refocused as Aquene invited him into her den.

The boy almost immediately lowered himself, something he was well-used to. His mother worked hard to find them dens and Apollo had grown to be her size and then larger fairly quickly. So he was used to having to squeeze into small places.He gazed upon the herb storage Aquene had in wonder. He didn't even know herbs could be dried. He almost thought about trying it with flowers but they wouldn't be wearable. He refocused, looking at the herbs and listening. He nodded as he listened.

"Are there things I can learn without herbs?" he asked.

---

OOC→ lalalala

Image from Pixabay

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 Slayer

As Aquene spoke, Apollo's eyes widened like full moons. He realised he had never seen a wolf truly injured. He had gotten his own scrapes from over-eagerness but never had he seen a wounded wolf. His mother got her own scrapes from hunting but the lithe she-wolf had never been injured badly. To put it lightly, he looked a bit spooked. But he steeled himself ever so slightly.

"I've never seen an injured wolf before outside of scrapes," he said truthfully as he looked down. "But, I'm willing to learn." he said as he looked back up. "I'm more comfortable with plants and I've become pretty good at recognizing them and remembering what they are. My mom taught me the basics: arnica for scrapes and cuts, goldenrod for wounds, scrub pine for bone pains, white fir for cuts and joint pain, and yarrow for bleeding. She knew I'd pick up the flowering herbs the easiest. Those were what my grandmother taught her; the basics for when she dispersed and would be on her own. My mother also made sure to teach me all the poisonous flowers and plants so I wouldn't put myself in danger. When I become a yearling, my mother wanted to take me to meet my grandmother for the first time to learn from her."

---

OOC→ would have said "widened like saucers" but wolves dont have saucers XD

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.”

Aquene Slayer