Wild Cherry Orchard Just around the cherry tree

Quote:For @Aideen but I don't mind if others want to join in:)

Firefly had gotten used to the blackberries that dotted the fields of her home territory, but these berries were red and Fly wondered why only the berries in this patch of land were red. She had accidentally stepped on a few while strolling through this path and now her light brown paws were smeared with sticky red juice. Curiously, Fly lifted her paw and sniffed. It didn't smell...bad. Fly knew that some herbs and plants could be deadly to a wolf, especially if consumed. But what harm could one quick lick do? Without much more thought on the matter, Fly gave her front paw a quick lick and to her satisfaction it tasted very good. Firefly happily licked all four of her paws clean and then curiously nudged one of the berries that had fallen from its leaves onto the path in front of her. At that moment she caught sight of a small brightly colored butterfly, gingerly landing on one branch of a cherry tree and then another. The butterfly had bright orange wings that stood out against the brown and green background that the trees provided.

Fly watched curiously, absent-mindedly wondering what it would be like to actually fly. Her mother had named her Fly because she ran so fast, but she couldn't actually fly. No wolf could. But if she could, where would she go? Firefly loved her new home but if she could fly she certainly wouldn't stay in one place. She would visit all of the packs around Relic Lore and maybe even venture out of this place and search for other lands. Do wolves from different lands act differently? Well, that was a question that would require a lot of exploring. Her first goal was to determine if wolves from other packs in Relic Lore acted the same as her pack mates in Black Thorn Downs. Her mother had told her that some wolves from other packs were very cruel and very mean. She had not seen that kind of behavior as of yet, but she had also not met very many other wolves. Vera had been the closest she had come to meeting a hostile wolf, but Fly would hardly count Vera has cruel or mean. In order to find out if what her mother had said was true, Firefly would just have to meet more wolves from other packs. Little did she know, her opportunity was just around the cherry tree.

Out and about. Again. At last! She really needed to get out more, and now, before the winter restricted her range of travel, trapping her in the Secret Woodlands den. Not that she would mind that terribly; she would have great company! It was true that the ranks of The Thicket had thinned over the fall, but the wolves left where the ones she trusted, and loved, the most. Nina and the pup; maybe there would be time for more lessons in healing, she still had so much to learn. Iopah, true the huntress could be gruff at the edges, but she was a loyal wolf, and a friend. And @Miccah The thought of the dark man brought a smile to Aideen's lips. He had been another good friend through her time in The Woodlands, strong, loyal and kind; honestly, she wasn't sure she would have made it without his support. Today, she was out and about, and quite far from the borders of her homeland. She had decided to wander through Blackberry Fields, remembering the sweet nostalgia the scent of the flowers had awakened in her last time. But the trip offered little satisfaction; the blooms long gone and only a few, overripe berries left hanging from the dark branches. She knew better then to eat them, but stopped several times to sniff the tiny fruits, savoring what little perfume was hanging on them. But the petite fae felt little pleasure in the endeavor, her memories of childhood awaking only melancholia within her. So she kept going, feeling a little pang of her old adventure lust. Eventually, her legs brought her out of the fields, stubby, tangled bushes replaced by large-trunked, leafless trees, fruits hanging from their branches as well. Unfamiliar with the large, deep red berries, the fox-like girl stopped to sniff at the air, committing the scent to memory, so she could recognize it again. Plenty of the sweet-smelling fruits had fallen to the ground, littered throughout the grass, more or less decomposed. She didn't dare sneak a taste; With berries one should always be careful. But instead stepped around them as best she could, slowly making her way through the small orchard. She'd been walking for a little while, wondering whether it wouldn't be best t turn home - There doesn't seem to be anything of interest around here - when she caught sight of another wolf, pelt as striking as her own. Aideen froze for a second, eyes wide as she stared at the figure from a distance; the other had her back turned at the moment, but her copper eyes could make out the cream colored underbelly beneath the flame-like overcoat easily enough. "Mom?" Aideen breathed, legs starting to move, almost of their own accord. A swift trot brought her closer to the stranger, circling her cautiously to get a better view. When she came up close, Aideen felt her hastily beating heart stop for a second, then she sighed deeply. No, this was not her mother; Obviously! How stupid could she be?! The coat was vaguely similar, but this shewolf had more brown nuances mixed in, and she was bigger. And much younger too, only a yearling. Stopping before the stranger, Aideen shifted awkwardly from paw to paw, wishing that she hadn't approached the other, but it was too late to turn back now. "Uhm... Hi." She finally uttered, voice low, but not unfriendly, and flashed the other a small smile. Word count: 578 Thoughts ”Speech”

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Firefly tore her warm brown gaze away from the butterfly that had captured her attention and brought it upon the petite she wolf that had walked up. The woman had a pelt similar to her own, but slightly darker. They shared an almost identical eye color, though. Fly smiled at the stranger who gave an awkward greeting accompanied by a small smile of her own."Hello to you too! What's your name?" Fly asked in her usual friendly, out going demeanor. As she waited for an answer she took a split second to scent the air and took note of the fact that this wolf did not carry the similar smell of the Down wolves, but she did carry a scent besides her own. Fly's nose twitched as she wondered about the other scent on the woman. Could she belong to a pack too? One different form the Downs? Was her pack close to these cherry orchards too? As the questions buzzed through Fly's hyperactive mind, her excitement began to grow and before she knew it her tail was wagging as if this woman was an old friend instead of a stranger. Fly prattled on, asking questions without giving the other she wolf a chance to answer."My name is Firefly and I am training to be a Hunter in Black Thorn Downs. What about you? Do you belong to a pack? What do you do? Are you a Scout? or a Healer? or maybe a Hunter, like me?" Finally, Fly paused so that she could take a breathe, but her eager smile never faltered and her brown eyes retained a light of excitement that would not die down until she knew more about this stranger. "Speech"

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The stranger turned to her, smiling back brightly and answering her greeting excitedly. Her voice was friendly and eager, and her face animated as she openly studied Aideen. The older fae took the opportunity to make an inspection of her own, copper eyes sliding over the other wolf with warm curiosity, nostrils flaring as she copied her in sniffing at the air. The scent was easy enough to place, the aromatic mixture borne by the Black Thorne Downs wolves; Minka's pack..! And someone she shouldn't be fraternizing with. But before she had the chance to excuse herself and turn back, the russet yearling started bombarding her with questions; her words falling so fast you could hardly tell one from the other, tail wagging manically behind her. At first, Aideen's eyes widened in astonishment, but as the other went on, her smile started to widen, and in the end, she couldn't help it; she burst out laughing. It was a warm sound, full of genuine amusement, and it made her shoulders shake and her eyes sparkle. There was no taunt in it, simply joy, and her tail wagged happily behind her as she let her voice ring out between the cherry trees. No, this wolf certainly wasn't her mother! She did, however, remind her an awful lot of herself. When she finally stopped, her stomach was sore, and she was gasping for breath herself. Looking at the younger girl with a bright grin she breathed: "Slow down, dear! One thing at the time." Then she straightened up, allowing herself a few moments to properly catch her breath, before she cleared her throat and met the Downs wolf's glowing, deep brown gaze; "I'm Aideen Smoke of Secret Woodlands, and I am a Healer." She smiled warmly at Firefly; "Nice to meet you." Word count: 300 Thoughts ”Speech”

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There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

@Aideen Sorry that this is late and a little rushed. Holiday season is getting to me x.x But I like this thread and want to keep it going so I got a response in!:) I think that it would be good for Fly to get along with one of the SW wolves because then she might sympathize with them and question Minka's decisions in regards to SW. Good character building;)

Firefly's fluffy russet tail never stopped wagging, even as the darker she wolf bursted out laughing. Fly's smile faltered, but only slightly, as she wondered what she had said that was so funny. Not that it mattered, the darker wolf was laughing happily and Fly didn't get the feeling that she was being laughed at. Finally, the other she wolf introduced herself as Aideen Smoke. Fly cocked her russet head to the side, fascinated by the name. "Aideen Smoke?" She tried the name on her tongue and was pleased with how it sounded."That's a really cool name!" For a brief moment, Fly considered the irony that she was Firefly and this woman, who looked similar to herself, was Aideen Smoke. Fire and Smoke. A soprano-toned giggle escaped Fly's maw. "We have a Healer, too and he is very nice. You seem nice too. I wonder if all Healers are nice." Fly couldn't imagine an angry Healer. How could they take care of someone if they were mean or evil? Well, then they wouldn't be very good at their job."Secret Woodlands, huh? Sounds cool. One time, Lugh told me about a pack that lives in a thicket! Is that you guys?" Fly asked, curiously. Lugh had said that the thicket wolves didn't like the Down wolves very much, but he also said that Fly should be kind if she ever met one of the thicket wolves. Could this be the meeting he had anticipated? Well, Aideen doesn't seem like she wants to chase me away or anything so I don't see any reason why I shouldn't be nice to her, Fly thought innocently. "Speech"

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Aideen was afraid for a moment, that her laughter had unintentionally upset the deep red girl, but then youth spoke in a thoughtful, cheery tone, complimenting the bright orange woman's name with a light giggle. Aideen grinned back, waving her tail with enthusiasm and bowing her head in appreciation; "Thank you," she said with a warm smile, and then added with mock pride: "It means little fire." Turning her side to the other to show off her petite stature, the fire-pelted lass waved her ears bashfully, cowering slightly to further the illustration. Then she quickly turned back, sitting herself down on the cold ground. Firefly continued to speak, her openness and way of seemingly saying exactly what she thought making the older female smile even broader. She told of their own healer, her mention of Aideen's kindness making the Woodland medic feel warm. Then she asked about The Thicket, and a small stab of apprehensions made its way into Aideen's mind, but she wasn't too worried, and looking into the young woman's open, curious eyes, she couldn't withhold answers; "I haven't met any healers who weren't nice either, since it is our job to take care of others, it would be hard to be otherwise, I suppose..." A slight, thoughtful pucker tugged at her lips. It was true that the need to nurse others in herself sprouted from a wish to see those around her happy, and personally, the tri-colored lady had never found it difficult to be kind towards everyone else, she was naturally friendly. But she also remembered her lessons from Nina; Feelings must be kept at bay to do a proper job. If a healer cared to much about their patient to keep their head cold, things would end badly. Shrugging off the gloomy thoughts, Aideen turned her attention to the question about her pack, meeting Firefly's deep brown eyes as she said: "Yes, The Thicket of Secrets is our home, south west of here. This Lugh must have been speaking of us, at least if it is close by..." Her smile grew a little tighter, head waving lightly to gesture over her shoulder as she mentioned the direction; "I don't know of any other wolves who have settled in a thicket." She added with a little chuckle, trying to loosen her tightening jaw, but she couldn't help it. Firefly seemed both kind and friendly, if also a bit naïve, but the fact of the matter was that their packs were at odds; even if the enmity was only by default of The Woodlands' connection to Whisper Caverns, and not anything that had grown to physical confrontation, the two of them shouldn't be associating. Sighing, Aideen turned her eyes to an arbitrary point in the distance, smile gone as she spoke somberly; "Did he also tell you that we're not supposed to speak to each other? Or is that just the Woodlands position?" She looked back to the Downs girl, smiling sadly; This enemy thing is hard... Word count: 500 Thoughts ”Speech”

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