[Gaia]

ooc: She is gathering herbs . . . ^^ Today the sun had risen, and even though the chill bite of the winter air filled the forest, it was still the sun that made her hopeful enough that some of the frost would come off of the ground so that she could complete her task. Some might think her efforts wasteful, others might think them simply overtly menial and quite boring. However, for Gaia searching for medicinal herbs that could be used for poultices, salves and other such things to ail what was wrong with an Avari, was a homage to the goddess Demeter herself. It was a way that she showed that she respected the forest and was aware of how it could be utilized to aid the life that lived within and around it. So today she was in search of some of the basics, herbs that she knew would still be around even after the winter had fallen: Sage, Rosemary, Lavender and Thyme. All of which were important in salves and poultices, mixtures that one could apply to an area that was wounded or simply needed some soothing. Around her neck was a cord of braided tough grasses that held a pouch against her front chest that gently swayed with her motions. Flying wouldn't do to find these herbs so she padded through the underbrush quietly and almost meditatively as she searched. Every so often, she would pick something up with a talon, inspect it, and either place it in the pouch or leave it gently back on the undergrowth. ""

[Craven]

The air was crisp that day, Craven noted as he padded slowly through the forest, but calm. Nice, after the storm which had threatened to knock him right from his tree not long before. The same storm which had blown everything around in his den in the tree, ruining half of his herbs, and blowing the rest off to the four winds. Which, of course, was more troublesome than the fact the a branch fell across the entrance, nearly trapping him in.

So, now, there he was, traipsing through the Vault, sniffing around for lavendar, heal-all, and Five-Finger Root (ginseng). And featherfew (feverfew), don't want to forget the featherfew, he thought to himself as he continued to search about. So engrossed was he in his search, he did not catch the scent of another Tarin nearby.

Motion. Thought. "Speech."

 

[Gaia]

ooc: Ah, a nice patch of lavender. Having been protected by the surrounding underbrush slightly, it was still vaguely reminiscent of the bright, violet colors that it would have in the spring, or even summer. However, it still had herbal potency even this late in the game, and so she gathered only the amount she'd rightly need (at least to her own mind), delicately separating it from the plants around it so as not to cause harm to the earth. It was then that she detected another presence out of the corner of her eye and looked up to notice the darkly tinted Tarin that seemed to be lurking closer to her location. A smile popped onto her muzzle and she rose from her gathering, her tail sweeping slightly in a gesture of friendly welcome as she called out softly to the other. "Hello there! You seem to be looking for something, perhaps I can help?" Her forest shaded eyes were merry but gentle as she gazed at the raven-like Tarin. She hoped he would not simply ignore her, she enjoyed meeting others in the lands, she knew so few and was hoping to expand that knowledge.

[Craven]

Craven had just caught the scent of lavender when a voice sounded nearby, startling him visibly. His head snapped upwards, and he didn't relax until his piercing yellow eyes had found the source of the noise. It was a female, a Tarin, like himself, resembling a bluebird, the sort that favor the higher elevations. He dipped his head in greeting, and even though he was still waiting for his heart to settle, his voice was calm. "Greetings... Ah, yes. I thought that I'd caught the scent of a patch of lavender..."

His voice trailed off as his eyes scanned the ground, and when he spotted the patch she'd just been picking through, his eyes brightened and he practically pounced on what she'd not picked. Once he reached it, however, he was much more gentle than one would think, gingerly picking the plants one stem at a time with his vicious talons. When he finished with it, the patch was half as small again, and he had a bundle before him about as thick around as his foreleg, which would dry to about two-thirds of the amount.

Motion. Thought. "Speech."

 

[Gaia]

ooc: She smiled at him, as he spoke of lavender. Well, it seemed they had been seeking out the same thing! As he pounced over towards it, she politely moved out of the way, to give him room. After all, it wasn't as if it belonged to her, it belonged to the forest. She waited until he'd taken what he needed, much as she already had, and then spoke again in her gentle tones. "It seems we are both collectors of the medicinal herbs? Lavender of course can also be used for bringing a nice scent, but moreso when it's in full bloom, I would take you, one that knows the plant to be hardy enough to still retain use even in winter, to be more like myself." She grinned again, nodding her head to him in a respectful bow. They seemed alike, and she could only hope perhaps this would be an opportunity to speak to another of the same ilk. "I am Gaia, recently of the Elpis Latuit Clan, having only arrived in this area a few days ago. It is nice to meet another of Demeter's chosen."

[Craven]

Gaia, was it? Nice name. A bit of a cliché, one like him might think if he bothered to do so. He did not, though. It was his habit not to think very far into names, what with his own ill-fitting moniker. She was pretty, but not spectacular. Pleasantly normal, like himself, and unlike some flashy Tarin he’d encountered in his short life. It was refreshing, when one though about how some of their peers ran around daubed in orange and gold, not that they had a say in it. Setting the foliage aside for the moment, he dipped his head in greeting.

"Pleased to meet you, Gaia. My name is Craven Flight. I’m a loner." He introduced himself in his inherently sarcastic voice. Nothing he could do about that, no more so than some of his obnoxiously brightly- hued brethren could help their appearances, thus, he was always reminding himself of how contradictory he could be. He kept it out of his behavior, though. "I use lavendar predominantly as an antiseptic and an anti-inflamitory agent, myself…" he replied in turn.

Motion. Thought. "Speech."

 

[Gaia]

ooc: Nodding to him, she was pleased when he confirmed his use for the lavender. It was the same as her own, the medicinal properties of the herb were not lessened in any way by the winter's edge, rather they retained their uses. She grinned slightly and gestured with a fore-talon to her own pouch that hung from her neck, easy to see a lavender plant poking out from it's opening. "It appears to me then, sir Craven, that we could be kin in that area. I practice the skills of one that wishes to help aid others with my skills with herbs and plants of medicine. I trust you also seek others such as sage, which can also survive the winters and is quite useful when ground to release it's oils as something of a aid in fighting off sepsis and as a general aid to overall healing." She was not, of course, attempting to show off her knowledge, merely gain the scope of this male's interest. Should he be such as she was, then it would be welcomed to see him out and about, even if he weren't a part of her clan. Her soft, earthen tones were gentle and quite unassuming as she continued after a brief look around the area. "Do you tend to keep a store of herbs throughout the seasons anywhere? Or merely what you can carry as a loner in the world?"

[Craven]

He had to resist his eyebrows’ attempts to quirk upwards in amusement at her mode of speech. Rather fanciful, in his own opinion. But then, he could be fanciful himself, under certain circumstances. In fact, he was rather prone to flights of fancy; even if he didn’t give way to them as often as part of him might wish were so. He tended to behave in a rather down to earth manner, even if he dreamed of harrowing, exhilarating adventures. He sat down beside his pile of lavender and sighed.

"Like I said, anti-septic and anti-inflammatory from the lavender works for me. I also dry and burn it. The fumes help to relieve stress, and they are quite handy in airing out the scent of wet fur, which can be a problem the first few months in a den, before you get the wood dried and treated properly," he replied with a slightly self-deprecating chuckle. "And actually, I was hoping to find some featherfew, and some heal all, though I’m not sure whether it’s in season yet. I’ve also been rooting around for some late ginseng, but I haven’t had any luck."

Motion. Thought. "Speech."

 

[Gaia]

She smiled lightly, listening to the dark colored Tarin speak, pleased to be enjoying such a conversation. After all, it was few and far between that many she found that could speak in such a way, intelligently, about plants, and this was a rare joy. So she nodded when he spoke of the preparation of such a thing and the problem with dampness of the fur, as she'd had similar experiences herself in the past. "I understand. I myself am merely searching as well for anything that would have survived thus far into the winter. There are quite a few that can do so but often, one has to dig for them a bit, as I'm sure you know. Have you gathered your herblore from family or from your own experiences?" She was in no hurry to continue traipsing about searching for herbs, and was more than pleased to perhaps get to know this Tarin a bit better. He might be a loner, but that did not mean he was any less of an ally.