Incrementally, she settled and put on a little weight. It was negligible in the grand scheme of what she had to achieve, but there was a noticeable difference from the gaunt, half-starved creature that had arrived at the Brook recently to the woman who carefully picked her way over the border now. Her ribs were still visible, but the angles weren't so sharp, the harsh cut of her hip bones no longer standing out quite so badly. Recovery was long, with tiny steps in the right direction. More than that though, Freja no longer looked haggard. The security of a den to sleep in at night had erased the paranoia from her gaze, the tension from her body that had taken its toll in the months she'd been alone.

She had taken Icefang's warning to heart - she was not a prisoner in the Brook, but her movements were similarly not as free as she perhaps would have enjoyed. It seemed she couldn't have it both ways; security and freedom did not yet go hand in hand. But as she'd also promised the white queen, her first tiny steps over the borders were for nothing other than medicinal reasons. She moved with tense caution, fully expecting Cassius to explode from a nearby bush and dash her inconsequential plans to hell. He would drag her back to Vermeda without a second thought, without taking into account that she was doing nothing more than gathering herbs.

The mulchy scent of the bog nearby had drawn her in and mismatched eyes had caught sight of the patches of white weed that thrived in the moist environment that bog provided. The big, flat green leaves had always been good for wrapping wounds and the tufty white flowers had been known to reduce fever and infection. She stepped with cautious steps now towards a patch, leaning down to delicately sniff at the white flowers before using a sharp claw to carefully slice underneath the small canopy of leaves to collect the plant in its entirety. She now at least had a den of her own to store such herbs, in case she needed them quickly.


+5 Study the flora of a neutral territory (1/2)
+5 Collect herbs (1/2)
@Juno

Art by Moogle, Code by Minxy

TASKS (MEDIC): 5xp - Study the flora of a neutral territory (0/2)
5xp - Collect herbs (0/2)

---

Oooh, this place was gross. For a creature with such thick, pale fur, perhaps coming to the Bog had not been the best of ideas. But her pursuit of knowledge and supplies came before vanity, always - it was something she'd have to remind herself of when she inevitably ended up bathing for three hours to get rid of all the grime. There is another nearby, and curiousity would have Juno follow along after the large white lioness. It seemed as if she was almost herb hunting. Perhaps they could help each other! Hey, the little leopard called out from behind @Freja, not aware of the fact that the poor Vermedan was already a little on edge and would probably not enjoy the sudden explosion of noise to her otherwise peaceful journey. Oops. Are you looking for supplies too? The little healer jostled her satchel on her hip as she smiled up at the patchwork lion, waiting to see if she'd get a response. After all, not everyone liked company - even company as endearing as Juno!

The white weed was not the only delicacy to be had in the Bog. As she gathered a small patch of the dark green leaves, a brighter orange caught her attention and the woman paused. Lifting her nose to the air, Freja carefully examined any scent that came her way and when the tell-tale tickle hit the back of her throat, she realised it was peppers. Ashanti peppers, if the flat dark green leaf attached to the small bunch was anything to go by. There was a certain peace to be had, this deep in the mire. She did not disturb the birds and they provided a cheerful backdrop, a melody that lulled her into concentrating solely on her task. Her mistake really, to be less than fully aware of the rest of her surroundings.

Hey!

Shattered silence rushed through her and she startled, body jumping entirely up off the ground and away from the peppers she had been about to pick. She turned, ears flattened and body tense, fully expecting to find the demon creature standing behind her. Of course, the cheerful voice had not belonged to Cassius and mismatched eyes landed on a small, incredibly fluffy feline with a cheerful face. Heart hammering uncomfortably in her throat, Freja gasped out - "I’m so sorry, you startled me." In an attempt to flatten the puffed out, protective splay of her fur and the arched back that spoke volumes. She was no threat, she had just found herself on the defensive.

As her heart rate calmed, she managed finally to concentrate on the second half of the diminutive feline’s words. Supplies. Freja caught sight of the little satchel attached to the other woman’s body and immediately understood. "I am, yes." She breathed out, almost in relief that she had found a somewhat kindred spirit. Perhaps she was wrong, but there was something reassuring about another healer. "Are you looking for anything in particular?" She questioned, before finally reaching up towards the bush her peppers had been attached to and slicing a little parcel away to add to her white weed collection.

@Juno
+5 Study the flora of a neutral territory (2/2)
+5 Collect herbs (2/2)

Art by Moogle, Code by Minxy

TASKS (MEDIC): 5xp - Study the flora of a neutral territory (1/2)
5xp - Collect herbs (1/2)

---

@Freja, understandably, would practically jump out of her skin at the sudden outburst. How thoughtless of you, Juno! With a meek smile, the little leopard would duck her head, apologetic - sorry!, she offered, quieter now. If she hadn't been so naive, she might've clocked just how fearful the lioness looked - far more so than the usual startle would be, and akin to the demeanour of someone living in fear - and been worried for her. Alas, if Freja was hoping to attract the attention of someone with that sort of nous.... she wouldn't find it here. Never mind. Maybe next time. Oh, great, the fluffy feline purred in response to the affirmative - it was always nice to be in the company of other healers. You never stopped learning, after all; not even as a grown-up! Um... not especially - just a little bit of everything. You know how it is! As Juno scanned the pickings on offer, she was pleased to note that there seemed to be ample supply of.... well, everything! Every herb she could think of. Reaching out a heavily mitted paw, she would glance up at Freja almost cautiously before letting her claws touch any of the sprigs. I'm not stepping on your toes if I collect some too, am I? Not sure how much you need! A thoughtful pause, then, as her vibrant pink gaze ran over the peppers. The peppers would probably be helpful, actually - just in case my next patient happens to be an expecting mother!

The quick apology from the fellow healer caused Freja's ears to lift slightly from their slicked back position, heart starting to return to its normal rhythm. "No - I'm sorry. I'm not usually so jumpy -" She cut herself off from finishing that sentence. She wasn't normally so jumpy, but she was on high alert for an incredibly violent and possessive lion who may or may not be happy about her being outside of the borders of the pride he had placed her in. It would not have come across very well and Freja did not wish to embroil anyone else into the mess she'd found herself in. It was with gratitude that she felt the tiny leopards attention shit to the further questions she'd answered.

With the immediate threat (or even perceived threat) now past, Freja felt a tentative smile curve over her lips at the chatter from the other. She seemed carefree, easy going and the splotched woman relaxed further as the other mentioned a little bit of everything. "These woods seem bountiful, when you know what you're looking at." The woman agreed, whiskers twitching in amusement as the other reached up to paw the peppers and she was quick to shake her head at the others query. "Not at all, help yourself."

And then the information that came from the other that piqued her interest. She stepped forward slightly, mismatched eyes glancing from the pepper to the spotted feline. "I didn't know that - I'd only ever used them for sprains and muscle aches." She murmured, though there was no bitterness there. "How are they prepared, for expecting mothers?" She asked, then looked a little chagrinned at the directness of her statement.

@Juno
+5 Learn something from another about your trade (1/2)

Art by Moogle, Code by Minxy

TASKS (MEDIC): 5xp - Study the flora of a neutral territory (2/2)
5xp - Collect herbs (2/2)
5xp - Teach herbology trivia to someone (1/2)

---

@Freja apologised for her jumpy demeanour in turn, and Juno shook her head in a good-natured fashion. No need to apologise. She really had to work on warning people before she blustered in... but, wickedly, she considered how that would be taking all the fun out of things. As the piebald lioness made her observation on the abundance of herbs here, the little leopard smiled, inclined to agree. This really was like hitting the jackpot. No wonder, really; the moisture, equal measures of shade and sun, abundance of fertile soil would all play a part in supporting the plant life. Gratefully, she would scoop up her spoils once the verbal cue was given - thank you! - and eagerly snag several peppers for herself. As she placed them delicately into her satchel, she listened intently to the lioness, inwardly pleased to learn that she had managed to teach someone else a little something. It made her feel useful, and the pleasant warmth swelled in her gut and spread throughout her extremities. Well, you can use the leaves, but in my opinion the fruit itself is more potent. Once removed from the stem you leave them somewhere warm, to dry out. Once they look no better than a husk, you feed them to expectant mothers however they wish to take it; you can grind it up - which I would recommend - and make it into a paste, or put it in meat before consumption... I guess with it being an anti-inflammatory, and birth being both an internal and external wound... yikes, she winced at the thought, it's no wonder it works so well, being an anti-inflammatory. As she considered that, her gaze slid further to the right, where she saw the telltale arching stem and white and yellow bloom of.. Oh! Some nibima! Juno shuffled forward to take a few, mindful to leave enough for Freja. Have you seen this one before? I'm not sure how common it is around here, that's all. She turned to look back over her shoulder at the lioness, happy to give her some information on the plant if she needed it. Not to cast aspersions on the other woman's skills, of course; you could be the best medic in the world but still find something new to discover!

It was refreshing, enlightening perhaps, to be in the presence of one so cheery. So far, her experiences with others had been quite intense to say the least and there was something so jovial and kind about the tiny feline that Freja felt an immediate liking for her. As the woman stepped forward to gather her own quota of leaves, the splotched woman stepped back a little and briefly busied herself rolling her little collection into a bundle so that she could transport it back to Vermeda. Once upon a time, she had had a little woven grass satchel for gathering herbs and wondered if perhaps she might find and make something similar for herself here. As her question regarding the ashanti peppers came out, she focused once more on both the leopard and the answer given.

It was thorough and Freja was happy to absorb the knowledge imparted to her. It hadn’t been so long ago she had been a student under her Aunt’s tutelage, she was used to listening and filing away the information for later. "Thank you -" And stopped short when she realised they hadn’t yet exchanged names. "I didn’t catch your name - I’m Freja. I appreciate you sharing all that with me." She hummed, knowing she would try to use it the next time she encountered a mother in need. The leopardess’ sharp eyes had spotted something and the exclamation drew a smile from Freja’s lips. She was so warm, it was a pleasure really.

"I haven’t been here long enough to know if it’s common around here or not. I don’t know a huge amount about it though - do you?" She asked, perfectly willing to soak up anything else the woman had to tell her. It was strange, how normal it felt to be exchanging information, learning from others, even just talking normally when thus far it had been a whirlwind of confusion and fear for the splotched woman.

@Juno
+5 Learn something from another about your trade (2/2)

Art by Moogle, Code by Minxy

TASKS (MEDIC): 5xp - Teach herbology trivia to someone (2/2)

---

The patchwork feline introduced herself as @Freja, and Juno nodded emphatically, offering a bright smile. That's a pretty name, she remarked as she toyed with the edge of her satchel with the tip of her tail, running the soft plume over the worn leather hide. It sounded exotic. Oh! I'm Juno. Nice to meet you, Freja! And that's okay, I'm always happy to talk about this sort of thing - it's so interesting! The fluffy feline tilted her head thoughtfully as she studied the larger lioness for a moment. It's always nice to meet other healers, too. It's good to have connections in a place like this, I think... To have friends, or even just colleagues... well, Amaryllis was a big place, and from what she'd seen of it it was turbulent too.

Something in Freja's demeanour made Juno wonder if she could do with a friend, too.

Oh, nimiba? Yes - I know it fairly well. It was one of my father's favourites for treating fevers and respiratory infections. The swooping stem makes it quite distinctive, too - not many flowers are that droopy, you see. So it's good for beginner healers, as it's not all that difficult to find once you're in the right place. Rocking back on her haunches, the little healer studied the Brook lioness thoughtfully. You don't seem like a beginner, though. Have you always wanted to practice medicine?

Bright, bubbly - happy.

And currently everything Freja was not. She could feel the clock ticking, the shift of the sun across the sky that told her she was on borrowed time. She knew she needed to get back before Cassius realised what she'd done, but it was just nice to be able to talk about things that apparently interested them both. Freja managed a wan smile and a hum of acknowledgement as the little leopard introduced herself as Juno. "Connections - yes, you're right." It was non committal, but only in so far as Freja had no idea what was in store for her in the coming months.

Still, she was happy to listen as the other spoke more on nibima - apparently learned from her father. The question that came last surprised her and Freja smiled ruefully. "It was a path that was chosen for me, but I enjoy it." She explained, thinking of her mother's declaration when she had been young. That she learn from her elderly aunt and take over as the family medic. "I should be getting back -" And there it was, the shadow of doubt and worry that pinched her brows and prickled her whiskers.

@Juno

Art by Moogle, Code by Minxy

Juno had always had freedom.

She was privileged, in that respect - her father always supportive and kind, fiercely compensation for the lack of a mother wherever he could. It could have made her soft, of course - and in most ways it had. He'd raised the five of them to have a respect for nature and a basic understanding of herbology, but had left it up to them as to what they'd wanted to practice in the long term. Juno had seen that passion for healing and seized it with both paws, but if she'd wanted to do something else? Hunting, spying, seeking? He would've not only allowed it but encouraged her wholeheartedly, and Juno knew that for certain. The same applied to her siblings. So when @Freja stated that it had been chosen for her.... Out of politeness, Juno merely smiled and nodded, but inwardly it struck her as... well, a stroke of luck for anyone that the talented woman had come into contact and treated, but a shame for Freja herself.

What would she have become, if this path hadn't been forced upon her?

That's good, the little leopard smiled, I enjoy it, too. As if that wasn't obvious with the way she rambled on and on about the topic. Well, safe travels Freja, Juno chirped, rising to her paws herself and scraping together the last remnants of her scavenging, scooping them swiftly back into her satchel. It was nice to meet you. And she meant that, too. Feel free to seek me out if you ever fancy swapping notes. We could go on some supply runs or something! The mauve feline smiled at the idea, hoping that Freja would be keen. She didn't want to assume, but something about the Vermedan struck her as lonely - and jumpy, too, as if she could do with a friend to help ease the burdens of whatever it was that was troubling her.