"Yeah of course. Any kind of land he prefers?" Larkspur inquired, thinking of their own home. They knew they could probably start looking for their sibling in some kind of lightly or sparsely wooded area, somewhere with a lot of trees and brush like their own home. A seafaring wolf like Reed and her friend seemed to be could potentially prefer to live on a beach - or if their friend had wings like Larkspur did, potentially somewhere that was hard to reach without being able to fly like pillars or something. "If I know where he likes, I should be able to cross out places he doesn't first."
They offered a slight nod of acknowledgement for the nose-tap, tail picking up slightly at the sight of water. Good, great!
"Well even if the water isn't drinkable, there's at least usually creatures that are edible," Larkspur pointed out with a slight smirk. That said, they tilted their head back and sniffed the air for any scent of salt. They had only smelled saltwater a couple of times before given they didn't live near a coast of an sort but the smell of that river from the ocean had been distinctive, binding itself to the inside of their nose. They kept their ears pointed forward for a moment, tilting their head curiously as they scanned the distant water for anything resembling maybe a deer or even a rabbit.
They pressed a paw into the thin layer of grass that they'd reached, feeling a sharp buzz that tickled their pads and thrummed through their limbs. A soft sigh of relief escaped their muzzle, clenching their dull nails into the ground as they tried to sense the plants around.
"...smells like freshwater." they asserted. That was good - even if there was no prey in the area, they could probably prompt some plants and berries to burst through the soft ground. Enough to feed them and grant the two wolves enough strength to carry on.
Reed nodded at Larkspur's acknowledgment that though they might go thirsty, at least their stomachs might end up full. She began to imagine the various sorts of creatures they could find. There were always fish to consider, but she focused more on the critters that made the wet shore their home, living neither on land nor in water entirely. Crustaceans were always delicious even if it often times took more energy to catch them than what they provided their hunter. Then there were the various birds that hunted the shores. There could also be clams or muscles buried beneath the surface.
The tilting of Larkspur's head caught her attention and she watched as Larkspur scented the air. She lifted her head up and sniffed as well, but her nose searched for the odor of Balthazar instead of searching for the tell-tale scent of ocean. It was when Larkspur declared that the water was freshwater that she bothered to pay attention to it. Well, that ruled out the potential of finding tide pools, but she was confident there would be muscles aplenty if they searched hard enough. "Well, sounds like we've got our headin' then." She turned to toss a smile at Larkspur, then stepped over the edge to begin their descent.
Naturally, Reed picked up the conversation with Larkspur again. "About Balthazar, it's not so much a certain type of land he prefers, but rather is out at night instead of durin' the day. That's why we make such a great sailin' pair! He sleeps durin' the day while I captain, then he captain's while I sleep durin' the night. Though, I suppose with that bein' said, if there were a sort of land he prefers, it's probably the beaches or coastal areas, since he knows that's where I'd be lookin' for him." She'd searched and searched and walked and walked, trying to follow the coasts, rivers, and anything in-between. Her head told her that the most logical place he might be was back on the beach where their ship had crashed, but her heart told her that there was magic everywhere. He could have been poofed away before his paws even touched land. After all, look what had happened to her just today! "So since we marked water off the list, which means we can mark food off the list here soon too, what sort of place do you prefer for sleepin'? Do you like a nice burrow, or maybe shelter under a dense bunch of foliage or..." where would a wolf with wings want to sleep? "I mean I'm sure we can figure out how to get ya up into a tree, too, if ya wanted." It hadn't dawned on Reed that there weren't any trees in the area.
Larkspur directed them closer to the water, their paws slightly eager in nature, and ducked their head towards the body of water (a lake maybe? It seemed reasonably large). A pink tongue flashed out at the water below, the wolf releasing a relieved sigh as water splashed down their throat. Though plenty of river water had made it into their mouth when they'd been washed away, it had been full of mud and silt, leaving their mouth feeling gross and gritty in a way they couldn't do much about. They opened their mouth, waving their maw through the freshwater, allowing the water to spill from the gaps between their teeth and washing away the worst of the feeling from the inside of their mouth. When they finally finished clearing their mouth, they lifted their head and gave a fierce shake of their head to toss away the water dripping from their chin.
"That was nice," the chocolate furred wolf sighed, straightening up. They turned their cobalt blue eyes on their companion, offering a slightly apologetic expression for basically ignoring the other wolf while they drank as much water as they could without feeling sick. "Sorry, my mouth tasted like I dragged my tongue across the bed of a lake."
They dropped, stretching out their forelegs and flexed their toes. Their dull claws dragged against the soft soil, carving lines deep into the earth, and pressed their short nails deeper into the ground. They triggered their powers almost reflexively, whispering to the seeds hidden in the soil, and coaxed them up to the surface and out of the ground. The bushes sprouted, sending earth spraying them as brilliant red elderberries began budding.
"There," Larkspur said, a bit self-satisfied.
They listened kindly to the explanation Reed offered them, absently taking notes of her words. A night flier, huh? That wasn't exactly Larkspur's most skillful time to be in the sky, but if he also liked to be on the beach, the moon should hopefully provide enough light reflected off the water to make it easier to find him.
The wolf nodded, "Night beaches, understood."
Larkspur chuckled at the attempt at being considerate - that was cute. Wings or not, in Larkspur's opinion wolves were not meant to be in trees - especially not unguarded. Oh, they'd tried that a few times, and they wouldn't deny it wasn't bad for scouting or even just to get away, but to sleep in? There weren't often trees with large enough branches to support their weight and building a nest was not only time-consuming but exhausting and the end result was rarely comfortable. They simply weren't a bird with the knowledge - innate or otherwise - for building comfortable nests.
"A den on the ground is fine with me," Larkspur reassured. "One higher up could be nice, if only so we can see what's coming, but I was a lone wolf. I'm not picky about where I sleep, so long as it isn't in a bear's mouth."
When they made it to the water's edge, Reed didn't stop at the shoreline. She wadded into the water up to her belly (downstream from Larkspur, of course) and dunked her whole head under. There she blew bubbles for half a second, then lifted her head and shook. Reed couldn't swim, but she could enjoy being dunked beneath the water. After all, the water was what she lived her life by. She was a born sailor, only daughter to a renowned pirate - her father. It was in her blood to exist near the water. With her dreads settled and her head resurfaced, she drank aggressively, chomping at it more than lapping. Nothing about Reed was ladylike.
Reed turned back towards Larkspur as the other wolf continued their drink. When she was about elbow-high in the water, she dipped down into a lay. The water washed over her figure and she sighed with relief. Her pelt was thick and the not-rainbow purgatory was hot. She was used to having wind in her fur from the sea breezes or sailing. She wasn't used to the hot dry arid air. When Larkspar finished drinking and apologized, Reed simply smiled in return. "Be careful drinkin' so much all at once. If there's anything I know, it's about drinkin' water. Fresh water. Salt water. Brackish water. Lake water. River water. Puddle water - though maybe I'm not so knowledgeable as I thought on that one. Just when you think you know 'em, ya don't!" Darn puddles were being a menace in these lands, between the ones she helped Quinnat slay and then the one that poofed her.
As Reed carried on yapping, Larkspur had stretched out before her. She watched the brown wolf casually as she talked. When she realized that Larkspur was doing magic, Reed stood back up fully and leaned towards them to see what they were doing. Then she suddenly realized that there were plants growing. "Whoa!" Reed stepped out of the water now entirely, shook the water away, then stared at the bushes that had just sprouted before her very eyes, and were now offering enticing berries. "You did that?" She had so many more questions for Larkspur but held them in, instead deciding to ask another of them, "Wait, you were a lone wolf? Why?" She could understand not wanting to be part of a large group, but to travel completely alone? She couldn't imagine it. This past month alone had been miserable and she was confident that the only reason why she hadn't already gone insane was that she knew she would find her friends eventually.
Larkspur watched with faint bemusement as the other wolf completely drenched herself, though didn't move to join her. The chocolate coated wolf had been saturated with water for more than long enough, not too long ago - they might wait a few more days before willfully submerging themself in any large body of water again. They tilted their head, a little curious about what Reed was referring to regarding the water, before eventually concluding that her appearance in this strange place must've had to do with water the same way Larkspur had been washed away.
Beware of water indeed.
"I'll keep an eye out - don't wanna have to do this too many times," they chuckled, gesturing to their still sore and bruised wings with their head. It would absolutely suck to have to keep going through emergency molts and put with the period of grounding that follows, losing so many feathers all at once.
They leaned in, starting to nibble away at the freshly sprouted elderberries. They were small and not very filling to begin with, but Larkspur was capable of growing more and more if they needed.
"Yep. Berries taste good - better yet, we can use them to lure prey," they explained their primary reason for growing them. The berries tasted good of course, that was half the reason they coaxed the elderberries into sprouting rather than the more flowery plants that prey animals would also eat but they as wolves wouldn't much enjoy. It was better to have berries they could eat as a back-up plan - on the off-chance that they weren't able to lure anything near and it turned out to be a prey barren area (which, given the strangely colored land she was beginning to think might be possible), it was for th best that they had something they could eat. Well, something besides the buds growing on Larkspur right now.
They tilted their head, glancing toward the other wolf at the inquiry and offered a slight smirk.
"Nothing as serious as you're probably thinking," Larkspur said easily, nipping another berry. "I turned two and left my birth pack - never found anyone worth staying around or wanted to stay with me. I didn't mind much - it's nice having company and eyes to watch your back but I'm alright alone too."
Cobalt eyes flashed back to Reed, "Wasn't completely alone anyway. My sibling, Snapdragon would track me down sometimes to catch up and I dropped by my birth pack to visit my mom a few times."
Their face grimaced a little at the reminder, "...I hope they're alright. I was heading home when the flood caught me."
Reed listened intently and nodded along as Larkspur revealed their ultimate goal behind growing the berries. Reed herself had been unsure if it was safe to eat them, so she waited until the other reached forward and began plucking them from the bush to join her. As she chewed on them, tasting them carefully, she found herself wondering how they might taste muddled together with a rum. 'I bet it would be soooo good' She felt as parched as Larkspur had been when it came to drink. Sailors were not meant to be sober.
She plucked off a mouth full of berries once more and chewed, listening to Larkspur explain why she was a lone wolf. She could understand setting out from one's home pack. She had done the very same thing (though not voluntarily at first!) as a castaway pirate. What she couldn't understand, however, was how Larkspur claimed they couldn't find anyone who wanted to stay with them. Unless there was some glaring flaw or trait Larkspur held, Reed found their company enjoyable enough. Of course, she had just met them. Maybe they farted in their sleep or something.
They went on to give the name of their sibling, Snapdragon. "If I meet a Snapdragon, I'll be sure to tell 'em you're alright. I'm sure they're fine their selves. After all, if you can survive it, that means there's hope." It was with this sort of optimism that Reed was able to endlessly push forward in life. "So what's your plan now? After you get all healed up, I mean." As she inquired, her emerald eyes scanned the higher terrain. She was looking for a suitable spot to make a den for Larkspur and to hunt from.
Perception:
Success: Finds a nice convenient bush with a half-dug burrow already present. Perfect!!
Failure: It's empty flat rocky terrain. Digging a den might not be the easiest task.
Character Diceroll 1: Unuccessful Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Perception.
496 was added for Level 2.
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
Larkspur smiled a little proudly at the sight of Reed munching on the elderberries - they were always awfully proud of themself when they could grow something that others liked. If they could get a good collection of berries together (doubtful as it were), they might even be able to mash together a scented water for the other wolf to take along.
"Thanks," the birch patterned wolf said, allowing gratitude to break through their otherwise lax tone. Snapdragon hadn't returned to their home pack since it'd initially left so Larkspur was reasonably sure they were alright, they had to be strong to survive on their own for so long. That said, the strength and force of the river had shaken their confidence, and they were a bit worried about their sibling, and it bothered them a little more than they'd usually admit to think about never knowing if it'd lived or died. "As for what happens after... well, I suppose I'll start searching for your Balthazar. I've never really had a sure goal before getting here, so that's really the only task I have outside of maybe tracking down Snap for a change."
And maybe setting up a garden somewhere permanent to grow their plants and restock on healing potions, given their object lack of any. Honestly, they felt a bit vulnerable without any real way to heal themselves should any bad come out of the colorful, barren hills - and no way to heal Reed either.
---
Reed looked out as she listened to Larkspur's response. At her angle, she didn't immediately identify a decent area to make a den for some rest. Bummer. "Well, can I tag along with you for a little while? I promise I'll keep an eye on your back, at least until your wings are all healed up, and even maybe then for a little bit after? Not too long if you don't want, or just maybe not at all if that's your thing, too. I mean I'm ok by myself too. Perfectly ok with being alone. In fact, it's kinda nice to be alone sometimes, but maybe not the right now sometimes or the next couple days sometimes?" It was hard to imagine a more awkward request to stay in someone's company. Reed not only spoke in circles as she made the request, but was fidgeting at the same time.
"I mean, just as your guardian or monster slayer or whatever. Like a knight! Only I'm not knighted, because I'm a pirate and not a knight. I mean-" now even she could tell she was fumbling this. "I just don't wanna be alone for a while. I'm not good with it like you are." As far as Reed was aware, she was in an entirely new world yet again, this time separated from everybody that she knew. It had happened before. Who was to say it couldn't happen (or hadn't happened) again? "I'll still help ya with a den no matter what. I keep to my words. It's all a sailor's got, after all."
Somehow I don't think you're content with being alone, Larkspur thinks to themself with faint amusement, allowing Reed's words to wash passively over them. Not that they held any judgement for that - Larkspur was aware that they and their sibling were actually the strange ones in wolf communities. Most wolves actually liked grouping together, even if it was in small groups, rather than wandering on their own and only occasionally crossing paths with other wolves.
"Sure," Larkspur said easily. From what she could see, there was no easy place for them to rest, and a test scratch at the ground slightly further away from the water didn't bear any fruit. Hm... they either had to forgo a den and work on shifts, or wander farther from the water in the hopes of finding some kind of shelter without actually knowing how far they would have to travel. "You're welcome to stay - I've only chased off one other. And so long as you keep my wings out of your mouth, then I don't mind."
They cast a warning look at the other wolf - they very much didn't want to wake up to someone chewing on their wings again in their sleep. That was the kind of fiasco you only let happen to yourself once.
"Hey," sad Larkspur, allowing their voice to gentle. Gods, it felt weird using this tone on someone that wasn't a sibling or even Sage. They touched their muzzle to the brawny wolf's shoulder gently, then straightened up again, "It's fine, I don't mind. Stick around as long as you want - I don't bite unless asked."
They flashed a teasing smile, then did their best to dig their shortened nails into the hardened earth, slowly dragging some of the sturdier and tangled bushes up to the surface. Rather than making a ridiculously long trek to gods knows where, it would easier if they could simply make an attempt at crafting a den themself rather than risking them getting lost. They did their best to splash some water towards the hardened earth with their paws, trying to soften any of the hardened earth to make it easier on the plants. They tried scraping a few mores times before giving a frustrated huff.
"This hard section is too stiff," Larkspur explained, their ears flattened with frustration. They gave another half-hearted attempted at scratching the earth free. "Tried to grow us a den, the plants can't get through. Don't want to grow it too close to the water though in case it has a tide."
They glanced up at the sword-bearing wolf, "Any ideas?"
