Quote:
Aric was intrigued with the events of the Tree Ceremony. After it had ended, the newly joined rogue had begun to mingle with his new clan members. It felt nice to be welcomed into a pride again. After the disbanding of the Kusini'mwezi lands, he was not sure if he would ever find a new home. Aric was content with the choice he made. Sometime during the festival, the lion would need to seek out Skan to find out just what type of herbs and plants he used during the initiation process. Maybe he could store some of them in his little satchel, and experiment other uses for them later.
"Another time," he murmured to himself, bright eyes scanning the area. Today was a new day, and with it meant more time to find out about the Wolf Clan. Shifting the satchel on his shoulder, Aric set off. He wondered if there was a way to distinguish the clan members from their tattoos, or if it was just a guessing game.
"Another time," he murmured to himself, bright eyes scanning the area. Today was a new day, and with it meant more time to find out about the Wolf Clan. Shifting the satchel on his shoulder, Aric set off. He wondered if there was a way to distinguish the clan members from their tattoos, or if it was just a guessing game.
Quote:
It was a peculiar thing, or perhaps a lucky thing, that the first Wolf Clan member that Aric encountered was both of the leader's bloodline and a lioness intrigued by herbs and plants herself.
Makonde had laid out a variety of plants across a large, flat boulder that she often liked to use - it got an ample amount of sunlight from morning to dusk and had the good luck of another, larger boulder at its back that blocked the worst of the winds. It meant a good, steady drying spot that only ever gave her problems when a storm rolled in. It was here that she sat, pressing at leaves with her paw to test whether or not they would need another day, when she first became aware of the presence at the edge of her peripherals.
In these lands she was lucky - few lions ever made it in that weren't of her pride and that meant there were few to be afraid of. She was easily identifiable as an Ela lioness, marked head to toe in tattoos, in the old fashion. She paused what she was doing long enough to consider the male - she thought she recognized him from the initiation.
"You there!" she called, "what clan has claimed you?"
Makonde had laid out a variety of plants across a large, flat boulder that she often liked to use - it got an ample amount of sunlight from morning to dusk and had the good luck of another, larger boulder at its back that blocked the worst of the winds. It meant a good, steady drying spot that only ever gave her problems when a storm rolled in. It was here that she sat, pressing at leaves with her paw to test whether or not they would need another day, when she first became aware of the presence at the edge of her peripherals.
In these lands she was lucky - few lions ever made it in that weren't of her pride and that meant there were few to be afraid of. She was easily identifiable as an Ela lioness, marked head to toe in tattoos, in the old fashion. She paused what she was doing long enough to consider the male - she thought she recognized him from the initiation.
"You there!" she called, "what clan has claimed you?"
Quote:
Aric's attention turned towards the female's voice. He knew she was an established member, the way the tattoos covered her entire body was a dead giveaway. A thought went into his mind. What was used to create such intricate tattoos? Surely these lions were not born with them, former rogues he had seen had just a small percentage of their body covered (a tradition that was explained to him). But what of the ink that was used? Which plant did it come from to make the results...permanent. Or, what it something that was applied more on daily, weekly or monthly basis? If curiosity killed the cat, it would have killed Aric many years ago.
"I was claimed into the Wolf clan," the charcoal lion started. "Are you part of that clan too?" He asked. It was the Sky Ceremony after all, and all the clans were already mingling. Maybe he'd get lucky. Or if not, at least he could make a new friend to meet next year?
"What...What are you doing?" He asked, blue eyes eyeing the herbs and plants in front of the female. He had seen some of those leaves before. In fact, he'd probably have a couple in his little pack. Although he had not dried them that as the lioness was doing, instead, they were probably curling upon themselves, breaking at the steam and leaf points due to being throw haphazardly into the bag.
"I was claimed into the Wolf clan," the charcoal lion started. "Are you part of that clan too?" He asked. It was the Sky Ceremony after all, and all the clans were already mingling. Maybe he'd get lucky. Or if not, at least he could make a new friend to meet next year?
"What...What are you doing?" He asked, blue eyes eyeing the herbs and plants in front of the female. He had seen some of those leaves before. In fact, he'd probably have a couple in his little pack. Although he had not dried them that as the lioness was doing, instead, they were probably curling upon themselves, breaking at the steam and leaf points due to being throw haphazardly into the bag.
Quote:
A bright, pleased smile spread across her pale face as he answered her. What luck was it that during the sky festival she would bump into another of her new clanmates?
"Aye, I am actually! I am from the leader's bloodline, my name is Makonde Waya." Her head dipped with her greeting, as pleasant and calm as her dear sister was sometimes not. Had he met her yet? She had to wonder. Ah, well, there were enough others that it wasn't likely anyone would toss her sister a sideward glance without real reason.
"Oh!" Makonde's attention snapped back to what she was doing as he inquired, dissming her wandering thoughts and letting her gaze settle back upon the drying plants. One tattooed paw rose and tapped several leather pouches strung about her neck. Some seemed to be bulging and full while others were rather empty. "I'm drying out these herbs for better storage. We use them in all sorts of ways but they keep a bit longer if you dry them first, not to mention you save a lot of space as they lose some of their liquid content."
Her eyes flitted back to him and then down to his own pouch where a single stem could be seen poking out of the mouth. Both brows raised in question before she ever spoke.
"Do you deal in herbs?"
"Aye, I am actually! I am from the leader's bloodline, my name is Makonde Waya." Her head dipped with her greeting, as pleasant and calm as her dear sister was sometimes not. Had he met her yet? She had to wonder. Ah, well, there were enough others that it wasn't likely anyone would toss her sister a sideward glance without real reason.
"Oh!" Makonde's attention snapped back to what she was doing as he inquired, dissming her wandering thoughts and letting her gaze settle back upon the drying plants. One tattooed paw rose and tapped several leather pouches strung about her neck. Some seemed to be bulging and full while others were rather empty. "I'm drying out these herbs for better storage. We use them in all sorts of ways but they keep a bit longer if you dry them first, not to mention you save a lot of space as they lose some of their liquid content."
Her eyes flitted back to him and then down to his own pouch where a single stem could be seen poking out of the mouth. Both brows raised in question before she ever spoke.
"Do you deal in herbs?"
Quote:
Makonde Waya... It seemed that having two names like that was a tradition of the pride. Aric was just...Aric.. "I am Aric" returning the greeting with an nodded head.
"I never found time to dry out the herbs." Aric was always on the move, even when at home in the Kusini pride. He'd find something interesting, throw it in his satchel before continuing on his way. He'd experiment with certain properties of the plants at night when he rested. The drying process would mean less time for him to travel, which for him, meant less of an inventory to keep.
At her next question, Aric nodded excitedly. "I do! Self taught, for the most part." He sat on the ground, reaching a paw over his next to remove the small bag. With his other paw, he cleared the ground so only dirt remained, while he emptied the little content of the bag. Sure enough, leaves that Makonde was drying out where there, torn and cracked. Also amongst the content, a few bright colored flowers, a single claw he had pulled from a tree in a forest and a few others. One plant, however, was wrapped snuggly in a larger leaf.
"This one I have to keep separate from the others," when unwrapped, it was a small, spiky looking plant with pink flowers " I saw a bird take a piece of it before dropping dead moments after it was swallowed." His blue eyes looked towards the other. "I think all plants have a useful property. Just got to find out what it is." If the avian had eaten the flower and died, Aric knew to stay away from that part, but maybe the stem was useful? He shrugged inwardly to himself. He'd found out later.
"I never found time to dry out the herbs." Aric was always on the move, even when at home in the Kusini pride. He'd find something interesting, throw it in his satchel before continuing on his way. He'd experiment with certain properties of the plants at night when he rested. The drying process would mean less time for him to travel, which for him, meant less of an inventory to keep.
At her next question, Aric nodded excitedly. "I do! Self taught, for the most part." He sat on the ground, reaching a paw over his next to remove the small bag. With his other paw, he cleared the ground so only dirt remained, while he emptied the little content of the bag. Sure enough, leaves that Makonde was drying out where there, torn and cracked. Also amongst the content, a few bright colored flowers, a single claw he had pulled from a tree in a forest and a few others. One plant, however, was wrapped snuggly in a larger leaf.
"This one I have to keep separate from the others," when unwrapped, it was a small, spiky looking plant with pink flowers " I saw a bird take a piece of it before dropping dead moments after it was swallowed." His blue eyes looked towards the other. "I think all plants have a useful property. Just got to find out what it is." If the avian had eaten the flower and died, Aric knew to stay away from that part, but maybe the stem was useful? He shrugged inwardly to himself. He'd found out later.
Quote:
"Luckily for me there are several spots around our lands that are prime for herb drying. Sometimes it's not very practical but usually I can find a good area no matter where we've wandered." Her tail flicked as she leaned forward and began examining the content of his pouch.
Many she knew, some she didn't, and of those she had to wonder if they were from outside of the pridal lands. Whatever they were, she was intrigued, and even more so by the one that he kept wrapped up. As he began to explain it, her eyes grew wide and her jaw formed a perfect 'o'. A small thrill filled her, not because she was keen on killing birds, but because the implication of such a thing was so very intriguing to her.
"Was it a big bird or a little bird?" she asked immediately and even for someone not entirely familiar with her or her typical run-away brain, the gears were visibly turning behind her eyes, accompanied by a sleu of questions, "how much did it swallow? how long is moments exactly to you?"
Many she knew, some she didn't, and of those she had to wonder if they were from outside of the pridal lands. Whatever they were, she was intrigued, and even more so by the one that he kept wrapped up. As he began to explain it, her eyes grew wide and her jaw formed a perfect 'o'. A small thrill filled her, not because she was keen on killing birds, but because the implication of such a thing was so very intriguing to her.
"Was it a big bird or a little bird?" she asked immediately and even for someone not entirely familiar with her or her typical run-away brain, the gears were visibly turning behind her eyes, accompanied by a sleu of questions, "how much did it swallow? how long is moments exactly to you?"
Quote:
(so, the actual plant he is talking about it pretty poisonous, but does have a sedative property to it if used correctly :stuck_out_tongue: )
"I can't wait to learn of these places. You will need to show me one day!" Aric said excitedly, the contents of his bag still lay on the ground, but he'd clean them up in a moment.
"It was the size of a falcon," Aric recollected. "I don't know birds but, I saw someone watching during the ceremony who had roughly around the same size standing on his shoulder. And I don't know how much it ate exactly. I couldn't tell if it was because it actually ended up in the stomach and had a reaction there, or seeped through the salivary glands. I should have tried to dissect that bird to know more." The dark lion was kicking himself. He was so infatuated with the plant itself, he'd probably find a lot more answers in the death of the avian.
"Five minutes, tops?" He guessed. "It was picking at it, and then when it flew off it got maybe a few feet off the ground before it dropped." He tried to recollect, but other events were fresher in his mind with some of the other plants.
"I was hoping to find another one growing but this was the only one I have gotten." He'd have to see if there were some type of seeds growing within to plant. Then he wouldn't have to scout for them anymore.
Carefully he wrapped the plant back. He did not want this particular plant to dry out just yet.
"I can't wait to learn of these places. You will need to show me one day!" Aric said excitedly, the contents of his bag still lay on the ground, but he'd clean them up in a moment.
"It was the size of a falcon," Aric recollected. "I don't know birds but, I saw someone watching during the ceremony who had roughly around the same size standing on his shoulder. And I don't know how much it ate exactly. I couldn't tell if it was because it actually ended up in the stomach and had a reaction there, or seeped through the salivary glands. I should have tried to dissect that bird to know more." The dark lion was kicking himself. He was so infatuated with the plant itself, he'd probably find a lot more answers in the death of the avian.
"Five minutes, tops?" He guessed. "It was picking at it, and then when it flew off it got maybe a few feet off the ground before it dropped." He tried to recollect, but other events were fresher in his mind with some of the other plants.
"I was hoping to find another one growing but this was the only one I have gotten." He'd have to see if there were some type of seeds growing within to plant. Then he wouldn't have to scout for them anymore.
Carefully he wrapped the plant back. He did not want this particular plant to dry out just yet.
Quote:
As he spoke his steady answers to her questions, Makonde nodded her head along with distant eyes. The look on her face was one of someone enrapt with a story, committing it to memory, someone who knew the importance of knowledge. It was so seldom that she found new plants these days that she was absolutely thrilled to find not only a new specimen to study but, too, a new soul that shared her craft.
"It sounds quite potent then. Five minutes for an avian of that size to drop dead? Especially if it only picked at a bit of it?" She closed her eyes and shook her head, dismissing the thoughts of what horrors it could do if applied in the right way by the wrong soul. "It's good that you managed to get a sample of it, perhaps we could try cultivating some? It's a bit far away but when we move out from the festival I could show a place that I sometimes like to grow rare herbs. It's sheltered enough that we might not have to worry about critters getting to curious but even still, I wonder how we might test what antidotes would counter it?"
Her gaze was following him as he wrapped it again and carefully put it away, but her eyes had grown distant as she receded into her thoughts. It was only as she realized she had been speaking for too long that she came back to herself with a laugh, shaking her head again.
"I'm so sorry, listen to me ramble," she pulled herself up to her feet again and offered him an apologetic smile, "I'd love to show you all the places I use for the craft. It's not every day that I meet another lion so interested in these things."
"It sounds quite potent then. Five minutes for an avian of that size to drop dead? Especially if it only picked at a bit of it?" She closed her eyes and shook her head, dismissing the thoughts of what horrors it could do if applied in the right way by the wrong soul. "It's good that you managed to get a sample of it, perhaps we could try cultivating some? It's a bit far away but when we move out from the festival I could show a place that I sometimes like to grow rare herbs. It's sheltered enough that we might not have to worry about critters getting to curious but even still, I wonder how we might test what antidotes would counter it?"
Her gaze was following him as he wrapped it again and carefully put it away, but her eyes had grown distant as she receded into her thoughts. It was only as she realized she had been speaking for too long that she came back to herself with a laugh, shaking her head again.
"I'm so sorry, listen to me ramble," she pulled herself up to her feet again and offered him an apologetic smile, "I'd love to show you all the places I use for the craft. It's not every day that I meet another lion so interested in these things."
Quote:
Aric nodded in agreement. It definitely was quite potent, that was for sure. And, her suggesting trying to cultivate the sample, it was as if she was reading into his mind! "That sounds like a great idea, Makonde," Aric said, in referencing both cultivation and showing him where she normally grows the herbs. His ears perked hearing there were some rare herbs that she grew too did nothing to satiate his interest in wanting to go.
Before they could begin testing for an antidote, they needed to know what the maximum amount of plant that could be ingested before it would start the onset of death. The question was, who would be that willing participant. Aric had consumed a number of plants he probably shouldn't have in his travels. Some left his in pain, some caused no reaction, and others left him hearing the color blue. It was strange and fascinating, all in the same time.
"Not that I don't want to be here...but how long was this festival again?" He joked with the female. The sooner the festival ended, the sooner Makonde could show him what she was talking about.
"No need to apologize. It's pretty rare to find someone intrigued in the subject matter as I am." He repeated almost what she said with a smile. He decided to clean up the rest of his supplies, trying to carefully tuck the items away.
Before they could begin testing for an antidote, they needed to know what the maximum amount of plant that could be ingested before it would start the onset of death. The question was, who would be that willing participant. Aric had consumed a number of plants he probably shouldn't have in his travels. Some left his in pain, some caused no reaction, and others left him hearing the color blue. It was strange and fascinating, all in the same time.
"Not that I don't want to be here...but how long was this festival again?" He joked with the female. The sooner the festival ended, the sooner Makonde could show him what she was talking about.
"No need to apologize. It's pretty rare to find someone intrigued in the subject matter as I am." He repeated almost what she said with a smile. He decided to clean up the rest of his supplies, trying to carefully tuck the items away.
Quote:
Makonde laughed gently as he mentioned the festival, finding that she could not blame him at all. In years past she had played in the battle games and enjoyed them immensely but as time wore on and her playful youth gave way to wise adulthood, she found that she was much more interested in the support tole and knowing just how to soothe the battle wounds and ailments of those around her. When one wasn't as interested in the festival it definitely seemed to stretch on..
"Ah, as soon as the champion is crowned we usually disperse and go our own ways again. I think next year you will find it more interesting, perhaps? Once you realize it is the only time we get to see many of our brethren and, usually, the only time new blood such as yourself comes in."
She shrugged her shoulders as she said it though, indicating that she, too, had little concern for it at the moment.
"Help me gather these up and we can head back that way, yeah? I think the finals are today but," she paused and pursed her maw, "I could be wrong. I pay a little more attention to the schedule of my herbs than much else."
"Ah, as soon as the champion is crowned we usually disperse and go our own ways again. I think next year you will find it more interesting, perhaps? Once you realize it is the only time we get to see many of our brethren and, usually, the only time new blood such as yourself comes in."
She shrugged her shoulders as she said it though, indicating that she, too, had little concern for it at the moment.
"Help me gather these up and we can head back that way, yeah? I think the finals are today but," she paused and pursed her maw, "I could be wrong. I pay a little more attention to the schedule of my herbs than much else."
Quote:
Aric nodded. "I feel like there is so much I need to learn about this pride," he mused quietly, more to himself. He figured when they were divided into the clans, he wouldn't see much of those he had entered the pride with. He hadn't really befriended them, as he took more time to get over the fact he was in a pride again, and no longer a traveling rogue.
"Maybe. Once I get the hang of how everything works, I'd be more focused on the festival. You'll have to teach me the traditions here though," Aric said with a smile.
"Certainly!" Now they were talking. The charcoal male carefully helped gather the lioness's things, throwing his own pack back over his shoulder. He could hear the drying leaves crinkle from inside the bag, wincing slightly. He'd have to restock some items, and then take better care of those once he had them, but for now --- he was more intrigued on the lioness's own stash of plants he could learn about.
"Maybe. Once I get the hang of how everything works, I'd be more focused on the festival. You'll have to teach me the traditions here though," Aric said with a smile.
"Certainly!" Now they were talking. The charcoal male carefully helped gather the lioness's things, throwing his own pack back over his shoulder. He could hear the drying leaves crinkle from inside the bag, wincing slightly. He'd have to restock some items, and then take better care of those once he had them, but for now --- he was more intrigued on the lioness's own stash of plants he could learn about.