4/25/2025, 12:48 AM
SKILL Herbalist 2/5
under the dappled shade of the willow trees, cloud lash shifted her basket of herbs from one side to the other, her red eyes fixed warily on the man who had appeared. he was tall and scarred, and at first her heart had leapt into her throat—but he had not charged, had not bared teeth. his voice rumbled low, words she couldn’t understand, but they didn’t seem cruel. her tail gave a hesitant flick, cautious but curious. she had met many in her travels now—some kind, some cruel—and something about the man’s posture, the way he tilted his head, made her feel… maybe he wasn’t one of the latter.
she took a step forward, watching him closely. from her collection, she lifted a sprig of wild mint and a long-stemmed plant with small, delicate yellow buds. she didn’t know their names in his tongue, but she held them up anyway, then pointed to the shaded soil near the base of the willow.
naa'shun,she whispered in her own, half to herself, then motioned toward her eyes and the earth again. searching. hunting. did he understand? probably not. but she tried. they always tried, didn’t they?
after a moment, she crouched again to dig gently through the roots, nose twitching with sharp focus. the man was still there, his presence heavy but not unpleasant. she could smell the fire on him—burnt wood, old ash, maybe sap. it wasn’t like the valley men, who smelled of grass and sinew. this one had been shaped by harsher places. cloud lash glanced up at him once more, then returned to her work, her posture easier now. if he wanted to help, she would not stop him. if he only watched, that was fine too. she had nothing to hide.