Hawksnest565

The Two Sides

Aya shivered about how serious he sounded.

"H-hey now! It's not usually a problem everyday. I mean, well, it is but..." she shook her head, thinking about how the other day she'd met Destin. He'd been so nice. Would Brick try to attack Destin if he saw him? He didn't exactly seem like the violent kind. Perhaps it would be better if they ran then? "Listen, we'll just see what the situation is when we get there. Who knows? Maybe even one of the other Rabins will be out."

She drew the jacket she was wearing around in her a little closer, feeling cold at the thought of what could await at the river.

The Two Sides

@Azereiah
"You bet. We'll head for the river, then. That's really the only other point of interest." Aya frowned momentarily. "Keep your eye out, okay? People often patrol the edge of the river. Hopefully we'll get lucky and it's quiet there." She picked up her backpack, full of her own herb pickings, and set off on a march.

The Two Sides | Art Gallery

Oh, this is so cool! Thanks for making it! :D


Featuring Sacha, Fabine and Nadia


Featuring Sacha and Selena


Featuring Destin and Fabine with Casey, Eglantine, Evelyn and Paisley from left to right in the last panel

The Two Sides

@Azereiah

Aya couldn't argue with his logic there. "Just make sure you don't end up in the grave either, okay?"

She smiled at his offer. "Thanks! That would be a really big help. This is definitely the most useful place to find herbs, so if you ever come by here I would recommend it." She begins to point to some of them. "Okay, you should recognise some of these. Here we have lavender, I can use that as an antibiotic." She moves from the purple flowers to some tiny black berries. "This is elderberry, which is good for colds. It'll be really helpful in the winter. I'd like some echinacea too for chest infections but it's closer to the river. We'll head there next. And, ah-" she picks a few leaves from a green plant and grinned. "Peppermint! A lot of people like making tea with this, but it's just as useful for helping upset stomachs."

The Two Sides

@Azereiah

The bottom of the hill sloped down into a little clearing populated by bushes with healthy green leaves. Aya couldn't help but smile in delight at the situation of the plants.

"Oh, look! I thought for sure there'd be less than this with the cold this year. I guess the forest is going to be a little more giving to us this year." Despite Brick's large stature and obvious skill with the sword, she still looked to him for some recognition of their healing property in his eyes. It was hard being the only healer. She quickly thought back to camp and hoped that nobody had managed to hurt themselves within the time they'd been away from camp.

"You bet they do..." Aya replied to his question. "Those that like fighting tend be on that side of the river. Their leader is, well, he's pretty mean. At least I hear." She looked slightly annoyed at his suggestion. "If you truly find a good reason to cross, it better not end up with you in the medicine tent."

The Two Sides

"Yep, you're right!" Aya nodded, remembering why she'd wanted to go out in the first place. She began heading down the hill, hoping that Brick had gotten enough of a sense of the land. "There's a clearing just down this side of the hill with some bushes I'll be able to use."
She huffed at the thought of the Broms on their side of the river. "You bet they do. If they could just stay on their side..." she felt a slight twinge of disappointment in herself. Really there was no reason why they shouldn't be able to share, but either way border respect was the best way to keep everyone safe. "Just try not to go on their side, okay?"

The Two Sides

@Azereiah
Aya shook her head. "Don't be sorry! It's a hard environment to get used to, but just give it a few weeks and you'll be stalking through the woods like a pro."

She joined him at the hilltop just a few moments later, enjoying the view that it offered over the forest. You could see the river slinking across the land, carving the border between the two camp territories like an unspoken sign of their division.

"There are people here who like fighting. There are people who just like the forest and our way of life. Unfortunately, anytime a Brom and a Rabin meet on that river bank blood is usually spilt. It's not raiding... More just skirmishes." Aya sighed. "Too many people have died from such attacks."

The Two Sides

Aya laughed at his comment about the hippo. Brick seemed easygoing enough and she was sure he'd fit into the Rabins just fine. "Yeah, I have no idea if the kind of thing is genetic or not." Aya sighed. "In fact, we really know so little about what we even are." she shook her head, trying not to dwell on it. She couldn't help but flinch slightly at the noise he was making. "You doing okay?" They were almost at the top. "You know, I wonder that everyday. I just wish it would stop."

The Two Sides

Aya nodded thoughtfully at Brick's explanation. It was hardly the most interesting she had heard, but if anything it was actually nice to hear a story that wasn't tragic for once. "That's good of you." she laughs a bit. "Ah, I hope you do know that we're not cannibals now. I don't even know how that one got started."

The path they were taking began to incline quickly as they reached the base of the hill. Aya carefully stepped around fallen branches as they climbed.

"My grandmother is a shifter, and she lived out in a group when she was younger. She said it was good for shifters to live together at this age." Aya shrugged. "I think it might have been a little more peaceful in her time. Anyway, she suggested this place to me."

The Two Sides

@Azereiah
It was quiet in the forest and despite the cold of autumn the sun was shining through the trees. Aya followed an invisible trail known to her only through traversing it many times.
"If you ever get lost, just follow the smoke from the campfires back to camp." she mentioned as they walked. She suddenly realised how little she knew about Brick and found the silence needing of a conversation. "So, what brings you out here?"