She could tell the woman was thinking hard about something and she wondered what it was, but she let her reminisce, Eclipse was patient enough and she didn’t mind the quiet though she though she could hear voices too, but then that was most likely her imagination. She was no shaman she was a a cook, a gardener, someone who helped the plants grow, who would try to help replentish these dull lands. The woman finally broke the silence explaining why the spirits were attracted to her. In a way it was scary. If she died would she become one, would she envy the living, wishing and wanting to be alive again? To her that sounded like the worst hell ever. Looking at Zera with sad eyes she spoke in an almost hurt voice

“Can they not move on, leave the earth to be somewhere else, far more4 happier than a place where they wish to be alive again? That sounds like a horrible punishment.”

She watched the woman as she went back into memory lane. She waited. As a pup she jhad been impatient but as she grew she found herself not nereeding everything right away. It must have been a not so happy experience or a rather good one, though her answer didn’t tell Eclipse much of her experience. She nodded and understood. Eclipse was born a hunter. she wanted to be the best and now she was decent enough as any huntwer. Her passion was life itself though, to live was to kill adn to do that she would have to make something live in order to continue the cycle. Smiling at the woman she looked around herself. The dead lands that were covered in the snow

“I’m a Shonu, that’s gardener in rough meaning. I plant and grow things not just for the pack but to bring the animals in and back. I help the mother earth. It’s what I was born to do... I was also born to hunt and cook. My life is a big cycle”

She hoped the woman understood what she meant. Eclipse believed in Karma and her jobs were a big circle around that. yin and yang a powerful belief in the young womsns eyes but not everyone saw it that way. Many believed that if good came then there would be even more good, though that wasn’t how it was from what Eclipse had seen. After all from what she had learned about the fabled humans, they had made their lives easier, but in turn they were punished for the neglect they lay upon the lands. Eclipse knew that there had to be a limit of good and evil, of opposites that would bring out the calm of the world. She smiled shyly at Zera as she had drifted off in thought and nearly left the woman alone while Eclipse thought of this, reminding herself, then reminding herself that she was kinda to other’s beliefs so whatever one believed she wouldn’t put it down at all.

Eclipse was worried about the woman’s comfort, she didn’t seem at all comfortable and she looked at the woman with worried eyes, however she did listen to Zera talk about the ghosts moving on, and they did when the time came. That seemed honest enough, that they would move on when it was time. So then it wasn’t so much of a horrible punishment as it could be. They could go find their place, wherever that was, whenever they wanted. She had to nod with Zera’im, and then looked sideways at the woman wondering if she did fall asleep, though she spoke back up and her words made Eclipse feel all the more special. She didn’t tend to the animals though, she rather killed what was needed and brought home for cooking and making sure the pack ate. Eclipse blushed and though she had such a crush on Razekiel, she didn’t think he could ever want her anyway. As for other men she shook her head doubting those words. She was still young and such thoughts were embarrassing to her so she said nothing, looking away so that her face could cool down before she brought her attention back to Zera’im.

“Many people have helped me, praised me for doing what I enjoy. I think that the things you find most fascinating as a child tends to grow up with you and becomes what you are meant to be.”

Eclipse said, thinking about the day she had gone with her father. She was going hunting with him and she was so excited. She was only two months old or so, but this was one that felt it was so fresh it happened only minutes ago. She had been excited when her dad let her carry the rabbit his trap had caught. The natural feeling she had when she pulled the rabbit between her legs and she knew from that moment she would always be a hunter. Eclipse had missed Zera’s sudden movement, so when she spoke again Eclipse opened her eyes and saw the older woman moving about in her bag and pulled out a jar handing it to Eclipse. She took it and looked at Zera, who explained what it was and Eclipse’s eyes went so wide it looked as if her eyes would fall out. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t find the right words. She had read about this spice, something so rare it was the most expensive on the market, and the harsh conditions of Nova scotia were not ideal for this plant. Blinking again she took the seeds from the woman, wishing beyond all that she had something in return.

“I- I cannot take the spice, I could never repay you for such a fine jar of saffron. Its.... it’s far too expensive to give away!”

She felt like she had to refuse even though she wanted it so badly. She couldn’t just take something so fine, so rare, and expect to not ever return the favor. She wasn’t even sure if she would see the woman again... perhaps if she made something in Ichika she could come back? The woman said she resided in the mountains with the Anathemas every once in a while.

“Well perhaps I’ll make a trade, but I won’t have it ready for a while, maybe something you’ll enjoy.”

She wasn’t particularly good with her hands, but she was sure she could make her leather of some sort. She wanted to make sure her present was just as nice as the one Zera gave her, so even though she didn’t have anything like that now, she would be able to in a little while.

Eclipse fell quiet. She let the jar of the precious herb be slid into her hand and she looked as if she were going to cry. This herb she had never thought, in all her life, that she would never be able to use because it didn’t grow anywhere near here, but here it was in this jar, and look at it all. She stared at the red root-like plants. They must taste so good to be such a rare and expensive item. She smiled gratefully, but tilted her head when the woman said she would no longer need it. She was genuintly worried now, and the signs didn’t help. The signs of the woman’s deteriorating health.

“Why....why won’t you need it anymore?”

She was very hesitant on asking this question. It was one with those personal boundaries, where it could bet far too personal for one to give an answer, but she was worried and wanted to know why a woman of her youth would be giving away precious items. Her request after was not entirely strange, though one normally would want something far better in return, but Eclipse smiled a sweet sad smile.

“Of course I can bring you. Did you want to go now?”

She asked, she wouldn’t mind going now or later in the days to come, she just wanted to make sure the two were on the same foot. She had many misunderstandings in her day and thankfully they all came out better than the young woman could have hoped. She held the jar of saffron close to her body. It was almost as precious as a life, though she knew better than that, for life was far more precious and though this plant had once lived, it was not anymore, and nothing but a food spice to make mouths water. So those other lives that were at stake of dying were far more important. She looked at Zera’im in turn for her answer and could see that she might be uncomfortable now, though Eclipse wasn’t an expert on expressions, she could tell something might be wrong with the collie woman.

Eclipse’ heart went out to Zera’im, but it did seem the woman was waiting for the end to come, though Eclipse wished there was something she could do about it. It hurt her to know that Zera only had a short time to live and Eclipse couldn’t do a thing about it. Though Zera’im said not to be sad, Eclipse couldn’t help it. She had just made a friend and she couldn’t just not feel horrible that she only had a limited ammount of time, so when the woman agreed to going to Eclipse’s home today Eclipse was very enthusiastic about it. She wasn’t sure how quickly the woman walked so she decided to go right at that moment. The second she was in her packlands and had acess to a source of water she offered it to the woman as both a relief and giving her sanctuary inside the land. Eclipse showed the woman around, spots she loved, and older spots she thought that Zera would enjoy. She couldn’t show the older woman some things, but that was due to her packs rules and nothing more. She showed her the valley and some of the woods even their view of the shore.

It was a good day, at least for Eclipse and she hated to see the collie woman go, but that night as she went to her room she hugged the jar of saffron tightly. This would only be used for very special occasions. It was worth far more to her than them being just spice and she would cherish the gift always even to the very last touch of it went into a wolf’s mouth.

She watched the jar for long minutes thinking about the day she had and wished she could have escorted Zera to her home so she could learn more, and hear stories but she wouldn’t make it back home. Thinking about her day, she thought it had turned out fairly well considering all that happened. It was nice to make a new friend, but her heard hurt thinking that was probably the first and only time she would see the collie woman.