Colibri was quietly toiling in the community garden, pulling weeds from where they sprang unbidden. Saul's witchhazel plant was nestled at the center of their plot, and Coli had been making frequent trips into their pine forest to sniff out new herbs and useful medicinal plants, trying to populate the garden for their pack. So far it was still a bit sparse. She knew she would need to travel further than their territory alone to find everything she wanted, but she was more reluctant to venture outside the safety of their borders now that she was no longer a loner. It was safe here, a luxury she had not enjoyed for many seasons.

The tranquil silence was broken by the sound of a howl, a commanding voice resonating from the border. Coli's ears fell back apprehensively, glancing in the direction of the village to see if anyone would answer. Her packmates were often out and about, though, wanderers by nature, and it seemed this warm afternoon they were otherwise occupied. She stood, brushing the dirt from her knees and palms, and reluctantly set off towards the edge of the pack. The call was not one she recognized, so it was unlikely to be Emmanuelle, Cassia, Eclipse, any of the females she wanted to see. As she drew nearer, she was surprised to see the shape of a covered wagon drawn by a horse. She had never seen such a thing before, since she had not been informed of the trader's previous visit with Lilin and the Stormbringer brothers. Was she looking to join them, with all her possessions? But the call had sounded so dominant...

Smoothing her long mane flat, Coli took a deep breath, trying to steel her nerves before emerging from the pine trees to greet the stranger. "Hello there, you've reached Vinátta's borders... May I help you with something?"

The trader was revealed to be a cream-furred female, her folded ears denoting dog heritage rather than the wolves she was accustomed to here in the northern territories. The dog was taller than her, and built more solidly; there was experience in her lines and the power she gained from it. Curiously enough, she was clad in colorful clothing and jewelry, a novelty for Colibri who wore only the simple necklace that the Vináttans were given upon swearing their fealty to the pack. She felt plain in comparison. The dog had a charming smile, disarming Coli as she stepped curiously forward. This was all so exotic.

She politely returned the introduction, smiling shyly at the stranger. "...It's nice to meet you, Amy Sunders. My name is Colibri Haki, a member of this pack..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes widened, fascinated by the assortment of items within the wagon. She had zero dealings with merchants in the past, since she never had anything of value to barter with, not to mention her lack of social skills. But she clearly remembered what her leaders Saul and Lilin had spoken of, the desire to promote trade with their neighboring packs, bartering for the wealth their land provided them. She straightened up with renewed determination, realizing this must be the sort of thing they spoke of. She would be a good ambassador and trade with this Amy, and perhaps this experience could make her worth something to her home.

"That's incredible, you have so many things! What are you looking to acquire? I can trade some of my plants for yours, if you have any of those..." She was craning her neck to peer at the inventory, not wanting to step too close and risk offending their owner. She hoped the prices would not be too steep, because there was not much else she could give without consulting with her leaders first. She was hoping naively that she could impress them by standing on her own.

Colibri was a mistrustful soul, having been betrayed and hurt by many others in her past. If she had encountered Amy Sunders in a neutral territory, she would not be nearly so open. But she had a deeply rooted faith in the pack she had helped to found here, and she assumed that others would respect what they stood for, and not pose a threat to her. It did not occur to her that Amy might not be completely truthful about the values of their exchange; it was all new to her. New and fascinating, as the cheerful female began to show off a little. "Across the ocean...? Really?" she breathed in awe, watching the golden statue Amy handled for emphasis. It was decadence beyond her comprehension.

Coli looked a little crestfallen when Amy explained that her merchandise would have a higher worth. It made sense, though; it was difficult to transport plants for long without them wilting or losing leaves. Some were pickier than others, requiring more sunlight than a covered wagon could offer. "Would two for one be fair, then? Two of my plants for each of yours?" she asked hopefully, tilting her head. It was a wonderful opportunity to get something rare without risking her own life out in the wild lawless territories. It would be worthwhile, since she could slowly replace her own stock over time. "I... I also have some apple seedlings that were difficult to transport here," she added, reluctant to give them up because of their connection to the disbanded pack Crimson Dreams. She could part with a few, though, she did not need all of them. It would be years before they would bear fruit anyway. "I could add some of those to my offer. Or..."

Dropping her voice to a conspirator's whisper, she edged a little closer to the trader, adding, "If... you collect poison, I have some nightshade and jimson weed flowers and leaves. They can be boiled to create a liquid form, or swallowed whole." Her packmates did not know she collected poisons, and she did not want to tell them unless she had to. But it was possible this dog would be interested in them, being a female loner that surely had to defend herself from time to time. It had not been that long ago that Coli herself lived that way, and if not for her little hobby, she would not be alive now. It made her nervous to mention it aloud, though, cringing as she expected a negative reaction. She just hoped that would be enough to work out a trade.

Colibri envied females like Amy, strong and smart enough to handle herself out there in the wild. Amy could easily fit in with a pack, with all her skills and knowledge and possessions, but she had willingly chosen the life of a traveling merchant instead. It was incredible to her. There was a brief moment of tension in which Coli fidgeted anxiously, unsure if her offer was enough. Her expressive blue eyes were focused on Amy's face, looking for any signals; but the experienced trader kept a calm facade, not betraying anything to her customer. Finally the dog spoke; they had struck a deal. Coli sighed with relief, a pleased smile wreathing her muzzle. She had done it! She had actually negotiated with a stranger and now they were trading for the first time ever, how exciting! "Pl-please wait right here, I'll go and get everything for you," she stammered quickly, waving her hands for emphasis. They were so close to a successful transaction, she couldn't let it fall apart now.

"Erm, how many total will you be trading to me?" she added after a moment, tilting her head inquisitively. She needed to know how many she had to double to bring back, after all. The pouches of poison would be easy enough to replace, for she had mapped out the locations of the useful plants in the nearby woods. The apple seedlings not so much, but she had collected a fair amount of them when she had made her trip to the orchard, and losing several to Amy in order to sweeten the deal would not be the end of the world. She would certainly be busy today, planting all the new and fantastic flora she would receive, and then scouring the forests to replenish what she had to trade away. She had not gotten a close look at the plants stashed in the magnificent wagon, but she thought she saw a raspberry bush, and that alone would be a wonderful addition to the communal garden. Tea in the summer, preserves for the winter...

Coli nodded resolutely and turned, dashing back through the thick copse of pine trees that made up their pack's border. Excitement lent speed to her paws; she had glimpsed the plants she was being traded, and they were all worthwhile, even for the communal herb garden. Meadowsweet root could be chewed to relieve headaches, catnip had numbing effects, sage had antibiotic and astringent qualities. She knew all of them on sight, and this would be an excellent trade. When she reached her house, she barely paused to catch her breath before pushing the creaky door open. Her home was small, more like a den with no windows, furniture, or separate rooms; she kept the fur pouches of poison in a neat bundle underneath one of the cloaks Emma brought her. She kept meaning to give that cloak to Lilin, but she liked having the reminder that she had a friend somewhere else in the north. She plucked up three of them, noting that she only had one left, and strung them onto the necklace cord around her throat. There, that was the easy part. Then she burst back outside, the bright sunlight shining down on the many wildflowers she had planted around her small house.

Kneeling, she gently scooped the soft loam in her hands, shaking the clumps free from the roots so that she could separate the individual stalks. She needed two of each to trade; that should be doable, she had several of each variety. The sentimental side of her hoped they would be well cared for, and that they could be traded to another gardener in a different pack who would appreciate them the way she did. First was the wild chamomile, bright daisy-like flowers upturned to the sunlight. Next was the fly honeysuckle, common within the coniferous forests but rare everywhere else. It would bear little berries soon, a favorite for songbirds. Beggarticks and her yellow lady slipper orchids were next, gingerly uprooted and laid out on the grass in a neat stack. Her garden was going to look rather bare after this, until she could scavenge replacements. She still lamented that she could not find pink lady slippers anywhere, not since she had them in Dahlia de Mai.

That was all the wildflowers she had found here in the northern territories, so she had to dole out some of her precious southern plants. Marsh marigold was handled delicately, since the bruised leaves and stems could cause irritations and rashes. She would warn Amy if the trader was not familiar with them. Blue-bead lilies and blue flag irises were last on the pile, and that made the colorful bouquet complete. She wiped a bead of sweat from her nosetip, the sun warm on her face and shoulders. She would be sure to water everything after this, old and new. Oh, and the apple seedlings; reluctantly Coli unearthed the three she had planted above the roof of her earth home. The rest had been planted in the Vinátta vineyard, but she kept these three close to remind her of where they had come from. They would never pollinate in such a small grouping, though, so there wasn't much point in keeping them separated this way. She gathered the fourteen flowers and three seedlings in her arms, and began jogging back in the direction of Amy and her marvelous cart.

It took her longer on the return trip, since she was trying to be as careful as possible not to jostle her precious cargo. She breathed a sigh of relief once the cart was once again visible through the screen of pine trees; Amy was still waiting, as she had promised. "H... here I am," she panted, closing the distance between them. Her first trade was going to be a success. She knelt so that she could spread out the bundle of stems on the ground, seven species with duplicates, plus the twiggy apple saplings. Then she untied her necklace cord with a claw, pulling off the three fur pouches for Amy. "That should be everything we discussed," she added breathlessly, recounting them in her head to make sure. She wanted to be a good ambassador for her pack, not one who made a foolish counting error in her first transaction.