Dusk Syndicate Territory

[Role]

Originally Posted by CandyFlossCat

(Hiss I am late. I apologize.)

Allure gave a tiny nod of 'okay that's better' and flicked her tail slightly. "Alright" she mewed. Her attempt to look fierce didn't work on Allure, but she did it well and it was actually quite convincing. It would've scared a young cat or Clanner. Allure glanced at her potential options, then lunged to pin Mango, leaping into the air. She wondered how her trainee would reply, she was interested in her fighting style.

Mango crouched in surprise at Allure's pounce. Mango decided to go on the offensive rather than be put on the defensive. Mango gained a smug look, and sprang right up to meet Allure mid-air. Though, she hesitated. Was this really the right decision? Allure could easily outweigh and out match her. Mango's eyes glittered with dread as she realized her possible mistake.

[wickedvirtues]

Originally Posted by Role

Mango crouched in surprise at Allure's pounce. Mango decided to go on the offensive rather than be put on the defensive. Mango gained a smug look, and sprang right up to meet Allure mid-air. Though, she hesitated. Was this really the right decision? Allure could easily outweigh and out match her. Mango's eyes glittered with dread as she realized her possible mistake.

(Hahah Idk how to write battling ;D)

Allure made sure she kept her claws sheathed,
though they itched to draw blood, it could be done to a Clan cat later. She watched her apprentice with confusion. Okay, how to handle this? She was still in the air, as well as her apprentice. She used her weight to her advantage,
trying to throw her to the ground.

[Clover]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

The sandy cat smiled, feeling as though he had never smiled more in his life. "I do too... I really, really love you Skipper." He mewed, purring as well. His only regret in all of this was that he wasn't better at showing it. The tom wasn't ashamed of his feelings, and he wasn't embarassed that it was her he was in love with - no, on the contrary, he couldn't have been happier. The two of them already had a strong bond through friendship and now, it was only stronger. "I'm sorry, I'm not very good at this - but I hope you know how deeply I care for you." Care and love were almost the same thing, different topics. Except Gavin meant it in the same way. He really cared about Skipper, everything about her. And he noticed things. The way her green eyes lit up, sparkling like emerald stars - her laugh, how pretty it was - how much her pelt looked like fire in the sun, and grew more auburnish in the shade - and her smile. He loved her smile. It was beautiful. Gavin wished he was better at communicating how much he had noticed, and how much he liked all these little things about her. But as he had said... he wasn't very good at this. He was new to this type of love, and it was much more amazing then he ever could have hoped for. It was the greatest feeling in the world, but part of him was almost afraid to say that much for fear of sounding overly cheesy or cliche or something like that. Maybe he should say something like that, just so he could hear her laugh - again, as said before, he loved her laugh. Her smile. The way her eyes lit up, her pelt, her fiery personality that could change to sweet... and how she trusted him. That trust was amazing and Gavin loved it. He pressed himself against her, keeping his tail firmly entwined with hers. Just in case this was a dream or something... some joke... he wanted to remember it and keep it for as long as possible.

"Good at it?- love, I don't care how expressive you think you are, or how many compliments you throw at me. I promise that I hear all the little-unspoken thoughts in that beautiful head of yours; I know you love me. How could you get past me?" she murmured, gently, returning his whispered self-critique with a compliment that she truly meant.

"You are my everything and any word that you say is something I want to hear. Okay? Never think that you aren't enough-instead, you are an overwhelming plenty. Really though, Gavin- I seriously don't think you understand how deeply I care for you. No matter what you do, no matter what you say, I'll always love and protect you. Oh-and, uh, is there anyone who's bullying you? Because... they'll get it, if so." At this point, Skipper's words were jumbled and messy, dancing over and across each-other in her rush to press the idea into Gavin's mind that he was cared for. She said it with ferocity, and certainty, trying to let him know that this was real, and he should accept it. But, with a gentler touch, she gently squeezed the sandy tom's tail with her, smiling slightly.

[Aquarius]

Originally Posted by Constellation

The night lacked appreciation. The vast beauty had a way of making others...recoil. This was something Stephanotis failed to understand. Whereas, he adored the dark. It was magnificent. A lot of things got done in the dark. Successful crimes' shadows hidden in the dark. And, it was definitely fun to tell stories in the dark. Now, if it were storming - that would had perfected the day. Yes, a nice storm. Thunderstorm, snowstorm, any storm really. A storm was a pleasant thing to have. It made Stephanotis feel like he truly belonged in this twisted refulgent. Though the night never shone brightly. But, Stephanotis did.

At the moment, the brilliant pelted tom roamed the night lands. A walk always did him some good before bedtime. It was like walking with the spirits when it came to him. They lurked around, surely. They were angry. They were livid. Stephanotis thought about the many cats he could had killed, but instead they had killed themselves. What if these were their spirits? Haunting him, but being ignored? The thought made him laugh - pretty hard.

The large tom cleared his throat because it would had been awkward if anyone caught him in that moment. As far as he was concerned, everyone should had been in their respective nests. Everyone should had been sleep. Except for the night patrol, if there were one. His paws stomped through the grounds. Creating large indications of what path he had taken. Stephanotis didn't care much about how heavy his paws were. They were never light in the first place, and that was alright. He sounded like a beast prowling through the lands. Like a large lion ready to devour another.

His nose had twitched when he stopped next to a bush. Something was on the other side, surely. His ears flicked. Just the wind, he had assumed. Then, continued on - but no. There was something lurking in those bushes. Stephanotis tail lashed behind him, creating a powerful sound when it clashed with the wind. He growled, inwardly. Was someone following him? The tom was hardly paranoid. When he knew something was there; he was certain. They were hiding. But, they would be dead soon.

Stephanotis lowered himself into a fighting crouch, his muscles rippling from his thick pelt as he pushed himself forward, ready to collide with whatever was sneaking around. If they thought they would be able to mess with Stephanotis; they were messing with the wrong tom! Fore, he knew he wasn't weak. He had brute strength. He had powerful jaws, and though he pleasantly liked to keep his claws clean. He would rip the head off whoever thought it was grand to shelter in the bushes. Like they were observing him. Trying to gain his every move.

The orange tom felt the figure of soft fur when he crashed himself into it. It was a simple pounce, and his paws laid heavily against her chest. He was ready to unleash the sting of his talons, but when his eyes opened, a ferocious growl emitted from him -

He had not expected to see a mottled molly below him. The large tom stared at her dumbfounded for a moment. Completely lost of his desires, completely lost in general. When he realized it was the molly from earlier, he let out a huff, but jumped off her quickly to give her enough room to recover from his heavy weight. To think, he thought she was someone who was after him. The syndicate was never a place of trust. Everyone was after someone. Others wanted him dead, believe it or not. ''Great. You again.'' His voice was far from friendly. He was actually tired of her presence, yet wondered why she was even scavenging through the land at this time of night. Though, he refused to be in her business, because he truly had not cared.

''Don't ever. And, I mean - ever - sneak up on me like that again. I don't like surprises. Nor, do I like the likes of you. '' Exactly, why have you been up at this time of night?

All the molly did was merely turn her head, and suddenly she felt something plow into her side. The mottled she-cat hit the ground, and she began to hiss, but everything was going too fast around her. She felt the breath being knocked out of her lungs as her pelt was pushed into the dark grass beneath her, and she attempted to thrash, but the weight was too much. Aquarius felt someone's paws pressing down on her, pinning her down, and her mind spun. She felt the dark of the night being blocked out, and as she struggled, she forced herself to open her eyes through the blanket of shock which rested upon her mind. Her eyes shot open, glittering with fury, when she heard a growl come from the opponent on top of her. Only then did her gaze meet the amber optics she had dreaded ever seeing again. She laid there in sheer shock and slight horror, trying to take in the seen around her. Fortunately, the tom was able to process the situation more quickly than her, and stumbled off of her. As soon as she could, Aquarius screeched, jumping up, her gray fur bristling and her gaze glittering like burning ice.

She didn't know what to say. She had had one encounter with this cat, and she had never wanted to meet - or even see him again, and here she was, being attacked by him. She glared at the tom, her fur refusing to lie flat, her claws out and digging into the soft night-washed grass beneath her paws. Her pelt on end and her claws flashing in the faint light from the sky, she looked more menacing than usual - well, as menacing as an undersized she-cat could, anyways. "I could say the same thing," she spat at the fiery pelted tom, a biting growl hidden in the undertones of her voice.

Of all the things she had expected to find on her night-hunt, he had certainly not been one of them. This cat was able to manipulate her, to say things that cut her. This tom had a seething way with words that enabled him to get into a cats mind. As cold as Aquarius had grown over the moons, she still knew that this cat was not good. This cat was not right. He was twisted in a way that the molly had yet to understand, had yet to even begin to understand. The mere complexity of the strange tom made her seethe, and made her grow icier with every word she spoke. Ossified. She grew ossified.

She snapped at the tom. "I didn't sneak up on you. Hell, I didn't even know you were there," she snarled, the intensity of her own voice surprising even her. The moons that passed had changed her from the naive Trainee she once was, and the cruel reality of life had hardened her. But even under her shell, she still knew what the right thing was, and when other cats were good or bad. But slowly, that seemed to be slipping away. Like she was morphing right in front of this tom's eyes, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. "The surprise was mutual. Clearly you can't scent a thing, or you would have realized it was a fellow Syndicate member! Don't you have any respect for others?" She snarled. Even as she said it, she knew it was true. Clearly this cat had no explicit emotion. But implicit, that was another story, one that would take moons for her to find out about. But the future was not her concern; the present was enough to make her wary of the tom. Quite enough, actually.

"I hate you," she hissed. How dare this cat think he had the right to blatantly attack her, than blame her for sneaking up on him? What a statement! Only a kit would do such a foolish thing. She couldn't conjure up a response, and her mind was certainly in a frenzy. Her mottled fur bristled on the back of her neck, and her tail lashed behind her in her anger. "I never wanted to see you again. I didn't know your name, and I barely talked to you. That was a good start." She felt herself crumbling as her mind poured out into her voice. "And now you're back." Her voice subtly broke.

If she couldn't handle the pressure of talking to a cat who seemed to have a horrid aura, she had to question herself if she had the nerve to handle herself in an actual battle. Yes, she had been through them plenty of times before, but she didn't feel so sure anymore.

Never in her life had she felt so unsure of herself. Maybe, maybe she was truly breaking. Maybe she just didn't realize it.

Or, maybe, she was being empowered. It was a strange thought, of course,
but she had certainly been more on edge since her encounter with the tom.
She had been jumping at every small sound, every flame-pelted cat that passed her. Some had questioned her, but cats rarely talked to her, and she had brushed it off as nothing. But even so, she seemed to know that there was something about this tom she couldn't escape. Like there was blood on her pelt she could never get off.

What an ironic metaphor, she thought to herself, almost breaking down.

[Ever]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Honestly, the tom hadn't been expecting an answer. This showed how badly Ebony wanted this. She wanted him to... what did she want? For him to be her friend? You can do this. Baby steps, Arrow - baby steps. This was a small step in the direction of making a friend, and a huge step (for him) in the direction of trust. What if she found him there and tried to kill him one day? What if something bad happened? What if - tell her. Answer her. Okay. So Arrow wanted to trust Ebony too, wanted to believe her with everything in him even as he watched her, to see that she was honest and vulnerable - like he was. He was vulnerable beneath his hard outer shell. He was hurt more easily then he wanted to believe. More fragile then he let himself believe. And braver then he thought. "It sounds beautiful." And with that, the guard over his expression went down. For an instant it went down. For moments he stared at her, watching her as though there was nothing to keep his guard up anymore and then he stopped with a sigh.

Was he being stupid? Crazy, just to think that even for a moment, he could have something to believe in? Something to believe in - it was what everyone wanted, wasn't it? No. Everyone wanted someone to believe in them. Even Arrow, sometimes, longed for at least one cat that he could trust to tell his fears and hopes to. This was a leap. And especially, when she told him to follow. Ebony - being similar to him - was actually asking him to follow her. And he went. He padded after her, head spinning, cautious in his movements and holding a certain boldness to them as well. He didn't have to be afraid anymore - he didn't have to - she was going to be okay. Not going to kill me. Will kill me. Not going to kill me. Will definitely murder me. This was the back and forth of his mind as he followed her. "Why." It was a statement, moreof then a question, but Arrow asked it. Half commanding an answer.

Why... what... he didn't know. Things were confusing him right now, things were going, and it felt like he couldn't hear all the words that were being said - might be being answered to him now, because his ears were ringing. Yet he was still following her. What was he doing? Didn't this have potential to be dangerous? Yes. But it was that something to believe in, something to believe in him, that Arrow had wanted for so very, very long. Had needed, even. And if he had needed and wanted it so badly, it couldn't be a bad thing. There was no way that something that was so good for him - so socially involved - could be bad. There just wasn't. And as afraid as Arrow was... because yes, he was still afraid, and he still wanted to know why... this was also good. Why. Why him? Why now? Why this? Why here? Why her? All those questions, and no answers so far. Perhaps these were those questions that would be revealed with time.

Ebony looked over at him as he asked why. She honestly wasn't sure of the answer herself. The definite motive was for hope of finding friendship, but other than that she wasn't sure why she was doing this. She really wasn't sure how to answer him. There wasn't really an easy answer without revealing that she was desperate for a friend, for someone to listen to her and to have someone to listen to. She lived in this darkness in painful solitude and she was so read, so, so ready to be through with this life, but instead she was making one last attempt to make it bearable before the afterlife. If there was an afterlife. Ebony wasn't really sure, but she didn't really care at the same time. Anything was better than this loneliness among so many potential friends. She shrugged and looked ahead again, the sound of bubbling and rushing water growing stronger with every step.

"I don't know." She finally said. Maybe he'd understand, maybe not. "Why did you come?" She asked as a counter. Maybe he didn't know why either and they would be at stalemate. Though not knowing the reason for something was good a lot of the time. Ebony didn't understand why the sun went down and the moon came up but she was forever grateful for her time in the darkness. She didn't know why this beautiful babbling brook and falls existed in a territory so full of cruelty and distrust, but it helped her make it through the day to bear witness to its beauty. She didn't know a lot of things, but she did know a few things. Mostly about herself, and even a lot of herself seemed a mystery to her. She'd been so lost in silence that she wasn't even sure who she was some days, or what her potential was. For the longest time she felt mechanic, forced into this life because of past experiences and situations; a curse of existence.

Now she wasn't so sure of even that. She knew less about herself now that she'd gone out of her way to make contact with another cat. She didn't recognize the eager to share cat she was being right now, but it felt... natural. Maybe she'd always been too optimistic, maybe it was why she didn't fit in here. Maybe she was too outgoing, too curious about others. She lowered her eyes to the ground, the excitement didn't seem so real anymore as she got lost deeper and deeper into her own mind. Maybe she aught to just go back to hiding, maybe that was how she was supposed to live. Cats weren't nice and outgoing here, that's how they got killed.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Clover

"Good at it?- love, I don't care how expressive you think you are, or how many compliments you throw at me. I promise that I hear all the little-unspoken thoughts in that beautiful head of yours; I know you love me. How could you get past me?" she murmured, gently, returning his whispered self-critique with a compliment that she truly meant.

"You are my everything and any word that you say is something I want to hear. Okay? Never think that you aren't enough-instead, you are an overwhelming plenty. Really though, Gavin- I seriously don't think you understand how deeply I care for you. No matter what you do, no matter what you say, I'll always love and protect you. Oh-and, uh, is there anyone who's bullying you? Because... they'll get it, if so." At this point, Skipper's words were jumbled and messy, dancing over and across each-other in her rush to press the idea into Gavin's mind that he was cared for. She said it with ferocity, and certainty, trying to let him know that this was real, and he should accept it. But, with a gentler touch, she gently squeezed the sandy tom's tail with her, smiling slightly.

How the tom wished he was as eloquent as Skipper with these words. They flowed from her like poetry, like music, and it was beautiful. "Thank you, love." He lightly touched his nose to her ear with a smile. "There's no one bullying me, I promise. And you... there's no one giving you a hard time either, is there? I'll make sure they leave you alone, if there is." He meant it. There was no way that he was going to let his newfound interest be hurt like that! Gavin hated bullies, he found that they generally were hurt in some way but that wasn't an excuse to take anger out on other cats. The sandy tom would never hurt anyone like that! He wished he could help the bullies, but... they probably wouldn't accept his help. And why? Because in a place like this, Gavin was weak.

He was not the type of cat that was "cool" to hang out with, and he didn't want to be according to these standards. To him it was scary that everyone seemed to like bloodthirsty felines, it really was. Why were they popular? What had they done that was so... cool? Probably killed somone and then bragged about it to their awful friends, that was what. Just the mere thought of that made Gavin angry. It was horrible to do something like that. It was stupid. And he hated it, more then anything else... he despised it. But he had Skipper now, and maybe with her by his side, they could do something. She might know of some cats who needed to be helped.

And, wouldn't she want him to help them as he had helped her? The sandy tom wasn't sure, but there was never harm in asking. Later, though... for the moment, he wanted to enjoy this. He wanted to enjoy being with Skipper and wonder about what the future could hold for the two of them.

Originally Posted by Ever

Ebony looked over at him as he asked why. She honestly wasn't sure of the answer herself. The definite motive was for hope of finding friendship, but other than that she wasn't sure why she was doing this. She really wasn't sure how to answer him. There wasn't really an easy answer without revealing that she was desperate for a friend, for someone to listen to her and to have someone to listen to. She lived in this darkness in painful solitude and she was so read, so, so ready to be through with this life, but instead she was making one last attempt to make it bearable before the afterlife. If there was an afterlife. Ebony wasn't really sure, but she didn't really care at the same time. Anything was better than this loneliness among so many potential friends. She shrugged and looked ahead again, the sound of bubbling and rushing water growing stronger with every step.

"I don't know." She finally said. Maybe he'd understand, maybe not. "Why did you come?" She asked as a counter. Maybe he didn't know why either and they would be at stalemate. Though not knowing the reason for something was good a lot of the time. Ebony didn't understand why the sun went down and the moon came up but she was forever grateful for her time in the darkness. She didn't know why this beautiful babbling brook and falls existed in a territory so full of cruelty and distrust, but it helped her make it through the day to bear witness to its beauty. She didn't know a lot of things, but she did know a few things. Mostly about herself, and even a lot of herself seemed a mystery to her. She'd been so lost in silence that she wasn't even sure who she was some days, or what her potential was. For the longest time she felt mechanic, forced into this life because of past experiences and situations; a curse of existence.

Now she wasn't so sure of even that. She knew less about herself now that she'd gone out of her way to make contact with another cat. She didn't recognize the eager to share cat she was being right now, but it felt... natural. Maybe she'd always been too optimistic, maybe it was why she didn't fit in here. Maybe she was too outgoing, too curious about others. She lowered her eyes to the ground, the excitement didn't seem so real anymore as she got lost deeper and deeper into her own mind. Maybe she aught to just go back to hiding, maybe that was how she was supposed to live. Cats weren't nice and outgoing here, that's how they got killed.

Why had he come? What was he doing here? This is dangerous - remember? His mind told him, and Arrow shifted his weight. Whatever he was doing here, this wasn't smart... at all. It was dangerous. It was probably stupid. And yet here was Arrow, the stupid tom charging headfirst into danger, even though he was grudgingly trusting Ebony here. "Because." It wasn't the same 'I don't know' answer, but that was just because he was being stubborn - he didn't really know why either. And he didn't want to say that he didn't, so he gave that one-word answer. The tom wished he could give her an answer. Dangerous though it was (and everything was potientally dangerous to him) he liked Ebony. As she had said... they were similar. They had been through some similar things. They were almost the same, but not quite. And being almost-but-not-quite the same, they should be able to trust each other.

Whatever he might look like, Arrow was trustworthy. He didn't tell others' secrets. He didn't give away his own secrets. And it was the same as far as most information about himself. Except he was pretty sure he knew who he was... a cat trapped in the most hellish place ever. That was who he was. Arrow, fighter of the Dusk Syndicate, and stupid enough to believe in things that wouldn't happen. Stupid enough to believe that he could actually have a friend here. But, she had to be the same - she had to want something from him. And whatever that something was, Arrow would find it. For the moment, he was hoping that she wanted the same as him. That she wanted a friend. That she wanted someone to believe in. Someone to believe in her. That was what Arrow wanted, silly and foolish though it was in a place like this, but he was holding on to the belief that he could find that very thing to believe in.

Oh, poor Arrow. Right now he was worried about keeping himself safe, but he was also worried about offending the very cat he was hoping to win over. And it wasn't a good feeling at all. "I wanted to... try." More information? Was he going CRAZY? This was the most dangerous thing he could be doing right now! He was giving away information about himself! He was going to be in trouble! He was going to end up prey to Ebony's twisted idea, whatever it was, and he was going to get himself hurt! No, no, no... he couldn't... he wouldn't... this was awful! Now how on earth was Arrow supposed to keep himself safe now that he wanted this, this - something to believe in.

[seasalt]

Originally Posted by tawny~

@Duskflight
Iesha didn't really think of scorn others would think of her herself, her father probably had many enemies, and probably wanted to ruin his kit's life. And she didn't even know it yet. Not that the black and white she-cat cared all that much, or knew about that if it was true. Her father was out their somewhere. And, she'd always tell her mother that someday, she'd like to find her father. Though, her mother always scoffed that he was "dead". Iesha had never accepted that, or though it was true.

Ignorance was bliss you could say. Which, probably was true in Iesha. Ironic ignorance is bliss, really. A look of pure excitement was plastered on her features, her eyes gleaming in awe as she looked around the forest. The sun coming down in beams onto the forest floor, the ferns swaying and the wind, and the trees, they also doing the same. It was beautiful to the she-cat, absolutely beautiful, right at the moment to her, she didn't really notice it was very eerie just yet.

Iesha nodded cheerfully, her tail flicking at the tall grass, and the soft moss that was on the forest floor, or, she thought was their. "Yeah! I haven't been out of the camp yet, or out training jusst yet. But I'm super duper excited!" The she-cat didn't bounce up and down like she usually did, but her tone and her expression would make anyone think she was excited as a kitten about to be make a trainee. Which, happened to her when she was made a trainee. Then she noticed how eerie the pine forest was. Well, partly. Her fur crawled at bit. But, she was still excited. Really.. excited to out in the territory. Her ice-blue eyes glanced around a bit nervously, though her expression still held an excited aura. Mostly, at least.

@Duskflight
Bump for Dusk!

[judas]

@little-life-light
The healer made her way outside the clearing. Ears flicking as the grass waved ahead. Nose twitching as she visited a nearby herb garden. Her tortoiseshell fur ruffling as Shadow walked father. "Here we go..." She mewed, seeing a patch Goldenrod. She bit off the flowers, gathering them in a small pile. Her blue eyes caught sight of a few poppy flowers. Her ears flicked up in alarm as she carefully plucked the flowers. Trying to make sure nothing was spilled.
Her belly grumbled, think of what else she needed.

[mochi]

@Myik

Eiros
Harsh breaths penetrated the air as a large, ghostly white tom stood in the center of a small clearing, his body trembling slightly from overworked muscles. His right eye was closed, keeping out the blood that oozed steadily down from a cut just above the eye. He exhaled slowly, calming his racing heartbeat and shaking limbs. More...he needed to do more. He wasn't good enough, not yet. One more time.

Though before he could continue, a breeze brought on a new scent that caused him to pause. He was sure he had picked a more secluded area away from the camp. The only spot nearby was the little patch of herbs. He remained as still and quiet as a ghost, ears perked and his gaze sharp, looking for the source of the scent.

[judas]

Originally Posted by little-life-light

@Myik

Eiros
Harsh breaths penetrated the air as a large, ghostly white tom stood in the center of a small clearing, his body trembling slightly from overworked muscles. His right eye was closed, keeping out the blood that oozed steadily down from a cut just above the eye. He exhaled slowly, calming his racing heartbeat and shaking limbs. More...he needed to do more. He wasn't good enough, not yet. One more time.

Though before he could continue, a breeze brought on a new scent that caused him to pause. He was sure he had picked a more secluded area away from the camp. The only spot nearby was the little patch of herbs. He remained as still and quiet as a ghost, ears perked and his gaze sharp, looking for the source of the scent.

Shadow's ears shoot up. Nose twitching as a strong iron smelling scent washes over her.
Blood
Looking around, ignoring her own hunger, the she spots a tom. His fur is mangled, an his face is full of blood. "Wh- How?" Shadow snatches her herbs up. Mouth full as she drops them in front of the cat. "What happened?
Here, I'll help you." Shadow mews. Hardly thinking if the cat needed her help.
He seemed so small and frail. "Y-you should lay down, I'll patch you up."
She said, tapping the tom with her tail gently. Her head waved from side to side. Looking for herbs and cobwebs. Cobwebs, Goldenrod, Catchweed, Celandine, Burnet. She repeated the list in her head, waiting for some kind of response as she gathering her small patch of Goldenrod.