Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Stop!" The lioness called out, stamping a paw lightly on the ground to ensure Hillaire followed her direction. "Hold that thought, please," she added, voice far more gentle than before. Hillaire, after all, had done naught to earn any irritation. It certainly wasn't his fault this particular plant was being so... stubborn! Grumbling under her breath, Illayda sniffed the patch of herbs she was combing through, nosing the lesser-quality plants out of her way until she found the one she wanted, and carefully picked it up to move.

That done, she trotted over to where she had a small collection of bits of the same herb, spread to dry, and placed it among its brethren. It was, perhaps, more organization than desperate work, but Illayda couldn't stand leaving her things unsorted. Only the best would do for some remedies, after all, while others... well. Others weren't quite so strict in what they required. It made it easier to have her things sorted in advance.

Only with that done did she finally turn to the lion, approaching him with the same careful steps she always used when at work, before nearing Hillaire and nuzzling under his chin and behind an ear. "Thank you, dear one - was I too harsh? I know I've been a little... tense, since arriving here..." It wasn't that she disliked their new home - no, far from it, it was nice here, and she didn't feel so lost and forgotten as she had among her Sisters.

But it was nonetheless strange, and she was still trying to adjust. "You're much too kind for a grass-stained grump like me, you know that, yes?"