Pocket Full of Posies
What had started as plans to simply go exploring had rapidly turned into yet another herb gathering trip. Lydia couldn't help herself. She wanted to take advantage of spring as long as it would last and perhaps in the fall she could do more exploring if she got her portion of herb stores taken care of. The journey was long and tedious and she found herself grumbling on more than one occasion that she had to go around two packs in order to get to the Orchard from Kesali. She didn't dare pass through the Shrine now that she knew there was an Abraxas band dwelling there. To enter there would be suicide. And so she took the long way around. Though perhaps, if she improved her swimming just a bit more, she could try going the southern route.
Bolla hopped along beside her as Lydia focused her mind to the task at hand. Many herbs that could be found in the Orchard could be found in the rich lands of Kesali, except for wintergreen. So close to summer she hoped to see the beginning of blooms that might make it easier for her to identify the plant. Even with that aid, however, wintergreen was rare enough that this would be a weary task. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath.
"Talk"
The gilded prince meandered slowly through the fruit-bearing trees now ripe and littered with rotting fruit. The whole orchard stank of fermentation and once again he found himself pining for his home. The Spring festival would be ending around this time and the fact that so many members of his family had missed it to join him weighed heavily on him.
He let out a low sigh and knocked a brown shriveled apple over with his paw before continuing his journey. Ahead of him he saw a dully colored female and gave a short bark of greeting to her. “Lovely day, isn’t it?” He said cordially as he moved to approach her. Company was always welcome during his travels and the girl seemed innocuous enough to perhaps take his mind off of all that was beginning to weigh him down.
speaking Thinking you |
Lydia's thoughts wandered, drifting back to Kesali. It was still taking her time to settle in. She'd spent the majority of her life as a loner or in captivity. Being part of a loving pack now took some getting used to and she found herself struggling to connect with her packmates to her utter humiliation. She hoped the boy, Erys, was doing ok. Clementine seemed to have more of a motherly touch and she had no doubt Branch would make a fine father some day. Lydia wasn't quite sure where she fit in the fabric of the pack.
Deciding the breather was enough she got back to work, searching through the shaded areas of the Orchard for any sign of the creeping, evergreen plant. It favored growing under Kalmias and Rhododendrons so if she good find either of those she would know she was looking in the right area. Summer was close enough she hoped that maybe it was beginning to flower but she knew better than to count on it.
She whipped her head around at the bark of greeting to see a young, handsome male. He seemed friendly enough. "Yes, it is quite lovely. What brings you here this fine day? Are you looking for herbs as well?"
Bolla leapt into a nearby fruit tree. "He's probably trying to figure out how to get around all these packs!" She grumbled a bit under her breath then started picking through her fur.
"Talk"
He had to smile at the creature’s interjection albeit it was a bit awkwardly. His father had always forbade interacting with other creatures but he couldn’t help but feel a small touch of envy at the creature’s familiarity to the woman.
“Yes I noticed it was quite crowded in the south.” He said. “But I came here purely to explore these lands- well, what few lands I can explore in the south.”
Around him the weather seemed clear in spite of the ripe scent of rotting fruit that permeated the air. The trees themselves were still speckled with apples every shade of color from green to red and some streaked between colors as if they had been painted by a brush.
“And you? Exploring as well I take it?” He asked genteelly
speaking Thinking you |
Bolla settled into the tree, reaching up to grab some fruit to eat. Lydia shifted her pack to a more comfortable position as she smiled at the young man. So he was an explorer? Perhaps she ought to postpone her herb hunting for a bit and join the young man. "Well, I was actually doing some herb hunting but in truth I've been meaning to do more exploration of the lands in the south. You see I'm a member of one of the packs here, Kesali." She hoped to find a better route to her usual herb hunting ground as well as getting a better over all picture of the south. "Would you be interested in exploring together? I'm hoping to find a better route to this portion of the south. There's good herb hunting here but it takes a bit. Are you headed in any particular direction?"
"Talk"
“Not any particular direction, no.” He commented easily. “I wouldn’t mind hearing more about your Kesali though, I’d like to get more familiar with all the packs in this area.” It was only a lie by omission; he knew enough about one of the packs, the pack he intended to take but would gladly welcome any more information he could glean from the girl.
He started to move, nose down attempting to weed out the scent of herbal medicines over the scent of rotting fruit. It was a dry day, as all the days in the summer had been and the thought of fire was never too far from his mind after his brush with death on the island. He thought of the scent of apple leaves burning and how the sickly sweet smell had been almost intoxicating before his mind jumped back to the present and he looked over his shoulder to see if the girl was still following him.
speaking Thinking you |
Lydia grinned, happy to discuss what little she knew. "Kesali is a pack over need the Weeping Woods. We are peaceful and believe in teamwork and trade. There's another pack just north of here but I don't know them very well. From what I've gleaned they're a rough and tumble sort that shouldn't be trifled with. The same can be said for the pack just east of here. Again I don't know much about them but their ruler seems a rather deranged sort. He showed up to a pack challenge covered in blood and guts. It was awful!" Bolla scrambled down from the tree, interested in taking part in the conversation.
"Oh, it was quite a show! Him and that Abraxas fellow and the piebald all going at each other like that. I should've started up a betting pool." Lydia eyed the lemur for a moment then shuddered. "Wonder what got him so bent out of shape about that stupid Shrine anyway. Anyone with a lick of sense knows it's a piece of human work. Anything human is best avoided if you ask me. A cursed place says I. You couldn't pay me to go near it."
Lydia nodded absently. She'd never been to the Shrine and so she had no feelings on it but knowing that there were two mad men fighting over it meant she intended to keep her distance. "Anyway, that's the reason it takes so long to travel. We have to take the long way to avoid our more violent neighbors but you're more than welcome to visit Kesali."
Bolla reached up and tugged at her fur. "Oi, look at the sun. We best get moving." Lydia nodded. "Sorry for such a swift departure. I've got a lot on my plate today. Have a good journey!"
-exit-
"Talk"