Blur the Darkness

Turning her focus back to the task at hand Lydia approached the elderberry bush. She gazed up at the familiar clumps of foilage weighed down with clumps of small dark berries and opted to go ahead and gather what she could of both bark and berries. She'd need good stores with winter on the way. The inner bark was best collected in autumn but it would take some work to get to, she could then take it and dry it. She'd probably gather some leaves as well though that would've been better in the summer. Lydia decided she'd start with the berries and just work her way down so she wasn't being so rough on her teeth right from the get go.

Standing up on her hind legs with her paws leaning against the bark she elegantly lifted her head and gingerly snipped off a clump of berries which she quickly set down. She was just about to lift herself again when she was approached by an earthen-colored yearling. The girl seemed friendly and at the mention of healing her ears flicked forward. "Yes, I'm gathering some pieces from this elderberry bush. I suppose I'm reasonably experienced. My name is Lydia. What's yours? I take it you're a healer as well?"