Blur the Darkness

Lydia gently plucked off some leaves as the other woman introduced herself as Kahaia. She was a healer in training and it seemed she already had a fair amount of experience. "A useful combination! I've always been fond of marigolds and it's good that dandelion's are so plentiful." Lydia gently maneuvered the leaves and berries onto the rabbit skin she was using as a temporary means to carry her herbs.

Lydia nodded at Kahaia's question. "Oh yes, both the leaves and the bark have their uses as well though you are quite right the berries are really the best for boosting the immune system. The leaves have an unusual smell when you mash them that will help deter insects, this can be useful for keeping bugs away from wounds and fly bites. They also help reduce swelling in sprains and injuries." She moved to the tree once more and on an older shoot began to strip away the outer bark as she sought to get at the inner bark. Once there she gestured to her work. "This is the inner bark, its best to gather it in the autumn. Once harvested you can dry it in the sun it's used more for purging and as a diuretic than in wound treatment."

Carefully she reached in with her teeth and began to harvest the bark, stripping it and setting it down upon the rabbit skin. It had a slightly sweet taste but grew more bitter the longer it was left in the mouth so Lydia worked quickly. Once she was satisfied she turned back to Kahaia. "I should add the bark is useful for making tinctures to help with asthma and respiratory issues. An old healer in my pack said the bark could help with epilepsy but I haven't seen it myself so i can't say that it's true."