Blur the Darkness

Lydia mentally ran through the stockpiles she currently had in each of her four storage dens. She only had to stock the one in the south yet so she should have enough gathered to get through the winter alright, especially if she decided to winter in the southern region. She smiled at Kahaia. "Not at all, go right ahead." She seized the rabbit skin she'd set her herbs upon and shuffled back out of the way so the other woman could gather up what she needed. Seizing the bundle in her teeth she trotted after the other to a larger elder bush.

Lydia set her bundle down and carefully unwrapped it. "I used to just carry my herbs in my mouth but it's so easy to crush or bruise your plants, especially if you're trying to carry berries.  If you have larger leaves you can place the smaller ones there and carry it but I'm not sure of any around here that would work. I have this rabbit skin that I've been using from an old kill. I removed as much flesh as I could then dried it in the sun." She looked around, eyes searching for what she could give this woman to help her carry her items. There were numerous plants in this territory but she wasn't sure of any with leaves large enough to be useful.

Lydia's eyes landed on an old birch tree whose bark was peeling. "Oh, that might work." She scampered over toward the tree before gingerly setting her teeth against the bark of the tree, a peeling piece of bark between her teeth as she gently pulled it back until she had a good sized piece of curling bark. Returning to Kahaia she set the bark down. "You could try placing your herbs in this and carrying them that way but you'd have to be very careful. Do you have far to go? If so, how about you take my rabbit skin instead? My western storage den is close by, I can store my herbs there until I catch another rabbit."

It was then she recalled Kahaia's other questions. "To dry out the leaves just place them out in the sun, you can drape them over rocks or branches, just do so in a sheltered area so the wind doesn't take off with them. You do the same for the bark and the berries but the berries you have to watch very carefully. Birds will try to make off with them." She'd lost several gatherings to birds in the past. It was always such a shame to loose a hard days work to the pesky scavengers. "I prefer to store mine in a little makeshift den where it's dark and cool. I store most of it dried though I do like to keep a bit of fresh on hand if I'm worried I might need it. Does that help?"