Shed a leaf when necessary

Despite the dusting of snow, there was still an opportunity to harvest some ferns to dry out in front of the small hearth she had excavated after the recent flooding. The plants were particularly useful for women’s problems and that certainly seemed to be a place she was best suited to serve. She pushed her nose beneath the snow, unearthing frostbitten fronds and burying her nose in them to take a deep whiff. There was little point in taking back maidenhair when moss and lichen were easier to keep as wound dressings. Bracken fern, on the other hand, would be helpful if anyone else decided to birth more brats, as well as helping with upset stomachs and headaches (of which she had been enduring plenty of if she was being honest).

Christmas fern had plenty of use for stomach problems too, with the added bonus of taking the edge of a toothache quite nicely thank you very much. Given the season though, what she really wanted was to replenish her stores of rock cap.

Otis grumbled alongside the Archer-Lyall, showering snow this way and that. Chips perched upon the bark-sled she was dragging back from her downtime in the barren hills. She supposed it was better to make it look like she had left with the intent to be productive, rather than returning empty pawed.

“Speech”