If a mushroom can grow from sh*t, so can you

Giving intel to strangers was hardly something Sanna was in the business of– she knew better. She knew better than to give away her position on this great global map, but also… well, this stranger was awfully tiny. She knows better than to discount someone based on size alone, but this one seemed like she had bigger issues than concerning herself with sabotaging whatever plans Sanna had for the day. Or for the life. Or whatever. That thought wasn’t fully formed in her head, but she knows she needs to be careful. She knows she needs to be careful, but she doesn’t need to be that careful– does she?

The small girl gave a wag of her tail and a wiggle. No, there was certainly nothing threatening about her. Well, she wasn’t actively threatening Sanna at least. She didn’t have to put more energy into keeping her guard up any extra. Always on guard, but not paranoid on guard. Good enough. Red and white mushrooms for giving someone a good (or bad) time. Sanna was fairly sure she knew exactly what the girl was getting at, and it’s enough to bring a bit of a chuckle to her throat and a glint to her eye. “The winter was probably too cold for any of them to survive, but it’s worth looking. Here, check somewhere that looks like it’s well insulated from the cold like this.” The suggestion comes before she can stop it. Conversation with a stranger wasn’t usually her strong suit, but maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. At least she had something specific to look for, instead of just browsing without aim.

Sanna gestured to a tree before making her way over. At the base it cast a shadow, like the bottom had been hollowed out. A fox or a badger, or something of the like, had made its home here last season. It was empty now, but the hollow had been left behind. Carefully, Sanna cleared away the snow and the brush that had gathered up in the space. She listens to the stranger chatter away, happy that she doesn’t have to be the one to fill the air between them.

In the sheltered hollow beneath the tree, she finds them. The mushrooms with the red caps and white spots, the ones that the green girl had been searching for. There were a few clustered together in the damp undergrowth. “There are some here,” there’s a victorious note in her tone. She’d managed to find something out here after all. “As for herbs, I know enough to keep myself alive. I’ll keep the bark in mind.” It’s surprisingly polite from the medic, with her typically limited social skills. Sanna is proud of herself, at least.

"Speech"