Fostering Wanderlust

Her father’s laughter, affectionate nose boop, and encouragement to find the perfect bag fueled the girl's excitement. She was already brimming with wanderlust, and it made her happy that her father matched her enthusiasm. He was the strongest pillar in their family; fierce and protective of his loved ones. But he was also patient, kind, and pup-like in a way, which made forming their father-daughter bond that much easier. He never made her feel like her dreams were silly, or that she couldn’t achieve them. He inspired her to keep her dreams alive, and today was a perfect example of how he did that. She couldn’t have asked for a better daddy.

These thoughts floated about in her mind as she returned with the satchel, returning to Artorias' side with a toothy smile that mirrored his. As he moved out of the doors that led to the garden, Clove did her best to match his pace. They passed through the castle doors, moved into the courtyard, and made it to the gates of the Hearthstone that led to the outside world. Although she was excited, she couldn’t help but stop at the gates. This was the first time she had been so close to the world beyond their home, and the realization caused a whirlwind of emotions inside of her. She looked up at Artorias, finding comfort in the soft smile on his face. She took a breath, steadied herself, and together they walked out of the gates and into the vast plains that surrounded the castle.

Her little jaw dropped at the scenery because it seemed to go on forever! Her eyes didn’t know which way to look, her head turning from side to side as she tried to take it all in. Her father’s voice brought her attention to him, as she peered up at his towering figure. He motioned towards the north, and her eyes followed to look at a cluster of trees off in the distance. She nodded her head yes when he asked if she could see them. "“That’s a far walk!”" She exclaimed with a giggle, kicking off on her hind legs in a skipping manner to follow after her father. She knew he would carry her if need be, all she had to do was ask. But she wanted to enjoy the journey and push herself like a true adventurer.  

As he led them to the wildberry grove, Clove stayed close for most of the way. Here and there she would veer off the trail, but only a few feet or so. And, every so often her head would peek over her shoulder, as the castle grew smaller and smaller in the distance behind them. It sent a wave of uneasiness through her, but it only lasted a moment. So long as Daddy was with her, she knew she was safe no matter how far away they went.  

The journey to the grove went by faster than she thought it would. Before she knew it, they were standing at the edge of the Grove. The towering trees cast a soft shadow on the underbrush, shielding much of the ground from the mid-morning sun. Along with the warm weather, it created the perfect environment for the bushes and trees to produce an array of berries and fruit. Unknown to Clove, they weren’t in season just yet. When Artorias gave her the OK to explore, she whirled around to face him and playfully lowered into a bow position. "“I will find all sorts of treasures Daddy!”"  She exclaimed, giving herself a self-proclaimed mission. She wanted to explore the grove so thoroughly that maybe she could show Daddy something he had never seen before!

Once they parted ways, Clove began to explore the variety of bushes in the grove. She meticulously collected a single berry from each new bush she discovered and placed them in her bag, intending to ask her father about them later. So far, she had collected a blue one (blueberry), a greenish-red spotted one (strawberry), a fuzzy black one (blackberry), a small black one (elderberry), a hard green thing that fell off a tree (apple), and a purple circle thing (plum) that had also dropped off a tree. She had also run into some small wildlife, like squirrels and sparrows foraging for the riper fruits in the bushes. Each time she saw one, she took the opportunity to work on her stalking skills.

She had just unsuccessfully stalked a bird who had been alerted to her presence when she stepped on a stick, when she came across a  plant that didn’t look like the others. It was tall, had green and purple leaves, and clusters of fuzzy smelly things that looked like they were dusted in crystals (marijuana.) Clove stopped to observe it, sticking her nose out to take a whiff before she sneezed. It smelt so weird!

*(Cue dad if he is nearby!)

"Clove Carpathius"