The Ticking of the Clock
The swamplands nearby provided an excellent opportunity for herb hunting and Chrys meant to take advantage of it while the weather was fair. He'd seen the storm clouds to the north and while he didn't expect them to bring snow to the south they'd likely bring rain and even cooler temperatures. So far he felt he was making good progress on his herb stores. There was one item in particular he was looking for, meadowsweet. With winter coming he'd need herbs that helped when it came to colds, coughs and the flu. Meadowsweet would be perfect. All he needed to do was find it. That shouldn't be too hard. It wasn't exactly a rare herb. With Bolla riding on his back, nestled between his neck and pack he strode further into the swamplands.
someone was in her swamp.
she had been near the entrance, spotting the male as he entered with his lemur familiar. Huntington considered errecting a barrier of some sort. broken down foliage, logs, the like... all to stop those coming in and messing up her land. she could only do so much when her guard had decided to remain scarce. she lacked the physical strength to challenge anyone who came in, forcing them away. so the witch had to be creative. she had to let them believe she allowed them in.
luckily, her herb garden had been plucked clean and the soil covered for the spring's bloom. there was nothing but the contents of her den to take, and that was quite a walk in the swamp. it seemed the man was here with purpose, and she had never seen the likes of him before, so her suspicions were tame. she followed him as he walked, keeping to the shadows and thick brush. when she felt like he had walked enough, she kicked out a stray rock to make noise and alert him of her presence.
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Chrysanthos used his nose as well as his eyes as he searched for his quarry. It was the scent that tipped him off and as he scanned for the source he saw it. Fernlike foilage and tufts of delicate white flowers stood out from the dark green leaves. They were in the ends of their blooming, ready to succumb to winter. Her walked over to the plant which stood a good three feet high. Its fragrance was lovely and light and he felt sad that it would not last throughout the year but such was the cycle of the seasons. Everything had its time. He needed mostly the leaves and the flowers but he would opt to cut the plant off at its stem as the winter would soon claim all that was above ground anyway and perhaps in the long winter he could find a use for it. He bent his head to start biting when a chirp from Bolla caused him to lift his head. Shortly after a rock tumbled down across the soil and he spied a woman there. There was something rather eerie about her but he couldn't put his finger on it. He dipped his head in greeting. "Hello milady. Is there something I can help you with?"