pots and pans and thank you ma'ams
Winter 16 - Healing Seasonal
Fertile
10-10-2021, 05:58 PM
This winter had become an exercise in impatience. The long winter had been so insufferable that she felt like she was going batty plunged straight back into another cold season. Theory kept herself busy enough, mainly concerned with keeping Abaven's stores well stocked for what might be another unusual winter. Of course she hoped it would a typical seasonal transition that would usher Boreas into spring, she was no longer taking any chances on what was "usual" or "assumed." There was nothing normal about this past year, much less the past few weeks - sparkling blue fireflies, strange weather patterns, reports of glowing animals and plants from pack members... So, she'd rather be prepared for the unusual. The abnormal. The downright strange. She'd prowled along the eastern coast, looking for structures or natural caves that would keep the cold and the snow off of plant life. A visit to the Witch's Hut had proved fruitful, but she was still itching for anything to keep herself busy. Once she started heading south, things were looking a little bit better. More herbs were still eking out a pitiful existence. Once she reached a good amount, she'd summon Alouette who would fly the bundle home while Theory rested. Today, she'd spotted Daager Isle from the coast. The water was slightly warmer here but still bracingly cold, but luckily the journey from the tip of the mangrove cluster was short. She dragged herself up on to the shore and peered around. It was obvious that this island was once inhabited by humans. All of the other places she'd been told they had once lived had the same structures in varying states of abandonment. One thing held true for all of those settlements: useful trinkets could certainly be found. Gearing up for a thorough search, Theory did a thorough wet dog shake before moving in towards one of the gaping holes in the walls. Everything smelled stale and wet and old. Faintly she could detect the presence of other wolves come and gone, but no lingering claim. That was good enough for her to proceed. Ducking her head to avoid bumping it on a loose board, she entered the dim interior and allowed her eyes to adjust. Daylight poured in through holes in the roof, some small and some so large they could hardly be called "holes" any longer. Theory moved through the interconnected rooms slowly. She wouldn't be surprised to find all manner of creatures hiding out in places like this. It made for excellent shelter against the elements. But where one might find life, you also find the means to support it. Greenery poked through the floorboards here and there but nothing useful revealed itself yet. She set her nose to the ground in an attempt to narrow her focus to just scent. There was so much to take in - noises, sounds, sights. Let's focus on smell. A tickle of spicy camphor brushed against her nose. Thyme! There we go. She followed the scent with singular focus until it brought her into a room with a thicker, colder floor. Theo danced uneasily across the tile, careful of the pieces that were shattered or lying broken. Edges were browned with old blood from creatures who hadn't been so careful. There in a corner was a pile of clutter, the source of the smell. Her tail flagged high with excitement. Theory closed in and pawed at the pile carefully. Nothing dislodged. Everything seemed like it was frozen together with a coating of ice that was thin in some places and inches thick in others. She backed up and carefully inspected the pile for weaknesses - when a freezing drop of water landed on her nose. Theo sneezed in surprise and looked up to find a small hole in the ceiling centered over her would-be treasure. At least I've got a source for a ice. Narrowing her eyes on the precarious stack of rubbish, she poked and prodded where the ice was at its thinnest until it began to spiderweb crack. With a loud crash everything tumbled to the floor. Theory skittered backwards and waited for the dust to settle. Bowls and bowls with handles and knives and handles with strange tines all eventually settled in their places on the floor. The shallow metal bowls with handles looked like they could be useful. In fact, the metal would conduct heat quite well. Her niece's hobby of heating food over a fire might find it useful. There were several sizes of that kind of handled metal bowl. Theory nosed a few aside. Some were more rusted than others, although perhaps they could be scoured clean. Finally, the source of that herbaceous smell revealed itself: thyme had grown up through the floorboards, curled into these bowls, and been frozen solid in the ice there. Theory tipped one of the smaller bowls upside down and the ice slid out in one solid piece. Now that could be useful. Ignoring the potential brain freeze, she grabbed a chunk of thyme-ice and chomped down on it hard. Icy cold shot through her teeth and made her wrinkle her nose. Chunks of ice skittered across the floor and she shot out a paw to stop one in its place. Curious, she nosed it a few times and then lapped it into her mouth. The ice cube was cold and soothing, the thyme at its center lending it a sharp flavor. If she could distill the thyme into an oil and freeze it in these smooth, metal bowls... that could be incredibly useful for a number of applications. Sore throats, wolves who were unwell and couldn't be moved but needed easy hydration - possibilities were endless. Theory carefully spat out the ice cube and then collected her wares. They were deceptively light, so she managed to stack a few of different sizes into each other and maneuver the handles into her mouth. Making a strange noise of satisfaction that sounded more like a muffled scream between the handles of all the pans, Theory absconded with her treasure. Her jaw might ache by the time she made it back to Abaven, but the look on Fable's face - and the utility of the smaller pans she'd keep for herself for creating healing tinctures - would be more than worth it. |
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