Where the Ginseng Sings

Since she had started taking lessons with Irilyth, her knowledge basis of herbs grew every day. To her, it was a game of the mind. Memorizing what each plant looked like, its uses, and its applications. And she was beginning to love it. During one of her lessons, the healer had mentioned Ginseng and its uses- and that it was particularly difficult to find. However, it just happened that one of the places that it was regularly found was across the land bridge and around Firefly lake. It was rather late in the season, but with any luck, some still could be found and harvested. She studied the dried version- memorizing the 5 leaflet display that fanned out in a mirror image of itself. She had been told that during its harvest season, it would have red berries on it as well, but since it was so late ... they might have already fallen off or been eaten by other animals.

It was explained to her that part of the reason why it was such a rare find, was that it took a very long time to grow. But it was very good to have for a variety of reasons, namely for its anti-inflammatory properties, as well as another source of boosting a patient's immune system. When used in conjunction with other herbs of similar use, it made the poultice or tea in question, that much more powerful.

It was her determination that spurred her search. The fact that just because it was difficult was supposed to detour her- but that just made her want it more. Not that it held in particular value to her beyond that.  The journey off the island had been a little taxing, but with Malico's description of his trips to the mainland, she was able to make it with some inclination as to where she was going. Mariah knew from her lessons that it was easiest to find in more heavily wooded parts of the territory. So while she made it to the pebbly banks of Firefly Lake, she eventually veered off into parts that had a little more cover. It was there, she set to work.

The thing about plants, after a fairly long while of consecutive searching, the leaves all started to blend together. Her progress was slow going as she worked her way up and down the slopes. It often left her breathless, having to stop to catch her breath before pressing on. But about the time the sun reached its peak, is when she had her first success. It took her a lot longer than it should have, staring at its fanned-out leaves. It didn't have the berries she thought it might- but again, they were likely eaten already. It wasn't the part she needed anyway. From this particular plant, it was actually the roots that she needed the most. In her initial attempts, she grabbed it by the base of its stem- as close to the ground as she could. However, its grip to the earth was a lot more sturdy than she initially thought. So, she set to the task of digging it up.

Raking her claws against the ground to remove the soil, and having to be gentle about it, was a little counterintuitive. Every now and then, she felt her nails catch in the spread of the hair-like strands where the plant drew its water from. And when they did, she moved to another location. At least until she had gotten all the way around the plant a couple of times. Once she felt that she had made a sufficient effort, she took hold of the step once again and gave it a tug. It took some teetering back and forth to dislodge it from the ground, but when it finally gave in to her pull, she had never felt more relieved. With her prize tightly clenched in her jaw, she gave it a good shake- to dislodge any remaining loose soil. Once satisfied that it was as light as it was going to get, she set off to make the return trip.

Upon returning to the medical den where she practiced with the healers, she was a little excited to find herself alone. Mariah would get to tend to the Ginseng on her own. Crossing the distance between herself and the side that they used to dry, she gently set down the root- making room for it among the other plants that were being dried for storage. From the pile, she grabbed a fairly large flat stone, so that she could use it to lay on top of the root. It would take a while for its water to evaporate. But with the help of the pressure from the stone, it would be ready to go in no time, and she simply couldn't wait.

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