The early morning sun filtered through the grasses as Modesty led the small gaggle of pups across the prairie and towards the gully. Once, they had debated claiming this place, but she was happy that it was still within striking distance of their current home.

She had bought along a smaller copy of Sakana's map, small samples of each herb they might find here dried and rolled within the goat skin. She picked a place on the edge of the slope and rolled out the map, indicating that the children should gather around. She sat each bundle on a corner. One bore delicate, graceful, creamy-white flowers that smelled strongly of antiseptic, another could have been mistaken for clover, were it not for the purple veined white flowers that adorned it, and its citrus scent when crushed. The others were a longer shot, but necessary to try and gather as their season would end with the increasing heat of summer. She laid these ones out at the bottom of the map.

The small, tightly clustered leaves with inconspicuous but delicate, white, somewhat star-shaped flowers came next. It smelled of cornsilk, and they would need to search in the coolest recesses of the gully to find it. The next was quite distinctive, finely toothed, needle-shaped leaves moved in whorls along its stems. The small flower clusters varied, either green, yellow, or white. Some of the supplied branches even bore fruit, two rounded nuts joined together and covered in hooked bristles that would snag in fur to help it spread. The vanilla-grassy combination stood out among the scents presented.

The final bundle was pungent and unique, its broad, green leaves and star-shaped white flowers made it rather distinctive, although chances were they might not find any left this late in the season. She waited for her children to settle before pointing to each herb in the order she had laid them out. "Meadowsweet, wood sorrel, chickweed, cleavers and wild garlic." She took a moment to wave over the bottom three again, "These ones might be harder to locate, as they die off with the warmer weather, so it is important if we find them, we take them back to Sakana to store for the coming cold season. Call to me if you think you have found them, and I will confirm. Sometimes there are plants that look similar, that may be poisonous." She tipped her head to indicate the children were free to start their hunt.

"speech"

-healing/nav lesson 1/3-

Pythia was corralled into the gulley along with her siblings. The trip wasn't terribly long and with her growing legs, the stretch felt nice in her sore muscles. Who would've know that the blind girl would end up not being stunted in growth? Stumbling every so often, she quickly recovers, learning quickly to not be ashamed over her faults. She would try to remember it for the return home where those exact rocks and fallen trees were.

Once they were settled amongst the gulley and their mother had everything laid out for their lesson, Pythia turns her attention to Modesty. Ears pressed forward, lashes batting against her cheeks as her chin turns upward toward Modesty's voice. Meadowsweet, wood sorrel, chickweed, cleavers and wild garlic. Five options to choose from. With some help, she's able to lean down and nose at the different options laid out before them. Sweet, bitter, woodsy, pungent, tangy. A mixture of scents washing over her, but all distinct in their own way.

Without a word, Pythia stands and begins to sweep slowly and methodically over the gulley. Her nose is level with the drying grasses of late summer, seeking out a darker, cooler shaded area to begin the real hunt.

"speech"

coded by NachoMumma