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 Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 6:21 pm
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Calixte fought her way through water-laden branches and ferns, now well-aware that she had set foot in a temperate rainforest. Droplets trickled down into her leafy hair, nourishing it, just as the rest of the forest looked like it flourished under the changeable weather. Cali had noticed that the sun occasionally peeked through the canopy on her journey, sending dapples of bright green light dancing across the forest floor. But for now, the wetland embraced her. Her butterflies hid in the shelter of her mane, avoiding the cold, clinging droplets.
She had undertaken a journey to find a practitioner of the magical arts. While Cali wasn't sure if she herself believed in the legitimacy of such things, rumors had reached her of healing tonics, of rituals of ancient power... Of things that might help her. She had struggled with the fact that she had not been able to bear foals in the time since her three daughters had been born... Daughters who had now been adults for at least three summers. Time had begun to blend in her preoccupied state, and it had led her here.
Calixte found her way onto a path that looked regularly travelled, its soil packed and its edges defined. It was not often that creatures such as herself - technically prey animals - made themselves so easy to track. Clearly, this witch (though Cali hesitated to use the word in conversation) was confident in her ability to defend herself. She must also be confident in her ability to make friends, rather than enemies.
Flicking the water from her ears, Cali pressed on - until, at last, she came upon an ornate lean-to, its walls strung with herbs and vines. It appeared she had reached some kind of destination, even if it was not the particular place she aimed for. Taking a deep breath, she called a "hello?" into the surrounding forest.
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2022 6:39 pm
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Brighid held a rosemary branch in her mouth, enjoying its heady scent as she worked to collect more herbs. Her talons expertly cut and pulled only what she needed from the forest's most hazardous realm - the bog. The skunk cabbage she worked with was her least favorite plant, not because it smelled, but because of its home. Mosquitoes and leeches and other parasites were not uncommon here, and Brighid was ever concerned about disease. But the root was one of her favorite elements for tea, and she was not about to omit it for inconvenience.
This particular bog was only a little way from her home, and she had chosen a rainy day for the harvest - it would be easier to get the muck off her if there was more clean water available when she was finished. Satisfied with the amount she had, Brighid transferred her pack onto her back with an awkward crouch and shuffle of her wings. Rosemary still in her mouth, she set off toward home.
As she was arriving, she heard a rustle on a different path that led in to her clearing. Hanging back a little, Brighid spotted a well-camouflaged mare with tinkling jewelry approach her dwelling. The mare had glowing eyes that surveyed the area curiously. As Brighid watched her, the mare called out a greeting.
Brighid plucked the herb from her mouth with her claws, stowing it in the band at the brim of her hat. Approaching the clearing from the mare's left, Brighid called, "Welcome, dear lady!" and strolled into her camp.
260 words.
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