Andranis - Final WC 806
It was a glorious morning even if the sunlight struggled to pierce the thick canopy in this area of the swamplands. Fred's steps were careful and measured as she followed along the half-hidden safe trail through the marshes. While already a grown mare, she had to admit she had sorely missed these types of lessons with her mam, looking forward to learning from the older mare. After all, one's knowledge was ever-expanding!
"Are we almost there?"
Fred flicked an ear back to the unicat on her back, "Aye, should about be." Normally Maxie strolled by her side, but with the recent rains the water levels had risen, narrowing the path too much. It was much safer for the small companion to ride upon her mistress's back.
Her ears perked as she heard faint humming in that much-beloved voice, her steps picking up as she called out, "Mam!"
The tips of her tail hair were damp from the risen waters of the swamp, and her lot fetlocking was definitely soaked, maybe tinged a bit green, but Peach didn't care. This was the world she'd grown up in, the world she loved. It was home! She breathed the smell of it deep into her lungs, looking up and around. Today she didn't have the wing-emulating cape, not wanting it to snag on anything. The mare hummed, turning to smell pleasantly at some flowers, then looked up. "Freddie! Over here, love!"
There was a plunk sound in the water nearby, a sign their backs would be watched. She didn't know that it was her beloved or another kelpie, but she definitely heard them.
Nickering happily, Fred lept over the fallen log to join her mother. Some might be embarrassed to snuggle up to their mothers once they were adults, but Fred eagerly nosed at her mother's shoulder before leaning into her sure of her mother's love and affection.
"We missed ye at breakfast mam! Also when ya gonna teach me that 'Come fin' me spell?'" Bright green eyes regarded the older mare with curiosity.
"Lady Peach," Maxine dipped her head respectfully with a churr both amused and dismayed at her lady's blunt manners. Sure it was with her mother and they were in the wilds but still! Lady Peach was their matriarch, she deserved some respect.
Turning, the older mare nuzzled at her daughter, the little wings on her head fluttered happily. She loved her children and doted on them all equally, though she would be remiss to not admit that she favored Fred just a little more as her only natural-born daughter so far. Looking to the horned cat, Peach gave her a nuzzle, too. "Good mornin', Maxine."
She smiled, tail curling some, and said, "Aye, was made aware of a flower bloomin'." She turned her head, looking at a group of flowers growing in a bright spot, the sun shining down from the canopy. "These're special flowers, useful for treatin' ailments if you get the measures of it right. Me own mam taught me 'bout them, they were helpful for treatin' me uncle, as well as some'a the kelpies."
Then she turned and nibbled her daughter's hair. "And ya sassy thing, are ya tryin' t' make sure your gentle-colt doesn't get lost in the swamp again?" Just two days prior, no less! Andre had nearly bitten a chunk out of the poor lad's tail!
Fred sputtered as her ears flicked back in embarrassment, "MAM! He's not...we're not.." She huffed firmly looking away even as the rainbow crystals along her back and limbs flickered with her emotions. "He's not my anything!"
"Not for lack of want," Maxine murmured sassily only to nimbly leap down when Fred snapped her head around as if to n** at her. She laughed at how flustered her young charge was. "Ah, young love. To think Lady Peach, wasn't so long ago Lord Pepper was giving you the same big foal eyes."
Fred huffed again her ears definitely pinned back now. "He's not mine! Uriel belongs to himself! I wouldn't want to own him like those mares where his mother's live! Besides if anyone is going to belong to anyone, what about you and that bobcat of his huh?!"
Maxine licked her paw winking at Peach before giving Fred a sweet smile, "Oh Tiddles is a fine lad. Provin' himself a good hunter and provider. Aye, I believe I shall accept his court."
Fred couldn't help her sputtering as her lower jaw hung open staring at the unicat.
Peach giggled, ears forward and a grin on her muzzle. "Oh, don't go pretendin' you aren't mooning over him where he can't see! He's doin' the same, if'n ya must know, lost right on ya!" Oh, she definitely saw that look on other stallions, including her own dear heart. When Fred and Kel had first returned home with the two foxes and their assortment of companions, Hari had had that look about the lady fox, though much softer. She was happy with how far the poor mare had come and was pleased to watch her own little foxes grow.
Her ears flicked at the mention of the other herd, frowning just a bit. "Aye, if'n the lad wants to visit his mams, some'a us mares'll have to go with him to declare that yes, he's ours." Then she paused, an impish smile on her face. "Or, rather, all but yours. Now!" She nipped at the young mare, both playfully and to get her attention. "Are ya gonna learn about these flowers or not, lass?"
Grumbling under her breath a bit more, Fred mimed a lazy kick at her mam not even coming within a foot of actually touching her before shaking herself out, curls flopping before nodding her head. "Yes yes, now that you two have gotten all your need-to-be brats out, lets actually do what we came out here for!"
Maxine snickered like it wasn't Fred being defensive that had held things up, and padded over to sit by the flowers studying them from a closer angle. She sniffed, though careful not to inhale the pollen. As important as it was for Fred to learn these things, it was just as important for Maxine as Fred's companion, and one day, Gods blessing on them that it would be far in the future yet, the girl would become matriarch and it would be Maxine's job to be there to help her.
The elder mare exaggerated avoiding the mimed kick, grinning at her daughter. "Oh but lass, we do it with love!" Then she sobered up and watched Maxine, smiling a bit. "The flowers are fine to smell, it's when they're ingested that they become a problem. This is foxglove, a common enough plant. Tis very beautiful, but very toxic."
She leaned down and touched her horn to one of the tube-shaped flowers, the end glowing for a moment. "Most often, we use it t' help with disorders of the heart, though sometimes in the right doses, it's been found t' be of some help for convulsions." Then Peach paused and looked to the cat and daughter. "Ya got that all, aye?"
Fred nodded as she too dipped her head to scent the deadly plant before like her mam, she touched her horn to the flower to get the proper feel for it. "Aye, I think I'd recognize it from now on."
Straightening up, she side stepped a bit to let Maxine have a turn at touching her own wee horn to the petals. The unicat twitched her whiskers before looking up at Peach curiously, "Have you used it before Lady Peach?"
"Aye, I have. One'a the older kelpies suffers convulsions and this helps alleviate them some. There's another mare in our herd proper that has heart problems that they help." She looked at the flowers, then carefully picked one, making sure not to bite harder than necessary. Placing it in a basket nearby, she then said, "We don't gather many, enough to get by for a few days so they can grow and flourish here. We dry them out back in the main village area, and then a little can go a VERY long way."
Making a quiet noise of alarm when Peach put her mouth on it, Fred winced "Mam maybe...uh..."
"Lady Peach let me do that yes?" Maxine smoothly stepped in. Flexing her claws she was able to slice the blossom free without having to put their mouths on it. Carefully skewering it on her horn, she padded over to nudge it off into the basket.
Fred gave a relieved little sigh when Maxine took over.
The older mare chuckled, smiling big. "Ya act like I've never done this many times before, since I was a wee filly learnin' it from me own mam and nan." Her head wings fluttered and flapped with amusement before she daintily picked another and put it with the rest. "This will be enough for now. The rest we nurture and allow to grow so we have plenty. When it starts gettin' colder, we harvest the rest'a the flowers to dry for winter, since they won't sprout again until spring, along with all the other flowers we use in treatin' things. Now, if you could grab the basket, love?"
"Don't mean I like ta see ya in possible danger just after you tell me a wee bit is deadly!" Fred huffed at her mother but scoops the basket up with her horn before turning her head to find a spot she could wedge it among her crystals so it wouldn't shift on the way home.
"Here Freddie, I've got it." Maxine leapt up onto her shoulder, then padded to the spot she loved to lay most, a small hollow among the rainbow stones that they had broken clear to get her a nesting point. She hooked her claws into the basket's sides to steady it before smiling at the two mares, "Ok! Ready to go."
Fred winked at the unicat before grinning at her mam, "Aye homeward bound!" Raising her voice to be heard over to the waiting kelpies she called out, "I've got her from here da! Meet ya lot back home!"
"Are we almost there?"
Fred flicked an ear back to the unicat on her back, "Aye, should about be." Normally Maxie strolled by her side, but with the recent rains the water levels had risen, narrowing the path too much. It was much safer for the small companion to ride upon her mistress's back.
Her ears perked as she heard faint humming in that much-beloved voice, her steps picking up as she called out, "Mam!"
The tips of her tail hair were damp from the risen waters of the swamp, and her lot fetlocking was definitely soaked, maybe tinged a bit green, but Peach didn't care. This was the world she'd grown up in, the world she loved. It was home! She breathed the smell of it deep into her lungs, looking up and around. Today she didn't have the wing-emulating cape, not wanting it to snag on anything. The mare hummed, turning to smell pleasantly at some flowers, then looked up. "Freddie! Over here, love!"
There was a plunk sound in the water nearby, a sign their backs would be watched. She didn't know that it was her beloved or another kelpie, but she definitely heard them.
Nickering happily, Fred lept over the fallen log to join her mother. Some might be embarrassed to snuggle up to their mothers once they were adults, but Fred eagerly nosed at her mother's shoulder before leaning into her sure of her mother's love and affection.
"We missed ye at breakfast mam! Also when ya gonna teach me that 'Come fin' me spell?'" Bright green eyes regarded the older mare with curiosity.
"Lady Peach," Maxine dipped her head respectfully with a churr both amused and dismayed at her lady's blunt manners. Sure it was with her mother and they were in the wilds but still! Lady Peach was their matriarch, she deserved some respect.
Turning, the older mare nuzzled at her daughter, the little wings on her head fluttered happily. She loved her children and doted on them all equally, though she would be remiss to not admit that she favored Fred just a little more as her only natural-born daughter so far. Looking to the horned cat, Peach gave her a nuzzle, too. "Good mornin', Maxine."
She smiled, tail curling some, and said, "Aye, was made aware of a flower bloomin'." She turned her head, looking at a group of flowers growing in a bright spot, the sun shining down from the canopy. "These're special flowers, useful for treatin' ailments if you get the measures of it right. Me own mam taught me 'bout them, they were helpful for treatin' me uncle, as well as some'a the kelpies."
Then she turned and nibbled her daughter's hair. "And ya sassy thing, are ya tryin' t' make sure your gentle-colt doesn't get lost in the swamp again?" Just two days prior, no less! Andre had nearly bitten a chunk out of the poor lad's tail!
Fred sputtered as her ears flicked back in embarrassment, "MAM! He's not...we're not.." She huffed firmly looking away even as the rainbow crystals along her back and limbs flickered with her emotions. "He's not my anything!"
"Not for lack of want," Maxine murmured sassily only to nimbly leap down when Fred snapped her head around as if to n** at her. She laughed at how flustered her young charge was. "Ah, young love. To think Lady Peach, wasn't so long ago Lord Pepper was giving you the same big foal eyes."
Fred huffed again her ears definitely pinned back now. "He's not mine! Uriel belongs to himself! I wouldn't want to own him like those mares where his mother's live! Besides if anyone is going to belong to anyone, what about you and that bobcat of his huh?!"
Maxine licked her paw winking at Peach before giving Fred a sweet smile, "Oh Tiddles is a fine lad. Provin' himself a good hunter and provider. Aye, I believe I shall accept his court."
Fred couldn't help her sputtering as her lower jaw hung open staring at the unicat.
Peach giggled, ears forward and a grin on her muzzle. "Oh, don't go pretendin' you aren't mooning over him where he can't see! He's doin' the same, if'n ya must know, lost right on ya!" Oh, she definitely saw that look on other stallions, including her own dear heart. When Fred and Kel had first returned home with the two foxes and their assortment of companions, Hari had had that look about the lady fox, though much softer. She was happy with how far the poor mare had come and was pleased to watch her own little foxes grow.
Her ears flicked at the mention of the other herd, frowning just a bit. "Aye, if'n the lad wants to visit his mams, some'a us mares'll have to go with him to declare that yes, he's ours." Then she paused, an impish smile on her face. "Or, rather, all but yours. Now!" She nipped at the young mare, both playfully and to get her attention. "Are ya gonna learn about these flowers or not, lass?"
Grumbling under her breath a bit more, Fred mimed a lazy kick at her mam not even coming within a foot of actually touching her before shaking herself out, curls flopping before nodding her head. "Yes yes, now that you two have gotten all your need-to-be brats out, lets actually do what we came out here for!"
Maxine snickered like it wasn't Fred being defensive that had held things up, and padded over to sit by the flowers studying them from a closer angle. She sniffed, though careful not to inhale the pollen. As important as it was for Fred to learn these things, it was just as important for Maxine as Fred's companion, and one day, Gods blessing on them that it would be far in the future yet, the girl would become matriarch and it would be Maxine's job to be there to help her.
The elder mare exaggerated avoiding the mimed kick, grinning at her daughter. "Oh but lass, we do it with love!" Then she sobered up and watched Maxine, smiling a bit. "The flowers are fine to smell, it's when they're ingested that they become a problem. This is foxglove, a common enough plant. Tis very beautiful, but very toxic."
She leaned down and touched her horn to one of the tube-shaped flowers, the end glowing for a moment. "Most often, we use it t' help with disorders of the heart, though sometimes in the right doses, it's been found t' be of some help for convulsions." Then Peach paused and looked to the cat and daughter. "Ya got that all, aye?"
Fred nodded as she too dipped her head to scent the deadly plant before like her mam, she touched her horn to the flower to get the proper feel for it. "Aye, I think I'd recognize it from now on."
Straightening up, she side stepped a bit to let Maxine have a turn at touching her own wee horn to the petals. The unicat twitched her whiskers before looking up at Peach curiously, "Have you used it before Lady Peach?"
"Aye, I have. One'a the older kelpies suffers convulsions and this helps alleviate them some. There's another mare in our herd proper that has heart problems that they help." She looked at the flowers, then carefully picked one, making sure not to bite harder than necessary. Placing it in a basket nearby, she then said, "We don't gather many, enough to get by for a few days so they can grow and flourish here. We dry them out back in the main village area, and then a little can go a VERY long way."
Making a quiet noise of alarm when Peach put her mouth on it, Fred winced "Mam maybe...uh..."
"Lady Peach let me do that yes?" Maxine smoothly stepped in. Flexing her claws she was able to slice the blossom free without having to put their mouths on it. Carefully skewering it on her horn, she padded over to nudge it off into the basket.
Fred gave a relieved little sigh when Maxine took over.
The older mare chuckled, smiling big. "Ya act like I've never done this many times before, since I was a wee filly learnin' it from me own mam and nan." Her head wings fluttered and flapped with amusement before she daintily picked another and put it with the rest. "This will be enough for now. The rest we nurture and allow to grow so we have plenty. When it starts gettin' colder, we harvest the rest'a the flowers to dry for winter, since they won't sprout again until spring, along with all the other flowers we use in treatin' things. Now, if you could grab the basket, love?"
"Don't mean I like ta see ya in possible danger just after you tell me a wee bit is deadly!" Fred huffed at her mother but scoops the basket up with her horn before turning her head to find a spot she could wedge it among her crystals so it wouldn't shift on the way home.
"Here Freddie, I've got it." Maxine leapt up onto her shoulder, then padded to the spot she loved to lay most, a small hollow among the rainbow stones that they had broken clear to get her a nesting point. She hooked her claws into the basket's sides to steady it before smiling at the two mares, "Ok! Ready to go."
Fred winked at the unicat before grinning at her mam, "Aye homeward bound!" Raising her voice to be heard over to the waiting kelpies she called out, "I've got her from here da! Meet ya lot back home!"