A gentle sloping ravine divided the forest while the small creek in its center trickled around dark soil and debris. Some thickets lay beyond. It wasn’t a well traveled area. The canopy above filtered out most of the light leaving it an eternal twilight. Imogen inhaled the sweet scent around her. Flowers dotted the creek in sporadic bunches. The most prevalent, a luminous white flower.
The sound of twigs snapping and giggles interrupted her usual quiet. She tilted her head and large floppy hat. A few crimson petals parted from her antlers as she did so. The mare wasn’t concerned, they would grow back as they always did. She listened as the ruckus grew closer, and the laughter changed into joyful shouts but she could still not see whoever it was.
It was more than likely a couple of wayward foals on the other side of the small gully. She brushed off any other worries and decided to get back to work. The mare clicked her teeth and gave a short soft whistle. A dark fluttering of wings answered her. “Torin.” She replied softly.
His dusky black and deep red feathers shimmered in what little light there was. “Aren’t you the handsome crow?” She quipped. He cocked his head towards her, keeping his one pristine ruby eye on her - the other was clouded and useless for typical vision. He had a special gift with that eye, and it aided her when she was in need of true sight. That was what they were preparing for. She needed certain elements to perform the arduous ritual. The mare began to mutter to herself as she checked off what she needed. Eventually, she turned back to her dark companion, “We need some fresh spring grass.” She motioned around herself, “And unfortunately there are none here that would do. Find the freshest and greenest that you can.” She paused for a moment. “I’ll need three sprigs.”
He nodded his head then flew off towards greener pastures. She knew it would take him some time as they were quite deep into the heart of the forest. Imogen returned to collecting what plants she could find. She collected her bits and pieces on the edge of the ravine. So far she had recovered sixteen seeds, bark of an elder tree, and a smattering of milkweed. Only a few more ingredients were left to collect.
There, across the water, she saw the telltale purple she was in search of. The wildflower was wild and recluse, only growing in some of the most odd choices of places. This plant had chosen to take root in between a cropping of rocks. No other grass near it. Imogen tested the water’s depth before trekking across it. The water reached just past her fetlocks, it was cool and refreshing. Her face leaned in closely to inspect the plant, trying to determine which flower to pluck, just as the sound of hoofbeats and giggles rounded a corner of thickets. “Ooh look at this!” A small youthful voice proclaimed.
Imogen’s attention snapped to the two foals a mere stone’s throw from her. She silently watched them, unsure if she should greet these stranger children or let them play unbothered. The older, and larger, of the two stopped to see what the other was pointing out. The foal reached towards an incandescent white flower shaped like tiny small bells in a row. “No!” She shouted! Her voice surprised all three of them. It stopped the youth in its tracks.
She moved closer to them so she didn’t have to raise her voice but not too close as she didn’t want to spook them anymore than she already had. “You must leave those be.”
“Why?” The youngest, a small grey with red hair, turned towards her.
Imogen sighed, “They may be beautiful but they are dangerous. One must be very careful with how they handle them. They go by many names; Lily of the Valley or as I refer to them, Our Lady’s Tears.”
“They don’t look dangerous.” The older foal leaned closer to the plant and took a sniff. “They smell so nice!”
She nodded. “They certainly do.” The Soquili stepped forward to carefully brush a few leaves aside to reveal itty bitty red berries. “And these can be the most dangerous of all.”
The young Soquili looked at her skeptically. “It’s true. I wasn’t much older than you, “ She motioned to the grey and white foal with straw colored hair, it was clear they were siblings. “Sena was my best friend. Wherever I would go, that sweet small rabbit would follow. I didn’t know as much about flora as I do now. And sadly I did not know of this plant. We had been playing in the meadows, down the river and under tree roots…and we were so very hungry. This flower was everywhere and some had those small red berries. We each tried one, and we were fine.”
Her voice hesitated, “If only we had stopped at one. But we were still so hungry. We ate every single piece we could find. She ate far more than me… The pain was excruciating. I managed to expel most of what I ate but alas it was either too much or too late for my beloved friend. Luckily, my mother found us. It took a moon before I was fully recovered.”
The oldest seemed to be moved by her story but the youngest wasn’t as impressed, “Well that’s just the berries. The flower should be-”
She cut her off right there, “No, some are more sensitive than others and it can cause quite an agitation.” Their blank eyes stared up at her, “It could irritate your skin.”
The two stepped back away from the plant. “What about other plants? What else should we look out for?”
A voice called out in the distance. The two siblings’ ears perked up. “Oh that’s our Mom calling us. We’ll be back tomorrow and you can tell us more!”
“Yes please!” The redhead piped up. And before she could reply, the two were running back towards their mother.
Torin swooped down to land on her backside, the spring grass clutched in one claw. “What was that?”
“I’m not entirely sure but I think I have unwittingly been enlisted as a mentor.”
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