They'd been walking in silence for some time. Long enough for the focus of her eyes to loosen. For her steps to be guided more by her connection to the world around her than eyesight alone. She could feel the deep pulls of air Beli breathed into his lungs as he loped along around and ahead of them. Rarely was he in sight, but he was never more than a moment away form her. They followed no path, save for keeping within range of the Imperial Highway, but their steps never brought them through thorny underbrush or impassable streams. Always, the way was just there, ahead of them. The next few steps, and then the next. The more one thought about it, the harder it was to find. Better to just walk and let it come.
When her brother spoke, he'd shaken her from some waking dream. There'd been no real form to it, just the sensation of wind through the branches, a pulse of life underfoot. She looked round at him, seeing that he was tired. She looked skyward and the sun indeed was on its way to setting.
"Alright." she replied, following in his wake. She only made it a few steps into the trees, however, when she spotted some mushrooms growing up a nearby trunk. She veered away from Avi's path to get a closer look. Nice an tan, the caps grew in large fans. Bittersweet smell. Ru smiled and began to pluck the oyster mushrooms one by one, dropping them into a pouch.
She caught up to Avi in the clearing and he handed her the greens he'd foraged along their way. She took the gloves as well, but did not put them on. Th nettle stings must be rigid to bite into the flesh. When she picked them up, she simply softened them. It barely took any thought at all. She dumped the mushrooms she'd collected into the basket.
"I don't think they need much." she said, but she had her hands in the basket, running them over all the plants to feel for the odd vibration of impurity or the sluggish pull of rot. "Nothing a quick wash can't fix. You found some great ones." she said, smiling up at him.
She stood, leaving the basket for a moment as she pulled a cooking pot form her pack and walking the little stream near their chosen grove. She filled the pot and walked back to where Avi was getting the fire ready. Beli and Kay walked up to the basket, noses probing curiously. Beli huffed, shaking his large head in disapproval. Lirulin laughed.
"Go on, then." she said to the warg. "See if you can do better."
Beli came to her, pushing his head under her arm until she lifted it and scratched behind his ears. Then, after a few grumbles, he turned and trotted off into the woods in search of something more to his liking. Ru watched him go before turning back to her brother.
"How much longer until we get to Val Freeman?" she asked as she quietly encouraged the water to heat faster. She was not really interested in the city so much as what arriving there would mean. They'd had few stories about the Dales as children. Their parents hadn't really known much of the world beyond their home. But it had to be where they could find answers. Someone had to know what was happening to her... what this power that she'd found was.
When her brother spoke, he'd shaken her from some waking dream. There'd been no real form to it, just the sensation of wind through the branches, a pulse of life underfoot. She looked round at him, seeing that he was tired. She looked skyward and the sun indeed was on its way to setting.
"Alright." she replied, following in his wake. She only made it a few steps into the trees, however, when she spotted some mushrooms growing up a nearby trunk. She veered away from Avi's path to get a closer look. Nice an tan, the caps grew in large fans. Bittersweet smell. Ru smiled and began to pluck the oyster mushrooms one by one, dropping them into a pouch.
She caught up to Avi in the clearing and he handed her the greens he'd foraged along their way. She took the gloves as well, but did not put them on. Th nettle stings must be rigid to bite into the flesh. When she picked them up, she simply softened them. It barely took any thought at all. She dumped the mushrooms she'd collected into the basket.
"I don't think they need much." she said, but she had her hands in the basket, running them over all the plants to feel for the odd vibration of impurity or the sluggish pull of rot. "Nothing a quick wash can't fix. You found some great ones." she said, smiling up at him.
She stood, leaving the basket for a moment as she pulled a cooking pot form her pack and walking the little stream near their chosen grove. She filled the pot and walked back to where Avi was getting the fire ready. Beli and Kay walked up to the basket, noses probing curiously. Beli huffed, shaking his large head in disapproval. Lirulin laughed.
"Go on, then." she said to the warg. "See if you can do better."
Beli came to her, pushing his head under her arm until she lifted it and scratched behind his ears. Then, after a few grumbles, he turned and trotted off into the woods in search of something more to his liking. Ru watched him go before turning back to her brother.
"How much longer until we get to Val Freeman?" she asked as she quietly encouraged the water to heat faster. She was not really interested in the city so much as what arriving there would mean. They'd had few stories about the Dales as children. Their parents hadn't really known much of the world beyond their home. But it had to be where they could find answers. Someone had to know what was happening to her... what this power that she'd found was.
05-26-2024, 11:37 AM
