Solo Treasures of the Grass

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

A delicate bloom

Timestamp: 55th Day of Fall, 514 AV


Seirei looked around the tent. She had already gathered several yvas bags for her foraging trip. What else did she need? Her axe, of course. How was she going to cut more willow branches if she didn't have her axe to cut them with? Feeling foolish, and forgetful, Seirei hastily grabbed her axe. Then it was time to go.

She was meeting Teisaia and Rytira at the edge of the city so they could go foraging again. Like the last time they went together, they would go to the Zeis river to forage. Seirei wanted to collect some more willow branches while she had the chance. She also remembered learning that cattail fluff could be used to pad one's shoes in the winter to help keep them warm. So she hoped to gather some of that, as well. Teisaia had also mentioned teaching her a few things about foraging. As long as wild onions weren't involved, Seirei was happy to learn everything she could.

Foraging would be a very useful skill to know when she was ready to escape. If she could count on being able to find some of her food along the way, she wouldn't have to bring quite as much with her when she left. And if she could offer to help a caravan find food as they traveled, she might be able to negotiate a better price when it came time to buy her passage with one. But she still couldn't abide the smell of wild onions. Even the thought of that strong stench made her stomach feel uneasy. Seirei was beginning to suspect that the smell would continue to bother her until she gave birth.

Seirei took one more quick look around the tent. Satisfied that she had everything she would need, she headed off to join her friends. The walk to the edge of the city was an uneventful one. She got the usual scornful looks from many of the Drykas she passed. Looks designed to ensure that she never forgot her place among them. But since she was visibly pregnant, she was left mostly alone. Several of the scornful looks held an aspect of satisfaction, or even slight approval in them. As if to say captive she might be, but at least she's being useful.

For all that she was left alone by the people she passed by, Seirei was grateful when she saw her friends waiting for her at the city gate. The Wind Knotted gate, Seirei thought she remembered hearing it called. Seirei hated being judged and found lacking by the Drykas. Lian was the one holding her captive, after all. She had no choice but to live among the people that seemed to feel that she was less than nothing. She hadn't come to the tent city by choice, and she still couldn't help but wonder from time to time if she wouldn't have been better off if Lian had never found her. She would have died, of course. Seirei had to admit that, if only to herself. But even being dead might be better than being a captive...a slave of a people who hated her, valuing her only for her ability to breed for them.

Then again...not everyone in Endrykas hated her. Two of the people who didn't were waiting for her now, and she was going to spend the day in their company. Seirei hoped that her friends would enjoy the experience as much as she would. That thought gave her comfort as she passed through the two carved, wooden columns that made up the gate.

Two Drykas stood guard there, one at either column. They eyed her suspiciously as she passed through, but said nothing, possibly because she was accompanied by two Drykas girls. As Seirei passed through the gate, she couldn't help but admire the carving work on the columns. Who was the artist responsible for such beautiful work? If they were still alive, Seirei wished that she might get a chance to meet them. She could learn a great deal from such a master carver...if they didn't take one look at her and dismiss her as being unworthy of their teaching because she wasn't a Drykas.

"I'm glad that the Watch didn't challenge us. It was starting to look as though they would." Teisaia said with wide eyes once they had gotten out of hearing range of a soft voice.

Rytira nodded.

"Next time, lets not go through the gate. I didn't think they'd mind if we take Seirei with us since she's clearly with other Drykas, and not trying to sneak out on her own. But I'd rather we not get into trouble for it...just in case."

Seirei nodded, looking relieved. She had no desire to get in trouble just for walking through the front gate. There was something else to consider as well. Lian didn't mind her doing what she wanted to during the day as long as she obeyed his rules, and was back at his tent before dark. But Seirei suspected that her limited freedom would vanish quickly if she ever got herself in trouble with the Watch. Or anyone else for that matter.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

A delicate bloom

They hadn't been walking for long when Teisaia grabbed Seirei's arm excitedly, and pointed to a bunch of strange looking flowers. They were green, and the "blossom" consisted of many small flowers that seemed to be curled in on themselves. It looked much like a bird's nest would.

"Wild carrots! Let's pick some before we head on to the river!"

Rytira rolled her eyes at her younger cousin's enthusiasm, and Seirei grinned. She allowed Teisaia to drag her over to the distinctive looking flowers.

"In the summer, these flowers look very different than they do now. They're white, not green, and they aren't curled in on themselves like this. And in the middle of each cluster of flowers is a flower that is either dark red, or purple. They're really quite pretty." Teisaia said as she grasped the stem of one of the flowers, and pulled firmly.

With some effort, Teisaia was rewarded. A long, white root came up out of the earth.

"Personally, I think these taste better than the orange carrots that traders bring." Rytira commented as she, too got to work.

Seirei watched them for a few ticks to get an idea of what she should do. Then she reached down, and grabbed one of the stems. It resisted her efforts to pull it out, and required some effort before she succeeded. When she did, she smelled it curiously. It smelled like a carrot despite looking nothing like the ones she was familiar with. Seirei carefully brushed off the dirt clinging to the root, then placed the carrot, stem, flower, and all into one of her yvas bags.

"You have to be careful when harvesting these because there are some plants that look similar, but are poisonous. If the root doesn't smell like a carrot, don't eat it." Rytira cautioned.

Seirei nodded. They worked in silence for a while. Seirei took her cue from her friends, taking one wild carrot, and leaving one or two before taking the next. Each time she pulled one up, she was careful to smell the root to make sure that it smelled like a carrot before placing it in her yvas bag. She had no desire to poison herself...or get in trouble for accidentally poisoning Lian just because she picked the wrong thing by mistake.

"The seeds are pretty useful, too." Teisaia said after they'd been working for a while.

"She's right. Mother says that you can make an oil out of them that is good for helping with severe diarrhea, indigestion, and gas. I've also heard..."

Rytira looked around to see if anyone else was around. There weren't any, but she still lowered her voice, as if embarrassed to speak.

"Ive also heard people say that they increase...umm..."

Rytira blushed, turning a very deep shade of red.

"What do they increase?" Seirei asked, curious now.

"They...well, they...they increase sexual arousal. I don't know if it's true or not. And I don't know how to make the oil." she said quickly.

"But if you can get some, and it does work, it might make things easier when Lian uses you. I know he probably doesn't touch you now. It would be bad for the baby if he did. But once your baby is born, he'll start using you again, and when he does...the oil might help. If it works. It might even help you enjoy it when Lian takes you."

Teisaia was blushing a deep shade of red, too. From her expression, she couldn't believe what her cousin was saying. Seirei felt her cheeks grow hot, and knew she was blushing as well. She had difficulty understanding everything that was being said, but Rytira had taken her uncertain knowledge of their language into consideration, and had spoken slowly to give Seirei the chance to translate better.

Part of Seirei agreed with what Teisaia seemed to be thinking. She couldn't believe that Rytira was talking about such a thing. It was embarrassing. And yet...she knew that her friend was trying to help her. It was true that Lian had stopped using her once he was certain that she was pregnant. But as much as Seirei wished otherwise, she had no hopes that he wouldn't start raping her again once the child had been born. Hadn't he said as much the day he had captured her? Unless Seirei found a way to free herself, she would spend the rest of her life bearing his children.

Seirei had every intention of escaping. But...what if she tried, and failed? What if Lian caught her when she tried to escape? Or what if it took so long for Seirei to learn the skills she needed to know, and earn the money she would need to make her escape that Lian started raping her again? That was a very real possibility. It would take time to learn everything she needed to know. A lot of time. And it would take time to save up the money she needed as well. She was due in late winter. How long after she gave birth would Lian wait before he tried to breed her again? If this carrot seed oil that Rytira mentioned really would help her, maybe she should see if she could find some, and give it a try. At the very least, she would have to give it some serious thought. It was hard to believe that anything would help when Lian raped her. But if there was even the slightest chance...anything was worth the chance of not having to face that pain again.

"Let's get back to work." Teisaia suggested, desperately wanting to change the subject.

The three girls were quick to take up the suggestion.

"It's best to store roots like these in dirt, you know. They last longer when you do. But dirt is heavy, and hopefully, we'll have a lot to carry home. These bags will be good enough until we can get home and store the carrots properly." she added.

Before long, they had finished harvesting the wild carrots, and it was time to continue on their way towards the river.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

A delicate bloom

When they reached the river, they found another group of Drykas. Five boys of varying ages armed with fishing gear, bait, and baskets filled with the fish they had caught. They exchanged polite greetings, and friendly boasts about whose contribution towards the winter stores was better, and why. Then the boys headed back to the city, leaving the girls to get on with their work.

"Why do you like carving so much?" Teisaia asked as they began gathering cattail fluff.

Seirei gently pulled a bit of fluff free from the cattail she had been working on and stuffed it into one of her yvas bags before she turned to Teisaia.

"Why do you ask?" she asked curiously.

"Well...the last time we went foraging, you told us about the experiment you did with making spoons. I know that it was inspired by a conversation you remembered having with your mother, but to do such a thing, you must really enjoy carving. More than simply doing it for a living."

Seirei nodded slowly.

"I do love it." she said simply.

"Carving is my life."

Words couldn't truly convey just how deeply Seirei felt about working with wood. But Teisaia and Rytira looked genuinely interested. In fact, both had stopped what they were doing so that they could better listen to her story. So for her friends' sake, she would try.

"I grew up with a trade caravan that traveled along a route throughout Cyphrus and Sylira. We traded with Endrykas, Riverfall, Syliras, and Zeltiva primarily. My mother was a wood carver. For as long as I can remember, I admired and respected her ability to take a piece of wood, and create a thing of beauty out of it. One that often had a practical use as well, such as a bowl, or a chest. She once said that the wood had a soul, just as we do. She, like any good carver could see that soul, and...sense what the wood wanted to become in a way. As a wood carver, she would have said that she was freeing a piece of wood, shaping it, and in doing so, helping it to become what it was meant to be."

Seirei smiled fondly at the memory. It was something that she herself did as a wood carver as well. She could only hope that she could see into the wood as well as her mother had been able to.

"Before you ask, it wasn't magic of any kind. Not in the traditional sense, at least. It was simply a deep love for carving, and an equally deep love for the medium that she worked with. She used to say that if a piece of wood was meant to be a bowl, and one tried to force it into the form of a figurine instead, they would be doomed to fail from the start. And in doing so, they would waste a perfectly good piece of wood in the attempt. I believe that she was right. I feel the same way that she did about carving, and about the wood that I carve."

Seirei took a few ticks to gather her thoughts.

"I was very young when my mother began teaching me how to carve. Some of my first memories are of her letting me watch her work, and teaching me what the different tools were used for. Looking back on it now, I suspect she taught me partially because she knew it fascinated me, and partly as a way to keep me occupied and entertained in the long days of travel between cities." she said with a soft chuckle.

"I took to it the way a fish takes to water. A fish needs water to survive, and I needed carving. Carving quickly became...everything to me. As a child, I would rather practice carving, or get another lesson from my mother than play with the other children in the caravan. When exploring the city we were trading in, I was looking for wood carvings, and the people who had made them in the hopes of comparing them to what I knew, and maybe even learning something new. It was an obsession...but a productive one that could be turned into a living, and something that could benefit the caravan. So it was encouraged. Others in the caravan took to giving me scraps of wood to practice on whenever they could."

Seirei paused to gather a few more handfuls of cattail fluff.

"You could say that I inherited my love for carving from my mother...and that it was the greatest gift that she ever could have given me."

Seirei smiled softly, getting lost in the memories that her story was stirring up within her.

"My mother and I have always been very close. Now that my mother is gone, carving has become even more important to me. Carving was her passion just as it is mine. When I lose myself in my work, I feel closer to her. It feels as though she is still here...watching over me. Working with wood will always be a strong connection between us."

Teisaia and Rytira exchanged glances. For a long moment, they said nothing.

"Your mother is dead?" Rytira asked, at last.

Seirei nodded.

"She died of an illness shortly before I was captured."

Seirei missed her mother deeply. But a part of her couldn't help but be grateful that she didn't know that Seirei had been captured. Or worse, have to live with the uncertainty of her disappearance, and be left wondering what had happened to her after the others abandoned her.

"She sounds like an amazing person." Teisaia added.

"She was." Seirei said with a gentle smile.

"You'll have to show us some of your work some day. With a story like that behind it, it must be pretty good." Rytira suggested.

"I'd like that. I'm no master carver, but I do well enough."

With that, the conversation faded as the three girls got back to work.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

A delicate bloom

After a while, Seirei pulled out her axe, and began looking for more suitable willow branches to harvest. Since they hadn't had a storm since the last time they had come, there was little chance of finding any fallen branches, so Seirei didn't bother to look. Instead, she looked for ones she thought she could use that were still attached to the trees themselves.

"What do you like to make the most?"

Seirei gave the question some serious thought. Some things were definitely easier to make that others. But Seirei loved a good challenge when it came to working with wood. Easy wasn't always better. Was making any one thing more enjoyable than making another?

"I don't really like making any one thing more than I like making another." she said at last.

"Sometimes it depends what mood I'm in. There are times that I feel like making something that is both practical, and beautiful. On those days, I make bowls, spoons, or other eating utensils. Or I might make a wooden handle for a metal knife. Things of that nature. Other times, I don't have much time to work, so I choose something I can make quickly like a cooking stick, or a simple wooden sign. If I want to make something that is purely a work of art, there are figurines, and beads. Of the two, I often prefer making beads. There are so many things you can do with them. You can paint them, or carve a design on them, or both...or neither. You can sell them as is, or make something with them, and sell the finished piece. They are easy to store until you need them, too. Even when you move around all the time. There are also children's toys that can be made from wood, book ends, wooden chests to store things in..the possibilities are endless."

"I guess the only things that are truly constant regardless of what mood I am in are that I love a good challenge, and that I love to see what the piece of wood I am working with wants to become."

Teisaia grinned. Seirei spoke with such passion that it was easy to tell that she loved working with wood. To her, it seemed like it was the work itself that Seirei loved even more than the end result. But seeing a thing of beauty emerge from a block of wood or a branch had to be a wonderful experience as well.

"I hope that I can fins something I love to do as much as you love working with wood some day." she said simply.

"I hope you do, too. Loving the work that you do is very important."

They worked in a companionable silence for a while longer. As the day started to wane, the three girls packed up the fruits of their labors, and started the journey back.

[Tribal]

G R A D E S

Seirei

Experience

• Logic: 1
• Organisation: 1
• Observation: 2
• Foraging: 2
• Socialisation: 3
• Philosophy: 1
• Storytelling: 2
• Rhetoric: 1

Lore

• Location: Zeis River
• The Wind-Knotted Gates: The entrance into Endrykas
• Foraging: How to find wild carrots
• Carrot flowers are white in the summer
• Philtering: You can make oil from seeds
• Foraging: Look for roots in dirt
• Seirei: Has been carving since she was a young girl

Notes

Lots of social type stuff in this thread, though it does make for a fine backdrop to what Seirei usually does for her work (gathering so that she can build later). Enjoy the rewards; I will take a look at your request soon.