PM to join Another Type of Hunting

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Timestamp: 49th Day of Fall, 515 AV


In addition to all of the hunters going out, there was a call for others to go out and forage what they could from the Sea of Grass. Fruits, berries, nuts, roots, herbs, anything that could be found. To encourage as many people to go out as possible, a prize was being offered to the person or group who brought back the best assortment of food and herbs. The winner would receive enough dried meat to get them through the winter.

Seirei knew that she and her children were creating a huge burden for her friends. No one had said anything to her, but how could three more mouths to feed not be a huge burden? And it would be four once her unborn child was born. Seirei knew that she had a long way to go before she would be any good at all as a hunter. But she had done some foraging in the past. Mostly for willow branches, of course. But she had learned a few things about cattails, and berries. She hoped that she would learn more today.

Knowing things like where to look for various food sources and herbs would be a lot more effective than wandering around aimlessly and hoping she found something. And that was just the beginning. Seirei knew what some things looked like. But with some things, she wasn't certain how to tell if they were edible or not. Roots, especially. Or if there were lookalikes that were poisonous. Seirei hoped that Naiya would be able to teach her some of these things.

So Seirei gathered up the things she thought she'd need, including a knife and yvas bags to put the things she gathered in. Then she got the twins ready to go. When she was ready, she went to look for Naiya.

"Are you ready to go?"


Word Count14,590 words.
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[Naiya]

An entire season's worth of food stores were waiting for the foragers who brought the greatest assortment of supplies back to the city. Naiya knew that this meant they would need to begin their hunt early, and bring a number of mounts to help them carry their findings. Her morning had begun just as early as it always did, rising before the sun and rousing her Strider with a gentle touch and a curry comb.

She ran the brush gently through his hair, small circles loosening the dirt that collected against his skin. Once all the hair was standing and the dirt loose, she switched to the firmer touch of the stiff bristle brush. With the hard brush she chased the dirt free, short, scooping strokes sent the dirt away and left Wildfire's coat clean. This brush followed the same path of the curry comb, but it also covered the stallion's legs, brushing the hard clumps of mud off the knees and hooves. She finished with a brush with bristles gentle and soft, this flattened the hair back into place and shined the coat. This brush covered the entire horse, from head to toe, even brushing the dirt and hair away from the strider's face. Last of all she picked up his hooves, the metal pick carving free the dirt and stones that gathered in the crevices beneath the hooves.

Aani too received the same treatment, currying, brushing, and picking of hooves until she too shone with the same silken glow as the strider beside them. As she worked she began to plan, if they rode for the wooded areas, they would be able to scavenge what they found along the way, the trees might provide fruits and nuts, and the trodden ground might turn up other plants of value. Aani was a easygoing mare, she would be easier for Seirei to ride than the spirited mare who watched out for the the younger woman. She would offer the mount to the woman, and see what she wished to do. Then they would ride out a short distance before turning their eyes to the ground in search of sustenance.

She gathered supplies next, bringing along the hoof pick as well as a set of yvas bags for each mount and a third bag to add to their burden. She stowed a spade in her knapsack along with a run of rope. Her bow strings followed, her quiver and bow already on her back. To the rest of her supplies she added the fishing tackle and hooks, perhaps they would gather enough food to have a break and seek fish for their return home.

Seirei approached her, asking if she was ready, and Naiya nodded positive, ready in the shape of her hands. Inquiry, "Would you like to ride Aani? She is mild, sweet." If Seirei said she would prefer to work with Kairi, Naiya would offer to help her prepare and mount the mare.

[Seirei Dawnwhisper]

Seirei felt a thrill of anticipation rush through her when Naiya said she was ready to go. This was a good way to help her friends, and maybe begin paying back what she felt she owed them for taking her in. She didn't have all that much experience foraging, but her trips out to gather willow branches for her carving projects had helped teach her a few things. So had going out with her friends. And if they managed to win the winter's supply of dried meat...that would be a much needed aid in the season to come.

When Naiya offered to let Seirei ride Aani instead of Kairi, Seirei glanced at the other horse. The mare had been described as mild, and sweet...two things that Kairi most certainly were not. Not around her, at least. And Aani looked like she might be easier to ride than Thunder's mother was.

Seirei glanced at Kairi. The strider mare's ears perked up when she noticed her attention, and she snorted sharply. Seirei imagined the sound to be a warning not to approach the mare with any hope of riding her. The gleam in the mare's eye promised a fight if she did, and Seirei didn't have high hopes of winning that fight. There was something else to consider as well. The twins were going to be with her. So even if she had been willing to take the chance of getting thrown, or bitten when she tried to mount the mare, she had to take her children into consideration. Kairi was very protective of her foal, but Seirei had little hope that that protection would extend to Seirei's children. So it was with a grateful smile that Seirei nodded, and accepted her friend's offer.

"Thank you." she said sincerely, her signs emphasizing the feeling behind her words.

"Kairi is...difficult when she wants to be. Which is most of the time, unfortunately. I think...I hope she will be willing to help carry back some of what we find, but she doesn't seem to be in the mood to allow me to ride her right now."

Kairi snorted again, in a clear agreement. Seirei wondered if it was her imagination that the mare sounded amused. Seirei glanced at the yvas bags they had, and wondered if they would be enough to hold everything they found out in the Sea of Grass. How much were they likely to be able to find, anyway?

"Do you think that we should bring a travois with us to help carry things back, too?" she asked uncertainly.

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