Placeholder Them apples

[Alexandra Gainsborough]

73th of Winter 521 AV Alex stretched as she crawled out of her tent. Another beautiful day was just beginning and she was going to make the most of it. The cool breeze rolling off of the water would send a chill down her spine and make her think twice about getting the day started. Maybe a few more minutes she though but shook her head. "No, if I stay her I will never get anything done." She muttered reaching back into her tent and taking her bow and quiver. With that it was only a few minutes stroll to the tree line and breakfast. It amazed her just how full of life this place was especially this time of year. She expected snow and creatures hiding but that was not the case here. Alex was not sure what she night find this time of year but she was always on the look out for mangos. This quickly became her favorite tropical fruit. Doing a quick scan however she sadly didn't see any ripe ones and would have to settle for something else. Bananas were plentiful this time of year so that was an option, they came in so many interesting colors. So far she really enjoyed the red ones as they were fairly sweet. She want sure how many types there were, every time she went looking there was another type. Most were just awful. Rather then taking the chance on finding another large green one she went for a few apples. Apples always seemed to be the safe choice. They came in such a wide variety of colors and each one had a splendid flavor. Today's selection looked particularly delectable and seemed to be just out of reach. Jumping up her fingertips would just graze the bottom of the apple. Getting a running start did not propel her much higher and still the lowest apples just bounced softly on the branch. A little huff left the grumpy expression on her safe as she stood there, both hands on her hips and examined the apple. After several moment she pulled and arrow out of her quiver and stabbed at the tasty treat just out of reach. She would pierce the skin but never deeply enough to get the arrow to stick. After putting nearly a dozen holes in the apple she was fed up and took a few steps back. She brought her bow forward and nocked the arrow taking aim at the shiny red and green fruit. With a simple release the arrow embedded itself into the apples flesh and ripped the fruit from the tree. Up it went into the air well above the tree before the mass of the fruit and gravity brought it back down. Hitting the ground with a thud the apple lay on the ground arrow sticking out of its flesh. Alex raced over and picked up her apple lollipop giving the arrow one good tug and with that the apple split in two. It was brused, it was battered, it was full of holes and it was tasty. Quickly dropping to the ground she leaned against the tree, a big grin on her face. Taking out a small knife she began to put bits off of the apple and began to happily eat. Humming to herself she swayed slightly, tapping her feet together while she savored the fruit. WC: 563

[Alexandra Gainsborough]

One apple, no matter how difficult it was to get was not nearly enough to satisfy Alex's hunger. She decided to get right back up on her feet and get another one. She pulled an arrow and took aim at another near by apple. A few moments pass and her arms began to tremble as she lost herself in thought. Snapping back to it she slowly releases the tension on the bow, pointing it at at ground. She tucks the arrow back into her quiver before setting both the quiver and bow against the tree trunk. Alex pulled her coat off draping it flat on the ground. She grabs a branch and digs the toe of her boot into a small bend in the tree to pull herself up. Grabbing a the next branch and finding a few more footholds allowed her to spring up intothe tree. From here the tree looked fairly full of apples, each only partly obstructed by branches and leaves. The challenge from here would be to get to the apples without breaking a branch and falling on her face. Shifting in the branches she stood up and was surprised to come face to face with a beautify ripe apple. She plucked it from the branch and tossed it gently onto her coat. The next one she went for was just inside of arms length. Grabbing and handful of leaves she manages to stretch out and pluck another apple, again dropping it onto her coat. Apple after apple was picked and found a relatively soft landing on her coat. She would continue picking until the tree was nearly bare. With a few dozen apples laying mostly on her coat she jumped out of the tree and went to pick up any that had rolled away. After placing the rest of these apples with the others ahe paused for a moment to admire her bounty. Alexandra took a moment to really look the pile over before she felt like she could select one. For whatever reason one eventually stood out and she snatched it up before she could second guess her choice. Once again she took a seat against the tree, took out her dagger and began to slice the apple into bite sized pieces. She hummed a little tune while she worked and once the apple was sliced into pieces she turned her attention back to her hoard. She mused looking over at the pile, this could feed her for a week. A week of nothing be apples didnt sound very appealing. There were just to many apples here to consume by herself. If only there was a way to keep them from rotting. She could turn them into a sause, or maybe she could bake then into a pie. She could bake them with a little spice, that would be a fun treat but none of these options would keep them from going bad. There had to be something she could do. Letting them spoil just didn't seem right. WC: 506

[Alexandra Gainsborough]

The only thing she could realistically do was to bring them I to town. Crunching on another bite of apple she thought of all the time that had passed. She was ashamed of leaving so abruptly and wondered what the others might say or worse what they might think. The founders would be understanding, she did try to help out when she was here in the past. The bigger thought was of the residents who do live here. What would they think? Would they feel like she abandoned them? Would the resent her for leaving them to think she was lost to the jungle and creatures within? Maybe they would have just forgotten about her by now. Maybe no one even noticed she left or even remember the first time she arrived. Maybe it would be better if they had all forgotten her. Maybe the founders had forgotten her as well and she could start over again, a new life here. That was the reason she arrived in the first place. If everyone had truly forgotten her does it matter that she is returned? Syka was one of the few places that felt welcoming and with time she hoped it would feel that way again. Where else would she go? The entire time she was away felt like a search for something and it only lead her back here. Was it worth the trip just to return here... return home? This place called to something deep inside but what did it mean. She took another bite. The apple was somehow different it was almost bitter. Her lips curled up with disgust while looking down at the apple. Angry she spit out a mouthful and threw the rest of the apple into the jungle. Bending at the knees she slid onto the jungle floor closing her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest and let out a frustrated breath. Several minutes pass before she opened her eyes again. She tried her best to quiet her mind but the feelings and thoughts kept bubbling over. She slammed her heels against the ground and pulled herself up. She sat grabbing her knees for just a moment before standing. Not bothering to dust off her backside she walked over to the apples, selected the least ripe one and walked over to a palm tree. Digging her fingernails into the apples skin she stood there for a moment and let out a frustrated scream. She slammed the apple into the tree over and over again. The bark ripped the apple to pieces covering everything withing a few feet in juice and apple bits. Throughly covering herself in apple sause she began feeling a little better. Her hand relaxed letting what was left of the apple gently roll out of her hand, finding it's way to the floor. Her fingers were a little tacky and began to sting a little but she pushed that aside. Calm was not what she was feeling, just a lack of rage but that was enough to put her back on track. The little voice in her no longer front and center. She moved back to her coat and gathered up the corners. Pulling them together she tied them together and with some effort hoisted the sack over her shoulder. WC: 551

[Alexandra Gainsborough]

It only took a few steps before the jungle opened out to the sand and the shore. Alex took two steps in the sand before coming to a stop; her heels burrowed deep into the sand. Her boots were not well suited for the beach. They may have worked well in the jungle but not here. Her steps were too labored. She let out a little huff, and with an exaggerated effort, she moved the apples from her shoulder to the ground. Bending her leg at the knee, she pulled her foot in front of her. Standing on one leg, she pulled on the toe as she rocked the back strap down. With much more force than necessary, she pulled until the boot went flying off her foot and into the air. It arched up over her head and landed with a slight bounce on the cool, dry sand. She firmly planted her barefoot and repeated the process. This time the boot stayed in her arms, so she proceeded to toss it at its mate. She turned her attention to the water and just looked off for a few moments. The sea was stunning. She loved to look out at the horizon and watch the tiny waves bobbing on the line between the sky and the sea. Of course, in all actuality, the waves were massive, but from where she was standing here on the beach, even those enormous waves looked as big as a creased page in one of her dog-eared books. Alex always liked to walk on the beach. She loved the feeling of the coarse sand between her toes as her feet sank into it with each slow step. The way the water would rush up chasing after her, erasing each impression her feet left in the sand. As much as she enjoyed walking along the beach and soaking in the ocean's beauty, she didn't like to be in the water. She didn't really care for the feeling of salt; it left her skin dry after she stepped out of the water. Even if it hadn't been saltwater, the ocean was still filled with things like seaweed, sharp rocks, or even some monster that felt she would make a good meal. She never mentioned that the creatures were what really terrified her. The water itself was also a pretty contentious force by itself. Water is powerful and mysterious. Its rolling waves may be beautiful, but the ocean doesn't care about you. The sea has no feelings; it's cold, just rolling in and out as it counts the passage of time. Somehow standing here in the sand, listening to the birds flying overhead and the sound of the waves rolling made everything feel lighter. Turning back around, she picked up her boots, then her sack of apples. With that, she wiggled her toes in the sand again and took a step forward. One good step called for another and another still. With each step, her bare feet sank into the sand, leaving a trail of footprints back to her campsites. Her campsite was simple, but it was home. She had taken the time to gather several rocks to build a firepit. The ashes were still warm, but the fire had long since gone out. The tent was just large enough for her and her belongings. It was something she had traveled with, so it needed to be light. The tent was a brown color that blended onto the leaves and branches piled onto it. It might not have been the most elegant solution, but it helped keep her dry and blend into the surroundings. No reason to draw any unwanted attention to herself or her belongings. The people of Syka had always been kind to her. That had not always been the case in other places. She dropped the coat near her firepit and pulled the flap up when she arrived. It was dark, but without thought, she knew exactly where her pack was. She grabbed one of the straps and slid it out. She removed the contents one by one. A small book written in green ink was the first to find its way out of the pack. It was well made, bound with leather, but the pages were blank primarily. She would have to spend a little time exploring the plant life here to see what she could make. Maybe someone in the village could give her a few pointers. If not, what makes good medicine, at least what might kill. That was a mistake she might not be able to live through. Her fishing kit would be next. The box had a few dings in it from handing, but the insides were the same as when she bought it. It had gone unused, and keeping it seemed silly, but it did make her feel better just having it. A few hooks, feathers, and fishing-line were most of what it contained. Next, a brush, comb, and a few feathers were removed, leaving the pack empty. Everything else had already found another home. She turned to her coat and untied the ends. The knot took a little time to undo, but it revealed the pile of apples again when it was released. One by one, she picked up each apple and inspected them. If she was going to give them to the people in town, she would make sure she only left them some of the best ones. None of them were something any average human would consider bad. Most of the apples she had experienced in life were much worse than anything here. The ones generally sitting in a market stall were much softer and occasionally had a few brown spots. The flesh would be softer, unlike the crisp apples she had here. These apples had such a fresh smell, almost floral in aroma. Her pack was soon overflowing, and it was all she could do to close it. She looked over at the pile then back at her tent. She giggled and found her cooking pot. It was black from campfire cooking, but it was large enough to boil water. Even with this container overflowing, she still had more. Luckily it was just enough to keep at home. WC:1051

[Alexandra Gainsborough]

With that, Alex spent the next few hours tending to things around the campsite. She moved around, gathering a bit more firewood. This part of the beach had been picked clean. Luckily the jungle seemed to know what she needed. There was a fallen try nearby she could scavenge from. It must have fallen in a storm some seasons past. The main trunk was broken last time she tried to walk on it. Luckily it was a reasonably soft landing. Anything that didn't crush underfoot was easy enough to deal with if she used her kukri. She brought back enough wood to last her a few nights and added it to her pile. She had enough wood to last a week at her current usage. The day wound down, and the sun began to dip below the horizon. The sky changed from a light blue to a beautiful shade of crimson over several minutes. The clouds stretched across the sky; they looked like brushstrokes painted on canvas. Every sunset here was breathtaking. She made sure to savor the moment any chance she got. Alexandra picked up her coat and dusted it off before slipping it on. Grabbing the leather strap, she slung the pack over her shoulder. She shifted a bit, adjusting the straps as it pulled the pack tighter against her back. She grabbed the pot by its handles and picked it up. She figured the weight on her back would balance the weight now upfront. She walked along the shoreline, leaving a trail of footprints from her tent leading to the kitchens. Every now and then, she would dig her toes into the sand just to pull up a clump. She freed a hand by resting the lot on her hip as she walked and spun around a few times before running towards the water. She ran up the beach as the water rushed back at her with each wave. As the water pulled back out again, she would follow. When she arrived, the kitchens were pretty empty. Some of the ovens were still warm. A few of them may have still been in use. Quickly Alex moved to the counter furthest away and set the pot down. She pulled her pack, offsetting it gently on the floor before crouching down in front of it. Alex pulled hard at the drawstrings yanking open the bag before reaching inside, grabbing one in each hand and placing it on the table. She was careful not to drop a single one as she piled them on the table. Pausing for a moment, this redhead didn't want to leave the impression these were not for the community. She crouched down and thought for a moment. Maybe she should leave a note or something, but she didn't bring anything to write with. She smiled softly as she quickly began to rearrange them on the counter. She spelled out "Enjoy" in Nari, thinking this should be enough. She tucked the pot under her arm and quickly stepped out of the communal kitchen. Sticking to the shadows, she moved from place to place, trying her best to be sneaky. Satisfied with the placement, she grabbed her bag and smashed it down into her pot with both hands.  WC: 545