Kiwi Squirt Bottle
Another expedition, another journey to a place unspecified and unknown by more than second hand word-of-mouth and crude sketches on willowbark. This time, Bob was off on a hunt for a new type of rootplant said to be more hardy than the ones she currently had. Up-and-Down had been working with her mother, Fruit, to cordon off a portion of their lands in order to grow plants to eat instead of having to go off and forage. Sure, it meant staying in one place more often than not, but it was nice knowing where dinner would be found. Sometimes, Bob even got to go on these trips afield to find new things.
She just hoped these roots were worth it. By this point, the sketch made in haste with berry juice on a less-than-supple piece of bark was wearing away. The marks were fading and she wasn't sure if the stream she'd come to was the one she was supposed to cross or the one she was supposed to follow down towards the south. "Oh, bother. Not again. This always... Happens." Bob's head swiveled as she looked up and down the bank. "If I'm wrong, I'll know in a day, but I'll be out two backtracking."
saedusk
Three sunrises maybe, two at least, had passed since she last laid eyes on Lit. The boy was a wanderer, much like she was, but something always drew them back together in time. Willow felt no worry over it. For now she simply did as she always did, travel, see, remember. The days drew together into a long, samey stretch, but not uncomfortable. The doe was nothing if not happy with the way things were.
Without wholly realizing, she had wet her hooves in the shallows of a stream, one she recalled as familiar. Things were different now, though. Different, if only because she looked up from the bed of twigs and pebbles to find a kimeti stopped at the edge. "Hello," she greeted, soft-spoken as always. With the way her head swayed, Willow thought maybe she was looking for something. "Are you alright?"
Kiwi Squirt Bottle
Having been worrying over her map, Bob had missed the initial arrival of another until the sound of the water changed, and a soft voice spoke. "Alright? I'm... I'm okay. A little lost." Hopefully that's all it was. Because having spent some time looking at the map, she realised it very well could have been oriented a different way, and if that was the case, Bob was very lost indeed. "Are you familiar with the area around here? I'm trying to find something, but my directions aren't as clear as I'd like." This time, at least, she couldn't be teased for distractions causing this one.
"Maybe you could take a look at my map and see if it means much to you? I'd be grateful."
"Maybe you could take a look at my map and see if it means much to you? I'd be grateful."
saedusk
There was a look of recognition in her eyes as she slid through the water and the distance between them. It had taken some time, she would readily admit, to learn the area. The swamp was a large place, and often things ended up looking the same, but with time she had begun to understand the subtle differences that made finding one's way easier.
"I believe I know this area quite well. Of course, let me take a look."
A map was a rare thing for her, she never kept one, but as bright eyes scanned, she started to match landmarks she'd seen before. "This stream..." she looked down at their hooves, then motioned with her muzzle. "Is the one here on the map, isn't it?"
"I believe I know this area quite well. Of course, let me take a look."
A map was a rare thing for her, she never kept one, but as bright eyes scanned, she started to match landmarks she'd seen before. "This stream..." she looked down at their hooves, then motioned with her muzzle. "Is the one here on the map, isn't it?"
Kiwi Squirt Bottle
Greatful, Bob tucked the map back under to the vine she had wrapped around the barrel of her body. It wasn't always the most comfortable, but it was a handy way to carry things on her without trying to balance them precariously on her back or holding them in her mouth all the time. As much stuff as she carried some times, it would be awkward, not to mention that some stuff just tasted... Bad.
At the question, though, her head bobbed. "It... I think it is. I wasn't sure though, because.... Well. I could have been wrong. But I think it's supposed to be." If that was the case, she should cross it and keep going, to follow the next stream down until she found the pair of large-trunked trees that were unusual the for area. "I'm Up-and-Down, by the way, but you may call me Bob if you'd like."
At the question, though, her head bobbed. "It... I think it is. I wasn't sure though, because.... Well. I could have been wrong. But I think it's supposed to be." If that was the case, she should cross it and keep going, to follow the next stream down until she found the pair of large-trunked trees that were unusual the for area. "I'm Up-and-Down, by the way, but you may call me Bob if you'd like."
saedusk
A gentle smile found its way to her lips as her new acquaintance tucked the fading map away. It was easy to see how such tools could be useful, and it seemed like the other doe was prepared for carrying more than just a sheet of bark if she needed to. Willow felt a thrum of quiet respect for her.
"From the way the landmarks looked, the ones behind and ahead, I'm sure that this is the stream I pointed out. Not much further from here there's another slightly wider brook, too, I think you must be right." At that, she stepped towards the other side, tail swaying across the surface of the water. "Bob, it's nice to meet you." She didn't look back, but there was a smile on her face still. "I'm Uprooting the Willow, you can call me whatever you'd like." As long as it wasn't 'mother,' she seemed to have averse feelings for that title, not even allowing Lit to call her so, but she highly doubted this female she just met would attempt such a thing.
"Do you mind if I ask what it is your map is leading you to?"
"From the way the landmarks looked, the ones behind and ahead, I'm sure that this is the stream I pointed out. Not much further from here there's another slightly wider brook, too, I think you must be right." At that, she stepped towards the other side, tail swaying across the surface of the water. "Bob, it's nice to meet you." She didn't look back, but there was a smile on her face still. "I'm Uprooting the Willow, you can call me whatever you'd like." As long as it wasn't 'mother,' she seemed to have averse feelings for that title, not even allowing Lit to call her so, but she highly doubted this female she just met would attempt such a thing.
"Do you mind if I ask what it is your map is leading you to?"
Kiwi Squirt Bottle
A feeling of happy relief washed over her. This doe, this Willow, seemed to be familiar enough with the area, and if this was the right stream.. Even better! With a smile, Bob hopped across the steam, taking two bounds to Willow's several steps. The thought never occurred to her that it was always possible that Willow was leading her astray. Who would even do such a thing?
"I'm looking for a foodthing," Bob replied, trying to scout the way ahead. Didn't look too bad, and possibly she could be where she needed to be by nightfall. "Fruit-of-Love, my mother, has been trying to grow foodplants in an area together, cordoned off from the 'wild' so that we won't have to go looking." The idea, when proposed to her, had seemed preposterous, but the longer she'd thought on it, the more sense it seemed to make. "There's a new something someone brought us that will last the winter better and the stems and leaves are edible too, not just the root. Fruit wants to try and grow some." It would be nice, she thought, if it wasn't too mush further away. This map wasn't to scale, which lead to some confusion, but it would only take her a fourday to get back home, hopefully. And hopefully the plants would survive.
"Maybe you've seen it? Grows in the dirt, roughly knee high, darker green leaves shaped like a heart?" The roots were a woody flavour, but the leaves were sweeter and more crisp. "The buck who brought it only called it Ears."
"I'm looking for a foodthing," Bob replied, trying to scout the way ahead. Didn't look too bad, and possibly she could be where she needed to be by nightfall. "Fruit-of-Love, my mother, has been trying to grow foodplants in an area together, cordoned off from the 'wild' so that we won't have to go looking." The idea, when proposed to her, had seemed preposterous, but the longer she'd thought on it, the more sense it seemed to make. "There's a new something someone brought us that will last the winter better and the stems and leaves are edible too, not just the root. Fruit wants to try and grow some." It would be nice, she thought, if it wasn't too mush further away. This map wasn't to scale, which lead to some confusion, but it would only take her a fourday to get back home, hopefully. And hopefully the plants would survive.
"Maybe you've seen it? Grows in the dirt, roughly knee high, darker green leaves shaped like a heart?" The roots were a woody flavour, but the leaves were sweeter and more crisp. "The buck who brought it only called it Ears."
saedusk
It was light and little, but a laugh could be heard filtering through the air as Bob found her way across the stream much faster. She took a short moment to suppose that her company probably wanted to reach the destination, the foodthing she soon learned, within a decent amount of time. If she was going to insert herself suddenly into the journey, she should try to keep a good pace. She sped up some, moving now obviously quicker than her usual, slow and careless saunter.
"Fruit sounds like a smart woman," Willow tipped her head to look at her companion. It was an unusual idea, she thought, but to have a good supply of food through the winter was not at all something to sneeze at. "But I myself would have a tough time staying rooted to where the plants grew. Traveling and foraging is second nature now." Now she was looking up to the canopy, contemplating. She'd traveled and foraged quite a bit, that was for certain. And so... "I think I may have seen the leaves you're talking about. Near here, in fact. At least, they were shaped similarly, and if the map says this way, then I think they may be one in the same."
"Fruit sounds like a smart woman," Willow tipped her head to look at her companion. It was an unusual idea, she thought, but to have a good supply of food through the winter was not at all something to sneeze at. "But I myself would have a tough time staying rooted to where the plants grew. Traveling and foraging is second nature now." Now she was looking up to the canopy, contemplating. She'd traveled and foraged quite a bit, that was for certain. And so... "I think I may have seen the leaves you're talking about. Near here, in fact. At least, they were shaped similarly, and if the map says this way, then I think they may be one in the same."
Kiwi Squirt Bottle
Staying in one place? Truthfully that didn't sound terribly appealing to Bob, either. "Fruit stays, and tends to them. I get to do the exploring and such!" Bob took a moment to pose and preen like the great explorer she was... not. "I don't mind. As long as I can find my way home, I should be okay. And then I can tell her about all the things I've seen." Bob hadn't been to too many places yet, as most of her 'exploring' had initially been to find dead trees and tree branches of a certain size which could be used to cordon off the plants from everything else. The sticks were wrapped in vines at some heights in an effort to keep unwanteds out incase they hadn't seen the unnatural state of things.
"Where have you been so far, Willow? Have you ever seen the land of the furry creatures with bones on their heads? I've heard it's cold, and frozen water covers the ground!" It was certainly not a place one would be looking for Ears. At least, she hoped so, and said as much. "I hope this map is right and I don't have to go looking too far to find them!"
"Where have you been so far, Willow? Have you ever seen the land of the furry creatures with bones on their heads? I've heard it's cold, and frozen water covers the ground!" It was certainly not a place one would be looking for Ears. At least, she hoped so, and said as much. "I hope this map is right and I don't have to go looking too far to find them!"
saedusk
Kiwi Squirt Bottle
