Cordelia had found the river once more that lead her back to Mistfruit Forest. It was a reprieve to wade into the water and find her way across. She made her way out of the cool water, finding herself among the mist laden dead trees. She couldn’t wait to explore more of it this time. It was a bummer to have to leave Midir and Claystone behind. The company would have been nice, especially with Midir who was born and raised here. Perhaps he’ll come back while she was here. Her stomach chose to gurgle right then.
“Guess I should eat,” she said allowed to no one in particular.
While she had brought food rations with her, she chose to hold off and look to see if anything was familiar or edible when it came to plant life here. Not everything was dead, was it? Maybe she’d find some nuts or seeds, maybe low growing browse. Bark was an option, there was plenty of it. The dam was Other made, it could have something too but Cordy wasn’t sure it was a trusted source for food. So she continued to pick her way through the forest, searching for even the smallest signs of plant life.
“There’s gotta be something around here I can eat. Fresh is always nice after a long journey.”
She stayed fairly close to the river, not wanting to loose her barings after a long night and on empty. Cordy eventually gave up, picking her way back towards the river on a new path. Something caught the dim light and her attention, turning she looked back towards a down tree that was rather large. The ground around it was about the same as everywhere but there were some small plants struggling there. Cordy approached it and carefully inspected it with her non touching senses. Perhaps she’d take some of it back to have a botanic inspect. Cordy carefully collected some of the plant and stashed it away in her satchel.
Back at the river, she pulled out a object that could hold water. She filled it and added in some grains that were cracked by a large rock. The water, in time, would soak into the grains and make them soft and chewy. She had some dried fruit that she could toss in as well. Would have been easier with a familiar, but she made due. The concoction would give her a much needed energy boost, paired with a nap and she’d be fit to explore once more. The meager meal was bland, even with the addition of dried fruits. The river water wasn’t too bad, but the nap was well deserved.
Cordelia rose from a restful sleep and stretched out her legs and back. She gathered her things back up, packing them away for the time being. Then proceeded to follow the river up towards the massive dam that spanned the width of the river. As she grew closer to it, she was in awe of its impressive size and complexity. The Others certainly did build interesting things to make their lives easier but in turn worse for everyone else. The species must have been quite selfish, considering what they had done to the place she called home.
She was full of mixed feelings when it came to the Others. What they did to Vykeli was horrible, but they also left behind intriguing things. Their building skills were interesting and how they problemed solved too but it was done at the expense of other life forms. They left behind tomes of their written language and pictures of them and their culture. They were strange looking, walking upright with flat faces. They were a diverse species and she kinda wished she could encounter one but after seeing what they did made her pause. Noulicorns didn’t exist til after the Others had left and they had no reason to return. But what if they did? The dam brought her back to the present.
She reached the top and it was wide and one could walk across it with plenty of room. How intriguing. How sturdy was this massive structure? Seemed pretty solid despite its age and she could perceive a low hum coming from within it. Was it living? Cordelia wasn’t sure she was quite ready to explore the dam after all. In fact, she considered checking the surrounding area for potential food sources. Maybe it would be more fruitful than down below. The mist was also thicker here and there was that eerie quality to the forest. She’d met Midir not too far from here but was so enthralled by the mystery of him to see what was there. She’d come back to the dam, after she looked for any edible plants. So off Cordelia trotted, into the mist.
WC: 802
