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 Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 4:21 pm
She didn't see the point, really. She had a perfectly good herb garden in her own wagon, and she was sure they would be nicer than any that she and Emelyn found in the woods. Sure, they wouldn't feed a caravan, but...
Marissa sighed. Valleldia was right; the celebration was approaching fast and the traditional gypsy dishes would be nothing without the countless herbs found only in the surrounding forests. Chamomile, endive, foxglove, and nasturtium were all absent in her meager collection, and they would be essential. That was why she'd volunteered for the job in the first place, anyway.
Taking Kale's hand, she guided him towards the door and down the steps. He'd been teetering on his feet for a few days, now. (However, the process was so painfully slow that she eventually just picked him up, anyway.) Once outside, she waited patiently for her friend.
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:29 am
Pierre was the first to come into sight. He did NOT look happy.
...Emelyn followed him, looking scads happier than the boy.
"Ho there, friends," she said to the plant-lover and her son, then turned to her own, older child and gave him a pat on the spiky head that caused him to hiss under his breath at.
"Oh, don't mind him. He's just in a snit because I wouldn't let him stay behind and 'play' with the oxen. ...He nearly got trampled last time." Pierre grumbled- he didn't see why his mother never trusted him with anything. She even made him leave behind his wooden sword. He kicked at the dirt and shoved his clawed hands deep into his pockets.
"So..." Em said, keeping the hedgehog-like boy in the corner of her eye, but speaking back to Marissa, "...what are we looking for, exactly?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 5:59 am
Marissa waved joyfully to her friend and shifted Kale up onto her hip, murmuring to him and pointing in their direction. "Kale, that's Emelyn," she told him, "And that's Pierre." Kale smiled but didn't make any noise, looking over the group thoughtfully.
When they neared, Marissa reached into her pack and pulled out a notebook. "We are looking for..." she flipped through the pages, holding thebook out to Em could see, "...these, right here." On the pages she had sketched out and labeled each required herb. "This one here is chamomile. Lovely for teas and things. It's easy to identify; tall and frilly, with small white flowers." She pointed to a beautiful spiraling flower colored n pink. "Foxglove. Don't eat this, it's only good medicinally. I thought the caravan would do well to have it around." She flipped the page. "This should be easy to find. They're all over the place, nasturtiums are. Big fat leaves and bright flowers. They're tangy and spicy, wonderful for salads and seasonings."
She closed the notebook and looked up. "Of course, there are planty more, but I'll point them out when we get there." Looking down at Pierre, she smiled and bent down. "Hello, little one," she said, "How are you?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 6:53 pm
Pierre huffed a little under his breath, but his mother had practically bored the repetitive words into his skull like a woodpecker might a hole in a tree.
"I'm fine, ma'am. ..." but his nature got the better of him, and he continued, "but I'd be better if I was with the oxen." He gave his mother a 'ha ha, look what I said' expression... but it fell sour at her repremanding look.
"Don't sulk. It's really very unbecoming. Come on, you can help me remember all those flowers she said."
"One of them was 'nasty' something," he mumbled. Em laughed.
"Yes. Nasties. We're looking for nasty plants." She grinned at Marissa. "See? He does take after me a little."
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Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 7:58 am
Marissa laughed. "I see you're not the happiest," she said to Pierre with a smile in her eyes, "But I have a feeling you'll learn to like it. Plants can be fun, you'll see."
Standing, she stretched her hands to the sky, yawning alittle. "Well, shall we be off?" she asked them. "We'll just go thataway, through that nice friendly bit o' the woods." She pointed to westrn patch of thin trees, which she knew opened into a prarie-like clearing where herbs were abundant. Hiking Kale up onto her hip, she started off.
Kale looked over his mother's shoulder, staring at Pierre appraisingly. "Ahhh?" he said loudly, poiniting.
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Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2006 6:25 pm
Pierre glowerd. "Mom... the midget is staring at me."
"Hush. His name is Kale. And he's a baby. Babies stare at things. That must mean he's interested in you. It's a compliment." She followed Marissa through the patch of thin, scrubby trees. "Where are we headed, Marissa?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 10:44 am
"Just a bit further. See? You can see it from here. That nice clearing that hits right before the river?"
Kale laughed. For no reason, really; he just felt the urge to be sociable. When mama put him down, he was SO going to play with that spiky kid.
They had reached the clearing. It was evident already that the plain was abundant with life, nowhere could you step without treading on some sort of colorful plant. Marissa glazed over as she looked around. She was hoommmee...
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 3:20 pm
Marissa was obviously in heaven. ...Emelyn was just standing ankle-deep in greenery.
"Alright, Miss... what're we looking for?" She said, blinking. Pierre stuck his tongue out at the staring little fox child.
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Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 11:23 am
Marissa took the notebook out of her pocket. She tore two pages out- one marked chamomile and the other nasturtiums. She handed the chamomile page to Emelyn. "Look for these, if you don't mind," she said, "And holler if you need any help."
The nasturtiums she assigned Pierre. "Be a dear and find me a bunch of these," she said with a wink. "And why don't you take Kale along with you, as well?" The fox-boy seemed positively overjoyed at the prospect. He waddled over the Pierre, grinning.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 12:46 pm
Pierre took the page offered and gave it a blank look... then transferred that blank look to Marissa. It wasn't until the toddler waddled over to him that he truly gained an expression.
"Heya squirt," he said... but then scowled, since it had come out sounding too affectionate. "Just... don't bug me, okay kid?" He abridged, hissing under his breath- an old affectation from his hedgehog days.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 1:48 pm
As Marissa and Emelyn went about their business, Kale went about his. He seemed pleased with himself at being knighted "squirt." He promptly took the older child's hand and babbled gregariously to himself, peering at the leaflet Pierre held in his other hand. He next took a look around the clearing...
Ah ha! Kale realized suddenly that many of the plants around him resembled those on the paper. Same colors, same shape...how exciting! He tugged Pierre's hand and motored toward one of the nasturtiums.
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Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 1:30 pm
Pierre called over his shoulder as he was summarily dragged towards the flowers.
"MOOOOOM! The squirt is dragging me around."
Emelyn rolled her eyes, picking one of the flowers Missa had pointed out. "He's an infant, Pierre. I don't think he can hurt you." She laughed and turned to Marissa. "They're so cute," she said softly, so her son wouldn't hear.
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 6:55 am
Marissa chuckled and nodded. "They are," she said just as quietly, tugging a plant from the ground and tossing it into a basket. "How much've you got?" she added, "I think we'll need a basketful of each."
Kale gripped a nasturtium in both hands and yanked it. It came up messily, covered him in dirt, but he was proud nonetheless. "Ah!" he cried, showing Pierre.
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Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 10:52 am
"I have... probably half a basket?" She mused. "...A small basket." Meanwhile, Pierre took the nasturtium from Kale, a brilliant, completely worthy of trouble idea.
"Kale..." he said, lowering his voice so the 'grown-ups' wouldn't hear. "You know... flowers are edible." He mimed eating the blossom. "Mm, yum yum. Good food. Here, have some." And he thrust the plants back at the little boy.
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 2:02 pm
Kale watched Pierre in fascination and was eager to mimick him. It did look quite tasty, what with its bright colors and shiny leaves. He grabbed the stem and opened his mouth.
Nasturtiums were meant to be eaten in small increments, one petal or leaf at a time with other food, but Kale shoved the whole flower into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed faster than he ate most food, so fast that he had finished before the unpleasant taste on his tongue registered. His face contorted. "Bllaergh!" he cried. It was bitter!
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