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 Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2014 10:58 am
 Waking just before the sunrise, like she had done for nearly every day of her life so far, Kikuyu greeted the light and warmth. The days were getting colder now, a sign that winter was coming, though she still had a bit of fall left. Stepping out from the little hut she made home Kikuyu turned her gaze towards the sun. It was mostly hidden behind the trees of her jungle home, but she could see it peaking through the trunks of the trees and between the cracks in the leaves above. She closed her eyes for a moment and silently thanked the sun for rising, to provide light and warmth on this day. It was important for her to acknowledge these things in life, things that so many others took for granted, but Kikuyu had been raised to appreciate everything, even the small things. One never knew when those things would no longer be available and so everything was precious. Opening her eyes once more Kikuyu survived the area that she called home.
With the onset of the colder weather things had slowed down a lot, but there was still plenty to do. Most importantly she had to make sure her small hut was ready for the cold winter months. The hut was constructed of sticks, then covered with mud and leaves for warmth, but over time the mud dried out and formed cracked that let in wind and cold, and the sticks shifted as well. Her priority today would be surveying her home and doing any necessary repairs to it. Best get it done now while the weather was cool but comfortable to work with than wait til it was too cold to work. Entering her hut once more Kikuyu inspected the walls closed, noting where there were cracks and thin sections in the mud. The west wall needed the most work, especially after that deer crashed into her hut a few weeks ago. It would likely take her a couple of days to get it all done, but she wasn't put off by the work. If it wasn't home repairs it was something else to do, but Kikuyu wouldn't change anything in her life. What she did and how she lived was important to her.
With a plan in minde Kikuyu left her hut once more and set off into the forest. There she would scrounge up something to eat while looking for suitable sticks to use in the repairs. Following a well worn trail that her ancestors has also traveled on, Kikuyu kept her eyes open. The forest was a treasure trove of resources if one knew where to look. After a short walk she came to a small stream and took a drink. Looking up she spotted a tree not far away that would serve as breakfast. The low hanging broad leaves had a good flavor, sometimes a bit sweet especially int he spring, but this time of year they were very pleasant to eat. Casting her gaze about as she chewed Kikuyu spotted some dead fall branches, as long as they weren't rotten they might just be just what she needed to start repairs on her hut.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 11:03 am
After eating a few more leaves Kikuyu made her way over to where she had spotted the dead fall branches. Now that she was closer, she could see that a few of them were too small for her needs. But there were two that seemed to be a suitable length and not too big around. Lifting her hoof Kikuyu pressed down hard on the first. Hearing a slight cracking Kikuyu knew that this one was rotten and would not last long in her hut. Stepping over to the next one Kikuyu repeated the same thing, but once again heard a cracking, obviously these branches were not what she needed to do the repairs on her hut.
While the repairs would need to get done Kikuyu wasn't worried about getting it done right away. There were other things that she could do in the mean time and keep her eyes out for the necessary materials along the way. Turning her focus onto the next task Kikuyu looked about. She would need to make one last journey out into the lands beyond her jungle home to gather a few plants that may be needed over the winter, mainly those with healing properties that don't grow within the jungle. Perhaps today she would get that done, while the weather was good. Returning to hr hut Kikuyu went inside and retrieved a woven basket backpack that she used on journeys like this to help gather and carry her supplies to and from areas that were not close to her hut. Slipping the strap over her neck Kikuyu adjusted the basket so that it was balanced and wouldn't be bouncing or rubbing too much on the long journey to the meadow.
Double checking to make sure her hut was secure for the few days she would be gone Kikuyu set off down the well worn trail that would eventually lead her out to the meadow. She figured it all went well she would be gone about five days. It would be a long time away from her home but it was a necessary trip to make sure she made it through the winter months healthy. Plus it was always nice to have a few extras laying around so that she could trade for other supplies that she may need once the cold set in.
With everything secure in her hut Kikuyu set off. It would take until dusk, perhaps even until tomorrow morning, to reach the edge of the jungle. As she moved along the path Kikuyu made mental notes of where certain plants and supplies were that she would pick up either on the way back to her hut or she would make a second trip depending on how full her basket was by the end of this trip.
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Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 8:22 pm
It had gotten just a bit too dark to travel much further by the time Kikuyu reached the edge of the jungle. It had been a long and tiring journey but she knew it would be well worth the time and effort once she had gathered all of the supplies that she could not easily find in the jungle. As much as she loved her home, there were times, such as now, when she had to leave the area to gather certain plants and items. It would likely take a few trips to get everything she needed, some items she herself would use and others she would trade with others who lived in the jungle or perhaps with travelers to get other items. In the end it was a worthwhile endeavor to make these trips out. Plus she often times got to meet new Soquili and hear about what was happening in the rest of the lands. Perhaps one day she would venture out just for fun and spend a few weeks seeing the sites and visiting different lands to see what it was all like before returning home.
After a much needed rest Kikuyu rose not long after the sun had peeked over the horizon. Giving her muscles a stretch the small mare gathered up her basket and set out for the day. Leaving the jungle was always such a strange feeling. She hated to admit it, but all this open space made her nervous. She much preferred to be surrounded by trees and bushes and other cover that she could hide in if necessary. Out here, there was nothing for long stretched. And then there was just the unfamiliarity of it all. That's why she tried to stick to the same area each year when gathering so she at least knew where some shelter and water was if and when she needed it.
Today her goal was to cross this large meadow to an area where she knew several useful herbs grew along with a bunch of berry bushes. The herbs she could use if sickness came around, the berries were a great addition to her diet, and both items were valuable for trading. If all went well she would be able to fill up her basket, return home with a full load and make at least one to two more trips before exhausting that particular area. It would be a lot of traveling back and forth over the next few days but she knew it was worth it. Setting off across the wide open meadow Kikuyu moved as fast as she could with the basket bouncing at her side. The sooner she got the where the berries and herbs were the sooner she could get picking them all. The name of the game was efficiency. Which is why she came to this spot. Why go to one place for berries and then another for herbs when she can get them both in one place. Plus if she layer the herbs in between the layers of berries it protected them from being squished or crushed on the journey home. It was a win win situation and Kikuyu would take advantage of that.
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Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 6:47 pm
After crossing the meadow Kikuyu navigated a small section of forest, stopped at a small stream for a drink and a rest, then pressed on through more forest and then another smaller meadow. Finally her target was in sight. It had taken the better half of a day to get this far but she knew the journey could be even longer if the herbs and berries she was expecting to find there were already gone. It had happened in the past and it had meant extra days of travel to get to another area where those supplies could be found. It would not happen this time, at least that's what she was telling herself as she pushed through a swath of trees that bordered her collecting area.
Coming to a stop Kikuyu scanned the area. It was generally a safe spot to spend a day or two picking herbs, but that didn't mean that she would assume it was safe each time. After looking for any signs of recent activity and seeing none Kikuyu knew it was time to get to work. Even from where she stood she could see the bushes were loaded with berries. A very good sign, and it meant she would have plenty of supplies to see her through the coming months.
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Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 6:49 pm
Shrugging off her basket besides the first berry bush Kikuyu began to carefully pick the sweet fruit, sampling a few as she went. They were the perfect mix of tart and sweet. With this many berries here it would not take long to fill up her basket. She almost wished that she had a second basket, but she knew it would be very difficult to carry two at a time once they were fully loaded. So instead she would just have to make more trips, not that she minded the work involved in this, it kept her fit and busy.
Once a decent layer of berries was in the bottom of the basket Kikuyu then turned her attention to herb picking. These took a bit more effort to find an gather compared to the berries but it was a worthwhile investment in time. Slowly she began to circle about the bushes, working her way out, picking leaves from the plants as she found them, but leaving enough behind that the plants would not suffer.
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Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2015 3:57 pm
Kikuyu spent the better part of the afternoon filling up her basket, alternating berries with herbs to provide a soft cushion for the berries to sit on. This was certainly a very good start to her winter supply and if she could gather this much in each of the next few trips then she would be pretty much set. There were things she would need to trade for, as the months progressed, but that was exactly why she tried to pick extras of everything. She could never predict what the traders would want, sometimes it was berries, other times herbs, and sometimes it was strange random things she found among the jungle floor. It was why she collected as many things as she could throughout the year. It gave her something to do, to keep her occupied - especially during the slower months, and it gave her trading materials.
With the basket full of useable and trade worthy goodies, Kikuyu could begin the long journey home. It wasn't all that bad of a trip coming here, but once the basket was full it would take a lot more time and effort to get there. Then she would spend a good day emptying the basket, sorting what she had gathered and storing it away before she would be able to set out another on another gathering mission. There were times when she wishes she lived in a herd, or even a small group, as it would mean things such as gathering resources was a shared task. Yet, she loved her solitary life. Yes, she visited often with friends around the jungle and those who lived outside of it's border, but Kikuyu wouldn't change her life. At least not at the moment. Perhaps one day she would find someone to join her here, maybe even have a family of her own. But she wouldn't stop doing what she did each year just to go look for that.
After taking a bit of a rest and time to replenish her strength with food and water, Kikuyu slipped the strap of her basket over her neck. It took her a moment to adjust it so that it sat comfortably across her neck and shoulder and so that it didn't bounce or sway too much when she walked. It would be slow going and she would need to stop more frequently to rest, but it had been such a good trip she didn't mind. She set off, following the trail that led her to this spot each year. Along the way she would keep her eye out for anything that may be on interest to the traders. Sometimes she also found useful items for herself along these trails, something that wasn't there when she traveled to the gathering areas. She wasn't sure how those items got there, perhaps dropped by a passing Soquili or bird, but she always enjoyed finding those little treasures.
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