The Walled Cities

Chapter 24

Confident that she just needed the tonic to fight the fever, I headed out on my foraging trip. I had not traveled much in the time that we had been here, so I decided to follow the stream west. A wet meadow would have everything I needed, yet I had never been here to my knowledge. Still it would not be that hard if the stream continued and there were openings in the trees. Without those openings, none of the plants would grow.

While I walked I kept my eyes out for anything of significance. Pools and eddies in the stream signified spots for fish to hide from predators and eats the insects that fell into the water. These spots would have fish during the Winter, when food was scarce. Until then I would trap and hunt for whatever I could.

Bright green mixed with yellow sunlight caught my attention. Moving towards it, I noticed a change in the trees and shrubs. Shortly I had left the cover of the trees and was standing in a clearing. Green, red, pink, yellow and orange filled the clearing from a mix of plants. Bushy roses and Camelias grew in clumps together scattered around the clearing. Though useful, I was not looking for either currently. Late pink blooms from the Marsh Violet, along with purple flowers of the Violet Lupine rose up in a few different clumps. All the clumps were close the the streambank, due to their need for water. Lily of the Valley would be fairly easy to find as it grew in the same area as the Marsh Violet and the Violet Lupine.

Crouched over so that I could easily harvest what I needed, I slipped my knife out from its sheath. Careful so not to bruise the flower, I cut it at the base of the stem. Gently easing the flower into a small pouch, I moved on to the the next flower. Harvesting the flowers were not that difficult and I quickly had enough Marsh Violet and Violet Lupine. While I could have dug them up, the plants had the possibility to seed and make it so that there would be more for some other unlucky traveler who needed the plants.

Lily of the Vallley did not take long to find as I spotted the green slender flower stems. While the flowers were dead, the roots were just as good. Winter was going to be here soon and it would kill the plant completely. Without any idea if I would be  able to come back out here before the plants were dead, I dug up all of the ones I could find. Winter had a way of making one feel weak, and with both myself and Kaelyn injured the roots would help keep our strength.

Now having found what I needed I got ready to head back to the camp. My bag was not completely full but it was a fair amount and I had enough for a dozen or so tonics. More supply would have to come from a different clearing, but other plants I had seen would be good for other things if I needed them.

Following the stream back to the camp allowed me time to think. Winter was coming, and food was going to steadily become harder to find as it drew nearer and after the first snow fell. The fish baskets would provide some food until then, yet I had never relied on them as heavily as I had and would have to in the coming months. I would put out  traps for various four legged animals as winter drew nearer, especially around any area with beaver activity, but I did not know if it would be enough. Without a good rifle, I could not shoot any large animals, the bear this morning had been an exception. It was an option for food, but I would have to skin it and examine its stomach to see what it had been eating recently. Any animal that ate dead and decaying meat could potentially carry disease. I knew of a cure for the disease, but the disease would still leave one weak and helpless for a month.

At this though, I arrived back at the small clearing that was camp. Smells of near burning meat had me drop my bag and rush over to the fire. Careful not to burn myself, I pulled the well cooked beaver meat and baked cattail tubers out of the fire. Placing them to the side so that they could cool on a wooden platter, I moved on to getting water for Kaelyn's tonic. 

A few minutes later, both cups were full and had been placed on the fire. While they warmed up, I tucked into my warm beaver meat and baked tubers. The warm food was nice, as the air was cold even though the sun was shining. Since it was so nice, I paced myself and allowed myself time enjoy my food and think. My thoughts moved to the days ahead as they had any time I was thinking. What I was going to use the bear skin for once I had freed it from the carcass was a question to think on. We already had two blankets, but they were wool and would not be enough to keep us warm when the snow fell. A coat was also another potential idea, yet the blanket was needed more than the coat. Kaelyn and I could use other things to stay warm, so the bear skin would be best used as a blanket. First I would have to actually skin the animal, and I could not do that until I had fed Kaelyn her tonic.