Ghastly Woods Weatherwitch

The winds had picked up in his travel and caught upon the clouds above, which had been gathering for the past few days. They frothed and foamed, darkening by midday. A grey sky cast pale light across the forest below, adding to the gloom and grime. Luthais had followed the river in hopes of grabbing a fish from it's depths, but found that the water was aggravated. Without proper confidence in his fishing skills, the man had regretfully passed on by - and now, situated in an eerie forest that threatened a downpour, he felt that regret deeply. All at once the sky opened up as if torn at the belly, and began to soak the vagrant. There was no way to avoid getting wet; but he began to listlessly travel through the forest, seeking shelter amongst the groves.

There was no shelter to be had. Either it was the strong rain or the finger-like branches that refused to block it; but whatever the case, Luthais was suitably drenched by the time he found a proper shelter. It proved just as pointless, for the wind pulsed and buffered him with heavy droplets regardless of his location. The boy scoffed at the sky, his nose pointedly easing out from beneath the tree's great shadows. It would be worthwhile to call upon his gods for help, but he did not wish to ask too much of them - they were not in place to serve him, after all. The thought of ritual sparked movement from Luthais. He roused himself from his damp waiting and headed through the forest, eager to find something of worth that could be used in an altar.

There was no time for meditation. He rooted through the roots of trees, followed natural pathways, and gathered what he could find. Much of which was just as soggy as himself - proving to be a hassle that made him quite irate. The native flowers that grew within the mud would have to do - he had no agrimony, no juniper berries available. They were pitiful things, plucked clean from the wet earth and hanging limply against his lower lips, which became tar-streaked with grime. The rain did not let up as Luthais scavenged for these morsels, and it would not ease until he had begun to ritual in earnest.

(This post was last modified: Apr 18, 2014, 08:33 PM by Luthais.)

Naira

Hope you don't mind me jumping in :)

No doubt it was a foolish errand with the sky threatening to open at any moment. The air had been electric as the clouds continued to roll in, but with no herb stores to speak of and a new healer on their hands (his only downfall to date being in his lack of local geographical knowledge) she would need to do what she could to help, while ever she was still able, knowing soon her sides would swell with the young that she carried and then she would find herself den-bound for several weeks. It was with this in mind that she had traversed her way down well travelled paths to the Blackberry Fields, making sure to leave a trail should @Couth choose to follow on his own foraging missions at some point or other in the coming days.

Blackberry root had been one of her grandmothers favourite remedies for an upset stomach and so she always liked to keep some on hand. It was dirty work, rooting about beneath the thorned bushes like some wild hog, her shedding coat offering her some small amount of protection from the aggravation of the spiny barbs, but finally she emerged, her face, chest and paws coated in dark soil, roots grasped firmly between her jaws.

Of course it was in her moment of victory that the clouds decided to open up, quickly drenching the tawny wolf as she attempted to begin her journey home. It didn’t take her long to reach the gnarled trees of the Ghastly Wood but they offered little protection from the downpour. With eyes narrowed and ears folded to prevent them filling with water she moved at a comfortable trot, weaving her way between the trees down the same paths she had taken to get to the field. Her tail was held out behind her level with her spine and she was completely absorbed in her own thoughts, oblivious and singularly focused on returning to her nice dry den.

(This post was last modified: Apr 29, 2014, 02:48 AM by Naira.)