Well, Gandalf, I had expected to be hiking alone looking for my herbs and medicinal plants, but I can share some of my white bread and honeycomb. Let me leave my packs here with you and see what I can forage.
Bethberry emptied her waterskin into one of Gandalf's pots and took it and several empty sacks with her into the high grasses, walking towards the thickets. Some time later, she returned, her arms laden and sacks full.
Sorry for taking so long, but I think we shall feast nicely for my labours. I went looking first for a stream and found one running deeply between two heavily brambled slopes. I was in time to see a fox attack a badger sett, killing three cubs. I whistled for Wyrd, who drove off the fox, whose hasty departure left one of the dead cubs for us. I've never eaten badger, but stew does wonderful things to all manner of meat. I also found a fleshy root of wild arum, some turnips, and even bush basil and leeks for flavouring.
Bethberry put the badger on a flat, metal plate from her pack and then commenced to open the other sacks.
Who knows how to skin a badger so to avoid breaking the musk gland? Oh, and when I went to fill my waterskin I found some wild morels for the stew and some lemon verbena for tea. The brambles were full of ripe wildberries, so I helped myself to several handfuls of those, too. I don't think we'll go hungry tonight, but let's hope our full bellies don't make us complacent about watching for any trouble.
[ June 20, 2002: Message edited by: Bethberry ]
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I’ll sing his roots off. I’ll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away.
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