Young Writers Society

ShadowQueen wrote:

Stringbean wrote:

ShadowQueen wrote:[You’re all good!]

Her daughter smiled, waving from her perch on the branch. She was about twenty-five feet above Natalia’s head. She swung her legs around the trunk with a hand gripping a branch overhead, and then climbed down to a slightly lower branch. Destiny then did something a little unexpected: she leaped off the one she was on, aiming for one several feet lower that was very firm, but wasn’t too wide. There was one moment when she was in midair and dropping, and it seemed like she might miss. But she hit her intended target in a three point landing, with her feet firmly on the branch, legs bent under her for the impact, and one hand pressed into the bark for balance. The fall had been smooth. She smiled with some satisfaction, completing the rest of the climb down swiftly and gracefully. When she was only five feet above the ground, she jumped down again and landed perfectly, just in time for Natalia to arrive at the foot of the tree; it had taken her just over ten seconds to get down.

Distance hadn't stopped Natalia from letting out a small yelp when she saw her daughter drop. Destiny found her footing though, as she always did, and her mother released a sigh through her nose, hand over her chest. By the time they met a few moments later at the bottom of the tree, Natalia had regained her composure and was looking at Destiny with something of the look of a resigned parent. "Nada lisa, davin," she said quietly, but that was all.

“Sorry!” Destiny looked apologetic, in the way that she was sorry that she’d scared a mother a bit, but not quite sorry enough to stop acting reckless. This was rather common behavior for her, anytime she did something that involved any kind of risk. She was always fine, but it was often a little alarming for anyone watching when she did something bold.

Stringbean wrote:

ShadowQueen wrote:

Stringbean wrote:Distance hadn't stopped Natalia from letting out a small yelp when she saw her daughter drop. Destiny found her footing though, as she always did, and her mother released a sigh through her nose, hand over her chest. By the time they met a few moments later at the bottom of the tree, Natalia had regained her composure and was looking at Destiny with something of the look of a resigned parent. "Nada lisa, davin," she said quietly, but that was all.

“Sorry!” Destiny looked apologetic, in the way that she was sorry that she’d scared a mother a bit, but not quite sorry enough to stop acting reckless. This was rather common behavior for her, anytime she did something that involved any kind of risk. She was always fine, but it was often a little alarming for anyone watching when she did something bold.

Her mother's look broke down into a fond smile as she dropped her eyes and shook her head, shifting her bundle to her front side. She sighed again as she looked back up, then nodded gently for Destiny to follow her as she turned back onto her path deeper into the woods.

ShadowQueen wrote:The young woman walked silently behind her, after looking back one last time at the tree she'd been in. There was a single bird chirping somewhere above, but she couldn't see it. "What have you got so far?" she asked Natalia after a moment.

Stringbean wrote:

ShadowQueen wrote:The young woman walked silently behind her, after looking back one last time at the tree she'd been in. There was a single bird chirping somewhere above, but she couldn't see it. "What have you got so far?" she asked Natalia after a moment.

Natalia glanced over and opened the folded, circular mat made of reeds that she was carrying her gatherings in. A few of the earthy, potato-like tubers were lying caked with dirt in the crease. Natalia looked up with a small shrug and brushed some of the cold dirt from her similarly caked fingers.

ShadowQueen wrote:

Stringbean wrote:

ShadowQueen wrote:The young woman walked silently behind her, after looking back one last time at the tree she'd been in. There was a single bird chirping somewhere above, but she couldn't see it. "What have you got so far?" she asked Natalia after a moment.

Natalia glanced over and opened the folded, circular mat made of reeds that she was carrying her gatherings in. A few of the earthy, potato-like tubers were lying caked with dirt in the crease. Natalia looked up with a small shrug and brushed some of the cold dirt from her similarly caked fingers.

"Right." Destiny nodded approvingly. She took a moment to breathe the forest air in deeply. The cold tang of the chill was accompanied with the earthy smell of fallen leaves and the soft scent of mushrooms. "I think there are morels around here," she said thoughtfully. "Maybe even some oyster mushrooms growing on a tree. I think that's what I'm smelling."

Stringbean wrote:

ShadowQueen wrote:

Stringbean wrote:Natalia glanced over and opened the folded, circular mat made of reeds that she was carrying her gatherings in. A few of the earthy, potato-like tubers were lying caked with dirt in the crease. Natalia looked up with a small shrug and brushed some of the cold dirt from her similarly caked fingers.

"Right." Destiny nodded approvingly. She took a moment to breathe the forest air in deeply. The cold tang of the chill was accompanied with the earthy smell of fallen leaves and the soft scent of mushrooms. "I think there are morels around here," she said thoughtfully. "Maybe even some oyster mushrooms growing on a tree. I think that's what I'm smelling."

Natalia folded her basket again quietly with a faint smile still resting on her pale lips. Her gaze, a soft, deep brown, turned out to the wild field of bare and vine-wrapped trunks reaching up towards the gray sky. The frail tops swayed in the wind higher up. Down here, it was only a steady breeze. Natalia had woven her hair into a loose braid that morning that now laid like a dark rope over her should and hung by now nearly to her waist. Dark strands, a few shades lighter than Destiny's jet black hair, blew loose and about her face as she walked.

She looked over at Destiny a moment, then down at her feet. "Can you really?"

ShadowQueen wrote:

Stringbean wrote:

ShadowQueen wrote:The young woman walked silently behind her, after looking back one last time at the tree she'd been in. There was a single bird chirping somewhere above, but she couldn't see it. "What have you got so far?" she asked Natalia after a moment.

Natalia glanced over and opened the folded, circular mat made of reeds that she was carrying her gatherings in. A few of the earthy, potato-like tubers were lying caked with dirt in the crease. Natalia looked up with a small shrug and brushed some of the cold dirt from her similarly caked fingers.

"Right." Destiny nodded approvingly. She took a moment to breathe the forest air in deeply. The cold tang of the chill was accompanied with the earthy smell of fallen leaves and the soft scent of mushrooms. "I think there are morels around here," she said thoughtfully. "Maybe even some oyster mushrooms growing on a tree. I think that's what I'm smelling."

Stringbean wrote:

ShadowQueen wrote:

Stringbean wrote:Natalia folded her basket again quietly with a faint smile still resting on her pale lips. Her gaze, a soft, deep brown, turned out to the wild field of bare and vine-wrapped trunks reaching up towards the gray sky. The frail tops swayed in the wind higher up. Down here, it was only a steady breeze. Natalia had woven her hair into a loose braid that morning that now laid like a dark rope over her should and hung by now nearly to her waist. Dark strands, a few shades lighter than Destiny's jet black hair, blew loose and about her face as she walked.

She looked over at Destiny a moment, then down at her feet. "Can you really?"

Her daughter nodded. "Yeah, I think so." Her blue gaze traveled around, searching for any mushrooms that she might have been smelling. "I mean, I'm not a mycologist in any way, but I've been foraging for mushrooms a lot. Hen-of-the-woods are my favorite. They're really good in soups..." She shrugged. "Anyway, there might be some around here. I'm rather good at determining which ones are safe."

Natalia hardly ever cooked with mushrooms. They weren' something she was accustomed to, though she had been learning to be over their five years at Sanctum where everything that could be eaten became a precious commodity. What luttle she knew about mushroom hunting had come from listening to others in the village that could teach it. Though she doubted that was where Destiny had learned.

"Your father taught you?" she asked quietly as she looked over.

Stringbean wrote:

ShadowQueen wrote:

Stringbean wrote:
Natalia hardly ever cooked with mushrooms. They weren' something she was accustomed to, though she had been learning to be over their five years at Sanctum where everything that could be eaten became a precious commodity. What luttle she knew about mushroom hunting had come from listening to others in the village that could teach it. Though she doubted that was where Destiny had learned.

"Your father taught you?" she asked quietly as she looked over.

It took Destiny a moment to figure out which father Natalia meant. She nodded after a few seconds. "Yeah, he showed me a bit about foraging. In that time period between leaving my first home and arriving at Sanctum, it wasn't a skill I used much, because there wasn't any reason to. But it sort of came back to me during our time here."

She nodded thoughtfully. "It's helpful."

Stringbean wrote:

ShadowQueen wrote:

Stringbean wrote:
She nodded thoughtfully. "It's helpful."

"It is," Destiny said in agreement. "No one's ever died from any of the mushrooms I brought back." Although her voice was teasing when she said that, like it was a joke, it was indeed true.

Natalia looked over at Destiny and chuckled faintly. "No, I'm sure they haven't. You'll have to show me how to do it." She smiled to herself as she added, "Sinestra and her friend have tried, but..." Natalia glanced over briefly with a rye smile and a tiny shrug. The truth was, her mind hadn't been focused on mushrooms. It'd been hard to focus on anything, busy as she tried to stay, while Michael was gone.

ShadowQueen wrote:"Sure, I think I can teach you the basics." Destiny smiled back. "I might not be the best person to do it, but there's going to be something I know well enough to pass it on to someone."