Solo Lessons in Foraging

[Evalynn Frostfawn]

Spring 60, 522AV

The morning sun had barely risen above the sea as Eva had arrived at Turtle Cove. The area was tranquil and relaxing when she arrived, nearly calling her to stay longer. She was almost tempted to, but her mission to improve her skills trumped the desire to relax. Eva's brown eyes scanned over the area in search of a woman named Miranda, a local who was said to have pretty credible knowledge on foraging. It didn't take long for her to spot her teacher just off in the distance, enjoying some morning air and walking towards the water. A smile came to Eva and she started to approach the women while also calmly calling out to her.

"Excuse me Miss Miranda, I had heard you were skilled in foraging and was wondering if I may be taught by you? I also heard you know a fair bit about sea life, may I also partake in a few stories on them?" At this point, Miranda had turned to face Evalynn and put on an inquisitive look. She took in the request with thoughtful eyes before inviting Evalynn over towards the water. With a bit of hesitancy, she walked over, unsure of what was about to happen.

From the surface, Miranda looked like any other human, with long braids and chocolate skin. However, Eva felt like she was anything but human, and since she had never actually met face to face with her, she had nothing to go on to prove this feeling was right. But then again, Miranda was inviting her over to her waters, a complete stranger. That had to be something that made her gut feel strange, right?Either way, by the time Eva came over, she found herself flush with confusion and lowered herself into the water with her. The cool water flowing over her skin and through her clothes did help her cool off quite a bit, so she was thankful for that. Now her eyes watched and her ears listened as Miranda explained the proper way to forage.

"When in doubt, go without." She spoke, giving tips on how to be cautious, never touch a plant without being crystal clear on what it is. Some plants have deadly doubles, and without a clear understanding one could end up dead. "Several species of plants like to copy deadly ones to survive. Unless you have the skills to distinguish what it is, never attempt to touch or eat it."

The next topic is about knowing the land you are foraging on. Pay attention to what poisonous plants grow in the area and avoid trails mostly occupied by humans. Freshwater streams and off-trail areas tend to grow more of an abundance of items. Evalynn took in as much information as she could mentally before she asked if they could do more hands-on work. This allowed her to be able to absorb and retain the information better than just listening and having a higher chance of forgetting.

WC: 497

[Evalynn Frostfawn]

It took a bit more conversation from Miranda before the pair wandered off into the woods behind her home. She was told the hands on process was much easier, as all she had to do was hunt for items that Miranda told her to find. This time, she was foraging for food, a fruit to be exact, that was growing in a tree. It was called an avacado, something Eva had never heard of or tried before. It was supposed to be dark green and shaped like a pear and be growing on trees. Miranda led Eva over to an area that she had claimed to see a wild avacado tree growing and wanted Eva to collect some.

On the way there, Eva also learned about some other wild edibles that was along the ground floor. A flower who's sap is a painkiller and it's leaves can be used in a salad. Wild garlic is occasionally found near rivers under shaded areas, but not a coming sight. Many spices also thrive in tropical climates like these, but the list is extensive and would need to make time to leanr. She also learned of a good spot where bugs could be harvested for a source of protein. Evalynn looked horrified at the thought which caused Miranda to laugh.

"Yes child, eating bugs is one possibility of getting the required protein in your system." Though, no matter what this woman would say Eva hoped she would never be put into a situation where she would be forced to eat bugs. Just the thought of it made her stomach twist and turn, making a groan if discomfort escaped her lips. Miranda still found it amusing before they arrived in the area and turned to Eva with a smile. "This is the place, around this area is an avocado tree. Once again, the fruit of this tree has a rough, dark green skin and is shaped like a pear. It shouldn't be hard to miss."

With this information refreshed in her mind, Eva turned and took in the surroundings. Her eyes scanned every tree branch she could while her feet started to guide her forward. In her head, Eva would repeat what the avocado looked like until she found it. Her eyes strained and her hands started pulling and tugging on branches to get a better look. However, while her eyes stayed looking upward, she hardly paid attention to her feet as they got tangled into some underbrush and down she went. She tried catching herself by reaching out for some branches, but instead was met with hard ground and roots. She groaned a bit before coming up to her elbows and spotting something in front of her.

She gasped, a rotten and partially eaten avocado, her first sign that the tree was close! She came up to her knees and studied the fallen fruit and all that had happened to it. It looked blackish with barely any green to it, the half eaten part was browning and something was showing in the center, which piqued her interest. Without much of a second thought, Eva reached in and picked it out, gnoring the slimy feeling now coating her fingers. She held it out and turned it all around, spotting what seems to be a bit of green splitting out of it. Was this new growth? Evalynn stood and gently caressed the seedling in one hand as her eyes and free hand continued to look around for the tree in the proximity.

WC: 587

[Evalynn Frostfawn]

After another thirty minutes, Evalynn finally found what she was looking for. An avocado tree, blending into the thick green growth, yet presented itself with hardly any fruits on it. Filled with joy and relief to finally complete her task, she took note of the location of the tree and its features. It had glossy, oblong leaves that looked to be nearly a foot long. The branches seemed to be spreading wide, making the tree look shorter compared to it's neighbors. Eva smiled some and pushed her way through the branches to look for some fruit.

'Oh, there are still flowers on this tree. That's odd, if this tree is still flowering, how could it produce fruit?' Eva pondered this a bit before signing heavily and exiting the tree, still thinking. She wasn't going to be able to complete her task now if she encountered a tree still flowering. But somewhere around here, there was a tree with fruit one it, right? She had found an avocado on the ground and it didn't look like it was that far gone. Instead, she looked around the area again and found something else that she had completely missed beforehand. 'Are those some sort of berry??’

Eva walked over to it carefully and kneeled down, examining the bushlike tree. Sure enough, there were bright redish orange berries and looked like an off brand cherry. The branches of this bush was covered in feathery looking leaves, a bit different to the plants surrounding it. She grabbed a branch to pick a few berries and examined them closely in her hands. They were round, with and uneven coloring of red to green and some were even orange. She squeezed one to get a feel for it and found that it was firm to the touch.

Instead, Eva used her nails and pried one open, revealing a white flesh and a large seed. Raising a bursted berry to her nose and sniffed, not really getting much of a scent other than an acidic, fruity smell. It didn't cause her skin any irritation either, so she figured the berries wasn't harmful to eat. Already going against what Miranda had told her earlier, she took the seed out and slowly put one in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully, being greeted by a shockingly sour taste that caused her mouth to pucker some. The taste made Eva shiver some as she quickly spat out the fruit and heave out a sigh of relief. She eyed the rest of the berries in her hand before also pocketing them and standing.

"Take note of this plant too, never know when it will be useful." Eva took a mental note of the bush before also giving a bit of a groan. She needed to invest in a journal. All these notes was going to take a toll on her mind. Giving the area another look around, Eva figured this experience was already finished and made her way back to her teacher. She would at least show her that she had a seed from a rotten avocado and instead she had found some berries. Maybe that would be enough for a bit of praise.

WC: 535

[Cleon]

Grade Award!

Evalynn Frostfawn:

Skills:

Botany: 1
Foraging: 1
Observation: 3
Socialization: 1
WS (Jungle): 2

Lores:

Turtle Cove: Location & Appearance
Miranda: Appearance & Mannerisms
WS: Don’t eat unidentified plants
WS: Insects can be a potential food source
Foraging: Identifying an avocado
Botany: What an avocado seed looks like
Avocado tree: Physical appearance

Notes: I would avoid tasting unidentified berries in the future to avoid stomach cramps and nausea or worse. Otherwise thank you for taking the time to make the requested changes.

Feel free to pm me with questions or concerns about your grade, and don’t forget to edit your grade request!