Submission (#1324) Approved

Shizume wandered through the swampy marshlands of Enmir, not quite knowing where to start. It was the time of Harvest in Faerindell, and many others were pitching in gathering food for the feast. Though she herself was still a kittom and quite small, she wanted to lend a paw too where she could.

That said…

Looking around, she heaved a sigh. It wasn’t just herself that was too small. Everything around her was just too BIG. The mossy gnarled trees of the swamp were just much too tall, their roots easily dwarfing her in size as they twisted there and about through the muddy ground. Thick vines draped the branches above, most out of reach but some reaching low enough to brush the top of her head.

She swatted a stray vine away, grimacing at the unpleasant texture of slime and moisture it left on her head. It was so damp and humid and her fur was sticking to her in the most uncomfortable way. The sooner she found something to bring back, the sooner she could leave this place.

Struggling to climb over a tree root, she kicked her little legs, quietly cursing for the fact she had inherited her parent’s munchkin gene, and huffed as she managed to pull herself on top of it. Phew. Ok…

Tilting her head, she surveyed her surroundings. Where… should she start? It didn’t seem like the swamps would have much edible vegetation, but she refused to return empty-handed. Sitting down, she crossed her paws as she closed her eyes to think. There were villages and towns spread out through the region of Enmir, so that meant there were others living here. That also meant they had some means of procuring edibles within the swamp itself, since it seemed unlikely (and also ridiculously costly) that they’d have to outsource the majority of their food.

Opening her eyes, she sighed and placed a paw on her cheek. Now the question was, WHERE would she find said food? She could try locating one of the residential areas and asking the local where to find food, but that seemed like it’d take more time having to track down a village. On the other hand, it could save her time wandering about aimlessly as she clearly had no idea where to even start looking. What to do…

A loud caw broke her out of her thoughts, and she looked up, startled.

In the sky, a raven flew overhead, letting out another caw as it soared through the sky. Its call seemed to invoke other responses, as she heard chittering and a scuttling of small paws, even smaller than her own.

Of course! She could follow the wildlife here to figure out where to find food! After all, the fauna and flora here co-existed in harmony, so what better guide than the animals themselves? 

With newfound resolve, she got to her feet, a determined look on her face. This wasn’t the time to dawdle about. She was going to find food and bring it back to Faerindell, and they would have a great feast! 

Perking her ears, she did her best to listen to where the animals were. The cawing of the ravens still rang through the air, followed with pitter-patter of feet against the ground. Squirrels? 

Oh! Squirrels were good at stashing food away, right? Maybe they’d lead her to where she could find some!

Excited, she raced off towards the sound, her tiny feet pushing off the ground as quickly as it could. Soon, she found herself at the base of a large tree, the scurrying sounds seeming to grow distant. Had they heard her and ran away?

Still, she was sure this was where they were just a moment ago. Closing her eyes, she lifted her head and sniffed the air. It smelled sweet, yet nutty, and it seemed to be coming from…

Moving closer to the tree, Shizume pawed at the ground. It didn’t take long to reveal a hastily-covered hole, and in it, was what looked like several nuts and berries. Reaching in, she picked up one of the berries and popped them into her mouth. Immediately, a burst of sweet yet tangy flavour burst forth, and she let out a delighted squeal as she cupped her cheeks with her paws. So tasty!

Looking around, it seemed the critters hadn’t returned. She felt a little guilty taking from their stash, but they were more familiar with the swamp than her, so maybe it’d be ok?

Telling herself this, she reached in and pulled out a small stash of nuts and berries, and tugged the bag over her shoulder off. Plopping the bag on the ground, she began to fill it, wondering what would be a good amount. She wanted to bring enough for the harvest, but also wanted to make sure she at least left a few behind for the squirrels.

In the end, she ended up taking about half the stash, which meant her bag still had room to be filled. Steeling herself to say that this was enough and resisting the urge to empty her bag further out of guilt, she walked away, apologizing under her breath for stealing. Perhaps if she managed to come across where they had found the nuts and berries, she could replenish their stash while having enough to bring back herself. Yup, this would work. Then she could alleviate her guilt.

Deciding that she’d do this instead, she emptied her bag, filling the hole back up and re-covered it. Patting the ground, she sighed. This meant she would have to work harder, but at least her conscience was clear. Even if it was from critters, she didn’t want to be branded a thief.

And so she continued her journey, searching high and low for something to bring back. She sniffed the air, trying to remember the scent of the nuts and berries. It was hard because the swamp was filled with miscellaneous smells, some less pleasant than others.

Scrunching up her nose at a particularly foul smell, she stuck her tongue out, and immediately regretted it. The taste lingered in her mouth, and she grimaced. No, focus! Find food! 

Doubling down on her efforts, she raced through the swamp, eyes darting back and forth as she tried to locate anything edible. After much wandering, she finally came across a bush with similar berries, grinning happily as she filled her stash with as many as she could. 

Not long after, she managed to find the nuts as well, some scattered about on the ground. There were some higher up in the trees, but she decided that it wasn’t worth the effort attempting to get them.

With some luck, she came across an alligator, seeming to munch on… apples? She had heard stories of a type of fruit that grew in the swamp, often dubbed “swamp apple”, and that even gators enjoyed this type of fruit. It made her wonder what it tasted like. Meaty?

Curious, she picked one and took a bite into it, and her eyes widened. It was… sweet. Not much different than a regular apple, but still had a slightly different taste.

Deciding that she should bring some back, Shizume filled her sack with some. This seemed like a decent haul for now, and so she set off to bring the fruits of her labour back.