Mushroom Hell

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

 

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

On one of their trading journey's, Epitaph and his sisters had met the Forgemaster. Thierry had been adamant that the job would be fun. After all, it'd been awhile since they'd done a group activity together and this was the first time since Sanctuary had joined the family.. So Epitaph went along with Witness, Shiloh, Thierry and Sanctuary to gather twenty mushrooms in exchange for gold.

Sanctuary had been quiet when Thierry had brought her home. She had barely had any meat on her bones and her bright eyes had been dim with pain and hunger. She had not told them anything beyond that she had fled her home and that she missed her father. They had not asked to know more, she would tell them if she wanted to. Thierry knew of course, because she had found Sanctuary and rescued her. Because Sanctuary and Thierry had fallen in love. He'd watched that tiny spark in her eyes be kindled until they glowed like a flame in her eyes. It wasn't that she was healed completely, but that some of the shadows had been chased from Sanctuary eyes. It was as though Thierry had somehow taken a lantern into those haunted chambers of Sanctuary's mind and heart, chasing away as much darkness as she could.

Epitaph poked around an old log while Witness' laughter rang out clear and bright around them. He found five large mushrooms, just right for a stew.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Witness practically danced through the dappled sunshine of the forest. Shiloh was twined around her leg, humming a tune as usual before she had slithered off. It was a marvelous fall day, just perfect to search for mushrooms. She could care less for the coins, there wasn't anything she really wanted--she had everything she needed. But they had discussed buying their mother Aella and wreath of roses.

The thought of flowers in her mother's hair made her heart leap with joy, it had taken a long time for their mother to learn to smile again. She knew the burden her mother had carried and what it had cost her so to see her joyful now made the world a different place. The light danced through the canopy of trees as her mind wandered and so did her feet. She poked through the folliage as she sat the basket. She dug softly into the earth at the bases of tree to find if there would be any truffles.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Shiloh slithered off through the leaves into the darker areas beneath the foliage. She would never blend into the dull forest colors, but on the ground she could scent where to go. Her tongue flicked as she moved deeper into the undergrowth finding a large, black truffle.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Thierry snuck into the bag and grabbed a mushroom to pop into her mouth. She winked devilishly at Sanctuary as they went to look in a more dark area- a deep dank cave. The place as filled with shadows. It was difficult to see at first, but her eyes adjusted to the light.

Near the back of the cave there were some lovely blue florescent mushrooms. Thierry had not seen them before but they were beautiful. In her typical fashion, she threw caution to the wind an grabbed up a few before Sanctuary could object.

They tasted rather acidic was the last thing she thought before she hit the floor.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

One moment she was talking to Thierry, watching the graceful way she moved. The next she was popping a mushroom into her mouth with reckless abandon. Down she went, faster than a stone and Sanctuary rolled her eyes.

She loved Thierry with all of her heart, but she could be dramatic and restless. Whatever prompted her to eat the mushrooms without checking to see if they were poisonous. She moved over and stood beside the one she loved. Sanctuary whispered sweetly to her, small nothings as Thierry's body stirred and drifted back up to wakefulness. In a few moments those bright blue eyes would glow up at her like stars shining in the night sky. She loved to watch her when she was just waking up, she had a smile that came from that hazy space between awake and asleep.

Sure enough, her eyes opened suddenly and her smile was like the sun.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

"Wasn't a good mushroom, was it?" Her smile was partly with laughter at herself. She blew the hair out of her face and stood up next to Sanctuary who quietly gave her a mushroom.

Thierry raised her eyebrows dramatically, "Are you sure this one is good?" Her grin was so wide it caused Sanctuary to giggle.

"You'll have to take a chance." She tossed her hair. "It could be poison most foul and I could be deceiving you. Will you take the risk?" She batted her eyes at Thierry.

"If it were poison, I'd drink it from your lips or you veins if you asked me too. I would pull the stars down from the heavens and make you a cloak of them, if you'd like."

"I would," Sanctuary nuzzled against Thierry as Thierry ate the offered mushroom.

"Let's stay awhile," Thierry murmmured into Sanctuary's hair. "Let's not ever leave this cave."

Sanctuary giggled.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Epitaph pushed through underbrush and brambles. The thorns tore at his skin, but he was too intent on the small little pocket of caves about six inches high. That is if you could call them caves instead of pockmarks in the stoney side of a mountain.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Witness shouted to Epitaph that he'd left something behind--his bag of mushrooms, which were now free of mushrooms. The rip in the fabric would have to be taken to one of the raccoons to sew it back together. Epitaph didn't seem to hear her though, so she took off stalking after him lisping his name until she caught his attention  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

(No mushrooms, therefore no one to eat them and pass out).

Shiloh moved in the tree limbs above, getting a breath of fresh air before wending her way back down to the ground. Witness had finally caught up with Epitaph and they were discussing how best to mend their pack for now.

Shiloh offered up a mixture of clay and water. It wasn't ideal, but it covered the small hall well enough for now. It wouldn't last long, but it should hold long enough  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Thierry's face was flushed as the found their way back out of the cave. Epitaph and Witness didn't seem to have missed them or else were just not going to comment on it. On the way over to where her siblings stood, Thierry kicked a dry log causing five large mushrooms to fall out.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Sanctuary gathered up the mushrooms that fell out and pushed them into a burlap sack she' brought. She then reached into the sack to pull out another sack. "I brought extras," she smiled lightly. It was still hard to speak around them but it was at least some easier. They never pushed or prodded. They never asked questions that would embarrass or upset her. They wanted her to come to them on her own, when she finally felt like they were family to her.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Epitaph sniffed delicately at the mushroom as though that would tell him something. There was only two choices, leave it alone or try it. Not wanting to suffer from jokes at his own self when his sisters would inevitably taunt him. It was much easier to just try it.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Witness watched Epitaph drop like a stone. "I guessth", she said. "Thosse aren't good." She tried to commit the image of the mushroom in her mind so she could describe it for mother later. She took the rest of the half-bitten mushroom and stuffed it into a secluded pocket of her bag. It'd be easier to show her mother than tell.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Thierry pocketed another mushroom and ate another as Witness frowned at her. "What? I tried one of those earlier, leaves a really bad taste in your mouth."

"Why didn't you tell him?" Witness asked.

"It's funnier this way?" Thierry laughed and Witness and Sanctuary joined in as Epitaph started to stir.