《《蛮族之花》 Flower of Wilderness》Yina_bubbles

5、第 5 章 Poiso

　　The mountains were colder than usual that morning. A thin mist clung to the trees, turning the distant slopes into pale shadows beneath the gray sky. Suyuan pulled her cloak tighter around herself as she followed the narrow mountain path. Ayao walked behind her, carrying two empty sacks and a basket .” Miss , are you sure that we need to come this far?” Suyuan glanced toward the deeper part of the forest “ Yes, there are herbs here that don’t grow near the palace” . Ayao frowned and they continued their journey. Suyuan smiled slightly , she had come to the mountains many times over the years. She knew where to find edible roots, wild veggies , mushrooms and some herbs. But today she was searching for something else.

　　After walking nearly an hour, Suyuan finally stopped beside a rocky slope. Hidden beneath several plants with dark green stems and tiny purple flowers, her eyes narrowed. Ayao leaned closer , “ what is it?” “ A poisonous herb.” Ayao immediately stepped backward, Suyuan carefully put on a pair of thin gloves. She dug around the roots with a small knife, carefully removing the plant from the soil. Ayao nervously asked “ why would you want something poisonous?”. Suyuan smiled and replied “ because poison is like medicine, everything depends on the amount” . She tied the pouch shut “ A little can save a life and too much can take one”

　　Ayao looked at the little pouch as though it might bite her , “then I definitely won’t touch it”. Suyuan laughed softly, and they continued deeper into the mountains. By noon, their basket filled with wild vegetables, edible roots, mushrooms, medical herbs and several small animals. They also gathered as much dry wood they could carry. The work was exhausting , the two girls had to make several trips between the forest and the lower mountain path. By the time they were ready to return, neither of them had much strength left. Ayao carried the heavier sack across her back while Suyuan carried the basket of herbs and bundle of firewood. The weight makes her steps slower. The journey down the mountain took much longer than the journey up as the path was steep and the weight they carried make every step difficult.

　　By the time they reached the edge of the forest , the sun had already begun to descend . They gathered themselves and continued to walk toward the palace. Suyuan's fingers briefly touched the pouch she hid and her expression became unreadable. Suyan had learned long ago that surviving in the wilderness required knowing which plants could heal and which could kill.

　　When they reached the Orchid Courtyard , darkness had begun to settle over the palace. The firewood was stacked beneath the eaves, food was stored carefully and herbs were washed and hung to dry. It had taken the two girls nearly the entire day to gather the supplies for the upcoming winter.Suyuan looked at the main hall, her mother was still inside, she quietly touched the pouch hidden beneath her clothes . Then she looked at the darkening sky, the winter is coming. And somehow she , Suyuan, had the strange feeling that this winter would be colder than any before it.