"What goes down, must come up"

[SandalwoodDream]

For many years the massive tree in Bramblewood stood unyielding against the harshest of winters, driest of springs, hottest of summers and windiest of autumns. With each passing year it grew more tall and thick until its' branches were so strong and so numerous that at one point the branches allowed no light nor leaves to fall to the ground. Catching the leaves from its' massive canopy until they piled up and mulched atop a large crisscrossing of thick gnarled branches ... eventually the mulch giving way to a topsoil that supported grass, moss and stalks of reed ... never mind the visiting adventuring folk that sought out this natural treehouse for comfort and a respite from the wilds below or perhaps the torrential rains above ....

... Moonyava had loved this tree ever since she had arrived in Cormyr ... it stood as a sentry for the Bramblewood and did not mind those that climbed it and talked loudly, fought beneath its boughs or simply slept on its bed of moss ... it had seen bloodshed and joy, love and hatred ... but all the while it stood stolid and comforted those that sought it out and could just as easily be dismissed for those that didn't ... it didn't mind but it was there ... constant in a world or seeming inconsistencies ...

... to give back Moonyava decided to help give even more life to the tree. As a novice herbalist she knew enough about planting that the soil atop the tree was more than fertile for the simple herbs that she used to create her healing salves ... planting them there would give more root to the treehouse floor and a salvation for would be injured adventurers in the area .. smiling she walked to the local garden and picked a few of the mature healing herbal flowers, fungi and plant ...careful to handle them as she placed them in her rucksack ... so to ensure the safe transport of their precious seed ...



.. bringing the seeds with her she climbed the vine rope to the treehouse floor and from there sought out a plot that would work the best for the herb considering the sun, shadows, canopy coverage and soil depth ... and ofcourse ... the view ...



... for half hour she dug holes and mounded dirt ...



... laid the seed and covered them ...



... wiping her brow, soil smeared across her forehead, she stepped back and smiled ... in time these seeds would grow to help others ... her time was well spent ... kneeling she whispered a prayer to Sheela Peryroyl ... to bless the ground upon which the seeds lay ...



... to bless that which will come up to eventually heal those that walk below the ancient tree ... with help from a certain blonde haired, grey eyed hin ....

[SandalwoodDream]

The seedlings had not yet burst through the soil to greet the sun. Moonyava had periodically checked on the fragile mounds that swayed high above the Bramblewoods. Little rain had dried the mounds and she did her best to quench their thirst by carrying skins of water to the garden each time she visited ...

One particular visit she found that the mounds had dried considerably. Cursing lightly in hinnish, having not brought the life giving water, she tended the earth around them to secure what moisture yet still remained in the seedlings' earthen cocoons and then set to establishing a small meditation area at the head of the garden, to calm her mind and at the same time attempt a focused blessing on the young garden.

... laying out her herbal book she then placed a nondescript maple incense holder on top of it, for stability, and placed a small stick of incense in the holder. Taking out a small tinderbox she quickly sparked the stick which gave off a heady smoke of musk and sweet amber with just a hint of vanilla. Placing the tinderbox aside the small hin sat cross-legged, palms lightly on her knees and breathed deeply, eyes closed .... soon her shoulders slumped and her breathing became shallow but regular ....

... minutes passed and her mind cleared ... she was thinking of nothing and yet everything ... it was at this point that the wind shifted ever so gently and with it a subtle misty rain fell that darkened the dry soil and fed that which lay below the serene druidess ...

[SandalwoodDream]

Over the last week Moonyava's small hands had tended both field and body. She stepped off the caravan in Great Gaunt exhausted and rubbing her backside, really wishing that someone would fix that bad wheel.
Looking up the road to toward the Regal Griffon Inn is when she spotted the purple flowing dress, well managed blonde hair and beaming smile ...

"The theatre opening!", she exhaled with sudden panic as she looked down at her dirt filled finger nails and grimy skin ... sniffing her armpit she wrinkled her button nose ...

... a little panicked she had no choice but seek out Valera's opinion on how to properly prepare for such a formal event that was but a few days away ... and so she made her way up to the entrance of the Inn ...

... with a small smile Valera agreed to look at her dress which Kale had so graciously held for the little hin in the Inn with its own hanger behind the bar ... excited Moonyava entered the inn with Valera trailing and ran upstairs to try it on ...

... twirling about the common area of the Inn the lofty appraisal of Valera was critical. Though she loved the dress and agreed that it fit her perfectly her concern lay with a few of the finer details which included, but weren't restricted to, bathing, cleaning of nails, covering up the wood smoky smell, keeping her hair in place, working on her walk, finding sandals (falling twice by catching a snarl in the rug with her heeled shoes and ending up in a heap amongst the pillows and cushions prompted this suggestion), the way she sat (in this case sitting on a floor cushion, elbows on your knees with your legs bent toward your chest or flat out stretched, in a dress, is just not acceptable ) and putting eye shadow and rouge on her face ... BUT she had hopes that she would become a lady yet ...

Now, Moonyava never thought of becoming a lady, being a self reliant woman was one thing a lady 'lady' was quite the other ... however, if her druidic teaching of the Watchful Mother taught her anything it was to meld the civil with the wild and so she would ...



... and as the noble woman and rustic hin talked late into the evening it became readily apparent ,to both, that for all their differences they weren't so different after all ... and somewhere a pretty little hin woman with a daisy in her hair looked upon the scene with a satisfied and knowing smile ....

[SandalwoodDream]

With the opening of the Theater in Arabel done and Shieldmeet nearly to it's final day, Moonyava took some time to check on her Treehouse Garden...

... once atop the cliff she checked on the small mounds of earth she had looked upon for weeks to help flourish into an herbal garden ...



... they were gone ... all gone!

... rushing to the plot of earth she had labored countless hours upon she was faced with nothing but soil .. seemingly untouched by any hands at all ... dropping to her knees she thrust her staff and hand to the sky pleading with The Watchful Mother to grant her an answer .. asked her why her toil was swallowed up and produced nothing but dirt ... why ....



... minutes passes and nothing but the subtle rustling of the canopy high above was heard ...

... vexed the druidess stood and set her staff aside ... clasping her hands before her she breathed in deeply ... closing her eyes she exhaled slowly ... repeating the breathing techniques taught to her by Ur'bae ... her mind settled ... her shoulders light ...

... for nearly a half an hour the halfing woman meditated on her labor ... what went wrong .. what could have been done ... thoughts mixed with emotion until her mind went blank ... her thoughts were of nothing ...

... then ... as if in a dream her minds' eye opened to the forest ... the animals .. the streams and swamp ... the sounds of countless insects ... her eyes flashed open and without a thought her hands moved in a spherical fashion and a ball of pure light ebbed within the outlined tracing of her hands ...



... brighter the light shone as the very ground shifted in time with the lights ebbing nearly knocking the small druidess to her knees, but her footing was sure and her will steadfast, as the very roots of the surrounding trees burst forth ... the light ever brigher ...



... brighter ... the roots danced around the halfing woman ... crisscrossing at her feet as the canopy above shook with new life .. branches sprung forth from old growth ... the weight of the leaves bending some of the smaller trees toward the druidess .. dead leaves scattering around her ... the very forest around her pulsating ..



... enveloped in light she screamed out and with a flash of otherworldly light her small frame collapsed to the earth ...



... unmoving she lay there ...
... the wind calmed and the ground ceased to move ... the smell of freshly dug earth hung thick in the air ...

... where Moonyava had once planted her herbal seeds a small seedling was breaking ground protected from the elements by the now thicker canopy of trees around it ...



... and so to did those newly formed leaves of Bramblewood protect their exhausted maker as she remained asleep and unaware of what had occurred ...
... on through the night ...

[SandalwoodDream]

The dreams started suddenly...

... a vivid haze of dreams that drifted through the young druidess' mind once or twice a week ...

... animal faces ...
... in dark scenarios ...



... nauseating twists of the mind ...



... visual glimpses of shades of the past ...
... or perhaps the future ...



... the faces were always different ... the places familiar and yet somehow far reaching ...

... but the end was always the same ...

_________________________________________


... moss covered her face ... the tendrils of weeds and roots enveloped her body ...
... pulling her deeper ...



... gasping she struggled ...
... the more she struggled the more she sank into the earth until there was nothing but her head above the ground ...

... then ...

... as if a hand pushes her from the cold earth her body is standing .. leaning back against the invisible hand until there's a bright flash ... brighter then a thousand suns ...

... flashing brighter ... and brighter still ...
... until she stands ...
... alone ...
... surrounded by a thick shimmering of green and her head wrapped in a white afterglow ...



... it's then she wakes with a sudden start ... calling out words she doesn't understand ...

... left with nothing but a sweeping feeling of calm and serenity ...

... masking a deeper feeling ...

... of dread ....

[SandalwoodDream]

Moonyava watched as the Staff of Healing that was entrusted to her by Kori Asen after her participation in the Immersea Shieldmeet turn to dust ...
... the rust monster wrapped its corrosive antennae around the staffs' metal base ... the light of divine energy instantly snuffed out and all that remained was an oaken piece of mundane wood ... she looked wide eyed at the wood clutched in her hands even as her trusted dire wolf companion, Ceta, finally bit down on the monster to then, in turn, snuff outs its very existence .... but not before the damage was done ...

... days passed and Moonyava mourned her loss ... her faith in herself faltered and her mind weakened ... for to hold such an artifact in ones possession was an honor, and a gift, from the gods themselves through actions preordained .. but she had failed ....

... wallowing in her thoughts she dyed her clothing to a charcoal black to show her mourning ... her feelings reflected in the darkness ... her nightmares became worse, she continued to isolate herself from towns and people ... and sleep ... evasive ...

... one morning ... sleepless and exhausted she called upon help from her goddess ... to give her a sign that somehow she did not fail ... that this too was just circumstance ...
... she received no answer ...



... defeated she rested her head heavily that same night in the soft moss of the Treehouse in Bramblewood ... the creatures of the night silent ... the darkness enveloped her in its warm caress as she drifted off to sleep ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

... she opened her eyes and stood ... before her was blackness and around her a cavernous expanse dimly lit from an unseen source ...
... as her eyes grew accustom to the dim lighting a feeling of comfort washed over her ... she forgot her loss and she forgot her pain ... and for the first time in a week she smiled even as the darkness crept toward her ... the warm ... delicate ... safe ... darkness ...



... it was then that she, for the first time, heard the soft voice of the woman ... like a melody it caressed her thoughts ...

"Everything will be okay my dear, this will make you stronger ... the staff was just that ... a staff ... a tool... you are bigger than just a tool of nothing more than wood and weak metal ... the power in you is strong and you can prove it to yourself ... and to others ... I will help you in this ... I will show you true power and how to harness it ... greater than a hundred of those staffs ... people will answer to you then my dear ... no more having to answer to anyone ... about what you did ... your actions justified ... I will set your mind free ... if you will listen ...."


...and so she listened ...

... and so she obeyed ...

[SandalwoodDream]

As the fire popped to life and the still, damp, air of the cave was driven away by the hot flames, Moonyava settled into a lotus position on a thin layer of moss ... resting her hands lightly on each knee she closed her eyes ... her breathing became steady and eventually her shoulders fell limp ...

... her minds' eye snapped open ... the fleeting words of Malvesa, the centaur Greenspeaker that helped raise her, reverberated through her spiritual consciousness ...

"... your great strength of faith, if left untrained, will be your ultimate undoing little one ... protect it as you would a thinly glassed bauble ..."

... before her was darkness and cold ... the very forest below and around her was void of life ... she stood upon a small bluff overlooking a small winding path and low hanging branches of willows, thick with sickly moss which dripped upon the diseased ground that bubbled and moved with each dribble ...



... this was not it ... this was not her ...

~~~~~~~

... consciousness suddenly sparked in the deep recesses of the druidess's mind and the cold and putrid air filled scene that threatened to suffocate her flickered ... and changed ....
... she was high above a town ... Great Gaunt ... Bentin wandered his patrol as Waric watched on with a smirk ... a warmth washed over her as she slowly drifted around the perimeter of the small village ...



... eventually spiraling up ...

... ever higher into the clouds until all was white ...
... warmth, release and comfort were her only senses for many moments ... perhaps hours, until the clouds parted before her and the green of woodlands greeted her with shades of brown and green ... the creatures went about their business unaware of her ethereal passage ...



... the sweet smell of a freshly fallen rain swirled around her as she rose above the canopies of many a tree ... the colors mingled and mixed ... a visual dance for her heightened senses ... a dance that continued until the leaves and undergrowth, the trees and the animals manifested into a furry of scenes that erupted into a blinding light ...

~~~~~~

... the cave and fire, the wood smoke and drips of stalactites somewhere in the distance rose to greet the druidess as she slowly opened her eyes ... her legs had fallen asleep ...
... time was uncertain ...
... but one thing was for certain ...



... she was home ...
... her mind ...
... her own.

[SandalwoodDream]

*OOC: This post is in special dedication to the builder(s) that have recently recreated Bramblewood and at the time of this post I'm sure have brought smiles to many a player ... THANK YOU!

... and so the weeks passed ...



... the young druidess had finally found comfort in her own skin ...
... hours of mediation, cleansing bathes in the free flowing water of many a stream and deep stretching reconnected her mind and body ...
... her soul was at last uplifted from the inner trial of faith and will that was manifested within her in the form of a tendril of Shar which had founds its way into her psyche in the old ruined tower of Valkur's Roar ... its' invasion finally cast away by Ur'bae Krows and Lathander's light ...



... it was during the end of one of her mediations that her mind recalled the garden high atop the treehouse in Bramblewood that she had put in countless hours to create and maintain ...
... her button nose wrinkled at the thought of the overgrown and dead ground that she had witnessed the last time she was there ... perhaps two months prior ...
... as she rolled up her reed mat and adjusted the strap upon her well worn rucksack she made way to a long overdue visit ...
... determined to make things right ....

~~~~~~~~

... as she crested the lip of earthen topsoil that made up the Treehouse base her senses were greeted with a magnificent sight ... her eyes welling small tears or joy as before her the weeds and overgrowth that she remembered were now part of a new birth of rich, fertile, soil ... full of insects and worms ... a spot even Nersha would be proud to call home ...
... dragonflies and butterflies hovered among the low lying shrubs and earthen mounds that she had planted so many months ago ... mounds that now were full of life ... the seedlings had taken root and now were fully mature healing plants of nearly every ilk ...



... she stayed for hours ...
... overjoyed she searched, weeded, made notes in her journal and took in what to her was seemingly a miracle ...

... finally ...
... surrounded by many clippings of herbs, her journal nearly bursting with fresh pressings and her hands earthen brown with soil Moonyava sat back with a smile as the sun's last rays shimmered far in the distance ... casting long shadows around her ...



... perhaps this wasn't a miracle at all ...
... perhaps all that was needed, really, she surmised, was some faith ... sometimes the labor, tears, desire and dedication isn't enough without a drop of faith ...
... true faith ... in oneself ...
... she looked at her deeply soiled long fingered hands and turned them over and over ...
... hers was certainly restored ...

[SandalwoodDream]

Moonyava slowly poured the fresh water from the swimming hole over her body with cupped hands ... a refreshed gasp escaping her lips as goosebumps peppered her skin....



... not a few days prior ... herself, Mystogen, Freya and Boris had come here and swam under the moonlight and it was much ... much warmer ...
... must finally be that change of season where the days are so short that the sun hasn't enough time to warm the earth ... she surmised, as she ran her long fingered hands through her thick matted dreadlocks ... twisting each in turn, making sure they are properly wetted and thusly clean ...
**
... if only she knew where the place to swim was that she could go that was forever warm as the season grew colder ... recalling Boris' call to action, that night with the others, in finding an elusive hot springs somewhere in the Storm Horns ...
... a place, they say, where the waters are heated by the deep fires of the Hells themselves but one can bath even in the most bitter of winters without scalding ... a prospect all agreed would be worth the effort for searching ...
**
... a smile on her face she bent at the waist and did one final dip of her hair in the pond before whipping her head back creating a sparkling arc of water into the air ...
... shimmering in the moonlight for but a moment ...
... before cascading in droplets back to whence it came ...
**
... moments later her small form waded out onto the chill grassy banks to be warmed by both a thick woolen blanket partnered with the residual thoughts of that warm hot springs that was sure to be out there ...
...somewhere ...

[SandalwoodDream]

Moonyava had always been close to Brandioc due in part to their connection with their goddesses, and subsequent belief system, and part due to their similar interest.
The latter being corporeal meditation ...
... to an outsider looking on it would seem that this form of 'meditation' was simply a series of 'contortions of limbs and heavy breathing', as it was described by a certain dwarf, when in reality it's a lifestyle ...
... a lifestyle that on more than several occasions was something the hin women participated with in the Burrow when the business was slow ... to the surprise of some of the customers that did happen to wander in ...

~~~~~~

... on portable woven reed mats the women would stretch out their upper bodies through a series of slow, deliberate, movements that increases flexibility while increasing blood flow ...
... followed by some lower body and leg stretches that increased core strength and stamina ...
... lastly they would sit in contemplation in a lotus style position, breathing in lit incense, palms on their knees and eyes closed ...
...calming the mind and opening the senses ...



... after one such session the women discussed how more should do this ... how perhaps this could increase magi spell casting or a warriors movements with blade or axe ... both women in agreement that their daily corporeal meditations helped immensely with their healing ability ... especially in the field ...

... and so days went by and they met in the Burrow on several occasions and decided that a Retreat of sorts be offered to the public for awareness, not only in corporeal meditation but also some herbology and cooking to bring education about natural, more holistic ways to heal in both prevention and aid respectively ...

... a very talented artist and scribe, and with Moonyava's close input, Brandioc created a couple postings to leave around town and Moonyava worked with Regriappi to take messages for anyone interested in the Retreat ...

~~~~~~

... finished Brandioc hands the posting over to Moonyava on a particularly raining evening at the Burrow ... reading it a cheek popping smile seemingly covered her entire face before handing it back ...



"Thank you so much", is all she could say as she squeezed Brandioc in a hug, careful not to crush the posting, tears of happiness welling in her eyes ....
... excited for the chance to share something she feels deeply about with others ...
... a chance to make a difference ...
... even if for just one person ...

[SandalwoodDream]

... the smell of death and brimstone hung heavy in the late night air ...
... returning from Suzail after several restless nights and exhausted prayers the young druidess made her way back to the ravaged town where the red dragon and its' hellish minions had swarmed and killed many from the ground, air and even undeath ...
... cries of pain, battle, and victory of those patrolling the soot covered streets mixed with commands from the soldiers that lined the battlements over looking the scene beyond the walls ...
... many of the militia men and women hailing from Suzail or various organized and relient mercenary groups filling in till a full regiment could finally take hold in the hollow corpse of the farming village ...
....offering to help clean up the remnants of the creature forces that seemed to now almost rise up from the ashes from whence they fell within the blockaded town proper ...

~~~~~~
... accompanied by her dire wolf Ceta the pair got to work helping with some of the scattered injured in the makeshift healing tents outside of the town walls ... filling in to give the clerics a respite ...
... a chance to at least wash the blood of the injured from their hands ...



... as the shadows grew longer Moonyava and Ceta traded healing for labor joining in with the few farmers that still held vested interest in overlooking the now misplaced animals ...
... helping to scavenge what they could from the burnt buildings throughout the towns' outskirts to help with the repair of the damaged fencing ...
... once secure and strong enough they got to work searching for some of the scattered livestock that riddled the lands around the town and roadways as the howls of predators reminded them of the lack of time they had to save what they could before nature fully took its course and none of the domesticated beasts could be saved ...



... hours passed and the two were able to herd more than a dozen cattle and a handful of horses from the forests and road ways around the hill top town ... many of them were injured or dehydrated ... or both ... diligently they worked to replenish water troughs and apply healing both herbal and divine ....



... and so as the night wore on ... the darkness ebbed and the light crept over the horizon ...
... the small druidess looked up squinting and greeted it with bloodshot eyes, blood smeared face and dirt ridden hands ...
... looking to her canine companion she gave a knowing smile and nod ...
... they had to continue ... to persevere ...
... though her hands shook they still had life coursing through them ...
... their efforts ...as exhausting as they may be were for the lost and those still within the town walls fighting for their lives and freedom ...
... it was their Journey ...
... their purpose ...

[SandalwoodDream]

During the season of Greengrass the Green Children of Sheela Peryroyl, or The Watchful Mother or The Green Sister, as she is known to some, celebrate and commune with the natural world to usher in the rebirth of the gardens, the healing rains that wipe away the cold and snow and get to experience the newness of the bear cub or the deer fawn as they pad along the dry leaves under the canopy of the tall spruce and birch for the very first time ...
... Moonyava Underthistle was no exception ...



... taking time away from the civil, for over two weeks, the druidess stayed within the boundless wilds of the land and slept under the stars, or under a thick, protective canopy of spruce depending on the weather ...

... her minimalistic eating of legumes, herbs, edible flowers and berries, of all varieties, left the vegan, and naturally lithe halfing, even more lean ...
... her face slightly sunken and body physically weakened ...
... however, her deep connection made with nature through extensive meditation left her mind stronger, more aware, and sharpened ...
... allowing her overcome the dietary rigors with relative ease ...



... furthermore, her Retreat was done as natural as possible which included no weapons or armor of any kind ... reliant solely on her summons and her lifelong companion Ceta for defense since only the most basic of spells were offered by her goddess during this time of natural attrition of the physical and divine to increase mental and spiritual resolve of the earth ...



... and so many nights and days did the loyal Dire wolf and summoned Elder Treant watch over the druidess as she prayed, meditated, slept and foraged for Greengrass, for rebirth, for her goddess ...

... and for a deeper, more meaningful understanding of nature ...
... and thus, in the end ...

... herself ...

[SandalwoodDream]

... and so the druidess revisited The Bramble Wood Garden ... the place where it had all started ...
... now the place where she would gather her strength of Nature ...
... her growing power forcing her to awareness ...
... her eyes unable to close any longer to the decay, rot and death that has pervaded the Earth throughout Cormyr and has sickened minds of men ...
... her purpose was set forth a few years ago and now the Path has shown itself ...
... a Path not physically walked ...
... a Path manifested from within ...

... and so it will be done ...

... in the name of the Sacred ...

* * * * *

Parade of Sparks

Honor the Sacred.

Honor the Earth, our Mother.
Honor the Fire, the kindling to our Soul.
Honor the Rain, the beaded kiss of Grace.
Honor the Air, the Spirit of Life that makes us whole ...
Honor all with whom we share the Earth ...

Honor the Sacred.




Walk in balance and beauty ....

[SandalwoodDream]

... and so a day passed and the Mystic Hierophant of the Watchful Mother steeled herself through meditation , prayer and a series of intense stretches to focus the mind and strengthen the body ...

... having gathered her scant belongings, on the day following her physical an meditative reflections, she donned her fur lined hood and raised her hand murmuring a short summoning spell drawing forth from the ether a greater air elemental ...
... with but a whisper of breeze the elemental nodded in acknowledgment of its summoner ...



"Friend, I need you to deliver a message to Taran, Grand Druid of Silvanus ... do you know of him?", with a gust of wind, that rolled the small framed Moonyava back slightly on her heels, it once again nodded ...

"I know it is unlike your kind to speak on this plane but it is my ask please to let him know that I am to leave the Circle and journey forth on my own as it has been ordained from my goddess ... I will not taint the Circle's good standing should my decided actions draw undo attention ... for this would weigh heavy on my mind ... please tell him that I will continue counsel with him and uphold the virtue of the natural world ... but my way must be my own ...
and please, if you would, give him this ... perhaps ... in time I will collect it once again for it has served me well and now perhaps will do the same for another ...", with that she presented the elemental a single Blackthorn Leaf ...

... gathering the leaf in its hand of air it was sucked safely into the vortex of wind that would be its arm ...

... hollow eyes turning to the Hierophant it spoke five words in a voice that was like a long soft sigh before drifting away on its mission ...

... "So it shall be done ...."


"So it shall", she echoed before leaving the Bramble Wood Garden ....

.... "So it shall" ....

[SandalwoodDream]

Unable to attend the meetings and subsequent missions that the Cormyr Circle undertakes, do in part to her own personal and divine pursuits, Moonyava had still stayed in close contact with the Arch-druid Taran and offered her help in any method she was able ... her eyes of nature spreading far and wide ... her influence rippling through the rooted earth with just a murmur of divinity and gentle touch ....



... never though would the Hierophant ever forget the importance of the small things ... the simple things that make all the difference ...
... weeding the gardens ...
... calling upon the sky to impregnate the flora so it can birth herbs of healing, nourishment and comfort ...



... on one particular day she ventured to the treehouse ... drawn to it as she passed the undisclosed base location ... spotting a disturbance in the topsoil not made by any wild animal ...
... curious she easily shimmed up a rope to the canopy above ...
... smiling broadly she saw that all was flourishing ... the plants in her garden fully mature and picked clean of its herbal leaves and buds
... free of weeds ...
... the mossy bed flattened ...



... nearly a year ago this garden had been her chore ... her effort ... her challenge ... and here it was being fully utilized ...
... the little things ... planting a seed ... tending a sapling phase and careful to make sure that weeds didn't hinder or stunt growth of a runt rooter ...
... all worth it ... not for herself ...
... others ...

~~~~ * ~~~~

... and so there she would sit cross-legged, palms resting lightly on her knees, and simply breath in satisfied reflection until the shadows grew long ...
... knowing in time someone else would come along and be able to use this small haven and be free of weather, be nourished by plants and sleep well in a bedding of moss ...

... Even if she may be there less ...
... Nature would carry on and provide as long as others tend to its simple requests ...