Scarlet Amongst the Soot

This was not Meika’s first time within the once-forsaken forest, and it definitely will not be her last as long as she resides within Kumogakure. Many villagers within Kumogakure gossip about the remnant forest and how it came to be, some still find the woodland to be spooky or even some call it cursed.

But to Meika, it is mysterious~

The lass was able to find any reason for curiosity, even in the worst of times or situations. The concept that curiosity killed the cat really lived up to its name when it came to her. More likely the thing that would end her, would be her careless curiosity.

A soft breeze caught at the edge of her jacket as the kunoichi ventured towards the mysterious forest. An apple within her hand as she nibbled on its contents. So far the weather was nicer than usual, which made Meika grateful. There was still a crisp air to the atmosphere, a wee bit of cold, but it wasn't unbearable nonetheless.

The day before, Meika was having trouble on deciding whether she should participate in another assignment, or do some conditioning. Another letter at the door decided for her.

The contents of the parchment described that the charred forest was beginning to recover some of its forage and that the era of its healing was starting to progress. Which was indeed very good.

For a second, Meika recalled something she had witnessed within the forest, a season or two back. It was a mysterious discovery that she hoped to come across again, but there was no promise that she would this time.

Back to the mission. .

The instructions in the letter were for Meika to venture to the forest in search of a flower, with vivid scarlet petals. Its vibrant beauty matches the very conditions it requires to grow in. The hot aftermath of when the plague was set ablaze. Meika was told that the flowers tended to clutter around the bodies of charred tree trunks and that the process of collecting them was difficult and strict. Their roots were the most fragile, and the most valuable part of the plant, and needed to be uprooted with the most, absolute care.

Why would one go through the trouble of gathering these flowers? Because the roots held potent medical properties that were eagerly sought for.

~

Meika allowed her gaze to scan the forest as she arrived on the outskirts of its remains. She could see some of the fauna trying to peak from all the ash and char, of course, only specific plants will be able to avoid being smothered and choked by the remnants. This shouldn’t take long, just some simple flower picking in a forest of grey. Trying to identify a flower with that sort of description should prove to be an easy task, amongst the absence of color within the forest.

“It’s interesting how easy-going these missions have become. .” Meika remarked to herself, with a hint of disappointment. Missions like these would quickly result in boredom for the troublemaker. She desired a bit of excitement every now and then, something to keep those senses tingling with thrill.

As she moved along the forest floor, some of the ash would stir up and cling to her clothing. The air still smelt of charcoal, though it wasn’t as strong as before. Will the air ever be clear from this pollution? There was no real telling or way to know.

Meika brushed her fingertips delicately across the surface of one of the trees that somehow still stood, covering them in some of the soot. She rubbed her fingers together to dust it off. “They should be around here somewhere. . Ah!” Meika exposed a bit of her excitement as she felt a surge of triumph within her discovery. Past a few more trees, was one that possessed a massive trunk. Its form easily covered Meika’s full width and the surface was covered with ash. The upper half of the tree was missing, perhaps it had been consumed by the fire in the past.

Meika knelt down at the base of the tree, retrieving the specific tools that were given to her, to make sure she gathered the flowers correctly. The bundle that grew within this area was plentiful enough for her assignment, meaning that the Kunoichi would be able to return to the village after she was finished and turn in the mission along with the bundle of flowers and their intact roots.

Her hands went to work with the dirt that the flowers were embedded in, which easily gave way to the tools. The ground was brittly dry and held no difficulty when maneuvering it. She carefully uprooted the flowers with one of the other tools within her possession and transferred the plants from the dirt to a pouch of soft fibers. Each movement was gently done in an attempt to prevent any sort of breakage from happening with the flower, stem, or root. Keeping track of the number of flowers that nestled within the fiber pouch at her waist.

When Meika was satisfied with the gathering, she rose back up to her full height. Taking the time to brush off some of the ash that collected upon her fabrics. The dust didn’t really bother the lass, but she didn’t want to end up dragging any of it back home. Her cat would not appreciate such filth within the comfort of their sanctum. “About time to head back and deliver this pouch, and possibly treat myself to some Soju as a reward.” Her words ended with a slight chuckle at the thought of having a crisp bottle of Soju to clear the ash from her throat. There was no reason to object to that.

But should she check for any more assignments before hand? Once again the Kunoichi was left to ponder as she began her way back. Once again her answer to that would be unknown until the time came, bye bye. -exit- (mission completed)
{1,000}

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