Woodland was finding herself in Mireh a lot lately. She honestly didn't mind much, enjoying the open fields of the region. Still, she was beginning to get almost homesick, about ready to start protesting next time Bloo would send her out again. And yet, when Bloo had asked her to go to Mireh to help another colony teach the whelps about the land some she couldn't find herself disagreeing.

 

The whelps stood before her seemed to be all be very withdrawn, one of them looking downright sickly. She briefly wondered if it was a coincidence, but ultimately decided not to get too caught up on it. She had a job to do, after all.

 

"Alright then, you three," Woodland began, her voice filled with excited. "I've been asked to teach you some foraging. It's important for you guys to learn what's safe to eat, and which plants can be used for other stuff, after all."

 

The whelps seemed- oddly quiet. Rubus nodded quietly, but that was about all of the reaction she got. She smiled at the three awkwardly, trying her best to be encouraging. Halycon seemed sleepy, which was odd seeing it was mid day. Both Rubus and Revenant seemed on edge- paying more attention to their surroundings than to Woodland, and Woodland couldn't help but notice both other whelps edging away from Revenant. Woodland took a deep breath, reminding herself to be patient.

 

They set off into the fields, Woodland following behind the whelps. The warm sun was warm on their backs, and woodland was glad for the tall grass providing them some shade. She pointed out various plants, explaining their uses and dangers. Rubus listened intently, his eyes flicking to each plant she mentioned. Revenant kept his distance but seemed to absorb every word. Halycon trailed behind, his movements languid and unhurried. Woodland had to check several times to see if the whelp had actually caught on to what she was saying, annoyed at his lack of attention at first, but quickly found that the whelp was more attentive than she gave him credit for.

 

"This plant-," Woodland started, crouching down to show them a cluster of green leaves. "It's edible, but it tastes very bitter. Useful if you're in a pinch- but since you guys probably have plenty of food at home, I'd leave it to grow so the animals can eat it."

 

Rubus reached out hesitantly, touching the leaves. " Useful if you're in a pinch..." he repeated softly.

 

Woodland smiled encouragingly. "That's right. And over here," she moved to a patch of bright blue flowers, "these are safe to eat and quite sweet."

 

Halycon's eyes followed her movements with interest. Revenant stayed a few steps back, his gaze fixed on the flowers. Woodland plucked a few and handed them to the whelps. Rubus nibbled on his cautiously, Revenant only held his, looking thoughtful but uninterested in eating the flower.

 

They continued on, Woodland happily teaching them about the various plants. Rubus seemed to grow more interested as time went on, asking questions about the plants which Woodland was more than happy to explain. Halycon remained his calm self, but did show genuine curiosity about a few of the herbs in specific.

 

Revenant stayed quiet, and seemed to try and stay at the edge of the group, just distant enough to not be called closer by Woodland. He seemed to relax a little as time  went on, though, especially as the group moved away from the small stream running trough the field. Woodland frowned at this- making a mental note to make sure to avoid the stream on the way back. 

 

The sun quickly began to set, which had Woodland startle as she realized she might not make it back to the whelp's home in time. She quickly made sure everything was wrapped up properly in the little baskets the whelps had brought along. She had made sure to help the whelps find sweet, tasty things that the whelps in her own colony enjoyed to nibble on, too. This way, the three whelps could take their winnings home and share them with their friends.

 

On the way back, she spent some time explaining how to properly store everything they had found, it'd be a shame if everything spoiled before the whelps could eat it, after all. Rubus, Revenant, and Halycon listened attentively, their earlier shyness seemingly shelved for now.

 

When they got back, just in time for nightfall, Woodland patted them each on the head. "You all did a great job today! I'm proud of each of you."

 

Rubus smiled at her softly. "Thank you, we learned a lot."

 

Halycon stretched his arms, a contented look on his face. "Yeah, thanks. Today was a good day."

 

She even got a small, whispered "Thank you." from Revevant before they parted ways.