Herbalists' Cache with my eagles t-shirt hanging from the door

They shifted their weight a little, expression unchanging as Eshe provided her own introduction. Masque supposed that once they exchanged pleasantries, they could be on their way back to the rise and Eshe could continue whatever it was she was doing here in the cache.

But then she tried to engage in conversation. The Caru stiffened, feeling quite out of place. They listened, though, and gave her question some critical thought. Masquerade did not concern herself with plants very often but she knew someone who did: Ashlar.

They thought of that night when they’d transported eggs. But this entire situation was different. Besides, Eshe had asked a very specific question: did Masque know of any trees that produced leaves large enough for her to fashion a pouch?

No, they answered honestly, hesitating for a beat before adding, but I could help you look.

Masque was a hunter, so some of those skills would translate into the search. Whereas their sense of smell was their primary tool when it came to tracking prey, they figured they would largely use their eyes in this endeavor. Already they dropped, scanning the immediate forest floor, though they saw nothing.

Meeting Eshe’s eyes briefly, they began to move, continuing to scour the ground for any large leaves. Meanwhile, the cogs in their mind turned a little, wondering if there wasn’t a better solution to this problem.

What if, they said after a short silence, we caught a small animal—a rabbit or squirrel—and cut it open so you could stuff the leaves inside it? That would be easy to carry.