[b]Starting Time and Date:[/b] Morning of the 26th of Vermillio, 300 DM
[b]Starting Location:[/b] Nearby Green Fall in the Chartric Forest
[b]Character:[/b] [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/83037-ebonfort/char#post-3050776]Zael Glast[/url]

	The feeling of warm packed earth softly rolling off of his glossy hide followed the cold breeze carrying the sweet scent of pine and refreshing morning dew roused Zael from his slumber. Soft orange light shone through the tan linen tent housing him from the elements signalling the morning's arrival. With a blink he waited for his consciousness to awaken as reflex had him crawl from his shallow burrow, claws lazily digging into the soft dirt, letting the cool air shock him awake. With a subtle growl he snapped his jaw slowly in repetition as his tail rustled along the ground. The dawn had already arrived and the day had begun anew.

	Slowly he picked himself up off the ground as his dark green hide slowly turned pale and fleshy, his claws retracted, and his thick mass of bodily muscle and fat shrunk to form a effeminate shape with narrow shoulders and thin limbs. Zael stumbled over to his wooden pack, opened a drawer to pull and a brush, and began grooming his immensely long dark green hair. The cool spring air stung sharp against his bare skin, but he gave it a small smile for the feeling it brought.

	A subtle rustle came from nearby as a pair of blue eyes stared at him. The owner, a black and blue snake with orange head, slithered into his tent before curling up poised to strike. It's forked tongue flicked in and out before lunging at the unsuspecting human. It coiled around him in a death's embrace, it's full five foot long body wrapping his torso and neck. Unperturbed by the sudden attempted strangulation of the snake Zael moved on to forming his hair's single braid.

	"Fair morning to you as well, Zen. I trust you slept well?" he asked. The snake brought its head near his ear and licked it with a couple tongue flicks. "Hoh, I see. Well then, give me a moment to get ready, will you?"

	With the braid finished he took out a dark green and black outfit made of fine silk, stood up letting his styled hair fall to the back of his knees, and began dressing himself. All the while the snake coiled around him hindering his efforts. Zael gave a chuckle at his familiar's attempts, but finished readying himself in good time. He packed away the nearby supplies strewn about the tent into his pack, pulled it up over his shoulders, and stepped out of the tent. The crisp smell of dew-ridden grass, distant songs of the birds above, and orange morning light brought a thrum to his soul. Continuing to disassemble the tent, roll it up, and strap it atop his pack he had finished cleaning up the impromptu camp.

	In his own mind setting camp wasn't a big issue as he was only a couple hours away from Green Fall, but before he knew it night had been upon him. Traveling at night was for the brave or the skilled, especially in the Chartric Forest, and while he might be brave he wasn't foolish. He hoped any potential dangers of the nocturnal wild have gone to bed as he set upon yesterday's path.

	"Let us see what the day has planned for us, shall we?" Zael pulled out a pair of thin brown leather gloves and slowly began slipping them on in idle thought as he walked down a mildly worn grass path, far from a well traveled dirt road. Keeping his eyes peeled for anything of interest he continued, "Yesterday yielded little result: A few cloves and several sprouts of nettle. Perhaps our luck is down?"

	His shirt rolled and bulged as his snake poked its head out of his collar and hissed in his ear. "Yes, yes, I know it was all your effort." Another short hiss and it began slithering up over his neck and coiling around and upon his shoulders like a makeshift scarf or mantle. Feeling snug it too looked out at the massive trees and yellow and green scenery around them. "We have a little time before we must head back to town. I would rather come away from this venture with more than a few silver pieces in profit," he said with a disheartened laugh.

	Such was the nature of an herb gatherer and the profession: bound by nature's whim and a battle of endurance. The trek down the grass path was uneventful, perhaps it was his eye for herbs, his lack of proper knowledge of what to gather, but Zael didn't spot anything of interest. With wildlife abundant it wasn't as though there were not things to be gathered, but many common plants were grown inside the town of Green Fall and would barely net him a couple copper per pound. It simply wasn't worth his time to gather and then haul it back.

	"No such luck yet, Zen?" A quiet hiss came in response. "Neither have I. Are we too close to town? I did not bring supplies to venture much deeper this time around. This area is rather familiar, and having a path means it was traveled of recent. I wonder—" A tail slapping his ear brought him to attention. A dozen yards away, near the base of a towering oak tree, sat a small bush. Its leaves were sharpened to many points, faint yellow veins upon dull green leaves, and of most interest were the mauve berries upon it.

	"Ah." The snake brought itself around to stare into his eyes, flicked its tongue, and then nuzzled the ear it slapped affectionately. He returned the feeling by gentle pet on the the snake’s head. "You are right, I lose focus when my words tend to escape me. As always, you are too good to me."

	Zael's gaze swept over the area; marks on the trees, woven nests within tall grass, broken branches and prints in the dirt. A slow inhale beared several scents of animals, though none in particular stronger than the last. In fact, all of them were a few days old. “Has there been no recent traffic through this area? I… suppose I shall not waste the opportunity that fortune rarely grants.”

	As he made his way over to the bush he pulled out a journal out of his pack and began flipping idly through it, his eyes glancing between the bush and the pages. Within were many crude sketches upon the parchment, none too skilled but detailed enough to get points across. “Hmm. No, no, not that either. I don’t think I’ve seen this plant before. A new entry it is!”

	He stopped a few feet away, sat on the ground after taking out an vial of ink and pen, and took a comfortable position. Not being a professional, let alone any skill in drawing, he had taken it up one day to record interesting flora he came upon. With starting strokes he began a rough sketch of the bush’s shape, it’s berries and overall look. Off to the side he did close ups of the leaves and branch patterns, the shape of the berry, taking his time to get it to a satisfying mark before continuing onto the next part. 

	With care and caution he plucked the a leaf and berry before bringing it closer to examine. “Green leaves with yellow veins. No secretions, although the points on the leaf have very small, thin needles at each tip. Perhaps dangerous to touch? The berry is hard, surface skin very taut. Smells slightly bitter and is mauve in color,” Zael monologued as he wrote each word down below the pictures. 

	“I guess that will do for now.” He smiled softly as the journal closed with a soft snap. As he began to put away the journal he felt something. The lack of sounds nearby, but off in the distance, the air that had gotten quite still, and a scent that was growing stronger. No, not just stronger, closer! 

	The hairs on the back of his neck bristled as a prickling sense ran down to the base of his spine. A hiss, hoarse and violent, came from his familiar draped over his shoulders sending a warning loud and clear. Without missing a beat he gripped his journal tight in one hand, grabbed his pack with his other and quickly got his feet under him. Fighting to get a grip on the earth beneath him he slipped, nearly planting his face into the dirt, before regaining balance and sprinting away from the berry bush into some thick foliage a dozen yards away.

    Just as he hid himself a massive dark brown boar with gleaming black tusks burst out from behind the massive oak. It took a low stance, snorting loudly and looking wildly around for any sign of life. Despite its apparent rage it didn’t move past the tree and instead stood guard over the bush. [i]‘Hoh? I see. No wonder there is a lack of activity around it. I wouldn’t want to fight something like that either. I suppose I will have to give up.’[/i]

	It took a good while before the boar decided its treasure was safe and left Zael to finally escape the itchy confines of dense foliage. His body was cramped from keeping still and clothes a mess with dirt and other greenery stains. After a brief stretch he sighed, taking a look at the bush with a bit of temptation before heading back along the grass path. Soon enough he hit the main dirt road that led straight to the town of Green Fall.