[@Zeroth][@Stabby]

Femus's diligence paid off in modest but highly useful dividends.  Additional details about the pixie species and the herbs that surrounded them gave efficient solutions to present issues.  Firstly, the pixies were easily misdirected by new experiences and found Nira's spell fascinating.  Second, they found the arrival of night a thing to fear.  Third, the plants around them provided both knowledge about how magic behaved in nature as well as necessary resources.

As soon as the pixies were gone, Femus went called out loud enough for Nira to hear him.  "Nira!  I've found Healing Herbs and more Wild Kele for dinner.  Could you help me by getting some claws or small bones from that Hobgoblin while I gather these?  I'd like to try to make bone tools tonight.  I think we'll need them if we're going to keep making things for ourselves.  And, I think we should do some planning after we get back to the branches."

Femus was pretty sure that she wouldn't have a problem helping him but it didn't matter in any case.  Dinner and medicine took priority over crafting projects.  So, he took another close look at the plants, studying them the same way he would study an animal before butchering it.  Where is its 'meat', the part that they would eat?  Where are its 'bones', the strong structural parts that would resist harvesting and digestion alike?  He wished for a blade, but the closest thing he had to a blade was his 'hands'.  Lesser Force might serve well, but he needed to improve with it.  

He thought of small creatures that had sharp limbs like mandibles or stingers.  Then, he tried to imagine what it would feel like to actually have a pair of 'mandibles' instead of 'arms' in Lesser Force.  To pinch and cut rather than grasp, push, and pull, this was his goal.  He concentrated, keeping his glow suppressed but no longer focusing on matching his environment.  Then, knowing that this was likely to be difficult and expensive, he willed more mana into his Lesser Force limbs and willed them to change their function for a short time, accepting reduced freedom of motion in exchange for the kinds of force he wanted.  All he needed was to tighten the area of effect and increase the pressure to simulate mandibles.  First, he tried on the Wild Kele.  From this plant he tried to focus on gathering the parts closest to a creamy white while leaving the rest behind.  He would try to gather at least four of these and would meditate if his mana ran low.  If pinching wasn't quite enough, he would add twisting since they needed the food more than he needed the practice.

After this much practice, Femus proceeded to gather two of the Healing Herbs with the same pattern while also staying alert to the dangers of the oncoming of evening.  They had to be quick if they were to be prepared and relatively safe for the night.  Once everything was collected, one way or another, Femus would devote his energy to getting all of this little harvest up to that familiar branch.  If things went well, there might even be time for another run before nightfall.  But, as always, there was much to do and all of it was important.