|
Post by Leafy on Mar 1, 2020 10:30:57 GMT -6
Leafy had decided to take Sif out for an early morning walk. The air was crisp and the ground was dusted in a light coating of frost. Despite spring being right around the corner, the weather was still quite cold. Winter still had its hold on the land. “Why must you prefer mornings?” she complained. Sif had been the one to come to her, demanding that she take him outside to enter an early morning adventure. If it had been perhaps an hour later, Leafy would be thrilled to be accompanying him. However, she was still half asleep and rather grumpy about it. “The quest board? Is this where you wanted to go?” Leafy asked in sleepy confusion. She was surprised because she hadn’t expected Sif to even know about the board. She hadn’t ever been here with him. She wasn’t about to deny him if he wanted them to accept a quest. (Sif 15 1/5, 20 1/5)
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Mar 1, 2020 10:48:43 GMT -6
It felt a bit odd that there wasn’t an urgent matter to attend to at the quest board. Usually when she got here, she was summoned over by some mysterious individual and ushered on an adventure. But this time, the quest board remained strangely quiet.
“I guess that gives me a bit more choice. I don’t think I’ve ever really gotten a chance to just pick one on my own,” she remarked.
Sif nudged her forward, impatient for here to make her decision. Most of the quests were mundane, which might also explain why nobody was around to hassle her into taking their quest. She didn’t mind having a bit of a break. She didn’t need to always go on the grandest adventure, even if she did prefer them.
“How about this one. I’m good at gardening, I think. And it does promise a good prize for the best helpers.”
(Sif 15 2/5, 20 2/5)
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Mar 1, 2020 11:00:53 GMT -6
The only problem was that planting trees seemed to be a lot of work. Leafy didn’t mind gardening, but she usually worked in short bursts of energy. But the motivation of a prize would serve her well. She grabbed the package of wildflower seeds that accompanied the quest.
“Well it looks like we can choose where we plant the trees and they’ll provide the saplings we can use.”
She and Sif headed over to gather some supplies. Leafy tried to think of areas that could benefit from the presence of a tree. At the park, trees were often destroyed as people trained their pets intense battle moves. That place could probably benefit from more, even if they would be destroyed in the future. The saplings weren’t too heavy to pick up and a wheelbarrow was provided, which would make transporting them a lot more manageable.
“Are you ready to go?” she asked Sif.
(Sif 15 3/5, 20 3/5)
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Mar 1, 2020 11:17:28 GMT -6
The halfbreed followed her as she began to push the wheelbarrow forward. She had taken five saplings for now. If she got through these, she could always come back for more. The distance to the park wasn’t too far. It took them a little longer than normal, but they reached the park quickly. Sif trotted forward his body filled with morning energy. Leafy walked sluggishly, her body screaming at her to head back to bed. She took some time to stretch her arms up, trying to ease some of the stiffness that had developed in her muscles.
“Hopefully this prize turns out to be something good,” she commented.
She had saved up her quest points for quite a while, soon she would be able to afford something really nice. She didn’t think Sif would be all that helpful planting trees, but at least he was there to make sure she didn’t fall asleep.
(Sif 15 4/5, 20 4/5)
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Mar 1, 2020 13:01:35 GMT -6
Finding the perfect spot to plant a tree was a bit more difficult than one might think. First, she needed to find a spot that was open enough that the tree would have enough room to grow. Sif didn’t have any experience gardening so now was a good opportunity to see how well he took to it. Maybe if he liked it, she would consider taking him to her garden.
“Trees are good at transforming the land around them, but it can be rather difficult for saplings to survive to maturation. Lots of things are good at killing off plants. I think most early plant deaths are caused by fungus.”
She wasn’t much of an expert in soil quality. She didn’t know how to tell if an area had some bad fungus or disease lurking within the soil. She could only pick a decent spot and hope the sapling took to the soil.
(Sif 16, 21)
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Mar 1, 2020 13:34:07 GMT -6
There was a spot where the soil was upturned and appeared as though a tree had been ripped out right by the roots. Leafy contemplated for a moment what type of creature had managed to accomplish that.
“Wiurn maybe? Or perhaps Sarane? I think both would be capable of something like that,” she commented. “Or it could be something entirely new. Maybe some new monster that the labs have yet to publicly introduce.”
Speculating about what monsters were around always served to keep her entertained, but she still had a job to do. Sif stuck close to her as she began to investigate the soil. He was alert, keeping an eye out for anything that might prove to cause harm to the girl. She appreciated Sif’s loyalty. He was one of the first halfbreeds she had ever obtained and held a special place in her heart.
“If only you were good at planting trees.”
(Sif 16 1/5, 21 1/5)
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Mar 1, 2020 13:42:27 GMT -6
Planting trees tended to be the sort of work that Leafy usually avoided when she was out exploring her garden. The wild, untamed plot of land was utilized mostly for harvesting and the girl usually allowed it to grow however it liked to.
“Maybe I should actually start planting this sapling.”
She chose a birch sapling, easily identified by the colour of the bark.
“Is it still considered bark if it hasn’t grown yet? Well it’s definitely a birch. I’ve been around enough trees in my life to know that,” she declared with a tinge of pride.
Sif watched intently as the girl retrieved a shovel from the wheelbarrow. She was well acquainted with what to do, having dug up many gems within the confines of the mines. Digging a hole to plant a sapling would be easy in comparison. She stuck the shovel in the ground a fair distance and pushed up the soil.
(Sif 16 2/5, 21 2/5)
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Mar 1, 2020 13:58:40 GMT -6
Digging reminded Leafy of being down in the mines. She felt a pang of longing, instantly missing the familiar environment. She had taken Sif down into the mines before, she wondered if he would like to go back there again. Typically, Gallor weren’t fond of tight spaces, but Sif didn’t seem to mind too much even with his DNA containing Gallor.
“Alright I think that should be big enough,” she commented as she finished digging.
The sapling was still small, so the hole didn’t need to be too large. As it grew, its roots would take hold and stretch further than the area it was buried in. She delicately dropped the sapling in, making sure that the hole wasn’t too deep. If she buried too much of the sapling, it wouldn’t grow properly and would likely die at a young age. She needed to be careful not to accidentally damage it.
(Sif 16 3/5, 21 3/5)
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Mar 1, 2020 14:16:17 GMT -6
She slowly filled the hole up with soil, making sure that the sapling was elevated within the soil and not overly crowded. She carefully patted the leaves, making sure they were polished and clear of soil.
“There, I think that looks good!” she decided.
Sif stepped closer to the sapling, taking a moment to examine the freshly planted tree. When he was satisfied with it, he retreated back to Leafy’s side. With their work here done, she would need to pick a new spot that required a tree.
“There should be more spots here that could do with some trees. We shouldn’t have to wander too far. In fact, we could probably plant the four of these here as well.”
Maybe not this exact area, but the park could always do with more trees. She began to push the wheelbarrow further into the clearing, searching for the best spot to plant the next one.
(Sif 16 4/5, 21 4/5)
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Mar 1, 2020 14:40:27 GMT -6
Leafy felt she had a better idea of what sort of spot she was looking for now. Sif was happy enough to accompany her and now that she was more awake, she was starting to enjoy spending the day outside.
“We should be done with this before lunch, unless we want to spend the whole day planting trees. I don’t think I mind too much.”
Sif glanced at her, waiting for her to start digging in a new spot. It took her a few moments to decide on a nice sunny patch to plant the next sapling. This one Leafy thought was an oak. The leaves were distinctive and easy to recognize. She didn’t know much about what areas oak trees thrived in, so she would be experimenting with this a little. She assumed this spot would be fine considering there were other trees not too far away. It theoretically should be a good spot.
(Sif 17, 22)
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Mar 1, 2020 15:32:00 GMT -6
She grabbed the shovel once she was satisfied with the spot. She was quick to dig the hole, having gotten a feel for how deep it should be. This one looked better than the last one had. Sif nudged her, urging her to place the sapling in and stop contemplating things. She complied, working more efficiently now.
“Okay now time to bury the sapling in the soil again!” she declared cheerfully.
Sif waited for her to pick up the shovel again. When she began to push soil around the sapling, he helped by nudging some extra soil into the hole. After another minute of work, the sapling was planted adequately enough.
“I guess I can’t really ask for better than that. We need to work quickly and the tree will sort the rest out.”
She had planted two of the samplings and had three more to get through. She should have them planted in no time.
(Sif 17 1/5, 22 1/5)
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Mar 1, 2020 16:16:38 GMT -6
She was glad that she had some gardening experience. If she hadn’t it would take her a lot longer to plant a single sapling. Sif was slightly helpful, but he was learning as they went along. She was grateful that he was eager to support her in this endeavor.
“After this we’ll go do something a lot more exciting! How about that?”
She hadn’t quite planned what she wanted to do yet, but she was certain they would be quick to find an adventure. She could take Sif mining again. She could introduce him to Sigma, they should get along fine. Their names both started with the letter s after all!
“I guess I should get moving on these saplings, huh?”
She decided to head a bit further to plant the next one. She didn’t feel like she was contributing much to the overall tree population, but it was definitely better than nothing!
(Sif 17 2/5, 22 2/5)
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Mar 1, 2020 16:23:09 GMT -6
The next sapling was another oak. Leafy hadn’t really looked at them before she’d taken them and as such, she had ended up with a random assortment of saplings. She had only grabbed one with needles, understanding that they probably shouldn’t be planted right around the deciduous trees. She continued to scout out patches of soil that appeared nutritious enough without being overcrowded with other plants. Mostly, the areas that looked ideal were spots that appeared to have had trees growing in the previously. However, for whatever reason, they were no longer present within the spots.
“Here looks like a good place for you,” she told the sapling.
She stopped the wheelbarrow and picked up the shovel again. Sif followed her as she headed towards the patch of soil that looked as though it could use a tree. This time, he watched patiently for her to dig out an adequate amount of soil.
(Sif 17 3/5, 22 3/5)
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Mar 1, 2020 16:57:29 GMT -6
She picked up the sapling and placed it in the hole, moving a bit more quickly this time.
“I am certainly getting the hang of this,” she commented.
Gardening always had a sort of zen quality about it. She had grown to enjoy it the more that she tended to her own garden. Of course, she preferred when she was harvesting crops or finding wild creatures to tame, but this quest should also turn out to be fruitful. With a renewed sense of vigor, Leafy took to tending to the sapling. She was quick to place the soil carefully around it. When she was satisfied with the job, she drew back to get a better view of her work.
“I think that looks fine. We should get these last two planted!”
Sif followed her, eager to get to the next area. He and Leafy were finding their groove in their sapling planting.
(Sif 17 4/5, 22 4/5)
|
|
|
Post by Leafy on Mar 1, 2020 17:14:05 GMT -6
The next area that Leafy scouted out was fairly close to where she was now. She was growing a bit tired, but her resolution remained strong. Sif was content to walk around, checking out the soil and reporting back to her. Of course, he didn’t have much to report considering he wasn’t exactly capable of speech, but Leafy appreciated the effort.
“I think this one is an elm tree.” She wasn’t as familiar with them, but the leaves looked correct for elm.
She dug another hole, this one quicker than the others had been. She felt a burst of pride at her efficiency. Sif wandered off, presumably to search of the next ideal spot to plant the last sapling. She was quick to place the sapling in the hole. Then, she covered it in the ideal amount of soil.
“That’s the best one yet! That should grow into a beautiful elm tree!”
(Sif 18, 23)
|
|