[Bonfire PRP] Marching Orders [Half Truth and Roses][Fin]

[Scaramouche Fandango]

She thought that taking the group of kids into the woods to look for sticks would be enough. She thought that with a little adventure under their hooves, they'd be fine and happy and satisfied- but no, that was only good enough for about three of them. The remaining twelve were begging to go out looking for food- one of them had seen a hunting party return to the fire and rumors spread like wildf-

Whatever. The point was that Half Truth still found herself saddled with a lot more children than she'd wanted to be saddled with. She should never have interfered- this was on her for being so worried. But she couldn't let them go hunting. There were things lurking out there- what if a lynx jumped on one of them? That little totoma lamb was pretty small. Or one got lost? No, if they were going to go on an adventure, they were going to have to go with her. And Roses, if she wanted. It was a quick jog to a nearby grove, where they could potentially have their fill of all kinds of fruit.

She found a blackberry bush and waved the kids over. "Come on, kids! Blackberries! Who can get the most?"  

[So Long Gay Bowser]

"Blackberries! What a lovely treat," Roses in Bloom sighed joyfully, trotting over to join Half Truth and the children. It had certainly been a series of adventures- if you had asked her at the start of this bonfire what she would be doing, even she wouldn't have predicted tending to this many children. And yet, despite the stresses of watching them all and making certain they were safe, Rose was happy.

"What else do you think we could find?" She asked, both to Half Truth personally and to the group. She enjoyed a short nibble of berries herself, taking a moment to savor the sweetness of the fruit, before stopping to tend to the little ones. Best to make certain they didn't p***k themselves or fall into the brush.  

[Scaramouche Fandango]

"Apparently, we can find blackberries. Just blackberries. So many blackberries." Half Truth noticed one of the kids letting out a big yawn- oh good, maybe this was wearing some of them out.  

[So Long Gay Bowser]

"But look over here~!" Rose half-sang, gesturing upwards to the pear trees, which were in full bloom. Several of the children cried out in delight and swarmed over to her, and she laughed heartily. A pear for this one... and this one... while Half Truth and her group took their fill of blackberries, Rose took the opportunity to learn more of the swamp she lived in. Totoma... Kiokote... it was all very fascinating.

"Did you know," she finally spoke when she returned to Half Truth, a branch of pears in tow, "there are children here entirely blind? Yet capable of seeing? What a wonderful world this is," Rose mused, looking among the little ones.

"I can't say I'd met these... Kiokote, Totoma, or Zikwa before. I'm very glad I have, though."  

[Scaramouche Fandango]

"I've met some zikwa before, and I knew some kiokote once- and I met some totomas before, too! They had some little ones at the Mother's Club- they're these tiny, tiny lambs, and they don't have naming dreams. They earn their names as they grow up, and I've always wondered what the parents call them." Half Truth looked around and shook her head. "I think we cleaned the place out- everything else seems to be fairly dried and withered. Look at the trees- the only thing left up there is the single saddest apple I've ever seen, and I've seen some sad apples. No, children, we're not going to pick it; we're going to leave the apple alone so that when it falls it can nourish the worms that help take care of the pl- ok, no, how about this. We're not going to get it because it tastes gross. No, we can't throw it in the fire. Come on, let's head back and see if we come across anything else on the way."  

[So Long Gay Bowser]

"They don't have naming dreams?" Rose balked, a bit louder than was necessarily polite. If they didn't have dreams... oh, she had so many questions! She was definitely going to have to meet a grown Totoma and talk about their culture. What a curious difference! For now, however, she would keep silent, not bothering Half Truth with questions she may not know the answer to. Her branch firmly in her mouth, Rose followed after the group, with a new goal in mind.

There was still much for her to learn about the swamp, it seemed.