#19 - New Paths

The grass was being constantly ruffled by the wind, so Orla thought it would be easy-peasy to spot the fungi - but after a long time and a threatening rumble of her tummy, she puffed her fringe and lifted her eyes to the surrounding space.

If they weren't here, where would they be? As she looked, her eyes spotted a different mushroom entirely, growing near the roots of a tree. Orla swooped in, bringing her nose almost to the mushroom cap.

"Hullo wee one..." She mumbled, using her forefinger and thumb to gently wiggle the mushroom free. It came away with a satisfying soft crunch and she was about to pocket it, but then tucked it behind her ear, using the tautness of her hairstyle to keep it in place.

This seemed to cheer her on; Orla strode with determination towards the shoreline once more, intending to walk further along the lake. Because she was so focused, she didn't place her feet carefully, and suddenly the world went sideways.

Her feet had slipped on the loose shale, and Orla fell with a loud "Oof!" , stones scattering into the water. She put her hands behind her to catch her fall, and they technically did, but they also sank into sopping, squelchy mud.

"Awk for Merlin's sake!"

Orla turned onto her hands and knees slowly, her behind and palms stinging from the fall. It was then that she spotted the mushrooms, and said a thank you to the fairies that she hadn't fallen ontop of the cluster growing in the mud.

Even though Orla tried her utmost to carefully pull away from the sucking muck it still seemed to spread everywhere. She could feel it tightening the skin of her forearms where the wind had begun to dry it - she pushed against the soft earth and up to a kneeling position, flexing her mud-thick fingers. With a twist of her mouth she tried to calm the frustration she felt, especially when she finally saw what she had come to get.

The Mud Toadstool haul was less impressive than the Frogspawn - most were too small, and she had crushed one in the fall. Orla tried to stay calm, but tears sprang to her eyes anyway. How frustrating. She could almost hear her Aunt Orlaith's scathing disappointment on the wind that whistled past her ears.

But there was another sound there, a soft sploosh of the lake surface being disturbed. Orla whirled, knees scraping on the stony shore, just in time to see something dark and watchful slip beneath the surface again.

Her breath caught in her throat. That definitely wasn't a fish. It could be any number of the creatures that populated the huge Black Lake, but of course Orla's imagination leapt to mermaid. Oh wow.

She felt like her bones had jellified, but her face set in determination once more. Rubbing her hands on her robes carelessly, she fumbled in her pockets; with a brief pause that probably should have told her to be more careful than this, she tossed a clementine (which was a little past its prime, seeing as it was from countless breakfasts ago) into the lake, her good aim letting it splash just beyond where she had seen the figure. 

After a moment of holding her breath, Orla watched the ripples from her clementine wiggle across the glassy surface of the lake, the fruit itself winking orange in the dark water.

"Slainte chogat," she called, wishing good health to the creature, before she slowly stood and returned to her mushroom gathering.