As someone who had studied herbology for a long time I could now identify among plants their possible purpose just by sniffing and observing them even if I didn't know the species. I could tell if something was edible, if it could be used to make medication and what kind of medication it could make.
"Oh, my goodness, these leaves are incredible! I think they could be used to make an extremely effective cough mixture. And these flowers I would need to test them to see," I told Maya as we looked around the forest.
"I know this plant; it's very good for skin irritations…. and that one over there I think is edible."
"Your Highness, calm down," Maya called out to me in a panic as I rushed from bush to bush, smelling and inspecting the vegetation. "We're looking for food, remember? try not to get too distracted," she reminded me.
"Right, sorry," I apologized, though I couldn't really hold my excitement.
I felt like I was in heaven, there were so many plants that would make great ingredients for so many medicines and ointments. The possibilities were endless. I wished I could carry them all but I had nowhere to put them.
I always knew more interesting plants were outside the castle, but I never imagined how abundant it would be. This was just incredible. To experiment on them all would be a dream.
From sniffing them, I could identify what was safe to eat and what wasn't. Once we had collected enough fruits, vegetables, and firewood, we returned to the cave.
"You can get the fire going. I'll go back and try to catch a rabbit for some protein," I told her once we put everything down in the cave.
"But Your Highness, you can't go out by yourself. What if something happens?" she told me worriedly.
"Don't worry I won't be too long, neither will I go too far. I saw lots of rabbits jumping around in the forest when we were in the forest earlier," I assured her.
Although, Maya looked sceptical she agreed.
I left the cave and went hunting.
****
"Look! I caught two rabbits!" I said excitedly once I returned to the cave.
"Oh, your highness thanks goodness! you're back! You had me worried," she said
"Sorry, did I take too long?" I asked her. I hadn't realized a lot of time had passed.
"Don't tell me you got distracted by some plants again!" she snapped at me. I froze and looked at the ground unable to look her in the eye as she was right.
"Sorry, Maya," was all I could say to her.
She then let out a tired sigh.
"Your highness, I must say I'm surprised by how thoroughly you seem to be enjoying yourself out here. I had been so worried that since you lived in the castle all your life, that being out here in the wild would be too much for you," Maya said to me. "However, you are just fine and are thriving."
Maya was right this was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Having to do things for myself, hunting and all but I had anticipated it. Also I've never been freely able to look at vegetation for possible herbalism ingredients. My hand went to the where I had in fact pocketed some leaves, I thought I could use for something.
"On the contrary, you look like you're the miserable one actually," I said and laughed at her.
"That's only because you keep stressing me out with your enthusiasm," she told me. "You really remind me of my son you know."
I froze after hearing that. Maya's family was a sensitive topic for her and so I always tried not bringing them up. Her son being a troublemaker is what got him, and Maya's husband killed.
"I apologize, I'll be more vigilant going forward," I said feeling guilty that I reminded her of something sad.
"No, I didn't say that to make you feel guilty," she told me. "I'm actually happy you're so passionate about herbs and medicine."
We then began to prepare the food. Maya did most of the work as she knew what she was doing but I helped where I could. We then sat down and ate. It was a simple meal of rabbit and legumes and fruit, but it tasted really good. I wouldn't have been able to cook like this had I been on my own.
"Ultimately, I don't regret not stopping my son from exploring his passions. I just regret not doing a better job of protecting him…" Maya started as we ate.
Before my father began the raids and started taking foreign wolf members as slaves, the initial slaves were lower class Teneb wolves. Back then they were treated just as badly as the foreign slaves. Maya, her late husband and late son were among them and served in the castle.
Maya's son had a passion for reading. He had a dream of educating himself and becoming an official one day such as a merchant. One day her son was caught, Maya's husband tried to step in and take the blame. Instead, the two of them were taken in for punishment and killed. Maya as their relative was about to be punished as well but my mother had caught wind of the situation and had Maya spared. I wasn't born yet at the time, so I never knew Maya's son or husband.
"It's the same way I wanted you to explore your passion for herbalism and medicine. I think it's unfair for someone's passion to be inhibited by their status and class. My son was a slave and was only supposed to focus on working. And you as a princess your duty is to focus on marrying an alpha and become a luna," she continued. "I had been a slave all my life and was afraid to explore anything for fear of punishment. It was such a depressing life. I just wanted my son to be happy."
"I'm sure he was happy, and he was grateful you allowed him to express himself," I said to her. I genuinely meant it because I was grateful she allowed me to explore my passions as well and helped me hide it.
After eating we packed up the leftover food so we could eat it later. We then gathered our things and continued our journey around the late afternoon. My father and his army must have been finishing what they were doing by tomorrow morning we should arrive by the border.