Luvena had spent most of her winter scavenging for what little grass she could manage to swallow, and slumbering within a bed she had built up in the fields. She had trampled down a bed of grass before the snow fell, and when it did, she used it to build up the sides. It kept the wind out, and though the snow was cold on her skin (Her hair was patchy at best in the colder months) it was better than the bitter gusts of wind. Herbs were hard to come by in the winter, and she had run out of stores rather quickly.
So she waited quietly for the snow to melt, and the sun to warm the earth so that new plants could spring in winters wake. The first day the snow thawed she had intended to go and collect herbs, replenishing both her personal stores and those she reserved for others. She had tried, but she was weak after the winter and had not made it far.
She spent the following weeks rebuilding what little strength she could. She forced herself to swallow mouthfuls of freshly sprung grass and to take walks to rebuild her endurance.
She caught sight of herself fin a puddle after a day of heavy rain. Her hips jutted like mountains, and her ribs threatened to burst through her skin. This was nothing new. But her mane was what caught her off guard. In Elysium, Picoro had combed it with his claws and wove it into braids and twists, to hide the thinning strands. Now, it was matted and tangled.
Earlier she had wandered the tinea swamp, picking her way through the boggy mess to find valuable herbs. Her first priority was feverfew, to ease the aching in her head. Than Lungwort and Borage. She navigated the swamp slowly, packaging the herbs in leaves, and clumsily tying them with long strands of grass.
Her three bundles complete she made her way to the hospital. Though it was not the first time she'd seen it, the structure impressed her. It reminded her of Herstal, the way it was woven with and between the trees. She made her way up the winding staircases, wheezing by the time she reached the top. She took a moment to catch her breath, before moving to unpack her herbs, and laying them on a shelf to dry.
She could hear others moving about within the hospital, hooves clopping against the softwood. She wondered if this time she would meet any of the other medics around.
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