sunshine, rain on down

Theodoric Martin · 01-09-2011, 05:47 PM

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Although walnut trees generally dropped their fruit late in the year, the season was already well-advanced and the prime of the harvest had passed. Birds, squirrels, and even the deer had already had a go at the egg-sized fruits scattered around the grove. Fortunately, an early snow had hidden a generous portion of the nuts, if the luperci were patient enough to dig through to find them. Theodoric eyed the area thoughtfully, gauging if the end product would be worth it. The nuts were hard enough to extract from the outer fruit and inner shell, plus the work of finding them in the snow. He thought it might be, for the taste and as well as the nutrition. The walnut trees had grown together thickly here, and the snow had fallen thinly on the ground beneath them. They shouldn’t be too difficult to find.

His planning session was interrupted by the sound of footsteps through the snowy undergrowth. Dawali emerged, a hand raised in greeting. Theodoric returned the salute, adding a dip of the head and ears in a more formal display of respect. But when he spoke, his voice was welcoming, “Afternoon, Chief.” He barely knew the Kalona, other than the winter ceremony at the Great Fire. Theodoric was, however, a friendly soul and genuinely amiable to new company. If he was a little shy because of the red wolf’s rank, he hid it well behind a polite mask. “Did ye’ know these grew here?” Theodoric offered one of the nuts he’d picked up for Dawali’s inspection. Most of the outer fruit was gone, but the husk still sheltered the nut inside. “Walnuts ‘re good eating, if’n you can get the shell open.” A hammer would work, or simply smashing the husk between two stones. Theodoric’s favorite method had been part of a drinking game, involving pints, rapidly deteriorating fine motor skills, and the hilt end of a knife.

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