35. Foraging

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He was so flabergasted by their question that he dazed for a moment and was about to answer when shiny light blinded them and they dissapeard.

Jocelyn Gale looked at the man she loved with her own beeing and stepped back as she saw his greedy gaze on the backpack in her hand.

"They gave me..."

"Hmmm, maybe you are good for something. I'll take you back to my tent, but you must care about my new wife. She is pregnant." He stood up and was about to hold her when he saw her eyes. "What? You really thought I won't get another woman after giving birth only to females? I literally told you I found another way to get boys so you can relax. Isn't it for the best?"

Jocelyn Gale felt like whole body turned into crumbling stone. The memories of him telling her that hit her hard.

He stopped touching her already for a long time and told her she should just be a good wife and care about the two girls.

The money became less as he said that must care about future boy. Now all the messy parts of puzzle got slowly together.

He never hit neither her or the girls, but he never treated them as normal beings.

No wonder her daughter became like a wooden doll. She looked down at the bag in her hands and a smirk appeared on her lips.

"What does your new life has to do with me? You abandoned your blood and then kicked me out. Supporting you and your new child? I refuse. And Henry, if you try to harm me, I believe Anna will use her power again. Do you want to lose your other hand?"

Those indifferent eyes.

He hated her eyes as they never showed emotion. Even the three girls had same eyes.

He left to other woman as he felt stifled in the house filled with eyes that looked at him with accusations.

They always wanted more. More food, more clothes, more...

In his mind he already had own picture of situation completely ignoring the pain clearly written in those eyes.

With pressed lips Jocelyn Gale turned around and glanced up as she had no idea where her daughters were and sighed. "Be careful..."

Anna Gale hugged their sisters as she saw their mother entering the tent and followed with her eyes how their father went back to his tent.

A woman with a small belly stood there and waited for him anxiously. She saw her father carefully and tenderly treating a woman as he brought her into the tent and sighed.

"I really dislike him, but I can't hate that child. If it's a girl she probably will be treated worse than us as his hopes are high up and if it's a boy he probably will have expectations for him. Knowing our father, if it's a boy he will expect him to be ten times stronger than him. Mother at least treated us like children. But this man will never learn."

"We must protect that child." Even Alice agreed.

"Girls let's gather rose hips and other herbs before next rain. Look, the clouds over that city are gathering and I can feel slight wind coming this way. Tonight or tomorrow the rain will start again if the wind don't change direction."

The map showed just few clouds, but it was fall and the two girls listened to their sister.

This time they went to gather rose hips while Anna Gale searched whole surroundings for the camomile. Unfortunately the cold weather for days literally burned the plants and so she just took bucket as well and rushed to help them.

Anna Gale had the map constantly open and from time to time glanced at it. She suddenly had an idea.

"We could gather wild fruits from the forest when we are done here." They had only five rose bushes near their home.

But she saw many bushes deeper in the forest.

Except couple hopping rabbits and hushing birds, there was literally nothing else there.

Alice sat down to rest and neared the map. "Sister... look. I found blueberries and blackberries."

Indeed, when they neared the picture it could be seen that bunch of bushes were blueberries and blackberries.

Anna looked at the bushes and refused. "Look at the fruits. Blackberries are already rotten and there is a ditch under the bushes, we might fall inside and won't be able to get out. Find some other bushes."

As there was only one bush of rosehips left, the two girls started checking the map while Anna Gale gathered rest of those she could get without being picked.

"Sister, we found a big meadow. Look." They pointed at mid of forest and visibly colorful meadow.

She looked at the colorful place and nodded. "Let's wear thick boots and multiple socks. It's better be safe than sorry. Such a tall grass might have snakes. I'm done here."

She indeed wanted to see that place as well.

The five buckets of rose hips were left in the livingroom.

She took large flat basket and have the girls each one smaller one.

The mall had such things as well and she saw it while passing bunch of things randomly stacked.

These baskets are perfect for herb gathering.

Of course she was not crazy to walk that far and used her last gate for this day. "We have only one hour. Gather how much you can."

Alice and Michelle nodded and walked trough the gate.

But when they came out they were amazed. "Sister, I see many other healing herbs."

Anna Gale calmly looked at whole bunch of flowers and looked at nearby rose bushes. "There are many plants similar. If you gather wrong one and poison someone, can you handle it?"

Her question made both girls look at beautiful flowers with caution.

Yes, they will learn about more healing plants with time. Better gathering those they already are certain about.

As neither one saw camomile nearby they went to help their sister gathering more rose hips and when they saw the gate flashing they picked up their baskets that were full with red fruits and left.

But little did they know that pair of eyes looked at them and a boy whispered. "I knew it, they were different. Just like I am..."