FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Snow had fallen the night before coating the forest in a fresh coat of frost. Heavy piles of the stuff melted in the morning sun surrounding the potion maker as she made her way through the forest with a little hum that echoed against the trees through the Winter Wood. A basic dress and furred cloak combination kept the cold at bay. Of course, she still felt the peck of Winter chill beneath her fur if only because she wasn't a fan of it. The other day had welcomed strange events involving a particular vulpine Fae. Layne had been tricked into inviting the Fae to her own home. It had been a mistake and one that would have some sort of adverse effect, of that, she was sure of. At the same time, she couldn't concern herself too much with those events. There were ingredients to gather while Winter's literal magic was still in bloom, as well as potions to make and sell. She had no time to concern herself with the games of semi-ethereal beings with questionable motives. That could be dealt with later. Despite her lack of concern, Layne had grown curious as of late with the deeper portions of the forest around her cottage. Strange things had been happening, events involving magic and some that seemed to just be nature toying with her. Everything seemed to call her curiosity toward the deeper portions of the forest. Layne was more than glad to please her own inclinations it under the pretense of gathering.

Layne took her time plucking various frozen roots and mushrooms from the bases of barren trees as she made her way through the forest. At her side, she had a bulging satchel she used to carry her ingredients and while she walked she kept a paw on it while looking around. The potion maker had never been this far into the forest and the sights were somewhat new to her. Certainly, she had seen trees and had seen bushes, but she had never seen fungal growth in such great amounts before. Even in the cold, there were mushrooms and more growing on the ground and against trees. There were many that she knew to be toxic and some she had no idea what they were. She wished that she had brought a book or two on identifying mushrooms, instead, she was left stumped when she saw caps growing little shards of ice. Of course, she couldn't resist plucking just a few to look at later.

Bending over, she leaned to pluck a cap from a rotted stump. The cap felt hard to the touch. Carefully, she tugged the cap off with a little pop. Satisfied with her work, she placed the cap in her satchel and stood up beaming before she blinked with one ear pricked up listening for a sudden sound. Now that she wasn't making any noise herself, she swore she heard something liking slow humming. While her own had been quick and chipper, this humming seemed to be slow and lumbering with regular interruptions. Despite that, it was a sound that seemed to vibrate the air with bassy tones. She had come into the forest for curiosities sake and well, this was something most curious and so, off Layne went to follow her ears.

Fluffy tail flicking from side to side, the feline hopped through the forest listening for the sound of humming. She heard the smooth sounds coming from beyond bushes and took her time in finding the way around them not wanting to tear her clothes on the bramble she knew hid within. Eventually, she found herself at a little clearing where she swore the source of the humming should have been. There should have been something there, but instead, she only saw a large mushroom next to a stump.

Large might have been an understatement. The mushroom with blue cap might as well have been an actual person. It was taller than her by a head or two and didn't even sway in the light breeze. Strangely, when she placed a paw on the mushroom, it felt warm to the touch. She blinked and hopped up to sit down on the stump, her ears searching for the sound of humming while she tapped on the mushroom.

"Excuse me." Intoned a sudden voice.

Both her ears rose on high, and she looked from side to side. There was no one near her but still, she heard the voice as if it had come from right next to her. The mushroom next to her then rumbled, and she took her paw off of it as she looked at the large cap.

"Ahh... Thank you. Not opposed to touch, I suppose, but I haven't even learned your name, young miss." Said the mushroom.

She blinked and shifted on the stump until she was facing the mushroom and watched with big eyes as it grew strong arms and stepped out of the dirt. Lids opened near the cap where she could see frosty blue eyes glowing. The mushroom, or rather, the mushroom-person stretched and turned until he was looking down at her. Layne marveled at the fact that they were just a bit taller when out of the ground and standing.

At some point, she realized she was staring far too much. Layne cleared her throat to finally give her name and apologize, "Sorry about that. I just hadn't seen such a large mushroom, or well, what I thought was one. My name is Layne."

The mushroom brought one large hand to grasp her paw and gingerly shake up and down before they spoke, "It is good to meet you, Layne, I am Troff. I do not think I have seen you. Have you a reason for being here? Are you lost and in need?"

So polite for what she had assumed was some sort of hermetic creature. She gladly answered, "Gathering ingredients for my potions. Mushrooms and roots, and I'm most certainly not lost so no worries about that!" Realizing what might be seen as somewhat offensive she cleared her throat, "I don't think I've gathered any of your kind before or even seen your kind."

Troff showed no change in mood or expression and instead simply spoke, "I imagine not. We are few and old and rarely gather except to drive off dangers to our neck of the woods. You don't seem like a danger, and using nature has never been a bad thing so long as you're respectful."

The feline's tail began to flick back and forth again, "So there are more of you? But only a few? That's a fine thing to know! I mean, it isn't as if I have a reason to search any of you out, but it is still interesting. As for nature, well, nature is what allows me to keep my business afloat, so I suppose I should give it all the respect in the world."

Troff rumbled a chuckle, "Perhaps, I should visit your store someday if it is so nature bound."

"Now that, I don't know about! I don't really think I have anything to offer you." Layne said before crossing her arms and looking down, "Well! Maybe if you're cold I could get you something to ease that, but you seem like that the hardy sort."

The mushroom person planted on large hand on their rotund stomach and chuckled, "I think that I am fine. I do not think I would have a reason to consume what you have, except if you could perhaps garden a bit out in the forest that might be nice. Cultivate the earth and return some of what you have taken. Of course, only things that grow here in the forest."

Layne thought about that for a moment, leaning back and forth on the stump before nodding, "I think I can do that. I've got a green thumb you see! The hill I live on used to be barren of any flowers or herbs barely had any grass either. Maybe it was a drought, maybe it was someone else, but whatever happened the hill was in bad shape. Now it is flowering and full of herbs and grass. When the spring comes the grass will grow again and I'll be busy gardening with the herbs that I know grow here."

Troff rumbled, "That sounds wonderful...You say that you plant herbs on your hill, and yet, you come out here for more ingredients?"

The potion maker nodded, "Mhm, can't plant everything I need. Sometimes I have to buy what I need from folk who know more about plants than I do, or from out of the region even. Just the same, this forest has things that I can't grow in my backyard, like ah, mushrooms and certain roots."

At the mention of mushrooms, she felt an awkward flush brush through the fur of her cheeks. She looked away, but her new friend only seemed to chuckle, "I see. If that is the case, and your creations require special ingredients, then I might know of a place you may wish to explore." Layne's head turned to look at the mushroom person, an ear pricked up as she leaned close to listen as they continued, "Somewhere among the brush waits a hole in the ground that leads down to a fungal wood. It is at times a poisonous place full of strange and hostile creatures who consume all that moves and all at the same time a place of peace, of pure nature. The flowers at that place grow alongside mushrooms and most everything requires some form of magic to prosper. I am sure that you would find something useful there, or interesting."

Layne's sapphire blue eyes sparkled for just a moment, but still, she was a little wary of the information given freely, "What's the catch? Surely there has to be something you want in exchange for this information?"

Troff slapped their stomach, "Hah! You've given me enough. Company is appreciated, besides, I said the place is dangerous and it may interest you, not that it will without a doubt. You might not thank me at the end of it."

With a thumb she flicked the brim of her hat up and grinned, "I'm confident in what I can do. Besides, danger is exciting!"

Troff looked down at the cocksure feline and chuckled before turning from her to start walking, "Come then."

The feline watched as the mushroom person started to trot off. She tilted her head and waited for a few slow lumbering steps before she hopped off of the stump to follow behind. Layne had been curious about the deeper portions of the forest and she was getting exactly what she had wanted. If there truly existed such a place underground then she would gladly explore it for herself. More importantly, if she found any new juicy ingredients down there then she could expand her inventory or accidentally poison herself. If anything, she could get into the sale of poisons and other deadly things.

Even at the slow pace of her mushroom guide, it didn't take too long before they arrived where Troff wanted to lead her to. A long stretch of forest covered in brush and bramble awaited Layne and she frowned as she looked at it. The bramble came up to the large mushroom person's face and she couldn't imagine traversing it herself. Despite the daunting appearance of the location, she waited. There was no way that Troff would lead her to some sort of dead end or make her go through that, it just didn't seem like something their personality would allow, at least, that was what her gut said.

As it turned out, her gut had been correct. It had only been about a minute of silence when she heard a sound vibrating through the air that caused her ears to pin back. It was an extremely deep voice rumbling a strange sort of hymn that shook the earth and plants around her. When she looked forward, the bramble were reacting to the noise by twisting and writhing until they started to come undone. She watched with wide eyes and paws on her ears as the bramble continued to recede until what they had come for appeared.

A few steps ahead a gaping hole in the ground opened up with stone steps covered in vines leading down into what appeared to be an abyss.

"And here is the entrance to where I told you. Go on should you wish and I will remain here until you come out."

Layne felt excitement bubbling in her gut along with little pangs of perhaps reasonable fear that were being drowned out by everything else. She turned to give the mushroom a quick embrace before heading to the entrance to the underground forest. From where she stood, she couldn't see anything except for a faint glow deeper within. This was the perfect thing to satisfy her curiosity and if she got into a little danger then she was more than capable of handling it. Hopefully, in the end, this would be more than just a little venture to sate her curiosity. So off she went down the steps while her new friend watched, down into the fungal forest.