Darkwing Duck Bushroot Novels & Stories

The crowd roared. "Damien, Silas, get the birds." I ordered. "We need to move fast." We grabbed the ducks. They were heavy and cold. We had already cleaned them. Now we began the stuffing. I took the wild herbs. I pushed them into the cavities. I used rosemary, thyme, and a bitter root from the southern marshes. Silas poured the stock water over the skin. It was a concentrated broth. It would infuse the meat from the outside.

“You’ve got th—” Light shines on a bush with blue berries sprinkled between the leaves, and I gasp. Blue Farrow Berry roots are on my list, and as I crawl forward, I grab my flashlight and my journal. My eyes flit over the page, moving to the bottom where I drew the Blue Farrow Berry bush and roots. I compare the two, noting the waxy leaves, the white streaks in the stems of the bush, and the slight point to the top of the berries. It looks the same as far as I can tell, so I push the underbrush aside and sink my fingers into the dirt.

The air wrapped around us, each gust whispering secrets from centuries before. Among the soft shrubs, we found several valuable herbs: Nightspine root—used for pain relief and sleep, though dangerous in high doses. Moonleaf clover—extremely rare, glowing faintly under shade, known to boost a Wolf's recovery speed after shifting. Then, there was crimson tendril, a curling plant with deep red veins that only grew after rainfall—potent in healing, but toxic if harvested before its bloom. Each discovery brought a jolt of excitement. Neva was thrilled. She pawed at the ground gently when she sensed something rare, careful not to damage the roots. We made a good team.

Chapter 2. Mysterious princess Alpha king Alan's POV "I am moving toward the south, you go to the west. I want the herbs today anyway. It is very difficult to see the cubs infected!" My beta was connected with me on our mind link. We were in the Vesium woods of my Brave Blood Pack looking for this curative herb commonly known as Giant Dodder or Cuscuta reflexa that heals infections like shingles. "Understood Alan." Three percent of cubs in my pack have been caught up in an epidemic that has infected their skin with shingle-like disease and it is only increasing.

Given her age and experience, taking things further felt natural to her. Evan backed away in panic. "No need to go that far, Ivana. I just need help finding some medicinal ingredients." With that, he quickly grabbed pen and paper and wrote down several rare herbs, including drakeblood root, lotus crown fruit, and pyrestem fungus. They were essential for his cultivation and would strengthen his body immensely. Ivana glanced at the list, then back at him, clearly displeased. "Medicinal ingredients? Those herbs tempt you more than I do?"

It was part of my cover, part of the truth I mixed with the things I needed to keep secret. “Which compounds?” I looked up then. His face was completely neutral. Attentive, yes, but no hint of accusation, no gleam of triumph. Just quiet curiosity. It was exactly what made him so dangerous. I listed three legitimate plants. “Ironroot for strengthening bones. Nightshade berry, for sleep draughts. And rivermoss, good in salves for deep cuts.” All things I had, in fact, purchased. All things I sometimes bought from Mira.