Forget-Me-Nots and Wild Flowers

The question of what flowers to put into a bouquet was lost on Rito. He knew he needed to make one up because of all this faun business. But when he stared at the flowers laying in the field ahead, just living their lives he wondered if it was his place. Here they were just striving to become big and strong, and he was going to pick them? His heritage in the redwoods prohibited him from picking them. But… perhaps he could gather up the ones that had already fallen off or were about to fall off? He may as well try.

The first thing to catch his eye was a broad rose bush with wild roses and their many thorns. He looked things over and found a slumped sprig of beautiful white and pink roses, blotched between both colors. With a heavy heart he gently plucked it and slid it into the sash he was given to make the flower bouquet.

Soon enough he spied some Iris, which had a lovely deep blue color. Perhaps this would brighten up the slightly browned rose he’d supplied to the bouquet. Several new blooms sprouted amidst the flowers, but a single had seemingly been trampled and lay to the side. With careful hands he gathered it up and ensured that it was placed gently amidst the wrapping. At least it could get a few more weeks with some water and a nice vase.

Turning his face, he found a small bunch of cornflowers and plucked up a limp forgotten cutting from a pile that someone had already taken to cutting away. He frowned but plucked up the prettiest he could find and sighed. Who could cut all of these without taking them? Though others all around were making up the bouquets and it wouldn’t’ be a stretch to say someone thought they were being helpful. He gently tucked it away between the two flowers already plucked.

Soon he spied some yellow pansy which another faun was handing out. He approached and quietly asked for the least likely to be selected flower. The faun blinked before handing him a wilted looking pansy which he was grateful for. Tucking it away into the sash along with the rest.

“Why ask such a thing?” The faun asked softly.

“I care not to take from nature but if life finds its way here, perhaps I can ensure the flowers already doomed have a purpose. If I were a flower plucked from my home, especially if undesirable, I’d hope it was a good purpose I’d have.”

“I hadn’t thought of it like that…”

“Do you think ill of my actions?”

“It’s a noble one, if you are happy with your sash of flowers, who is to judge you for being you?”

Rito smiled and wished them well before moving on to find more flowers that complimented his pink, yellow and blue collection. Soon enough he’d found just the flower he had sought to gather up. A Daisy having sprung up in the shade of some nearby trees, choking on their roots. He soothingly plucked it up and wished it well as he tucked it away.

When he turned, he felt the crunch of flowers under his paw. He paused and stepped back only to frown at the sight. A small Forget-me-not lay on its side in the grass, he sank to greet it with a heavy heart. He sweetly gathered it up with gentle fingers despite the size of his hands and slid it into his sash with a soft whisper. “Forgive me, Life can begin a new, your life was not meant to be….”

He paused after placing the last flower in amidst the rest. He drew a long sigh as he looked amidst the flowers in his sash and for a moment, he saw the face of his mother. Smiling through all the pain she felt in her final moments. He sighed and sank down to wrap them up in a lovely sash. What others might see as a weak bouquet with wilting flowers, he saw as rebirth and a second chance. In the same way that he was able to start over, these flowers could do well in a vase with some water and some love… or maybe he could make it comfortable before the end.