The Difference between Aloe and Jallow [Ashandra]

[Mimesis]

Late Optia in the Season of Spring, Era XV PF

It happened on one of Ashandra's now regular trips to the outskirts of town. Usually, there was nobody around when she was out gathering herbs - just a goatherd now and then, leading his flock along one of the distant hills, and hardly coming very close to the rhagrnd girl.

But that would change on this brightening. The spring weather was more than usually mild. It had been raining the past few brightenings, and now that the sun had come out the local vegetation was bursting with renewed life. Spring came late in the mountains, and anyhow the area around Arconis was too rocky to support anything larger than a scraggly bush or two. Nevertheless, by late spring the mountains took on a beauty all of their own. Distant peaks still white, their lower sides were filled with the hardy flowers and grasses that had long learned to thrive in adverse conditions... not unlike the humans and others who lived side by side with them.

Ashandra had just come across a patch of thyme when she heard the scrape of a rock behind her, followed by the sounds of a human voice: "Eh, little girl, what are you doing out here all by yourself? Tis a dangerous world, you know," and into her field of vision stepped a dwarf, rather heavyset even my dwarven standards, with longish braided red hair and a whispy red beard. The dwarf was leaning on a walking staff, and had come upon Ashandra with surprising speed and silence.

[Ashandra Gha'Nalis]

Ashandra glanced up in surprise at the sound of the voice, hands stilling in their work to gather a small amount of the thyme. Her lips curled into a small smile - the kind which held no warmth - as she took in the dwarf. "An' what o' ye? I see no otha' companions." She commented, raising one pure white eyebrow before turning back to her work, carefully collecting a portion of the thyme she had found, stowing it away in the bag she wore at her side before standing to her feet, brushing her palms along her leather-clad thighs - she wore leather breeches this day, as she had come to do more and more often since she moved to Arconis. Though she still owned the dresses and skirts she had worn often enough in the past, they saw more of the inside of her chest than actual wear.

Turning to face her visitor once again, she smiled a bit more warmly now, dark grey eyes seeming to lighten slightly as she took him in fully. He seemed the typical dwarf - though she had see few enough of those as it was - though she had traveled much, she was more the type to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible, not generally stopping to take in the scenery or locals as she passed through. Therefore, though she had visited many other areas, she would be hard=pressed to give even a mediocre description of those provinces.

"Kalimera. Are ye lost? I can show ye the way back to the city, if'n ye like ..."

[Mimesis]

"Hehe!" the dwarf laughed, his whispy beard shaking. "I'm no' lost - an' I'm no' from the city, either." And the dwarf unceremoniously plunked himself down on the grass beside the thyme which Ashandra had been picking and began threading the thick fingers of one hand through the scattered grasses. "Though if I were, I'd be in a pack o' trouble. Storm's a'comin'."

And the dwarf nodded over to the far mountain. The sky - over the mountain as over Ashandra and the dwarf - was perfectly clear. Nevertheless, the dwarf seemed quite sure of his statement.

"Be a big one. Ye won't be makin' it down to the city in time, girl." And with that the dwarf looked back at Ashandra with interest, as if to see what she would do under the circumstances. Idly, the dwarf had begun to pick at the thyme, snapping off a few leaves from the thyme bush and sticking them in his mouth to chew.

[Ashandra Gha'Nalis]

The very first thing that Ashandra did was carefully pack away the herbs still in her hand, careful to check how many she had already gathered for that day. Next, she straightened her back on her shoulder, sweapt her long white hair away from her face, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"An' I take it ye know o' a safe place nearby, eh? Someplace to be keepin' warm 'till the storm passes?" She raised one pure white eyebrow in question, but she was grinning as she spoke.

[Mimesis]

The dwarf chuckled, nodding and smiling, eyes crinkling into slits. Wordlessly he signaled for Ashandra to follow him, picking himself up from the grass. Two leaves of extra thyme he shoved into a crease at his belt.

He led the way over the rocky hills with surprising nimbleness; only now could Ashandra truly appreciate how the hefty-looking humanoid had managed to come upon her so quickly and so silently. The rhagrnd herself had to keep a close eye on him so that she didn't lose sight of his figure among the rocks - it didn't help that the dwarf was dressed in a rather dirty collection of leathers in browns and greys. Only his reddish hair was more visible than the rest of him against the mountainside; and even that seemed to blend in with unnatural ease to their surroundings.

Ashandra couldn't at first tell where she was being led. The dwarf didn't look back at her, and skipped from rock to rock and between bushes in a general northward direction. There was no path as far as the girl could see. Yet surely the dwarf knew where he was going, considering the surety of his steps.

After about ten minutes the two had begun descending along the other side of the mountain. Suddenly the dwarf paused, bent down - and disappeared from view. Ashandra as she followed would realize that her last few steps down the mountain she hadn't been walking along the mountainside at all, but on top of a slopping roof built directly into the mountain. A few steps, and she found herself on the edge, looking down a short distance - perhaps four feet, at most - to the front of a tiny hut. Even the doorway was hidden from outside views by a well-placed boulder that also formed one side of the building.

As the girl realized all this, a roll of thunder swung through the mountains and echoed from along the peaks. The sky suddenly took on an ominous cast: the storm that the dwarf had predicted was coming, and coming quickly.

"Come on! What ye waitin' for?" The round face and whispy beard of the dwarf peeked out of the entrance. "Will ye have some tea? Plate o' potaters?"

If Ashandra followed, she'd find herself in a tiny one room hut with a very low, steep ceiling. Except for the highest part of the ceiling, at the back of the hut, the girl would have to bend a bit in order to stand. A cooking fire had been built into the back wall, and a small, low table sat in the middle of the open space. There were no chairs: the height of the table made it clear that guests were supposed to sit directly on the ground.

In the back wall, beside the fire, a dark opening led downward into what seemed to be a root cellar. But what hit Ashandra first, and foremost, was the variety of smells that pervaded the little space: it seemed that her nose could make out every spice known in aelyria all packed into that tiny room... and no wonder: small bunches of various twigs and leaves hung, drying or dried, from the ceiling.

[Ashandra Gha'Nalis]

Ashandra dropped down over the room, landing on all fours with a small huff of breath. Dusting herself off, she peered up at the quickly darkening sigh with a frown, before hurrying into the small cottage.

The smells hit her first, before she even had a chance to take in the room around her; nearly every herb she knew, many she didn't. Before she knew it, her feet were wandering over to a small collection of dried roots, eyes casting about for those she knew, inspecting those she didn't.

Her bag slipped from her shoulder, unnoticed, as she brought the finger of her right hand up to trail along the edges of the unfamiliar herbs hanging there, the other hand tucking a wayward clump of white hair behind her ear, before moving to adjust the strap of her bag - only to find it not there.

Eyes widening, she turned slightly, only to breathe a sigh of relief as she found the leather shoulder bag on the floor at her feet. Bending down, she slung it over her shoulder once again, moving to stand only to bump her head against the ceiling. Wincing, she moved over to the small table, taking a place on the floor as she watched her host move about his small home, a slight smile tugging at her lips.

"Tea'll be fine." She finally remembered his earlier question, a small blush rising to her cheeks. "I'm no' familiar wi' .... potaters." The way she said the word made it clear it was new to her tongue; but then, her accent and exotic looks made it clear she was not a native of Arconis.

[Dicemonk]

The dwarf's eyes widened in mock horror. "Ne'er heard o' potaters?! Tha's something we'll be remed'ing." He moved over to the opposite side of the room and picked up a basket full of the vegetables. "This," he said, tossing one of them into the air, "is a potater. They're a tuber from the Nightshade fam'ly o' plants. Quite delicious when baked. Even more so when fried in a bit o' oil and sprinkled with garlic salts and basil. Mmm mmm." The old dwarf smiled and began chopping the potatoes into cubes with the dagger from his belt. He worked fast and in no time he had a half dozen potatoes cubed and ready to go. He placed them on a flattened piece of tin, sprinkled various salts and herbs on them and threw them in the oven. With a few strikes from his flint 'n' steel, he had a fire going and his potatoes cooking. "So, what brings you to be gathering Thyme near abouts Arconis?" He asked politely as he set a teapot on the stove.

[Ashandra Gha'Nalis]

Ashandra watched with avid interest at her companion - and saviour of the night, really - set to work, craning her neck slightly from time to time to get a better glimpse of just what he was doing.

"Oh! I've opened a shop in th' city, I 'ave - herbalism shop, sellin' simple remedies an' th' like. Herbal Remedies o' Arconis, I've called it." Here Ashandra blushed slightly, the sudden color showing sharply on her pale cheeks. "I's jus' a li'l place, though ... nothin' big. Keeps th' bills paid, though." Ashandra shrugged, the nails of her right hand digging into the table as she averted her gaze, obviously embarassed.

"These ... potaters ... 'ave they any medicinal purposes?" It was a rather obvious attempt to change the subject, and a rather translucent one at that, but still, Ashandra's eyes shined earnestly, a small smile forming on her lips as she attempted to steer the conversation back to more familiar ground.

[Dicemonk]

The dwarf gave a fatherly grin and tossed a potato in Ashandra's direction. "I know some mash 'em up 'n' use 'em for joint ache, but there are other things tha' perform better. A bit o' oil from olives with some grated bits o' tha' will help burns and skin inflammation. Aside from all tha', I'm sure you'll find some more uses for yourself." A short silence ensued as the old one leaned back and stared out the lone window in his home.

"My apologies for not making your acquaintance sooner then, Miss. Ya see, I don't much get into the city very of'n. I may have to visit your shoppe to see if you have found anything in this wilderness that I may have missed. Did ya know that there's a nice patch of bastit just a three miles further out?" He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "I like to use a bit whenever the wet springs come about and I'm sure it would sell well in your business." He took a pipe from a pouch sewn into his shirt, grabbed a pinch of tobacco from another smaller pocket and lit it with match stick from the stove. The old drwarf puffed away as he shuffled over to get some cups for the tea. "I hope that you don't terribly mind Peppermint tea. I apologize for not askin' sooner. I have others if you'd like something diff'rent."

[Ashandra Gha'Nalis]

Ashandra merely shook her head, smiling ever so slightly as she turned the strange little plant over in her hands. "Tell me, would this be growin' well in colder climates? I come from th' mountains, ye see, an' 'tis 'ard 'nough jus' survivin' in th' cold an' ice ... 'twould be good to be findin' a new source o' nutrition an' to be supplementin' oua' diet. Fish ... gets a bit old afta' a while."

This last bit was said with a quick grin, before Ashandra cocked her head to the side and returned to studying the other man as she awaited her tea, ears listening for the sounds of the coming storm.

[Dicemonk]

The old dwarf tapped his chin for a moment while pondering Ashandra's question, all the while spilling burning tobacco on to his fine leather vest. "I think you be lucky. I've been breedin' potaters for years to grow in colder climates and while I'm not sure if they'll take extreme cold, I do believe tha' if you get 'em out before the frosts of Autumn come, you'll be set." He noticed the small burning embers on his vest and quickly brushed them off while performing a jig of sorts. A string of curses came flying out of his mouth, but he still had the presence of mind to keep them under his breath in the presence of a lady.

When the tobacco was cleaned, he poured the steaming water from his teapot into a tea press. "That'll jus' be a minute." He nodded at the press. "Is yer home in the Arium then? I know they've some cold mountains."

[Ashandra Gha'Nalis]

Ashandra nodded, smiling slightly. "High in th' mountains; ye know o' the Rhaghrnd tribes o' the mountains, yes?" The question was posed hesitantly; though she had yet to meet any prejudice directed at her mother's people, she knew full well the popular opinion of those born outside the Aelytian Empire; nothing better than slaves, they were considered.

"If'n th' frost is harmin' these, though, they'll do li'l 'nough up thea' . . . th' snows come yea' 'round." Ashandra commented sadly after a moments silence, shrugging thin shoulders as she offered the man a slight smile that held little warmth; just that same sadness.

[Dicemonk]

The smell of peppermint started to pervade the air around Ashandra as the dwarf thought to himself. "I canno' think o' anythin' off the top o' my head tha' would grow there. I'll do some lookin' around for ice plants, but I thought you all had to come down from your mountain to get food anyway." The old one shrugged and poured two steaming cups of tea. "Sugar? Cream?" He poured two heaping spoonfuls of sugar into his tea and stirred it about, causing a slight 'clink... clink' whenever the spoon tapped against the side of the teacup. "Speakin' of comin' down from the mountains, what made you, or one of your parents come down and live away from your people? I don' mean to ask too private a question, it's just curiosity." He offered up the sugar and cream for her taking. "Perhaps if you tell me more about the area you come from, we might be able to think up somethin' that'll help your people." The dwarf took a cautious sip of his tea and frowned. He dropped another spoonful of sugar in, stirred, tasted, and smiled.

[Ashandra Gha'Nalis]

Ashandra smiled, shaking her head at the offer of sugar and cream, taking a small sip of her tea and sighing as it warmed her chilled bones.

"Come down from th' mountains?" She asked once she had taken another sip, frowning as she set the cup of tea down before her on the table. "No ... no' as such. We have ta' be rangin' far'n wide at times, oua' hunta's do. Bu' we neva' leave th' mountains propa'." She shook her head, a puzzle expression on her face. "No' normally, no."

A shadow seemed to pass over the young woman's face, eyes darkening. "We are each sent on a ... wha' is yer word fer i'? Vision Quest?" Ashandra tested the strange words out on her tongue, frowning. "Bu' aye, 'tis why I left ... only to be returnin' once I know th' place I shall be takin' wi' m' people." Ashandra shrugged, a sad smile tugging at her lips. It would be rather obvious she had yet to reach that point, she knew.

Clearing her throat, Ashandra took another sip of her tea to hide her embarassment. "Bu' ye asked 'bout conditions ... snows come yea' 'round, an' 'tis always cold. Th' beats o' th' land are crafty ones, they are, an' i' always makes fer an' interestin' challenge fer th' hunters, or so I hear." Ashandra shrugged, unsure what else she could add that would be of help to the dwarven herbalist.

[Dicemonk]

Gulps of tea were followed closely by puffs of pipe smoke as the dwarf considered all of this. "I'm afraid I don't know how much I can help ya. If you don't come down outta the snows, there's not much that I can think of that will grow up there. And by not much, I mean nothin'. " He shook his head and frowned. "I'm sorry." He continued to sip at his tea and puff at his pipe until long after both cup and pipe were empty.

"Have ya ever seen juniper up there?" He started after several minutes of thinking in silence. "It's not much good for food, but the berries can help with muscle pain. It'll be a long process, but if you don't have them, you might want to try it out." The dwarf stood and offered more tea before clearing off the table and kicking little pieces of tobacco under a nearby rug. He trotted off into another area of his hillside home and took his time in returning. Ashandra could hear him bumping about and cursing up a storm from the adjacent room from the time he entered until he found his way back. "These," he said as he placed a large handful of small, blue-black berries on the table "can be brewed to remove pain in the muscles, but you have to wait three years for the little buggers to be any good for anything. These ones are ready, so feel free to tre 'em out. Should be able to make almost a dozen batches with that."