Hustles and Bustles of Glade [Garr]

[Hilana Chenzira]

7 Glade, Year 123

[Closed - Garr]

There was never a dull moment in Glade.

Perhaps it was the fact that even in the deserts, the sands would normally be beginning to warm up again, preparing for the scorching days that would come. The days normally would start to lengthen. But the second sun meant that it was eternally daytime, and with perpetual sunlight, it wasn’t uncommon for people to be getting into trouble... especially the children. The Vastiana had set more than one bone and they were but a few weeks into the season. Sprains, bumps, bruises, injuries... She didn’t lecture like parents might have hoped she would when they brought their little ones in to Sweet Remedies for getting them treatment; Hilana had been a wild thing herself as a child and she had had more than her share of lumps and bumps and dislocated limbs. Her guardians had put her right again and let her learn the hard way. Pain was a wonderful teacher, even though so many shunned their lessons.

But beyond that, for a number of animals it was mating season, and the Derby was coming up in Tertium, and it meant that Hilana had lots on her mind. There was a lot to do, and sometimes, even with the ever-present sun, there just weren’t enough hours to do it in. She had training to do later, and even more to study before bedtime. But for the time being, Hilana was focused on what was going on in the apothecary. With the greenstick fracture put back together, the arm was splinted with bamboo and cloth for the next few days, and medication given to encourage the bones to connect back together once again. The little boy would be back in five days for a checkup, and then chances were, he would be back to the same shenanigans that had gotten him into this situation in the first place.

She saw them out the door, and tidied up the table, looking around with a great deal of satisfaction. She did enjoy helping people, treating injuries and illnesses with herbs and plants, turning them into medication. The shop was located in the bustling Port Vasta district, not far off of the Forum, and as such, it saw quite a bit of activity. The walls were lined with jars of all kinds of dried botanicals, spices, herbs, flowers, peelings, leaves, so on and so forth. Another section of shelves held jars of differently-flavoured honeys, each of them labeled: some had been gathered from bees that tended to wildflowers, others to those in different orchards, some were augmented further with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg and clove. Pots of plants, some available for sale, both local and exotic, were frequent. Aisles held packets of teas and medicines that had already been prepared: bottles and jars and paper packets or boxes for treating everything from skin issues to stomach or muscle aches to exhaustion. For treating a case of the blues to fatigue to overgiving. There was plenty to be found, and more still that could be prepared upon request by Hilana or her mentor, Vasilei.

The young woman had her long, thick hair bound up in a bun atop her head, and her long, tiered cotton skirts were dyed in shades of orange, gold, and white. A rather plain, sleeveless shirt hung off of one shoulder, exposing most of her midriff to her hips where the skin hung, but around her shoulders was a young, steely-grey python that was contentedly hanging out like some sort of accessory. There was an even larger python hanging out on a driftwood branch in the window, though his colouring was grey, black and white in a rather unnatural pattern. Tiaz was content to sun himself, sleeping lazily on his perch, while the younger female, Fiya, had spent most of the last season being carried around and becoming quite used to this. With the table cleaned up, Hilana could get a book out and do a bit of reading to see who and what came in next. It never did hurt to keep studying, after all: learning never ended. While the nomadic Vastiana had an excellent memory, there was always plenty worth refreshing herself on.

[Cloud Caelum Garr]

Garr was walking along the dirt road on a sunny afternoon, enjoying the rare day where he had few things to do. He was lost in his thoughts, thinking about the upcoming meeting with his family and feeling the familiar sense of dread in the pit of his stomach. As he rounded a bend in the road, a careless laborer bumped into him, causing him to stumble and lose his balance. Garr's forearm scraped against a sharp rock, causing a cut to form. He winced in pain and looked down at the injury, feeling frustrated by his own clumsiness.

As Garr stumbled and fell to the ground, the careless laborer rushed past him without so much as an apology. Frustrated and in pain, Garr's initial shock quickly turned to anger. "Watch where you're going,!" he yelled at the retreating figure, his voice filled with venom. The laborer broke into a run and disappeared around the corner. Garr seethed with anger, feeling a sense of powerlessness and injustice.

Garr looked at his exposed forearm and examined the wound. It wasn't a wound so deep that he needed emergency medical attention. He pulled out a hankerchief and used it to wipe away the light trickle of blood. He figured he ought to get it looked at, but he was in an unfamiliar area and didn't know where to go for help. He asked around and eventually found himself at a store with a snake hanging outside of the window.

The python was offputting, but Garr cared only about getting his arm treated. He walked into the store and quickly spotted the woman who worked there. He held up forearm and said, "had a bit of an accident down the road. I don't suppose you have anything that can make this better?"

Garr was in clothing that ought to have been a clear reflection of his status as a member of the nobility. The black fabric of his shirt was of fine quality, with a sheen that caught the light and drew the eye. The intricate patterning was woven with golden thread. The pants Garr wore were equally impressive, with a snug fit and a gold-embroidered belt that cinched his waist. The boots were made of supple black leather, reaching up to his mid-calf, and adorned with silver buckles.

[Hilana Chenzira]

When Garr pushed open the door, a little bell chimed overhead, and Hilana looked up from her book, putting it up on the counter. She took him in at a glance, deciphering quickly as to what Caste he belonged to to sort it out and not give cause for offense. He was dressed well, and she would have thought he was at the very least Equestrian, like she was, but quite possibly Patrician. That settled that. There was not an Equestrian alive that would take offense to being mistaken for a Patrician, but if one inverted that… well, Hilana didn’t particularly want to deal with the uproar. Nothing good came from insulting her social betters. “Good afternoon, Your Lordship. You’re in the right place. Welcome to Sweet Remedies,” she bowed her head to him, coming around the large wooden table. The substantial python remained on his branch by the window, and as she came around, Garr could see that she was wearing yet another snake. This steel grey python with the big black eyes stayed where it was around her shoulders, at least, and wasn’t particularly fussed about the colourful young woman’s movement.

“Come, come and sit,” she invited him, pulling out one of the wooden chairs for the young man before she grabbed her medical kit and some supplies. The hems of the tiered skirt whispered against the wooden floor as she moved quickly, and washed her hands before returning to the table. “May I, sir?“ she extended her hands towards his arm, and if he agreed, Hilana would start inspecting the wound. She carefully moved the sleeve of his fine shirt up out of the way so that it stayed out of the wound and gave her more room to work with, and he may have seen a rather ornate looking mark on the palm of her right hand as she did so. It seemed to be a rather stylized outline of a sun, and it seemed to be made of molten gold that had sunk into her skin. A Rune, perhaps. A hand towel had been laid out on the table, and the Vastiana would rest his arm on it while she opened a bottle of cleansing fluid.

“It’s not too bad, but best to get it taken care of,” she smiled down at him, drizzling the clear liquid over the wound. It didn’t sting, but it did bubble and froth. “What I’m doing now is just cleaning it out. This will get the dirt and bits out so that nothing unclean is in there to prolong the healing time,” Hilana explained. There was a calm reassurance to her; she gave off the feeling that she knew exactly what she was doing as she lightly wiped the wound with a soft cloth and repeated the cleaning. “Aside from this, how are you doing today? It’s quite busy out, isn’t it?” The cloth was wiped aside for her to wipe her hands on another hand towel that she had tucked into her skirt, and she opened a jar of golden-coloured ointment.

[Cloud Caelum Garr]

Garr nodded to Hilana and went to go take a seat as suggested. His gaze was transfixed on the python coiled around Hilana's shoulders, its scales glinting in the dim light of the small, cramped shop. Garr felt his heart rate quicken as he wondered what would happen if the creature decided to strike. His rational mind telling him that it was unlikely that the snake would harm customers for no reason, else this place wouldn’t be in business. Garr tried to shake off his unease and focus on his injured arm, but he couldn't help stealing glances at the python every few seconds. He could feel his palms growing clammy as his anxiety mounted. He knew he had to try to calm down if he wanted to make it through this appointment without making a fool of himself.

Garr shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his mind racing as he struggled to come up with something to say. He had never been very good at small talk, and the fact that he was alone with a woman only made things worse. He couldn't help but feel self-conscious about the way he looked and sounded, worried that he might come across as awkward. In his attempt to avoid being awkward, he let an awkward silence set in.

Garr cocked his head to the side as his arm was treated and nodded along with the woman's words. What she said made sense. She seemed to know what she was doing and none of it hurt which was always a good sign. Garr couldn’t remember the last time he’d went to someone for medical attention so the whole experience felt new to him.

The woman eventually asked him a question and Garr shuddered, knowing that he was going to have to talk. He only hoped he didn't make a fool of himself. He said, "I suppose I am doing well enough, all things considered. I fancied a walk on one of my rare days off. As you can imagine I'm often busy. I study Elementalism magic at the Academy and help with the family business. Real important stuff. He looked around awkwardly and asked, "I noticed that mark of yours. Do you study magic as well? And what's the deal with all the snakes?” He stopped himself short of asking a dozen more questions in short succession.

[Hilana Chenzira]

As awkward as he felt, Hilana just tried to make him feel at ease with small talk and explanations of what she was doing. She had learned to make peace in the silence, because sometimes it was better to be thought a fool than to open her mouth and remove all doubt. But he wasn’t at ease in the quiet, either, and so the Vastiana elected to just explain the steps. That he seemed to have some concern about the snakes did surprise her a bit, but perhaps he just had had bad experiences with them before. Her own family was less fond of the venomous ones, and her father, aunt, and sisters had elected to mostly ignore Tiaz’s presence in private and display the appropriate attitudes around others when Hilana had her large snake with her. In a land that worshiped reptiles, it wouldn’t do to abhor them publicly when they had an image to protect.

She nodded as he spoke, listening. She did imagine that the lives of Patricians were busy indeed - it was rare enough that they showed up in person unless it was to a fancier store, though Hilana was trying to carefully, respectfully, curate an assortment of clients that might fancy the wares of the apothecary. Perhaps she was more of her father’s daughter than she liked to admit. When the questions started, she knew she was on familiar ground - she did that often herself, launching volleys of them when she could.

“That’s exciting, to pursue a classical education through the Academia Arcanum,” she dipped two fingers of the hand that had the mark on the palm into the salve. “Elementalism is such a valuable discipline, especially here, isn’t it?” Not to mention it was the most common Rune taken by Royals, and therefore quite popular amongst the Vastii population, be they Patrician or Equestrian. But she was smiling when he mentioned the mark on her hand. “I do, yes. Cardinalis Sigilius Elementalismi,” she recalled the way that His Divine Radiance had spoken of it. Apparently she, too, had the Rune of Elementalism. “Though I am not enrolled in the Academia,” Hilana chose to add. Not for a lack of funds, but a lack of time. She had had a need to get her skills up quickly, and that meant multiple private tutors of their Re’hyaean masters that she had gained through connections forged in her time in the city... and the attention of the Founders.

“This is Fiya, on my shoulders, and that is Tiaz on his branch,” Hilana introduced them. The grey python wasn’t particularly inclined to move from her perch towards him, though she was starting to move up onto the thick bun that the girl had secured her long hair in atop her head. “They always come to work with me. They’re quite friendly, you needn’t worry,” she added to be reassuring as she began to coat his injury with an application of the salve. Her touch was practiced and at the same time, quite delicate. Like the cleaning solution that she had used, this did not sting either. “This is calendula and marshmallow, by the way. It will keep infection out, help the wound coagulate so that there is no more blood, and it encourages the skin to close up faster.” She added a bit more of the salve, before wiping her hand on the cloth at her waist and selecting a small roll of cloth bandage to begin to wind around his forearm, having gently lifted his arm off of the table by elbow and wrist in order to allow her to wrap his wound with the bandage before tying a careful knot. “It should be gone by morning, but if you can try to keep it dry tonight, that would be best.”

[Cloud Caelum Garr]

Garr felt relieved at how well Hilana was to get along with. She seemed to be a sincere person who had an easy time talking to people. Garr couldn’t help but put on an inquisitive expression as she explained what she was doing and he nodded along to show he understood. Did he really care about all this mumbo jumbo healer stuff? Not necessarily, but he appreciated that Hilana cared enough to tell all this to him. She seemed to have something he lacked entirely: Passion. Passion that he never found when he worked on just about anything because his sense of self worth was predicated on things he could not control.

As Garr’s arm was wrapped up he said, “This is neat stuff, thank you for helping me. How did you come to learn how to heal people? You seem to be good at it. Does your story, perhaps, also explain why you have taken a liking to the company of snakes?”

Garr would wait for her to respond and then say, “it’s interesting that you’re learning outside of the Academia. How are you coming along with your magic? I think if I tried to learn it on my own I would end up burning myself to a crisp. Having a teacher to tell you when you’ve gone too far or perhaps, not far enough has been invaluable to my progression.”

He thought to show off, so he lifted his free hand and focused hard. He willed a small sphere of earth into existence and let it twirl about his finger in slow motion. His face looked focused and he held his breath as he grew the ball to about the size of a fist before grabbing it with his hand. It was not exactly the most impressive thing he could do, but maneuvering it with such fluidity still took a lot of willpower. It was hard for him to convince the earth to form a sphere and rotate about for no reason at all but to inflate his own ego.

“Neat, right?” he asked, assuming that he was definitely more skillful than Hilana and that she would be impressed.

At that moment, Garr realized that he didn’t really know how he was supposed to pay Hilana. He had nothing to offer on person, only his name and a promise that his family was good for it.

[Hilana Chenzira]

“You’re quite welcome,” Hilana was cheerful, inclining her head to him at his expression of thanks. “I am of nomadic stock, Your Lordship, and out there in the endless Expanse, it is a matter of life and death to know, or have someone with you that knows, what you can eat and what you can’t eat. To know what can save you and what will end you. I’ve always loved plants and nature, and I like to help people as I can. Plant and nature magic is the oldest of all, even before the Runes, or so it is said,” she smiled at that. “But as having followers of Ioniri around here is uncommon and their views blasphemous, that leaves it to herbalists and doctors to do as we can.”

She wiped her hands on the towel and retrieved it from the waist of the skirt, putting it on the one on the table and closing up the jar of salve she had used. “As for the snakes, I’ve always loved reptiles. I used to catch little ones as a child, and I grew up on the stories of dragons and purussaurs, the great crocodiles of the Vasta, and I used to look at the rock pythons that hid by the shores for hours... so when the opportunity came to get Tiaz, I jumped at it. Fiya is a more recent acquisition, but they’re great companions.” She had other pets; her cat that had come with her to the sands long before she had gotten an opportunity to buy her first python, and her camels, but they weren’t the subject of the conversation, and they didn’t bring the attention and stares of a place where the population revered reptiles enough that they were rarely ever killed or harmed.

“I like to think I’m doing well enough, Your Lordship, thank you,” Hilana inclined her head. “I’ve been fortunate, my teachers have been satisfied with my progress so far since I started. I tend to be quite cautious with it,” she smiled at him. It didn’t matter if she might be or might not be more skilled than her; the nomadic Vastiana wasn’t about to give herself airs or consider making herself look or seem above the young Patrician. “I’ve learned to listen to the warning signs when I’m at the precipice of overgiving, so I have managed not to burn anything down yet,” the girl chuckled, the amusement clearly aimed at herself.

The Vastiana looked on as Garr manifested earth, an inquisitive look on her face. “That is very well done indeed, sir. Are you Arche to Earth?” she inquired, her head tilting and her brown eyes bright. She focused on her own Rune, summoning her aether through it in order to manifest water. She was calm, listening as the spirits came to be, before moving her fingers and weaving the liquid through them and over her palms to give her hands a rinse. When she was satisfied, she guided the stream of water into the basin on the back counter, and stirred up the air that was ever present around them to dry her hands, offering quiet thanks to the spirits for their help. She was certainly no Master, and she wasn’t about to pretend to be, but she also hadn’t attempted to sculpt and compress like he had. Just a bit of manifestation and manipulation.

[Cloud Caelum Garr]

Garr was captivated by Hilana’s story. She seemed to be interested in all sorts of things that he took for granted. Nature, plans, snakes, crocodiles… these were things that Garr would actively try to avoid. He wondered if she was a unique soul, or if the lower class always took fascination with these sorts of things. At least he had enough common sense not to ask that particular question.

He’d say, “simply amazing. Thank you for opening my eyes to all the things I take for granted.”

He was relieved to hear that Hilana had at least some level of formal training, given she had teachers. He had never thought about the possibility of there being teachers outside of the main schools. Now that he thought about it, he supposed it made sense. He was also pleased when his magical abilities were complimented. He rarely got praise in his own household so he looked especially giddy.

Having been put in a good mood, Garr said “no, not Earth, though I thought it would be. It ended up being Wind. Have you found your Arche yet?“ He thought back to the long process he’d gone through to figure his out and how it all paid off in the end.

After giving her a chance to respond, he’d get to his feet and say, “You have a fascinating story to tell,” he’d give the woman a genuine smile and continue, “it was a pleasure being treated by you and you have my thanks. How would you like payment? I’m afraid I didn’t leave my home with any money to make purchases, but I’m sure I can have money delivered soon.” He thought she seemed nice enough to be willing to take payment later, but he knew that people could change moods on a dime when money was involved.

[Hilana Chenzira]

"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change," Hilana was cheerful when he told thanked her. It was perhaps an odd statement, but she inclined her head to him nevertheless, and folded her hands in front of her. The way he seemed to perk up a bit at her praising of his practice was familiar to her: perhaps those he was close to didn't acknowledge him or his efforts. That didn't surprise her, especially amongst the nobility. That was a tale as old as time: constantly chasing approval like a dog chasing their tail. And it was all a trap. You got yourself worked into knots trying to get it, and when you finally did, all you did was bite yourself.

But Hilana could empathize. She'd learned that lesson long ago when she was much younger, and it wasn't on her to pass judgment or comment, much less critique, her social betters.

She was attentive as he answered her, that he had become kin to Air. That was still a very strong element, and so much could be done with it, especially once he started on Blending... which Hilana had yet to do, outside of Attuning herself. If she had already taken up her Arche... well, it would be a different story. But as it was, she had yet to do so. Earth called to her. It comforted her, it played with her, it humoured her. The earthen spirits sang to the daughter of the Sands, and called her out to them constantly. It almost certainly was going to be Earth. Inasmuch as Water spoke to her as her late Mother's element... perhaps Earth was to be hers. "That is good. I would imagine that it suits you well, sir. But for myself, no, not yet, Your Lordship," she shook her head. That could have been taken however many ways: perhaps she wasn't at the appropriate level to have attained it. That was entirely plausible: she wasn't enrolled in the Academia, after all, and had whatever hodgepodge of teachers and tutors that she did and certainly was lacking the benefits of the classical education one should normally receive. Or perhaps it was just that she had not decided. In any event, Hilana wasn't about to discourage him or darken his parade. She was glad to see his mood improved since he had arrived, after all. Treat the patient. They can heal themselves. her Great-Aunt had told her on more than one occasion. This was clearly one of those times.

"That is very kind of you. It was my honour and my pleasure, Your Lordship. That is no problem; I wouldn't have expected one of your status to carry a purse with you. You can just send one of the household servii and it will be taken care of that way," she bowed her head to him. She knew how things worked. Oftentimes one shopped where they were familiar, and the rapport was established and credit extended on those experiences, or on the names and reputations of the houses involved. That was how it was in Tertium: if she was ever taken shopping, or went on her own, she left her name and told the servii, who would go and take care of it. Hilana preferred to do it herself, but considering how much effort they had gone to to try to make her into a proper Equestrian lady that didn't have such a reckless reputation preceding her... "Might I ask your name, sir? That way I know when one comes," she beamed at him.

[Cloud Caelum Garr]

“Finding my arche was quite the challenge. I’m sure you’ll get there someday,” he said. His journey to find his arche had been largely personal. In his opinion, it was not the kind of thing that could be taught. Plus, on his journey to find it, he’d become much closer to the other elements as well. Finding his arche had been a very spiritually enriching experience.

Garr was actually sad that their time together had come to a natural conclusion. He hoped that he would be seeing this healer again. With any luck it’d be under different circumstances. He had half a mind to bring the money personally but he knew it’d be a while before he had enough free time to do so.

“Yes, of course. My name is Cloud Caelum Garr,” he’d say when asked. He took a look around and made sure to memorize where this place was. “I’ll send someone as soon as I make it back home.” He wasn’t doubtful that he could get the money, he just hoped that his father wouldn’t hassle him too much about it. He devised a story to make up that would make himself seem less… pitiful.

He nodded to her and smiled at her snakes. He was very appreciative of the fact that they hadn’t done anything particularly aggressive. With that, he turned to leave. He had a feeling that he would miss the way the place smelled.

A couple hours later when he arrived at home he went to his father to ask for some money. He was busy so he just tossed Garr a small sack of coins to get him out of his face. Garr then gave the money to one of his more trusted servants and Hilana would get her payment within the day, unless something went wrong.