Logs:A Morning In The Herb Garden
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| RL Date: 5 July, 2008 |
| Who: Paige, V'delin, Nerine |
| Involves: Fort Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Paige runs into Nerine and V'delin in the herb garden; chatter ensues. |
| Where: Herb Garden, Fort Weyr |
| When: Day 12, Month 12, Turn 16 (Interval 10) |
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| Winter's dim rays glint off of the structures around the herb garden, leaving the area bathed in a dim sort of glimmer. A few workers clear the remains of one raised bed, pulling frozen weed stalks and mending a plant frame that's seen better days. One slim figure, clad in a thick coat and stocking cap, moves among the regular garden beds, stooping to kneel and digging with an inquisitive finger to unearth the small plant labels remaining there. Nope, not that one. Or that one. Hmm. Nerine gives a sturdy yawn as she enters the icy morning air; the smaller scribe hugs the edges of the too large cloak around her frame tighter as she sleepily makes her way to the herb garden for what else another chore before klah grinding. Her eyes fix on the unfamiliar mustached face and she gives a slight wave. "Morning!" Wrapped in a coat that's a bit too large for her, Paige's entrance into the herb garden is cautious, hands stuffed deep into pockets and movements, careful. Almost /too/ careful. Giving plants a wary look as she passes them, she veers off to maneuver toward Nerine, giving the other girl a cheery wave. And then she notices V'delin, pale face flushing a little through the cold. "Mornin', " she chimes in, adding a little nod. Judging by the way he startles, V'delin clearly didn't expect to be noticed, nope, not out here in the open, poking at herb tags. He sits up as a second person joins the first, gives the herb tags a rueful glance, and dons a somewhat-cheery countenance. "Morning indeed." He checks side to side, as if to identify a legitamate reason for his presence. "Just, uh, looking for anything that had gone to seed but not been collected." In months. "So, what're you two about this morning, and without a cup of klah to warm your hands?" The last with a nod toward Paige, as last he saw her, she was thus occupied. Nerine rubs an eye tentatively. "Chores." She answers simply enough, glancing over the rider. "Nerine, former scribe and current Candidate of Fort Weyr." She offers politely extending a hand. "and I was hoping to get a bit of some sort of evergreen for a project." "Takin' a walk, " Paige replies, giving the nearby plants a wary glance. "And tryin' to avoid whatever it was that gave me some extra, red spots the other day." She still isn't sure what it is, see. "Had my cup inside, this mornin', " she adds more brightly, pale gaze flicking to the dirt and herb tags at the rider's feet. "Have ya found any, yet, that they missed?" V'delin gets to his feet, brushing the dirt off of his trousers before accepting Nerine's hand, shaking firmly. "V'delin. Well met." He gives her a customary once-over, though the winter garb blocks most of her silhouette, then releases her hand and tucks his own back into his pockets. "A project? Is this something candidates are working on, then, or a more personal pursuit?" Though Paige's mention causes Ven to make an apologetic face, "Found none yet. Spots? Hope that wasn't a fault of mine - I ended up getting some balm and that cleared the rash right up. That, and not scratching it." Nerine nods smiling briefly to Paige before continuing on to answer the rider's query. "Basket auction for rider shadowing, in this weather I figure a bit of greenery might cheer anyone up." She grins. Paige returns Nerine's smile, hands still firmly pocketed. "Naw, not yer fault, V'delin, " she reassures. "Got mine 'bout a day or two after I saw ya, tryin' to help someone out here. Walked past one of 'em, don't remember which, and poof, spots." Of doom. "Glad yers went away, though. Had ter get some creme from the healer fer mine. 'Twas pretty oily." Grimace. Glancing about the garden again, she gives Nerine a doubtful look. "'Twould cheer folks up, but g'luck findin' somethin' green. Looks like the cold's already startin' t'get ter most of 'em." "Oh, so yours'll have greenery in it?" V'delin uses the opportunity to take another look at the brunette candidate, storing away that tidbit. "I'd heard about that. Interesting concept. Maybe it'll make some of the candidates feel less homesick, to make reminders." Shrug, then a look around for said evergreens. "Ugh, yeah. The oily stuff." A nod of agreement, then a gesture past the bush-hedge. "Helps, but causes other problems. Oh, that could be a good pick over there? It's got some of those tree-berry-seed things on it still." Nerine gives a half smile. "I don't have to worry much about being homesick, well I miss the records room true enough but I have lived in fort all my life." She wrinkles a nose at the mention of the goop used to clear the rash. "Paige you might want to watch where you step this time round, I'd hate for you to have to deal with that again." She gives the girl a soft and bright smile. Her eyes flick in the direction indicated and she moves quickly to snap up some of the leafy twigs. "Should do nicely!" she responds with a smile. "Yeah, " says Paige to both; creme's a bother and getting a second rash would /not/ help matters any. At all. "Dun worry, Nerine, I'm a'plannin' to stay clear of the plants. If'n I hafta move out of the path, I'll go stand by the pool." Can't get an allergic reaction from standing over there, right? Following the candidate's movements with her gaze, she watches her snap up a few twigs, expression curious. "What else y'gotta put in that basket o'yours?" V'delin shakes his head at the mention of the records room. "Ugh. I don't know how scribes stand it. Stuffy, smells musty and of decaying hides - if I wanted that, I'd work in the stables." He follows Nerine a few paces as she collects the twigs, stripping some of the dead leaves from the hedge-bushes near the pool in the garden's center, though as Paige comments about the plants, he gives the hedge a mistrusting look: maybe it will cause a rash, too. Nerine ponders upon the question a moment. "Well there is this wonderful Klah mixture My mother used to make, she'd mix the powder with dried cream and sweetener and it would serve well to warm up in the winter months, would store nicely in jars too, so you could make a large batch and store it." She closes her eyes and a smile makes it obvious she remembers the taste. She opens her eyes to raise a brow at V'delin. "Mostly smelled like dried herbs when I worked in there, I will have you know the hides were well preserved and looked after. It *never* smelled like the stables thank you." She curtly replies offense obviously taken. The bitter expression is released as he eyes the plants as though they might bite him however. Paige glances from one to the other, expression very out-of-place. "Er, workin' in the stables i'nt bad, either, " she offers awkwardly. "Was thinkin' 'bout it, I mean, if'n I stay fer another sevenday or two. Can't laze 'round if'n I keep hangin' 'round here, can I?" V'delin's expression gives her due pause, however; throwing caution to the wind, she backs away from that hedge. There's a polite moment where V'delin listens to the description of Nerine's memory-via-flavors, then he laughs. "Sounds like it could use a good dollop of liquor and it'd be perfect." Her offence merely provokes a wider smile. "Must just be the scent of hides. Straps smell like stables to me, too, and they're in my weyr." The bronzerider scoots clear of the hedge, instead frowning at the thick algae in the bottom of the pool before shrugging at Paige. "Stable work is steady, true enough, and being this close to Fort proper, there's enough scents in bath soaps to cover any lingering...odors." Nerine chuckles at Paige's words. "Paige, as far as I can tell you've never lazed about, and as far as work, there is always something that needs doing somewhere, despite the influx of candidates to pass the duties onto." She grins at the girl as though considering something for a moment before giving a bright laugh as the two skirt the bush. "You both will do no good in the Herb garden though that is for certain." She nods to V'delin as he mentions liquor "well It's premixed so you could add hot liquor or water or even milk and It would work out just the same I think." She furrows her brow as he continues on about her hides but leaves it. She uses the cloak to make a makeshift sack for her collection and tumbles the twigs into it easily, shivering slightly through the thick wool of the sweater that had taken the place of her usual tunic. "You must have a fairly sensitive nose I think." "Aw, thanks. Haven't had a proper job here, yet, " which apparently equates to lazing about for Paige. "And s'good t'know 'bout them bath soaps. Used nothin' but the soapsand in the caverns yet, but if'n I do stay on and take the job, least I'll know fer sure the soaps'll get the hide smell off." As Nerine bundles her twigs into her cloak, she gives the other girl a concerned look, fingers wriggling in her pockets. "Lemme help ya take those back in, " she offers, "I gotta thick sweater underneath m'coat if'n ya wanna wear it back. Don't wanna catch yer death o'cold out here." "She was asking me about work the first time I met her, and I think she'd been visiting less than a sevenday, is that right, Paige?" V'delin smirks agreement with Nerine's assessment, then shrugs haplessly. "I worked with leather and cloth before - not sure why hides tanned for clothing have a different scent. Hadn't thought about it much, but perhaps you're right." He frowns, not entirely pleased with that likely truth of a 'sensitive nose.' "You can get scents, for the soapsands. I've seen them, I mean." Feeling awkward, he tugs at his coat. "It only gets colder, so staying warm's a good idea." Furtively, he looks back toward the herb labels, then nods to the pair. "Ought to finish what I'd started with the labels before I start the errands I'm on today. See you around." Nerine smiles at Paige's concern. "actually I was getting ready to head back in to grind Klah bark, If you are that *desperate* for something to do you could come too, I am sure the kitchen staff won't mind." She turns her gaze quickly back to the bronze rider with a smile. "Yes, usually you just powder whatever herb you want to smell like and mix it in. though they have plant oils that work even better but I suspect we should steer clear of those until you both know what it was you reacted to." She nods at the mention of the cold and gives a smile. "Well then See you around V'delin!" she heads back to the caverns, but stops as if waiting for something, perhaps to see if the other girl will come along. "Yep, " Paige confirms with a brief nod, filing away the possibility of scents for soapsand for the future. "I'm sure 'tis already colder back at Balen. Prolly startin' t'get blizzards any day now." If they haven't already. And as the bronzerider returns to his herbs, she gives him a grin and a cheerful, "See ya 'round." Then, she follows Nerine back, apparently deciding that grinding klah bark doesn't sound so bad, after all. The lean fellow ruefully nods at the scribe's advice. "Pretty sure I reacted to the bushes I fell into, but that's a sage suggestion nonetheless." There's an unrepressible smirk from Ven at Nerine's invite to share her chore: "And it's less onerous if there's someone to talk to while you work. A win-arrangement all around. Good day to you both." Work continues in the garden on a plant trellis and on general tidying, and as they head off, V'delin kneels again near the small herb labels, still searching for something in particular, and seemingly pleased to be able to do so without attracting further notice. |
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