Logs:Touring Healer Hall
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| RL Date: 18 April, 2008 |
| Who: Daegan, Madilla |
| Involves: Healer Hall |
| Type: Log |
| What: Daegan has been assigned to show Madilla around; while in the herb garden, they pause for a conversation that involves spinners, families, and the reasons they're at the Hall, anyway. |
| Where: Herb Garden, Healer Hall |
| When: Day 28, Month 1, Turn 16 (Interval 10) |
| Herb Garden - Healer Hall Trundlebugs galore! This Herb Garden is crawling with a wide variety of trundlebugs, and filled with the scent of growing herbs. Paths lead between the many beds of herbs, and this area is dotted with benches where people can stop and rest. The garden is surrounded on all sides by hedges and trellis-work, and there are bins and racks where herbs are laid out to dry whenever the weather allows. A sign is posted near the entrance, which ought to be viewed more closely. It is with a long suffering sigh that Daegan arrives with Madilla in tow in the Healer Hall's herb garden. He pauses just at the entrance to allow his hand to sweep in front of him to indicate the general area. "And this, is the herb garden. Hope you like bugs. You'll be spendin' loads of time in here helpin' plant, weed, harvest, an' all that dumb stuff. 'Specially if'n you decide you like pharmacy stuff best." He wrinkles his nose slightly, though his eyes search the ground nearest him and he plucks up a long-legged gossamer spinner who had the bad luck to be wandering by on its eight legs just at that moment - one of the harmless breeds that seem to be everywhere. He grabs it by a single leg before placing it in his open palm before turning about to swing that hand towards Maddie's face with a grin, "You do -like- bugs, don'tcha?" He'll have the good sense to stop before the bug in his hand is near enough that it might try anything (like crawling onto her face), but only just barely out of that range. Madilla does not appear much happier with her tour guide, though she has obvious interest in the tour itself. She digs her hands into the pockets of her coat against the chill, chiding the boy in a gentle tone: "Herbs are interesting, really. Learning what each one does, and how to prepare it - it /is/ interesting." She's speaking right as Daegan leans down to get the spinner, and as he turns to face her with it, she lets out a little shriek, jumping backwards. "That wasn't /nice/," she complains, annoyed, quite possibly as much with herself for reacting, as Daegan for the initial action. She gives the little spinner a dubious, nose wrinkled glance, now that she's a little further away, but doesn't flinch back any more. "You don't /have/ to be mean to me, you know." Daegan is too busy laughing at the shriek to head the complaint. As he's doubled over with hands held towards the ground, the spinner makes an escape from being used as further pawn in this boy's cruel plottings. When he manages to right himself, his cheeks are red from the blood that rushed to his head though not indicating embarrassment, but rather mirth. He stares bright-eyed at the girl, "Where's the fun in being nice to a silly girl? I mean, if'n you was a boy, you might be my friend someday - but any boy who's gonna squeal like a baby porcine when they get a spinner up close can't be no friend of mine." He declares and leaning down this time he picks up a stick, a fallen support from one of the taller-growing herbs. "An' herbs are not interestin'. You come here with all of these crazy ideas. Like you -want- to be a healer or somethin'." Perhaps its easy for the lad to assume that just because he doesn't avidly want to follow in his Gran's footsteps, no one else does either. "'Sides, yer gonna have to read and write a lot better'n you can if'n you want to do stuff with herbs." He needles. "Way more hides on herbs than anythin' else I've seen so far." "I only squealed because I was surprised. Bugs are okay. Most of them have their uses, too," argues Madilla, hands on hips, attempting to defend herself. "I could too be your friend, but probably I don't want to be, if you treat me like that. And anyway," she continues, sounding pompous, "Of course I want to be a Healer. That's why I came here. Just because you're only a Healer because your grandmother wants you to be... not all of us are like that!" His last comment draws a burning blush to her cheeks; she ducks her head, looking away. She doesn't seem to have anything to say to that - but she's obviously ashamed. Daegan snorts in disbelief of her claim, "Yeah, sure, you did. S'what -all- the girls do." He eyes her, "Nothin' to be ashamed of." His grin springs back onto his face belying those words though. The grin is quickly transformed into a smug smirk, "No, you couldn't. 'Cause I don't want you t'be my friend. I guess you're not much good at sums then as well as writin', because boy plus girl does not equal friends. Ever." He seems resolute on this last point. He moves then down one of the paths, eyes rolling up and down the herbs as he brandishes that steak he picked up like a sword, slicing through the air as he goes. "Its better to be like that. Then ya don't gotta work as hard. If'n my Gran wasn't a healer, I'd've had to work sooooo hard." He says this with a tone of relief, "S'why its great that Gran is here. Good thing she's not too old yet either. I've got some turns t'waste before I've gotta actually do any work." He turns his head to beam lordingly over at Madilla. He's proud of his indolence, apparently. Madilla says, following the age old tradition of children and early teens, "Just shut up. Okay? Shut up." With that, she, too, takes a few steps away from the doorway, moving down a different row to Daegan to inspect the plants, which look pretty barren at this point in winter. She leans down to look at a basil plant, sniffing at it curiously, then moves on towards the hypericum, further down the row. "Why be a healer at all, if you don't really want to be?" she asks, then, after a period of silence. "I'm sure if you talked to your grandmother, she might consider another option for you." One part of the garden is enclosed by a high fence with a padlocked gate. Though climbable, there are skull-and-crossbones signs indicating that the plants growing here are very dangerous. As a Healer, you know that the herbs used here are the source of a number of powerful medicines, but that many of them must be harvested with care and special procedures. Many of them would be dangerous to any animals or humans that might wander by. Only Healers or those with extensive plant knowledge should even walk here. Daegan seems to sober at this last suggestion she makes, "Obviously." He begins, turning towards a row and thrusting the piece of wood into the hardened ground (though it doesn't stick in very far, which is likely why it had initially fallen), "You haven't met my Gran. Spend all yer life being raised by a woman like her and then try tellin' her you don't want to be a Healer. Fate's sealed. Signed. And delivered." He gives a shrug of his shoulders, "I tried t'get myself kicked out all my first turn here. Nothin' works. So here I am, and here I'll stay. I even tried bein' bad at things I'm good at so they'd think I didn't have what it takes." He frowns, "No good." He shrugs his shoulders. He watches her with the plands few moments and then comments, "Th'only real good thing about herb duty is that ya get to play in the mud." He beams for this. Oh, boys. Madilla's first response is mild, a kind of joke in as much as the serious apprentice makes jokes at all. "I suppose that means there's a good chance they won't ask /me/ to leave, then." There's just enough seriousness in her tone to suggest that this is something that's crossed her mind - being asked to leave. She continues, rather more seriously this time, as she wipes a dirt-and-snow covered hand on her apron. "I'm sorry you're unhappy. We do, of course, have to do what our elders tell us to. They know best. What about your grandfather? Mightn't he want you to follow in his footsteps, passed through the line? Surely that would come first." The Golden Child quirks an eyebrow at Madilla's words, "Why, you got a Gran who's a Master in the craft and who always sticks her neck out for you too?" His tone is curious, though doubting. "Yer gonna have to work hard if you expect t'stay, like all them other sorry sods." Then he lets out a bark of laughter for her next suggestion. "You really -haven't- met my Gran, have you. Gran, well, she's like an ocean says my Gramps." Daegan begins slowly, "Accordin' to him, she wares away at you over time. Don't get me wrong, he loves her like nothin' else in the world, and she him too, but there's no arguin' with her when her minds made up. Gramps handles the marks, Gran handles the brood. When Mam couldn't take care of me and her rider duties, she sent me on down to live with Gran and Gramps at the Hold. I walk over for my classes an' all. She's had me helpin' her as much as patient privacy allowed since I was about five. Starts out real subtle - then -wham-, you're caught by your toe in her trap and t'ain't nothin' you can do about it. Watch out for that'un, she's sneaky. Don't let her age fool you." He warns. "I meant-- because of my writing." Madilla's flushing again, ducking her head down towards the plants, as if they're suddenly even more than ever the most fascinating thing she's ever seen. The rest of Daegan's words she listens to in silence, busying herself with plucking off a single twig from one of the nearby plants, to twist it through her fingers. "I've never seen so many authoritative women before. At home... it's all my Uncle. Women are supposed to listen to their men. Obey them." Beat. "Your mother's a Dragonrider?" This draws a new curiosity from the younger girl, who gives Daegan an appraising look. More quietly, she adds, "Your grandmother, and all the Masters and Journeymen, they're my superiors. I'll do what I'm told; there's no need for sneakiness." "Dad too." Daegan adds, "Flight baby, Gran says. Mam's Ularioth - he's a big brown - I've seen him a few times now," And that clears up exactly how much contact this fellow's had with his parents over the turns. Firmly a fostered child. "Caught Dad's Gehrith. And the dragons helped make me." He finishes proudly. Obviously, despite his healer apprentice status, no one's st down to have the avians and the VTOLs discussion with him yet. "Gran'd tear yer uncle apart." Egan's voice is certain. "Most of the Craft women would, I 'spect. Most of them'd tan your hide soon as you'd look at 'em a way they didn't like." He sniffs then, eyeing her, "Easier fer you tho'. Yer one o'them. Its always us lads they're on about." This is said in a grumble. "S'why I'm always at Fort when I've not got classes or duties - they let me do chores up there instead so as I can be with my friends who've been with me since I was a little." Supposing he isn't one still. Then a thought occurs to him as his eyes find Madilla again, "Say, if'n you have to obey men - does that mean you've got to obey me? 'Cause that'd be fun, I think." He grins. Madilla digests this with interest, noting, "I've never met a Dragonrider. Nor, for that matter, someone who doesn't really know their parents. I don't see how the Dragons could help make you, though. It's-- um." She breaks off, and, instead of making another attempt at conversing on that particular subject, shakes her head. "I doubt she would. Or any of them. My Uncle may not be a Crafter, but he's not going to be overwhelmed by a woman like that. Even the other men - my father, and his other brothers, and all their sons - respect my Uncle, and do what he says." She, too, is absolutely convinced of this. "And no, I don't have to obey you at all. That'd be like saying I had to obey my little brother. That's dumb." "Anyway," says Madilla, rising back to her feet a little unsteadily. "It's cold out here. And there's more things you're supposed to show me. Come on." And off they go again. |
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