| Knocks on the door
Madeline knocked on the door to the bedroom gently and listened for an answer. When none came, she opened the door and peered in. A note sat upon the bed. Setting her pack upon the ground, and herself on the beds edge she read the note.
"Darn, Ive lost track of time again. Ah well."
She layed a cloth over the beds cover, then began to take the bundles out of her bag. From the beams in the house she hung each fresh herb in rows to dry. It filled the room with the scents of the earth. The smell of of the Valarian root nearly made tears come to her eyes, and this she placed at the far end of the room surrounded by sweet smelling Lavandar, and Chammomile. The roots of a lilly hung near as well, useful as a mordant for dyes. The list went on:
Purple Cone flowers and yellow daisy-like Arnica with its downly leaves,
St. Johns Wort to make a blood red oil that would help heal wounds and skin inflamations.
Feverfew, to ease the joints of elders and bring down fevers and warm chills
Marsh-Mallow root for complaints of the stomach, to make into sweet candies with crystalized honey
Foxglove to reduce the swelling in feet and promote circulation, very dangerous if given too much.
Comfrey to remidy the pain of wounds and heal broken bones, bruises and skin alike. (to this she chuckled at the old wives tale for this powerful yet gentle herb that if a woman took a bath in the herb it would restore her maidenhood)
These and many more she had seen and collected to be used at Tel'mar and added to the healing stores for all the knights to use.
Springs thaw had woken Gaia and her children. Madeline had watched the birds sing in their nests in quest for their mates, rejoicing in the life they had. She watched silently as a doe gave birth to twins, hidden in a cluster of tall heathers, a sure sign of fecundity. Maddy left some sweet grass and a wooden bowl of fresh water for the young mother. A pair of foxes leaped and played. Squirrels chattered overhead, leaping from branch to branch playfully, one chittering excitedly to the other, taunting her Beau with calls of "catch me if you can" and seductively waving her tail before dashing off, her mate in hot persuit.
Maddy's thoughts turned to one she'd left in Tel'mar to care for an ailing woman who had been attacked by drow. Gone out to the woods to collect herbs to help her heal, Maddy had lost track of time once again. She smiled to herself, thinking of the look in his eyes when he gazed into hers, and blushed remebering the softness of his lips...
She blinked and it was morning. Dew clung to the edges of her hair. She felt a strong urge to return. She now had two homes. Nature was everywhere...Gaia would always be with her. She was needed in Tel'mar. |