The Medicine House
Dusk, 30th Ymiden 720
The Medicine House was a flurry. The nurses scurried attending to their patients, while others secured the windows, boarding them up where possible. Zephy's stomach fluttered with anticipation, her brow beaded with sweat in the dense heat of Ymiden. She didn't quite know what she should be at, all she knew was that Tey'droa had warned her of a storm heading their way. She never said how big of a storm. Though, by the hollow wails whistling through the trees of Desnind, Zephy's gut twisted anxiously telling her it was to be a big one.
Zephy's duty though, was to the Medicine House's garden. Without the herbs in the garden the patients couldn't be as well looked after as they are, it would leave the nurses without the means to cure simple ailments, let alone the big ones that sometimes came through the doors. It was a heavy burden upon such young shoulders, but Zephy thought back to the business she helped her mother run and knew it was no different.
Biting her lower lip, Zephy turned from the chaotic patient ward and gazed over her shoulder, scanning the glass roof and walls of the green house behind her. Shaking her head to herself she knew that if a storm was coming those fragile walls might not hold. Thinking back to what her mentor had said, she rushed to the herbs and plants she knew to be the most valuable and carefully scooped what pots she could in her arms. Travelling on the road with her mother, Zephy had learned long ago how to protect her wards should they be at risk.
With her spare fingertips Zephy dragged an empty crate from beneath the tables clattered with vials and containers. Flipping it over, she carefully lay the pots side by side, keeping sure that the leaves and foliage of the herbs and plants had room, so as not to damage them. Rushing back to the far corner of the inside garden, Zephy ducked beneath a large table, over run by a miniature forest of other various shrubs and flowers and grabbed hold of a large sack full of soil.
Gritting her teeth and grunting with each step, Zephy hauled the sack across the wooden floor; the sack groaning and scratching the surface with each pull. The sack was nearly as tall as she but lives were at stake. The lives of her plants. To Zephy they were just as precious as any of the Sever. Reaching the crate of Zephy's most prized herbs, she scooped bare handfuls of soil as fast as she could into the spaces between the pots. Shouts and orders carried in from the next room more urgently, only to be drowned out by the groans and creaking of the branches upon which the Medicine House sat.
With each crack and snap Zephy flinched. Her mind raced with images of the branches giving way to the storm and the entire building crumbling to the forest floor! Who's bright idea was it to build Desnind in the trees anyway! Zephy almost felt sick as her stomach churned. Swallowing back the rising fear, she concentrated on her task at hand. It was fine. They would be fine. Desnind has stood for hundreds of arcs.
Satisfied that there was enough soil to secure the plant pots in place within the crate, Zephy searched through several other crates of different sizes. Flinging ones too small away carelessly, she ravaged the simple collection of containers frantically. Each screaming howl of the wind, each violent rattle of the pained glass walls about her, spurred her on faster. Finally eyeing one of the right size, Zephy lurched for it and hauled it out from under the broad table.
Carefully she lowered the empty wooden box over the top of her packed out treasure chest. Smiling and nodding to herself in satisfaction that it would sit perfectly, she sat back on her haunches and flicked her cerulean gaze over the table tops within the large green house. She needed something to tie the two crates together, something strong and unyielding. Chewing the inside of her cheek, Zephy gasped aloud as a thought struck her, "Ah!"
Scurrying across the floor on her hands and knees to beneath the table of shrubs and flowers, where she had found the soil sack, she found a coarse length of cord sealing another bag of fresh soil. Ripping it away from the sack, Zephy stumbled as fast as she could to her prized chest and wrapped it around the top and bottom boxes, sealing them together. She had no idea how to knot properly, so instead made as many tight, double knots as she could. Now, where to hide them. She needed somewhere more secure than the green house. Somewhere protected and solid.
Scrambling to her feet, she wrapped her soft fingers around the coarse cord and began to heave the treasure chest across the floor of the green house. Grunting and clenching her teeth against the strain, Zephy dragged the chest, slowly but surely out of the garden and into the chaotic building of the Medicine house.
Zephy ignored the scurrying nurses as much as they ignored her. Both too preoccupied with their own tasks in a race against nature. Sliding the chest past the patient ward and into the corridors, Zephy found a storage cupboard and took a quick peek inside. Panting hard, she took a moment to catch her breath as well as appraise the shelves. Deeming her crate of herbs to be more important than that of the fresh linens and blankets, she flung the bundles of cloth to the floor to make room for her box inside the closet.
Once it was inside Zephy breathed a sigh of relief and slumped a moment against the doorway of the closet, catching her breath after the tense rush. Suddenly she felt a hand upon her shoulder and she gasped in surprise!
Spinning around on the spot ,mouth agape, she sighed at the sight of Tey'droa; who remained unflustered unlike the rest of the Medicine House staff.
"Tey'droa! What else needs done? Where can I help?"
Tey'droa smiled tightly, the wrinkles between her brows betrayed the calmness in her voice as she lay a comforting hand upon Zephy's smaller paw, "Nothing my darling, I assume those are the herbs most precious to us?"
Zephy almost laughed and nodded, "In which case your job here is done. You had better be off home before the storm hits. I do not want you to leave your home until it passes, do you hear me?"
Zephy nodded earnestly. She had no desire to be wondering the walkways of Desnind with that howling going on outside. The rattling of the walls and creaking of the floor boards beneath their feet made Zephy want to hide under the bed and close her eyes until it was all over.
"Good, now be off with you. I'll send for you once it has passed."
Giving Tey'droa a quick hug, Zephy leapt away before the old woman could utter a word. Grabbing her thick coat on the way out the main doorway of the Medicine House and into the gales of the forest.
Zephy's duty though, was to the Medicine House's garden. Without the herbs in the garden the patients couldn't be as well looked after as they are, it would leave the nurses without the means to cure simple ailments, let alone the big ones that sometimes came through the doors. It was a heavy burden upon such young shoulders, but Zephy thought back to the business she helped her mother run and knew it was no different.
Biting her lower lip, Zephy turned from the chaotic patient ward and gazed over her shoulder, scanning the glass roof and walls of the green house behind her. Shaking her head to herself she knew that if a storm was coming those fragile walls might not hold. Thinking back to what her mentor had said, she rushed to the herbs and plants she knew to be the most valuable and carefully scooped what pots she could in her arms. Travelling on the road with her mother, Zephy had learned long ago how to protect her wards should they be at risk.
With her spare fingertips Zephy dragged an empty crate from beneath the tables clattered with vials and containers. Flipping it over, she carefully lay the pots side by side, keeping sure that the leaves and foliage of the herbs and plants had room, so as not to damage them. Rushing back to the far corner of the inside garden, Zephy ducked beneath a large table, over run by a miniature forest of other various shrubs and flowers and grabbed hold of a large sack full of soil.
Gritting her teeth and grunting with each step, Zephy hauled the sack across the wooden floor; the sack groaning and scratching the surface with each pull. The sack was nearly as tall as she but lives were at stake. The lives of her plants. To Zephy they were just as precious as any of the Sever. Reaching the crate of Zephy's most prized herbs, she scooped bare handfuls of soil as fast as she could into the spaces between the pots. Shouts and orders carried in from the next room more urgently, only to be drowned out by the groans and creaking of the branches upon which the Medicine House sat.
With each crack and snap Zephy flinched. Her mind raced with images of the branches giving way to the storm and the entire building crumbling to the forest floor! Who's bright idea was it to build Desnind in the trees anyway! Zephy almost felt sick as her stomach churned. Swallowing back the rising fear, she concentrated on her task at hand. It was fine. They would be fine. Desnind has stood for hundreds of arcs.
Satisfied that there was enough soil to secure the plant pots in place within the crate, Zephy searched through several other crates of different sizes. Flinging ones too small away carelessly, she ravaged the simple collection of containers frantically. Each screaming howl of the wind, each violent rattle of the pained glass walls about her, spurred her on faster. Finally eyeing one of the right size, Zephy lurched for it and hauled it out from under the broad table.
Carefully she lowered the empty wooden box over the top of her packed out treasure chest. Smiling and nodding to herself in satisfaction that it would sit perfectly, she sat back on her haunches and flicked her cerulean gaze over the table tops within the large green house. She needed something to tie the two crates together, something strong and unyielding. Chewing the inside of her cheek, Zephy gasped aloud as a thought struck her, "Ah!"
Scurrying across the floor on her hands and knees to beneath the table of shrubs and flowers, where she had found the soil sack, she found a coarse length of cord sealing another bag of fresh soil. Ripping it away from the sack, Zephy stumbled as fast as she could to her prized chest and wrapped it around the top and bottom boxes, sealing them together. She had no idea how to knot properly, so instead made as many tight, double knots as she could. Now, where to hide them. She needed somewhere more secure than the green house. Somewhere protected and solid.
Scrambling to her feet, she wrapped her soft fingers around the coarse cord and began to heave the treasure chest across the floor of the green house. Grunting and clenching her teeth against the strain, Zephy dragged the chest, slowly but surely out of the garden and into the chaotic building of the Medicine house.
Zephy ignored the scurrying nurses as much as they ignored her. Both too preoccupied with their own tasks in a race against nature. Sliding the chest past the patient ward and into the corridors, Zephy found a storage cupboard and took a quick peek inside. Panting hard, she took a moment to catch her breath as well as appraise the shelves. Deeming her crate of herbs to be more important than that of the fresh linens and blankets, she flung the bundles of cloth to the floor to make room for her box inside the closet.
Once it was inside Zephy breathed a sigh of relief and slumped a moment against the doorway of the closet, catching her breath after the tense rush. Suddenly she felt a hand upon her shoulder and she gasped in surprise!
Spinning around on the spot ,mouth agape, she sighed at the sight of Tey'droa; who remained unflustered unlike the rest of the Medicine House staff.
"Tey'droa! What else needs done? Where can I help?"
Tey'droa smiled tightly, the wrinkles between her brows betrayed the calmness in her voice as she lay a comforting hand upon Zephy's smaller paw, "Nothing my darling, I assume those are the herbs most precious to us?"
Zephy almost laughed and nodded, "In which case your job here is done. You had better be off home before the storm hits. I do not want you to leave your home until it passes, do you hear me?"
Zephy nodded earnestly. She had no desire to be wondering the walkways of Desnind with that howling going on outside. The rattling of the walls and creaking of the floor boards beneath their feet made Zephy want to hide under the bed and close her eyes until it was all over.
"Good, now be off with you. I'll send for you once it has passed."
Giving Tey'droa a quick hug, Zephy leapt away before the old woman could utter a word. Grabbing her thick coat on the way out the main doorway of the Medicine House and into the gales of the forest.