Apothecary Training

[Mayquiri]

((Reserved for Pinkroses))
 
“Beautiful day for a walk, isn’t it?” Arjan called out to Liam as he led the boy out and away from the city walls, and into the open wilderness. And it was a beautiful day too. None to warm, plenty of sun, and a light, pleasant, breeze. Clearly, Arjan was enjoying himself so much, he didn’t even look to be searching for herbs and other such plants. Well, at least not to one who didn’t know him very well.

Arjan was on the lookout alright, his eyes continually scanned the area around the young men, catching on every flower of a different color or shape, every patch of shade, and every shrub. He knew exactly where to look to find what he needed. He just hadn’t found anything yet.

[pinkroses]

Liam gave a quiet grunt, which could have been agreement, but was much more likely to be disapproval at this whole idea. Last night this had seemed like such a good idea, starting new, having a place to sleep, learning something new, but now that he was up in the cold morning, the cool breeze feeling like a harsh wind blowing through his thin shirt and the dew wetting his feet the boy couldn’t help wishing her was back in one of the cities back alleys, curled up warm with a few other boys, ready for the excitement of stealing breakfast from one of the morning stalls. The two companions out this morning obviously had very different idea of what made for a good day for a walk.

But he was here now and Liam had agreed to do this so he wasn’t going to back out, not yet anyway. His dark eyes glanced towards the healer, watching him with a small frown. There were so many things about him that Liam didn’t understand, but he thought that he might be able to get used to them… with time. The lanky teen stumbled over a root and cursed under his breath as he rubbed at his toes, then he rubbed his hand over the scar on his face as he glanced at Arjan again.

“What we lookin’ f’ anyhow?” he asked with a scowl, hoping that if he had any idea what they were supposed to be finding then this might be a bit more interesting.

[Mayquiri]

Seeing Liam trip, Arjan went to see if he was alright.  After all, trippig like that could be disasterous to Arjan.  The young man had to admit, Liam was a strong young boy, and Arjan was rather frail, but he still worried a bit.  "Y\'ok there Liam?" Arjan asked a she watched the young man, grinning faintly when he looked down ta the root.

When he registered roughy what the root was, Arjan chuckled to himself.  "Well, no\'tha piece o\'wood you\'ve tripped on.  D\'ya know what mint looks like?" He asked curiously as he begun walking again, confidant that Liam was perfectly fit.  Oh, Arjan knew that the boy wasn\'t having fun, but, if he really wanted to learn, he\'d stay and make himself useful.  If he truely hated this and wanted nothing mor eto do with his choice, no harm no foul.  Liam could leave, a little better off, as he\'d be full and have clean clothes on his back.  Perhaps a rudimentary knowledge of what would save his ass and what would kill him too.

[pinkroses]

“I’m fine,” Liam said quickly, glad that he’d managed to stop himself from falling flat on his face, he just felt a bit stupid about missing his step like that. But he’d get used to it, he was fairly sure of that. And he wanted to stick with it until he was. Liam could be stubborn and right now he’d convinced himself to stay, so he would.

“Mint? No, what’s ‘at?” he asked, watching the ground more carefully now as he picked his way through the undergrowth. Liam could just about cook a few meals, because he’d have been beaten by his uncle if he didn’t put food on the table, but he’d never used any of the herbs or other bits and pieces Mia had left around. He’d never even tasted or smelt mint knowingly, let alone seen it in its raw form.

[Mayquiri]

"It was in that stuff I put innyer cuts yesterday.  Didja smell somethin strong, an fresh, and sharp, and generally good?  tha\'was mint.  Grows in wet dirt.  Jagged, kinda pointy leaves.  Little ball-like white flowers.  Be easier fer y\'t know it when Ah see it." Arjan explained distracted as he resumed his search.
 
Nearly a full five minutes later, Arjan exclaimed happily as he ound precisely what he was looking for.  It wasn\'t a tall plant, not even a full foot tall.  and due to it\'s shape, it clended in rather well with the meadow grasses and such.  It was a thin stalk, with several oval shaped, serrated leaves jutting out at regular intervals.  Tiny white little flowers grew at the base of each leaf.  "This, is mint." Arjan explained proudly as he plucked a single leaf before handing it to Liam.  "Snap it an sniff it.  Iffen y\'like the smell, y\'can chew on it.  He\'ps wiv stomach aches, raw stuff can freshen yer breath, an it he\'ps keep cuts clean from rot, or cool and soothe bug bites an rashes.  good stuff.  Very common too."

[pinkroses]

Liam gave a small nod as Arjan described the plant, but when they began searching again, despite straining his eyes looking at all the different plants and weeds, Liam didn’t spot anything. He really didn’t have a clue what he was looking for, at the moment all these leaves looked the same to him.

The boy accepted the small lead once Arjan found it and handed it too him, examining it with a small frown of concentration and doing the same to the rest of the plant as well. He turned the small green leaf over between his grubby fingers, smelling the scent of it and glancing up at the healer with amazement as he listed the various things this small thing could do.

“All tha’, from jus’ this lil’ thing?” he asked, his dark eyes widening with interest as he did as instructed, snapping the leaf and sniffing it before gingerly nibbling on an edge. He dropped a finger down to touch the dirt to see if it was wet, like Arjan had said and after wiping the mud from his fingers onto his trousers he stood up again, still turning the leaf over between his fingers.

“How d’y’ get t’know this stuff? Who finds it out in the first place?” he said with a thoughtful look, not really expecting a reply. Who found out how to do anything? Just by chance really and testing, like how people first came up with recipes, trial and chance.

[Mayquiri]

Nodding, Arjan grinned at Liam\'s wonder.  It made snese though, as far as Arjan cared, Mint was a wonder herb.  It did nearly anything.  that was why he added it to almost everything, so long as he had enough.  "Generally, yeah.  Some o\'the diff\'rent kinds o\'mint\'re better fer diffe\'rent things.  But s\'all good." He chuckled as he begun plucking leaves off of the plant.  Arjan didn\'t quite take half of the leaves, wanting the plant to remain alive for one, and not wanting to harvest anything before it was ripe.  The leaf he had given Liam was to old and dry to use for most teas, but it would give a good eough impression as to what the plant was.

Hearing Liam\'s question, Arjan\'s smile slipped somewhat.  He had learned a good deal of herbalism from his older sister and his father, in his childhood.  Arjan expanded on that knowledge on his own, using trial and error when he was on the streets.  He learned of mint seasoning foods and making a soothing tea as a lad, the rest he found out on his own.  "From me family.  When I was a boy." He explained vaugely, shrugging and going back to plucking and searching.  Now that they were near a riverbank, there were several thatches of wild mint growing near the brush, and admist the grasses.  Some of them were nearly two feet in height, but most were between a half foot to a foot high.

[pinkroses]

Liam gave a small frown and gently rubbed at the scar on his cheek when Arjan said there were other types of Mint, learning that all the different types of plant did different things was hard enough, but each one did more, depending on… what? How were you supposed to tell which was which?

He lowered his eyes when Arjan mentioned his family and his only answer was a small nod. His family had taught him nothing apart from how pointless his being alive was. It would have been better for all concerned if he had never been born, he’d just given Mia more work to do, and acted as a spare beating bag for his uncle once he was finished with the redheaded girl.

“Why did y’leave some? An’ wha’s the difference between ‘em all?” he asked as they reached a large patch of the mint bushes. He crouched down beside one and gently stroked the leaves with his fingers, liking the clean, bright colors of the leaves and all of nature after spending so much of his life in the dirt of the city. He wanted to help, but didn’t know which leaves to pick, even after watching Arjan before, he didn’t want to do anything wrong that might damage such a useful herb.

[Mayquiri]

Arjan was grateful that Liam didn\'t press.  As far as he cared, his family was a topic not to be touched aside from in passing.  He loved them dearly, and he had a good life with them, but the manner in which they ended, and the part that Arjan had played in their deaths hurt him to much to think about to often.

Listening to Liam talk, Arjan had to nod.  It was understandable that one might be overwhelmed by the idea of different herbs that did as much as this one.  "Some taste better\'n foods.  And some mints cool rashes an\' stings better.  These ones\'re pretty good fer most ever\'thing.  I jus\' like having a lot \'cause it\'s so useful." He explained, chuckling faintly as he watched the boy, "Well, y\'dun\'t want t\'kill the plant.  Also, some o\'the leaves\'re to young t\'use, and others\'re to old.  Th\'older ones work good fer weak teas, but not much else.  An the young ones\'ll get older, an be better t\'use.  Y\'want t\'see how t\'tell iffen they\'re good?" Arjan asked as he watched Liam hawkishly.  He expected the kid to not know to much about herbs or anything yet.  And he expected istakse.  After all, when Arjan was first learning plants, he himself made a few rather disasterous mistakes.  Luckily they had been caught in time.

[pinkroses]

“Aye,” Liam said enthusiastically, his face finally breaking into a smile as he moved towards Arjan to watch and try to learn what he was being taught. He didn’t want to make any mistakes, but he’d never had to learn anything intensively like this before, so he had no idea how difficult it could be although he was already finding the amount of information so far a bit overwhelming, and they had barely begun.

“Is this ‘un mint?” Liam asked, crouching down again and pointing to a plant near Ajran’s feet and pointing at it, hoping he was right and that it wasn’t one that just looked similar.

[Mayquiri]

Arjan had actually already had a plant for Liam to pick, but he allowed the boy to show his plant.  If he was wrong, Arjan could explain the differences between the plants.  Loking over at what Liam had chosen, Arjan grinned faintly.  He picked a mint plant, a rather decent one from the looks of things too.  Nodding, Arjan grinned, "That\'uns a mint plant." He replied as he walked over to Liam.

"Now, whatcha want t\'do is look at th\'leaves." Arjan explained as he crouched down next to the plant, "s\'pretty easy t\'tell with th\'leaves.  These ones\'re to small," He explained, pointing to some of the tiny, budding leaves, "An y\'dun\'t want the one\'s that\'re dried out lookin.  Th\'rest\'re fine.  Only take about half of them..." Arjan explained as he pointed out the various parts of the plant.

[pinkroses]

Liam chewed on his thumb nail as he concentrated on what Arjan was telling him and examined the plants and their leaves. He gave a short nod and reached out to touch one of the ones he could pluck, glancing up at Arjan to check it was right.

“So, y’jus, pull it off? Y’dinnae need t’do owt t’make it right?” he asked before carefully pulling the leaf from the plant. He lifted it to his face, looking at it closely before smelling it, then holding it out to Arjan, not sure what to do with it now. It seemed pretty simple to find out which ones to pick, but he was sure it would be difficult to distinguish between all the different plants. With practice it would be alright though… surely.

“An was this ‘un?” he asked after a moment, pointing at a plant nearby which looked similar but had a few obvious differences. “Is that ‘un another type ‘a mint?”

[Mayquiri]

"Pull from th\'stem." Arjan explained as he watched how Liam pulled the leaf off.  He was doing fine, Arjan just felt that it might be a good idea to explain that, and why, "Iffen y\'pinch it at th\'stem a bit when y\'pull it, it come\'s off easier, an\' dun\'t hurt the plant as much.  An\' y\'get more mint, less hurt.  Yer doin good though." He added on, nodding snd smiling.  

Noticing Liam\'s hesitation after he plucked the leaf, Arjan made a mental note to get the boy a basket to carry around.  If he was going to stay a while, Arjan would see the good in investing in some decent leather pouches for the boy, but if he was going to find herbalism not to his taste, it would be a foolish purchase.  A basker, Arjan had in his home, and would suffice very well for now.  

When Liam showed Arjan the other plant, he shook his head.  "No.  S\'not mint." He replied as he moved over to the plant to show Liam the difference. "Th\'leaves\'re smooth here.  Right general shape, but y\'see how th\'mint\'s leaes are all jagged?  These\'uns\'re smooth.  Also, th\'flowers are diff\'rent.  See on th\'mint \'ow they\'re all little an clustered t\'make balls?  These flowers\'re small, but they\'re th\'same size as the mint clusters.  They\'re to big.  Very close, but diff\'rent.  Good job at pointin out that they\'re diff\'ren though.  Unfortunately, thisun\'s just a weed.  No good purpose that I know of.  But it\'ll prob\'ly get y\'sick iffen y\'eat it."

[pinkroses]

He gave a small nod and did as instructed, pulling the leaf off as carefully as he could and smiling at the first words of praise he’d had for years. When Arjan began to tell him the differences between the two plants Liam held up the mint leaf to the different plant, examining the two.

“Aye, I see,” he said, “D’y’ ever make m’stakes? Make folks sicker no’ better?” he asked, glancing up at Arjan.

[Mayquiri]

Chuckling at the question, Arjan sat back, running his hands through his hair.  the action made his already mussed up hair frizz out rather wildly.  "When I was younger." He stated, sighing faintly.  His mistakes usually happened when he had been far younger.  Often his sister caught his mistakes when he was gathering.

"When I started sellin, I made a few mistakes on some thin\'s.  Act\'ally, once I made what I though\' was a poison fer some man, jus\' ended up makin the guy sick fer a few hours, or so he tol\' me.  Got inna a fair bit\'o troubel fer that\'un."  Arjan then said, remembering a few midtakes he had made when he was on his own.