Apothecary Training

[Mayquiri]

Watching Liam, Arjan waspleased to notw how the boy was waking up and taking note of the world outside of the city.  I Arjan\'s opinion, it was a beautiful place, and if his health had permitted it, he\'d be almsot perfectly content to live deep in teh woods as a hermit.  unfortunately, he also enjoyed being around people, a side effect of having a large family he asusmed.  "Mmhm, y\'got the idea there." Arjan urmuered softly as he followed Liam around, letting ht eboy pick his path until they saw the tree.

"Yup, yessir, that\'d be th\'willow tree I was tlakin about." He replied, a broad grin spreading across his face.  Seeing how careful Liam was being around the branches, Arjan winked at the boy and pulled a few strands of leaf away, leaving an opening big enough for a person or two to fit through.  "Well, c\'mon, th\'bark aint gonna peel itself and climb into m\'belt pouches."

[pinkroses]

Liam watched Arjan easily pull back the branches with a smile on his face and he peered through for a moment before slipping through the gap once he saw that he wasn’t going to damage the tree. It was like another world under the tree, so quiet and enclosed, like a tiny little house.

“It’s pretty,” Liam said, lifting his eyes up to where the branches bent away from the trunk, then he felt his cheeks heating up as he realized how pathetic that sounded. If he’d been with the boys he usually spent time with he would already be being mocked desperately for that comment, but he didn’t think Arjan would do that. Hopefully.

“So how d’y’ get the bark off? Will it damage the tree?” he asked, looking carefully at the trunk in the dim light.

[Mayquiri]

Te branches were easy to pull back.  Like Arjan had said earlier, they thinned out almost into vines with leaves along the sides.  A strong wind could probably very easily destroy the peaceful quality of this particular tree.  Looking over at Liam as he spoke, arjan nodded in agreement.  "Aye, peaceful too.  Good place fer a nap on a summer day.  But y\'gotta keep a sharp ear out, just cause it\'s pretty an peaceful, dun\'t mean danger ain\'t beyonf the branches." He chuckled softly as he advanced towards the tree.

Looking back at Liam, Arjan was only mildly surpried by now at the boy\'s question.  In Arjan\'s mind, how to harvestt he bark seemed obvious.  Strip bits and pieces off it off of the tree.  But then again, to a city dweller who had never even seen a willow before, it made sense.  "We pull th\'bark off.  We cin use a knife where it\'s thick.  An it dun\'t hurt the tree badly.  We dun\'t take near enough t\'hurt it.  Iffen we made a ring all th\'way around the trunk where there was no bark, we\'d kill it, but we dun\'t do that." He explained, pulling out a small knife as he went to work, nimble hands freeing scraps of already loose bark from the base of the tree.

[pinkroses]

Liam watched with interest as Arjan began to pull pieces off of the tree. He got as close as he could whilst trying not to get in the way as well. It still seemed strange to him that the bark of a tree would be able to stop pain, but if Arjan said it worked then the young teen would believe him.

“How would y’ make this work? Does they jus’ eat it?” he asked with a small frown. Eating wood definitely sounded like a strange idea, “Or d’ y’ make a tea or summat?” he asked, remembering other ways Arjan had described what was done with these herbs.

[Mayquiri]

Liam had the right idea, generally, for how to make the bark work.  Teas were the easiest to make, and they tended to work rather well.  Nodding and looking over at Liam, Arjan grinned, "Yeah, I make \'em into a tea, prefferably w\'lots o\'mint or other herbs t\'make it taste better.  Iffen the person\'s got a sore limb or sumthin, I can grind it up, and out it directy in or around a bad cut or bruise.  That helps too.  Y\'cin eat it iffen y\'want, but I\'d suggest not doing so.  The stuff tastes aweful.  And ye\'d not be yerself fer a while." He replied, chuckling as he handed moved away from the tree, handing Liam a knife.

[pinkroses]

Liam returned the grin as Arjan confirmed that what he’d said was right. With his uncle if he’d suggested something like that, whether it was right or not, he would have got a smack around the head for even venturing a guess. He hesitated for a moment when Arjan offered him the knife before carefully taking it. Chewing lightly on his lower lip Liam moved closer to the tree and slowly peeled a bit of bark off, trying to do it like Arjan had been.

“So, when y’grind it up, is ‘at like what cha put on m’ cheek las’ nigh’?” he asked, glancing up at Arjan before returning his attention to what he was doing and carefully pulling the piece off bark off, using his fingers to pull off a few other little bits, although with no where near the ease that Arjan had used. He glanced up at the healer every now and again, checking that he was doing it right, not wanting to mess up on something that seemed so simple.

[Mayquiri]

Arjan was different.  He liked talking to people, listening to them and their stories.  Questions were always welcome in his mind.  Especially on matter ssuch as this.  That is, if he wanted to teach them.  If he didn\'t want to teach his remidies, then he\'d go all coy and keep his secrets.

Looking over at the boy every once in a while, Arjan grinned.  He was clumsy, bu then again, he was new.  All in all, he appeared to be doing a rather decent job.  Arjan would guide Liam a bit every once in a while, when the kid would gather to many in one spot, or he\'d go to deep into the pulp of the tree.  "What I put on yer cheek las\' night was to fresh.  It was jus\' some herbs ah chewed and spat on yer cheek.  But th\'idea\'s th\'same.  Iffen they was dried and ground up, it\'d\'a about th\'same." He explained, shrugging a bit.  In Arjan\'s mind, what he did was very primitive compared to how he usually made salves.  That was nothing but chewed herbs, like he said.  When he actually made salves, as he\'d eventually show Liam, he\'d boil animal fats, and dried herbs until it made a thick paste.

[pinkroses]

“So’s is it be’er when the’re  dried or fresh?” Liam asked after frowning in concentration for a few moments after Arjan had corrected his technique and pointed out a better way to do it. He couldn’t help but think how useful this knowledge would have been to have years ago when his uncle had started beating him and Mia. They both had scars which could have used some care, mentally and physically although it had always been so much worse for his sister than himself. He had sat up so many nights with her in tears wishing he could south the marks their uncle’s belt had left on her body.

He took in a sharp breath as the knife slipped and cut his thumb, but he quickly stuck it in his mouth, sucking it hard as he picked at a few loose bits, leaving the knife for a moment as the stinging subsided. It was just a small cut, not even worth bothering about, he thought. Liam gave Arjan a sidelong glance, hoping he wouldn’t comment on his student’s clumsiness and quickly put in another question before the healer would have a chance to say much.

“So wha’ else d’y’need t’find t’day?” he asked, moving his gaze back to the tree and resuming using the knife, the familiar tang on blood on his tongue.

[Mayquiri]

"Not a\'ways.  They\'re jus\' easier t\'handle mostly.  Sometimes it\'s good t\'mash\'em up fresh, save th\'juices.  But fer th\'most part, th\'dried ones\'re better.  Iffen only \'cause they\'re easier t\'use." He explained simly as he continued cutting at the bark.

Watching Liam out of the corner of his eye, Arjan did notice the cut.  However, he said nothing on the matter.  the boy stuck it in his mouth immeaditly, which considering the size of the cut, would help.  Unless the kid had problems with getting the bleeding to stop, Arjan saw no reason to intervene.  Eventually, Arjan set his knife down as he gathered up any stray pieces of bark that he dropped.  "I think that\'ll do us fer t\'day.  Th\'morning\'s getting late.  We gotta open up th\'shop." He explained as he started heading away from the tree, still smiling.

[pinkroses]

Liam gave a small nod to show he understood as Arjan explained the pros and cons of fresh and dried ingredients and kept focused on his work, hoping he would be able to remember everything he was being told so that it might come in useful. This was definitely more interesting so far than roaming the streets praying he wouldn’t get picked up by the guards.

“Alright,” he said with some reluctance when the time came for them to return to the city. He glanced across at the healer again and couldn’t help but give a small smile at the happy look on Arjan’s face. He wasn’t sure if what he had been doing had caused it, but it was definitely a heck of a lot better than a smack around the head or the strap of a belt for every word or deed.

“D’y’ get lotsa folks comin’ int’ shop?” he asked as he handed back the knife and helped Arjan pick up the stray pieces before they began the walk back to the shop.

[Mayquiri]

Oh, Arjan enjoyed being around Liam, that much was certain, but that wasn\'t the only reason he was happy.  It was a beautiful day, he was feeling good, and he had somebody to talk to.  So long as he was feeling more or less alright, and didn\'t have anything to serious to do on a specific day, he was a happy person.

And there was still so much more for him to be doing today.  He had to get those herbs dried out or processed, and he had to work on certain little mixes of his for the shop.  He had to stock up on whatever he could ehenever he could.

"Well, it d\'pends on th\'time of th\' year." He explained, shrugging a bit.  "Us\'ually I\'ll git a few people in th\'summer fer weak colds, an fer sick animals.  But most\'o\'me business\' done in th\' winter an spring.  Well, \'cept the assassination bits.  Them come year \'round." He explained, grinning faintly.