Open rosemary is for remembrance.

[Caelum]

OOCOpen to all, especially to Sanctuary staff and friends. and the things you can't remember tell the things you can't forget that history puts a saint in every dream - tom waits - TImestamp: 14 Spring 514 AV The sun shimmered in a flawless sky at the Sanctuary as if to mock any claims that the season of spring was a cruel one. Poisonous hyacinth flushed now through the ethaefal's curving horns, streaked with celadon green; and his hair had lightened, brightening to the color of sunshine. He stood before a large section of the medical garden that he had plowed before dawn, a blinding vision with a thousand league stare. The eighty-six plants he had purchased prior to leaving for Endrykas to fetch the four year old konti child standing beside now had arrived while he was gone. They waited to be planted, spilling out of the shadow of the Healing Clinic and into Syna's light. A row of water buckets lined up alongside Caelum, already filled, to be used in the planting, and a collection of little shovels, hand rakes, and other assorted gardening tools were piled around them. Everything was ready and it was time to begin. Caelum intended to have all eighty-six herb plants in the ground before sun down. Forty-five of the plants were full grown -- twenty of common herbs, fifteen of uncommon herbs, and ten of rare herbs. The remaining forty-one plants were starter plants -- twenty of common herbs, fifteen of uncommon herbs, and six of rare herbs. There were more than a few duplicates and the starter plants were not all likely to take. There would be some loss, but all in all it was a herbalist's dream. These herbs were terribly important to Caelum. Not only would they aid him in healing people and saving lives, but they were the backbone of his new business which was to open very, very soon in the city proper. The ethaefal shoved up the sleeves of his most worn, white tunic and prepared to dig in. "Daddy, I'm helping," a tiny voice stated. Caelum looked down at the little konti. The top of Lillian's head didn't even reach his hip. She wore a pair of plain brown trousers, rolled up at the hems, and a loose cotton shirt. A ribbon dangled from her bright blond braid and solemn blue eyes peered expectantly back at him. "You are," Caelum agreed. One corner of his mouth shifted into a smile. At some point in the past handful of days, his dead wife's daughter had started to call him daddy. He had not prompted her. It had just stopped being Caelum over lunch one day and started being Daddy. Caelum had no idea what to do with children, but he figured he must be doing something right if that had come about so fast. He hoped, at least. "Here, pie," he said and picked up a little hand shovel to hand Lillian. He nodded toward the closest, tilled row that was waiting for all of his plants. "Start digging me some holes. About this big --" And he showed her the space with long fingered hands. "And this deep." "Okay!" Lillian replied brightly. She wasn't shy around him, either, not the way she tended to be with everyone else. She bounced right toward the garden row and Caelum, eyeballing this, bypassed his rare starter plants and selected a trio of the common ones. If something got destroyed, he wasn't about to let it be his precious bynntip.

[Bryce Thomson]

Bryce panted heavily as he stepped tentatively through the wooden gate, he wasn't sure whether this place was even open to the public but the gate had been unlocked and he was curious as to what a building such as this was doing so far from the protection of Riverfall, it didn't look like it was undefended though; the wall that surrounded it had a rather ominous tone and he could shake the sensation of having peering eyes constantly following him as he wandered through the entrance yard. He had ran here, not because of necessity or emergency but rather the fact it had seemed like such a idyllic day, far from the recent rain and wind that had plagued Riverfall so far, as he had jogged along the dirty path up to this strange place he had caught a glimpse of the pure, white sun being reflected in the sapphire sea, shimmering slightly with each wave that crashed against the cliffs, confirming it had been a wise choice on his part.

Butterflies and bees flew happily around Bryce as he walked through this strange place, taking a moment to wipe the sweat of his brow, and run it through his hair with a rough hand as he looked around some sign of life other than the energetic insects that scurried around on the ground, eager for the coming seasons. He was rewarded by the sound of conversation and Bryce decided to hone in on it as he meandered through the buildings and gardens.

Leaning up against a wall, taking a moment to just breath as the redness of his face began to fade By the gods you are unfit Bryce He thought to himself You were more jogging than running back there and now look at you. It was true, the journey to this strange city had shaken him in more ways than one. Taking a breather he look out at the garden in front of him, in it was a rather peculiar looking man, mainly because of the horns curling around on his head with a little girl by his side, both of them digging at the soil. Much more interestingly, to Bryce anyway, was the vast array of plants in the garden. He recognised a few of the plants, but many more seemed outlandish and unknown to him.

"Hey there, need a hand?" He offered, he was quite happy to help out for nothing, he loved a bit of manual labour and on such a day as this gardening would be a perfect way to spend it his mind "Name's Bryce by the way."

- Bryce Thomson

OOCHi, I hope you don't mind me joining in. I'll happily delete my post or duck out as soon as possible if you do

[Lysaea Frostfawn]

Lysa wondered what on earth was she meant to be doing. As far as she was concerned, she did not have much of a skill in gardening; in fact she had none. It was terribly awful considering she was supposed to be helping out to plant... well plants. She didn't know what kind of plants they were going to be. Heading up to the above ground levels in the Sanctuary, she didn't feel much of an increase in happiness levels when she saw the piercing sun shining dreadfully well on the ground. She dreaded to think what the weather in summer would be like. In Avanthul it was cold. She liked it that way. It wasn't like she regretted her decision but she did have an inkling that she would most certainly hate Riverfall in Summer. Heading outside, Lysa had to admit, the green landscape, although uncovered by snow, would still be considered to be a sight pleasing for the eyes. Nearly every plant that had wilted in Winter was beginning to bloom again and show it's beautiful face to the sky; this served nice for the insects who showed no qualms about chirping their merriment out to the world. Walking with a distinct lack of purpose in her stride, she looked around at the buildings and gardens that had once been so unfamiliar to her in her first few days at the Sanctuary. They still struck her as fascinating even though her familiarity had definitely increased. Stopping to gaze up at the architecture, she probably would have stay like that for the next minute or so when a person entering through the main gate caught her eye. She didn't think she knew who it was. Shrugging, she guessed whoever it was didn't concern and began to make her way towards the place she was going to help out Caelum. She didn't particularly know the Ethaeful but she had seen him around before. Lost in her own thoughts, by the time she reached where she was supposed to be, she arrived in time to hear the person she had just seen running through the gates say his name was Bryce. Not wanting to wait, she walked, slightly stiff up to the Ethaeful and immediately skipped to the topic on her mind, forgetting to greet either of the people. Glancing sparingly at the unknown person, her gaze returned to Caelum as she spoke in a slightly cold tone that matched her almost apathetic facial expression. "I'm here to help with the planting," she said before her eyes drifted towards a little konti girl who appeared to be digging. "And who's that?" she asked more softly

[Caelum]

By the time Bryce approached, Caelum had lined up the original three full grown plants in their assigned section of the garden. The first thing he needed to do was place all of the plants in the best place for their health and continued growth. He also wanted them to be in an order that made sense to him and he would be able, with any luck, to explain to a novice herbalist a basic description of the herb and an idea of where in the garden it was located without having to worry overmuch whether or not they would select the correct plant. The ethaefal looked up from where he was crouched, bright hair spilling out of his face as he gazed upon the stranger with some surprise. Amusingly, perhaps, he leaned a little to the side to look behind the man before shoving up to a stand. "Hey," he greeted and cut an already dirt-stained hand through the air. It was a wordless apology for not offering his hand to shake -- it was dirty. "I'm Caelum. I live here. Come up this way for a reason?" He raised an eyebrow. His tone of voice was friendly rather than accusatory. Curiosity spiked in that mellow accent. "If you're not requiring immediate medical attention --" And here his smile sharpened toward a smirk. "Sure. I'd love some help. Do you know anything about herbs? Or gardening? Any of the above? If not, don't worry about it. It's not so hard and I'll gladly you repay you." That easy cheer dimmed a bit at the sight of Lysa's unhappy countenance. One eye narrowed in a squint and, forgetting about the dirt, Caelum scraped a hand back through his hair. "Hey, Lysa." He had not had much interaction with the vantha since her arrival at the Sanctuary, but then Caelum was very busy and despite all of his friendliness also incredibly private. He tended to keep to his corners. "This is Bryce. Bryce, Lysa.. Ah." He hesitated and glanced over a few yards where the konti toddler was happily digging a hole in the dirt while singing something hard to catch she sang it so soft. "That's my daughter, Lillian," he explained. It didn't really explain anything, but he wasn't about to launch into his history and all the sordid details of where and how Lillian had come about.

[Reven Heath]

The sun... So bright with yellow rays of light that stabbed through her eyes and into her head, making it ache.

"Ugh..."

Reven had woken up from a deep slumber that morning, nestled into the warm, soft furs she had crawled into before dawn broke. Last night had been her usual run of the place, scenting the pastures, outer gates, even beyond that to ward off any predators looking for a quick meal. It was one of the many things she was tasked with, not only helping to secure the safety of the Sanctuary but also crafting... leather.

Her fingers ached every time she felt her heart beat. Relentlessly, she had been practicing the craft to better familiarize herself with working hide, cutting it, shaping it, and designing it into fashionable attire for Rosela. Not only was she trying to keep up with her chores at the Sanctuary but the Kelvic was also trying to develop her craft while still going to work and taking care of her responsibilities. If she wasn't in her room working the leather, then she was out on the land making her runs, and if she wasn't there either, she would be at the Red Diamond Fashions store, earning her pay. It was an exhausting routine, one that earned her a stomach bug of some type a week ago and while it was easy to manage thanks to the care from the inhabitants of the Sanctuary, it was taking its sweet time leaving her system.

Reven was not one to simply lay about and do nothing. That's why she had crawled out of bed that morning to help with planting the herbs. The Kelvic understood the importance of the herbs and had watched over them— and quite a few other things— while Kavala and her party visited Endrykas. Having some knowledge of herbs, Reven knew when some plants needed water and when some plants needed sunlight. She was able to recognize a lot of the plants but others appeared foreign.

So there she stood, in the shadows, garbed in her stained tunic and loose brown pants that barely held to her hips. Her hair was pulled back by a leather band and even though it kept the auburn tresses from her face, it was not able to hide the awful bed-head she sported. Squinting, Reven stepped out into the sunlight and made her was over to the plants. It appeared Caelum, a man she had met but rarely had the opportunity of conversation with, had already tilled the soil and was preparing holes to place the herbs into. Reven greeted him with a tired smile and a wave of her hand, looking around at the others as she ventured nearer. Stopping suddenly as a small Konti child ran past her with a hand tool, Reven watched as the young girl plopped onto the ground and began digging a hole.

How cute she was...

"Morning Caelum. I see you started early... Or am I just late?" The Kelvic joked, looking over at the number of holes dug or rather, lack thereof. Bending down to grab her own hand tool, she didn't wait for his reply and went straight to the Konti girl, Lillian, his daughter. Settling down next to her, the Kelvic cat began digging her own hole.

"Hi there." Reven greeted with a playful smile. Children had really started to grow on her since she moved into the Sanctuary, mainly due to Larik and Cadra. It was rare that you would ever see the three Kelvics together. Sometimes the two felines would be nestled close together, resting, while other times, the cougar and the hawk would playfully fight. And the tricks those three did together... Chalce was less than pleased. No matter, when the three were together, it was a pleasant time. And deep down Reven felt the need to be their guide or a sort of role model to help them with things she never had assistance with.

"You're digging a fine hole there, better than anything I can do. You must have a talent for gardening! Do you like it?" Giving the child a warm smile, Reven started on the dirt. Plunging the tool into the soil, she began to scoop out large handfuls of dirt though, made it seem like she was struggling to emphasize her statement. "Phew! You must be strong, this is tough work!"

[Lyn'nice]

Lyn'nice couldn't help but follow them smell of fresh soil and found the horned man who worked here planting a man had joined him along with a woman staying here as well and a small Konti. Lyn'nice moved her hand over her stomach, she was starting to show or so she thought. She had gained weight, but constantly eating made that happen. She couldn't remember the man's name, "Hey there. Planting? You should of called for me, my seer's sight deals in soil. Mind if I join you and give this dirt a good check?" Even though she had just asked, she sat down and made herself at home. Her eyes strayed to the little Konti girl happily digging holes. All Lyn'nice could do is smile at her. "You know I don't believe I ever learned your name or if I did... I forgot. My name's Lyn'nice or Lynnie for short. Are those lovely rarities yours too?" She motioned to the exotic herbs sitting in pots. "You picked some good ones." She gave him a smile. Lyn'nice ran her fingers through the dirt, studying it."Your prized herbs will do best over there in that general vicinity." The little Konti giggled over something. Lyn'nice turned to look at her."So that's her. I mean your daughter, cute as a button."

[Lysaea Frostfawn]

Lysa, seemingly entranced by thin air, turned around suddenly when she heard Caelum say something. "Huh?" she said softly, lost for a few moments before she realised he had only said hi and introduced her to the other person. "Oh hi!," she responded somewhat friendlier than she originally had been. "That's a nice name, and hi Bryce," she continued, still not really there in the moment. Looking around for a spade, she spotted one nearby and thus moved towards it. Bending her knees to pick one up, she noticed that it was heavier than she had thought a spade would. "What do I do now?," she asked herself softly as she stood upright again, wondering what she was supposed to do. Looking around for any sort of answer, she saw that the girl, Lillian, was digging holes, Having no better clue as to what she should do, she decided she would dig holes as well. Placing the shovel in the soft dirt, she scooped up a pile of dirt before doing it in the same place. She hoped she was doing it right. Continuing on with her pattern of shoveling, she began to become focused on the task that she didn't realise a konti she didn't know the name of come in. Half listening to their conversation but mostly digging, she picked up that her name was Lyn'nice and her seer power, whatever that was, was to do with dirt.

[Bryce Thomson]

Bryce nodded to the stranger, he would have offered a grimy hand to shake but she wandered too far away before he could even stretch it out “That’s my name, and don’t worry mate, I ain’t planning on keelin’ over any time soon” He assured, stepping out into the garden his face was still a little red and sweaty from his run but he wouldn't shy away where work was concerned “I know some stuff about both, I work over at the Orchard, lovely place by the way. I've just been out for a run and found my way up here, thought I’d check it out. Hope I ain’t intrudin’ on anythin’?” He recanted to him.

The yard was quickly filling up by the time he had rolled up his sleeves and swept his hair out his eyes again, it a little crowded for his taste but he could hardly complain since he was technically the gate crasher here. The Konti seemed nice enough, and sounded like what she knew what she was talking about. “You’ve picked a nice a day for it” He said the Caelum “Let’s hope the weather hold out for the rest of the season, don’t want this lot to go down the bloody pan after all, looks like you’ve got some nice stuff here”. He bent down at the area the Konti gestured at, and took a handful of the rich, dark soil. “Looks good to me love, you’ve got quite a gift, how did you know it was good soil?” He asked quizzically as he sifted the soil through his hands “Nice texture, lovely colour. I remember of those six-armed merchants telling me you could tell if it was good soil by the smell” He said, pausing to take a long sniff of the stuff “Hmm, strange… Smells like he was talking shit to me” He chuckled to himself as he followed the lead of the little Konti child who had taken charge of the operation, first he began turning over the soil with his hands to loosen the soil up and to get some more air inside, it helped the roots take a hold when they were first planted before digging a hole foe each of the plants as he did so.

He twisted his head back to the woman “Lysa weren’t it? Good idea, and much quicker than usin’ your hands, helps the new plants get settled.” He confirmed as his own finger combed through the thick soil, doing their usual business of getting as dirty as possible. “So what is this place anyway?” He asked, directing it mainly at the horned fella who seemed to Bryce be the one in charge of all this but left it open to the group “Seems funny to have it away from the city.”

- Bryce Thomson

[Caelum]

"It's Caelum," the ethaefal gently reminded Lyn'nice. A glance was given the slight curve of the konti's belly as a ripple of what could only be called Rak'keli's sense whispered through him. It brought a smile, hooked charmingly crooked, to his face. "You're not late, Revan," he went on to reassure and golden eyes slid towards Bryce. "And great. Help yourself to some of the water, if you want." He jerked a thumb at the buckets of water waiting in the shade. They were for gardening purposes, but they could certainly serve to was the dust from the throat as well. He made a mental note to find out if there was anything Bryce especially needed. Caelum liked to return favors in full. The healer took a moment to look over the garden and all of its inhabitants. To be perfectly honest, he was a little surprised at all of the help that had popped up. He was still not accustomed to it, but it was a pleasant sort of surprise. It was with interest that he listened to Lyn'nice explain the type of gift she had with the soil and he watched his daughter Lillian blush and grow silent at the attention granted her by the women. Lillian didn't seem upset about it, however. She was smiling to herself, just with an incredible shyness, while squirming back a few paces to begin working on another hole. "I'm not strong," she finally told Revan in her little voice, so sure of this. "This deep, this wide," she whispered to Lysa, apparently having heard her. "Right, Daddy?" Blue eyes streaked up toward Caelum. "That's right. Perfect for those three," Caelum reassured before bringing everyone back into his regard. "Lyn, maybe you help me then? What I'd like to do is place the plants where in their rows I want them to go while maybe the rest of you can continue turning the soil and readying the holes." He gestured toward the lines of plants, both full grown and starters. Their scents wafted through the air. "I want to start with the harmless ones, but which I mean the plants there won't be a problem of anyone accidentally getting nettled or forming a rash, et cetera, from touching and working with." He paused to be certain everyone was paying attention. "There are a few that will cause rashes and even boils. I'll let you know before I set any of them down for gardening." His smile returned, tinted with hope. "Ah, any questions?"

[Lyn'nice]

Lyn'nice laughed lightly,"It's a Konti thing. You see, I was born in Mura and had daily exposure to something called Vision Water. It grants us Konti's each a special gift, a sight. I see things about soil that nobody else can see, what's in it or if there are any problems with in. Along with that," She showed off her arm,"I was marked by one of our goddesses Rak'keli. I was born a healer and I'm trying to infuse that with my plants and herbs." She said with a smile with Bryce. "Err, sorry. I'm a little scatterbrained people tell me." She gave a nervous laugh. "Oh sure, I can help you with those, no problem!" Lyn loved planting, there was just something about it. "So Caelum, I'm still fairly new around here so. What is your main job here at the Sanctuary?" She asked lightheartedly. She noticed Reven over by the little Konti, "Oh, excuse me one moment, Caelum." Lyn'nice got to her feet and wandered over to Reven, "Hey, how's your stomach doing after that one day? I haven't heard anymore vomiting lately." She gave a concerned look.