Wet Girl and Skulking Snake. (Darshan)

[Zailey]

15th of Summer, 516AV It was the 15th of Summer, shortly after mid-day, and the streets were emptier than usual. Aside from all the children running up and down the streets trying to hit all the puddles that had appeared. High above the streets of Kenash, dark gloomy clouds rolled past. Large raindrops were breaking free and racing down through the sky so that the people bellow could listen and enjoy their ballad. The trees and roofs were their instruments, and in return, the locals would only have to live with the thick humidity that would undoubtedly linger. From somewhere in the distance the grumble of thunder echoed. The violent crashing waves reflecting the weathers disposition. Even if many people described that day as gloomy, Zailey was enjoying it. The sound of waves made her wonder what kinds of fish she could catch just off the shore over here. She had only been in town for about seven days and there was still so much exploring to be done. Today the only thing she needed to do was replenish some of her supply of herbs and spices. There was no rush though; not when it was such a beautiful day. Taking a deep breath, the aroma of fresh baked bread and petrichor was tantalizing. Zailey watched the raindrops cover everything in a speckled pattern before it all bled together, forming puddles and streaks down windows. While many had taken cover indoors where it was dry, she welcomed the feeling of cool water on her skin. It was revitalizing. Draped over one shoulder was a long fiery braid. Shorter, lose, strands stuck to damp skin. Semitransparent spots appeared where the rain landed on her shirt. Thankfully it would take a lot more than a little rain to damage the bag that rested against her hip. She wasn't done enjoying this weather quite yet... Just like the children she had seen earlier, Zailey stepped in every puddle in her path. When she didn't think anybody was watching she stomped her feet to make splashes. Soon enough her shoes were soaked through and the bottom of her pant legs were drenched, but she only giggled. Ever since she was a young girl she enjoyed playing in the rain. That wasn't going to change now. But when a local walked past and gave her a strange look, she was reminded of her age... A deep pink hue spread over Zaileys cheeks and a sheepish grin crept over her features. Out of habit, a hand moved to an unruly strand of hair. She twisted it between slender fingers before tucking it behind an ear. That was enough fun for now. After regaining her composure she hurried to catch up with the stranger. "Excuse me," she yelled. "Hello. Could you tell me where the herb shop is?" Her words were quiet once she had the persons attention. Right away it was evident that they weren't in the mood to help. Only pointing impatiently in a direction before hurrying away in a huff. Zailey turned and looked in the direction the person pointed before turning back and yelling, "Thank you!" With brows furrowed and lips curved down into a slight frown, she continued on in the right direction. Wondering, while she walked, if all the locals were going to treat her like that. But it didn't take much to convince herself that they were just annoyed with the weather. Not everybody enjoyed it like she did after all. Zailey was almost to her destination when she heard a low pitch, drawn out mew. Looking around she spotted a black cat pressing itself against the door of an unnamed building. Probably where the owner lives, she thought to herself before giving the animal a quick wave and moving on. The shop was just ahead. With excitement building, she closed the distance in just a few strides and took cover under an overhang. Taking some time to dry off a little first, Zailey set her bag on the ground, leaning it against a wall. Patting her hands against her stomach, the wet shirt made a smacking noise. It was soaked enough that when she pulled the hem of the shirt away from the body it looked like it was pealing off. She shook the cloth a little before twisting it in her hands. A dribble of rainwater falling from the cloth to her feet with a splat. Even after wiping the excess water from her skin, it kept a damp sheen in the dull light. Once she wasn't dripping so much, she crouched down and started rummaging through her bag with her back to anybody that might have approached. Feeling the familiar spine against her fingertips, one corner of her lips turned up into a smirk. Carefully retrieving it from the bag, she took her time turning each page and ran her hands over them thoughtfully. Eventually stopping on a page that held a few hand drawn pictures of different herbs and spices. "Basil, rosemary, paprika, black pepper," she spoke out loud. Five times over. Once the list was memorized, she smiled happily. Sliding the book back inside the bag, she slung it over her shoulder again. Pulling the shop door open just enough for her to slip in she was quickly greeted with the typical, 'welcome, let me know if I can be of assistance,' that you hear in most places. But, overcome by the intoxicating blend of spices, Zailey did not respond. Essentially ignoring the employee. Taking a deep, long, breath, she could pick out the distinct scent of thyme. One of her many favorite herbs. With eyes wide, and a tight grip on the strap of her bag, a smile crept across her features. When the anticipation was too much, Zailey started looking around. Moving clockwise around the room in excitement and becoming oblivious to whatever else was going on around her.

[Darshan]

“Another day filled with Rain, another dreadful day living in this swamp. “ Darshan spoke softly as he shook his head from left to right. The loud and yet distant thunder clapped away in the background, and he tried to drown out all of the noise. He took the time to take a rather deep breath before he exhaled and found himself stumbling upon a multitude of stores all at the same time. However, a single store caught his eye; he had not yet been used to the area which surrounded him. Therefore, when he spotted an herb shop he decided he would pay it a visit. Perhaps they had some of the specimens necessary for him to create various types of poison with.

Darshan opened the door several chimes before the other young woman entered. He explored the vicinity, and walked around only to see multiple shelves that were well organized. He had no clue as to what types of herbs the store owner offered. However, several caught his eye that he had already been familiar with. Darshan continued to walk around and explore the several scents that lingered in the air.

Although he was a freeborn; he often times behaved as if he had no miza to his name. Darshan was quite the conservative one when it came to his miza. He knew that there were four things that no man woman nor child could survive without in Kenash. Food, water, Shelter, and Miza were the most important things in life. Darshan got lost in his thoughts until he heard the door open at a bit of a distance behind him.

In walked a woman that he immediately grew interested in, and her visage was covered in freckles. Her hair was a deep crimson hue, and he wondered what she was doing here? What business did a young lady such as herself have in a place like this? She was far too beautiful to be as innocent one might think she was at first glance. She was soaked, and so was Darshan; the males lengthy hair curled in several wild fashions. His hair appeared to be just as dark as onyx, and rested in the center of his back.

Darshan encountered a stranger and decided that he would ask several questions in order to pass the time. He was not an expert with herbs and various plant types therefore he decided that he would take the opportunity to gain knowledge. He wanted to know everything possible about the plants and various types of herbs that could be locally produced in order for him to craft poisons.

“Hey, would you mind telling me about some of the plants in this ssshop? I would greatly appreciate it. I am currently a practitioner of medicine, and I wanted to know what would be useful for perhaps putting someone to ssleep at a faster rate?” Darshan concluded his question and looked to the stranger only to see that like him the stranger was a rather ill-spoken individual. Although the stranger spoke with a rather rude tone he decided that he would not let it bother him.

“Well there are various plants that induce sleep, but the one that is most commonly found here is called tolm. For some species of plant you may have to adventure into caves and find fungus's of various types. Lets say for example that a poisoncrafter needs material in terms of plants. This would be the ideal place for one to come because of the fact that they offer so many plants that can be toxic to the body of multiple creatures in high enough doses. Some types of poisons include aquatic, arid, fungi, inhalants and liquids such as venoms from that of Dhani. “ Spoke the stranger as he walked away, and left Darshan with a multitude of questions and a lack for answers. However, Darshan continued to explore the shop and would wait until the opportunity arose to make his move on the young lady.

[Zailey]

The vast collection of herbs and range of variety in one location, astounded Zailey. Wandering about the shop, the unique aroma of each herb evoked an emotion or memory from back in Riverfall. Although she couldn't list them by name, she recognize their smells from the time she spent in the kitchen with grandma. The ones that piqued her curiosity the most, though, we're the ones that were completely unfamiliar. She was already looking forward to trying them out in her cooking, but that thought was daunting. If her grandmother's recipe book didn't have a reference to them, she didn't know where she would start. The shop clerk could maybe give her some pointers, even though she would most likely fail tragically regardless. Eventually, with a fair amount of patience, she would be able to make something tasty; but until then, she would be spending a lot of time and Miza here. When Zailey was just a little girl, cooking was magical. It amazed her, the way the perfect combination of spices could provoke certain emotions with their aroma. She wanted to eventually be just as good, if not better, then her grandmother. In that moment, it felt like an unattainable goal, but she was determined to reach a level of skill that would be remembered. She had a long way to go and a lot to learn, but she already knew where she could start. Surely anybody that shops here would have at least a basic understanding of the use of herbs. If she was lucky, they would share some of their knowledge. Zaileys attention shifted when she heard an unfamiliar yet alluring voice. Glancing back over a shoulder, her gaze settled on a dark-haired man. For a reason she couldn't quite place, his voice was mesmerizing. Searching for an acceptable excuse to speak with him, she slowly and quietly moved towards him. Trying to remain unnoticed, she moved from shelf to shelf. Peeking out from a shelf that stood behind the man, she waited for an opportunity to speak. Until that moment came, she only listened, the idea that with the right knowledge, a person can heal through the use of certain herbs, sounded amazing. Once Zailey saw the shop clerk walk away she decided it was finally okay to speak. A normal person might have begun with a greeting, or an introduction, but without a thought, she jumped past all the niceties and straight to her question. "So you know how to cook?" Without patience for an answer, she assumed her guess was correct and another question slipped quickly from her lips. "Can you cook sweets too?" Her eyes were wide with excitement as she held her breath in anticipation of an answer. Again, without letting him answer; a red hue spread over her features; she was getting carried away. "I'm sorry. It's just exciting to meet another cook." Grinning sheepishly, her gaze dropped to the right of her feet and she chuckled nervously. "I'm really not very good yet, but eventually I hope to surpass even my grandmother in skill." When an eventual gap of silence fell between the two, Zailey smirked and locked eyes with the stranger. "So what inspired you to cook?"