Closed Books, Scrolls, Journals [Alric]

[Ari'Ellin]

7th Fall, 521AV

It was morning and Ari’Ellin had made her way to the Dovecote in Lhavit and entered it as quietly as she could to avoid anyone that she might have to speak to. Luckily for her, Lhavit was fairly calm and she’d managed to get through the Dovecote and exited into the Outpost.

She hadn’t been there often, usually finding everything she needed in Lhavit, but now she was looking for somewhere with more books than the Bharani Library had held, or at least somewhere that had a different variety books.

Kita had told her about the library in the Outpost, and so she glanced around, walking through the Outpost trying to remember the directions that she’d been given. It didn’t take her too long to find the right place and she stepped into the building, glancing first at the sunken couch area that she certainly hadn’t expected to see, before her eyes looking to where people were getting the books from, and instantly she felt herself stiffen as she realised how different from the Bharani Library it was.

Overwhelmed was the easiest way to put it. Ari’Ellin had spent what felt like a good five chimes just staring at the stacks of books and papers and scrolls that seemed to have no rhyme or reason to them. She had come to the Reading Room hoping to find some information that she hadn’t been able to find in Lhavit’s library, but the lack of organisation made her think that that would be a much harder task.

Quietly shaking her head to herself, Ari’Ellin stepped closer to one of the stacks, trying to see what each of the pieces of text would be. Many of them didn’t seem to be easily marked, and the ones that were marked seemed to be mostly unreadable to her, and she couldn’t tell whether they were just complex words she wouldn’t understand or whether they were a language she had never even heard of.

Trying to think positively, Ari’Ellin started to look at just the few words that she could recognise, focusing on those rather than the ones she didn’t.

It wasn’t long until she’d found a book that had a familiar word on it, although it didn’t appear to be anything close to what she wanted and so she kept searching.

She found a few books she could recognise, a few in common with words that she knew like ‘flower’, ‘eat’, ‘cook’, and ‘ship’. Then she’d found a couple of books in Kontinese, one that seemed to be a poets journal and the other a collection of stories, then she’d found one book in Tukant that she just barely recognised the word ‘horse’. None of them were useful for what she was looking for.

She was looking for a book or scroll that could tell her how to tell what animals and insects were poisonous or toxic so she could avoid them. Lhavits library had had two many books with complicated titles that she couldn’t quite understand, or too many scrolls.

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[Alric Lysane]

He had never really known what a library was, Sunberth wasn’t about books. He had heard there was one somewhere in the warren of streets but had never managed to find it. Besides which he suspected that any decent knowledge that could have been taken, sold, used and then abuse would have been picked away long before he had been born. He could read of course, many Berthian’s could though he also suspected literacy was low amongst his fellow citizens. No, many could handle basics and had a working knowledge enough to make sure you weren’t being cheated or tricked into signing a slave contract or something suitably heinous. What he was looking at now, though, was clearly something that would have taken the Sunberth library behind the tavern and left it in the latrine pit with severe trauma. This wasn’t a library he thought, it was knowledge and treasure. So, he found himself in an odd predicament of not having had time for books but admiring the colours, styles and the sheer amount on display. Size counted for a lot in a rundown shanty town style of city. He had been there for some time trying to work out whether there was rhyme or reason to the place. The books themselves seemed neatly enough ordered, sitting pretty on their shelves in lines and in some cases stacked up sideways to fill small gaps above. He assumed that there must be some order to it, but it was impossible to interpret. “Feel right at home” he smiled to himself. There was a natural order, and he could respect that. Anarchy was not necessarily a bad thing as far as he was concerned, he did quite enjoy it at times. He had circled the shelves many times trying to find something that he found interesting. He didn’t know where to start. He had seen books on history, song, tales, crafting and much more. He even remembered one title that seemed to be about how to write another book! Bit redundant but sure why not he told himself as he recalled the title and his fingers traced the backs of yet more volumes. Rounding a corner he looked up and one caught his eye – Leatherworking: A Journal – that was just out of his grip’s reach. He was no leatherworker but he wouldn’t have minded if he could make his own belts…or pouches…or anything. Self-sufficiency was the name of the game this year he had decided. In lieu of actual purpose he could at least learn things. He stretched and his fingertips brushed the top of the spine. He stretched further, then further, then crowed with success as he pulled it down off the shelf…only to have several others follow it and start raining down upon his head. There were scattered laughs, tuts and grumblings for a few moments, the last book deciding to fall a few seconds after the others just to hammer home his spectacle of embarrassment and he winced and sighed, bending to start retrieving the fallen volumes, trying to ignore the fact that there could have been none who hadn’t witnessed him being bested by a bookshelf.

[Ari'Ellin]

She had noticed the other man looking at the books but she hadn't paid much attention to the man, instead trying to find the book that she needed in some kind of form that she could understand easily, that was in either simple common or Kontinese.

It wasn't until she heard the sound of several books falling and hitting something else that she first glanced the direction of everyone else. She hadn't seen exactly what had caused the books to fall, but looking up she could see a patch with no books, aside from a couple that were now lying on their sides, attempting to fill a void that other books had left behind.

Silently shaking her head she saw people watching the man, murmuring and chuckling slightly but not offering any help, and Ari'Ellin couldn't suppress a sigh as she looked the man up and down a few times, rubbing her wrist anxiously and fiddling with her charm bracelet as she tried to decide what to do. Finally she decided what to do and gained enough confidence to tentatively approach the dark haired man and crouch down to pick up a few of the books before she stood back up and handed them to the man.

"No tall to reach put back but can pick up for help." she said, her voice quiet, both unsure as to whether the man would speak common and not wanting to disturb the others in the building that seemed to have gone back to what they were doing. "Maybe have step here somewhere?" she suggested, glancing around as she realized that she hadn't seen anything that would help anyone to reach the books and scrolls that were higher up and she scratched the back of her head looking around. The man wasn't short, so surely there must have been some sort of way for others to see the books and scrolls that were stored higher up. "Not maybe..." she mumbled to herself, chewing on the inside of her lip as she tried to think.

She wasn't even thinking of helping the man now, more for her own sake. Sure she could see a few words on the books on that shelf, at least on the ones that seemed to have words, but if any of those words caught her eye she wouldn't stand a chance at reaching those books. She'd need to grow another foot to be able to reach them without climbing anything.

"Sorry, I no help." she sighed and shrugged looking at the man for a few moments, stepping to look further around the room to see if she could spot anything that might be able to help her, even a wooden box of sorts that she could quickly climb onto in the case that something did catch her attention. "Maybe box somewhere help you put back? You no need big box, just little height add?" she suggested to the man, hoping that he would help her look. "Or put back lower if space, but not look like space."

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[Alric Lysane]

At least there weren’t a torrent of guards surging in to do terrible things to him he reasoned as he placed the little book he had meant to take upon a small table near him and looked down and around at his scattered, slumped dignity. A sigh caught his attention and a small, very pale woman a good foot smaller than he thought was looking at him. He couldn’t quite read the look but the sigh was quite clear and he cleared his throat, tugged on his shirt and set about trying to right the mess he had made. It was as he was grabbing the couple of books that had managed to land on a lower shelf through some miracle of acrobatics that he became aware the little woman had now approached him. She spoke just as he slid the two books he had retrieved into the now mostly empty shelf and he tilted his head slightly, half-smiling and wondering why she was using words the way she was. “It’s my fault, I’ll fix it. Thanks for helping though, how come you’re ta-“ he turned and for the first time actually took her in and finding very few points of reference for him to drawn upon, he had never seen a Konti before and so didn’t even know what she was. He only knew that she was humanoid and seemed nicely helpful as he nodded mutely and took what was given to him. Mostly he simply observed and wondered on the politest way to ask where she had come from and what she was. She seemed to do what she thought she could for him and breezed passed him – looking for a stool he managed to glean from her words. Curiosity now piqued despite his initial shock he started putting all of the books back that he could comfortably do, left a small pile on the table behind him with a vow to return if a stool was found and gave chase to the little woman. She was so pale, except for the freckles, and her hair was whiter than the oldest woman he had known yet didn’t seem dulled or ragged. She certainty seemed young and vibrant enough as she continued her search. It was the arms that really caught his attention though. They shimmered in the light every so often and he swore when she was facing him they had been a different shade. He had looked into less for less reason and she had helped him so a favour was a favour. He didn’t like debts. He tucked his book into his belt and went on the hunt with her. As they rounded a corner she went left and he went right, following the shelf until a little alcove sported what was sought – a small wooden chair. Not steps or a stool but it seemed sturdy enough. He grabbed it and returned back to the woman and put it down in front of her. “Thanks,” he said, “for helping. Here. Not stool but chair. I’m Alric, you are? You live here? You helped me, can help you. What do you need?”he asked, matching her speech as best he could.

[Ari'Ellin]

She was impressed with how some of the books had managed to land. A couple of the books had managed to land so that they were stood perfectly upright, and then a few others had somehow managed to land on another shelf, and the Konti couldn’t help but chuckle at it softly, shaking her head as she had stood up, noticing the mans half smile and furrowing her brow slightly.

The way he cut himself off as he was speaking caused a slight frown to spread across her face. She couldn’t work out how he was going to finish his sentence but she was certain that it had something about her talking.

“Talk to you? Talk strange?” she question, narrowing her eyes as she looked him up and down. “Best ask question, cutting off make hard understand.” she said, shaking her head slightly. “If why talk strange, father speak common, but he speak other too. He bad teacher. Mother no speak common, she good teacher.” she hummed softly and shrugged before she continued on with what she was doing in search of something to stand on.

Briefly she looked back to the man, looking him up and down again. He seemed to be human, with dark hair and strong features, blue eyes standing out from the rest of his face. “You human, yes?” she asked briefly, not worrying so much about being quiet. Nobody had seemed to be disturbed so far, and so she didn’t mind so much. She was certain that someone would make it clear if they wanted peace and quiet, but for now nobody seemed to mind at all.

When the man briefly vanished and reappeared with a chair, Ari’Ellin couldn’t help but grin widely at the man. “Ah, help. Good help. Can see high.” she nodded, looking the man up and down again, listening to his question.

“Oh, sorry. I Ari’Ellin. Ari. Live not here, Lhavit. Big mountains.” she nodded as she spoke, tilting her head to look at him. “Where live you?” she questioned before the man offered her help and she thought for a few moments on how to phrase things. “I hear good, but speak not good. Read less good than speak. I want learn animals that...” she paused trying to remember the word and frowning at herself. She’d heard Kita use it often enough when speaking about poisonous herbs. “That kill when you eat or when bite. Like bad snake. Some snake okay, some snake scratch red, some snake kill you. Or flower, some flower good eat, some flower small sick, some flower kill.” she said. “I need book maybe have animal like that.” she explained nodding slightly. “But many common, and read common title have big word, hard read. I see little Kontinese book but they not about it.” she frowned again and shook her head. “Sorry, I talk big.”

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[Alric Lysane]

“You already answered my unfinished question,” he said diplomatically, sidestepping his initial bout of rudeness, “I was just startled. I haven’t met anyone quite like you before is all” he finished. He took in Ari’Ellin – or Ari – for a few moments more, trying not to stare too much but it was difficult. His venturing into the Outpost so far had been wildly different in their endings and each time he had managed to meet someone completely different from the time before. Or any other time in his life in some form or fashion. This time it was a tiny white woman who was smart enough to be able to communicate in a language she didn’t know very well and had enough sense of self to not care what anyone else thought about it. I can respect that he thought, noting that despite his Sunberthian upbringing of almost gentle mockery towards outsiders they had all managed to surprise him so far, even endear themselves in some cases. Despite their obvious softness of course…well in most cases. “I was human the last time a checked, though these days with all the magic doorways I’m stepping through that might have changed,” he said with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes, “I assume that you are…not human then?” he asked as directly as she had, returning the favour. Ari seemed to be a whirlwind of activity, even if not physically, her mind moving quickly from this to that and not shy about communicating it. It was different to Moritz though he was beginning to sense, where his had been a cold and hard logic she seemed to be more emotive and…fluid. He wondered if he could combined them together whether they would level out in the middle somewhere and then discarded the thought for later amusement around the fire. He listened, noting that he was tall as far as she was concerned and so assumed that most were not in this Lhavit. “My name is Alric,” he said one she was finished, making sure he got all of the broken words together, “and I am from Sunberth. I do not know this Lhavit, what is it like? Apart from the big mountains I mean. We have the sea in Sunberth on one side, does Lhavit have that too?” He had to ask as he was curious and liked to learn things when they happened to cross his path but he did acknowledge the silent irony of asking someone who could not speak his language fluently to describe in detail for his imagination somewhere he had never been before and so had no reference for. Still he had no condescension for her, he did not feel any threat and though she might have been easy prey in Sunberth…this was not Sunberth. “Poison?” he said eventually after listening to what she was seeking and piecing it together, “you want books on poisonous things? Animals, vegetables and so on? You’re not looking to poison someone are you?” he said in a cheeky tone of voice. “It’s fine,” he said, hand dismissing her not needed apology easily, “well I haven’t seen one yet but perhaps we could look together. I suppose I have never looked into such things before, could both learn a thing or two perhaps?” he posed it as a question, but he began looking anyway. Raking his fingers back across his head and tugging at his sticky shirt he fumbled for and found the ring around his neck, fiddling with it as the fingers of his other hand traced the spines of the books before him, rounding the corner with Ari, both of them searching – naturally he automatically took the higher shelves. “Tell me Ari, do they not have books in Lhavit then?” he asked, partly to pass the time whilst they searched and partly to learn more of her and her place of dwelling.

[Ari'Ellin]

Ari furrowed her brows at the man’s words, a little confused at first as took time to process what was being said. Then she listened to him continuing on with his words and she couldn’t help but smile briefly, choosing to take his words as a compliment, even if she wasn’t entirely sure that it was.

She shifted her weight to the other foot, crossing her arms across her front as she looked him up and down again, furrowing her brow slightly as she tried to work him out. She’d never been the most perceptive though. She’d never had any idea as to how some people could seemingly know everything about someone just from the way they buttoned their shirt. That was the real magic to her.

“Human? Ok, you look, I thought, but not be sure. Some have hide... parts?” she forgot the word she was looking for and frowned for a few moments, shaking her head, knowing that ‘parts’ didn’t feel quite right. It didn’t have the right nuances to it... Then his next words clicked and a brief look of worry came over her. “Door to outpost change? Can change?” she visibly grimaced at the thought, realising that she had never questioned whether such a thing could happen.

“I no human.” she chuckled, gesturing to her visible scales and holding up a hand to show off the thin, delicate webbing between her fingers. “I Konti. Mother Konti too, but think father human...” she was certain that he had been. He had aged a lot while she was growing up, and she had never witnessed anything that looked inhuman on him.

The man was pleasant to be around. He seemed to be calmer than she was, at least from what she’d seen of him so far. It made a nice change for her, having someone so willing to listen to her nonsensical ramblings as she tried to piece together sentences that she thought might be understandable.

“Alric? It nice meet.” she listened and nodded, hearing him mention a place called Sunberth before he asked about Lhavit and she thought for a moment. “Yes, sea on west. Lhavit is nice to see. Five mountain with bridges from one mountain to other mountain. The bridges are... shiny? And many colour. Like rainbow glass. Some building have... roof made from same stuff. Can see star at night. Many park too. People like sun and moon and stars, day and night, so sleep four time day. If we sleep four time we see day and night same.” she nodded as she spoke. “Sunberth have lot of sun?” she questioned the name of the city. “Or children born in day? It sound warm, is it?” she questioned him more on the city, curious as to the city and what it was like. “Oh if there sea you can swim Lhavit sea not have many animal near to shore, Sunberth have sea animal?” she questioned, grinning wider as she eagerly awaited an answer

“Poison!” she repeated at the word, shaking her head at her own foolishness for forgetting such a simple word. “Yes poison things. I want know how know what poison, most plant though.” then his next question came and she frowned at him. “Me poison? No! I work herb. I want find own herb, but last time here went red and swells.” she said, pouting slightly as she pointed to the elbow of her arm. “I want avoid that, and see what animals avoid while look herb.” she explained, nodding to herself as she did so.

“Help look? Really?” she grinned widely at the mans offer, nodding at him. “You help look will quicker, but you your own to do?” she questioned, looking the man up and down. “I already keep too long. You come here your own want.” she hummed slightly as she spoke, not wanting to keep the man from his own business for too long, but she knew that his help would make things a lot quicker.

As he helped her, she kept searching at the shelves she could reach, her fingers tracing over spines as she focused on trying to read the words there. So many of them were unfamiliar. They might have been common, but to Ari they might as well have been from thousands of miles away. She exhaled exasperatedly before one of the spines caught her eye. ‘Bromine and other Cyphrus poisons.’

“Ah... Br-o-mine and other C... Cy-phr-… poisons...” she mumbled to herself, trying to read it to herself before she heard Alric asking a question again.

“Mmm Lhavit have book. Big library, but I not find what need there. Maybe there but not see or read. Try here before ask for help there. I would try ask Academy but I too old, academy for children.” she stated, chuckling slightly at herself. “Not library Sunberth? Or Sunberth not have what want? Oh, this poison yes? What is this?” she questioned, holding up the book and pointing to the words ‘Cyphrus poison’.

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[Alric Lysane]

Alric almost laughed but checked himself in time, making a note that he had little experience with people who couldn’t fluently speak common tongue and so misunderstandings were more easily made. It seemed that abstract jokes were perhaps not the best way forward and adjusted his mind purposefully to allow for this new information. What she said about the doorway moving caught his attention though and he wondered about it. He had been told that it never moved, or rather that you never moved, but he was curious as to whether that was a universal rule or a selective one. Perhaps one day it will change and you could travel at a whim across the lands. That would solve many problems possibly…but maybe cause many more…perhaps there is more wisdom at work than initially thought he mused to himself briefly. “Konti, I had heard that name but never met one…well met Konti Ari,” he said at her revelation, taking her in once more and noticing the differences between them further, “I’m pretty sure the door will be the same for you. It always is for me” he continued, noticing the sudden worry upon her face. Truthfully now he looked at her he couldn’t see her father in her, not that he knew what he had looked like. He wondered if because they were both humanoid that the differences didn’t matter. Or whether all Konti gave birth to just Konti and the human didn’t influence much. He supposed he would have to find out another time as, for now, they had a search to complete. As they searched she told him of her Lhavit. He had never thought that such a place could exist but then again he had learned more about other places this season than he had in his entire life. He wondered about that, whether there was a reason such events seemed to be occurring together and in quick succession. “I am not sure what book I was looking for, I was just interested in the place,” he said as he scanned the shelves, tracing the spines as he went, “knowledge is sometimes just fun to learn” he continued in a thoughtful tone, frowning at the shelves. “As for Sunberth, I do not think there are any animals that aren’t found elsewhere I’d imagine – fish and the like,” he paused at the other question, he had wondered about it many times and had only come up with what seemed like the logical answer rather than being sure it was the true one, “as for the name…I’d wager it was because the Sun rises…or is ‘born’ there. Though I am not expert on geography” he smiled at the idea he was an expert at anything. It took a little bit of time circling the shelves, he still had no idea as to what the order of everything was supposed to be. His fingers found something of note just as he heard her own exclamation that she thought she had found something. He plucked his find out of the shelving and turned to read hers, nodding at the wording and confirming that it was what she was looking for. He offered her up his own find – ‘Dangerous Flora & Fauna: A Compendium of Venomous Species’. “I think I’ve found something you might want to read…and you have too - Bromine and other Cyphrus Poisons – that’s what your one says. As for mine – looks like a more general collection of poisonous things” he said, passing her the book he had found. “You want to find a herb? Are you learning about medicines then? Seems like a good idea, can look after yourself…and others of course” Secret : Roll to find right book: Alric Lysane — 11/19/2021 !roll 1d100 Dice Maiden BOT — 11/19/2021 Alric Lysane Roll: [100] Result: 100

[Ari'Ellin]

Ari’Ellin blinked as he mentioned never having heard of Konti before and a chuckle escaped her. She hadn’t been to many places, but the few places she had stopped at on the way to Lhavit she had always managed to spot at least one Konti, but then again as a Konti she knew what she was looking for in a person to tell that they were Konti too. Half of the time she’d been desperate just to find someone who also spoke Kontinese so she had been actively seeking out other Konti.

“You never meet Konti? Sunberth not have many? I happy to be first!” she chuckled and grinned, nodding as he mentioned how the door had always been the same for him and she hummed in relief. “Door always same you? Good… I leave Pebble home alone, don’t want end up new place!” she sighed as she spoke, shaking her head. The idea of the door possibly changing had worried her slightly, she wouldn’t deny that, but being trapped away from her cat had worried her more. Sure cats could look after themselves, but she doubted Pebble would be able to get out of the small cottage in order to start looking after herself.

“The place is nice. I like book too so good place to come. I wish more books in more place, but not so many in… world. More people need to write.” she mused and shrugged her shoulders at the thought. “One day I maybe write, when I speak better. If you ever write book, what you write on?” she asked, tilting her head as she looked at him, waiting for an answer.

“Just common animal? That shame. Most places have own animal, or own plant. Maybe Sunberth more have own plant? Or animal hide somewhere. It like dark place so you no see much.” she hummed softly. “Lhavit have lot animals and plant. There strange goat thing. Light colours with pretty horns, like bridges. Rainbow glass.” she hummed and chuckled, shaking her head. “Other things not so pretty or impress, maybe Sunberth have animal like that. Still different and special but not obvious.”

“Ah really!” Ari grinned as the man mentioned finding a book she might find useful, then read her books title. “Cyphrus? Is a place?” she questioned, furrowing her brow as she looked closer at the book Alric had found, trying to read the words. “Dan… Dan-ger-ous fauna flora.” she started, frowning slightly and shaking her head. “General might be more useful. I think Cyphrus too specific maybe…” she mused, humming slightly, taking the book from him and opening it, looking for words that she recognized.

As the man question why she wanted to learn about medicines she found herself chuckling slightly and nodding to him as she tried to work out exactly how to word what she did, fortunately her job was one of the few things she knew how to speak about in common, at least as far as most words went.

“I am herbalist, I work with herb to make health tonic. I think herbalist easier doctor. Doctor too much talk people, I not good at talk with people. But because herbalist I want start forage for herbs near Lhavit and in park, maybe stronger herb, but I need know how tell what likely poison and what likely not poison.” she hummed as she spoke. “So, book on what has poison, animal or plant, make thing easier to see. I can learn, and start look safer. Maybe when find more I can become philter maker. Make creams and ointment, maybe essence and oil too, rather than just tonics.” she explained whilst nodding more. “What you do in Sunberth?” she questioned, looking him up and down trying to work out what he did. “You look… strong.” she paused, trying to decide if strong had been the more fitting word. “Strong in… in… mind… so must be strong job?” she questioned, shaking her head at herself again.

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[Alric Lysane]

“I am sure some have visited but I’ve only heard stories, never met one before. I am glad that it makes you happy to be the first,” he said with a small amount of amusement. Ari’Ellin seemed to be possessed of a strong happy streak to his mind, a trait he was not overly familiar with but which was a refreshing change from the dank cynicism of Sunberth’s streets. He wondered what it must be like to know you weren’t an expert communicator but to still muddle through, determined to make it work and learn in the process. No doubt it took quite a bit of energy and if she were less positive in outlook she might not be able to do so. It was speculation of course but she seemed to look on the bright side. Though I suppose anything might be the Brightside compared to Sunberth he mused to himself. “Pebble? You have a…pebble? You collect rocks then?” he asked, somewhat confused at to why he thought there was a slight worry about the matter before his comments about the door not changing. He had little time for speculation though as she started to talk and he had to listen to catch the words and then piece them together as best as he could to understand. She wasn’t actually that bad at speaking common but it was a strange mental exercise to have to remove himself from the usual assumptions of language he made. Understandings that had common ground were abandoned in this conversation, they shared no reference points and so the words had to be put together like a puzzle to reveal the picture they made. He quite enjoyed the exercise he found, it appealed to his curiosity and investigative part of his mind. “I am not sure whatever I write anyone would want to read,” he said softly, “though I suppose I could write about my city’s history. Though I’d have to discover much of it first. I have never really thought upon it. Perhaps I could write of skills that others might learn, as you are trying to do” “I suppose they could be hiding,” he said thoughtfully, “ there are many dark and presumably deep places. Mines and dungeons and so on. They could be in there…in which case I’m not sure I’ll ever see them. Not anytime soon anyway, they are dangerous places” In truth he had never thought about wildlife overly much, he had been too busy worrying about the humans willing to kill people as more pressing a concern. Now he thought of it, it seemed something he should probably look into at some point. He had some rough plans of trying to find old treasures to sell and build a fortune for but such things would take him places where this dangerous wildlife might be a problem. He made a mental note to look into it. “I think Cyphrus is a land maybe…I remember someone mentioning it as far away. A sailor I think. It was a long time ago. I mean either way you could find is useful so why not tuck it away on a shelf you’ll remember for the future?” “A healer? That is…admirable. I guess I know who to send for if I ever need healing,” he said with a small smile, “what made you want to become a healer? Doctors might deal with people more but if I understand the trade what you would make would make their job possible. Without people like you they’d have no medicine” he said, reasoning it out as he went. “I am not sure I am that strong,” he chuckled, “though I suppose survivng Sunberth might make me so a little. I do many things – odd jobs. Guard things sometimes. Run messages. Scavenge and explore. Whatever I can get to survive” he shrugged, it was normal as far as he was concerned though the longer he spent in the Outpost the more it seemed abnormal for the rest of the world. “I suppose you could say that I am between jobs”