Now was one of those times. Fury rose in her, burning hot and powerful through her small frame.
"My debt is my own, Hatot. You know that. No one can pay it but me. I wouldn't ask anyone too either. And you have already helped with it. You know that." The memory of Hatot shoving the carefully laid out supplies off the veranda table and laying Kavala down upon it rose up in her mind. That was the night they had lost control and frantically and mindlessly joined there. It was the night he'd given her his child. That first time... the very first time she'd never forget.
She was lost in the memory momentarily.
But his hands on her shoulders startled her and she froze instantly, tensing up before slowly relaxing. His touch distracted her mind away from her worries. It was a trait he repeatedly tried to cure her of through their training, but one he'd only had marginal success at. She was still skittish for all her bravery. She brought up her debt alot, but that was only because it was on her mind a great deal. It was a weight on her shoulders that seemed to somehow hamper her from really living. The Akalaks were masters of the subtle and in many ways had perfected slavery to a polite art form that showed only the best of all worlds. She felt the yoke heavily.
But she smiled anyhow as his hands found hers and he circled her. Her problems were not his own and she was not about to make them so. Making a mental note to herself to not discuss it anymore least he feel somehow guilty or responsible, she nodded. "There is a lot we can gather out here if you'd like a short lesson. None of it is needed for what we need to make for your trip tomorrow, but its stuff we can use at Sanctuary anyhow." Kavala said. "I just thought you might want to get back to rest up for tomorrow." She added. But there was time for a short lesson. There always was.
Kavala pulled away from him, thankful beyond measure for the distraction. She still wasn't used to dealing with life as part of someone else's life. And though the cheva marks that graced both hers and Hatot's body made them linked, it still did not constitute formal arrangements unless Riverfall saw it as such. And truthfully Kavala had no idea about the Akalak concept of marriage or what it entailed. All she knew is that relationships were difficult and challenging, and not easy all the time.
But plants and medicine and philtering was something she could definitely talk about. It was something she liked a great deal. Kavala often came out into the grass to gather ingredients she needed for both her medicines and her philters. There was an art to it, for sure, and one she'd gladly pass on to Hatot.
"There's a lot of plants out here we can use and indeed to need. But there's an art form to gathering them. Philtering takes a great many ingredients at times and there's three basic ways of getting them. You can collect them, buy them, or grow them yourself. I make it a point never to buy unless its something exotic I just can't get locally. Riverfall has a great spice and dried herb availability in the market which makes that fairly easy. Growing is the preferred method, but you can't grow everything all the time because plants take different conditions to thrive under. So basically, our best options are collection. And there are rules to collecting, Hatot. You should always follow them." Kavala explained.
- Collect only what you need.
- Attune with the plant before collecting it. Just don't see something you need and harvest it. Place your hands around it and feel its energies and then tell it why you are taking it. Do this in your mind like you are speaking to it openly. Thank it for what it gives to you.
- Never collect more than a quarter of the plants growth. Unless you are taking the whole plant for its roots, this always needs to be followed so the plant can sprout and grow more meaning there will always be a supply because you have not killed them.
- Do not collect after rain or during a heavy dew. Let the sun dry them out before you harvest or most things will mold.
- always choose where you collect carefully. Don't over harvest in one place but move around, taking some from here, others from there, and a few more even further afield. Don't collect plants from around ponds that have been polluted with waste from cows or people, or even that have tainted waters. Stay away from settlements when collecting and try to get the freshest cleanest herbs possible.
Kavala looked thoughtful as she gave him the list. She meant every word. Collecting was an integral part of Philtering whether most people wanted to acknowledge that or not.
Then, as if to practice what she preached, Kavala slowly started moving around, pointing out herbs, digging or harvesting a few, always thanking them quietly until she had a discrete sized bag filled with all sorts of useful foliage.
