Timestamp: 23rd Day of Fall, 515 AV
There was a tension in the air as rumors flew about the tent city. People had died during the glassbeak hunt. That was to be expected. Or at least, it made sense to Seirei. Glassbeaks were terrifying creatures. Extremely dangerous predators that were a very real threat to any who encountered them. It would have been more surprising to Seirei to hear that everyone had come back safely. There were wounded, as well. Healers working at the River Flower had used up more supplies than had been expected to treat the wounded. As a result, a call had gone out throughout the city. Foragers were needed to go out into the Sea of Grass in search of herbs to replenish the stock of herbs that had been used up, and to build up stores for the winter.
When the call came out, Seirei answered it. So did her friends. Teisaia and Rytira had a healer in the family, so they felt obligated to go out. And when they asked if Seirei wanted to come along, she was happy to do so. Unfortunately none of them knew much about the herbs they were going out to look for. It was for that reason that they had decided to meet up at the River Flower, and hope they could find a guide.
They were in luck. When they explained what they needed, a healer was found to accompany them. One who was inexperienced enough not to be much use in actually treating patients yet, but who knew a great deal about herbs. As far as Seirei was concerned, it was the best they could have hoped for. Since the healer in question wasn't skilled in healing injuries, they weren't taking someone away who could be helping the hunters who had been hurt in the glassbeak hunt. But by taking a healer with them, they were ensuring that the herbs they brought back would actually be usable, and not useless weeds, or worse, poisonous lookalikes.
The healer looked them over.
"None of you know much about herbs?" she asked at last.
The three girls shook their heads. The healer sighed, but to her credit, she didn't look annoyed, or disgusted by their lack of knowledge. Instead, she told them to stay where they were. When she returned a few chimes later, it was with a well worn book.
"Okay. These are the herbs were are going to be looking for." she began briskly.
Seirei paid close attention as the healer opened the book, and flipped to the right page.
"The first herb we are going to be looking for is calendula."
The healer pointed at a flower, and Seirei studied it closely. It looked similar to a daisy in that it had long, oval shaped petals. But instead of being white like a daisy, it was orange. The leaves were a pale green in color. They were long, narrow, and oval shaped, much like the petals.
"Calendula is an incredibly useful herb. It can be used as a tea, tincture, salve, balm, or infused oil. It is also edible. You can even make dyes out of it. It can be used to help stop bleeding, which is one of the reasons we will be looking for it. But it is also good for easing swelling, and preventing infections. And it can help wounds heal faster. Used as a salve, it is good for burns, bruises, sores, and rashes. When drunk as a tea, it can help with fevers, ulcers, cramps, indigestion, and diarrhea. If the tea, or a tincture that has been mixed with water is swished around the mouth, and then swallowed, it can help heal lesions in the mouth, sore throat, and gastric ulcers. It can also be used as an eyewash, and on bee stings. Calendula can be used on children, and even babies because, although it is a very potent herb, it is soothing, and gentle. In fact, it is one of the most popular herbs for treating diaper rash. And if drunk as a tea, it can cure thrush in infants."
Seirei repeated the uses for calendula in her mind until she had memorized them. It did seem like a very useful herb. And it was good to know what herbs were safe to use on her children.
"The picture I'm showing you now depicts a calendula with an orange flower. But they can be yellow as well. It is best to harvest them in the summer, during the heat of the day after the dew clinging to them has dried. Calendula are a hardy plant, though, and they linger through the fall until the first frost kills them off. So we should be able to find some out there. If we do, it is the flowers themselves that we want. They can be used both fresh, or dried."
The healer flipped through the book, for a few ticks, before coming to another page. Seirei recognized the image of a willow tree instantly.
"Another herb we are going to be looking for is willow bark. When made into a tea, it is good for easing pain and swelling. It can help with fevers as well."
"We should be able to find some of that at the Zeis river." Seirei said softly.
The healer gave her a startled look.
"How did you know that? I thought you didn't know anything about herbs?"
"I don't know much about them. But I'm a wood carver, and I go to the Zeis river when I need to get willow branches to use for making beads, or spoons."
Seirei didn't mention that Teisaia and Rytira had told her about the uses of willow bark last fall. She didn't think the healer would appreciate that. The healer continued to stare at her for a few ticks, then nodded.
"Well, you're right about where we'll find it, at least. If we have time, you can gather a few branches while we're there if you need any." she said at last.
"Thank you. I'll take you up on that if we have time."
The healer flipped to yet another page in the book. The plant pictured had triangle shaped dark green leaves. The leaves had jagged edges, and the veins in them were very visible.
"This is mint. Mint is another incredibly useful herb. We will be looking for it today to build up our supply of mint for the coming winter. Mint is good to help with colds and coughs because it can break up phlegm and mucus. As a tea, it can be used for soothing sore throats, as well. It is a calming, soothing herb that can help with upset stomachs, and indigestion, as well as gas and bloating. Mint can be helpful in easing some allergy symptoms, too. It is useful for nursing mothers because water that has had mint leaves soaking in it can be used to prevent the cracks that develop in a woman's nipples when she is nursing, and it can ease the pain caused by nursing as well."
Seirei paid close attention to everything the woman said, but the mention of mint's uses for nursing mothers was of particular interest to her. She had experienced considerable pain at times when she nursed the twins, and anything that might help would be a relief.
"Mint can also be used for pain when drunk as a tea. When applied on the skin as an oil, lotion, or balm, it gives a cooling sensation that is good for soothing insect bites, rashes, and other such irritations. Mint is a gentle herb, meaning it is safe to be given to children. It can be used for many other things as well. It is edible, of course. It can be used to freshen breath. Dried mint leaves in a pouch can be used to keep clothes smelling nice. And since mint doesn't interfere with the medicinal qualities of other herbs, it can be used to flavor medicines that are especially bitter. This is especially useful for convincing children to take the medicine they need, but it can be useful with the adults, as well."
Seirei smiled at this. As the mother of twins, she could easily picture herself in the predicament of needing to get a sick child to drink a medicinal tea. The healer shut the book, and set it aside.
"These are the herbs that we are going to be looking for when we go out. If I happen to see anything else that we could use, I'll let you know and we can harvest that as well. And if you find anything you think might be a useful herb, show it to me. I'll let you know what it is, and if it's something we need or not."
With that, the healer took charge briskly, and got the small group organized. Then they began making their way towards the city gate.
Word Count19,826 words.
.
.
There was a tension in the air as rumors flew about the tent city. People had died during the glassbeak hunt. That was to be expected. Or at least, it made sense to Seirei. Glassbeaks were terrifying creatures. Extremely dangerous predators that were a very real threat to any who encountered them. It would have been more surprising to Seirei to hear that everyone had come back safely. There were wounded, as well. Healers working at the River Flower had used up more supplies than had been expected to treat the wounded. As a result, a call had gone out throughout the city. Foragers were needed to go out into the Sea of Grass in search of herbs to replenish the stock of herbs that had been used up, and to build up stores for the winter.
When the call came out, Seirei answered it. So did her friends. Teisaia and Rytira had a healer in the family, so they felt obligated to go out. And when they asked if Seirei wanted to come along, she was happy to do so. Unfortunately none of them knew much about the herbs they were going out to look for. It was for that reason that they had decided to meet up at the River Flower, and hope they could find a guide.
They were in luck. When they explained what they needed, a healer was found to accompany them. One who was inexperienced enough not to be much use in actually treating patients yet, but who knew a great deal about herbs. As far as Seirei was concerned, it was the best they could have hoped for. Since the healer in question wasn't skilled in healing injuries, they weren't taking someone away who could be helping the hunters who had been hurt in the glassbeak hunt. But by taking a healer with them, they were ensuring that the herbs they brought back would actually be usable, and not useless weeds, or worse, poisonous lookalikes.
The healer looked them over.
"None of you know much about herbs?" she asked at last.
The three girls shook their heads. The healer sighed, but to her credit, she didn't look annoyed, or disgusted by their lack of knowledge. Instead, she told them to stay where they were. When she returned a few chimes later, it was with a well worn book.
"Okay. These are the herbs were are going to be looking for." she began briskly.
Seirei paid close attention as the healer opened the book, and flipped to the right page.
"The first herb we are going to be looking for is calendula."
The healer pointed at a flower, and Seirei studied it closely. It looked similar to a daisy in that it had long, oval shaped petals. But instead of being white like a daisy, it was orange. The leaves were a pale green in color. They were long, narrow, and oval shaped, much like the petals.
"Calendula is an incredibly useful herb. It can be used as a tea, tincture, salve, balm, or infused oil. It is also edible. You can even make dyes out of it. It can be used to help stop bleeding, which is one of the reasons we will be looking for it. But it is also good for easing swelling, and preventing infections. And it can help wounds heal faster. Used as a salve, it is good for burns, bruises, sores, and rashes. When drunk as a tea, it can help with fevers, ulcers, cramps, indigestion, and diarrhea. If the tea, or a tincture that has been mixed with water is swished around the mouth, and then swallowed, it can help heal lesions in the mouth, sore throat, and gastric ulcers. It can also be used as an eyewash, and on bee stings. Calendula can be used on children, and even babies because, although it is a very potent herb, it is soothing, and gentle. In fact, it is one of the most popular herbs for treating diaper rash. And if drunk as a tea, it can cure thrush in infants."
Seirei repeated the uses for calendula in her mind until she had memorized them. It did seem like a very useful herb. And it was good to know what herbs were safe to use on her children.
"The picture I'm showing you now depicts a calendula with an orange flower. But they can be yellow as well. It is best to harvest them in the summer, during the heat of the day after the dew clinging to them has dried. Calendula are a hardy plant, though, and they linger through the fall until the first frost kills them off. So we should be able to find some out there. If we do, it is the flowers themselves that we want. They can be used both fresh, or dried."
The healer flipped through the book, for a few ticks, before coming to another page. Seirei recognized the image of a willow tree instantly.
"Another herb we are going to be looking for is willow bark. When made into a tea, it is good for easing pain and swelling. It can help with fevers as well."
"We should be able to find some of that at the Zeis river." Seirei said softly.
The healer gave her a startled look.
"How did you know that? I thought you didn't know anything about herbs?"
"I don't know much about them. But I'm a wood carver, and I go to the Zeis river when I need to get willow branches to use for making beads, or spoons."
Seirei didn't mention that Teisaia and Rytira had told her about the uses of willow bark last fall. She didn't think the healer would appreciate that. The healer continued to stare at her for a few ticks, then nodded.
"Well, you're right about where we'll find it, at least. If we have time, you can gather a few branches while we're there if you need any." she said at last.
"Thank you. I'll take you up on that if we have time."
The healer flipped to yet another page in the book. The plant pictured had triangle shaped dark green leaves. The leaves had jagged edges, and the veins in them were very visible.
"This is mint. Mint is another incredibly useful herb. We will be looking for it today to build up our supply of mint for the coming winter. Mint is good to help with colds and coughs because it can break up phlegm and mucus. As a tea, it can be used for soothing sore throats, as well. It is a calming, soothing herb that can help with upset stomachs, and indigestion, as well as gas and bloating. Mint can be helpful in easing some allergy symptoms, too. It is useful for nursing mothers because water that has had mint leaves soaking in it can be used to prevent the cracks that develop in a woman's nipples when she is nursing, and it can ease the pain caused by nursing as well."
Seirei paid close attention to everything the woman said, but the mention of mint's uses for nursing mothers was of particular interest to her. She had experienced considerable pain at times when she nursed the twins, and anything that might help would be a relief.
"Mint can also be used for pain when drunk as a tea. When applied on the skin as an oil, lotion, or balm, it gives a cooling sensation that is good for soothing insect bites, rashes, and other such irritations. Mint is a gentle herb, meaning it is safe to be given to children. It can be used for many other things as well. It is edible, of course. It can be used to freshen breath. Dried mint leaves in a pouch can be used to keep clothes smelling nice. And since mint doesn't interfere with the medicinal qualities of other herbs, it can be used to flavor medicines that are especially bitter. This is especially useful for convincing children to take the medicine they need, but it can be useful with the adults, as well."
Seirei smiled at this. As the mother of twins, she could easily picture herself in the predicament of needing to get a sick child to drink a medicinal tea. The healer shut the book, and set it aside.
"These are the herbs that we are going to be looking for when we go out. If I happen to see anything else that we could use, I'll let you know and we can harvest that as well. And if you find anything you think might be a useful herb, show it to me. I'll let you know what it is, and if it's something we need or not."
With that, the healer took charge briskly, and got the small group organized. Then they began making their way towards the city gate.
Word Count19,826 words.
.
.
