It was a cooler early Ymiden trial that found Elowen in the herb slash wildflower garden. Clothed in her usual headscarf and loose fitting clothes, she really should have had at least one more layer on. Alas, she never had a problem with cold. At least not in the same way Meira or the other villagers did. She asked Meira about it once, during a rare evening when they were done with their tasks but still not tired enough to retire to their beds.
She asked why did she always feel so warm. Meira looked at her then for a moment longer than normal. Long enough that Elowen felt hairs at the back of her neck stand up. Then the older woman shrugged and said that Elowen was just built different. Over the arcs, Elowen understood that answer in the only way she could - men were built different from women and women came in all shapes and sizes and inner workings. The girl was just another iteration of the same design. One that was always warm.
So in that Ymiden cool air, Elowen was enjoying herself for it was in those temperature that she was most comfortable. Not too hot. Not too cold. Just perfect.
She was working with a smile on her face, selecting a few recently bloomed poppies and plucking their petals. The more mature plants would wait until they start developing their seed pods. Then she would bleed them for a strong sleeping substance. Others she would keep for the sake of the seeds themselves since the flowers lived only one year.
She laid the petals down in the collection basket next to a bunch of lavender and chamomile. All of these she would need to either dry or otherwise process before adding them to the rest of the ready herbs.
Around the corner, she heard the chickens cluck and feathers rustle. Moments later, Pea strolled in. His wounds have healed a little and given the trial prior, he could fly. Yet, he was still around. Last night, he came back inside, back on her pallet and laid himself to sleep. So Elowen had to spend another night on the floor.
Now she watched the bird as it surveyed the garden in front of the shack where she was working. She saw him stand still near a wildflower patch before he started picking on the plants there.
"No, no, no. Pea, no." She called out to the bird, rushing to her feet and towards him. Pea jumped up, chaotic lightning rushing across his body. He screeched, giving himself a boost with his wings to fly some distance away. He settled nearby fencing that ran the length around the shack. That fencing was by no means a divison of plotland. It was more a guiding support for some other plants. But from there, Pea was watching Elowen and lighting kept zipping across his body in quick successions and in all directions. It was fitful, sharp. Elowen did not know whether it was anger or fear, but Pea certainly wasn't feeling happy right there and then.
"I'm sorry, Pea. But you can't eat these. They are part of the shack. They help people in the Mistral Village. I need them." The bird screeched at her and she pulled a grimace of apology. She didn't like that she scared him, but for as long as he was staying with her, there had to be boundaries. Like with the chickens.
She pressed her lips together, considering the bird in front of her. He was hungry. Always hungry it seemed. And she knew what he liked. She gave him a small smile and held her finger up. A gesture Pea probably did not understand but Elowen was already on her way into the shack.
When she opened the jar with the grasshoppers, she drew in a sharp breath. Walking out, she emptied it on the ground near Pea who called out when she got too close.
"I'm sorry Pea. That's all I have left," she said and looked at the last five roasted beetles on the ground. She walked back to the collection basket and watched Pea hop down to feast on the delicacy. She mulled the situation over. She doubted that Pea was surviving only on the grasshoppers. Surely a bird who was used to live in the wild was used to finding its own food. But she also liked feeding him.
Looking down at the herbs, she sighed. "This has to do for now." She picked up the basket, circled Pea who had just finished snacking on the last grasshopper and went into the shack.
She'd have to finish laying out some of the herbs to dry. She would work the rest that evening. After that, she had to pack for a field trip but more importantly figure out how to collect the grasshoppers. Meira was the one who laid the traps for them and because Elowen wasn't fond of roasted beetled, Meira never took Elowen with. So the girl had no idea about the kind of trap needed or where the old woman laid the last one before she passed.
She asked why did she always feel so warm. Meira looked at her then for a moment longer than normal. Long enough that Elowen felt hairs at the back of her neck stand up. Then the older woman shrugged and said that Elowen was just built different. Over the arcs, Elowen understood that answer in the only way she could - men were built different from women and women came in all shapes and sizes and inner workings. The girl was just another iteration of the same design. One that was always warm.
So in that Ymiden cool air, Elowen was enjoying herself for it was in those temperature that she was most comfortable. Not too hot. Not too cold. Just perfect.
She was working with a smile on her face, selecting a few recently bloomed poppies and plucking their petals. The more mature plants would wait until they start developing their seed pods. Then she would bleed them for a strong sleeping substance. Others she would keep for the sake of the seeds themselves since the flowers lived only one year.
She laid the petals down in the collection basket next to a bunch of lavender and chamomile. All of these she would need to either dry or otherwise process before adding them to the rest of the ready herbs.
Around the corner, she heard the chickens cluck and feathers rustle. Moments later, Pea strolled in. His wounds have healed a little and given the trial prior, he could fly. Yet, he was still around. Last night, he came back inside, back on her pallet and laid himself to sleep. So Elowen had to spend another night on the floor.
Now she watched the bird as it surveyed the garden in front of the shack where she was working. She saw him stand still near a wildflower patch before he started picking on the plants there.
"No, no, no. Pea, no." She called out to the bird, rushing to her feet and towards him. Pea jumped up, chaotic lightning rushing across his body. He screeched, giving himself a boost with his wings to fly some distance away. He settled nearby fencing that ran the length around the shack. That fencing was by no means a divison of plotland. It was more a guiding support for some other plants. But from there, Pea was watching Elowen and lighting kept zipping across his body in quick successions and in all directions. It was fitful, sharp. Elowen did not know whether it was anger or fear, but Pea certainly wasn't feeling happy right there and then.
"I'm sorry, Pea. But you can't eat these. They are part of the shack. They help people in the Mistral Village. I need them." The bird screeched at her and she pulled a grimace of apology. She didn't like that she scared him, but for as long as he was staying with her, there had to be boundaries. Like with the chickens.
She pressed her lips together, considering the bird in front of her. He was hungry. Always hungry it seemed. And she knew what he liked. She gave him a small smile and held her finger up. A gesture Pea probably did not understand but Elowen was already on her way into the shack.
When she opened the jar with the grasshoppers, she drew in a sharp breath. Walking out, she emptied it on the ground near Pea who called out when she got too close.
"I'm sorry Pea. That's all I have left," she said and looked at the last five roasted beetles on the ground. She walked back to the collection basket and watched Pea hop down to feast on the delicacy. She mulled the situation over. She doubted that Pea was surviving only on the grasshoppers. Surely a bird who was used to live in the wild was used to finding its own food. But she also liked feeding him.
Looking down at the herbs, she sighed. "This has to do for now." She picked up the basket, circled Pea who had just finished snacking on the last grasshopper and went into the shack.
She'd have to finish laying out some of the herbs to dry. She would work the rest that evening. After that, she had to pack for a field trip but more importantly figure out how to collect the grasshoppers. Meira was the one who laid the traps for them and because Elowen wasn't fond of roasted beetled, Meira never took Elowen with. So the girl had no idea about the kind of trap needed or where the old woman laid the last one before she passed.
