Pint Sized Help (February 3010) - [Tilly]
Jan 2, 2018 19:10:25 GMT -5
Post by Runa on Jan 2, 2018 19:10:25 GMT -5
The wind whistled through the thatching of the roof, but the hearty fire of the Healing Hall was enough to fight the chill it sought to bring. The tinctures clinked musically as Runa rummaged through the shelves of multi-colored bottles and small boxes of dried herbs, blue eyes scanning each for the one she needed. “Ah,” she said. The pouch itself was leather and tired from use, though scent that wafted out was still a viable leaf the same shade of green as summer grasses. The green tea leaf, like many of the other herbs in the House had begun to grow scarce throughout the winter, but Runa had need of it.
“I think we need to boil more butterbur,” Adelais hummed from behind, her own eyes raking over the many options upon the shelves. Runa had not known she was there, though she nodded and grunted her agreement.
“Use honey for now—we have some of that left in the back cabinet. I’ll get the water started. I need some for the tea leaves anyway,” Runa offered.
Adelais nodded, though paused in her work to examine Runa more closely. There was something heavy about the way her blue eyes looked at her, and Runa could feel her study without needing look in the young woman’s direction. “All right,” Adelais hummed, the sound fairly musical and thick with muse. She turned, rocking on her hip and crossing her arms. “Are you all right?” She asked.
Runa finally glanced to her, though her nostrils flared faintly, and she offered a quiet scoff. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Ceolmund left, didn’t he?” Adelais said quietly. “I just want to make sure you’re okay, not making yourself sick…?”
“Adelais, this isn’t the first time Ceol has ridden off,” Runa countered, rolling her eyes to mask the slight twist of worry that threatened to overtake her insides.
Adelais hummed, tilting her head. “Not as your husband,” she pressed.
“I’m fine, Adelais,” Runa offered hurriedly. Perhaps such a statement was an exaggeration. She had not slept much at all the night before; she had never once been in a house alone. She had gone from her own space in the corner of her parents’ home to Ceolmund’s house. They had not been apart for the evenings in the one month of their marriage, and it was strange to have a quiet home, completely still beyond her own movement. Perhaps it was why she had shown up so early at work; Paega was anything but still and quiet. “I need to get this mixed for Paega,” Runa offered, lifting the leather pouch of green tea leaves for emphasis before quickly turning and pacing her way back down the length of the Healing House toward the bed with the littlest patient wriggling about the clumped sheets.
She could see the plethora of wooden horse toys splayed about the bed from her distance away, and could hear the bright, chipper sound of the girl speaking to them in musical tones, mimicking nickers in reply to her own instructions. “All right, sweetheart,” Runa hummed as she approached.
“Wuna, wiw you pway with me? You can pway Littew Tait, and I’w pway Baby Tait!” The girl sang, blonde ringlets bouncing as she did, reaching the dark-colored wooden horse out to Runa as if to hand it to her.
“Once I finish me work, I’d be happy to play with you,” Runa smiled untying the strings upon the bag and taking a pinch of the leaves and dropping them into the mortar.
“Is that mowe weafs, Wuna?” Paega asked.
“It is,” Runa answered. “It will help the skin heal.”
The girl paused, thoughtfully lifting her crystalline eyes to peer into Runa’s. “You and Hildwed said the scaw shows I’m bwave,” she said tentatively.
Runa smiled. “It does. Very brave. You’ve seen Ceolmund’s scars, too! This will help the skin heal faster, though. Once you’re feeling better, I will take you down to the market. How does that sound?”
The girl giggled excitedly and immediately worked herself to lean back and ready herself for the tending. “Okay!” Her eyes, though, drifted to the door as it opened and a small, red-headed figure stepped inside. She gasped. “Wuna! Someone came to pway!”
“Hm?” Runa asked with a thoughtful frown, glancing toward the door. There was someone small standing at the entry, looking about as if perhaps lost. “Hold on for a minute, Paega, I’ll be right back.”
Runa set her mortar down and stood from the side of the bed, strides whisking her quickly toward the door toward the small figure. “Can I help you, sweetheart? Are you lost? Hurt?”
“I think we need to boil more butterbur,” Adelais hummed from behind, her own eyes raking over the many options upon the shelves. Runa had not known she was there, though she nodded and grunted her agreement.
“Use honey for now—we have some of that left in the back cabinet. I’ll get the water started. I need some for the tea leaves anyway,” Runa offered.
Adelais nodded, though paused in her work to examine Runa more closely. There was something heavy about the way her blue eyes looked at her, and Runa could feel her study without needing look in the young woman’s direction. “All right,” Adelais hummed, the sound fairly musical and thick with muse. She turned, rocking on her hip and crossing her arms. “Are you all right?” She asked.
Runa finally glanced to her, though her nostrils flared faintly, and she offered a quiet scoff. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Ceolmund left, didn’t he?” Adelais said quietly. “I just want to make sure you’re okay, not making yourself sick…?”
“Adelais, this isn’t the first time Ceol has ridden off,” Runa countered, rolling her eyes to mask the slight twist of worry that threatened to overtake her insides.
Adelais hummed, tilting her head. “Not as your husband,” she pressed.
“I’m fine, Adelais,” Runa offered hurriedly. Perhaps such a statement was an exaggeration. She had not slept much at all the night before; she had never once been in a house alone. She had gone from her own space in the corner of her parents’ home to Ceolmund’s house. They had not been apart for the evenings in the one month of their marriage, and it was strange to have a quiet home, completely still beyond her own movement. Perhaps it was why she had shown up so early at work; Paega was anything but still and quiet. “I need to get this mixed for Paega,” Runa offered, lifting the leather pouch of green tea leaves for emphasis before quickly turning and pacing her way back down the length of the Healing House toward the bed with the littlest patient wriggling about the clumped sheets.
She could see the plethora of wooden horse toys splayed about the bed from her distance away, and could hear the bright, chipper sound of the girl speaking to them in musical tones, mimicking nickers in reply to her own instructions. “All right, sweetheart,” Runa hummed as she approached.
“Wuna, wiw you pway with me? You can pway Littew Tait, and I’w pway Baby Tait!” The girl sang, blonde ringlets bouncing as she did, reaching the dark-colored wooden horse out to Runa as if to hand it to her.
“Once I finish me work, I’d be happy to play with you,” Runa smiled untying the strings upon the bag and taking a pinch of the leaves and dropping them into the mortar.
“Is that mowe weafs, Wuna?” Paega asked.
“It is,” Runa answered. “It will help the skin heal.”
The girl paused, thoughtfully lifting her crystalline eyes to peer into Runa’s. “You and Hildwed said the scaw shows I’m bwave,” she said tentatively.
Runa smiled. “It does. Very brave. You’ve seen Ceolmund’s scars, too! This will help the skin heal faster, though. Once you’re feeling better, I will take you down to the market. How does that sound?”
The girl giggled excitedly and immediately worked herself to lean back and ready herself for the tending. “Okay!” Her eyes, though, drifted to the door as it opened and a small, red-headed figure stepped inside. She gasped. “Wuna! Someone came to pway!”
“Hm?” Runa asked with a thoughtful frown, glancing toward the door. There was someone small standing at the entry, looking about as if perhaps lost. “Hold on for a minute, Paega, I’ll be right back.”
Runa set her mortar down and stood from the side of the bed, strides whisking her quickly toward the door toward the small figure. “Can I help you, sweetheart? Are you lost? Hurt?”