© MADI

The sage tryouts would of course catch the shaman's attention. She still had intentions of going home if she could, but the possibility of her going home seemed to getting thinner and thinner, like watching sand slip between her paws. For now and the foreseeable future, it seemed like she was stuck with being a pirate. Temulin would rather contribute than sit around moping to herself.

The task was simple. Find three herbs, bring them back and explain their applications in a medical sense. It was something that the siamese was confident that she would be able to do... Anywhere but here. The rainforest as a place was unfamiliar to her, the geography was strange and unheard of. Simply put, her knowledge of tropical flora was lacking at best. She did hear of miracle cures coming from across the sea, but she'd never actually laid her own two eyes on them.

Maybe it was best to try and locate plants that she knew, considering the idea was to demonstrate her knowledge and not go over the time limit of two hours. One that particularly would be around would be ginger, hopefully. It was something that was a staple of traditional medicine and it liked the humid forests that the traders that visited the plains came from. Eastern traders were a favourite of hers when they came to interact, bringing colourful silks and fragrant herbs and spices.

There's a telltale flower that the siamese spots with a smile. Pink and tall, looking like a particularly vibrant pinecone. She digs up the roots of the plant, taking one good chunk and replanting the rest of it. She mutters a quick thanks to the Earth Mother for the gift, something that anyone would likely think insane, but it's respectful. And then she moves thinking of things that would grow in such a humid environment.

Cinnamon... Cinnamon trees. The cinnamon that was ground for consumption was removed from tree barks as far as she could remember. That would be no good, Temulin hadn't brought a knife with her into the jungle. There wasn't enough time to go and find a knife either, so something else would have to do. What else went in the teas... Oh! Lemon Balm!

She remembers how the bitter taste would needed to be covered up with honey or something else sweet. Perhaps some of the sugar that the traders had too, but sugar was used sparingly in her practices. Too much sugar was bad for anyone. Still, taking a few leaves off the small shrub was no great effort. Which left one more herb to go with... How long had she taken now?

There was no point guessing, she may as well be quick as possible. She tries to look to the sky for any clues on time but tracking the sun through the canopy proves difficult as expected. Still, there is something that catches her eye. A dangling fruit atop her head, a bright green unripe colour. She remembers something about that plant... Hadn't she seen one before?

She was certain that it had been brought before as a trader bragged about it. Something Anise... It's seeds were good for cooking and apparently helped with colds, if she remembered correctly. The only thing that she definitely remembered was it being mixed into an excellent stew when she kept as a guest for a trading tribe. The Kha were an strange tribe, interacting with the outside world as if it was nothing, as if it did not challenge centuries of traditions and practices.

Temulin enjoyed staying with them. If she ever did manage to return, she was certain that the tribesmen and women of the Kha would love to hear about the Typhoon, maybe discover the Island themselves one day. They would doubtless be happy to see her return, would they not? Hopefully. She would certainly have stories to share about the pirates.

With the herbs gathered, there's no reason to stay in the jungle and risk overlapping the time. She sees that Junji and another feline that she hasn't seen yet are present, already having presented their own herbs. It's curious that none of them seem to have found the same herbs, but perhaps that is testament to how diverse the fauna of the rainforest.

"This is ginger. It is good for aching bones and joints, circulation and nausea. I wouldn't recommend eating it like this, but it tastes very good cooked with meats and other herbs." She explains, silently noting that perhaps she should of thought of things other than food. That being said, sharing meals and stews were a way of bonding, and many a medicinal concoction had been hidden in a rich beef stew.

"Lemon Balm is another tea ingredient. It also helps with the blood and is good for colds, especially good for soothing sore throats with some honey. Honey and lemon balm tea make a good combination, although I'm unsure whether the Typhoon keeps honey bees." She places the leaves down with the ginger root in front of her, sounding relatively confident. That being said, she is simply talking about tea and common medicine. However, the ritual magic used in tandem is absent from her explanations.

"Finally, I believe this is Anise? It would need to dried first, and apart from being a wonderful spice for cooking - it is a good treatment for keeping healthy and colds. That being said, it will need to be dried for a good couple of months before usable." With everything explained and done, the siamese waits for anyone else considering to arrive. 

© MADI

There seemed no plausible reason for her to care about the act of healing, the structure of her thoughts and memory unsuited for the delicate work where a clear head within the presence of stress was a mandatory factory, and yet she had heeded the call. It had come as some surprise to see the figure before the tavern speaking to those who had loosely gathered about them of the position of sage, her steps given a hesitant edge as something pulled at her. Upon the fringe she had listened to the messenger speak, mind barely processing the information they shared as she struggled with the wanton desire rose within them, a sharp thing digging into her mind, refusing to move no matter how she tried to shift it.

To work beside her aunt Rosemary, her student on the path of healing, learning how the body might be repaired when it had come to fall within battle or the claws of sickness had wrapped about it. Something within that thought held an interest, though if it proved to be well intended or merely a product of a want to learn, gathering what knowledge she was able, she could not say. The morning had come all too soon and it was with blurry eyes she looked out upon the world from the tavern's door, murmuring a soft cuss beneath her breath. With little sleep under her belt it seemed a worse idea to attempt this, her steps seemed purposeful all the same as she set off towards the beach, drawn as a few others were towards the spot the Soothsayer had chosen.

At the edge of the small group Aita strained to hear the explanation, Rosemary little more than a blur of colour amongst those before her, clearer for their proximity. It proved a struggle to keep herself up right, swaying slightly where she stood, teeth grinding into her lower lip, the slight sting of pain from this act enough to bring her mind back, albeit briefly. For a time she merely stood as the others moved forward to retrieve a bag, confusion briefly twisting her features, a ghost of a frown and brow furrowing over dark eyes, before she finally registered what it was they were doing. Moving forward she took one of the bags and slung it over her head and one arm, thankful she had grown comfortable with this for her own satchel was positioned as such when it was needed, though it was somewhat large on the tiny stature of the kitten and hit against her side with each step.

“This is all very nice but it is a waste of your talents,” the spectre did little to hide the accompanying mine, her distaste for Aita's decision evident within the sharp tone of her voice, soft drawl fading into tense silence for a time as the child offered a slight smile towards Rosemary before she turned. Taking up a quick trot she moved across the beach and thought better of speaking aloud for the moment, only offering her reply once the darkness of the jungle had closed around her.

“Ah don' care, ain' fa you, fa... Cleo,” strong at first her voice trailed into a faint murmur as she spoke the name of her sister, one of the few of their little band who had become more than just one who shared the same blood as she, rather the other had become someone she trusted and found a deep love for, bordering on a respect she had yet to find voice for. In truth Cleo seemed to have taken the mantle as her favourite person, though quiet something about her still drew Aita in, the deep set desire to protect and care for her sister never fading even as she further withdrew from those around her. It was frightening this swell of love and joy she felt in her chest when she came upon Cleo within her wanderings, when she could offer gentle teasing or gift her the little carvings she made, no other, not even Pincher though her feelings had begun to strengthen there, could bring such out of her.

A soft scoff filled her head and her ears flattened against her head, an answering hiss arising from between her clenched teeth. It had become all too clear Hadhi held no care for any of her siblings, let alone the one she was steadily growing closer with, in truth she though the two chaotic monsters better for death than to draw another breath but she had no say in it. “Fine, I will help you but don't expect this to become a regular occurrence, this is a one time deal.”

Coltsfoot. The name floated to the top of her thoughts and lingered there, the presence of Hadhi not permitted any other thought beyond the task at hand to take her attention, a hazy image of a yellow flower alongside it. A great deal of time passed, at least what seemed to the child for it was little more than half an hour at most, before she found what she was looking for. Entangled within the roots of a tree were points of ivory, bone long since picked clean and left to be picked up as the tree grew around them, small yellow buds clinging to the roots. Grabbing a good number she stuffed the herb into her bag, a soft smile curling her lips as Hadhi spoke of the plant, giving a basic use for it.

Next was feverfew, an invasive weed within the jungle for it was not meant for this place, similar to the one she had gotten just before beyond the colour. Once more it took a great deal of wandering, both of her paws as her steps became shaky and short, exhaustion tugging at her once more, and her mind as it struggled to push back Hadhi's efforts, seeking something more to entertain her. Occupied with this the spectre never noticed as Aita picked a few daisies in place of the feverfew she had been seeking, the similarities enough to trick her tired mind into believing it was correct.

When no reprimand came she continued on her way, seeking the last herb amongst the underbrush. Somewhat unique in its overall look it prove the easier to find, the star shaped borage a spot of purple amongst the greens and browns which clustered around it. Of this she could only find two which were deposited in her bag as well, her gaze drawn to the sky with this done. There could be no certainty to her time telling for she had lost track of it some time ago but it had felt as though it had run through, dragging as her mind sought to wander, to find a topic more suited to her. Yet she pushed on in hopes she might not be too late.

With but minutes it the dark bengal took a spot besides Beatrice, a face she remembered when she had come across her returning. During her impromptu lesson she pulled the bag off and set about sorting her own flowers, barely biting back a sound of shock as she came to realise the white flower she had picked seemed awfully similar to one the canine had before her. There was nothing she could do now but wait her turn, ears flattening and head dipped down so her chin rested upon her chest.

Finally it was Aita's turn to speak. “Tis is uh, coltsfoot it elps wit... um dri skin,” uncertainty seeped into her tone and she dared a peek up towards Rosemary, a grimace contouring her features for a brief second. It seemed the brief description she had been given had faded from her memory, the bare knowledge not quite enough to get her through. “An dhis is... was supposta be feverfew. It elps wit fever?” Brow furrowed she took a few seconds to think on it, unsure now. It was in the name so surely it was meant for it, before all at once she was speaking again, annoyance ringing in her voice. “Headache, it elps wit headaches.” Turning to the last Aita swallowed thickly, breathing a sigh of release as Hadhi grew impatient and spoke to her briefly before she opened her mouth once more, never realising it would seem odd she had a good idea of this herb but not the two before. “Dis is borage it elps with bellyaches, and uh fevers, brings em down.”

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