He found himself standing before a tea shop, the floral smells from within lured him further within. He dipped his head to push his way into the shop. He was rather large and he had to take care when moving to not cause injury to himself or to property. “Good morning, My name is Jarek. I am a soldier, and I have just joined the day court” he said with a gentle smile, making direct eye contact with icy blue eyes. He nodded to the direction of the shopkeeper and started to peruse what beautiful scented plants had drawn him inwards to the shop.
Looking from plant to plant, he admired how well taken care of the plants appeared. It made him think back to Caelum and her herbal shop. Perhaps there was the opportunity for trade and specialization between the courts. “Such beautiful blooms, and so well cultivated.” he praised with admiration. It was clear to see the shop owner was experienced and skilled.
“Say, have you heard of worms that weave fine threads? We had them in my home-lands but I have yet to see them in this area. They are of great interest to me.” he asked softly, looking back at the shopkeeper and away from the plants. He stopped for a moment to think about how to phrase their purpose.
“You see, when great care is taken these threads can be wound together into the lightest, finest silk.” He said as smoothly as he could manage with a gravelled voice. His craftsman skills were in conflict with his appearance. He was capable of crafting fine high quality linens of various sorts. It was at this moment he was reminded about his interactions with Torielle. He didn’t fight the memory, acknowledged it mentally and continued to look at the plants. The Veil Nebula had said that fighting wholeheartedly against his demons was acknowledging them, and in some way giving them power. He was trying so hard to change, to build himself a new life.
When you make a mistake with metal,
you can melt things down and start anew
It had been a quiet morning in the shop. There were her few regular patrons that had stopped by, but mostly she was kept company by the steady hum of the display case filled with pastries. Cordelia had her back turned to the door to tend to some of her tea plants when the bell over the door sounded to alert her to a new guest. Cordelia turned and was about to welcome them when they greeted her. He was large. Larger than any other equine she'd met in Novus so far. Cordelia was used to that by now, but this man simply dwarfed her small 15hh frame. The crown on her head shifted as she peered up toward his face. Her cloak swept across the floor as she approached him from behind the counter. He introduces himself as Jarek, a soldier here in Solterra. Cordelia smiles up warmly at him. She has never been shy about showing her appreciation for the soldiers. If she had any adventure and excitement left in her bones to go to battle and train consistently she'd have joined them.
"Good morning, Jarek. I'm Cordelia. I'm just a merchant here, but I used to be an adventurer. Now I run Grandma's Tea Shop... Welcome." She greets him with grandmotherly warmth. Jarek compliments her work with the plants, and she beams brightly. There are other shops in Solterra that have botanists and arborists, but she hasn't seen many tea shops. "Thank you." Cordelia beams again. Before she can ask him if she can get him anything, he asks her a question about some worms that seem to weave threads. Jarek explains that they are native to his homeland and that their threads can be woven into fine silk. Cordelia's tail flicks as she grows quiet and her brows furrow in concentration. Worms that weave threads of silk sounded familiar to her, but she wasn't sure where to find them in Novus. "In my home, we used to call them Silk Spinners... or Weaver Worms. I'm not sure you'll find them in a desert. I tend to see them in the forests out in Ruris. They're fond of more temperate areas from what I remember. I'll bet you could ask some of the arborists here, I, unfortunately, know more about plants and their uses to brew teas than I do about how to attract those worms your after." Cordelia offered to him with a smile.
After a few moments of silence, she decides to offer him a tea and baked item. "Can I get you anything? I've just finished my baking for the day, and I have several teas brewing. On the house, of course, I like to treat the soldiers on their first visit to the shop. It's the least I can do as a retired adventurer you know." Cordelia beams warmly at him, hoping he'll take her up on the offer.
He smiled warmly at the interaction with the mare he now knew to be named Cordelia. Stepping into her shop had been akin to a warm hug that chased away any cold of the day. Not that it was very cold as summer had taken its grip. Just the way Jarek had liked it. He listened carefully as she explained what she knew about the worms he desired. He would just have to look and see if they could find them in another court. It was very important that he found them, he had great plans for their produce. “We will have to look for the worms then.” he said softly after a few moments of thought.
There was so much to look at within the shop. “Tea?” he asked, his ears perked and flicked processing the thought. “We don’t have such a thing where I originally come from.” a warm chuckle escaping his lips at the thought of perhaps how ridiculous it would sound to someone that specialized in the drink that he’d never tried before. “I would love to try your tea and baking Cordelia” he said warmly using her name to help it settle in his brain. Names were important and use of them showed souls that you cared.
He was thankful that there was a large bean bag setup near one of the counters, that seemed to have his name written all over it. With his size, getting comfortable on much else to stop and enjoy what she had kindly offered would be very difficult. “As for which kind I’d like, I really don’t know.” he said with another warm chuckle. Cordelia’s presence and her tea shop warmed his belly with hope and comfort. “I’m sure you have many adventure stories I'd love to hear, I need to learn more about the day court and its history”.
“Do you happen to know of any spare rooms for rent?” he asked while he waited to see what kind of tea and baked item she would choose to suit him.
