G A R E T H
The stallion had known the question would be coming, but it did nothing to lessen his discomfort at having to answer it. He had lead the mare to believe that they would be taking shelter in a quite literal hole in the wall. He couldn’t blame her, of course; anyone would have assumed it to be just a run of the mill cave, and if one were not already aware of the back entrance, it would seem to be just that. He liked it that way. It kept potential predators, poachers and unsavory types at bay. He nodded in agreement. “Alright, let me gather what I can.”
He moved to one of the makeshift shelves and pulled out several different bundles of dried herbs as well as a fairly large jar with some kind of dark paste in it. He took the items and set them aside, near to where Pangaea was laying. “These I can use to help clean the infection, numb some of the pain. They’re not nearly as strong as what I have in my stores at home, but they should be better than nothing.”
Gareth then moved over to one of the many cauldrons that were strewn about. “I’m going to need some fresh water, though,” he called over his shoulder. “Give me a moment to collect some of the snow from outside” He then picked up the pot by its handle, the cold metal harsh against his tongue and teeth, keeping his head stooped low as he moved back towards the entrance to the main cave. He was not gone for very long, before reemerging with a large snow pile, the flakes packed in tightly and overflowing to the best of his abilities. When all was said and done the snow would produce far less water than anticipated, he knew, and had hoped to combat some of this.
He set the cauldron near to the fire before moving to retrieve a second, smaller pot and transferring some of the already melting snow to it as well. “I’m also going to give you something to drink,” he said. “I’ll do my best to make sure it doesn’t taste awful, but it will help combat any sort of sickness or fever that may have made its way into your body that we don’t already know about, and should help soothe some of the overall ache.” He looked to her gently, carrying another bundle of herbs and another jar she might recognize as being raw honey. “I’m sure your muscles are well worn from the travel and could do with the rest. We’ll be safe here,” he reassured her.
It did not take him long to prepare the tea, swirling a large glob of honey into the bottom of a cup. With everything laid out before him, they still had snow to melt, and he could not put off her earlier question any longer. The brute took a deep breath, wondering how much he should tell her before finally settling in.
“I found this cave around the same time I saved Noor,” he explained, his voice steady, carefully controlled. “He couldn’t move very far, so… my childhood friend and I stayed here for a few days, fetching water from the falls outside and carrying in what we needed. Over the years I would return to this place, sometimes bringing things with me if I needed them.” There was a long pause as he debated telling her the whole truth.
On one hand, he had no reason to lie to her, and on the other, he had no business airing his grievances or the secrets of others. He did not need to burden this woman with the woes of his past where it tangled so thoroughly with another. He could seldom think of a situation that would even prompt him to be so open about his heart, save for with Noor. No, he would have to hold that within himself for now. Besides, it was ultimately of little consequence to Pangaea’s healing, and it would have no effect on the length of their stay here, in any case. The storm would be deciding that for them, as it had only gotten worse since they had made camp.
“I spent the last winter here,” he concluded, his gaze shifting towards the flames, watching the snow continue to melt. “That is why so many of my items remain.” The small pot was now full of warm liquid and he carefully poured it into the cup he had set aside with the herbs.
“Let that sit for a few minutes before drinking; it still needs to steep,” he said quietly before placing the cup near to her. The aroma wasn’t terribly unpleasant, but they likely had the honey to thank for that. It would still taste bitter, medicinal, but it would help her and he would be sure she finished it.
Gareth shifted his body weight, tearing strips of cloth from one of the more tattered blankets. He would need several to clean and dress her wounds, to pull out any infection, to apply salves. The stallion had never really taken note how many bandages he would go through on a routine procedure, and now that he was lacking, they were sorely missed.
He moved to one of the makeshift shelves and pulled out several different bundles of dried herbs as well as a fairly large jar with some kind of dark paste in it. He took the items and set them aside, near to where Pangaea was laying. “These I can use to help clean the infection, numb some of the pain. They’re not nearly as strong as what I have in my stores at home, but they should be better than nothing.”
Gareth then moved over to one of the many cauldrons that were strewn about. “I’m going to need some fresh water, though,” he called over his shoulder. “Give me a moment to collect some of the snow from outside” He then picked up the pot by its handle, the cold metal harsh against his tongue and teeth, keeping his head stooped low as he moved back towards the entrance to the main cave. He was not gone for very long, before reemerging with a large snow pile, the flakes packed in tightly and overflowing to the best of his abilities. When all was said and done the snow would produce far less water than anticipated, he knew, and had hoped to combat some of this.
He set the cauldron near to the fire before moving to retrieve a second, smaller pot and transferring some of the already melting snow to it as well. “I’m also going to give you something to drink,” he said. “I’ll do my best to make sure it doesn’t taste awful, but it will help combat any sort of sickness or fever that may have made its way into your body that we don’t already know about, and should help soothe some of the overall ache.” He looked to her gently, carrying another bundle of herbs and another jar she might recognize as being raw honey. “I’m sure your muscles are well worn from the travel and could do with the rest. We’ll be safe here,” he reassured her.
It did not take him long to prepare the tea, swirling a large glob of honey into the bottom of a cup. With everything laid out before him, they still had snow to melt, and he could not put off her earlier question any longer. The brute took a deep breath, wondering how much he should tell her before finally settling in.
“I found this cave around the same time I saved Noor,” he explained, his voice steady, carefully controlled. “He couldn’t move very far, so… my childhood friend and I stayed here for a few days, fetching water from the falls outside and carrying in what we needed. Over the years I would return to this place, sometimes bringing things with me if I needed them.” There was a long pause as he debated telling her the whole truth.
On one hand, he had no reason to lie to her, and on the other, he had no business airing his grievances or the secrets of others. He did not need to burden this woman with the woes of his past where it tangled so thoroughly with another. He could seldom think of a situation that would even prompt him to be so open about his heart, save for with Noor. No, he would have to hold that within himself for now. Besides, it was ultimately of little consequence to Pangaea’s healing, and it would have no effect on the length of their stay here, in any case. The storm would be deciding that for them, as it had only gotten worse since they had made camp.
“I spent the last winter here,” he concluded, his gaze shifting towards the flames, watching the snow continue to melt. “That is why so many of my items remain.” The small pot was now full of warm liquid and he carefully poured it into the cup he had set aside with the herbs.
“Let that sit for a few minutes before drinking; it still needs to steep,” he said quietly before placing the cup near to her. The aroma wasn’t terribly unpleasant, but they likely had the honey to thank for that. It would still taste bitter, medicinal, but it would help her and he would be sure she finished it.
Gareth shifted his body weight, tearing strips of cloth from one of the more tattered blankets. He would need several to clean and dress her wounds, to pull out any infection, to apply salves. The stallion had never really taken note how many bandages he would go through on a routine procedure, and now that he was lacking, they were sorely missed.
"Speech" | | @Pangaea |
