The markets were always bustling, and especially now as the seasons were changing. There were still warm days as summer bled into fall, but soon there would be winter’s chill, and the goods peddled at the markets were a reflection of that. Woven scarves, cloaks and fur blankets were put on display so that none may be caught in the cold. Still others clung to the last few shreds of the summer sun and boasted bright colours and wares of a more jovial or festive nature.
Gareth was sure to be careful of his step, dipping his head low so as not to loom too terribly over the crowds. It had been a few days since his herb gathering venture and his encounter with Salome. His head was still swimming and his heart still felt raw, but he knew more than anything that he had friendships that needed mending first. The collection of petals and stems he had been gathering on the mountain he had dried and wrapped carefully. He never had been one to get too fancy, and had only given a few gifts in his life, but he had felt that going the extra mile to make it presentable was all well worth it.
Luvena deserved a thorough apology and he had no better way to do so than to present her with these herbs. Every little bit counted. He had heard rumors that their new Sovereign, Israfel, may have taken quite a shine to the healer, but the stallion had never been one to pay much attention to that part of the rumor mill. Still, if it held any truth, he was hoping to catch her before life might become quite a bit different.
His head swiveled as he looked in stalls and shop windows, hoping that he might recognize the painted mare and her animal companions so as not to need to ask for directions. There was something about approaching a stranger in hopes that they held the information one needed, and that they would provide it out of the goodness of their heart, that tugged at an instinct in Gareth. Perhaps it was his stubbornness, but it just seemed wrong to put that kind of situation on a stranger, and who knows if the one you chose to speak with would actually be of any use. Then you’re interrupting their day to no benefit for either of you and that just seemed rude to him.
Noor had chosen to stay behind, as the city felt too closed in for his tastes, and Gareth was partially grateful. After all, the elk had not been pleased to hear of Salome’s return to the stallion’s life, and had been particularly harsh to him. Not that they were not words that he had needed to hear, for they were, but their necessity did not make them sting any less. The tongue lashing from his friend had given him some things to think about, and the wandering of the night markets gave him some of that space to mull them over.
"Speech" | @Luvena | Hope this works as an open starter!
That was the word for this feeling. The first few weeks had been relentless. She knew it would calm. She’d done this before, and it always did. But every day seemed longer than the next. She was running back and forth from the citadel to the clinic, she hadn’t figured out yet how to ask pol yet to take over, and she’d quickly realized that she couldn’t close the clinic until then. Not with fall advancing. So she spent most of her day running the clinic, and then the evening into the night finishing work at the citadel. Paperwork, organizations, all of the monotonous tasks that a sovereign took on. Israfel was there too of course, but even between the two of them… She knew it was only a matter of time before it caught up to her catastrophically.
She bustled along through the markets as quickly as she could manage now, trying to get back to the clinic to prepare for opening. Pol wouldn’t be there that morning so it was to her to get it ready. The dogs were wild that morning, and she was trying desperately to keep them in check through the busy markets. Everyone was in there lately, trying to snap up the last herb harvests of the season, buying new cloaks for winter.
Suddenly both of the leonbergers were shooting forward ahead of her, bounding ahead with wagging tails. It was hard to miss the reason why. Gareth was not exactly an inconspicuous man, even when he tried to duck his head. “Gareth!” She called, hurrying towards him through the crowds. She cleared her throat, trying -with futility- to rid her voice of the rasp she had acquired last winter. “It’s been an age! I was just heading to open the clinic for the morning. Join me?” She didn’t wait for him to answer, instead clearing the last few stalls to reach the alley that her clinic was nestled in the back of. She opened the heavy wooden door, and waited for the tall man to join her.
She ducked her head to catch her breath for a moment, chest heaving a little more than it should have, before dropping her bags onto the workbench.
The brute encountered the excited pups first, being careful not to step his wide hooves in the wrong place as they wove around his thick pillars. At the sound of his name being called he saw the face of the mare he had been looking for. While Luvena had not seemed to have changed much physically, there was still somehow a glow about her. The stallion smiled as she approached. It suited her, even if he could tell that life’s changes were beginning to wear on her. He followed dutifully down the alley and to the woman’s clinic. It was a tidy thing, and he wondered why he had not taken the time to visit her sooner.
Gareth nodded, saying, “It really has been too long, Luvena. That’s my fault. I let the lesser parts of life grab hold of me.” He smiled kindly and cast his gaze to the rest of the clinic. “What can I do to assist you this morning?” He liked the idea of helping the woman get things ready. He was in no rush, after all. And perhaps spending some time with the mare would help steady his mind and his nerves.
He still needed to apologize to her, though he still wasn’t sure of the words to use. Should he tell her about all of what had been happening? About the heartache, and the betrayal and the struggle he was feeling? How he thought he finally had everything back together only for it to come crashing down and shattering his heart and his resolve once more. Were they friendly enough to do so?
If only Isra had been here; apart from Noor, the stallion had been the closest to a friend he’d had in a very long time. Luvena still seemed much too new an acquaintance to put such troubles on. She already had so many things on her plate, especially if rumor was to be believed. He was happy for her, too, and he did not want to place his heart’s burdens on her, much as he craved the advice of another.
“We’ve all been there” she replied. She’d been there many times, though she tried desperately to continue walking away from that part of her life. “Here” she handed him a mortar and pestle, and tossed in a few leaves of feverfew, along with some poppyseed and mint. “Grind those up for me will you?” She took to tidying up the clinic herself. Drawing back the curtains, sweeping up the dusty floors, and the bits of herbs that littered them.
“You seemed like you were looking for something in the markets” she remarked, heading back to the workbench. “I hope I didn’t pull you away from it.” she felt guilty suddenly, worried that she had bossed the stallion into giving her a hand when he had better things to do. She emptied the bottomless satchel she had tossed onto her workbench only a few minutes prior, and started setting the various leaves and petals onto pieces of paper, sorting each variety onto its own page. When she was done, she stacked them one on top of another, and put the pile down by the window. Finally she set a couple of bricks on top, pressing everything down tightly. She had found many years ago that this helped her stores last further into the winter.
She was still trying to catch her breath, though she tried to keep them even, wary of alarming Gareth. “Noor didn’t accompany you this morning?” she immediately regretted the question, knowing it might draw attention to her own lack of bonded, or that she might be perceived as rude for asking.
Gareth nodded, giving a grunt as he set to work with the herbs in the mortar and pestle. It was calming, grinding the materials as he watched Luvena go about her work. For her to have handed off any kind of duty to him he felt was a big step for her. She had always given him the impression that she was the kind of woman who did everything for herself because she could rarely trust another to do what needed done. It warmed his heart to see that his previous behaviour had not sullied their budding friendship. At her concern for stealing him away he shook his head, thick locks of hair falling loose from the buns he had them pulled back in.
“Oh no, not at all. I was looking for you, actually. I have never been to your clinic, so I was unsure of exactly where I was headed. I’m glad that I ran into you instead.” He smiled warmly, setting the mortar and pestle aside as he finished grinding to watch her put the last of her satchel herbs away to store. He did something similar within the basement of his own home. Perhaps he would ask her for an inventory list and he could help her restock throughout the winter. He made a note to bring it up to her before he left today, if things went well.
The woman asked after his elk friend and he chuckled brightly. “Noor doesn’t care much for the city, and it’s always busiest as the seasons turn.” He tilted his head, and thought to ask about Luvena’s own bonded companion, but thought better of it. Instead, he said, “You’ve got me to help you this morning anyhow, Luvena. Take a moment to rest and stop running like a chicken without its head.” The stallion's vocals were thick with compassion, though he was careful not to imply that she could not handle things on her own. He knew full well that Luvena was perhaps the strongest woman he had ever had the pleasure of getting to know.
He moved to pull the bundles of herbs from his own satchel, setting the carefully wrapped package in front of her. “Besides, I have an apology to make. I had been quite rude when we last spoke, and I thought you might make use of these plants more than I would.”
“Well that's a relief then” she replied with a soft laugh. She picked up the mortar and carefully tipped the ground herbs and seeds into a fine mesh satchel. She placed the bag into a cup before filling it with water, making a room temperature tea. (One that Caelum would frown at her for) “You’ve picked a good day, my apprentice happens to be off, and I’m glad for some company. I’ve missed your sorry hide” her tone was playful, without a hint of accusation. She was only glad to see a familiar face again.
She snorted a little at the comment. “Fair enough. I didn’t care for it much either at first, I’d gotten used to a life of tall trees and starry skies. But I wouldn’t trade it in now. It certainly beats trying to sleep out in the woods in the middle of winter” She paused for a minute at his half hidden offer, mulling it over. She was determined to keep things running smoothly until she could bring the idea of taking over to Pol. But, she was so exhausted she could hardly keep her head clear. She gave a slight nod, passing over the list she was working on, before taking her tea and settling on the bed of moss and fur. Yara and Mithra settled in on either side of her.
“Don’t be silly” she chided him. “You’ve no need to apologize. If I’m honest I wasn’t exactly the best version of myself last time we met either. I made some foolish decisions for which I paid the price. Keep those for your own practice, I’m sure you’ll need them as much as I when the winter hits.”
The brute gave a hearty laugh, something genuine that rumbled deep from within his chest and rolled out like a summer storm. “I’m afraid,” Gareth continued as he caught his breath, “That any practice I may have had prior to my absence has long since dissolved.”
He moved his girth around the clinic carefully to settle across from her. Even as he tried to be mindful of his size, he still loomed, regardless of if he curled up or not. “My clients weren’t always of the most savoury variety, and many of them probably think me quite dead by one reason of fashion or another.” His audits flicked as he watched the two pups as they settled in with the mare, becoming comfortable.
“I like to think of it as a sign from Caligo that I should move from working within the shadows and instead start working within the court.” He cast his gaze then to the clinic, continuing, “There have been so many changes lately, and it’s about time I started to serve Denocte as intended. The night court is my home, and I should do what I can to make sure that her citizens are taken care of.” His thought trailed off and the stallion was quiet for a long moment before returning his warm gaze to Luvena again with a smile.
“But don’t let me impose on you. Just the ramblings of a man early enough in the morning, you know.” Gareth chuckled lightly. “As for my herbal stores, I am quite stocked, and without persons to treat, I would happily help bolster your own supplies through the winter. Or anything else you might find my skills useful for, if you have need of them.”
He felt the slender golden chain around his neck warm against his skin. It was not often that he felt the will of his grandmother, but in his mind, she seemed to be casting her approval at his offer to the medicine woman. For the first time in ages, talking with Luvena and offering his aide to her seemed to be placing him back on the right path. Something that he had forgotten in all of his sorrow and heartache over the last few years, his purpose had been lost to him. Being in the clinic now, he could see things laid out before him quite clearly, and he intended to pursue them, so long as he had Luvena’s blessing.
She watched him move around the tiny practice carefully, trying not to displace any of her few belongings, and a small smile graced her face. “I promise you, you are far from the least sociable person I’ve had to deal with” she reassured, thinking to a few notable faces she’d come across in the past few years.
“Oh you should!” Luvena answered eagerly. “Theres well more than enough business here to go around. I could use someone else to send patients too. There are some cases I simply cannot take…” she trailed off for a moment. “The risk is just too high for myself… Truthfully, I’m trying to escape the business” she hesitated for a moment, taking another drawn out sip of her tea. “It’s not quite public knowledge yet, but, I’ve taken up the throne beside Israfel. I can’t do both, I have been for a few weeks and it’s…” she didn’t finish her sentence, unwilling to admit that it was far to much for her.
“I’ve been meaning to ask Polar North to take over now for ages but I just haven’t found the words. Honestly it’s hard to give it up. I put a lot of work into this little thing” She fell silent for a moment. She loved her clinic, and what she did, but it was a lot of work, and she wouldn’t be able to keep up this business of running the clinic during the day, and the kingdom in the evening much longer. “I’ve half a mind to keep it closed for today but it’s far to late in the season now to start closing for more than a few hours”
She dipped her head to him in acceptance of the gift. “I hope you’re sure. I think you’ll find working here through the colder months that stores run out far too quickly. I was nearly out of feverfew after the first two weeks last year, thankfully Pol has been a help in that department.”
A bright laugh rumbled through the stallion’s deep chest. “Well it seems that your assistant is well on their way to filling the big shoes you’d leave behind, Luvena.” he spoke with kindness.
He watched her as she settled down with her tea, casting her gaze about the clinic, and he could sense the feelings moving through her. He had felt them, too, the past few years. Perhaps that was part of why it had been so difficult for him to pull himself out of his slump. They weren’t exactly the same situations, but finding comfort in the familiar was something that everyone could empathize with to one degree or another.
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to pursue something new. And I’m sure that Polar North would still be delighted to see you when you come to visit.” The stallion smiled. “I know I would look forward to them. I can’t imagine you would be able to step away from healing entirely, just as I would be unable to.”
Gareth settled himself behind the clinic counter, his short tail swaying slightly. “I think it’s wonderful that you are trying to fill your life with new ventures. It’s about time someone else took care of you instead of the other way around.” His amber eyes sparkled with the good natured ribbing. He paused for a long moment, and then sighed heavily.
“And truth be told, I could use the distraction that this winter will bring us. I need to throw myself back into work or else I fear that I will fall back into a pit of myself.” The man furrowed his brow, then shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts.
“I’m sorry, Lu. I shouldn’t put a damper on the joyous news with my own woes.” He forced a smile back to his features. It was gentle, and if one didn’t know any better, it would seem most genuine, save for the light that flickered and died behind his eyes.
“She is,” Luvena replied gently. “She reminds me so much of myself when I was younger. Though she has far more energy than I ever did unsurprisingly. She’s been scarred, but she still has so much hope for the world. She’s helped me get my hope back.” She thought to the news that her son was alive. That he was here, somewhere.
“Oh i’m sure I won’t be able to” she laughed. “That will always be a part of me. But so is this. I was a princess long before I was a healer. And a queen, and a judge. It is a duty I was born for, and told I could never do. But I always knew fate would push me into it. And Israfel can be very loving when she so chooses.”
She looked at him, with a somewhat hard expression. “Oh if it’s work you’re looking for you will most certainly get it. I’ve never seen a busier medic scene than Novus. The people here seem to have a knack for being sliced and diced.”
She paused. “And yet you seem to have come here to spill them. Go on then” she tilted her head at him. “We’ve all our fair share. No use bottling them up like a jar of preserves.”
