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Chapter22
Jaus
Finally I felt I couldn’t put it off any longer.
The king would expect me to bring Rhoslyn to the palace and introduce her.
On our way there the next morning, I took her past the apothecary shop, pausing while keeping my expression neutral. She was a healer—I sensed she was a good one—and she longed to slip back into the role she’d chosen in her own village. Her skills would be welcome here.
When we stopped in front of the shop, I watched for her reaction.
“Do we have time . . .?” She gazed longingly through the open door. “I don’t have any money, but can I look?”
“We can stop but only for a moment,” I said gruffly, hiding my smile.
Disappointment clouded her face, and she nodded quickly. “I don’t want to keep you from your appointment with the king.”
“I don’t have an appointment, per se.” I waved to the shop. “Enter. Please.”
Inside, I followed her as she wandered down the rows between shelves filled to the brim with vials containing bright-colored liquids and sachets with various herbs. She kept picking one up, sniffing it, and shooting me a smile that faded quickly when she replaced the items on the shelf. Even this tiny bit of sadness gutted me. It made me want to give her the world.
The proprietor joined us, nodding both our ways. He held out a basket to Rhoslyn.
She shook her head. “We’re just looking but thank you.”
I carefully gestured to him, and he shot me a confused look before his expression cleared and he nodded.
“I recognize so many herbs,” Rhoslyn said, weaving among the aisles with the proprietor following us. I shielded him from her view, and each time she sighed over a powder or what looked like clusters of sticks to me, I’d carefully gesture. He’d then collect whatever she’d admired and place it inside the basket.
“I could buy you a few things,” I said carefully.
She touched my arm, though only briefly, and the soft look she sent me made my lungs freeze. “Maybe one or two. I wouldn’t want to spend much. You work too hard for your coins.”
I had more than I could ever spend. My mother’s family had wealth, and they’d ensured my accounts overflowed before I fully matured.
Stopping, Rhoslyn gestured to a woven container full of dried grayish-green leaves. “Lindenmint. It makes a delicious tea. I used to drink at least one cup each morning. I love the flavor. It contains properties that keep the teeth clean, and I found it worked quite well as an astringent.”
“Truly?” the older orc said. “I hadn’t heard the last bit.”
Her voice strengthened as she slipped back into her role as a healer. “Lindenmint, when ground finely and mixed with boiled water, then applied to a wound, slows the blood flow from even fairly deep cuts. I was quite convinced it had properties that fought infection as well, though I’d just begun to test it when I left the fortress for the Hunt.”
“I suspect you’re an amazing healer,” I said, and the apothecary nodded, his eyes full of respect.
“The women in my family have served as healers for many generations. My mother taught me not only where to find and how to prepare what I collected, but how best to use them. She also taught me how to test something to discover new ways it might be used.” She fingered a leaf, bringing it to her nose for a sniff that made her smile wistful. “I used to pick it each fall along the edge of the forest. My mother laughed at how much I’d collect, saying I’d be able to prepare tea for the entire village for a full winter, but she enjoyed it too, as did my father. The bushes are large. They’re hearty and grow in almost any soil.”
After she moved on, it only took one heavy look on my part to the older orc for him to scoop up a generous amount of the herb and place it in the basket.
“Do you have more?” I asked softly as Rhoslyn turned left at the end of the aisle.
“I do. It grows in the foothills of the mountain. It’s easily obtained.” He watched her with an indulgent smile. “Your mate has a vast knowledge of herblore. If she’d like a job—”
“She won’t need to work for financial reasons, but I’ll discuss it with her. She might want to meet with you to discuss herbs and remedies or help others to keep busy. I suspect she’s bored when I work. You may learn from each other.”
“I always welcome learning from someone new. You’ll be surprised how the uses of what we collect varies depending on region and culture.” He gave me a short bow. “I’d be honored to learn from your mate.”
While Rhoslyn continued walking around, exclaiming over one herb or another, I paid for the items we’d collected.
The elder orc leaned close to me across the back counter. “She mentioned a tea. If you’d like, I’ll make her a cup to take with you.”
