• Solo • [Treth] Lovers Run Amuck

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

14th Ashan, 717


The 14th of Ashan was an important trial in Treth, just as it was in Ne'haer. It was called the Celebration of Love, and it was a trial meant for just that; love. Couples would dress up in their finest clothes, and spend the day together, simply enjoying being together. Unmarried couples would make a special date out of the festival while married ones would use it as an occasion to celebrate their love for each other, and how long it had endured. The streets would be decorated, and couples would stroll down them, admiring the way that everything in their village had been made new, and exciting. Special treats would be sold at the bakery. And the tavern would offer discounts to couples who wanted to dine there rather than at home.

But for Tei'serin, it was just another trial, and she was quite content with it being that way. School was let out early so that the streets would be clear of children trying to make their ways home when the adults were ready for the festivities to begin. Tei'serin was more than happy to have an afternoon to herself. Although she might be wiser to use it to check her supply of herbs, or go looking for new ones, she was planning on taking a lazy trial just for herself. As a teacher, she had the right to borrow books owned by the school whenever she wished as long as she replaced them should something happen to them while in her care.

With the Festival of Languages still lingering in her mind, Tei'serin found herself interested in other languages more than usual. She also thought it was a good idea if she learned more about the languages spoken by her students. For those reasons, she decided to borrow a book about languages that the school had gotten specifically for the festival.

When she got home, she set some water on the stove to boil while she fetched some powdered ginger root to help with the nausea that never seemed to leave her completely these days. Drinking a mug of ginger tea before a meal made it at least possible that she might keep her food down. Without it, anything she might dare to eat would come right back up soon afterwards. The powdered ginger root was placed into the bottom of a cup she had gotten for just such a purpose.

Once the water was boiling, she poured it into the cup. The herb would need to steep for ten bits, just as it would with almost any other type of herbal tea. While she was waiting for the tea to steep, she went into her bedroom, and got her winter warmer. Although it was Ashan, it was still cool, and the added warmth of Ziell's gift was comforting. After wrapping herself up in the special cloak, she headed back into the kitchen. Though not a child, pure ginger was too spicy for her tastes. So she added a bit of lemon juice, and a spoonful of honey to sweeten it up a little. When her tea was ready, she brought it into her living room, and curled up into her favorite chair. As she sipped her tea slowly, she began to read.

Linguistics is the study of languages. Part of it is a matter of learning the different languages one wishes to learn. But part of linguistics is studying the various languages themselves. Languages that had originated in the same general area, such as the languages were said to belong to a language family. Different languages that originated from within the same family often shared similar characteristics that made it easier to learn one of the languages within a specific language of one was already fluent in another language from the same family.

The book she had borrowed from the school was a bit on the dry side. But that was to be expected of most text books, and like a text book, it was very informative. In a few short paragraphs, she had learned quite a lot. Tei'serin found herself wondering what language families Common, Rakahi, and Xanthea were in, and if any of them were in the same family as she set the book aside for a while.

Off Topic

Bonus experience approved by Jade, to be given to the following character(s) involved in this thread, only upon the completion of the review, where the character(s) demonstrated celebration of the holiday, Celebration of Love, on Ashan 14th, Arc 717. The details of this this holiday include: The 14th of Ashan brings a time to celebrate those we love, typically partners. Couples can always be seen walking the streets and dining out, as well as wearing their finest clothes for the celebration.

Bonus Experience Upon Review Completion:
Knowledge
Ne'haer Holiday: Celebration of Love
+2 Bonus Skill Points
Free Item: Infinity Rings given to you by an old merchant touched by the affection you hold for your significant other. Legend says that Infinity Rings have a special charm connected to them that allows the bearers of the rings to feel the others emotions. This is only a rumor, however, some attest to the legend's truth. This item cannot be sold or given away.

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

Tei'serin started to head towards her bookcase to pick out another book to read, but paused when she heard a knock on the door. She frowned as she turned to answer it. She rarely got visitors at this time of trial, and she wasn't expecting any "visitors" either, for that matter. Although this festival was focused mostly on romantic love, there were other types of love as well. The love of family, and friends. The love between parent and child. The love of a teacher for her students, and theirs for her. The love of neighbor for neighbor. Even the love for a favored pet. And this was a festival that celebrated them all. Thorin knew this, and it was highly unlikely that he would send someone for her to "entertain" when it was quite possible that a student or the parent of a student might stop by to show their appreciation of her efforts.

When she opened the door, she tensed. It was one of her students, and from his frantic expression, and the way he was panting, as though he had ridden hard all the way to her farm, she knew there was trouble.

"What happened?" she asked quickly.

"It's my older brother! I was spying on him. I know I shouldn't have been, but..."

"Calm down, Irin. Take a deep breath, and count to ten. Can you do that for me?"

The child nodded, and hastily did as she was told. The breathing exercise worked, and when she was finished, Irin looked somewhat calmer.

"Now tell me what happened." Tei'serin commanded firmly.

"My brother Alzorn, and his fiancee were on a date, celebrating the festival, and all. Some bards were having a contest over at the tavern. People were dancing, and Alzorn wanted to impress his fiancee, so he insisted on joining in. He's not really good at dancing, so when the music kept getting faster, and he didn't give up, he...he got hurt. His leg gave out on him, and when I left to get you, he was clutching at it, and moaning in pain. Please say you'll come help."

It's probably a sprain, or a strained muscle from the sounds of it. I'll need a plantain salve, and some bandages if that's the case. Should I bring them with me, or do I have enough stored at the school?

"Of course, I'll help, Irin. I just need a few bits to get everything I need, okay?"

The young girl nodded, but she still looked worried about her brother, so Tei'serin enlisted her aid to hold the things she gathered until she could pack them properly for travel as an attempt to distract her. She could get water to make the salve at the tavern, and she had plenty of bandages stored at the school. But her supply of plantain here was fresher than the one at school. She couldn't remember if she had any fresh leaves left at school, or if it was all dried.

When fresh, plantain leaves, and the juice from its leaves can be used to make poultices and lotions that can treat sunburns, stings, insect bites, snakebites, poison ivy breakouts, rashes, burns, blisters, and cuts. It's usually best to make salves out of fresh plantain, too. Easier, anyway. If I really am dealing with a sprain here, I will need to heat the salve somehow. A heated salve can ease the pain caused by swollen joints, sore muscles, sprains, and sore feet, as well as helping with the inflammation, which means that I won't have to add another herb for the pain to the salve. Even so, I should probably give Irin's brother a few packets of dried willow bark so he can take some tea for the pain as he needs it.

Tei'serin quickly gathered up enough fresh plantain leaves to make the salve she would need along with several packets of dried willow bark.

"Let's go." she called to her student once she had everything she thought she would need.

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

As they rode towards the village, Tei'serin occupied herself with remembering everything she knew about the herbs she planned to use. Sometimes, even the tiniest forgotten detail could make things far worse. Likewise, it could be a blessing if remembered at the right moment.

Plantain is a clumped perennial herb which grows to roughly about 10cm in height. It can be found just about everywhere, and it can even grow in places where there is very little light. The herb is edible, as well as having many different uses medically. When fresh, the leaves can be made into salves, poultices, and potions. And when dried, the leaves can be made into tea. Teas made from plantain leaves can help ease sore throats and coughs among other things. And when used as a mouth wash, it can help to ease mouth sores.

"Tei'serin, my brother is going to be okay, isn't he?" Irin asked anxiously.

"Of course he will, Irin. Alzorn will be up doing stupid things to impress people again before you know it." Tei'serin said reassuringly.

The rest of the ride passed in silence. Irin was too worried to say much, and while Tei'serin was skilled enough as a rider to suit her own needs, that didn't mean that she was good enough that she didn't have to pay close attention to the trail she was riding. Once they had reached the tavern, the first thing Tei'serin noticed was that a good sized crowd had gathered around someone who was moaning, and cursing in pain. Many of the people were paired up, and Tei'serin realized that they must be couples who had come to the tavern for the festival. But there were some who had clearly been drawn by the fact that someone had been injured.

Tei'serin quickly dismounted, and handed the reins to Irin, trusting her to take care of the horses before joining her. As she made her way through the crowd, her small height aided her efforts. It was one of the few times she was glad that she was so short. Fortunately, no one had moved Alzorn. Without the proper knowledge to determine whether it was safe to move him or not, anyone who tried might have just made his injuries worse.

Alzorn's knee, and the area around it was badly swollen. Tei'serin knelt beside him, and felt the injury carefully. She couldn't feel any indications that the bone was broken, nor were there any bones protruding from the skin. As a result, Tei'serin was confident that the injury was a sprain rather than a broken bone. She could deal with a sprain. Tei'serin told Alzorn that he had sprained his knee, and berated him over injuring himself for such a stupid reason as trying to impress someone. Then she looked around, and saw the owner of the tavern standing near by, watching worriedly.

"Can I borrow your kitchen?" she asked briskly.

"I brought what I need to treat Alzorn's injury, but I need to make a salve, and heat it." she explained.

The man simply nodded, and gestured vaguely in the direction of the tavern. His eyes never left the injured man. Tei'serin patted Alzorn's shoulder, reassuring him that he would feel better soon. Then she headed into the tavern. A woman followed her, explaining that she was the tavern's chef. The woman led Tei'serin into the kitchen, and asked what she could do to help. Tei'serin quickly explained what she needed.

The woman watched in avid interest as Tei'serin used the back of a spoon to crush the plantain leaves she had brought into a pulp. She added a little bit of water to the leaves, and mixed everything together until the salve was the right consistency. Then she poured the thick mixture into the pot the woman had provided for her. Tei'serin heated the salve until it was warm, testing it with her finger on occasion to make sure it didn't get too hot. When she was done, she brought the pot back outside with her, along with a bowl of water.

Tei'serin knelt beside Alzorn once more. She used the water to gently clean his injured leg before putting the warm salve onto the bandage she had brought, and wrapping it around his knee. She was careful to make sure that the bandage was tight enough so that it wouldn't fall off, but not so tight that it would cut off his circulation, or cause him additional pain. Alzorn sighed in relief as the salve did its work.

"You'll need to keep your weight off of that leg until the sprain heals. And you will know that it has when the swelling goes down completely, and it doesn't hurt anymore. If you try to push yourself too soon, you will make it worse, do you understand?"

Alzorn nodded, and thanked her for helping him. Tei'serin waved the thanks aside.

"Thank me by not getting yourself hurt again over such a silly reason." she said in exasperation.

Alzorn nodded again, and Tei'serin handed him several packets of dried willow bark.

"The salve will help with the pain until it cools down. When it does, use those packets to make willow bark tea as you need it."

Alzorn thanked Tei'serin again. Then Irin moved to help him up with the aid of one his fiancee.

"We'll get Alzorn home, and make sure that he gets some rest." she promised.

Tei'serin watched them go. She was about to head home herself when someone in the crowd grabbed her shoulder lightly. Tei'serin turned to see who it was, and what they wanted. It was a young man about Alzorn's age. She had seen him several times in the past, but she didn't know him very well. It took her several bits to remember his name.

"Fintor?" she asked uncertainly.

The man nodded, and grinned at her.

"That's right. I was wondering if you could help me with something?"

"What is it?"

The man hesitated.

"Well...you see, it's like this. I have a special night planned for my girlfriend. She's supposed to meet me here soon, and after we eat, we'll go back to my place, and..."

Tei'serin nodded. She knew exactly what the man was hoping for.

"So why do you need my help?"

"Well...sometimes when...when things happen...things happen, if you know what I mean."

Tei'serin frowned, trying to make sense of what the man was asking her for. He seemed to realize the difficulty she was having, because he turned a deep shade of red.

"See...I'm not the best looking guy around. And I really like my girlfriend. In fact, I hope to propose to her on the anniversary of the day we met. And, well...if she was pregnant when I proposed, well..."

Tei'serin's eyes darkened in anger.

Saikuru. He wants me to give him a dose of Saikuru. Also known as Farmer's Friend, and Noble's Blessing. A beautiful herb that can be found just about anywhere, and can be very dangerous if not used correctly. It grows to knee height on the average human, and produces large blossoms that have sky blue centers. The outer petals range in color from purple to dark blue, to even black. The center of the flowers glow under the light of the moon, which makes it easy to see at night as well as during the trial. It isn't poisonous, but it only has one use as far as I know.

"You want me to give you an herb that will ensure that you get your girlfriend pregnant tonight."

It wasn't a question, and Tei'serin's voice was icy cold as she glared at the man she was speaking to. He nodded, his eyes filled with a mixture of guilt, and stubborn determination.

"And judging by your request, I am guessing that she doesn't know what you are hoping to achieve. No. Just...no. I refuse."

Tei'serin took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"If your girlfriend truly loves you, then you don't need to try and trap her into marrying you. And if she doesn't, then it is wrong of you to try and trap her into a life that will make both of you miserable."

With that, Tei'serin turned, and stormed off, before she could say something that she would regret. She found where Irin had taken her horse, and mounted her quickly. Her thoughts were only of getting home, and away from this silly festival. Love turned people into idiots; men were often the worst, but women could be just as bad. Tei'serin wanted nothing more than to leave the other villagers to their madness, and retreat to the safety of her books.

[Pash Raj'oriq]

Thread Rewards

Tei’serin Nji’ryn

Skill Knowledge:
➳ Linguistics: is the study of languages
➳ Linguistics: language families are groups of languages that share similar characteristics
➳ Medicine: how to make an herbal tea
➳ Medicine: Plantain; the leaves, and the juice can be used as topical substances in poultices and lotions for treating sunburns, stings, insect bites, snakebites, poison ivy breakouts, rashes, burns, blisters, and cuts
➳ Medicine: Plantain; heated salves applied topically to swollen joints, sore muscles, sprains, and sore feet, can ease the pain caused by these ailments
➳ Medicine: Plantain; when made into a tea and drunk, it can help ease sore throats, and coughs, or it can be swished around the mouth to help ease mouth sores

Other Knowledge:
➳ Plantain: is a clumped perennial herb which grows to roughly about 10cm in height
➳ Plantain: is edible
➳ Plantain: can grow in places where there is very little light

➳ Saikuru: a beautiful herb
➳ Saikuru: can be dangerous
➳ Saikuru: also known as Noble's Blessing, and Farmer's Friend
➳ Saikuru: grows to knee height on the average human
➳ Saikuru: produces large blossoms that are sky blue in the center of the flower with darker outer petals that range in color from purple, to dark blue, to black
➳ Saikuru: the sky blue portion of the petals glows under the light of the moon, making this distinctive flower easy to spot in the dark
➳ Saikuru: can be found almost anywhere
➳ Saikuru: isn't poisonous

➳ Tei'serin: loves to read

➳ Lazy trials can be good trials, too.
➳ Even the tiniest detail can be important.
➳ Being small can be an advantage at times.
➳ Love turns people into idiots.

➳ Ne'haer Holiday: Celebration of Love

Loot: Infinity Rings given to you by an old merchant touched by the affection you hold for your significant other. Legend says that Infinity Rings have a special charm connected to them that allows the bearers of the rings to feel the others emotions. This is only a rumor, however, some attest to the legend's truth. This item cannot be sold or given away, +2 Bonus Skill Points
Injuries: N/A
Fame: General good deed +1, Good moral decision +1
Devotion: N/A

Points: 10 | These points cannot be used for magic.

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Comments:
A well-written, educational read. I don’t think I’ve read any of your threads before, so I enjoyed this nice solo. Nice job shutting that guy down: nope, nope! Respect the ladies, dudes. Your NPCs are so well written. Thank you! Hang onto those rings—you never know what each turning of the season will bring! (Oh, and I wish I was invited to that contest. It sounded like a good one.)

If you see anything I missed or have questions, please send me a quick PM!

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