09.Jan.13, 06:50 PM
Ellaira lay on her bed, restless and awake. It was still dark in her room in the home she shared. Her housemate snored in the other room, the sound muffled but still certainly audible. With a sigh, Ellaira folded over her sheets and slid out of bed. Her bare feet touched the floor softly, the stone cool on her soles. Quietly, Ellaira shook out the shirt and pants folded on her chest of clothes, letting the crumbled herbs fall to the floor.
She dressed quickly and in near-silence, lacing her shirt in the near-dark with practiced fingers. It was early, even for her, but long turns of practice had given her the ability to get dressed in just about any circumstance with very little difficulty. Ellaira braided her hair rapidly, pulling the leather thong out of her bowl of wash-water to wrap around with deft fingers. It wasn't until she splashed the water on her face that she heard her daughter stir.
"Mommy..." Morallina's voice was weary and tremulous. Usually the girl slept solidly, but of late she had been easy to rouse. Ellaira stifled a sigh of regret at waking the girl - she did love her daughter, but motherhood had never been her great pleasure - and turned to crouch next to the trundle-bed she slept on. The woman gently smoothed the sheets over the little girl.
"Shh, there there. Go back to bed," Ellaira said gently. She brushed some hair out of the girl's face and softly stroked her cheek. "It's still nighttime." The girl murmured and shifted before sleep reclaimed her. Ellaira rose and carefully slipped out the door, into the predawn light. She grunted and stretched, before walking towards the woods. The poisoning of the Weyrleader - followed by the acting Weyrleader's proclamation of death for the perpetrator - had shaken the Weyr, and deeply. It was even claiming hours of Ellaira's sleep, on her day off.
She didn't really have a plan for walking, other than to clear her head, but by the time she had gotten to the forest's edge - just as the dawning light was rousing the birds into territorial chorusing song - she had one. Tansy had been the poison, and if the poisoner was anything other than blitheringly daft, he (or she) would not have taken tansy either from the healer's stores, where they might be seen and remembered, or from any garden. And though the likelihood of her finding a patch of tansy with recently-cut sprigs was vanishingly small, it gave her something to do.
Walk, and look.
Besides, Ellaira thought as she started strolling through the woods, looking for clearings where she might find the distinctive plant. It was spring, so it would be blooming, and easy to find. I might find some pretty blossoms to bring back for the table. Faranth knows Morallina asks for them enough...
She dressed quickly and in near-silence, lacing her shirt in the near-dark with practiced fingers. It was early, even for her, but long turns of practice had given her the ability to get dressed in just about any circumstance with very little difficulty. Ellaira braided her hair rapidly, pulling the leather thong out of her bowl of wash-water to wrap around with deft fingers. It wasn't until she splashed the water on her face that she heard her daughter stir.
"Mommy..." Morallina's voice was weary and tremulous. Usually the girl slept solidly, but of late she had been easy to rouse. Ellaira stifled a sigh of regret at waking the girl - she did love her daughter, but motherhood had never been her great pleasure - and turned to crouch next to the trundle-bed she slept on. The woman gently smoothed the sheets over the little girl.
"Shh, there there. Go back to bed," Ellaira said gently. She brushed some hair out of the girl's face and softly stroked her cheek. "It's still nighttime." The girl murmured and shifted before sleep reclaimed her. Ellaira rose and carefully slipped out the door, into the predawn light. She grunted and stretched, before walking towards the woods. The poisoning of the Weyrleader - followed by the acting Weyrleader's proclamation of death for the perpetrator - had shaken the Weyr, and deeply. It was even claiming hours of Ellaira's sleep, on her day off.
She didn't really have a plan for walking, other than to clear her head, but by the time she had gotten to the forest's edge - just as the dawning light was rousing the birds into territorial chorusing song - she had one. Tansy had been the poison, and if the poisoner was anything other than blitheringly daft, he (or she) would not have taken tansy either from the healer's stores, where they might be seen and remembered, or from any garden. And though the likelihood of her finding a patch of tansy with recently-cut sprigs was vanishingly small, it gave her something to do.
Walk, and look.
Besides, Ellaira thought as she started strolling through the woods, looking for clearings where she might find the distinctive plant. It was spring, so it would be blooming, and easy to find. I might find some pretty blossoms to bring back for the table. Faranth knows Morallina asks for them enough...