[SRP] Putting Down Roots (Curador Taara & Zahavah)

[divena]

This is a self RP for the following soq

 

[divena]

Curador Taara had traveled far and wide, honing his knowledge of herbs and medicines. He studied under shamans of distant lands, observed how different beliefs handled different things. He even studied with a herd of unicorns, though his own abilities were very minute. In his youth, he experimented with and collected plants from all the places he had traveled to. All of this work and time had accumulated into an extensive knowledge base of various healing techniques, both magical and non. He had a store of seeds and cuttings with which he could cultivate his own garden. He was ready to set up his own little practice and tend to patients and heal the wounds and ills of others. His life long dream was in his grasp.

Unfortunately, he had never stopped to think about WHERE he would plant his garden. Another journey began, right on the heels of the last, looking for a good place. Some didn’t need him, some were too barren for a herb garden. And some were too hostile for a pacifist such as he. Oh, he could brandish his sharp talons and fluff up his feathers to present a fearsome visage, but it was simply a bluff. He had always banked on exchanging his healer’s skills for protection, wherever he had ended up. But his methods were often… unconventional. It wasn’t until he stumbled across two traveling minis that he had a hint of a place to belong.

He trusted the mares and followed them back to their home, an odd little forest tucked away from everything else. There wasn’t a herd, as such, in the area. At least not an official one, from his understanding. But there was a family who could use his skill, and several guardians ready to protect the borders of the territory. At least, that was how the little orange mare, Zahavah, had explained it to him. She was the mother to one of the mares that led him to this odd little place, and, as near as he could tell, the one in charge.

It had been a slightly awkward start, really. Everyone in this forest/valley/whatever one would call it was certainly… unusual. Curador found that he had moments where he felt normal compared to them. It was nice, really. He had found himself a nice little alcove with access to the river and plenty of space and had planted his garden, with a bit of help from Nova, one of the little mares who had brought him to this place.

Now, as he surveyed the little sprouts of his growing garden, he felt himself smiling. This felt good, right. He hadn’t had too much contact with the local family, the Sangfroids, over the past week or so. Except for Nova, of course. She came at least once a day to check on him... He wondered if he should start venturing further away from his little corner and see if there was anything he could do to earn his keep…
 

[divena]

Zahavah watched as Curador surveyed his garden. She wondered for the tenth time that day if she should have given him a bit more space. Nova had warned her that the stallion was a bit skittish, so she had made a point to not bother him for the past week or so. She had trusted Nova to keep an eye on the newest member of their oddball little group... but her curiosity was getting the better of her. Well, for better or worse, the fellow was going to have to get used to her if he was going to live in her territory. Besides, she wanted to know the stallion she'd be entrusting with the health of her family. Nova claimed he was capable enough, and Zahavah was trying hard not to think too much on how Nova could possibly know how competent a healer was. The idea that Zahavah's baby had been hurt... She shuddered. Yeah. She still wasn't liking that whole fear thing, even if she had found ways to cope with it.

Shaking these thoughts away, she approached the stallion, putting her brightest, friendliest smile on. "Hey there!"


Curador jumped, startled at the sound of a slightly familiar voice. He managed, barely, not to trample the herbs closest to his talons, though it was a near thing. A quick glance at the path leading to his little corner showed him who his visitor was, and ice water replaced his blood in his veins. Had he done something wrong? The tiny alpha had left him to his own devices for all this time, and now she was seeking him out? Had he unintentionally broken some rule or another that he wasn’t aware of? No… there was another reason for someone to seek out a healer. Trepidation was replaced by concerned as he took a cautious step forward. Was someone hurt? Were his skills needed? “Z…Zahavah,” he half mumbled, half stuttered, wincing at his own timid voice. “Is… Is something wrong?” There, that was a good, neutral question. He hoped. He didn’t want to offend his new… employer? Leader? Landlord? He really wasn’t sure how to think of her.  

[divena]

"Wrong?" Zahavah repeated, startled. Then she realized what he was probably asking about. Of course, why else would she approach him if not because his skills were needed? Ugh. Maybe she should have come with Nova instead of on her own. She didn't want the healer to have a heart attack every time she showed up, especially since she had every intention of keeping a close eye on him. He was the first healer to wander their way since before Addy and Akis had popped. Zahavah had no intention of letting something so valuable slip away. "No, nothing's wrong," she rushed to assured him, maintaining his smile. She had to put him at ease. "I just wanted to come by and check on you, see how you were settling in..." she eyed the little green sprouts, skeptically. She didn't know much about plants, but everything looked orderly.

Settling in? Curador relaxed a bit as the words sank in. He wasn’t in trouble and no one was hurt. That was good. He studied the little mare a bit more curiously now. He had been tired from travel and his mind full of how to set up his garden when he first met her. He hadn’t really formed a solid opinion at that time. Now that he saw her again, he realized he had forgotten just how small she was. A bit smaller than her daughter, Nova. Somehow, in his scant memory, she had seemed bigger. But then again, when she spoke, she seemed bigger without actually gaining size. This, he decided, must be an example of having a big personality. “I’m… settling,” he managed, haltingly, realizing he was on the verge of being rude.  

[divena]

Well, Nova had warned Zahavah that he wasn’t much of a talker. She stubbornly maintained her smile. “Is there anything you need?” she asked, though she already knew her daughter had been taking care of everything for him. She didn’t really expect much of an answer from him, but she was scrambling for something to talk about. She really wasn’t that great at putting people at ease. Well… there was Pavlov, but he was different. She wasn’t convinced he was really at ease, but he managed pretty well.

“Ah, no,” he quickly assured her. “N…Nova has been helping me these past few days. She… she’s been a great help.” Curador knew from past experience that parents always liked to hear their children praised. Well, the good ones did, anyway. The ones who were proud of their offspring rather than the ones who were never pleased by anything their young did… ah, but that had nothing to do with the current conversation. Zahavah, from everything Nova had told him, was one of the good parents. A thought occurred to him and he hesitated, wondering if he should just leave the conversation where it was, or if he should take a risk and ask the question on his mind.  

[divena]

Zahavah watched as Curador fidgeted. Now, he could just be uncomfortable because she was standing there, staring at him. But she knew that particular dance. She had watched little Nova and her siblings do that dance when they were trying to avoid asking a question that they thought might get them in trouble. They all went through that phase, even though she had always done her best to encourage questions, silly or not. “Well,” she drawled, tilting her head curiously. “If there’s anything I can do for you, just let me know, yeah? We’ve been looking for a healer for awhile now, so I want to make sure you’re comfortable and happy.”

That… meant he could get away with messing up a little bit, right? After all, if they really needed a healer, they’d forgive his… ah… blunders. For awhile at least. Until they found someone else maybe. He looked over his garden again and felt a pang at the possibility of eventually having to leave it behind. But that was then and this was now. “Ah… well… If… if you don’t mind… I… um… was wondering…” he stammered. He flinched when he realized he wasn’t making a whole lot of sense, and he was having trouble looking at the little mare. “What I mean to say is… um… that is… What… er… exactly…. Am… that is… what is… ah… my role… here…. I guess?” Yeah, that made no sense at all to him, how was he supposed to expect her to understand?  

[divena]

Role? Zahavah considered the question for a moment before shrugging. “We need a healer. You’re a healer… that’s your role, I guess,” she said, not really sure if that was what he was looking for. She also wasn’t sure she had really understood the question, but she was doing her best. She imagined he was also, which made it easier for her to keep her patience.

That was simple enough, Curador supposed. Every herd needed a healer. At least, that had always been his understanding. It made sense. When you had a group of soquili together, there were bound to be accidents and mistakes. Someone to tend to the injuries and ill would go a long way toward keeping the peace. But… “That’s it?” he asked, uncertainly. He was willing to be their healer but… “Y… you’ve given me a g….garden,” he mumbled, trying to explain that he wasn’t ungrateful, just… confused. “You’ve given me a h…home. N….Nova has been helpful and kind. All you w…want is a healer?”  

[divena]

“Well… yeah,” Zahavah confirmed, growing more confused at his confusion. “I’ve got some stallions guarding our borders from any possible threats. They protect my family, so I want to make sure if they get hurt they have someone who can tend to them. That’s where you come in. And in exchange for keeping my guardians and family healthy, I’ll make sure you have the same level of protection as anyone else in my family… Unless you wanted something else in payment?” She had made a deal with everyone else who was granting her family a measure of safety and security. Only now did she realize she hadn’t settled terms with Curador yet.

Payment? Curador felt something inside him relax a bit. She really did want him there to do a job, one that he could do well. “Then…” he hesitated, looking over his budding garden. What about when and if they found another healer? He took a breath and prepared himself for the potential answer. The only way he’d know for sure was if he asked. “What…. What will happen… Um… that is… my garden…” he stopped himself and shook his head, trying to figure out how to ask a very blunt and rude question as delicately as possible. He didn’t want to seem too clingy. He was still new. But then again, from the way she spoke of needing a healer, maybe they were desperate. “Does anyone need my help now?” he asked, suddenly feeling very alert. If they truly needed a healer immediately then someone might be sick or hurt. They should have told him right away!  

[divena]

“No!” Zahavah gave a half laugh, half huff. “I already said everyone’s fine, didn’t I? I’m just here checking on you. I mean, sure, someone might need you eventually. And when that happens, trust me, I won’t be shy about telling you. But you can relax for now. Everyone’s fine. Last I checked…” Maybe she should go back and check on everyone, just in case… No, she wasn’t going to become a nervous nelly like Pav. She refused to let her fear get the best of her. Pavlov managed his worries every day, she could too. “What about your garden?”

Right… Of course she would have said something if someone needed a healer right away. Curador shook his head, chagrinned. “Right… ah… um… well… my garden….” Right, he had to go back asking that awkward and embarrassing question. He really didn’t want to, but he did need the answer. “That is… If… I mean to say… My methods are…. Um… that is… I’m not… exactly… a conventional healer,” he finally managed to spit out. “I’ve… ah… been told… that is… Some don’t find… ah… comfort? In my abilities? Not to say that I’m not… Rather… I’m skilled,” he quickly assured her. “I know what I’m doing. But it might seem… odd…. To someone used to… er… unicorns.” There, that was out there. He needed her to be fully aware of how he handled things. When push came to shove, he knew he wouldn’t remember to be tactful, and he needed the dominant little mare to listen to his orders. Seconds could mean the difference between life and death, after all. He lacked the magic to be able to waste time in an argument.  

[divena]

“I know,” Zahavah assured him with a small shrug. “Nova mentioned it to me. She said you’ve traveled quite a bit and learned a lot. Honestly, I’d rather someone who knows how to think outside the box than an unicorn who’s basically a really powerful one trick pony. You’ll be fine, I’m sure. So long as you don’t accidently kill my mate or one of my kids, we can figure things out. What does that have to do with your garden? Is it cuz of the herbs?”

He was surprised that she was so accepting, though he supposed he should have realized she would be. He hadn’t yet met her mate, but he’d heard about Pavlov from Nova. The stallion was supposedly afraid of his own shadow. Talking to Zahavah made Curador realize just how open minded and accepting. He felt his muscles relax a little more. He was a step closer to accepting that this was a good place for him. He just needed one final assurance. “Will… if you find… that is… if you get another healer….” He trailed off, once again stuck on how to ask.  

[divena]

Zahavah’s eyes widened as she finally realized what he was trying to ask. She fought to bite back a surprised laugh. Did he honestly think that she’d kick him out just because they found another healer? What had Nova been filling his head with? No… she knew her daughter wouldn’t convince anyone that they wouldn’t be welcomed. The younger mare had befriended Midagi, for crying out loud. Zahavah managed not to kick that insufferable stallion on the best of days, and Nova considered him a good friend. Which meant that Curador’s conclusion was probably made from experience. “The garden is yours,” Zahavah assured him. “So’s the position of our healer, for as long as you want it.” Which she hoped would be a long time. She was starting to really like this fellow.

For a moment, relief flooded through Curador, but then common sense chased it away. She said that now, but maybe she didn’t understand what he was asking. He needed it to be perfectly clear… “If you find a better healer,” he insisted, looking down at his silvery claws. Maybe it would be easier to ask the hard question if he wasn’t looking at her. He had often found that breaking eye contact made things easier to say. “Or one that you like better… have more confidence in… I’ll understand, of course…” yes, it was definitely easier to talk to her while he wasn’t looking at her. “But… can I still stay? I could find something else to do… some other way to contribute….” He wasn’t sure how he could, but he would find a way. He was already attached to his garden. He really didn’t want to leave.  

[divena]

While Curador averted his gaze, Zahavah allowed herself an eye roll. She made a mental note to tell Nova to spend more time reassuring the stallion. Zahavah wasn’t so good with words, she was more of a ‘show with her actions’ type of mare. Maybe she could send Pavlov to chat with Curador. It might terrify Pavlov, but he’d get the point across. He was better with the emotional stuff. “The garden is yours,” she repeated. “You’re our healer. If any others come through or want to settle down…” Well… it’d be foolish to turn them away. For one thing, she didn’t like the idea of telling anyone that they didn’t have a home near her or her family. Unless they were a threat to her family, anyway. And really… could you have too many healers? There might come a day when Curador needed or wanted help… “You’d be in charge,” Zahavah decided, finally.

“In… charge…?” Curador repeated, jerking his gaze from his talons to her. He knew he couldn’t be understanding her correctly. She hadn’t just put him in charge of a bunch of hypothetical strangers. He could feel his throat closing up just at the thought of telling anyone else what to do… in a non medical way, anyway. He could boss people around with the best of them in a crisis, but there was a lot to running a proper medical situation outside of an emergency. What if a proper unicorn decided to settle down? There was no way a traditional healer would listen to Curador! He could barely get traditional minded non-unicorns to listen to him… So, no, he must be misunderstanding. “In charge of what?”  

[divena]

“Of my family’s health,” Zahavah clarified, not certain why he was having trouble with this. “I don’t know if you’ve figured it out yet, but not a whole lot of people pass through here. And those that do usually don’t stick around. The odds of another healer popping up are pretty slim, honestly. At least, you’re the first one to pass through. Since you’re our first healer, by the time another one shows up you’d know us all best. I figure that would make you our chief healer. So… you’d be in charge of anyone else who wanders through. If they don’t like it, they can either find a way to be okay with it, or move on.”

Okay… so Curador WASN’T misunderstanding her. She genuinely was putting him in charge. Though… her logic did make sense to him. If he did his job well, why would they want to learn to work with a brand new healer? Unless they preferred the ease of a magical healer rather than his own tonics and medicines. He couldn’t promise them any sort of quick fix, though he could do just as much for them as any unicorn. He had worked hard for his knowledge and experience, and he was confident that he could heal anything a true unicorn could… just a little slower and with a little more work. If they would fine with that… He felt the last of the tension ease out of his muscles and managed, barely, not to collapse where he was. He looked over his garden again, finally able to accept that it truly was his. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to boss anyone else around, but he knew he could hold his own when it came to healing. “Thank you,” he murmured, not quite able to look at her while expressing his gratitude.  

[divena]

Zahavah saw him relax and smiled, pleased with herself. Maybe she had put him at ease after all… this whole reassuring thing wasn’t as hard as she thought. She started to shrug off his thanks, figuring it was no big deal. But she hesitated before she said anything. It wasn’t a big deal to her, but it might be to him. She wouldn’t belittle his feelings by dismissing them. “Any time,” she said, instead. “Let me or Nova know if you need anything. Or if anyone gives you any trouble.”

“Why… why would anyone give me t…trouble?” Curador asked, suddenly concerned again. Oh, sure, he was content that his garden wouldn’t be taken away from him, but what if Zahavah wasn’t really the decision maker in the valley? Or if there was another herd? “Is… is there another herd?” he found himself asking. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized it was one of those hard questions that he usually couldn’t ask right away.  

[divena]

“Another herd?” Zahavah repeated. Really, this fellow said the strangest things. “No, there’s no herds in this valley. At least, none that we’ve come across. But there’s my kids. You’ve met Nova, and she’s sweet, but Wolfgang can get a bit… um… impish sometimes. Addy comes and goes, and Akis has been sticking around a bit since she met Gregor. The girls are… also a bit impish,” Zahavah explained fondly. “None of them would do you any harm, of course, but their pranks can get out of hand sometimes. And that’s just when they’re messing with each other. And Midagi is a bit of a hoofful…. Just, generic trouble. You know, irritations or complaints. It’s best to get all that stuff addressed right away rather than bottling it all up, don’t you think?”

This conversation was starting to feel like running over a series of hills. One moment Curador was tensed and trying not to panic, and the next he was flooded with relief, only to find himself concerned about something completely unrelated. He really hoped that Zahavah didn’t require his services too often. Talking to her was proving to be exhausting. He appreciated the reassurances, and he even agreed with her about not keeping things bottled up. One’s mental and emotional health was just as important as their physical health. In fact, one’s mental and emotional condition often had a direct connection to how well they healed, so Curador truly appreciated her offer. But at the same time… “But don’t you have a herd?” he asked, confused by her earlier comment. He remembered Nova saying something about them not being a normal herd. Maybe Zahavah didn’t like the term, but Curador liked things in their nice, neat little boxes. It made him uncomfortable and uncertain when things were left undefined.