◆» -┐ Location: The Eventide, Family Inn ┌-- - -
◆» -┐ Weather: Partly Cloudy, Cool Air Temp ┌-- - -
Halfway through page 347, a sassy young barmaid of the airship Lefontaine, was sailing over the river Thames on a one way crash course with the sea below. Making matters that much worse were the enclosing gang of bloodthirsty sky-pirates, blunderbusses and scimitars drawn on her. All because of the book in her hand. A tiny little ledger, detailing every illegal trade route this side of the Aeran coast. The tension could have been cut with a butter-knife. She took a step back, and then another … the wind billowed her hair behind her, and smiling, she let off a triumphant remark, as she plunged backwards through the cabin window, into the open air below—
“Eidel!!! Eidel I need you!!! Ms. Thatcher’s littlest one has come down with quite a fever!!”
Eidel snapped up with a start, and the book fell closed onto the table. That was Brennan’s voice, something must be terribly wrong. Her eyes lingered back across the leather cover a moment, and with that she grasped her skirt-tails and hurried up the inn stairs.
Brennan was standing just outside the door to one of the larger family rooms. Her brother’s eyes were dark, brows drawn and hooded with worry; but they brightened a bit as she drew near. “Eidel, there you are. Listen, little Tomas has come down with a high fever, and I don‘t have the necessary herbs to treat him. I need you to run to the herbal store just across town square, and gather some ingredients for me.”
He reached into his pocket as he spoke, and clasped a crumpled piece of paper into her hand, along with a small pouch of coins. Eidel glanced down to the paper, unfolding it as she read off the names of the herbs listed. Most were fairly common, a few rarer, possibly pricier ones. Her eyes lifted to meet his and she smiled. “Not a problem.” Her brother nodded, and with that she took off, ignorant of the soft frown that ghosted after her: “ … I dearly hope so.”
- - --❖-- - -
“Let’s see, one vial of Echinacea, one bottle of crushed Thyme leaves, one bottle of—”
The creak of old hinges caught Eidel’s attention, and she glanced back, recognizing the hanging sign labeled Herbs & Tinctures in fanciful script.
“Oh! I nearly passed it by!” she realized aloud, hurrying to the door. The herbal shop itself was surprisingly small, and Eidel noted a faint musty smell as she entered. Crystal clear bottles and vials housed in wooden stands sat in neat little rows along shelves, of all colors and hues.
They screamed to be inspected. And ever the curious girl, Eidel pressed her nose close, following the rows as she listed off names. Ah, there was wormwort, and that there, elderberry. Crushed ginseng, aloe, and even … catnip?? She laughed. Several more passed her gaze, and then her eyes settled on a little bottle by the corner of the shelf.
Holly.
“May I help you, dear??”
The voice of the shopkeeper caught Eidel by surprise. “Ah yes ma’am. I’m looking for several ingredients. And this one here. Isn’t holly a poisonous plant??”
A knowing smile creased the lady’s lips. “The berries indeed are, but the plant itself is actually quite effective for soothing fevers and curing the bladder even. Peculiar though.” The woman crossed her arms. “It’s currently a bit out of season. I’ll have to check the inventory before I can give you a price.”
Eidel nodded, and watched as the woman crossed the room and disappeared through a door behind the front counter. Soothing for fever?? … Bren hadn’t included it on the list, but … there was something fascinating about the plant’s prickly leaves and bright red berries. She stared through the glass bottle, to the little stem inside. But in her mind’s eye she was that brave and daring barmaid, bursting from the window of a doomed airship. Down, down she fell, a dizzying height, a devilish grin plastered across her lips to the awestruck charlatans above. The air around her growing colder the farther she fell, colder still. So very cold that snow matted her lashes, and formed a glittering layer of ice across her skin. It wrapped around her like a blanket, til she collided with something solid. Something just as cold, and oddly somewhat prickly to the touch. She glanced up, into warm evergreen eyes and a soft smile, the face of a Holly King. The Holly King of legend, ready to carry her off to his winter-tide home. And sweeping her up into his evergreen robes, he said—
“That will be four copper coins.”
Eidel jumped, startled by the sudden shopkeeper’s return. She brushed own her skirt-tails as she stood, only hoping the woman did not catch her cheeks as she blushed. “A-ah what was that now??”
“The holly my dear,” she answered expectantly. “I’ve checked the records. And considering it’s oddly out of season, I’m willing to part with it for four copper coins. Will there be anything else??”
Eidel smiled and nodded, handing the lady the list. Her eyes strayed back to the bottle, and unable to resist, she lifted it from the shelf.
It was oddly cool in her hands. As though it had been sitting there for quite some time. But there wasn’t a speck of dust on it’s surface. The shopkeeper was already walking about the room, pointing off each ingredient as she passed. Giving a start, Eidel clasped the holly in one hand and hurried after her.
- - --❖-- - -
Her heart was racing when Eidel made it back to the inn. She burst through the door, only to find her brother pacing from the fireplace back towards the kitchens. He glanced up, and his face lit. “You’ve returned, wonderful!”
Eidel beamed, reaching into her satchel for the ingredients. Her fingers brushed across the cool Holly bottle as she did so, and hesitated. Should she tell him that she had made the extra purchase?? … No. No, best to stick to the list.
She snatched the other bottles and held them up to her brother with a warm smile. “Echinacea tincture, Thyme, and Licorice Root, as requested Bren.”
Brennan seemed relieved. “Thank you,” he sighed gently, juggling the ingredients between his fingers as he hurried up the stairs. Eidel watched him go and slowly sank back against the wall. Her fingers warmed the holly bottle slightly as she lifted it free and turned it round in her hand.
Her Holly King. A soft smile touched her lips.
- - --❖-- - -
