Picking Herbs

Writers: Heather, Len
Date Posted: 29th August 2024

Characters: Sylvian, Viander, Senaleen
Description: Sylvian is caught by her father sneaking out to collect herbs
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 11, day 12 of Turn 11

Sylvian pushed her brown curly mop of hair out of her face and turned
to leave the winepress where the late harvest grapes were just
beginning to be pressed. Ugh, they smelled! She wrinkled up her nose
and peered around. Everyone was focused on the frozen white grapes, no
one was paying the least amount of attention to the petite daughter of
a vitner. If she was quiet she could sneak away, go look
for some of those healing herbs she had seen growing in the vines a
few sevendays ago. Gathering up her dress and layers of skirts, she
turned and all but tiptoed out of the darkened building.

The fresh cool breeze of autumn hit her face as she stepped into the
bright sunlight. She looked around, but the Hall was all but silent,
as most every crafter was hard at work with the ice wine.

Viander's lips twitched with a knowing smile as he caught sight of his
daughter. He wasn't surprised to find her sneaking out of the
winepress. "Going somewhere, Sylvie?" he asked, using her nickname.

Sylvian about jumped out of her skin. Trying to play innocent wasn’t
in her she turned to her father and told the truth. “Da, I’m bored!
There were some edible herbs on the far side of the vineyard, close to
where the forest is. Can’t I go take a look at them? You
do’t_really_need me for the grapes. We all know ice grapes can’t be
walked on, they just sit there in the press, doing nowt.”

"It takes everyone's hands to make the work lighter," Viander chided
softly, but he was a softie when it came to his daughter and would no
doubt cave.

“Aww da.” Sylvian may have been 17 turns but she wasn’t above whining.
She ducked her head into her father’s shoulder. “You don’t need me for
ice wine. What can I do? I’ve done all the cleaning all day and did my
bit, all I’m asking is to go pick those herbs before the frost kills
them.” Oh, how she wished she could be a herbalist! But the Healer
Hall didn’t take women as far as she knew. The only way she could do
it would be to get to a Weyr, but her parents would never allow that.

Viander sighed, but hugged his daughter to him with a single arm
around her shoulders. "Okay, you can go pick your herbs, then, but I
want you back well before dark, is that understood?"

Sylvian gave her dad a hug and a kiss, skipping off before he could
change his mind. Oh, to be free of moody barrels and the smell of
crushed grapes! And to be out in the fresh air, not held up in a dank,
dark cave.

"Sylvian!" He called after her. "Take Senaleen with you!"

--

"You actually _wanted_ to do this?" Senaleen sniffed as she carefully
picked an herb between thumb and forefinger, as if she hated to get
her fingers dirty.

“Of course!” Sylvian stood up and rubbed her back, which was sore from
bending over. In her hands were the rare herb she had wanted to get.
She pointed at the mess the grapes had made of the helm of both their
dresses. “It’s better than grape pressing any day! And besides, look
at this.” She stuck the delicate herb with the pink flower under
Senaleen’s nose. “This one alone, seeped in tea, will help our Auntie
Villia with her after birth cramps. Herbs are wonderful, they do so
much. I just wish I could learn more.” The last sentence was said more
for herself. Everyone knew girls didn’t study healing. They didn’t go off to
learn to become Healers at the Craft Hall. The only place that let
them were the Weyrs and…well…everyone had something terrible to say
about those places.

Senaleen sniffed the flower that was thrust under her nose and then
made a look of disgust. "It smells so.. I don't know.. _damp_." She
went to pick another herb and shrieked, withdrawing her hands.
"EEEWWW," she flapped her hands, "a trundlebug!"

“Oh for the love of little green dragons, they won’t hurt you!”
Sylvian rolled her eyes at her cousin’s fear of a tiny bug. “It’s more
afraid of you than you are of it,” she added dryly. Really, why be so
weird? She turned away and watched the sun setting. “At least it’s
beautiful out, eh?”

And it was. The sun was just dipping to the horizon, throwing the
world of vineyards into gold. Whilst she may not have felt a pull to
do winemaking, Sylvian could appreciate that there was nothing more
beautiful than the vineyard.

"AAACHOOOO!" Senaleen's sneeze broke the tranquillity of the sunset.
"Ugh," she wiped at puffy red eyes and a red nose. "Can we go back
now? _Please_?"

“You sure know how to spoil a mood.” Sylvian glared over her shoulder
at her cousin. “Okay then, let’s go.” Next time she’d be a bit more
careful to sneak out on her own. Family could be so impossible at
times.

Last updated on the August 30th 2024

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Picking Herbs