Solo Into the Woods

[Ivana]

82nd, Fall, 515 AV
Ivana arrived early to class the next day, backpack containing her book, quill and ink on her shoulders. The rest of the class was... well, dressed in a way that suggested Ivana had underestimated their teacher's warning to dress warmly. She wore her cloak, of course, a thin delicate cloth that was more for show than anything else, and her scarf, wrapped neatly around her body like a belt or a sash. Marissa grinned at her as she took the same seat as before beside the other woman.

Marissa's smile faded as she took in Ivana's appearance - flimsy clothing, perfect makeup and loose hair - but before she could say anything their teacher walked in and silence fell.

"As I said yesterday, we'll be heading out into the forest to try identifying herbs ourselves later. First, though, we need to discuss a very important topic, one that every herbalist needs to be an expert in." He walked over to the blackboard and wrote, in chalk and in large letters, Identifying herbs, which he then underlined several times. "It is not possible to memorise every single type of herb," he continued. "Therefore it's important to know three things. First," he said and Ivana smoothed out a new page of her book, dipped her quill into her ink in preparation to copy down his words, "is to learn to recognise the most commonly used herbs yourself. It's always possible to identify herbs using one of the texts from the library, but recognising what you're looking for quickly is far easier. Second. Learn what a poisonous plant looks like, and how to safely test for poisons. Third, learn how to collect and store herbs and plants safely."

Ivana copied it down neatly, again in Arumenic. She gave each point its own page, and left a second page blank between them, having the sense they would be expanding on each point. Their teacher paused for brief then reached with his pointer stick and tapped the first point. Ivana flipped back to it.

"So. How do you recognise a plant. Anyone?"

"Uh, how it looks?" a man asked, his voice full of laughter at the obvious answer. Their teacher nodded enthusiastically however, and wrote it down. Ivana copied him, and when he continued to look expectantly around the room, moved back up and dotted Physical appearance of plant as number one.

There was a long silence. "Come on. Imagine two herbs, let's say...peppermint and lavender. Give me differences between them."

This time, the answers came thick and fast. The colour. The shape of the leaves. The plant's size. Whether it had fruits or petals and when it had them. When it grew. The smell. Taste, someone said, and their teacher called a brief halt to explain that yes, that was true but no, it was not a good way to distinguish between herbs. "Although I suppose if you do die anyone with you will know not to eat them," he added to a ripple of laughter.

Ivana, conscious of the sheer amount of herbs in Lhavit that were not native to Ahnatep, suggested location of the plant, and their teacher beamed at her. "Absolutely. Lhavit, Syliras, Wind Reach will all have different herbs. This is according to climate, geography, terrain, the plant's attributes and needs - a certain amount of food, water or shade for example - and the existence, or lack thereof, of natural predators or hosts should the plant in question be parasitic. A herb that grows by the river will be unlikely to be found by the mountains, and what can be found in the undergrowth won't cling to the bark of a tree. Anything else?"

By the time they were finished, both of Ivana's pages were full. "Now, before we move on," he said, and she stared at the tiny space left on the last page and wondered if what he was about to say could be easily crammed into a margin, "you cannot identify a plant until you understand what a plant looks like. A textbook might not have pictures, and if all you know is that the plant's got oblanceolate leaves, a yellow stigma and red anther, you won't have the faintest idea what you're looking for." More than just the margin, evidently. Ivana wasn't sure she could fit the word oblanceolate in there by itself, even if she had known what it meant or how to spell it in any language. "The two parts of a plant people use most often to identify physically are the leaves and the head. They're easy to see, easily noticeable and it's rare that both are the same." He turned to the blackboard and began to draw on it.

Ivana took the opportunity to lean over to Marissa. "Oblanceolate," she said quietly, and winced at the way she mangled the word. "What is that?"

Marissa shook her head helplessly. "Green?" she suggested, and Ivana stifled her giggle with her hands.

"Oblanceolate means a leaf that is wider at the top than the bottom," their teacher called, and Marissa blushed a flaming red. Ivana met the man's eyes with her own and smiled her thanks. "Don't be afraid to ask questions, and never assume that just because you don't know something everyone else does. Now. This is a very simple, very standard, diagram of the head of a flower. Everybody copy it down."

Everybody did. Or tried to, rather. Ivana accepted an offered pencil from Marissa so she wouldn't have ink stains and smudges in her inevitable failures. She could always redraw the picture, she knew, if it went too badly wrong. It started with a stem, for which Marissa drew a single wobbly line, then two sort-of ovals on each side with lines going through them for leaves. She drew three larger circular-ish shapes for the petals, and after her second attempt stopping bothering to make them not overlap. The stigma was almost smaller than the pollen perched atop it, both of which were dwarfed by filaments (topped by anther of varying sizes and shapes) and above a minuscule ovule.

It was not her best attempt at anything, to put it bluntly. Over the sound of pencil scratching and Ivana's growing frustration, the teacher continued. "Learn this, and remember it. Now, leaves are a lot more complicated as there are lots of different types. I'm not going to make you draw them all," he said to audible sighs of relief. "But it would be a good idea to learn them in your own time. Next, poisonous plants."

Ivana turned her page and dipped her quill into the shrinking pool of ink.

[Ivana]

"Being able to recognise when a plant is poisonous is an essential skill for any herbalist, and being able to do so at sight can save your lives. Plants can spread poison in four ways," their teacher said. He wiped the blackboard clean and wrote in large letters, Ingestion, physical contact, absorption, inhalation which Ivana, along with the rest of the class, copied down. "The last two are often grouped together. Some plants will only be dangerous to some people. Others only to certain groups of people - pregnant mothers, children or the elderly, for example. A plant with edible berries may have a poisonous stem. One plant might kill you in a heartbeat, another might only start effecting you noticeably after a few hours. There are eight general signs that suggest a plant is poisonous. Can anyone give me one of them?" A lengthy silence followed his words. "Someone give me a similarity between plumeria and oleander."

"The sap?" Their teacher's eyes snapped to the woman who spoke, and he gestured impatiently for her to continue, which she did in a louder, more confident voice. "They both have a milky white sap. If it gets in your eyes it stings."

"Good," he said and wrote it on the board. "Milky, or really just discoloured, saps are always something to be careful of. Remember, these rules aren't always going to apply to every plant, but with new plants, or new parts of plants, use them. White berries are another one, and so are plants that have leaves in groups of three."

Ivana frowned as she wrote that down. She could understand the other two - berries and saps certainly held potential danger - but the number of leaves on a plant seemed less likely to actually mean anything.

The list continued and she jotted the rest down nonetheless. Almond scent; thorns, spines or hairs; anything inside a pod; bitter taste (only taste if you have to, follow rules in textbook); Grain heads with pink or black spurs. She came to a stop at the end of the list and picked up Marissa's pencil again, then drew a neat question mark by the side of her last point and a brief notation to find out what it meant as soon as possible.

"Good. Now, collecting herbs can be tricky and it can be simple. Many herbalists prefer to grow their own plants in their gardens, or use the greenhouses here in Lhavit. However, some plants will only grow in the wild, and some can only be bought from the traders as they don't grow anywhere near Lhavit. The first rule of collecting herbs is always make sure the herb you're picking is the herb you want. Write that down." He waited a moment. "Write that down again. If there's anything I want you to remember from this lesson, it's that. Always make sure the herb you're picking is the herb you want. Never pick a plant you don't recognise. Never pick a plant you're not sure about. If you get something toxic on your hands and lick your fingers, or if it absorbs into your skin, it could kill you. Don't just know the herb you want, know the herbs it looks like that you don't want" Ivana carefully underlined the rule in her notebook, and added a summary of the rest of his warnings.

"The way you gather a plant depends on the plant you're gathering. It depends on when the plant's blossoming, and which part of the plant you want. There's more information on that on page 15 of the textbook. When we go out to look for herbs, take your textbooks with you. As far as storing goes, drying the herbs is normally best. Some prefer to be wrapped and chilled, others need to be put in water." He surveyed the class for a moment, and spoke again only when the scratching of quills and pencils had died down. "Now for the fun part. The rest of the lesson is a bit of a research assignment, a preparation for the final test - which you will be graded on, by the way. Use your textbooks to identify the plants needed for the task I will be giving everyone, you will then leave to find those herbs, collect them with the tools at the back of the room, return here and have them checked by me, then finish the task as per the instructions in the textbook." There were nods all round, and a brief excited murmur throughout the room.

"The task today is to create a poultice. A poultice is similiar to a compress, except while the latter is simply a cloth soaked in a herbal preparation such as the infusions we made yesterday, a poultice is a mass of herbs, moistened and applied to some part of the body. These are both used for external problems, often bruises, swelling or the soothing of burns. Today's will be used to deal with a hypothetical pregnant woman, one season along, who has just fallen and cut her leg open. Any amount of herbs can be used, but you must be able to explain your choice to me when you bring them in. You have four hours. If you've got questions see me. You may begin."

The room seemed to split almost instantly into three groups. The smallest immediately converged on their teacher, while another, only marginally bigger headed immediately for their tools and then out. Everyone else frantically leafed through their books and started to figure out what they were supposed to be doing. Marissa dithered only long enough to check that Ivana was all right with the task - she was - before making a hasty departure to the tools and then the door.

Ivana, very much in the latter group, examined the list of herbs for poultices in the index. A couple caught her eye immediately. Vyfox and Belltor were both apparently herbs used in poultices for wounds, the latter also helped prevent scarring. There were others, too. Lavender and calendula oils were supposed to stop infection, and the smell of lavender was supposed to be good for pregnant women. Calendula, however, had a little warning next to it - not for pregnant women, it said, and she spent a moment flipping to a new page on her notebook and writing a notation about that. She didn't know how to make the oils anyway - a glance at the textbook showed her it wasn't a topic the class was covering - but crushed lavender would probably give off similar properties. She hoped, anyway, and jotted it down with several question marks beside it - she could decide whether or not to actually use those herbs later, if she could find them. Comfrey was the other herb that caught her eye, and Ivana memorised all four appearances before heading up to leave. It was unlikely that she would be able to get hold of them all, but having a look certainly wouldn't hurt.

[Ivana]

As she walked down the path to the wilderness - sticking carefully close to the path she had been given and under instructions to return before nightfall or there would be search parties - Ivana came to understand Marissa's worry at the sight of her scarf. Beautiful it was, but not especially practical, or warm. She had intended to wrap it around her neck or head depending on how cold she was, but instead had folded it neatly inside her backpack for safe keeping. Coldness was far easier fixed than a ripped scarf - especially one with fabric as delicate as that. Her hair was no longer loose however, but tied in a tight bun at the nape of her neck.

Shopping was a necessity at this point, and there was warm feeling in Ivana's gut at the thought. As a child being allowed to leave home with one of her minders to shop had been a rare occasion, something that only happened when she had been especially well behaved and Kalra's husband had been in an equally good mood. Therefore rare, very rare, treats. The freedom to do so at free will was marred only a little both the lack of money (especially in comparison to her childhood, where money had never been an issue) and the sheer amount of necessary things they needed. With warm clothes for all three of them, food and next season's rent high on the shopping list Ivana had been making at home, there would be little left for frivolities. And that was assuming she could get a job in the end anyway.

Ivana pushed that niggling worry out of her mind for the time being, and turned back to the textbook. There were two sections on gathering herbs. One for gathering known plants for unspecified purposes, and one for the desperate - gathering unknown plants for eating.

She turned to the first page on the first section and read it carefully. Look in the places the plant was supposed to be, double check that the plant was correct. Don't pick plants that looked sick, were an unexpected colour or were covered in holes. The time a plant should be gathered depended on which part of it was wanted - and while that wasn't particularly relevant considered Ivana was on a time limit, she nonetheless took a moment to read that section, curious about what was said.

Leaves and stems: These are often more potent during or just prior to the plant's flowering. They should be collected after the dew has been evaporated, but before the plant has turned turned hot under the sun.

Flowers: These should be gathered when they are fully bloomed - never when they have started to wilt. They should be gathered at the same time as above.

Roots: Preferably dug up in fall after the plant has seeded or early spring as new growth begins, the earlier in the morning the better. Unlike the above-ground parts of the plant, the roots can be dug even when the plant has begun to die, although only if the plant has only just begun to wilt. Never collect too many roots in one place as there should always be enough left for the plant's population to regrow after. If necessary, collect the crowns for replanting later. If you need the rhizomes, digging up the plant itself is not necessary. Instead, simply trace down the stem and find the rhizome in the dirt. Cut the rear part of the rhizome a little from the stem and pull it up without removing the growing part of the plant from the ground. This allows the plant to be harvested easily and without damaging it too much, and is preferable to replanting crowns.

Seeds: Gather when ripe.

Bark: Should be gathered either in the early spring so the sap has started to flow from the roots, or in the fall when it is returning to them. When collecting, prune the branches - stripping the bark will prevent the flow of nutrients from the roots to the branches, killing the tree. For herbal medicine, the inner bark is generally used.

That seemed to make sense, although Ivana didn't know what 'crowns' meant in relation to plants, or rhizomes. It was something to look up later, and she added it to the growing list of words she would need to research later on.

Comfrey, the book informed her, was found in damp, grassy areas, near riverbanks. The Amaranthine river, therefore, seemed like a good place to look for that. Belltor and Vyfox were found both in the woods and marshlands. Lavender was trickier - the book advised to either purchase it or grow it yourself. Apparently the herb was not native to Lhavit - it required warmer temperatures, and sandier soil. Purchasing some seeds instantly entered Ivana's internal 'to-do' list, but for the time being she regretfully crossed the herb off her planned list for the poultice.

Ivana had started her search into the wilderness near the river as she thought it was an easy landmark if she got lost. All she would have to do was follow the sound of running water, return to it and follow it in one direction or the other. Eventually (hopefully), she would realize if she was going the right way and, if not, simply turn around and follow it back to the city. It was a simple matter to turn around and retrace her footsteps a short distance to the stream.

Comfrey. She studied the picture carefully, taking note of the clumps of purple flowers hanging from the leaves. It was a very distinctive plant, to say the least, and for that Ivana was thankful. She hitched her skirt up to keep it from getting muddy and took a few hesitant steps closer to the river, ever conscious of the possibility of falling in and hurting herself. And ruining her clothes.

After a few chimes of searching, a hint of pinkish-purple caught her eye. Ivana eased herself carefully over to it, and squatted down next to the plant. She pulled her textbook back out of her bag and held it up, diagram against reality.

They were similar. Enough so that she could comfortably discount any differences as being due simply to one being real and one not. Ivana carefully plucked the head of each flower, just a little below the stem and very careful not to let her bare skin touch anything else. Among the tools she had collected she had been given a small knife and a couple of pouches to store them in. After some internal debating, Ivana cut off enough to fill three pouches. She would use one, perhaps one and a half, for the poultice, then take the rest home and see what she could do with it. According to the book, comfrey was used in balms, herbal baths, liniments (whatever they were), infused oils and as a fertiliser, as well as poultices. A very versatile herb, it seemed, and given how soaked her feet and ankles were from collecting it, it was better to get in bulk a few times than have to make repeated trips or spend a great deal of money.

[Ivana]

Satisfied, Ivana carefully edged herself away from the river's edge. She came to a stop just where the water and the ground were mixed, where the murkiness was hard enough to walk on but soft enough to dirty her shoes on touch. New shoes she thought, a tad irritated. She had liked that pair. Belltor and Vyfox were left.

Belltor, according to her book, had stems in shades of red, thick tangling roots and bright pink flowers when they bloomed. It was also, she noted with annoyance, nowhere to be found. Red should have been easily noticeable amid the shades of green and brown, but after nearly a bell of slow pacing and careful scouring, Ivana was forced to admit that her selection of herbs had been wilted down to two. She did find something that looked like fauxsil though, and crouched down to cut them from the stem up, collecting a few scattered leaves as she did.

A flicker of white caught her eye just as she was standing. Ivana hurried over and was pleased to find the tiny clusters of white flowers and long lance-shaped leaves. Ivana consulted the book to make sure it was the right plant. It was. The leaves were actually described as 'lance-shaped', too, which was a great deal better than the 'hastate' and 'elliptic' on the pages near it, which had no meaning Ivana could discern. She collected as much of the plant as would fit into her pouch, then stood.

One more quick search revealed no erstwhile belltor, so Ivana called it a day. She had to get back and make the poultice still, and given it would be her first time it was a good plan to get their early so she could restart if anything went wrong. Ivana climbed to her feet from where she had knelt in front of a still-unidentified red-tipped plant, and stretched. It was-

She blinked and looked around, gaze sharpening as she took in the place she was in. Or rather the place she wasn't. Somehow, Ivana had wandered off without realizing. Not only was the stream out of sight but the soft bubbling of its water was out of earshot. Ivana had been brought up to believe that swearing was beneath her, so while no curse left her lips one definitely crossed her mind. She stood and dusted off her skirt, smearing the wetter mud even as the drier pieces crumbled off.

The sensible thing to do was wait. She had been there for an hour, there were three left. A careful search of the floor told her that any footsteps she might have made had been devoured by the soft ground, and attempting to return home by herself might simply make her most lost. She couldn't be that far from the stream, from Lhavit. When she didn't return to the class someone would be informed and a rescue party would -

Well, perhaps not. She had already paid after all. Myra would realize she was gone, though, and march down to the academy to demand an explanation. If need be she would launch a rescue herself. Although she would have to do it hobbling, and carrying an infant. Standing around and waiting for help would be an inconvenience and a waste of her friend's time. Besides, her teacher had mentioned the final exam and if the poultice was anything to do with that Ivana refused to miss learning how to make one.

Ivana scanned her surroundings carefully, this time not looking for footprints or obvious landmarks but at the plants around her. One, with tiny crinkly leaves coloured a blue so pale she had almost called it white, she recognised as one she had stopped to examine, lured to her book by the irresistible scent to see if it was safe to use, and hopefully could be used as a perfume.

It had turned out to be incredibly poisonous from both touch and taste. Ivana hurried over to it, making sure to not get close enough to touch. She turned to the tree next to it and - yes! The branch she had snapped stumbling to get away from the plant lay on the ground, the tree's limb shiny with lost sap. It was the right way and she knew which direction she had come from there.

So much for lost, Ivana thought smugly and shifted her bag to a more comfortable position on her shoulders before walking on.

[Ivana]

As Ivana walked, she strained her ears for the sound of running water, or the solid footsteps of a traveller who might be able to offer assistance. She heard Marissa, therefore, far before she saw the woman carefully plucking berries from a bush, and walked over as quietly as she could, taking care for her every step to land on moist grass or soft dirt, not the dry leaves and branches that would have crackled. Marissa was, it appeared, focused on her task, too intent to notice Ivana's approach.

"Hello," Ivana said, when she was almost within touching distance. Marissa shrieked and spun around, hands raising instictively in what could have either been surrender or attack, before freezing half-way as she recognised Ivana.

"Petch you," Marissa said good-naturedly. She rolled her eyes as Ivana giggled behind her hand. "What did you get?"

"Vyfox and comfrey," Ivana opened one of her pockets to display the pieces of green. "I wanted to find some belltor, but could not."

"Did you check by the river?" When Ivana nodded, Marissa tutted softly and pulled a clump out of one of her pockets. "Here. No, it's fine. There wasn't much left when I collected it, so really it's my fault you didn't get any."

Ivana had been about to say thank you, not insist that she couldn't take the freely-given and much-wanted herbs, but she kept that quiet and instead smiled a grateful thanks. "What are these?" she asked, one finger going up to touch the delicate black berry.

"Blackberries. They're good for wound care, poultices and dressings." She paused and tossed her head, hair falling out of her eyes and down her back. Ivana's fingers itched to comb through the simple ponytail and try a different style, perhaps attempt to mimic the one Marissa had worn the first time she had seen her. "Also can be put into teas and tinctures for intestinal problems. Plus," she grinned and popped one into her mouth, "they taste fantastic."

Ivana tried one and then immediately a second when the flavour burst on her tongue. She plucked a handful for later, but it wasn't long before the two hurried back in the direction Marissa thought Lhavit lay. They weren't the last back, but when they walked in laughing helplessly, about half the class were there to glare them into silence.

Still sniggering under her breath, Ivana headed to her seat and took out her plants, arranging them neatly on the bench. She was just standing up to collect her tools when the teacher walked over.

"...Ivana, yes?" She nodded. "Show me what you've got."

"Comfrey, belltor and vyfox." She paused in case he wanted to say something, but when he made a gesture to continue she took a breath and spoke again. "According to the book, comfrey encourages injuries to close and bones to mend, and lessens scarring of the skin. Belltor helps close injuries and lessens scars also, and vyfox can be used to clean the wound and encourage the blood to clot."

The teacher nodded absently. He carefully sorted through her herbs and plucked out a black piece of comfrey, crushing it up in his fist. "That's dangerous. It's off, and the discolouration makes it harder to identify - it could be a similarly shaped but toxic plant. Always sort through what you collect before use. Belltor has the same properties as comfrey, why did you choose it instead of just using comfrey?"

"I thought more herbs would be more impressive."

He blinked. His voice was, despite his words, too gentle to be called chastising. "It's not. Don't try and overcomplicate things. The less herbs you use the faster the remedy is to make, and the less likely a patient would be allergic to them. Any redundant herbs should be eliminated. A nice mixture of herbs with different, relevant properties is the aim. The vyfox is an excellent choice though. It also works very well as a tea to increase wound healing. Did you consider anything else?"

"Lavender, as it's good for pregnant women and used to stop infections, but I couldn't find any."

"Hmm, yes. It's one of the herbs you really need to either purchase or grow yourself. Another good choice though. It would have been a good substitute for belltor. Still, a solid choice for the poultice, if a little overcomplicated."

There was a quiet thump beside her. Marissa had returned, arms loaded with tools, which she swiftly separated into two identical sets and slid one across to her friend. Ivana murmured her thanks and received a blindingly pleased smile in return, before their teacher turned his questioning to Marissa.

To the poultice, then. Ivana opened her book and turned to the correct page. It was time to begin.

[Ivana]

Poultices are designed for external use only. If applied to an open wound there should be a cloth between the herbal paste and the injury. The number of layers of cloth needed vary depending on the type of wound and the herb used, but when in doubt be sure to use at least one. While poultices are traditionally made with herbs and herbs alone, charcoal, salts and even clay can be used depending on the herbalist's intention. As well as dealing with infection, poultices can treat stings and bites, open wounds and burns, among other things.

Ivana spent a moment to write it all up neatly in her book, even as she scanned down the rest of the book for instructions. It really did seem rather simple. Something she could use herself.

While poultices are a quick, effective solution, they should never be used in place of real medical treatment, the book cautioned. If injured, it is recommended to speak to a doctor as soon as possible.

After a brief pause, Ivana jotted that down too. The first instruction was very simple and she reached for her mortar and pestle cautiously, her eyes flicking to watch Marissa easily grind up her herbs by her side. She spent a moment going through her small pile of herbs, double-checking that there was nothing unexpected or unwanted mixed in and checking each different type was separate from the others, then she turned to check her herbs according to the book. Belltor, it said, should have the roots removed and Ivana diligently went over the herb, plucking them from each stem. Vyfox, on the other hand, had uses for two different pieces of the plant. Ivana put the leaves in a separate pile to take home with her, and the flowers on top of the Belltor, for crushing. After nearly two minutes of careful plucking she added the comfrey leaves to the small pile and efficiently cleaned up her desk.

Next, she had to crush them. With water, according to the book, to make a paste. The book did not specify how much water to use, or whether the herbs should be partially crushed first and then crushed in the liquid, or if the water should be added first. It instead went into several paragraphs of detail on how to prepare and use the aforementioned salts, charcoals and clays, which Ivana briefly skimmed before moving on. It did say that hot water was better than cold in most cases, so as to allow the herbs' properties to be best released. A glance to the back of the room showed her that there was water heating on the stove with the teacher standing by it and watching, with a sardonic smile, as several student instead took the cold water standing by the side.

A test, then. Ivana glanced at Marissa to make sure the other girl had noticed too. The moment their eyes met, Marissa gestured pointedly at the steam coming out of her beaker, and Ivana, as delighted at Marissa's attempt of help as she was that it was unnecessary, headed to collect the hot water and a pleased nod from their teacher as he passed it over.

Marissa had started grinding her herbs without the water, so Ivana did the same. She scraped them all carefully into the clay mortar and cautiously jabbed at them with the pestle. It made an unpleasant noise and stained in shades of green and red, neither of which changed as she continued with the surprisingly taxing task. Whether it was because she was unused to physical exertion or because the continuous motion actually was difficult with so much repetition she didn't know although, based on the reactions around the room, she assumed a mixture of both.

By the time Ivana was finished, most of the class seemed to have already moved on to the next phase. Some were sitting smugly (or worriedly, if they noticed the steam coming from beakers other than their own) with their poultice neatly placed in front of them. The teacher had moved from the stove and was wandering around the class, talking to the students and giving individual criticism and feedback.

Thankfully, the next phase was very simple and the last thing to do. Ivana scooped the gloop out and onto a piece of thin cloth. She smoothed it out across the sheet and then placed a second piece over the top, squeezing the paste between them. Finished, Ivana wiped down her table and waited the teacher's approach.

He prodded the cloth carefully and then peeled the top layer off. "Nicely grounded, although perhaps you should have used less water," he said. "Next time you use fresh herbs, perhaps cut and boil them instead. The liquid produced has the same properties as the poultice, and can be used either as an internal remedy - assuming the herbs aren't poisonous, of course." He smiled gently at Ivana's wince. "Don't worry, nobody was supposed to do that today. This was a very good attempt."

Ivana thanked him, copying the bow the other students had made when he moved on, and moved to pack away everything. The leaves and poultice went into her bag, then she joined several others washing her tools and putting them back where they belonged.

"Next class," their teacher announced as the last to finish hurried around the room, "will be the last one in the course. The final test will be a partnered project. You're not children so I trust I won't need to sort people into pairs myself. There will be three parts to the test. First, research. I'll provide you with the type of treatment and the malady, it will be up to you to determine what herbs are needed and how to go about it. Second, collecting the herbs. Third, producing the treatment. After each phase the pair will return to me to show me what they have so I can ensure you all don't accidentally poison yourselves. I also expect a write-up of what you've done and are planning to do so I know you haven't cheated. The write-up will be part of your assessment," he called as the bell rang again. Ivana still flinched, but this time just shook her head, rolling her eyes at Marissa's grin as they joined the noisy throng heading towards the door.

"Ah, Ivana?" she turned to face Marissa in the corridor. Have you chosen a partner yet?"

"I have," Ivana confirmed. She grinned when Marissa's face started to fall. "Assuming you're willing, of course."

"What? Oh. Yes. Of course I am." Marissa's smile was nearly a beam. Ivana returned one of equal brightness and squeezed the woman's hand quickly.

"I must go. My sister is ill and I do not like to leave her and my son alone." The truth, mixed only with the lies of specific relation, slid easily from her tongue and Ivana hurried away without looking back.