1. Spring 518
That morning, when Oleander woke, he was bathing in his own sweat. This phenomenon was party caused by the weather – the only indication that it was the first of spring, not the middle of summer, was the flaring of the watchtowers that day – but mainly by the plans he’d made. There was a resolution he had carried for a while now, and the first day of a new year seemed like a perfectly reasonable date to start something new. Oleander liked to think that a clean cut meant something good, and this time, his lifestyle was going to change.
He had tried to apply for a secure job once before, way back in Zeltiva, and it had gone awfully wrong – the apothecary had sent him back on his way with a sniff and a sneer, his ego reduced to crumbles. He was still interested in herbalism, studied it in his free time, but he was tired of the way he was making money: Taking commissioned jobs for people, helping in their gardens. He hardly ever got free reign, hardly got to the same place twice. In times of need, it was hard to find a job altogether. There had been a grueling season or two back home, he remembered. After that one harrowing experience, he hadn’t tried for a job like that before, but now, as it became clearer and clearer that their stay in Ravok would be longer than just a season, as he began to settle down, he was a changed person, and found within himself the courage to try anew. Only this time, he wasn’t going for a job as a herbalist, but rather wanted to use the experiences he had gathered over the last year, as a gardener. It was a job that allowed him to work outside, and If he got a secure job, he would see to the same plants everyday, watch them grow. The idea excited him. The last time he had had a garden “of his own” had been at home, at their father’s house. A part of his mind started wondering how Rendan was doing while he gathered water and washed. Hortense had left early that morning, she had agreed to watch a lady’s children while said lady ran her errands, and do some needlework on the side. As she had promised, she was pulling her own weight.
Another plus would be the coworkers. He’d never had any before, only ever picking up skills from other people on random occasions or teaching himself, which was a slow process of trial and error. Undoubtedly, he had become relatively good at seeing to local plants, but he wanted a challenge.
The only park of Ravok had recently become finished: The Lark Family’s “floating botanicals”. He’d been there five times already, each time eagerly spending the required golden miza for entrance, and the construct had fascinated him beyond belief. It was full of exotic animals and plants. The Jungle was especially interesting to him, he had already spied multiple plants he’d only read about thus far. Some were even said to have medical effects: The Micmic tree, for example, that grew on the Botanical was not especially big yet, but he’d seen the stages of its fruits once before in a book, and recognized them instantly. The tree’s webbing, he recalled, could be used to treat burns. It had another use that he’d forgotten. He’d also taken a liking to the birds in the Aviary, ever since one of them had landed on his shoulder instead of shitting on his head.
He had tried to apply for a secure job once before, way back in Zeltiva, and it had gone awfully wrong – the apothecary had sent him back on his way with a sniff and a sneer, his ego reduced to crumbles. He was still interested in herbalism, studied it in his free time, but he was tired of the way he was making money: Taking commissioned jobs for people, helping in their gardens. He hardly ever got free reign, hardly got to the same place twice. In times of need, it was hard to find a job altogether. There had been a grueling season or two back home, he remembered. After that one harrowing experience, he hadn’t tried for a job like that before, but now, as it became clearer and clearer that their stay in Ravok would be longer than just a season, as he began to settle down, he was a changed person, and found within himself the courage to try anew. Only this time, he wasn’t going for a job as a herbalist, but rather wanted to use the experiences he had gathered over the last year, as a gardener. It was a job that allowed him to work outside, and If he got a secure job, he would see to the same plants everyday, watch them grow. The idea excited him. The last time he had had a garden “of his own” had been at home, at their father’s house. A part of his mind started wondering how Rendan was doing while he gathered water and washed. Hortense had left early that morning, she had agreed to watch a lady’s children while said lady ran her errands, and do some needlework on the side. As she had promised, she was pulling her own weight.
Another plus would be the coworkers. He’d never had any before, only ever picking up skills from other people on random occasions or teaching himself, which was a slow process of trial and error. Undoubtedly, he had become relatively good at seeing to local plants, but he wanted a challenge.
The only park of Ravok had recently become finished: The Lark Family’s “floating botanicals”. He’d been there five times already, each time eagerly spending the required golden miza for entrance, and the construct had fascinated him beyond belief. It was full of exotic animals and plants. The Jungle was especially interesting to him, he had already spied multiple plants he’d only read about thus far. Some were even said to have medical effects: The Micmic tree, for example, that grew on the Botanical was not especially big yet, but he’d seen the stages of its fruits once before in a book, and recognized them instantly. The tree’s webbing, he recalled, could be used to treat burns. It had another use that he’d forgotten. He’d also taken a liking to the birds in the Aviary, ever since one of them had landed on his shoulder instead of shitting on his head.
