12th of spring, 521 AV
Aster's steps were sure as she weaved through the maze that was Tent City; she'd been to Jala's tent often enough to know the way now, and her confident stride as well as her path towards the Cutwife's place of residence usually deterred anyone from bothering her too much. It was just past evening, and she wore her mortal seeming with the pink and grey hair, crimson eyes peering out around her from underneath her hood.
Jala's tent was hard to miss; dried herbs were hung up outside of it, along with various bone charms and trinkets that clinked together quietly when the soft evening breeze brushed by, sending them swaying. The tent flap was closed, so Aster paused outside. "Jala?" She called, leaning close to listen. "It's Asterope."
She heard shuffling around inside the tent, and then Jala's voice called out. "Asterope? Come in, please." Aster ducked into the tent; Jala was perched on a stool at her table, and was just finishing tossing a ragged cloth over whatever she'd been working on, pushing it aside. Aster glanced at it curiously, but Jala caught her attention again, propping her chin in her hand.
"You don't come visit often anymore. What can I do for you?" Jala asked, raising a brow. Aster sat on one of the other stools at the table; the woman didn't question her different appearances after Aster had explained it as briefly and simply as she could. Why was she there? Because she was lonely, she supposed. There was a lot going on, a lot that she felt she had to do, and there was pressure from more than just herself.
"I wanted some company," she said, honestly, after a moment. Jala looked amused.
"Should I put some tea on, then?" She asked, and Aster nodded. Jala bustled around, getting a small fire going to boil some tea. A comfortable silence fell over the pair, but it wasn't long before they were interrupted; a woman's voice sounded from outside of Jala's tent, quiet but intense with desperation.
"Jala, are you in? I need help, please."
Jala and Aster glanced at each other, Aster tilting her head curiously as Jala raised a brow, striding over to the tent flap covering the entrance. She pulled it aside enough to peek out, then after a moment, stepped back inside, opening the flap wide enough for the woman to come inside.
In her arms, she cradled a young child. Aster stood up, a frown creasing her mouth and brows. Jala was all business suddenly; Aster had seen her like that before. "Pull out the spare cot over there," she said to Aster, briskly, and Aster hurried to obey, dragging the cot out. The woman made her way over, kneeling and gently setting the child down on the cot; it was a young girl, younger than Imogen if Aster had to guess. She looked pale, and her eyes were closed, her breathing coming ragged.
Word count: 493
Jala's tent was hard to miss; dried herbs were hung up outside of it, along with various bone charms and trinkets that clinked together quietly when the soft evening breeze brushed by, sending them swaying. The tent flap was closed, so Aster paused outside. "Jala?" She called, leaning close to listen. "It's Asterope."
She heard shuffling around inside the tent, and then Jala's voice called out. "Asterope? Come in, please." Aster ducked into the tent; Jala was perched on a stool at her table, and was just finishing tossing a ragged cloth over whatever she'd been working on, pushing it aside. Aster glanced at it curiously, but Jala caught her attention again, propping her chin in her hand.
"You don't come visit often anymore. What can I do for you?" Jala asked, raising a brow. Aster sat on one of the other stools at the table; the woman didn't question her different appearances after Aster had explained it as briefly and simply as she could. Why was she there? Because she was lonely, she supposed. There was a lot going on, a lot that she felt she had to do, and there was pressure from more than just herself.
"I wanted some company," she said, honestly, after a moment. Jala looked amused.
"Should I put some tea on, then?" She asked, and Aster nodded. Jala bustled around, getting a small fire going to boil some tea. A comfortable silence fell over the pair, but it wasn't long before they were interrupted; a woman's voice sounded from outside of Jala's tent, quiet but intense with desperation.
"Jala, are you in? I need help, please."
Jala and Aster glanced at each other, Aster tilting her head curiously as Jala raised a brow, striding over to the tent flap covering the entrance. She pulled it aside enough to peek out, then after a moment, stepped back inside, opening the flap wide enough for the woman to come inside.
In her arms, she cradled a young child. Aster stood up, a frown creasing her mouth and brows. Jala was all business suddenly; Aster had seen her like that before. "Pull out the spare cot over there," she said to Aster, briskly, and Aster hurried to obey, dragging the cot out. The woman made her way over, kneeling and gently setting the child down on the cot; it was a young girl, younger than Imogen if Aster had to guess. She looked pale, and her eyes were closed, her breathing coming ragged.
Word count: 493
