A Dose of This, a Dose of That

Writers: Leigh M-F., Yvonne
Date Posted: 17th July 2016

Characters: Jisalle, Nohria
Description: Oh, what a tangled web we weave when we must deceive.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 6, day 9 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Goulan

Nohria rocked back on her heels. Four counts of her herb supply couldn't be wrong, even though she wished it was. The tansy was gone, as was the willow salic. Two very vital herbs, the latter for pain and fever, the other to induce miscarriages. The bandits had needed both over the month, but she hadn't realized she had completely run out. The inside woman bit a thumbnail, trying to think of where she could get more. At last, she decided she might have to go to someone instead of stealing from the healers. Thankfully, she had heard whispers from other women about a very wise lady who knew herbs, so she hid her own herbs in her trunk once more, and went looking for Jisalle.

The woman in question was at the apothecary, grinding up more tooth powder. She hummed tunelessly under her breath as the pestle pulverized clay into a powder fine as silk. That would be added to salt and herbs for that minty fresh feeling. She looked up when the bell over the door tinkled, announcing a visitor. "Hello?"

"Hello," Nohria replied, surreptitiously looking about the workshop to take note of what was stored where. On her way over, she had figured she would ask for a legitimate amount of what she needed, then come back a couple of nights later to steal more, along with a few other things so suspicion wouldn't immediately fall on her. "Is Jisalle in?"

"I am she." Jisalle rose from her stool and crossed the room to the table by the door, where the herbalists usually met with whomever was visiting the apothecary. She held out her hand. "I'm flattered that you're seeking me out by name! You have me at a disadvantage…?"

"Nohria," the drudge said, shaking Jisalle's hand. "My regards. I understand you're an herbalist."

"That's right." Jisalle took a quick look over the woman in front of her. Nohira was lovely and dressed in a brown gown that did nothing to flatter her. A drudge, maybe, and about her own age. She had a suspicion she knew what Nohira had braved the apothecary for, and felt a twinge of envy. "What brings you to my door, Nohira?"

"I'm in need of willow salic and tansy," Nohria said, getting to the point. "My work can leave me very sore, as can this," she added, motioning to her bust. "And my late husband's favorite cousin, who lives near here, is in need of the tansy; it isn't safe for her to bear children and her own husband knows it, but tansy has been hard for them to come by. I promised I would send some." The last part was a lie; while her dear Ardihan had indeed had a favorite cousin, she was gone, along with many others who had been in Amethyst Cliffs Hold when it fell. That loss had been nearly as heart-wrenching as Ardihan's, even though he was likely still alive and well. Still, it was plausible enough that it might make Jisalle feel generous.

Tansy wasn't used to stop conception-- it was used to end a pregnancy. Jisalle's gaze softened a little as she thought. "You know... your cousin should be on the dragonriders' teas. It's much safer than tansy. And she should really be speaking to a Healer, _with_ her husband." Too many husbands were careless with their wives' health when it came to sex.

Damn it. The people around here just kept getting more perceptive. Nohria rolled her eyes and sighed heavily, shaking her head. "You know that and I know that, but I'm afraid those two have strong anti-Weyr sentiments, so for them, a dragonrider's tea is out of the question," she said as if she were exasperated with the nonexistent couple. "With the way things are now, they feel especially justified in their feelings. Normally they're a smart pair, but this is the one thing they won't budge on. I've tried to change their minds, but I'm still just an in-law, and I guess that means they think they don't have to take me seriously in matters like this."

There. Hopefully that was believable.

Jisalle shook her head. "Why ask me and not a Healer? They're the ones who prescribe... I just grow and prepare it. Tansy can cause all sorts of issues... vomiting, stomach cramps... even, worst case, seizures..."

"The Healers are men," Nohria said simply. "They would tell me it's my in-law's duty to bear children despite the danger to her health and that of the possible child. I've heard that before, sadly. Besides, so much has been stolen from them lately." Their complaints had been quite vocal, hence why she had told Goulan to temporarily back off. "And just between you and me, I'm the one who told Linaran about the tansy; I also told her the doses that would be the safest, and yet still effective. It's one of the only things she listened to me about. My grandmother taught me much about herbs. I just don't have any because I can't use them." There was a risk in mentioning she knew anything, but it was starting to look like the only way she would be able to get Jisalle to help her, and to find out where she kept her herbs.

"You're a herbalist too?" Jisalle perked up at that. She turned to study Nohira more closely. "What was her name? I learned from my mother... maybe she knew your Grandmother?"

Blast it all! The harder she tried, the more this situation got out of control. Where was Jisalle's gender-based camraderie? Well, at least a mutual connection wasn't likely; her grandmother had never revealed everything she knew to other women. That privilege had been reserved for her granddaughter. Mentally cursing up a storm, Nohria replied "Malinnka of Amethyst Cliffs Hold. She was a women's specialty healer before the craftban came down."

"Ugh. The Craft Ban." Jisalle rolled her eyes. "I don't remember a Malinnka of Amethyst Cliff... although I feel I ought to. I grew up at Amethyst Cliff, although I fostered to Garmet Valley when I was quite young. Did you grow up there?" Maybe they had known each other as children. Maybe her mother had learned from Malinnka.

"Yes," the bandit said, because it was true. She hadn't run away until she was an adult. "I was born, raised, and married there." She would let Jisalle draw her own conclusions as to why Nohria was in Amber Hills alone.

Jisalle sighed. She knew what the right course of action was-- but her heart was telling her something else entirely. And Nohira knew medicine. If she gave her some tansy, her cousin would have someone knowledgeable to oversee her. But it still wasn't right... "Look. I'll give you enough tansy this once. But if you know herbs then you know that your cousin can't rely on tansy long-term without damaging her health." She moved over to the cupboard that stored the tansy and unlocked it using a key on a long chain around her neck. Inside were rows of small glass bottles of various colours, their contents carefully written on labels on the sides. Jisalle hesitated with her hand over a small brown bottle with green wax sealing the cork. "Your cousin-- does she bleed heavily?"

"No," Nohria said, inwardly seething. She hadn't thought Jisalle would be paranoid enough to lock up her herbs, given that she was an herb-woman and the male healers didn't seem to think she was a threat to them. She didn't know how to pick locks; if Jisalle was going to be robbed, Nohria would have to bring in a bandit who did know. That would take time and risk she didn't appreciate. "Linaran is a very dainty woman; her hips and pelvis are simply too narrow to give birth safely." That had been true as well. "I also need the willow salic for myself," she reminded, now just wanting to escape.

The herbalist nodded absently as she handed the vial to Nohira. "Tell her-- well, you know how to dose tansy?"

"Of course I do," Nohria said, affronted. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't. The safest dose is ten tincture drops in warm water to be consumed every two hours until bleeding begins. It's to be done the very instant pregnancy is suspected in order to make the process easier on the woman." She pocketed the vial, fuming. Ancients, she really had been in this Hold for too long. She wasn't used to people questioning her knowledge anymore. Once her prowess had been established, the bandits had known better than to even think of suggesting she was incompetent.

"Mmm." Jisalle turned away to find the willow salic, thinking more about Nohira than the medicine. Clearly Nohira knew what she was doing... so why was she working as a drudge? She pulled the tea from its shelf, then pulled down a small jar of cream as well. She held both out to Nohira. "Try the cream-- it's my own recipe, and should help with the sore muscles."

"Thank you, Jisalle," Nohria told her a little absently, and inclined her head politely as she took the offered medicine. "I'm sorry to put you out like this, but I do appreciate it." Not really; she was more concerned with how she was going to get anything stolen.

Jisalle shrugged. "You're welcome. Come back any time... and maybe next time we can mix up some dragonrider's tea together that will fool your cousin?"

**What makes you think there's going to be a next time, you aggravating woman?!** Nohria thought furiously. "I'd have to think about how best to trick her. Despite her flaws, she's not an unintelligent woman," was all she said in an evasive manner. "Thank you for your assistance, Jisalle."

"My pleasure." Jisalle watched as Nohira left, a thoughtful expression on her face. There was definitely more to Nohira that met the eye... but that was a mystery that could be solved later. Right now there was tooth powder to grind. Jisalle returned to her mortar and pestle with something new to think about.

Last updated on the July 19th 2016

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

A Dose of This, a Dose of That