Learning Something New
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Bree, Eimi
Date Posted: 10th February 2007
Characters: Iyoen, Abrei
Description: Iyoen helps Abrei understand her true worth
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 2, day 2 of Turn 4
"Hello?" Abrei paused at the entry to the greenhouse to tie a scarf around her head that held her hair back--and mostly hid her new haircut.
There was no disguising that the bulk of her hair was gone, but she found she got fewer questioning looks like this. "Iyoen? Are you in here?"
"Master Abrei! Come on in." The Master Farmer stood up, brushing dirt off his hands. "You're not scheduled to be here yet, are you?" He was pretty sure she wasn't expected for another sevenday or so. "Did you get the hides I sent over for you?"
"I did." She'd set them down on a nearby table to tie up her hair, and picked them back up again. "I finished them. I was wondering if you had anything else for me to read."
Iyoen was impressed. "I wish I had apprentices with your same appetite for knowledge, Master Abrei," he smiled. "Of course, I can find some more for you to read. Was there anything in particular that struck your fancy?"
"There was some interesting discussion on attempting to grow larger plants based on selective cross-pollination..." Abrei gestured at the hides vaguely. "There was only a paragraph or two, though. Is that sort of thing actually successful?"
"Very," Iyoen nodded. "Surely you are familiar with the theories of genetics in humans and dragons."
"Of course. I'd never really considered the possible applications to plants, though." She frowned and eyed the neat rows of seedlings. "Is that what you're doing here?"
"Indeed it is," the farmer nodded, looking down at his seedlings with pride. "But not just height. We can apply it to effectiveness as well.
And _that_ is what you and I will be doing here. Breeding plants that will not only grow higher, but that will make better medicines for our healers."
Abrei narrowed her eyes, though she was staring at nothing as her thoughts shifted directions. _Now_ she could see a practical application of her skills in Iyoen's research. Maybe not the highly specialized skills she'd spent the last turns focusing on... but there was no reason she couldn't expand her knowledge on herbs. A visit to Talrian to pillage his research materials would take care of that.
A smile touched Iyoen's lips as he could see she was finally getting it.
"That's what I need you for. I'm not a healer. I need you, Abrei, to help me make sense of all of this. I can make pretty, bushy, tall plants. But that's not my goal. I know how to make the plant better, but I don't know why. I don't know what it does. I can improve the taste, I can breed them to be more potent or less, but I need _you_ to tell me what needs to be done." Her attention snapped back to him. "More hides... I need to visit the archives. And write to my cousin... he'll be able to send me information." Distraction was what she needed, after all... the incident with N'vanik had shaken her badly enough that she wanted familiar ground. And nothing was more familiar than study.
The farmer grinned. Now she was understanding just what an opportunity they had here. "I can get you more hides. I have piles and piles of them. All the research I've compiled so far. And I want to teach you methods and how to care for these plants and I want you to teach me, too. The more we know about each other's craft, the better we can work together."
That made Abrei smile a little wryly. "I'm not sure I'll be any good at it. Someone got me a plant for my room, once, and I killed it in a distressingly short period of time."
"I think you'll have a little more incentive to keep these plants alive.
In fact," he said pulling a tray out from under the work table in front of him, "since you're here, why don't we get started? I can show you how to transplant seedlings to new pots."
Abrei eyed the tray warily, but didn't protest. Learning something new would take up her attention, and hopefully keep her from brooding. "Just don't let me touch anything that can't be replaced," she warned him as she settled down to learn.
Last updated on the February 17th 2007