The King's Reckoning
IC time is: morning
IC date is: late January
IC year is: 3187 S.A.
LOCATION:
Healing House: Herb Gardens
A neatly arranged garden of herbs, flowers and plants is this place. Mostly rows of herbs, neatly labeled and lovingly tended can be seen. At the back of the garden however, near the north side, flowers of many colors and kinds grow. The mingled scents of flowers blend with the spicy and sweet smells of the herbs in the spring and summer months. Close to the far end from the Hall Door is a door leading to a private dwelling, reserved for the healess who tends this garden.
Obvious exits:
* Door leads to Khala's Quarters.
* Hall leads to Healing House: Hall.
It is a fine, bright morning, and a broad shaft of sunlight streams into the Houses of Healing as the door is opened. There in the doorway stands the Hillman Barzag, casting a long shadow across the floor. A young woman with dark hair and grey eyes looks up from the reception desk. "Do you seek healing? If you can tell me the problem, someone will be with you as soon as possible."
Barzag shuts the door, then regards the woman steadily. "No, I look for the apprentice Gimilvel. Is she here?"
The doorwarden's face slips into a frown. "Our staff shouldn't have visitors when they are working," she says rather uncertainly - perhaps she is new to the job, going by her nervous demeanour.
"I will not disturb," Barzag replies, remaining calm. "A moment, just, then I will go. Is she here?"
The woman indicates the door to the garden with a shake of her head. "She's tending the herbs."
"I thank you," answers Barzag as he opens the door and steps out.
Gimilphel is indeed tending the herbs - at the moment she on her knees, occupied in pruning dead and leafless stems. A pile of twigs lies to one side of her, a basket for harvesting fresh leaves to the other. She has a greyish smock on over her gown, and her cheeks are pink with the cold and the exertion. When she hears the door open, she turns, and the surprise on her face is plain to see. "Barzag! I haven't seen you for many months."
Barzag's brows draw down slightly at this. "A few times I did visit this place, and you were not there. So I did not come any more."
Gimilphel bites her lip, then gives an "Oh!" of sudden understanding. "My father was home on leave for a couple of months," she explains, "so I took time away from my studies." The flush on her cheeks seems deeper now - probably embarrassment. "How are you?" is her next question. "have you been busy?"
Barzag steps along the path to halt just a pace or so from Gimilphel. "Now, I am not busy," he replies, his voice falling at the end of that statement, his eyes looking away now.
Gimilphel catches the gesture but not its meaning. "Then perhaps you can help me with this," she suggests, giving a little grin.
The right side of Barzag's mouth curls up in a smile. "I do not know the plants to cut, and the plants that must stay," he replies. "And I did promise to not talk long. I came here only to give you something." And he fumbles within his cloak for a small cloth-wrapped bundle.
Gimilphel's eyebrows arch quizzically, and her green eyes are puzzled now.
Barzag carefully unwinds the cloth, then holds out a small stone object. "I did make this for you," he replies. "Take it - please? - if you like."
Gimilphel looks startled, but she scrambles to her feet, and reaches out a tentative hand to the object, bringing it to eye level for inspection.
The piece of stone is perhaps about the length of a hand, but much narrower. Its smooth contours swell towards the middle, coming to a sharp point at one end and a flat, spreading wedge at the other. This stone has been shaped to represent a resting bird - indeed, upon its body are delicate patterns of chevron markings that suggest feathers. The whole piece is stylized, however, rather than suggesting realism.
Gimilphel recognizes the sculpture for what it is. "It's a bird," she states, and then, looking at the Hillman directly. "Barzag, that's beautiful. It's not like anything I've seen before. But why - I mean ..." she stammers as the blush begins to come in her cheeks, her green eyes dipping in confusion.
Barzag nods at her first comment. "My people do not make such things - not out of stone, anyway. I tried to - to carve? - as your people do, but then the marks," he indicates the chevrons, "are things of my people. So it is a - a joining of the two ways." And then to her last question, "Because... Because you did help me. I did wish to show thanks to one who is ... a friend."
Gimilphel's mouth dimples in a little smile at this last statement, but there is a slight frown on her face as she looks back at the Hillman. "Barzag, it's not necessary to pay for everything."
Barzag shakes his head at this statement, and his amber eyes are shadowed. "It is not 'to pay'." A hesitation, and then, "Sometimes I do not have the words. But maybe this," he gestures to the carving, "is another way to speak. It is ..." he reaches out, to gently close Gimilvel's fingers around the object, "a gift." His hand rests atop hers for a moment, warm despite the chill of the air.
Gimilphel looks down at her closed hand, the puzzled frown slowly smoothing away from her features, though her green eyes still hold a hint of uncertainty - is there something she is missing? But she replies in a clear voice, "Then thank you for your gift. Thank you very much," and she flashes Barzag another dimpled smile.
The right side of Barzag's mouth lifts in an anwering smile. For a moment he stands completely still, his amber eyes oddly intense. Then he slowly withdraws his hand from the girl's. "I should go now. I wish you well, Gimilvel."
"Of course - you must have lots to do," Gimilphel says hastily. She carefully lowers the hand containing the sculpture to her side. "Goodbye, Barzag - until I see you again."
At this a shadow passes over Barzag's features, cleft lips twisting and amber eyes glittering fiercely. "I-" he begins, then shakes his head. "Goodbye." And with that he turns away, striding swiftly to the door that leads to the Healers' Hall.
Gimilphel watches him go, the puzzlement reappearing. Then she shrugs and returns to her work.
Once outside the Healing Houses, Barzag stops and leans against one of the cypress trees, a hand reaching out to trace the contours of the rough bark. "Ah, Gimilvel," he murmurs in his own tongue. "You are like the evening star, a shining light in this place of darkness and broken dreams. Like a bird that soars on high, remote and free. And seeing you again, I am doubly cursed - the flawed vessel, the cracked stone that the builders rejected. I could not tell you how I felt - best that you do not know. Best that you never know." And amber eyes close for a moment in pain.
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