Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs

Álarr groaned as he heard Afi's voice calling down into his den. What on earth did the cat want now? He rolled over onto his belly and proceeded to go right back to sleep for a second before the cat marched down into his den and swatted him on the nose. "Ow!" Álarr yelped and sat up. "C'mon Afi, what's the big deal. It's too early for this." The cat snorted and sauntered toward the den entrance all the while calling out to the youth. "You wanted to learn the arts of healing well I am going to teach you, and I feel like teaching you now." The cat paused and turned to stare at him. "Or perhaps you don't want to learn after all?"

Álarr scowled at the cat but swiftly took off after him. "Yes, I do want to learn." He followed the cat outside of the packlands to the Orchard. It was right next door and so the boy could easily see the border of Legion. That made him feel a bit better. He wasn't quite used to wandering outside the packs border yet and though he'd flirt with it from time to time the idea of being alone in a strange land bothered him.

"Ok, let's begin." The cat disappeared into a little den beneath the roots of a large oak tree then emerged with a bulging sack that nearly got stuck in the tiny den opening. Waddling over to him the cat opened the pack to reveal a number of herbs and a small bundle wrapped in deer skin. Álarr grinned. Finally!

"First thing to know is that all herbs have different seasons in which they can be found and in which they are best harvested. For example, this here is Broom." The cat gestured to several thin green branches that seemed to be losing their color. "Broom is best collected when it is flowering in the spring. That is when bark is at it's most potent. It's a good diuretic but if we wanted to take advantage of summer and substitute something fresh we could use wild carrots." The cat gestured to the bundle of tapered white roots. "They are also a useful diuretic."

Álarr wrinkled his nose at the strong smell coming off the carrots. "Ok, makes sense. What's a diuretic?"

"It makes you pee more. Now these flo-"

"Why would I want to make someone pee more?"

The cat sighed. "To help expel excess salt, deal with water retention, high blood pressure even. Don't worry we'll cover that at a later time. Now, these flowers are from the Cowslip plant." The cat gestured to a set of yellow flowers that had been dried. "It is a useful sedative, helping to relax patients an ease them into sleep. It can also help with coughs. However it only flowers in the spring and its the flower that is the useful part. We can substitute a fine summer herb for that… chamomile! One of my favorites." Álarr shifted his eyes from the dried yellow flowers to the fresh white flowers with bright yellow centers and he nodded, doing his best to fix this information to memory though he was quickly feeling overwhelmed.

Afi moved down the line, pausing next to two piles of leaves. Just how many examples did the cat thing Álarr needed? Afi gestured to a set of dried leaves that were roundish and veined. "These are the leaves of the Common Bugle. You can find it throughout the summer but the leaves are at their best when they're gathered in spring. This plant is an astringent. That means it causes skin tissue to constrict, it's helpful for reducing bleeding. If you want to use a fresh herb you could instead use the leaves of the Sweet Chestnut." Álarr reached down to sniff at the small bundle of glossy, narrow leaves. He found the scent helped when committing the herbs to memory. This pair in particular he wanted to remember. As a warrior-in-training he full expected to be injured often.

The moved to the next pair and Afi reached out, his paw patting a piece of dried bark. "This is the bark of the Horse Chestnut. Obviously the tree is around all year but the best time to harvest the bark is in the spring. The bark can be helpful in bringing down fevers among other things. But, again, if you want to use something fresh you could go with wood sage. Will discuss drying and storing herbs at a later time." Álarr gently sniffed the greyish-green leaves of the Wood Sage.

Afi settled down at the end of the row near a strange bundle wrapped in deer skin. "Do not touch these and be careful with your nose. They are poison. As a healer you must know poisons. You must know what they do to the body and how, if anything, to counteract them. You must also know poisons so that you do not accidentally pick one and harm yourself or a patient. Some can even be helpful but that is a very advanced art. One I will not teach you for some time"

Álarr's expression grew more serious and he nodded as the cat carefully unwrapped the package. The cat gestured to a plant with dark green, lanceolate leaves. It looked like it had been mostly dried. "This is Meadow Saffron, or as crash may call it 'Naked Ladies'." The cat chuckled then continued. "It's foilage dies down in the summer. The roots and seeds are what you really want if you wish to try healing with it and they are available in the fall. The leaves however will be gone this time of year. The whole plant is terribly poisonous. If you wish to poison someone in the summer-"

Álarr gave the cat a horrified look and Afi scowled at him. "Don't give me that look. Legion is a pack of ambition. You as an Imperialis are a creature of ambition with a reputation to protect. Should your king need someone poisoned you should know how to do it. Luckily for you summer has plenty of poisonous options. These are Calabar Beans. A nasty poison in its own right." Álarr's gaze fell to the dark brown pods. He'd never given thought to using his skills in 'healing' to kill anyone. The thought had never even crossed his mind.

"I trust I've made my point?"

"And showed off more than you need to. I honestly got the point after the first two pairs. So what next?" Quick as a flash the cats claws raked across Álarr's left ankle. "Next, I show you how to treat minor cuts. Come on, we've work to do!"