Her laughter was genuine. Rugged wasn't exactly a word she would have picked to describe Balthier on her own. But if that's how he envisioned himself, she would certainly accommodate. "Well, I keep that in mind then, rugged raft man. If I need help, I'll know who to call on." Kiliaen acknowledge through her own stifled chuckle. She wouldn't have been disappointed had he elected not to help, but she did appreciate that he was true to his word.
However, the interest he expressed was a little surprising. Her line of sight lingered on him for a moment, wondering just how serious he was. But after a moment, she nodded and returned her attention back to her work. "This shrub is called Kava. It's actually a pretty rare find, which is why I want to make sure more of it gets replanted." Kiliaen started. "I'm only going to harvest one limb of sorts in order to save the rest for later use or for someone else. It can take a few years to grow back to this size." Or at least, that's what her mother had told her. She had never actually stayed in one place long enough to see growth.
As she finished plucking the leaves, she leaned back a bit to admire the pile that had been harvested. Glancing over to check on Balthier's progress, she continued. "Like I said, it's used for relaxing someone's mind. Curbing anxiety or nervousness. Or even if the patient's mind is too loud to sleep- it will quiet someone down." She explained, completing her earlier thought. "But it's best served ground up into a tea to get the full effect." Once the tannins leached into the water intended to drink, it became far more powerful. And really, there was no comparison even when it came to a tea made from the roots vs the leaves. However, it was far more difficult to harvest the roots ... especially if you intended for the plant to survive.
The grin that spread across her features took a firmer hold when he went on to describe his breakfast habits. There wasn't much to this conversation- just an exchange of pleasantries while they worked. But it made her happy to get a better feel for her newfound companion. "Maybe ... We'll see how long this takes." It might have to be a lunch instead. That was, if they had time for it. She was sure Balthier had responsibilities of his own, and she didn't want to be the one to get him in trouble. Which brought her to her next thought. "But if you have a task you need help with, I'd be happy to pitch in as well." It was only fair after all, and they were nearing the end of her objective. "Now, if we sever the stem into small pieces, it'll root into new plants." Kiliaen explained. The autumn fae placed a claw on one part of the stalk. And pulled what was left of it away. With a small amount of effort, she was left with two pieces- a propagule, and the rest of the stem. "Like this." She said, pushing the newly cut piece towards her company- in was probably only 2-3" in length, and would be fairly simple to bury once they were prepared for that step.
