An Afternoon With You

Fern softly chuckles as Meadow joins her, hovering near her side while looking at the assembled herbs. As she speaks, her daughter looks up at her to nod her understanding at the prospect of making herbal satchels. A gentle sigh escapes her daughter and she tenderly wraps her leg around her quiet daughter when the girl presses her head into her chest. Softly, she hums a sound of joy, of her happiness at having Meadow, and of all the deep feelings she has for her daughter. Once the girl backs away, Fern, keeping her tone soft and gentle, lays out the plan, “Okay, we are going to take one of the small squares of cloth to begin.”

Pulling a square of cloth toward her, Fern then reaches for a pile of lavender petals, grapping one between her toes. Lifting it up for her daughter to see, she says, “This is lavender. The scent is very calming. Personally, I love lavender.” A smile is on her lips as she lifts the petal to her nose, inhaling the scent that lingers on it. Giving a soft sigh, Fern then offers the petal for Meadow to smell and, when the girl leans in, the gray woman attempts to tickle her nose with it. A warm smile is on her lips as she withdraws the tickling petal, saying, “Put a few of these in the middle of the cloth. Like this.”

Placing the one petal in the middle, Fern quickly adds a few more to the mix. Watching her daughter, Fern nods in approval before moving on to the next step, “This is chamomile. Also, a calming herb. Many healers like to make tea with the petals.” She lifts a small, white flower, offering it up for Meadow to smell before placing it in her cloth while saying, “We only need one or two in each satchel.” Again, she watches her daughter, offering encouragement while she works. Once they both have chamomile in their clothes, the gray woman then grabs a larger, purplish flower, offering it to her daughter as she says, “This is echinacea. It can be eaten but we just want it for its lovely scent today.”

A soft chuckle spills past her lips as, once Meadow smells it, Fern then adds it to her satchel. Once it is placed on the cloth, she then gathers the corners of the cloth, shifting them inward while twisting it until the cloth forms a small, round herbal satchel. As she works, she explains the mechanics to her daughter before grabbing a strip of thin leather and tying off the pack. Once it is complete, the woman lays it to the side and looks at her daughter, asking, “So, what do you think? Ready to make more of them?” Eyes sparkle with happiness as she waits for her daughter’s answer before grabbing another square of cloth to begin the process all over again.


"Fern Carpathius"