Medicinal Menagerie [Ariel Buchanan] [Jadenshine]

[GoblinFae]

As much as she hated returning to her Uncle's home, Primrose would be lying if she thought for just one second tat she did not miss Jadenshine. There was just so much to be experienced here that Ketra sadly was lacking.

The library on the other side of the city was an excellent example. Primrose could remember her father taking her there to escape the social climate her uncle wished them to all associate in. For hours the two of them would sit and look over book after book on anything and everything their heart's desired to read. She could still feel the crisp parchment under her untried fingers and her father's close embrace as he whispered the words over her shoulder and into her ear.

Even after his death, it had remained one of her favorite places to hide as she got older. It therefore was no surprise that that this is where she had sought refuge from her Uncle's incessant talks of marriage. All she wanted was to do was to continue pursuing a life of healing and serving. Her Uncle's idea of a husband would only hinder that. Primrose wished to marry for love whereas he Uncle Engilram wanted it to be for money and social status.

From her perch on one of the library's many ladders, the young noblewoman rolled her eyes at the thought and reached for another book, just past where are fingers could reach. Taking her thoughts off the disconcerting matters of home, she strained further, tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration. 'Just a little bit further!'

[Ariel Buchanan]

Ariel walked into the library and barely suppressed the urge to squeal like a kid in a candy store. She absolutely loved coming to the library. She had always loved spending time absorbed in a book, and often hid in the massive library at the Valtera estate when she was younger. She was still amazed that no one ever bothered to look for her in the library other than her grandmother. Grandmother always knew where Ariel was hiding. She stopped for a second the breathe in the intoxicating smell of all the books. The smells of parchment and leather combined to create a heady scent that Ariel had been addicted to for as long as she could remember. She began the wander the massive room, plucking titles that sounded interesting along with a few that she actually needed to read. Ariel was a doctor, and a doctor always had more things to learn. She turned the corner of one of the stacks and looked up just as a young woman reached for a book that was just out of her reach. "Here," Ariel said, hurrying to put her own books down and moving to the ladder the woman was standing on. "Hang on for a minute and I will move you closer."

[GoblinFae]

Blue eyes widened comically in surprise just as delicate fingers hooked onto the threadbare binding of the sought after book. The shock caused Primrose to wobble though and the extended hand quickly returned to grip the ladder fiercely, dragging the book down with it and making an awful thudding noise as it came in contact with the head that had startled the noblewoman in the first place.

Still shocked at being so surprised the cerulean orbs trailed downwards to follow the book's descent and winced when it was blocked on its path to the floor. Slipping and sliding down the ladder as she tripped on her skirts, Primrose began a hurried descent to follow.

"I am so sorry," she proclaimed guiltily. "Are you alright? Do you feel dizzy? Are you bleeding? How many fingers am I holding up? Oh dear, how silly of me please sit down. Oh wait, can you walk? I can't believe how clumsy I was. I should have been looking but it was my own fault. Really, don't you worry dear I'm a healer. I know what I'm doing I just-" Primrose continued to ramble talking in circles and firing in questions, barely daring to breathe. It was only when she had to gasp for breath herself that she finally fell silent, eying the woman before her and checking for injuries.

[Ariel Buchanan]

Ariel couldn't figure out what was more disorienting, the book she took to the head or the woman that hit her talking in circles. She mentally took stock of herself, checking for injuries while the woman continued talking. When the stranger stopped for breath Ariel smiled at her and said, "I'm fine. Just a little bump. Not a thing to worry about." The woman continued to stare at her as if thinking she was about to fall over. Ariel turned and picked up the book that fell on her head and handed it to her. "Here you go," she said. "I'm Ariel by the way. What's your name?"

[GoblinFae]

"You're sure it's just a bump? It sounded like it hit you quite hard. You could have something more serious than a bruise. I'm a healer you see and-well technically I've studied to be a healer and have enough knowledge to be qualified but um-youuuu don't really...need...to know...all...this," she chuckled nervously, wishing desperately she could give herself a good slap for the rambling that now may have discredited her.

Primrose gritted her teeth in shame. "Forgive me, I have misspoken, not that that of course will make you trust me more but...I am a healer. It is only certain people in my life who have made it impossible at this time for me to become one."

She curtsied low for the other woman, keeping her head bowed so as to hide her flaming cheeks. "A pleasure to meet you Ariel. I am..." the noblewoman paused, trying to determine whether she wanted to give her title as well or not. Her uncle would throw a fit if she did not but Primrose desperately wanted a friend that would simply see her as a person and not as wealthy nobility.

Licking her lips nervously, she made her choice. "Primrose, my name is Primrose. It really is a lovey to make your acquaintance Lady Ariel."

[Ariel Buchanan]

Ariel smiled at the woman. "Please, just call me Ariel," she said. Ariel sent a small wave of calm toward the woman, hoping to ease her mind. "And I'm fine, really. I promise. You said you were a healer, didn't you? What a coincidence. I'm a doctor. I just finished my training not long ago." She left out her title purposefully. She never really cared for the way people acted toward once they knew who she was. Her title seemed like a wall between herself and the rest of the world.

Ariel was intrigued that this woman was a healer. She had lost count of the times she had been told she was too small and petite to be a doctor, especially at the beginning of her training. She was by far the smallest in her classes in school. Yet this woman defied the odds like she did, being close in size to Ariel. Primrose was the first person she had ever met in the varied field of healing that was what everyone else considered small and petite.

Ariel had also noted that Primrose had said something about not being able to practice currently. She certainly wanted to ask her why but she didn't want to appear nosy or forward. To be truthful she was quite intrigued by this woman and hoped that they would be able to become friends. Since returning to Jadenshine after hearing of her grandmother's illness she hadn't exactly made many friends. Maybe her luck was changing.

"What brings you to the library today?" Ariel asked. She hadn't quite noticed the title of the book that had fallen on her head and hoped that it would be something they could talk about. She was rather lonely most of the time.

[GoblinFae]

Primrose froze, her eyes wide in awe of the other woman. "You are?" she questioned breathlessly. Her jaw quickly shut with a click as she realized she had left it open. "How did...but...congratulations!" The noblewoman beamed excitedly as if they were old friends and took Ariel's hand within her own to shake it warmly.

"It is a true pleasure to meet you Ariel. I aspire to be like you." Taking the book from the other woman finally, Primrose clutched the library's copy of Toadstools: Friend or Foe?, a book on mushroom cures and poisons close to her chest.

"I'm actually here just browsing a bit. But, are you busy?" she asked tentatively, worrying her lip with her nervousness. "I mean I don't want to bother you and this is a library after all. But, that is to say, if you would be willing, or rather if you would like to, we could, or not, talk for a bit, possibly?"

[Ariel Buchanan]

Ariel beamed at Primrose like a kid at Christmas. "I'm not busy at all and I would love to sit and talk for a bit," she said. "I haven't really had much opportunity to make friends, especially since I've been home." She walked as calmly as she could over to her stack of books to pick them up. She looked around the library, thinking of if this was a good place. She loved the library but mainly for it's quiet and solitude. She would hate to break that up for some other patron. Besides since this was her favorite place it was also the first place her annoying family would look for her, if by some strange twist of fate they did. Most of the time her cousins left her completely alone but she didn't want to risk upsetting this tentative new friendship with her family interrupting. Ariel looked at Primrose and decided she would let her make the decision either way. "Did you want to sit down at one of these tables and talk here or would you rather go somewhere else?"

[GoblinFae]

The noblewoman internally shared the same reservations as her fellow healer. The library was her own sanctuary from her Uncle's tirades. While she would love nothing more than to talk with the woman, this was not the place. She knew all too well how much she despised being disturbed while reading, she would never wish to be the cause of such displeasure with another patron.

"Perhaps we should excuse ourselves to another location," she whispered, looking about to see if she was receiving any glares for having caused a disturbance earlier.