The Apothecary

[Indira]

The apothecary is a little way past the village near the edge of the forest, but not far enough to enter either territories. With herbs growing in the stream and the lavish garden at the front of the house, this healing station rarely runs out of herbs and has emergency supplies dried in bottles and jars lined up on the cupboards on the ground floor which is laid out like a shop for the sick and injured. Upstairs is the bedroom  and study where the werewolf Indira, who manages the apothecary, dwells. This home has been healing the ill for as long as it's doors have been opened.

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Opening the wooden door, stumbling up the stairs before finally collapsing on her bed, Indira was absolutely exhausted from her night-long trip. It also had taken up most of yesterday as well. First two wolves had a fight which she witnessed but they had fallen in love so they both left the vampire territory where they had been and went to the werewolves. Terrified of what the vampires would do to her, Indira had also fled but a bit too far and had stumbled into the wolves territory where she found a cub in human form. She delivered the cub to the new alpha of the wolf pack, who was apparently one of the wolves who had been fighting, and she and her mate, who was the other fighting wolf, had decided to adopt and raise the child. Finally, Indira raced back home with a new title as 'Healer'. Too much had happened in one day and Indira was exhausted. With her long blonde hair flowing on the sheets beneath her and her head reeling with all that had happened, Indira raised her arm and used it to cover her eyes. She desperately needed to rest before she could register what had happened in that single afternoon.

[Tarot]

Tarot shuffled towards the so called Apothecary. Recently he had been stabbed by someone who he seemed to have ticked off. He clenched his jaw and grumbled to himself. All I did was reply honestly. He didn't have to cut me for saying that his dog looked fat. The black haired werewolf looked up at the sun and sighed. He would have tended to his own wounds, but he seemed to have some kind of poison smeared on it and the sun was weakening him, making him as vulnerable as a human. He scratched his head with his uninjured arm.  The river finally came into view. It's surface glinting like tin in the sunlight. Tarot growled under his breath. If I move too much, the poison will spread through my body... He squeezed his eyes shut as another wave of pain shot through his left arm. The flesh around the stab wound has turned black and black veins seems to crawl up him arm. He grunted and looked around. In the distance he spotted the wooden building. But I should hurry.Clutching his arm Tarot sprinted over to the house, jumping off of rocks when they came towards him as an obstacle.
He landed with a thump on the porch and knocked loudly in the door. His brown eyes narrowed in impatience and irritation. "Anyone alive in there?"

[Indira]

Indira bit back a groan, she had only just laid down, though her days of healing snapped back at her to get up and go downstairs to investigate what was wrong. Tired, she yawned again before calling downstairs. "Yeah! I'm coming down now." After almost tumbling as she walked back to the office area of her shop, Indira peered through a hidden crack in the wooden door. A tall bloke who was two heads taller than her was standing there on her porch and he a very nasty cut on his arm that looked infected. That and the fact that Indira scented wolf blood in him alarmed her. If the dude decided to fight then she would mostly likely lose unless the slim chance that she could squirm free and bound away with her unusual speed appeared. However if she left him then he would probably die quite painfully because of that wound. So, ignoring all of her wolf's instincts and going with her duties of being a Healer, Indira opened the door for her visitor.

[Tarot]

Tarot put his arm back down at his side and stopped knocking when a female voice answered him. His nose flared as the bitter scent of herbs grew stronger. It covered up all werewolf scent, so he wasn't suspicious in the least. He growled under his breath as the pain washed over him. Heat seemed to flare out from him as a fever tried to burn out all the poison. It's getting hot out here.... Tarot wiped his forehead with his long black sleeve and blinked his glazed eyes at the door. A faint fear scent came from the other side. He narrowed his brown eyes but said nothing. Do I look that sick right now...?" He thought in exasperation. He clutched the area above the wound and tapped his foot impatiently on the porch.

[Indira]

The old door creaked open. Indira took a single pace forward so that the sun's light washed over her face. She was forced to slightly narrow her green eyes to the bright glare but re-opened them when she had gotten used to the increase of light. The stream beside her house was still gurgling, the water-mill peacefully churning beside it with patches of algae stubbornly cloning to the wooden frame, the plants in the garden seemed to dance with health (especially the feverfew which had started to bud it's first flowers) and the trees rustled as a lazy wind drifted through their leaves. All of this haven was disrupted by the male standing on her porch, currently dripping scarlett blood onto the cobbled stone. Indira looked him up and down, meaning that she had to angle her head in an embarrassing way just to look at his face. "Do you need help with that?" She asked, gesturing at his sliced arm.

[Tarot]

Tarot blinked in surprise as a younger girl answered the door. Her brown hair and green eyes seemed to fit the atmosphere she lived in. But what really surprised him was her age. She only barely look like 20, and her small stature was almost funny. Instead, he clenched his fists in annoyance. "Are you really the healer around here?" He didn't believe it. When Tarot asked for directions for an apothecary or hospital of some kind, they directed him here and spoke highly of the woman who lived there. The way they spoke of her made her sound old. "Because you look too young to be on your own here." He added dryly. Her first question made him want to strangle her, but it was fair since he shot her a little innocent girl remark. "Yes, I need help with it." Tarot unwrapped his arm from his makeshift bandage which he ripped from a nearby clothing line, and lifted his arm to her eye level, whichever as extremely low for him, and showed her the wound. He was careful not to let it shake in pain. He waited for her answer, unsure whether or not to explain the situation he had only been in a few hours ago.

[Indira]

"In answer to your question, yes I am the Healer here. No need to rub in how short I am, at least I'm not the one getting infected cuts." Indira caught herself from growling at the male. Her aunt has always said that she had a tongue of a viper and she could not afford to let it get her in trouble now. Shifting her blonde hair over one shoulder, Indira studied the wound in a closer inspection without touching it, it must have been pretty painful. "Infected cuts... Or poisoned." She murmured. The wound would have peeled, yellowed and be swollen with pus if it were a bacterial infection. Poisons however, cause the wound to flake at the edges and darken and because poisons strike more swiftly than infections, the injury wouldn't of had time to scab over. "Any later and you would've lost that limb. Come on inside whilst I look for the poultice that will help." She muttered as she wandered back into her house, still a bit sore from the size remarks. She couldn't help it that she's small.

[Tarot]

Tarot snickered under his breath as she explained her size deficient was something she got irritated about. "It's poisoned." He replied, stepping into the wooden house, his boots creaking against the old wood. His left arm hung limply at his side as he stared around the building. A flight of stairs went up to what he suspected to be the bedroom since the scent clinging to it didn't have as much of the bitter herb scent around the rest of the house. He turned to the girl as she rummaged through jars and leaves of plants. He tried hard not to gag at his strong sense of smell. The bitterness made him feel sick. "Then I'm glad I found you out here." Tarot replied, cringing at the thought of having to loose his limb. He sat down on a nearby chair and wrapped his left arm again. The black veins had almost crawled up to his shoulder now. He did his best not to grunt as the waves of pain grew more frequent. His head was throbbing from the fever and he  just felt like a jar empty of energy, but he still tried to initiate a conversation with the healer. "So you live alone in this house? It's all the way out in the forest." He hesitated before continuing. Unsure if he should point out the fact that he'd scented a groups of werewolves in the town, but finally decided it would be best of she knew. "These are dangerous forests. You can't even comprehend what kind of creatures are out here." He said in a foreboding voice. And I'm one of those creatures. He added wryly to himself.

[Indira]

"I didn't always live alone. My aunt used to live here ages ago but she died of old age. And as for the creatures, they don't bother me." Indira spoke aloud. If the other wolf was trying to issue a threat, Indira wasn't bothered. He was the one turning to her for help so it wouldn't be wise to kill me. "Yarrow, no. Elder flower. Willow. Maybe sage. Bayberry. Calendula." Indira mumbled to herself, clutching the ingredients as she did so. Raising herself up from the floor to the table, Indira began to hurriedly stir the herbs into a poultice using a mortar and pestle. The expert flick of her wrists suggested that she had done this many times before.

[Tarot]

The black haired male nodded at the girl. That makes sense since the villagers said she was an older lady. He blinked absently at himself before turned to the girl again. She said that the creatures didn't not her her. His brown eyes narrowed in suspicion. Does she know about us? The girl kept on getting him curious. "I'm sorry for your loss..." He said about her aunt, but he quickly added,"When did she die?" He wanted to know how old the villagers news was. That and he was interested in the girl.
Tarot watched as she picked out a few plants and mashed them together into a police of some kind. He propped his head on his elbow and watched her as she worked. He had started getting used to the smell, and it only slightly lingered in his nose.

[Indira]

Indira paused at the question, pondering it for a brief moment, before she continued to mash the plants together. "I am not exactly sure, but I know that it was a very long time ago. The truth was that Indira had not been around at the time of her aunt's death, for she had been tracking down the beast that had turned her and butchered her parents. Back then she won by chance but when she had returned, Indira discovered that her aunt had passed away due to old age. "OI have been working alone here for almost three years now." Indira added honestly. Once the thick poultice was created, Indira turned to the shelves behind her and picked up a bottle of tea coloured liquid. *This would help with the pain and fever.* She thought to herself.

[Tarot]

Tarot raised an eyebrow skeptically. 'How does she not know? Wasn't she her apprentice or something? She should have at least an estimate within a certain time frame.' He frowned, but the werewolf pushed it no further. 'Might just be a touchy subject...' The girl turned to the wall for some more herbs once the others before had been mashed together to a pulp. His nose crinkled at the new herb smell. Then his brown eyes wandered across her shelves for the first time. Lined across them were dried herbs, jars, and some bottles. Each containing a colorful assortment of herbs and plants which the healer used. Her next question snapped his back to reality. Tarot turned to her, his eyes wide with surprise. "Three years-?!" The exclamation bounced off his tongue before he could stop it. He covered his mouth with his right hand at the last minute and stared at the ground. "So...You've been alone in this house for three whole years?" He asked gently setting his arm down again. As for his injured arm, the pain was still there, but it was faint. It was turning numb, and the black veins had crawled across to his shoulder. His head was throbbing. The fever was trying to burn out the poison, but it might end up burning him out as well. He reclined into his chair and grimaced as he moved. It felt odd to see black dots in his vision, and how the fever actually made him feel cold. He tried not to rasp and pant for air, and instead take deep slow breaths. It would make him seem weak and vulnerable if he didn't. Not that he was already seen as weak and vulnerable already. It was more for his pride and confidence to succumb to a poison and maybe pass out.
But he felt tired, and at this point the floor looked so nice...but he stayed as vigilant as he could, trying to keep the conversation with the girl he didn't even know the name of. He could still hear her, but his words would have started to come out in a slur. 'Crap...I can't even think straight...' Tarot rubbed his forehead with his mouth curled in a cringe.

[Indira]

Indira glanced back over at Tarot. The male had his face screwed up in a grimace, meaning that the wound was at perfect time to apply the poultice. Walking over to the agonized male with the freshly-made balm in one hand, Indira then crouched beside him and smeared it directly onto the exposed inner flesh in the wound. If it was numb then it would feel like a bees-sting, if it wasn't, well, Indira didn't envy him. She then rise herself to her feet and leaned over to grasp the liquid filled bottle. After successfully grabbing the bottle by it's glass neck, Indira handed it over to the man. "Drink that, it will help with the healing process, the fever and the pain you will feel later." She proclaimed, wandering back over to her table to set the remaining ingredient scraps away in their proper storage, which were tiny wicker baskets laid out in rows at the top of the shelf behind the desk. Using a small step ladder, Indira managed to complete this task, only wobbling a little when she leaned a bit too far back

[Tarot]

Tarot gritted his teeth together as she applied the poultice. He sighed as she gave him the bottle. He nodded gratefully, not trusting his voice to talk. He wrapped up his arm again and took a deep breath. His head was still throbbing,but the feeling in his arm was slowly coming back. The girl was collecting her leftover herbs. He turned to the bottle and uncorked it. He sniffed it, but he pulled back and cleared his throat. It wasn't as bitter as the others. It smelled more like tea leaves instead. He looked at the bottle and frowned. 'Still...How can she take all the herby and bitter smells in here?' Tarot rubbed the back of his neck and turned to the girl. He swallowed loudly and lifted the bottle to his lips. He downed it in on gulp and cleared his throat. "You...Um, got any water...?" Tarot was glad his words didn't start slurring together. Inwardly, he was sighing in relief. He blinked his glazed over brown eyes at her. "And what's you're name?" He stood up with a grunt. The black dots were still in his vision and his head continued to throb loudly, but he tried to assume his regular stance.

[Indira]

Indira looked over at the male before descending the step ladder's steps. Wandering to the left side of the shelf, Indira picked up a long-necked, wide-bottomed glass bottle, which almost resembled a melted wine bottle, filled with the ice-cold clean stream water you can find in the snowy mountains. She wordlessly passed this over to the other werewolf, since he had asked for water Indira thought that there was no point in telling him what it is. "My name is Indira. What is yours?" Indira replied to his previous question. This was an odd question, for as much as the villagers respected and were grateful to her, they never wanted to socialize with due to the fear that she might be a witch because of her unusual skill and knowledge of plants, as well as her unnatural healing abilities, even though she was quite young for a healer.

[Tarot]

Tarot blinked at the bottle in his hands. The black dots made it hard to see a little. He rubbed his forehead, and turned to the girl. He nodded his head to acknowledge her. His eyebrows furrowed as he thought whether of not to tell her his real name, but she didn't seem to have a reason to hate him. Well, maybe the fact that he was a werewolf, but it's not like the girl could tell, right? "Tarot, thanks for the help." The pain had flooded back into his arm now. The numbness had almost disappeared and the waves of pain began again, but he could tell they were weaker this time. He shoved his uninjured arm in his pocket and rummaged through his pants. "What do I own you, Indira?" His brown eyes locked with hers. He still felt sluggish and tired, but he shouldn't have to impose more than he should. He waited for an answer impatiently. "Well? Or will I walk out with a free treatment?" The black haired male wanted to finish this up. He needed to find somewhere to spend the night quickly.

[Indira]

"I do not take money for healing. That is like charging a poor man for food. Makes no sense." Indira took away the poultice bowl and the cup which had contained the tea-like remedy. Placing them carefully back to where she hot them so that she would not forget where they were later, she glanced downwards at a small, iron-rimmed chest, safely tucked away under the counter. Reassured that it was still there, Indira looked back at Tarot. *Tarot... like the fortune cards?* She thought to herself, the random memory of her late aunt explaining how the cards work. Snapping back to the present, Indira dusted off her hand and sighed quietly, fatigue starting to tug at head and muscles. "Anyway, as long as you do not bring trouble, it's for free." She muttered, her own mind starting to feel as if it were slipping into water.

[Tarot]

Tarot cocked his head at the girl. 'Is she crazy or something? Does she only live off her garden? Is that all she eats? If she doesn't have money she wouldn't be able to buy meat or anything...' Tarot frowned, wondering how anyone could live off only vegetables, but then again he was a werewolf. "And she doesn't look like much of a hunter... He muttered under his breath. He scratched his chin and it dawned him that he said it out loud. Tarot clicked his tongue and sighed. "Are you sure? You don't need any money?" The black haired boy walked up to Indira and studied her face. Her brown hair flowed past her shoulders and the blonde highlights made it seem shiny. 'Wait what am I thinking about?!?' Tarot shook his head to clear his present thoughts and stared into her green eyes. "I feel obliged to owe you something." He said with a sigh. He put his hand on his hips and stared down at the girl. He found it amusing how short she was, but he didn't need any more fiery outbursts. He just wanted a reply. He crouched down to her eye level. "So what's the deal, blonde?"

[Indira]

Indira narrowed her eyes slightly as Tarot crouched down in front of her but she didn't complain, her neck had begun to ache from looking up. She ignored his previous comments but the one about her not looking like a hunter amused her. *Not all hunter's are brain and brawny, speed is important too and it so happens to be my speciality.* She thought to herself, not arrogant but not shamed either. *He has nice clear eyes- wait what? Don't think about that!* Her next thought made her curse herself. "There is no deal. If a mother came crying to you with her son's leg terribly shattered would you charge her a doctor's fee? I would not." Indira replied, her green eyes take on a stone-like appearance at the thought of the bastards who charge ridiculous amounts of money for tiny wound like an infected splinter. They usually cause the patient to lose some significant body part or die anyway.

[Tarot]

Tarot pulled back when she cursed. "Was it that offending that I has to crouch to see your face?" He asked with a mischievous smirk. He sat down on the counter she had worked on and crossed his arms. It was apparent he was treating his arm with care. Tarot however was confused, she quickly shot down his offer. Tarot stared at her, unsure of what he could offer. 'A reading? Nah, it doesn't seem like she'd go for it. Maybe I could buy her some meat? Even though I would probably only hunt something out in the forest. Maybe...' Tarot scratched his head, hesitating. His cleared throat echoed in the empty wooden house when he finally decided to offer his own services. "I'll...I'll stick around to help you out for a while." He muttered, propping his head on his elbow again. His dark brown eyes stared back at hers. His eyes crinkled as he frowned again. "If it's a matter of quarters and food, I'll turn out fine on my own." Tarot said as he thought he saw a look of disapproval on her face. 'And it will be better that way so she won't see me accidentally shift.' Tarot was still working out the kinks in the transformation. He wasn't as good as his little sister once was.

[Indira]

Indira raised an eyebrow. She wasn't expecting him to be so persistent, but if he wanted to offer services then she wasn't going to stop him. "Alright, if that is what you want to do." Indira nodded to a door at the base of the stone stairs leading to her bedroom. "That's a guest bedroom so if you happen to need somewhere to sleep then you can go lie down in there." She said. Though most would think that this was too much for a healed arm, Indira didn't mind. Most people do offer some sort of payment for her services, but though most of them stop offering when she says that it's okay, some just give her what they want anyway. Kneeling down, Indira pulled forward the small metal-rimmed chest from earlier and opened it by a little crack. Inside, resting one a velvet cushion, was a small crystal orb the size of a marble. It was a light pink with a spider-web design of pale white lines. Satisfied that the contents were also there, Indira quickly closed the lid and pushed the chest far back beneath the desk.

[Tarot]

Tarot breathed a sigh as relief as she accepted, but he knew he had just dug his own grave. The werewolf frowned to himself and sipped the water from the glass Indira gave him. He stared at the ceiling and blinked hazily at the walls. Rubbing the area in between his eyes, the black haired brute stood up and kept himself from stumbling around in a daze. The black dots had disappeared, but the pain still flowed up and down the wound. He rubbed his injured arm and looked at the staircase the girl had indicated as the guest room. 'Smells more like her instead. No other stale scents, other than that faint one...' After Indira had pointed out she had an aunt that lived there, he noticed the other scent. All the herbs had covered up his nose, and it was hard to tell between the two, and he hadn't taken the liberty of taking in his surroundings. "What about you? Where do you sleep?" He asked casually. It would be better if he covered up all evidence of his sense of smell. He still stared at the stairs, not realizing the girl had another thing on her mind, a crystal.

[Indira]

"Hmm? Oh I sleep in a room at the top of the stairs and then above there is an attic. It's filled with all sorts of old things but occasionally someone comes along and buys something from there." Whilst Indira was speaking, she pointed to the top of the stairs and at a trapdoor that had been placed near the top of the steps. It has been cleverly designed so that when you pull the trapdoor down, its stairs join with the original. Drumming her fingers against the table, Indira remembered that her aunt had also slept in the attic, though it wasn't as dusty then as it was now, and she was always taking great care of those antiques. Indira thought of how wide and bright her smile became when she taught her how a rare flash camera works or how you layout this old type of crossbow that some how folded in on itself to make itself pocket-sized. Yep, there sure were lots of weird, rare and ancient things in the attic, there still is, and Indira's aunt loved every one of them.

[Tarot]

The black haired werewolf stared at the small trapdoor etched into the ceiling. 'Old things? I wonder what she means by that...?' Although it was everyone's nature to be curious, Tarot had pulled back those temptations to know when he didn't need to stick his nose in things that could get him in trouble. He frowned to himself and crossed his arms again. 'But it can't hurt right? I mean she says people sometimes buy stuff from up there.' Tarot turned on his soles to turn to the girl. He hesitated to ask, inwardly still debating with himself if he should go up there or not. Bitting his lip, he finally decided. "Can I go check them out?" The brute thumbed at the staircase, indicating the trapdoor and the bedroom. He wanted to see his new room first. His exhaustion was starting to pull him down and make him all the more sluggish.

[Indira]

Indira was fine with Tarot checking out the guest room but his curiosity about the attic made her think. There were truly odd thing in there; old rocks, complicated machines, carved artifacts; and most were valuable and some were fragile. As long as he was careful, she thought that it would be okay. "Alright, just when you go up to the attic be careful and try not to break anything." She said. Just like her aunt, Indira was protective of the objects in the attic but for a completely different reason. Her aunt loved them because they were unusual and unique but Indira loved them because they were a fragment of the memories she had with her dead relative.

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