Lion Head Mesa Some turn to dust or to gold

Melody Medeiros finally learned to regret her shunning of sleep when one day, walking the halls, a wave of dizziness struck her. She paused, blackness creeping at the edges of her vision — and for a moment the world fell away.

She wasn't aware of falling, but was aware in the next moment that she was on the ground. And that her head hurt, and her tongue was bleeding where she'd bitten it. Melody grimaced and lifted herself gingerly, shaking the dust from herself. She winced. Exhaustion tugged at her, and she finally began to realize that maybe Tavina was right. Maybe she did need to sleep more.

And what lovely halls they were! Decorated with red desert blossoms that his friend the high priest had said to give them! Seven of them, to be exact, freshly watered thanks to the doe of a wolf with water-soaked moss in his jaws. Apparently, seven was a holy number, though Haizel had yet to learn much of the ways that Senmut breathed so freely. He'd have to ask, and he thought his query would make the man happy. 

But for now, a problem arose for the decorator of a sesh. He'd seen a falling woman, and on legs as graceful as such a creature, he skidded to a halt before he could run her over with his frame. 

Are you okay, miss?

Oh no. Had he seen that? He definitely saw that. Melody flushed all over, straightened, and lifted her chin. I'm fine. It was just - there was - a bee, didn't you see it? She gestured vaguely.

I'm Melody, She added, eager to change topics. Hemet. And a very embarrassed one, at that. She'd been so certain no one had seen her fall!

However, Haizel merely tilted his head. I didn't see a bee, he smiled brightly, wagged his tail, and gave her a rough once-over to see if anything was broken or damaged or anything. Haizel, miss Melody! I'm the gardener. that gave him a genuine chuckle. He tried to make sure she was okay with all the medicinal knowledge he possessed, looking her over as subtly as possible.

But he was bad at both those things, his knowledge in that regard lay firmly in how to use plants for already established problems - she could talk without pain, so she couldn't be all that bad, right?