Noctisardor Bypass taught

today, he took some initiative on the things @Mahler had taught him. he set out to work on ways to make pastes and how to apply them. although he did not waste the valuable supplies of the older man's stash.

instead he had dug into the snow to find...muck, really. a few soggy foliage of things he could poorly attempt to chew on until they turned into an even softer mush in his mouth. which he promptly licked out onto his own leg as if he needed to spread it along the surface of an injury.

he realized fairly quickly though that working with pre-mushed ingredients would not help him work on making pastes, though.

mahler came along shortly thereafter, and looked down at the boy's fur, streaked with various drying and sticky pastes. "things that are frozen do not unfreeze vell in the vinter. that is vhy it is best to dry your herbs in late spring through early autumn."
he cleared his throat, jerked his head for the boy to follow him back to the pharmacy.

some part of him felt embarrassed to be discovered by Mahler, covered in muck of frozen plants that served better as mud than anything worth training with.

i wanted to practice... he admittedly softly as he followed the older medic. i didn't think it'd be smart to practice with your supplies in the dead of winter but...lesson learned.

"it is good that you vanted to practice," mahler assured. "and it is good that you thought of our supplies."
he began to open bundles and make new ones of them, copies of several plant-piles. "but if you intend to be my apprentice, it is important you have your own tools. your own stores."

his own tools.

his own stash.

it all felt...so official. it tickled him with affection as he watched mahler divide the stores, uncertain what words were appropriate when the older man did so much for him.

sheepishly, the question tumbled forth from him.

will i need to make my own pharmacy too?

mahler shook his head. "perhaps eventually. but for now, there is space enough for us both here. being close vill allow you to continue your studies." three empty shelves were across the space, and he nodded toward them.
mahler passed the small bundles to the boy, one by one. "today i vant to show you how to test plants."

briefly he looked to the empty shelves and then mahler handed him the new bundles. with delicate care, the pinne sought to set up his own shelves. any plants for pain were set on the highest shelf. the ones he recognized to be for cleaning on the middle shelf. finally the calming would be placed on the lowest shelf. some...thoughtful order of their inherent danger levels.

finally,

test them how? he asked in a soft hum as he made sure his new bundles were in proper order.

up to u to decide what happens!

mahler returned the original bundles to their original places. when he turned to see the boy's work, he nodded approvingly toward the organization already displayed. "testing medicine is rather controversial. some place their herbs out for rabbits to eat. others test on themselves."
"i test something by setting it out." he demonstrated with a odd yellow leaf, which he placed on a flat place in the pharmacy. mahler strode out to take a mouthful of snow, and placed it in a pile next to the leaf. he then put the object into the snow. "if it bleeds, it is ready to be mixed into medicine. if it does not, it is unripe, and consumption vill sicken somevone."

rabbits. themselves.

the young medic was not certain he liked either option very much. although it seemed he would, once again, be saved by mahler. the elder did something else entirely.

he watched as an odd leaf was placed upon the snow. it would either bleed or it would not. if it did not? he was quickly informed it would sicken somebody. which was the opposite of what he wished for.

he waited, patient and watchful. as if he might take his eyes off and miss it entirely. only nothing ever happened. even as the moments ticked by under his curious gaze. finally, when he felt certain he wouldn't miss anything, he looked towards mahler.

i don't think it's ripe, a pause as he looked back towards the leaf. what is it?

"the leaf of an oak."
"it has not yet dissolved. this means that the fibers and material of the surface have not begun to break apart. vhen this happens, you are able to take the leaf and lie it over a wound beginning to scar. the pink flesh vill darken more quickly."
tannins, if he had been in possession of the word for what he meant to explain.
mahler pushed the leaf toward his apprentice, smiling lightly. "keep it."

i'm trying to...get back to my muse with him and close out older stuff, would it be okay to fade this out? <3

he was amazed and mesmerized by the ability that was hidden within something as simple as a leaf.

briefly, he wondered how many times he had walked by plants that seemed plain and nothing out of the ordinary — but instead hid wonderful secrets within them.

greedily he accepted the left, keen to ooh and ahh over it — and anything else mahler might have to teach him today.