Chapter b105 /b

    Valencia

    The scent hit me first, and coughed the moment the door opened

    “Good morning, Elder Amara” One of the many Novices spotted her and bowed her head.

    So, she was an elder priestess. She did have amanding presence, and I saw a few girls shift in their seats upon sensing her presence

    Elder Amara only gave the girl an acknowledging nod and walked inside the cave section that was filled with rows upon rows of ss jars sacked neatly alongside the numerous shelves.

    Some were filled with liquids of various colors, others with herbs and ingredients I couldn’t quite make out.

    There were also bundles of stems and leaves dangling from the ceiling. The air inside smelled earthy and a mix of various scents at once, all darthy and slightly pungent.

    Like the other rooms, there were no windows, but there were a huge number ofnterns ced everywhere, none of the torches on the sconces, possibly to keep the mes in themps contained.

    And on the floor were several long tables stretching along the length of the cave filled with various instruments and more ss jars, cauldrons and

    whatnot.

    Several novices and even a few Senior Priestesses were hunched over the tables, weighing herbs and stirring whatever concoction they were preparing

    Elder Amara received a lot of bows and good mornings that she barely acknowledged as she walked along a row of tables with me on her heels.

    I received a few curious gazes and felt nervous of what was going to be my task here. Fortunately, I didn’t have to wonder about it for long because Elder Amara stopped near one of the farthest tables and turned around to look at me.

    “This will be your workspace for the next few weeks. You may rest on one of the cots in the adjacent resting chamber if you feel weak or nauseated. I have been told you cant handle high workload all that well.”

    My cheeks heated at that.

    Had Senior Nína told her that about me? She wasn’t going to give me a glowing rmendation, but she didn’t have to crucify me like that.

    “Workload is not an issue for me, but short deadlines are.” I quipped.

    Elder Amara nodded thoughtfully.

    “If that is the case, then you might like it here. Time is of essence, but I dont believe in rushing things. We need to be careful here while making potions and concoctions that heal and save the weak and injured.”

    That term again. Where were these people exactly?

    Elder Amara wasn’t being rude unnecessarily, so I couldn’t help but ask.

    “Is there a war going on?”

    “Not all wars are fought with ws and weapons,” she answered in a clipped tone. I wasn’t sure what to answer to that, so I simply nodded.

    “I have been also told that your writing is legible, yes?” She posed a question.

    Wait, she was going to make me write down stuff again? Not that I minded, but I thought with all the stuff going on around here she would also ask me to make something.

    b1/3 /b

    098

    My disappointment must be evident on my face because she cleared her throat.

    “You will get to that step, eventually. For now, I want you tobel all the ingredients in those jars and vials correctly and maintain a record forms can you do that?”

    “Good. You may begin…” she trailed off, and offered. “Valencia Raskin”

    “I was told that you are the girl who faints too often, can’t keep up with simple tasks and misses work for other activities outside the temple.”

    Ouch.

    Nina really hated me. Senior Amara waited for a reaction, but when I didn’t open my mouth to deny the usations, she said,

    “But in here you are simply a Novice or a temple keeper. And you will y a part in ensuring the sick and needy get all the help they cans

    I was d that I could prove myself to her, even with the baggage Nina sent me with.

    “Understood, Senior Amara.”

    She handed me a quilli, /ia jar of ck ink, and the first roll of parchment.

    “If you have any doubts or concerns, you might ask the others but ensure you aren’t disturbing them. If they can not answer you, you may find me in my cabin to the right.”

    She pointed a finger at the stone wall at a distance, and I nodded.

    Then she left me at the table, and I spent the next few minutes looking around the space. She had asked me tobel stuff, but when I observed a few jars, the contents looked quite simr.

    Now how was I supposed to know thebels correctly?

    My first thought was to run to her, but then another one popped up, saying that she wouldn’t like it if I went running to her in the first five minutes of me standing near the table alone.

    I looked at the table again and saw a few scrolls tucked in a corner, which I opened to see a list along with a diagram of what the herb looked like.

    Spreading it wide open on the table, I got to work. And I was fascinated by the number of herbs and other ingredients stored here.

    This was like a treasure chest with so many nts and berries I had never heard of. Another list consisted of the uses and side effects of the herbs.

    I was lost in worki, /ioften analyzing how two identical looking stems or simr sounding names had a vastly different use.

    My finger hovered over a name I had heard before and instantly recognized it.

    “Fellenwort”

    I recalled Killian telling me how adding this one ingredient changed a healing salve to one that helped women stay aroused.”

    I dipped the quill in the ink and tried not to blush at the memory as I started scribbling on the parchment.

    Amidst the scratching of my quill against the paper, I thought I heard something.

    I looked to the left, where Elder Amara had pointed me, to the resting chamber.

    My eyes darted to the far wall, where several narrow doorways opened into shadowy alcoves. Cold beds, thin nkets, the kind of spaces made for punishment rather thanfort.

    I was reminded of a simr space and hastily squashed the memory of the tower I had been kept bin /bthe first time I was brought to iElorin/i.

    Again, I heard a whimper and walked in the direction of the resting chamber.

    bIt /bwas beyond the wall through a small passage, but I realized the sound wasn’ting from the resting chamber but rather another section adjacent bto /b

    A pale curtain was fluttering lightly, and I pushed it away, but suddenly something sprang upon me, pushing me down on the floor

    “You should diel”

    田