Author's Preface
It probably would have been better to take Alchemy in the Spring.
White mist rose from his breath as he warmed his hands. His sheepskin gloves barely kept the frigid morning cold out. He looked up at the ribbons of peach, blue-gray, and gold that made up the early morning sky.
Those dark clouds do not look promising. It is going to snow again.
His boots plodded through the fresh snow that fell overnight as he followed his Alchemy class through the path beyond the student dormitory. These woods are expansive. I wonder what we will be collecting out here. Mostly everything looks dead.
He looked ahead at Professor Awldriver and Magnolia. The two women pressed on.
Casimir checked the map he kept in his inner coat pocket. They were travelling northwest away from the campus. We are near a wetland. Maybe we will dig up some roots. They gave us a shovel.
“Ah, it is ghastly cold outside.” Cornelius shivered. “How far out are we going?”
He was bundled up from head to toe only his reddened nose and eyes could be seen between his hat and scarf.
“We are almost there!” Awldriver called out.
Cornelius grumbled. “I should have skipped winter.”
Casimir heard a sneeze behind them, followed by a “bless you” from Tristan.
“Bless you.” Casimir glanced over his shoulder and saw Bryson wiping his nose on his sleeve.
“Thanks.” Bryson returned his left hand into the warmth of his pocket, while his injured hand rested inside his coat.
Tristan gave Casimir a nod.
I guess his injury isn’t that serious.
Eventually, they arrived at a frozen creek. Awldriver’s eyes scrutinized the soil near the creek and smiled. “This is a good spot. We will stop here.”
“Finally!” Cornelius dropped the pack off his shoulder and stretched.
Professor Awldriver addressed her students, “As alchemists, we must be self-sufficient and resourceful. Sometimes we must find our own ingredients in the wild and synthesize medicine with minimal resources. Here is your assignment. You will make a pain-numbing, antibacterial salve from three ingredients.”
She counted them off on her fingers. “Poison from a hibernating bogtoad, sawberry root, and pine resin. You should be able to create it with the materials in your packs. You have today and by the end of the next class to complete it. Magnolia and I will be nearby to offer you hints on the way. You may begin.”
Casimir turned to Cornelius. “So, how should we divide the work?”
Cornelius knitted his brow and lowered his eyes. “Okay, please listen to my proposal.” He sounded slightly embarrassed, unlike his usual suave voice. “How about I set up camp and keep the fire going while you collect the ingredients? I’ll synthesize the salve while you rest.” The ends of his lips twitched as he pleaded with Casimir with his eyes.
Casimir checked his watch. That walk here ate up most of our class time. We only have an hour and fifteen minutes left. If she is giving us so much time, these must be difficult ingredients to harvest, or the salve has a high failure rate. Casimir shook his head. “It will probably take the rest of the class period to collect everything, and it would be quicker if I had your help.”
Cornelius sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “Uh, fine,” He dragged his words. “Let’s hurry up and get everything. I’ll gather the pine resin, and you’ll collect the sawberry root. We will look for the toad together. They are tricky to find.” Cornelius fished for a glass jar and a knife from his bag.
“Sounds like a plan.” Casimir consulted his herb field guide. A woody shrub with teal berries. They enjoy rocky soil and partial shade. Sounds easy enough.
Casimir searched the rocky terrain near the bank. He traveled upstream and reached a fork of the creek that was blocked with fallen trees and rocky debris. This section of the creek formed into a gully. Two steep slopes form a ‘v’, with a grove of overarching trees. He spotted a patch of shrubs that fit the description. There they are.
Casimir slid down the slope, and once he reached the plant, he started digging. The root of the plant slowly began to appear as he overturned dirt and shifted stone. I’m half tempted to cut a piece off and call it a day. How deep do these roots go?
He heard someone slide down the gully behind him and turned. Ah, it’s just Tristan.
“There are quite a few of these here.” Casimir pointed at a plant to his right.
“Thanks.” Tristan gave Casimir a tired smile before heading over to the plant. Silently, he dug, stress cut creases on his forehead as he pierced into the rocky soil. Part of his focus seemed to be elsewhere because he would pause in his thoughts.
Casimir raised an eyebrow. “Are you okay?”
“Yep, I’m fine. How about you?”
“Freezing, but I’m well.”
“No kidding, she couldn’t have picked a colder morning. I swear I could spit and it would freeze in minutes.”
Casimir laughed, and he waited until Tristan began digging again before he asked his next question. “How is Bryson faring with his hand?”
“He is fine. It was just some minor burns. The nurse gave him the okay to take the gauze off after a week.”
“He is probably going to have to sit out of our Pattern and Combat class.”
Tristan frowned and continued digging.
That was probably a yes. Casimir managed to free the root ball from the ground and snipped it from the rest of the plant. I can probably use the berries for another assignment. He placed his spoils in his bag and glanced back at Tristan. “I’ll see you later.”
Tristan nodded.