Humble Tea

Writers: Halyonix, Yvonne
Date Posted: 27th October 2026

Characters: Jisalle, Maeryld
Description: Jisalle and Maeryld connect after the greenhouse incident
Location: Healer Hall
Date: month 3, day 11 of Turn 13
Notes: Mentioned: Laithan

"Well," Maeryld observed with her hands on her ample hips. "Master Laithan wasn't lying when he said it was a mess in here." Her words were offset by the sympathetic light in her dark eyes as she located Jisalle. "Was it _really_ a firestone bag?"

"It was." Jisalle rose carefully from the wreckage and stepped from soil onto the flagstone path. Glass crunched beneath her boots and she wore thick leather gloves, which she pulled off one at a time. She'd left a bag hidden between the broken aloe stems that was full of broken shards. "I suppose I should be grateful that the only thing it hit was the roof."

"Did it hit any of the plants? Badly?" Maeryld asked as she cautiously approached, stepping delicately around shards if possible.

"Watch your step. Aloe is pretty resilient," Jisalle admitted reluctantly. "I think most of it will come back. The real challenge will be getting the roof repaired before the weather cools off too much. It can be so unpredictable this time of year."

Maeryld looked up at the hole. "That's...quite a big opening. Will the glass smiths be able to fix it any time soon?"

Jisalle sighed. "I hope so, but we shall see. It seems like the glass is a special order and transporting it is difficult. So. I will do the best I can in the meantime, although 'my best' will likely involve oiled canvas, hopes and dreams."

Still looking at the hole, Maeryld said, "Sometimes you can do a lot with hopes and dreams." There was a pause and then she looked at Jisalle with a positive smile. "We'll figure it out. I have no doubt that Master Laithan won't let them rest until it's fixed." She moved to begin cleaning up. "I still can't believe how many insults he fired off about it. I wouldn't dare ever say that a dragonrider's family tree didn't have enough branches."

"Or that they could trip over a cloud on a sunny day! Er, thats the polite version, of course." Jisalle hid her smile behind her hand. "I rather liked the one where he said their mother was a blind watch wher and their father an armless mule. I have had _quite_ the education!"

"No wonder he's single," Maeryld said with a chuckle. "I cannot imagine dealing with such an explosive temper as a wife. But I heard that he has children at the Weyr? I would love to shake the hand of the woman who managed to deal with _that_ long enough."

"I've often wondered that myself," Jisalle said dryly. "Perhaps our Hallmaster has hidden depths."

Maeryld chuckled. "Well, at least it's made for an interesting story. Something to look back on and laugh about. That's a welcome change from sharing wound stories, that's for sure."

"Or scraped knees and children's barf. Although when I am forced to deal with the Crafters _or_ the Hallmaster I do feel like I am dealing with children. Don't tell him I said that," Jisalle added quickly. "He's very knowledgeable, and a person to be respected at all times."

"Oh, absolutely!" Maeryld agreed but it was in that sly tone that women used when in the company of other women that quietly said how women knew men better than men knew themselves. Noticing the shards in some of the plants, she asked, "Are you going to have to reseed these?" The glass was one thing; the plants were another.

"Maybe some will take..." Jisalle sighed. "Aloe's not hard to grow, but it propagates much better from pups than from seeds or broken leaves. Often the leaves just rot... honestly, whatever I can salvage from the glass I'll give to the Healer classes to make salves. I think the majority of the plants will survive, but they won't be thriving for a while."

There was a thoughtful pause from the other woman for a moment. "Sometimes," she said carefully, "surviving is the best you can ask for." It wasn't as though Maeryld had been abused or anything in her former marriage. Hardly! But thriving? That was not a word she would have applied to the situation, even with the blessing of children. "Until you can change the situation into thriving," she added.

If the Head Gardener had noticed the careful way that Maeryld had spoken, she didn't comment on it. "Let's hope I can. And if I end up falling to my death from the the top of a ladder, please tell my children that I love them."

Maeryld let out a soft gasp. "Shells, no! About the falling thing, not the telling your children thing. If you're climbing up that ladder then...then..." She looked around as though the answer was growing in one of the trays. "I'll hold it in place! Or...or...you can fall on me!" Something about that struck her as funny because she giggled and added, "I do have extra cushioning."

"At least one of us does!" Jisalle said, examining one stick-like arm morosely. Then she smiled. "And with any luck I wouldn't poke your eye out with an elbow or something. I'd hate to have to explain _that_ to the Masters!"

"Better that than explaining to them why you broke your neck on that rickety thing," Maeryld pointed out with a chuckle. Her chuckle continued as she envisioned that scenario in the light of recent events. "I'm certain Master Laithan would come up with a completely new batch of creative insults."

"Ooof, on second thought maybe I'll see if someone else can do it." Jisalle brushed her hands together brusquely. "Do you have time for a cup of tea? My back is telling me that it's time I took a break."

Maeryld shot the other woman a sunny smile. "As if I would pass up teatime with you! That blend with the lemongrass we had last sevenday? Delightful! I think if you added a bit of ginger to it, it would really make it pop. You could sell that to the seacrafters at one of the seaholds!"

"You're far too flattering. You'll give me a fat head," Jisalle said, obviously pleased.

"Pssh, you won't let it go to your head. Not like some of those senior journeyman would. Oh, remind me when I finally get my knots in however many Turns not to be like that. Stay humble!"

"Maybe I'll make it an official blend and call it 'humble tea'. I can serve it when you walk the tables," Jisalle told her.

This made Maeryld laugh. "Oh, the irony of that name! I love it! You should make it and serve it to Master Laithan without telling him."

Jisalle snorted. "He probably hates tea. I imagine he only drinks water."

"Or the darkest klah he can find," Maeryld added. "Bitter, just like him." She giggled and then put a hand over mouth. "Oh, I hope he never hears us talking so ill about him," she said but her dark eyes danced with delight.

"My lips are sealed." But Jisalle felt a twinge of guilt anyway. Maeryld had a very good point - they were talking about the Hallmaster, and he'd put his trust in her when Jisalle wasn't sure that she was up to managing the Healer Hall's greenhouse. She respected him greatly. But it was also hard not to poke fun at him - Jisalle poked fun at everyone, and Maeryld seemed to bring out her silly side. "Let's go start the kettle and you can tell me what you learned in your last class."

Glee appeared in the other woman's eyes. "Deal!"

Last updated on the October 28th 2026

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Humble Tea