Only half a cup [Belenos & Helene]

    The flowers, which lined one of the front gardens of the shop were a dull grey in the morning, but a vibrant and charming white at night. Each petal reflected a gentle elegance that was exhumed by the full-moonlight, the faint snow that peppered the ground only enhancing the beauty. Even in the depth of winter, Iadlain was as hauntingly beautiful as ever. Citizens poured in and out through the day, much like the very waters that flowed through the channels below street level, bringing about a high energy contrasting the melancholy weather.

    Now that the moon had risen, signaling the fall of night, business had calmed down at Mad Hat to a mellow trickle. As it was, Belenos was currently crafting teas, unaware of a new presence in his shop. Heaps of raw herbs and dried fruits took over his work area, and small petals had even made their way comedically into the healer's hair, not that he noticed that either. Cupping the current pile of loose tea, a tin was brought close to capture the fragrant mix of rose and pomegranate. With box in hand, the man turned to stroll over to his massively high shelves, already bursting with an abundance of teas. Some originated from as close as Iadlain, Reluir even, to as far as the elven state of Estraude.

    One brown eye squinted, swearing he saw the front door close from his peripheral vision, but dismissed it reaching up to put away his new product. Images always floated about his vision, a common side effect of Mad Hat's, so he wasn't really too concerned. 

A strange peep sounded out around the room, almost... human in tone. Belenos first looked to his left instantly at one of his most creaky cabinets. The old piece of junk usually was the culprit of many eerie noises during the day, but upon deeper reflection, he decided that nahhh it normally didn't reverberate sounds quite like that. And so the healer looked to his right, noticing immediately, a young elf up high in one of the trees in his shop? How had she gotten up there so silently...?

Curious about the intruder, the shop owner walked over to stand just under the girl, looking up as he chirped.

"You seem to be more skilled maneuvering up, than you are scaling down there miss~."

Belenos watched with curiosity as one dark arm reached out in possession of an old tea blend, for how long it had even been up there he did not know. The merchandise on his shelves were arranged so the that the fresher mixes were closer in arm's reach, leaving the top storage open for overflows of products. But it should still be usable, depending on how well it was packaged.

Understanding, he thought, what she wanted of him, the owner of the shop held out his hand, ready to catch her chosen tea.

@v@

What a strange person, he thought with a small smile. But then again, the ratio of normalcy in Iadlain was dramatically different than anywhere else in the Empire. He knew he himself without a doubt belonged to that statistic.

After safely moving the captured tea blend to safety, the shop owner looked back up at his guest. With an expression that reminded him of a deer caught in lantern light, she starred at him as if willing the healer to lend a hand.

Pondering over his options, the man turned his head around his shop, looking for something to use in her rescue. Belenos scratched his head, maybe pillows incase she wasn't very graceful? He gave a long glance at the embroidered cushions lazily dotting his floor. Nah, those might hurt her, or get damaged from trauma. Hmmmm...

With a grin, the man grabbed a spare broom out of a dark corner, grimy from it's lack of use. Two skinny arms outstretched, using the handle of the cleaning utensil to scoot products aside creating a hopefully pathway down, knocking a few tins off with a 'clang' and 'klack'. His aim, was never really was the best.

"Come on now, come down, it'll ruin your health to inhale in all that dust~ Plus, there are spirits in this shop, who's mercy shouldn't be tested by young ladies you know~"

Actually, the man wasn't really sure if there were spirits or not in his shop, but he had seen some strange things over the years. Especially on nights when the moon was full and his system was occupied with copious amounts of mad hat caps. But, hallucinations are based on reality are they not?

Never the less, his memory was full accounts of many peculiar shapes and forms slithering about, occupying the small cracks of his home.

"Ah yes, I assure you many strange things have shown themselves to me. Would you... like to be let in on their secrets~?" A impish grin slid across Belenos's face, eyes filled with amusement.

The healer beaconed his feline-like guest closer, as if stressing the secrecy of what he was about to reveal, not just anyone could receive this wisdom. So, Belenos opted to set down his now repurposed broom on the floor as he made his way to sit, dragging a cushion over across the wooden surface. It seemed, they could utilize the pillows after all.

"They tell me many stories, the most recent of which I could share with you I suppose." A smile flashed.

Mismatched eyes then glanced curiously about their shop, scanning the cracks for any one, or anything, that may be eavesdropping. Declaring it safe, the man sat up from his usual slouch.

"I'll begin their tale, and you can tell me if you wish find out it's conclusion~"

"Once upon a time, a young girl named Ashling who lived in a tiny village on the coast of Iadlain. She had a special talent for picking the most marvelous of fruits. Whenever she picked an raspberry, it was the sweetest raspberry; whenever she picked a plum, it was richer and juicier than anyone else's plums. And this was true of every single piece of fruit she picked.

The people of the Ashling's village always wondered how she found such marvelous fruit, but nobody asked her to reveal her secrets. It was just understood that everyone has a special skill, an unique talent, and this was her's.

One day, as Ashling was walking past a spider called Brownback's house, he called out to her. As it was, Brownback was a terribly lazy bloke. He didn't like to work for himself, and he had heard tales of the girl's fruits. This spider had a special talent, too. He was a trickster, and he thought he could trick the young girl into sharing her secrets with him.

So, using the sweetest, most charming voice he could muster, the spider called out, "Young lass, good day~. How are you feeling this glorious morning~?"

Belenos paused at this point in the story, to see if his audience still wished  to continue.

This young elf was quite amusing, the healer regarded fondly, smoothing his robes out under her gaze. He had always been a admirer of the imagination that only a child could produce, for he had long lost his. Obviously, he could see clearly, that his gust was past that stage in her life. How rare that someone could hold onto their innocence, considering their location in Iadlain.

She was, Belenos decided, refreshing.

"I can't reveal the story before it ends~ And I sense that you will know these spiders quite well once I finish my tale~ Now, where did I leave off..."

The shop owner perked up, after his memory caught up with him, starting once more. "Ah! Okay, I'll continue."

"I am well," Ashling answered with a smile, but right away she thought this spider must be up to something. "How about you, Mr.Brownback? Are you faring well?"

The spider sighed, "Well, yes ... but I am so very hungry. I wonder, if I could accompany you into the forest to find some food today?"

The girl thought a moment, and she eyed the spider up and down. "You know, not one person has ever come with me."

"Ah, well I am no person," Brownback said cheerfully, "And I would consider it a special honor to be the first one, beast or person, to be your traveling companion in these lonely woods."

Ashling eyed him carefully once more, "if you come along, you must promise that you will not tell anyone my secrets, okay?"

The spider grinned, feeling his stomach grumble with anticipation. "Of course, young one~!"

"Promise me now Mr. Brownback," Ashling demanded, her face perfectly masked.

"Over my eight legs and brown back, I promise. You can place your trust me~"

The girl smiled, pleased with his answer. "Well, alright then I believe you." And so, the spider scurried hastily to her side.

As they walked into the forest, which whispered invitingly as this was a time before the wood turned on humanity, Ashling questioned, "What kind of food do you like to eat Mr. Brownback?"

"Hmm," Spider said, careful to keep up with the talented girl, "I like pears and strawberries, and apples, of course. And, I loooove honey!"

"Honey!" Ashling exclaimed, and if Brownback would have noticed, he might have seen the sparkle in her eye. "Wonderful, I think I can help you with that."

On they walked through the dense trees, the girl leading the way back into parts of the wood that few people ventured. Spider clicked his teeth with happiness, for he knew he was about to find the special place in the Wispwood, the place that held all Ashling's secrets. If he discovered these, he would never ever again have to work very hard for food. He would offer the secrets to anyone who would go into the bush for his personal food supply.

Ashling stopped after an hour and pointed up to a tree and spoke, "This is the best pear tree! I know it does not have very many pears, but every single one is the crispest in all of Iadlain!"

Brownback was a greedy bloke, and as soon as he saw this special pear tree, saliva began to drip out of his mouth. It was now time to act. So, he shoved Ashling into the thick bushes and quickly climbed up the tree. When he was in it, he began to eat and eat until he had devoured every last pear. Not even one was left for the girl.

When he finished, the beast rubbed his stomach and sighed with pleasure. He looked down and to his delight, and amazement, Ashling offered, "Would you like to see my flavorful strawberries?"

"What a grand idea!" Brownback chirped, hurrying down the tree in excitement. They strolled even a farther on into the woods, and the girl stopped once more to point to a patch of strawberries. And once again, as soon as he saw the fruit, the spider shoved his guide into the brush to take every single ripe berry he could find."