RP:Life's Bitter Herbs

Part of the Through A Glass, Darkly Arc

This is a Devout's Guild RP.

This is a Healer's Guild RP.

Summary: Talyara happens to find Cal and Meri's house in Sage, which leads to the two having a heart to heart and a venting of frustrations regarding witchcraft.

The Greenhouse (Rochester-Boyce Residence), Southern Sage Forest

"Sage. Lavender. Rosemary. Echinacea. Valerian. Sage. Lavender. Rosemary. Echinacea. Valerian." Talyara recites the list of herbs she was intending on harvesting on this trip out into Sage. It was her favorite season; autumn always reminded her of her home of Kelvar with the falling leaves, the cooler temperatures, and the approaching of Samhain which was one of the highest of holidays for witches. Sage and lavender were staples in her household what with the cleansing sticks she made to burn for purification purposes and the lavender oil she often wore as a perfume. With the colder weather coming, the witch knew cold and flu season would soon be upon them and her echinacea tincture would be helpful (especially with treating whiny warriors at the fort clinic in Frostmaw). Clad in a pair of denim pants, a button down purple flannel shirt, and her usual worn leather boots, the witch trudges through southern Sage with a basket tucked in the crook of her arm. Despite spending a lot fo time in this particular forest due to her commitments at the animal sanctuary, she often forages in the northern parts of Sage. However, she didn't want to completely deplete her normal harvesting areas, so Taly had opted to explore the southern part of Sage. "Sage. Lavender. Rosemary. Echinacea. Valerian. Sage. Lavender. Rosemary. Echinacea. Va--" Talyara pulls up short, her mumbled list falling from her lips as she stumbles upon a house she had never noticed before. While the house was lovely, what she was really intrigued by was the impressive garden. It was -massive- and she blinks her emerald eyes in wonderment. She had grown to love Frostmaw since relocating there during the drown and sylvan war; however, the limitations in being able to have a garden and grow certain herbs and plants was something that she disliked. Not wanting to trespass on the homeowners, she doesn't venture -inside- of the garden but the witch does place her basket on the ground and tiptoes as closely as she dares, skirting around the perimeter and taking in all the plants with an expression of awe.

Callum and Meri’s most recent ordeal with the witch hunters had left him in that quiet, simmering sort of angry state, and it continued to linger into the weeks that’d passed since then. Today, thankfully, was a day where he could be alone, as Meri was off in Cenril today at work, and she’d taken Fleur and the dogs with her. Cal loved Mr. Weenie and Mountain, but damn were they annoying when he was irritated about something--the little ankle-biter especially. The Catalian would exit the a-frame style house to tend to his plants not long after Talyara discovered the building and took in Cal’s “babies”. Her scent, however, and the sound of someone creeping around, hadn’t gone unnoticed. Having had so few interactions with the other witch--and especially none after he’d been bitten--Cal tried to use his newly heightened, but inexperienced, senses, he tried to pinpoint just where it all was stemming from, but couldn’t kept missing the mark. He assumed it was witch hunters again… and he started to wonder if he’d survive this round with them, now that Meri was elsewhere. “If you’re here to kill me again, you might actually get what you want this time. I still don’t quite know why you keep choosing me to go after though, I don’t even know a damn thing about my apparent heritage,” he said loudly enough that anyone in the immediate area might hear him. In the nearby stable, his blue roan snorted and stamped his front hooves, a little put-off by Callum’s tone. The raven-haired lycan would not seek out the stranger further. Instead, he started in on what he set out to do originally, which was weeding his poor plants. If he was gonna die, he’d get to do it doing what he loved, anyway.

Talyara is leaning over to admire an unfamiliar plant when Callum's voice rings out strong and clear. She squeals in surprise and immediately hits the ground in fear. She doesn't respond right away because she is thinking similarly to Callum, that it is witch hunters who have come for her again. It takes a moment for her to comprehend the -actual- words that were spoken and it is then that she realizes that a witch hunter wouldn't say something like that. After a minute to herself to calm her pounding heart beat, Taly clears her throat as she moves to a crouch and pulls some debris out of her curls in an effort to appear much more put together than she looked or felt. "I'm not here to kill you," the witch calls back, pushing herself to a stand and smoothing down her clothes before craning her neck in an attempt to put a face to the voice. "I was just admiring your garden," she admits a bit shyly. Taly chances to take a few paces closer as she wrings her hands together anxiously. "Why would you think I wanted to kill you?" she asks with a wrinkle of her nose.

Callum spun about when Talyara spoke up, ocean-blue eyes coming to settle on the elf. He full well knows who she is, from those few gatherings of the witches, but he’s still gave her a bit of a look that’s clearly him trying to discern whether or not to trust her. “Because Meri and I had visitors recently, who were not the best house guests. They weren’t even invited.” He wasn’t going to say the words ‘witch hunters’; if they were around right now, he wasn’t going to call attention to them moreso than need be. “And they were the same sort of folk that attacked her and I after that little… meeting… we all had in Rynvale. If that’s even what you can call that.” Now that he was able to focus a little more on Talyara, he could sense her heart beating like a mouse’s, her anxiety obvious. Eventually, he sighed heavily and gave in to reason and logic, “Sorry. Things have been tense. You can look and take some if you need it--I quit selling to the herbalists and florists around here a little while ago so there’s plenty there. And I’m afraid Meri’s not here right now. She’s in Cenril with Fleur.” There was a brief, uncertain pause before he headed back into the house. The door wasn’t closed, however, and soon he’d be reappearing, and this time he wasn’t empty-handed. “It’s, uh… some sort of harvest concoction I made. Cloves… cinnamon… a bit of apple from the trees out back. A little bit of valerian root for the hell of it,” he said, sinking into the wrought iron chair after setting the tea and a couple teacups on the accompanying table. There were three other chairs besides his should she want to join; the offer was there of course, but just left unsaid.

Talyara's eyes widen in surprise when she realizes the voice she's been speaking with belongs to Callum. They don't really -know- one another, but they've run in similar witchy circles for a while now. As he discreetly explains about his and Meri's recent, unwelcome visitors, Taly scowls. He needn't say the actual words, she could deduce by his tone and choice of words that Cramer's men were hunting again. It was enough to send a chill down her spine and the witch unconsciously reaches out to touch her left forearm where the scars from her own captivity remain etched in her skin. She blinks at him for some time as her heart beat slowly returns to some semblance of normal and she inches forward into the garden when he invites her to not only look, but harvest anything she might need. A small, appreciative smile tugs on the corners of her lips and she's unsure if her fellow witch can even see from his vantage point. "Thank you, your work it quite impressive. Living in Frostmaw, I don't really get to grow anything of my own," she muses as her fingertips gently brush through the foliage and fauna. She turns to ask Cal about Meri and Fleur's wellbeing when she spies his back, heading into the house. The witch purses her lips together and silently wonders if she said or done something offensive. He hand't closed the door on her but they weren't on such friendly terms that she would barge in after him. So Talyara finds herself loitering in the garden awkwardly, wringing her hands together and wondering if she should continue her exploration or take her leave. She is saved from having to make that decision on her own by the reappearance of Cal who bears tea and some cups. Pausing to gather her basket more securely on the crook of her arm, Talyara weaves her way up towards where he sits and, after placing her bundle down on the ground, pours out a cup of that seasonal brew and sinks in one of the empty chairs. Lifting the tea to her nose she inhales deeply before taking a sip. "This is wonderful, it reminds me of the village I grew up in." Shifting, the witch tucks her legs under her body and taps her fingers against the mug. "I'm sorry to hear about your unwelcome guests," she offers with a frown.

“I had another garden like this in Larket too, when Meri and I lived there. And a greenhouse. Well, technically two gardens if you want to count the city’s botanical gardens. I took care of it for a bit before… well… all of that frakking hell happened,” Cal said. He hadn’t needed to explain Larket’s mess to her either, of course. “Haven’t gotten around to having a new greenhouse built and winter is coming, so…” The Catalian felt uneasy, though not in the sense that he wasn’t entirely untrusting of his fellow witch--he just hardly talked to anyone but Meri and their kid these days. Talyara would take a seat and a cup of tea as Cal wondered to himself what happened to the silver-tongued individual that he used to be. Maybe it’d come back, now that things were patched up between him and Meri. Now that he didn’t have to worry about whether or not Meri or Fleur were going to go wolf and attack him. She commented on the drink, and he offered her a faint smile in return and finally poured his own cup, “I’d give you a specific recipe, beyond the ingredients, but I kinda just threw things in until it tasted good. And there’s nothing for you to apologize about. It’s not your fault. None of us are at fault, except the ones that are doing this to us.” His smile eventually faded, his line of sight shifting to the reddish-brown tea, his hand moving just enough to get the liquid to swirl around a little. Callum opened his mouth for a moment, then closed it, chewing a bit longer on the words that swirled about in his head like the tea in his cup. “I don’t even know why they’re hunting -me-. I only just found out. I’m nothing to them,” he said at length.

“It’s okay,” Talyara dismisses his apology about not having a specific recipe for the tea he had made. “I make a potpourri that has similar herbs for Mabon and Samhain but I never thought to turn it into a brew to drink. I will have to try it at home,” she adds with an easy smile. Now it’s Callum’s turn to dismiss her apology and she gives a slow shrug of her shoulders. “I know it’s not my fault or your fault, or any of the witches fault it...just felt like the right thing to say,” she says with a heavy sigh. Green eyes flick up to Callum’s face when he expresses his confusion about why he is one of the hunted. Talyara doesn’t say anything for several minutes, occupying her silence with slow sips of her tea as she contemplates her words. “You are a witch,” she eventually offers as an answer to his thoughts. “It doesn’t matter how powerful you are, how intune you are with your abilities, you are one of them. Us,” she corrects with a grimace. Leaning forward, Taly places her cup back done on the table before facing Callum more fully. “I trust Meri told you what happened to Lanara and me?” She had told the woman about what had happened not just because Lana was her friend but also because she wanted Cal to be warned. “Before they brought in my sister, they tortured me for information. They wanted to know who was all involved, who was leading us, what our next plans were.” Talyara shivers at the memory, her emerald eyes darkening for a moment before she pulls up the sleeve covering her left arm, revealing the angry scar etched into her skin spelling out the word W I T C H. “I asked my captor why me. I don’t use my magic for nefarious reasons. I heal people!” Taly lets out a grunt of frustration as tears shine in her eyes, ones she refuses to let fall. “It doesn’t matter to them. They are indoctrinated by anti-witch rhetoric and nothing wavers their beliefs. Our good deeds don’t matter because we’re are tainted in their eyes.”

The words ‘good deeds’ pulled a faint, dry chuckle out of Cal. ‘Good deeds’ and Callum Erikk Rochester weren’t things that normally went together. There were a few things, but really he was selfish as hell and didn’t really give a damn about the majority of the people in Lithrydel. If Talyara asked about his laugh though, he’d just shake his head and say it was nothing. His demeanor changed a bit though, once he got a good look at that scarring that’d been left on the elf, and the tears in her eyes. It made him uncomfortable, if only because he wasn’t keen on -how- to comfort people--he was really bad at comforting Meri sometimes and would just make things worse with his own feelings getting thrown into the mix. “Meri did tell me. We weren’t together just then, but she came to check up on me. I have a couple scars of my own from them, but nothing like that. Would’ve had some from their most recent visit, but it healed up well enough, between the herbs and the lycanthropy.” Cal scratched the back of his head awkwardly, eyeing the a couple small stray tea leaves at the bottom of his cup after he finished draining it, “They were expecting wolf-Meri. She’s the reason I didn’t die the first time. But I don’t think they expected me to turn too--and Fleur. Apparently Fleur’s got lightning magic too on top of being a lycan, it ended up showing up that last time.” A deep frown formed on Cal’s lips, raven-colored brows knitting together, “I don’t know how to raise a witch. I haven’t even figured things out for myself yet. I don’t know if I even want to raise Fleur as one, if only because if her mother and I can barely protect her. They had both vampire’s blood -and- silver. And if they were really smart and realized I grew wolfsbane? I don’t think I’d be here talking to you right now. Just the thought of them harming Fleur for something she didn’t ask for and doesn’t know anything about makes me angry… and sick to my stomach.” As if on cue, Cal poured himself another cup of tea and inhaled half of it, suddenly wishing he’d added more valerian root to it.

Talyara quickly tugs down her sleeve once Callum has gotten a good look at her scar and she makes a show of drinking the rest of her tea so that she can blink back her tears and hopefully hide her sniffle. She would never expect Cal, who was almost like a stranger, to comfort her, especially with something so heavy. That, and she hadn't told him the story to garner sympathy, but rather inform and warn him. With her empty teacup nestled between her fingers, it's the witch's turn to listen to Callum's plight and she does so solemnly but with undivided attention. Talyara is not a mother so she could not even begin to imagine how difficult it must be trying to raise a young daughter as a lycanthrope and possibly a witch. At first, Taly doesn't know what to say. How could she offer advice on protecting others when she was abducted right outside her own home? She chews on her lower lip and unfold her legs from the chair to likewise lean forward to refill her cup. "You could learn?" Talyara says this like a question in a quiet voice, arching a brow in Callum's direction. "Learn the ways of the craft and practice and decide whether or not that's something you want to share with you daughter." She pauses to take a sip of tea before adding, "there are protective spells you can do to help. I'm sure you already know about the properties of certain herbs but there are crystals and rituals you can do to help keep you--all of you--a little safer."

“I’ve been trying to learn. I’ve had more than just witch hunters to deal with around here so I haven’t had any choice,” Callum said, motioning to a nearby tree. This tree, strangely, had no leaves. It was barren, dead, while its brethren were still full of life as their leaves changed, eager for their yearly hibernation. “Lionel O’Connor brought his own sort of bad luck here too. If it wasn’t for him, I probably never would’ve found that crystal skull. The guy I took it from was bad news, and became even badder news after Kahran resurrected him. He found me here because that damn skull still called to him too. He almost killed me, until I trapped him in the ground. The guy, or what was left of him, sprouted into a sapling.” Just thinking about it gave the Catalian a migraine, and he sighed, trying to fend it off with more tea. “The skull, for whatever reason, chose to help me, but I think it made that tree grow too. It specializes in herbomancy, so it enhances my own. Every single night I prayed to whoever would listen to me. Kept this on me at all times--” Cal pulled a necklace out from beneath his shirt, and then off of his form entirely, sliding it across the table to Talyara. It was an iron pentacle, polished up to resemble silver. “--but nothing worked. I did rituals too, even. Protection spells for me? Didn’t work. Protection spells for that tree worked. A goddamn tree full of pure psychotic evil. It eventually stopped growing. Never bore leaves or fruit or whatever else might’ve come from it. All that to say, that I tried. I’m not a good person, Talyara. I’m not like you. I heal people only as long as it gets me money. I like money. I don’t like people. Dealing with people gets me frakking nonsense like that,” he said, jabbing a finger in the tree’s direction. “I don’t think any amount of studying and learning is going to tell me what my purpose is with being a witch. So far, it’s only given me heartache, a hell of a lot of injuries, and what feels like a lot of betrayal from the people I’m supposed to be a part of now.”

Talyara blows the steam across the top of her mug of tea as she listens to Callum tell his tale. "Lionel O'Connor," the witch repeats in a quiet voice. "That's a name I haven't heard in a long while," she trails off, not offering any explanation as to when and how she knew him. Her voice silences once more as Callum continues, explaining about the skull and the man who had it previously, green eyes trailing towards the curious tree when it's mentioned. Her attention shifts to the table when her fellow witch draws off his necklace and passes it over to her. Taly trades it for her mug and studies the pentacle, her fingers delicately tracing the lines of the star and finally the circle linking them all. A frown tugs on the corners of her lips as Cal explains about his misfortune in practicing this specific type of magic and how he isn't a good person like her. "Witches are not inherently good people," Talyara counters, leaning forward to offer the pentacle necklace back to her companion. "My biological father was a witch and one of the most evil persons I have ever had the misfortune of knowing" she practically hisses. "Witchcraft, true witchcraft is neither all light or all dark. It's about balance." Talyara pauses and tugs at her own necklace which is likewise a pentacle. Hers is made of pewter and vines have been etched into the metal circle. "I apologize if this sounds patronizing but do you know what this symbol means, what it represents? Not to sound pedantic but it's important to know the foundations that make up the craft in order to be successful with it. It's as much natural magic as it is arcane."

“The only balance I care about, at the moment, is the balance of my account at the bank, Talyara.” There was no snark to accompany the statement, it was just said matter-of-factly, and left at that. Callum shrugged, leaning back in his chair to peer up at the sky, “I know that each point represents an element. And that’s about the extent of it. The pendant isn’t even mine. Valrae asked me to meet her one day, last year, to talk to a witch that lived nearby here in Sage. It was supposed to be a part of my training or something, I think. I don’t know. It’s been awhile. Long story short, the hunters got to that witch too. Left a mark burned into her forehead. She was gripping the pendant like it was going to help her against them. It didn’t. She still died. I took it, before Valrae set fire to the woman’s house, thinking maybe it’d help give me answers. But it didn’t and I was left with more questions. And then I was left alone entirely. I’ve not seen Valrae since that day. I’m sure this isn’t exactly the way I should be thinking when it comes to being a witch, but I think you can see why I’m so cynical. We’re all on our own and I feel even more solitary than all of you. I don’t feel this connection to this Goddess like all of you do. Because if she exists, then why is she letting this happen? Why is she allowing people to try to murder my daughter, who is not even a year old yet? Who doesn’t even know what she is? Or why they hate her and others like her?” He paused, finally picking up his tea again and draining the cup. “I guess maybe that’s my problem with the spells I tried to do. I don’t believe. I don’t know if that’s something that can be changed though.”

Talyara falls silent as Callum begins to spew his harsh words about witchcraft, his feelings about 'witch culture', and his frustrations at the goddess. She doesn't say anything for a while, allowing him to vent his displeasure until he's burned himself out. Taly refills her mug of tea for something to do and wraps her fingers around the glass, relishing in the warmth that it brings her. "I can understand your cynicism," Talyara eventually says with a frown. "I mean, obviously, it sounds like you haven't had any positive experiences when it comes to witchery. Losing a potential teacher and sister of the craft, not being able to work your magic, and most of all, watching your daughter be ostracized for who she is," Talyara exhales so heavily her shoulders slump. "I honestly can't even imagine, so I won't pretend to know what that's like." Pressing her lips together in a thin line, the little witch continues. "No one knows why terrible things happen, they just do. Just like magic, you can't have all good, there needs to be a balance. The drow invaded my homeland, slaughtered many of my people, took me captive, murdered my mother in front of me." Moisture pools in her emerald eyes; however, Talyara blinks rapidly to prevent any from falling. "My sister died twice. I've been possessed. My biological father sought to destroy Lana and me to leech our powers. I've had my heartbroken. I'm recovering from an eating disorder. I was stolen from my home and tortured and maimed because of who I am. But still I believe..." Now it's Taly's turn to fall silent as she slowly slips from her mug and bounces her leg unconsciously. "I'm not trying to tell you what to believe or not, I don't even judge you for feeling the way you do about the craft. But...but if there ever comes a time when you -want- to explore that part of yourself, there -are- those of use who will help you in any way that we can. You -and- your daughter. And of course Meri, too, if she wants to learn." Talyara gives a small smile and lifts her left shoulder in a singular shrug. "Just think about it, alright? I'm sorry you're been alone in this for so long but I'd love to rectify that if it's something you're interested in."

“Trusting people has always been hard for me. It still is. I could’ve died bringing Valrae back--we -all- could’ve died. And where is she now? How do you promise someone you’re going to teach them about this new thing that’s been introduced into this person’s life--something as world changing as this?--and then just disappear?” Callum sighed heavily and shook his head, “Sorry. It’s hard to not be bitter. All of this obviously pales in comparison to what you and Lanara has consistently gone through though, both here and in your homeland. The lycanthropy hasn’t really been making my anger much better.” Though, he wasn’t going to say that Meri’s might be a bit worse than his. He eventually set his cup back down on the table, eyeing it, before shifting his attention back to the elf. “Alright. I’ll think about it.” He paused, a look of confusion briefly crossing his features, “Is it possible to be a witch and not believe in the gods? Because that’s a wall I won’t ever be able to get over. Not after the things I’ve seen or the things I’ve heard.”

Talyara once more allows Callum the floor to vent his frustrations without interruption. Only once she is sure he is finished does she respond. "I can't speak on Valrae's intentions," she tells him quietly. She hadn't seen her sister of the craft since before she was kidnapped and she hadn't heard a whisper from her since. The little witch wasn't normally an angry and bitter person, but deep down a part of her had been hurt that Val had never reached out after the rescue, especially since she had played a part in resurrecting her. Clearing her throat, Taly abandons her now empty mug on the table. "You have every right to be angry," she agrees with the lycan. "Even if she was unable to tutor you, she should have at least communicated it." Talyara frowns as she considers Callum's next question--could he be a witch without the faith aspect? She chews on her bottom lip as she meditates on this before dipping her chin in a nod. "I think so, yes. You clearly possess magical abilities. And being a witch doesn't have to be a religious endeavor. We draw from the elements to strengthen our powers. If you have a disconnect with the god and goddess you can omit them from your practice if you wish." While she believed in a god and goddess, due to her lack of a father figure in her life, she definitely had a stronger bond with the feminine aspect of deity than the masculine one and her magic was still present and powerful.

Cal would nod at the other witch’s assessment of whether or not it was possible to do witchcraft and not have a faith whatsoever. “There used to be a point where I’d occasionally thank Selene for things. It was some sort of connection to have when I was by myself, before the Era of the She-Devil,” he said with a smirk. “I mean, before Meri came along.” It’d been awhile since he called her that, but the sentiment still held. “I’m sorry, also. My anger isn’t meant for you, and I don’t want you to think that’s what all that venting was for. The lycanthropy doesn’t help much on that front. Sometimes the wolf will get the better of you if you let it. I will keep in mind the offer of help, but I think I’m going to attempt to do the solitary thing still for now. If I even do anything at all. I’m still getting used to it all in general, despite knowing for over a year now.” He shrugged, then looked towards his garden, “If I’ve not said it already, you can come back any time you wish for more herbs and flowers. Winter is coming, of course, but I’ll probably have that greenhouse built by then and won’t have to worry about what to do when the first frost hits.”

Talyara smirks when Callum refers to his relationship with Meri as the era of the She-Devil. It was adorably charming. "Hell, I don't have a specific name for my God and Goddess generally," she admits with a shrug. "Of course I know the names of the gods and goddesses in this realm but using a more generic term has always worked for me," Taly adds with a shrug. "It's a personal relationship with deity." When Cal begins to apologize for his angry outburst, Talyara is quick to shake her head and wave her hand to dismiss it. "Please, there's no apology necessary, least of all to me. You've been through hell and back and then some with little to no support from the witchy community. If I was in your situation I can't say I'd be any less angry. Definitely more bitter." When her fellow witch invites her to take advantage of his garden (and soon-to-be greenhouse), Taly's emerald eyes alight with excitement once more. "Ooh thank you so much! I really appreciate it!" With a sigh, she looks down at her basket and then back at Cal and gives him a half smile. "Unfortunately, I should be getting back up to Frostmaw. I'm already running late and I have a warrior at home who will begin to worry." Standing with a groan, the little witch leans down to scoop up her basket. "Thank you so much for allowing me to steal from your garden and the lovely tea." She pauses as if considering something and eventually steps forward to place what she hopes is a comforting hand on Callum's shoulder. "If you ever need anything, whether to ask a question, rant, collaborate on a spell, -whatever- it might be, please don't hesitate to reach out, alright? I mean it, you don't have to navigate this crazy witchy road alone anymore if you don't want to."

For once, there was actually a smile when Talyara got excited about being able to pilfer from his garden when she needed it. Callum was doing his best to hide it, but it was nice to see someone as enamoured with plants like he was. Okay, okay… so maybe not all the witches were that bad. If -anyone- was truly going to understand his love of botany, it’d definitely be them. Talyara would put her hand on Cal’s shoulder and the smile would fade, but it wasn’t to switch to anger. He almost seemed… a little sad? He definitely still felt bad for inadvertently taking his anger out on her. “Yeah. Thanks, Talyara.” He’d let her head off finally, before that warrior of hers started to worry.