ArcticFox
Dreamer
Taggart glanced over at her half-movement.
"It's an admirable impulse." He said. "But not yet. We permit only those who can fully consent to take part in this and you don't know enough yet to be of that number."
--
The following morning breakfast was taken in the large kitchen, at one long table of the sort that might be found in an old fashioned country kitchen. Over the bread and tea Clare met too many people to keep all the names straight. She did manage to keep track of who went with what title - there were tenders, healers, and acolytes. Acolytes were those studying to be healers. Tenders were those without healing talent. They did not seem to be considered lesser in status to the healers, certainly they were not servants. Everyone in the temple did quite a lot of menial work, all of it without the aid of modern conveniences.
After breakfast, everyone dispersed to their work - some outside temple walls, some within. Clare's work was to be learning. As one with healing talent, she was an acolyte.
She started with plants. Taggart took her to the inner courtyard and turned her over to Alice, an older woman with an air of quiet calm.
"The same light of the Sun..." She begun, in the voice of one who often teaches children. "...is found in every living creature. When light is given to a human or animal, it increases their physical health. It enables the recipient's body to heal rapidly of wounds inflicted upon it and to fight off disease. Plants are much simpler creatures, so light given to plants merely makes them grow."
She looked to see that Clare understood.
"Today we will tend the herbs together." She demonstrated, touching the leaf of a plant for a moment. Nothing happened that Clare could see, but then she turned to her. "Your turn." She said. "Give it light and make it grow."
- Give the plant a little healing to see what happens.
- Push as much healing as you can into it.
- Drain the life from the plant to see what happens.
"It's an admirable impulse." He said. "But not yet. We permit only those who can fully consent to take part in this and you don't know enough yet to be of that number."
--
The following morning breakfast was taken in the large kitchen, at one long table of the sort that might be found in an old fashioned country kitchen. Over the bread and tea Clare met too many people to keep all the names straight. She did manage to keep track of who went with what title - there were tenders, healers, and acolytes. Acolytes were those studying to be healers. Tenders were those without healing talent. They did not seem to be considered lesser in status to the healers, certainly they were not servants. Everyone in the temple did quite a lot of menial work, all of it without the aid of modern conveniences.
After breakfast, everyone dispersed to their work - some outside temple walls, some within. Clare's work was to be learning. As one with healing talent, she was an acolyte.
She started with plants. Taggart took her to the inner courtyard and turned her over to Alice, an older woman with an air of quiet calm.
"The same light of the Sun..." She begun, in the voice of one who often teaches children. "...is found in every living creature. When light is given to a human or animal, it increases their physical health. It enables the recipient's body to heal rapidly of wounds inflicted upon it and to fight off disease. Plants are much simpler creatures, so light given to plants merely makes them grow."
She looked to see that Clare understood.
"Today we will tend the herbs together." She demonstrated, touching the leaf of a plant for a moment. Nothing happened that Clare could see, but then she turned to her. "Your turn." She said. "Give it light and make it grow."
- Give the plant a little healing to see what happens.
- Push as much healing as you can into it.
- Drain the life from the plant to see what happens.