Moving On, Sort Of|Obsidian | Humontis

[Deleted]

He knew he wasn't doing well. He knew he would probably screw a lot of things up if he kept going on like this. But as much as he struggled to follow Priestess Dusk's advice and let go of regret and guilt, it was still hard to get any dreamless sleep without plenty of wine before bed.

Waking up with hangovers or headaches was becoming common, thanks to that. At least he'd learned to keep his curtains shut, just in case. This hangover wasn't so bad, but Locke still hoped he wouldn't have to teleport anywhere before lunch.

I shouldn't do this any more, Locke thought for the umpteenth time as he took a bath. It was time to see an herbalist; they were bound to have something that promoted dreamless sleep. Some rejuvenating rest was a start.

The young Mind sighed gustily, and went for the cold water.

Sixteen minutes later found him in the "open air" market that took place between the inn and River's and Gale's residence. Copper coins changed hands, arming Locke with a mug of strong black coffee, some figs, scrambled eggs, an apple and two meatrolls. He sat at the long table provided for customers, and had a gulp of the coffee before starting on the eggs.

[Darastrix]

A light, drawling male voice spoke up behind Locke. "Mind if I join you?"

Without waiting for an answer, a tall, lanky young man set an almost overflowing plate down and took a seat beside him. His long red hair was pulled back in a ponytail that reached between his shoulderblades and his soft brown eyes looked slightly bloodshot. He had a strange, almost sweet aroma clinging to his hair and clothing.

"Morning," he said, smiling at the Mind with a sleepy expression.

[Deleted]

Locke slid away about an inch, but did not complain. It was not for him to say who could sit where, after all. And it could have been worse: The smell could have been offensive, but it wasn't.

"Good morning," the Mind said quietly, and had a fig. "It's pleasant today, isn't it?"

[Darastrix]

"Mmm-hmm," the redhead agreed, beginning to tuck in his rather large breakfast. From the look of him, it didn't seem that the man would be able to eat it all, but he was well on his way.

"'m Leif, by the by," he said, turning to Locke. "Leif Green."

[Deleted]

"Locke of Mentis," the Mind returned, holding out a hand. "Regards." Briefly he wondered here Leif could possibly put all that food, then decided the redhead must be one of those people who could eat whatever and as much as they wanted and not gain weight.

"Have you been in Humontis long?" Locke inquired, trying to be polite. It would not do to start his day on the wrong foot. Aside from his hangover, anyway.

[Darastrix]

Leif smiled and shook hands with Locke. "Oh, I've been around here for almost a year now." He paused. "I think. It gets hard to keep track of the time inside the mountain, y'know? And I lose track of time easy anyway."

[Deleted]

"Yes, this is true." Without ready access to the sun, or to a calendar, comprehension of time in Humontis did tend to fade into a blur. Normally he had a good memory, but grief and living within the mountain had made Locke lose track of time; he wasn't even sure what season or month it was now. Not that it bothered him, really. Not now. "Have you enjoyed your stay?"

[Darastrix]

"Yeah, it's pretty relaxed here," Leif replied. "I want to check out the Fields of Flora come spring, see what plants grows out there and what they're good for. I've found some good stuff they sell dried, but I'd like to know the fresh stuff when I come across it."

[Deleted]

This piqued Locke's interest. "You're an herbalist?" he inquired, hoping the answer was yes.

[Darastrix]

"Not by trade," Leif replied, taking a drink of some strong tea. "I'm actually a bard. I just know some good herbs for relaxing and unwinding. Mostly pipe blends, but I've found some good teas and stuff, too."

[Deleted]

Oh. Damn. Locke's face fell for an instant before he wiped it of expression. Well, maybe it wasn't a total loss. "Do you know of any herbal teas that promote dreamless sleep?" he wanted to know.

[Darastrix]

"Uhh, well, kind of. It's more of a side-effect," the bard explained. "I've got this one that makes you feel really good--nice and floaty--but it makes you want to sleep after the good part wears off and you don't remember a thing after except feeling good before you crashed."

[Deleted]

That sounded better than nothing. "What is the mixture called, and do you know where I could find it?" Locke questioned, finishing his breakfast as he waited for an answer.

[Darastrix]

"'s not a mixture," Leif said, munching on some dried fruit. "Just one thing: void root. The plant probably has another name, but I wouldn't know it. I've got some if you want it; I don't drink it all that often. I'm not really big on teas."

[Deleted]

Locke nodded slowly as he took in the facts. "I would be very interested in it. I can pay well, if there's an issue with the price," he said, going for his belt pouch. Since he did not buy much other than meals and wine, he usually had a lot of coins on hand, or sewn into his mantle for emergencies.