Work Text:
It started with two. Than the next. Than another. You heard some others settle farther from the small crowd.
You didn’t look up from your work. Sheets of fabric with bundles of herbs laid in front of you. A couple had dried on your trek. You fished out others kept saturated in different liquids.
You were too far out of any town to prepare the more complex remedies. So, you took this short break to store away what you had picked up on your journey.
Retying lines. Crushing herbs into bottles. Filling satchels.
Which for some reason had earned you a small audience.
It had started with Patty. You were use to her watching you work.
Karol had come along with Patty. He was always itching to learn.
Estelle had hovered around for a bit before settling next to the kids.
Rita hung in the back, doing her work, but glanced up to watch yours.
Than Judith.
That’s when you started to feel shy under so many eyes.
You were use to being watched. It hadn’t been the first time. People would watch while you prepared their prescriptions. There were the novices you trained taking notes of your every move.
What you werent use to was them staying this quiet. They’d at least try to fill the quiet with questions or a simple chat.
“You guys can ask questions if you want,” you sighed. “I’m not doing anything complicated.”
That seemed to light something in them.
“How can you tell the difference between that one and that one?” Karol leaned in, notebook at hand.
“Smell and the stem color. This one’s for headaches and this one’s for stomachaches.”
“What’s inside the bottles?” Estelle asked. Her eyes glittered at the different colors.
“Alcohol, mostly. Except this one is a special brew to keep the toxins from activating.”
“Do you use any of these for your smoke bomb?” Patty poked at one of the bundles.
Yes.
“No,” you said, probably a little too quickly.
“How long have you known Raven?”
You glanced up to see Judith’s smile. The pleasant, welcoming one. The one where you didnt know which trap she was gonna lead you into.
“Around the time he started working at Altosk,” you measured her reaction. “Judes, I meant questions on my work.”
“Oh my. I was just curious.”
You had played cards against Judith once.
Never again.
“You just both seem awfully close,” Judith, pressed.
You snorted. Raven still gave you that easy smile that never really reached his eyes. The cautious way his hands would hover over you. The joking tone as he bled out.
It been a long time since you had a glimpse past his mask. When his mouth wouldn’t run and his eyes searched for nothing.
“We just do each other favors.”
“I wonder what type of favors.”
You gave another snort. The only intimacy you ever shared was waking up huddled together after a cold night.
Or, when he helped you undress and wrap your wounds up after a nasty fight.
You’d ignore that one time you let him sleep on your lap. He’d been a little too tipsy and sentimental that day.
You frowned. You werent taking the bait.
Judith just shrugged, satisfied.
“Has the old man always been a perv?” Rita joined in.
He’s not that old.
Wasn’t it just an act? He was a sucker for a pretty face and he could be crass. But, it always felt more like an inpulse he hid behind than his actual thoughts.
You thought for another second before answering.
No, wait. He was a bit of a pervert. A very vocal one.
There were times you caught him taking a longer glance than needed at a skirt hiked high or at a shirt cut low.
He’d only shrugged when you caught him.
“I guess so,” you mulled.
“Ha! I knew it,” Rita cackled. The others resigned themsleves to the fact.
“But!” you rushed to his defense. “He was a little more serious when he first started.”
“Really?” Rita asked.
You paused and really thought about it. Maybe, less serious and just lost. His tired eyes were always searching the crowds. Whatever errands they kept sending him out on seemed to overwhelm him at times.
You’d send one of the counter gals out to help and he’d give such a shy smile while thanking them.
You missed that sweet version of him.
The next time you came back to town something changed. He tried to put on his unique charm towards you and the gals had to convince you not to poison his drink.
Defeated, you answered, “It’s been a couple of years guys. I’ve been stuffing my brain with other stuff. Some things are bound to slip by.”
They all sighed.
“But, he’s always been a handsome fellow that much i can remember.”
“Huh?!”
“I didn’t ask!”