Season's End [Arc]

[Fel]

Maya was relieved that the air had finally cooled enough that another Threadfall wasn't expected until spring. Relieved? Yes, she thought that was the right emotion, though she wasn't sure if she was relieved for her own sake or the sake of the riders who actually had to face it. Maybe it didn't matter, so long as everyone was safe for one more winter.

The end of Threadfall, however, meant the beginning of a time of getting the infirmary ready for a winter of minor illnesses and, from what people said of the season in this climate, ice-related injuries. Ice on the ground would be a novelty, she supposed; it never got cold enough for such things at Ista.

She straightened from where she'd been cleaning the inside of a supply cabinet, stretching out her tightening shoulder muscles. A box of what seemed like sacks of dried herbs lay at her toe and she frowned down at it. It clearly didn't belong in a cabinet that had otherwise contained bandages and suture supplies, but she wasn't yet familiar enough with the organization of Fort's stores. She looked up, her dark eyes resting briefly on one of the journeymen. Surely he would know exactly where to put it.

"Where--" she started, her rarely-used voice catching slightly in her throat and making her start again. "Where do these go?" She hefted the box slightly, which didn't weigh much at all. "Herbs," she clarified.