Enhanced Gardening - Fic
Posted: May 31st, 2016, 10:35 pm
Taesh
Taesh stretched as he waited for the Yellow Asha’man just outside of the Tower, at a plot of earth that had been set aside for the experimentations today. It was early in the morning, Taesh had been informed to forgo morning classes be at the designated place as soon as the sun was completely over the horizon. There were some plants already in various stages of growth in the plot already, and a sack of seeds lay to the side of the freshly turned plot. The Atha’an Miere Dedicated had been told that the seeds and the plants were called corenroot, and it was an herb which healers often used. Apparently the plant could be used to increase the production of blood in an injured person, so a supply was always kept. Of course any Brother or Sister of the Yellow could effectively do the Healing, but if the root could be used to increase blood, then the energy of the Aes Sedai or Asha’man doing the Healing could be focused elsewhere.
Not all of the members of the ajah dedicated to Healing knew about herbcraft, some focused solely on Healing through the One Power, but the Taraboner Asha’man was supposedly one of the Tower authorities on the subject. Taesh had heard about the man from an aspiring Yellow Novice he had met in the Library, while researching flora and how they grew and thrived.
Not too long into his coming to the Tower, the then Soldier had discovered that he had the Talent called Plantweaving. With the One Power he could cause seasons worth of growth in mere moments, and direct that growth as he saw fit. At least that is how he had heard and read that the Talent worked. The Atha’an Miere had yet to master the Talent, but he was at least able to cause growth and maintain it now, not like his first initial exercising of the Talent. It was his research on how to better control that Talent that led him to the Library, and the meeting with the Novice. That Novice also had in interest in herbs, and when Taesh told her that he had no idea if he could grow a more potent herb through Plantweaving, she had insisted that he meet with Nurian, the Taraboner Asha’man of the Yellow.
“You are the Seafolk Dedicated I am meeting, yes?” a voice said behind Taesh.
The Dedicated turned around and smiled at the Asha’man before bowing. “I am he Asha’man” Taesh replied, looking the man over quickly. He was a handsome man, the blonde hair and bright brown eyes a pleasing combination. His skin was flawless, and his smile enticing. The Taraboner was not veiled, as was common among his people, but many of the residents of the Tower dropped the cultural habits. His black coat with the sword and dragon pins was pristine and Taesh found himself eyeing the dragon pin more than even the handsome face.
Nurian gave a knowing smile as he stepped past the Dedicated toward the plot and plants.
“I would like to you wield this Talent before we begin anything else. Make the seedlings grow, yes” Nurian demanded quickly. Handsome he might be, but playful he was not, preferring to get the work done quickly and efficiently.
Taesh nodded, and embraced the intoxicating torrent that was saidin. The moment he touched the power, it was as if the world opened up before his eyes, and his was seeing everything as it was truly meant to be. The Atha’an Miere took just the briefest of moments to revel in the new level of sense before he focused on the assigned task. As he did every time he used the Talent, Taesh reached out for all Five Powers, and directed the interwoven river of Power into the ground at his feet. There it disbursed into tributaries of Power, each flowing into one of the seedlings in the ground. The Dedicated had found out, when he discovered he had the ability to Plantweave, that the seasons did not dictate the cycle of plant life, but instead it was the availability of resource. So that is what he supplied now, the energy from the Powers that the corenroot sprouts needed to grow. He watched in satisfaction as the saplings exploded with growth, quickly becoming the size of the mature plants. The first time Taesh had ever made plants grow, they had quickly died, he had no idea of how to sustain the growth over time, but with research and experimentation he was able to learn. It was like giving each plant a small source of energy that would fade over time, but allow the flora to adjust to the sudden growth and then maintain for itself.
When the growth slowed, and Taesh released saidin Nurian walked over to the Power grown plants, checking them over. He murmured to himself as he checked the soil and leaves of the plants. He tugged at a few, to test the strength of their roots, and then use of weave of Earth to soften the soil and pulled a few completely out to check the entirety of the plant.
“This is excellent. If I did not see if with my eyes, I would swear these were carefully cultivated over time. You are ready to proceed, yes?” Nurian asked as he placed the plants that he had removed from the ground back and used another weave of Earth to cover them again.
Taesh nodded, not really knowing what was expected next.
“Now we will test, can you affect the potency of the herb, yes? Corenroot is a life saver, when a child suffers a bad cut, and it has taken too long for the parents to find the healer, or the healer to come to the child, the first thing given is the plant. But what if it has taken just too long, and too much blood was lost? Even corenroot can fail, and if the healer is no channeler, or weak in the Power, then the child or patient, their fate is sealed, yes.” Nurian looked off in the distance, as if he was remembering something. His tone was one of both anguish and anger, as if he was reliving a moment that should have had a different outcome. “But, you, with this Talent, and others like you, what if you could change the herb? Make it stronger, able to do what it does in the body more quickly, and longer? That is what we do be discovering today,yes? Can you change the herb?”
“I am not quite sure that I understand Asha’man, but I will do my best” Taesh responded.
“That will suffice” Nurian said. “Now, I wanted you to focus on the already grown plants, Dedicated. Not the ones that you just grew, but the ones that were grown normally. If we are to test what can be done, I would test the plants that have not known the touch of the Power, yes? I am sure you cannot grow a forest worth of plants, so let us work with what we would normally use.”
That made sense to the Atha’an Miere. He was not yet exhausted, nowhere near it in fact, but he knew that he would not be able to grow a shiploads worth of the herb at any one time, so it made sense to use the naturally grown and enhance it. If that could be done. Once again Taesh embraced saidin but this time focused on the corenroot that was already mature and ready to be used. He had no true idea what should be done, so he gave his contemplation over to instinct. This time the weave that came to him, while still using the Five Powers, was instead dominated by Spirit, not Water nor Earth. There were no visible changes, no sudden growth, or strengthening on limbs in the plant, yet the Dedicated could tell that something was indeed happening. The weave was not falling off of the plant, but instead being absorbed by it. Like usual, shoots of the Power branched off to the other plants, and were absorbed just the same. Taesh continued to feed the weave, but he felt himself tiring, and quickly. He was not strong in Spirit, but still he did not think that he would be this tired this quickly. Just making the plants grow did not tire him the way this enhancing did.
Before he found himself completely overwhelmed the Atha’an Miere ceased the flow of Power, and released saidin, bending over and breathing deeply. His energy was drained, he would need some time to rest before attempting anything like that again.
Nurian barely noticed as he took in the plants. “Extraordinary…” he said as he squatted down, running a hand over the plants.
Taesh looked, but he barely saw any difference. Perhaps the color did look a little more vibrant, as if he was still looking at the world through the lenses of saidin but other than that there wasn’t much change. Whatever Nurian saw though must be pleasing, the Yellow Asha’man was practically beaming, his smile surpassing even the brightest smile that the Atha’an Miere dedicated had ever produced. The Healer ran he has hands along the top of the plant, the leaves were slick with some sort of oil. He pulled at it, ripping it from the ground after softening the area with a weave. The roots were covered in that same film of oil, the dirt sliding off of them.
“This oil, it is what makes blood when consumed” Nurian began, turning to look at Taesh, the corenroot in his hands held like a prized catch. “Do you know much of this we must dry and crush to make enough to actually help? But this, this plant, just one of these large roots dried would work, and have better results, yes! Dedicated Taesh, I dare say you have done a great service to Healers everywhere.”
At that last statement Taesh stood straight, as straight as he good as tired as he was, and shook his head. “I am sorry Nurian Asha’man, but I do not believe this will become widespread. I am tired, very tired. I could not do this again today, and if a truly large supply was needed, I would only be able to focus on this weave, and use my energy for nothing, at it would still take days, weeks even to make a large supply. I hate to say it, but this skiff can only sail once before it needs repair. Maybe in a bind I could make a small supply, but not by the hold full” Taesh readily admitted. The young Atha’an Miere felt no need to give the Asha’man any false hope, in fact he was sure in the long run Nurian would appreciate the truth more. Right now that the Taraboner channeler seemed a little crest fallen.
“Perhaps you could come to the Infirmary, once a month, yes?”
Taesh nodded, “Yes maybe that can be done, that bargain does some fair, if it is helping those who need it. Perhaps we will find a better route in time?” Taesh responded.
“Yes, a better route indeed” Nurian said, and then looked at Taesh with a gleam in his eye. “I wonder what other secrets and Talents you Seafolk do be hiding on those ships, yes?”
Taesh only grinned in response.
“Do go get yourself rested up Dedicated. I wouldn’t be surprised if before the sun reaches High, an Indigo or a Brown doesn’t come knocking on your door” Nurian said with a laugh. “I hear you intend the Grey, but it is the Yellow who would best use your Talent, yes. Think on it while you rest. I will deliver these to the Infirmary myself” Nurian Asha’man said, indicating the Power grown and the enhanced corenroot.
Taesh bowed once again to the Asha’man, and then turned, slowly making his way back to the Tower and his room. One watching from a distance might think he was slow moving in contemplation, but truly each step was a negotiation between his mind as his body, he was just that tired.
Not all of the members of the ajah dedicated to Healing knew about herbcraft, some focused solely on Healing through the One Power, but the Taraboner Asha’man was supposedly one of the Tower authorities on the subject. Taesh had heard about the man from an aspiring Yellow Novice he had met in the Library, while researching flora and how they grew and thrived.
Not too long into his coming to the Tower, the then Soldier had discovered that he had the Talent called Plantweaving. With the One Power he could cause seasons worth of growth in mere moments, and direct that growth as he saw fit. At least that is how he had heard and read that the Talent worked. The Atha’an Miere had yet to master the Talent, but he was at least able to cause growth and maintain it now, not like his first initial exercising of the Talent. It was his research on how to better control that Talent that led him to the Library, and the meeting with the Novice. That Novice also had in interest in herbs, and when Taesh told her that he had no idea if he could grow a more potent herb through Plantweaving, she had insisted that he meet with Nurian, the Taraboner Asha’man of the Yellow.
“You are the Seafolk Dedicated I am meeting, yes?” a voice said behind Taesh.
The Dedicated turned around and smiled at the Asha’man before bowing. “I am he Asha’man” Taesh replied, looking the man over quickly. He was a handsome man, the blonde hair and bright brown eyes a pleasing combination. His skin was flawless, and his smile enticing. The Taraboner was not veiled, as was common among his people, but many of the residents of the Tower dropped the cultural habits. His black coat with the sword and dragon pins was pristine and Taesh found himself eyeing the dragon pin more than even the handsome face.
Nurian gave a knowing smile as he stepped past the Dedicated toward the plot and plants.
“I would like to you wield this Talent before we begin anything else. Make the seedlings grow, yes” Nurian demanded quickly. Handsome he might be, but playful he was not, preferring to get the work done quickly and efficiently.
Taesh nodded, and embraced the intoxicating torrent that was saidin. The moment he touched the power, it was as if the world opened up before his eyes, and his was seeing everything as it was truly meant to be. The Atha’an Miere took just the briefest of moments to revel in the new level of sense before he focused on the assigned task. As he did every time he used the Talent, Taesh reached out for all Five Powers, and directed the interwoven river of Power into the ground at his feet. There it disbursed into tributaries of Power, each flowing into one of the seedlings in the ground. The Dedicated had found out, when he discovered he had the ability to Plantweave, that the seasons did not dictate the cycle of plant life, but instead it was the availability of resource. So that is what he supplied now, the energy from the Powers that the corenroot sprouts needed to grow. He watched in satisfaction as the saplings exploded with growth, quickly becoming the size of the mature plants. The first time Taesh had ever made plants grow, they had quickly died, he had no idea of how to sustain the growth over time, but with research and experimentation he was able to learn. It was like giving each plant a small source of energy that would fade over time, but allow the flora to adjust to the sudden growth and then maintain for itself.
When the growth slowed, and Taesh released saidin Nurian walked over to the Power grown plants, checking them over. He murmured to himself as he checked the soil and leaves of the plants. He tugged at a few, to test the strength of their roots, and then use of weave of Earth to soften the soil and pulled a few completely out to check the entirety of the plant.
“This is excellent. If I did not see if with my eyes, I would swear these were carefully cultivated over time. You are ready to proceed, yes?” Nurian asked as he placed the plants that he had removed from the ground back and used another weave of Earth to cover them again.
Taesh nodded, not really knowing what was expected next.
“Now we will test, can you affect the potency of the herb, yes? Corenroot is a life saver, when a child suffers a bad cut, and it has taken too long for the parents to find the healer, or the healer to come to the child, the first thing given is the plant. But what if it has taken just too long, and too much blood was lost? Even corenroot can fail, and if the healer is no channeler, or weak in the Power, then the child or patient, their fate is sealed, yes.” Nurian looked off in the distance, as if he was remembering something. His tone was one of both anguish and anger, as if he was reliving a moment that should have had a different outcome. “But, you, with this Talent, and others like you, what if you could change the herb? Make it stronger, able to do what it does in the body more quickly, and longer? That is what we do be discovering today,yes? Can you change the herb?”
“I am not quite sure that I understand Asha’man, but I will do my best” Taesh responded.
“That will suffice” Nurian said. “Now, I wanted you to focus on the already grown plants, Dedicated. Not the ones that you just grew, but the ones that were grown normally. If we are to test what can be done, I would test the plants that have not known the touch of the Power, yes? I am sure you cannot grow a forest worth of plants, so let us work with what we would normally use.”
That made sense to the Atha’an Miere. He was not yet exhausted, nowhere near it in fact, but he knew that he would not be able to grow a shiploads worth of the herb at any one time, so it made sense to use the naturally grown and enhance it. If that could be done. Once again Taesh embraced saidin but this time focused on the corenroot that was already mature and ready to be used. He had no true idea what should be done, so he gave his contemplation over to instinct. This time the weave that came to him, while still using the Five Powers, was instead dominated by Spirit, not Water nor Earth. There were no visible changes, no sudden growth, or strengthening on limbs in the plant, yet the Dedicated could tell that something was indeed happening. The weave was not falling off of the plant, but instead being absorbed by it. Like usual, shoots of the Power branched off to the other plants, and were absorbed just the same. Taesh continued to feed the weave, but he felt himself tiring, and quickly. He was not strong in Spirit, but still he did not think that he would be this tired this quickly. Just making the plants grow did not tire him the way this enhancing did.
Before he found himself completely overwhelmed the Atha’an Miere ceased the flow of Power, and released saidin, bending over and breathing deeply. His energy was drained, he would need some time to rest before attempting anything like that again.
Nurian barely noticed as he took in the plants. “Extraordinary…” he said as he squatted down, running a hand over the plants.
Taesh looked, but he barely saw any difference. Perhaps the color did look a little more vibrant, as if he was still looking at the world through the lenses of saidin but other than that there wasn’t much change. Whatever Nurian saw though must be pleasing, the Yellow Asha’man was practically beaming, his smile surpassing even the brightest smile that the Atha’an Miere dedicated had ever produced. The Healer ran he has hands along the top of the plant, the leaves were slick with some sort of oil. He pulled at it, ripping it from the ground after softening the area with a weave. The roots were covered in that same film of oil, the dirt sliding off of them.
“This oil, it is what makes blood when consumed” Nurian began, turning to look at Taesh, the corenroot in his hands held like a prized catch. “Do you know much of this we must dry and crush to make enough to actually help? But this, this plant, just one of these large roots dried would work, and have better results, yes! Dedicated Taesh, I dare say you have done a great service to Healers everywhere.”
At that last statement Taesh stood straight, as straight as he good as tired as he was, and shook his head. “I am sorry Nurian Asha’man, but I do not believe this will become widespread. I am tired, very tired. I could not do this again today, and if a truly large supply was needed, I would only be able to focus on this weave, and use my energy for nothing, at it would still take days, weeks even to make a large supply. I hate to say it, but this skiff can only sail once before it needs repair. Maybe in a bind I could make a small supply, but not by the hold full” Taesh readily admitted. The young Atha’an Miere felt no need to give the Asha’man any false hope, in fact he was sure in the long run Nurian would appreciate the truth more. Right now that the Taraboner channeler seemed a little crest fallen.
“Perhaps you could come to the Infirmary, once a month, yes?”
Taesh nodded, “Yes maybe that can be done, that bargain does some fair, if it is helping those who need it. Perhaps we will find a better route in time?” Taesh responded.
“Yes, a better route indeed” Nurian said, and then looked at Taesh with a gleam in his eye. “I wonder what other secrets and Talents you Seafolk do be hiding on those ships, yes?”
Taesh only grinned in response.
“Do go get yourself rested up Dedicated. I wouldn’t be surprised if before the sun reaches High, an Indigo or a Brown doesn’t come knocking on your door” Nurian said with a laugh. “I hear you intend the Grey, but it is the Yellow who would best use your Talent, yes. Think on it while you rest. I will deliver these to the Infirmary myself” Nurian Asha’man said, indicating the Power grown and the enhanced corenroot.
Taesh bowed once again to the Asha’man, and then turned, slowly making his way back to the Tower and his room. One watching from a distance might think he was slow moving in contemplation, but truly each step was a negotiation between his mind as his body, he was just that tired.