--Beginnings--
Iktomi stood before the massive stone house that was to become her new home. The building, majestic on the outside, was ruined on the inside. Thick layers of dust covered everything, and empty spaces testified that many items had disappeared during the war or had been looted.
She took a deep breath, sensing a faint smell of dampness and age. "This place has a history," she thought, starting her work. The first task was to clean up the dust and debris. Using old rags and water from the Edyna River, she began to clean the floors, walls, and furniture. Each room was a new challenge, but also a discovery. She found old notes, abandoned letters, and fragments of the previous owner's life.
The house was impressive, built of solid stone that had stood the test of time. The ground floor consisted of a huge hall with a marble floor. In its centre stood two grand, creaky staircases leading to the upper floor. To the left was a dining room with a long wooden table that could seat a dozen people. A massive chandelier hung from the ceiling, now covered in dust and cobwebs.
To the right of the hall was a large sitting room with a massive fireplace, above which hung a portrait of an elderly man—presumably the previous owner, the herbalist. This room was full of old, broken furniture that Iktomi planned to restore.
Further on was the kitchen, spacious and well-equipped, though neglected. A large window above the sink let in plenty of light, giving the room a pleasant atmosphere. In the kitchen, she found old copper pots and pans, which she intended to clean and use.
Upstairs were several bedrooms, each with a large bed and a wardrobe. The main bedroom had its own fireplace and a balcony overlooking the garden. At the end of the corridor was an entrance to the attic, where she discovered old chests full of herbs, dried plants, and other ingredients used by the herbalist.
In the basement, accessible by steep stairs, she found an alchemical laboratory. It was a spacious room with stone walls, full of shelves lined with vials, flasks, and other containers. In the centre stood a large wooden laboratory table covered with various alchemical tools.
The garden, however, was in the worst condition, in her opinion.
The first step was to prune the overgrown bushes and remove the weeds. Iktomi found gardening tools in an old shed at the end of the garden. The shears and hoe were covered in rust, but after a brief cleaning, they were usable. She enthusiastically set to work, trimming the wild shoots of lavender and thyme that had grown uncontrollably.
Next, she began planting new plants. Based on the notes she found, she planted new herbs: mint, sage, chamomile, yarrow, and many more.
"These plants will be useful for my mixtures," she thought, carefully planting each one, ensuring they were properly spaced and planted at the right depth. She also sneaked in some rarer plants from the forest.
With the garden organized, Iktomi could start creating her first remedies. She chose a simple recipe for a healing infusion of lavender and chamomile. As she gathered fresh herbs, she felt the pleasant aroma wafting through the air.
In her workshop, she began the preparation process. On the old wooden table, she laid out herbs, a mortar, and alchemical vessels. First, she crushed dried chamomile flowers in the mortar, adding a few fresh lavender leaves. She gently mixed the ingredients, adding boiling water and letting the mixture steep. After a few minutes, she strained the infusion into a glass bottle.
The first attempt was a failure.
"Why isn't this working?" she fumed, when the infusion didn't produce the desired effects while treating a minor cut. She knew she had to find the error. After studying the notes and books, she realized she had used too little lavender.
The next attempt was more successful. She increased the amount of lavender, adding a few drops of yarrow oil, significantly improving the healing properties of the infusion.
"It works!" she cried out with joy, as the elixir restored the health of one of the local animals. It was a huge step forward for her, proof that her knowledge and skills were starting to bear fruit.
--Life in the Village--
Over time, Iktomi began to engage more in village life. Although she lived on the outskirts, her presence was noticeable. She was often seen walking through the forest, gathering herbs and flowers. Some villagers were suspicious.
"Who is she? Where did she come from?" they whispered among themselves.
Iktomi tried to avoid people, at least initially. Each encounter was awkward, and her strange behaviour and shyness only heightened suspicions. She tried to mask her insectoid instincts, such as avoiding crowds or making quick, unnatural movements. However, her unsuccessful attempt to prepare one of the remedies had negative consequences.
One day, at the market, one of her remedies caused a severe allergic reaction in an elderly man.
"Something like this shouldn't happen," she thought with despair, seeing the growing suspicion and hostility in the villagers' eyes.
"She's not one of us," they said. "We can't trust her."
Iktomi felt that all her hard work and efforts were in vain. She felt even more isolated and excluded.
However, one day everything changed. One of the village children suddenly fell ill. Fever, shortness of breath, and the healer from the city was too far away to arrive in time. Hearing this, Iktomi decided to act.
She remembered a recipe from the old books.
"This must be it," she thought, choosing herbs and ingredients. She prepared an infusion using belladonna (Atropa belladonna) in small, controlled amounts for its pain-relieving properties, and St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), which had calming and anti-inflammatory effects. She also added dried calendula (Calendula officinalis) leaves for their antibacterial and regenerative properties.
But that wasn't all. To make the remedy even more effective, Iktomi added a few drops of her own magical extract, prepared from rare ingredients found deep in the forest. These ingredients, such as mandrake root and elf flower dust, were meant to enhance the potion's effects and speed up the healing process.
"Please, let this work," she prayed silently, applying herbal compresses to the child's forehead and giving the infusion to drink. After a few hours, the child's condition began to improve. The fever dropped, and the breathing stabilized. The child's parents were grateful, and the villagers began to look at her with newfound respect.
"She may be strange, but she can help us," they said among themselves. Iktomi felt that her place in the community was beginning to stabilize. She was still different, but her skills were invaluable.
--A Day in the Life of Iktomi--
Each day in Afloria began early for Iktomi. At dawn, before the sun fully rose over the horizon, she would get out of bed and open the windows of her stone house, letting the fresh morning air inside. She could hear the birds singing and the murmur of the Edyna River, bringing her peace and a sense of belonging.
Her morning routine started with carefully preparing potions and elixirs. The herbalist's workshop was now her kingdom, and each shelf full of herbs and elixirs was like a treasure trove of potential remedies. She began the day by reviewing her notes and planning which remedies would be needed the most.
After preparing the remedies, she would go out to the garden. Working the soil and tending to the plants was not only a duty but also a form of meditation for her. She pruned bushes and gathered fresh herbs, paying attention to every detail. Each plant had its place and purpose, and she sought to understand them all.
When the sun was high, Iktomi would set out on her daily walks in the forest. The forest was not only a source of raw materials but also a place where she could hide and feel free. Walking among the trees and gathering herbs, flowers, and mushrooms, she focused on precisely selecting ingredients for her remedies.
Returning to the village, she always tried to avoid crowds. Although the villagers were beginning to accept her, she still felt out of place. Entering her home, she closed the door behind her and devoted herself to working on new recipes and studying the herbalist's old books.
However, every Saturday at the market, she had to face people. On that day, her home transformed into a stall full of herbs and elixirs. She arranged her products on the table, ready for interactions with the villagers. She answered their questions and took orders, trying to be as helpful as possible.
"Thank you for helping my son," a young mother said one day, handing her a few more coins for an elixir. Iktomi smiled slightly, accepting the payment. She felt that her work was beginning to bear fruit and that she could lead a relatively normal life, despite her unusual past.
In the evening, after a full day of work, she would sit on the veranda of her house with a cup of warm tea in her hands. She watched the sunset over the Edyna River and reflected on the day that had passed. She was grateful that no one had caught her on those rare occasions when she changed her shape to her natural one in the forest and that she could continue her life in Afloria, helping the villagers.
And so, Iktomi's days passed, full of work, reflections, and gradual acceptance by both herself and the villagers of Afloria.
At least, that was how it seemed until one day everything changed.