Rhedara waited for Zarha in the spot they agreed on just along the edge of the outskirts. She had brought a couple of items that would pass for hand shovels and several hand sewn bags. Gathering materials could be dirty work—especially considering the particular ingredient Rhedara had in mind to college—so she wore an old set of clothes: a simple blouse and skirt and an apron with several pockets on the front.

Rhedara returned Zara’s smile, although it didn’t quite reach her eyes. How could she have never gathered things for potions before? She inwardly shook her head, “That’s fine. I know exactly what we should look for,” she held up one of the makeshift hand shovels, “We’re going to the nearest stream and digging for toads. I’m thinking invisibility potions.”


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We’ll roll one d6. They find one hibernating toad when we roll a 5.

When looking after four siblings and training all the time, along with work you never had time to do anything else. Like when she did do little potions she was always scared because she couldn't read at that time so knowing how to brew something was a risk because doing something wrong could be deadly.

When Rhedara explained that they digging up for toads she relaxed a bit, she at least know what a toad looks like. "Sounds cool." Wtf cool what is this. She felt a bit foolish saying cool. So walked over and takes the shovel giving a soft smile after all she was here trying to make friends and trying to have fun. "Thanks." As they slowly made they way to the stream she takes a soft breath remember to breath, just think of this as some form of training.

It was difficult not to notice the other girl’s nervousness. Rhedara assumed that the diligent Zarha might not have wanted to spend time with someone who had been used as a bad example for the other witches in the military. She would not poke and prod about it though. If Zarha was worried about being marked as bad by association, she surely would not have been out with her that day.

“Deep breaths,” she said with a smile, “I promise my bad ways won’t rub off on you.”

Zarha didn't notice that she was showing that she was nervous till Rhedara spoke. She laughed softly. "Sorry, this just feels.... different that is all. Out of my natural habitat in a way." She was trying her hand at her another drink. Abbott said she needs hobbies, stuff that isn't just training. Find stuff that she enjoy, make friends. Be the girl that she used to be. "How have you been? What have you been up to?"

“Very cool,” Rhedara agreed, unaware of her companion’s embarrassment, “I used to pretend I was digging for treasure when I was little and helping my mother search for them,” she watched Zarha and noted how tense she was, “It’ll be fun. We’re just two treasure hunters…except the treasure isn’t shiny gold but dirty toads,” she shrugged, “Look for loose patches of dirt and dig there. I don’t know how many we’ll find, but since they’ll be hibernating this time of year, we shouldn’t have any trouble catching them. Oh right!” She handed Zarha a few of the bags she had brought, “For when you find them.”

She lead Zarha to a stream and started walking along the edge, looking for the tell tale signs of where a toad might have buried itself. She found a spot and dug.

No toad there. She’d have to keep looking.

Zarha raised her eye brows slightly, as she was a tend bit confused about what she was going on about because she asked hows she been? not about pretending. She was following her slightly when Rhedara suggested that she pretend that they are both treasure hunters. She try and give a soft laugh. "I will give it a go." Come on Zarha relax, have what people say fun.

"Thank you Rhedara." She takes the bag as she started looking along the edge of the stream. She doesn't know what signs to look for of where toads might be, however she know to look for loose patch of dirt.... Okay she can do this. Once she find one well what she think would be one she started digging but nothing.

"Have you always enjoyed doing potions?"

“Not always,” she said, searching the ground, “I was really impulsive as a child,” goddess, she still was impulsive, “and very impatient. My mother was great at them, and she thought that having me focus on brewing potions would make me…” she waved a hand in the air, “Less impulsive and impatient. It worked. It takes one horribly botched healing potion to make you not want to mess up a second time,” she shivered at the memory. She’d thrown up for hours, “After a while, I started to find it…peaceful.”

She dug into the dirt. Nothing again.

“And going back to your question earlier…” she’d glossed over it before. Woodwick had given her a lot of hope, but hope only too you so far, “I’ll be fine…work’s hard to find when you’re not military or related to someone in a trade, but,” she bit her lip, “I heard there’s this noble that’s hiring people for his ship. I might take a look at that,” if she got desperate, which she likely would. She hated the sea and had wanted to avoid being on a ship if she could, “but other than that…I’m sort of seeing someone, so that’s nice.”

“But what about you? How are things with the new schedule?”

Zarha listened as she looked around the edge of the water, shines of anything that could be a sign of a toad sleeping there. A part of her smiled at a thought that a mum could actually teach you something. She sometimes wonders that if her mum was not a criminal and actually spent time with her.

As she kneeled down again she looked at Rhedara. "A ship?" She would never thought of Rhedara as a woman who would naturally go on boats. Long time out at sea. Like it takes a different sort of person who willing to ride the waves. However, when she mentioned that she was seeing someone she raised her eyebrow. She never really took interest in the whole dating. "I hope this person makes you happy."

She started digging and she was surprised when she found a toad. She grabbed it and quickly bagged. "I.... I got one." She was surprise that she got one. She didn't think she would get one as quickly as she did. however she managed to get one.

“Yeah, he’s noble, but he’s also a merchant of some sort I think,” she shrugged, “We’ll see. I’m not the biggest fan of boats but…” she looked at the other girl, “A girl’s gotta eat, right?”

Rhedara thought about Zara’s comment about the man she was seeing. What they had was still so new, she really couldn’t tell her anything other than what they had at that moment was really nice, a silver lining, “Well, I’m certainly happy when he kisses me,” among other things that she would not say out loud. The two young women had discussed whether or not a drill instructor from their training days was good in bed or not, but it was a whole other thing to kiss and tell about that, “What about you? Seeing anyone? What’s going on in the military? For obvious reasons, I’m out of the loop.”

Rhedara put her shovel into the dirt at the same time as Zarha, and both of them dug up toads. That couldn’t have happened if they planned for it, “me too!” She said as she quickly bagged hers. She’d get one invisibility potion at least.

Zarha smiled "there are indeed worse jobs out there then working on a ship." And at least it is a honest job. So there is always a plus side to that. When she asked about if she was seeing anyone she shock her head. "I am not interested in the whole courting scene, seems too much trouble for me." Plus who would love her, she struggle making friends let alone somebody who want to court her plus with training and patroling she can't really afford any distractions."Military is going okay, to be honest I am last person to ask about work as now it six days a week on one day off so it not much different then what i do anyway. They are making sure us witches have more training with our magic and how to control it in stressful situation."

"That is amazing" Zarha smiled as she saw Rhedara found a toad. So they got two so far. She doesn't know if that good or what when it came to potions but she went with it. As she went down and started to dig she didn't spot anything.

Rhedara nodded, “Goddess, yes there are worst jobs to have,” she dug into another patch of dirt and got nothing, “Definitely better than starving, too.”

“Yeah I’ve heard that the new schedule is kid of rough,” the comment about the witches controlling their magic during stressful situations stung. Maybe it wasn’t referring to her own actions—she hadn’t been the one to turn the man into a wolf, after all—but it stung all the same. She tried not to show her discomfort over it, “Maybe it’s not such a bad thing to have been discharged,” even as she said it, she knew how empty her own words were. Free time was always precious, but she would have loved the extra training opportunities. As it was, finding time, resources and location to train would be difficult.

"I wouldn't say tough. They still trying to find my breaking point though, the point where I say I can't do it." She know that if Zarha explained that she wouldn't of been able to lift Tor it might of been easier for everybody. However, she wanted to push herself.

Zarha noticed the words that came from Rhedara and the tone that came from her, Abbott told her to try and be more human. "Maybe one day you will be able to come back." She tries to give a encouraging smile as she dig a toad up and bagged it up.

Rhedara was silent for a beat, thinking about what Zarha had just said, “Sounds to me like they’re not finding your breaking point so much as trying to break you,” she shrugged, “I see no problem with pushing yourself. Your problem is you never take breaks. Why is that?”

“Well, Woodwick said that he’d recommend me if I showed improvement if I want to enlist again,” she dug into the dirt and only got more mud. Frustrating. She saw that Zarha got another toad, and she thought with no great amount of seriousness that she ought to curse the other girl to be more clumsy. But she wasn’t going to do that over toads, even as a joke.