Ana and the Bees

Rellah finished packing her things inside her room at the Vesper Youth Hostel. After a long journey on the road, she had come to Vesper late at night. Exhausted, Rellah had stabled Ru and rented a small room at the inn. Now, as daylight approached, she picked up her pack and headed toward the stable.

Once Ru was fed an apple and some sugar cubes, Rellah mounted him and headed toward the bee shop that she had seen on her way to the inn last night. The lights were just coming on inside the large building, and Rellah could hear the incessant buzzing of the insects in their hives. Leaving Ru outside, Rellah pushed the door open slowly and entered the sweet smelling shop.

A human woman, in her middle thirties, was busy stirring a pot of wax by the fireplace. She looked up, brushing some wayward locks of dark brown hair out of her face, and smiled at Rellah with deep blue eyes. �Our first visitor on this cold autumn morning! What can I do for thee, mi�lady?�

Rellah pulled off her hood of her robe to reveal all of her face, her cheeks bright pink from the cold. The woman�s eyes lit up with surprise for just an instant (it was not often she saw an elf) but her expression quickly changed into a friendly smile. Rellah cupped her hands around her mouth, blowing into them for warmth. �I was hoping to buy some of your honey, and perhaps a cup of tea?�

The woman stopped stirring the wax and wiped her hands on her apron. �Sit there, by the fire, my dear, while I put a kettle on.�

Rellah smiled, thanking the kind woman and sitting down in the rocking chair by the warm stove. Her violet eyes sparkled with the reflection of the flames licking at the wood. The wood crackled and cursed in the heat of the flames, which were dancing rhythmically upon them. Rellah found herself lost in the flames� dance, not able to pull her eyes from their hypnotic glow. Only when the woman patted Rellah�s shoulder to pass her a cup of tea did her eyes break from the fireplace. She looked up with appreciative eyes and, almost in a whisper, said, �Diola lle.�

To her surprise, the woman smiled and replied, �Creoso.�

�You know Elvish?� Rellah brought the cup of tea to her full pink lips, her eyes focused attentively on the woman.

�Well, can�t say I do really,� the woman smiled again, sitting down in a chair across from Rellah. �But after the years, one does pick up a few phrases here and there. My name�s Ana.�

�Mine�s Rellah,� Rellah replied, taking a sip of her tea. The mixture of herbs, sweet spices, and the famous honey filled her mouth with surprising pleasure. �This is delicious.�

�That honey has been a secret recipe in my family for many centuries,� Ana set her cup down on a small wooden table beside her, and pulled out a book from the drawer. Opening it, she turned the book to Rellah and pointed, �This here is a picture of the shop we are in now, when it first was built, many centuries ago.�

Rellah studied the painted picture, the people in it almost coming alive, showing her the hard work and dedication that was put into this shop. �You�ve done well, I see.�

Ana nodded, smiling a moment before it faded and was replaced with a frown. �Business isn�t as well as it used to be, though. Times are changing.�

�I�m sure that it will pick up again,� Rellah took another sip of the delightful tea. �People are just unaware of this amazing tea. Perhaps if you were to advertise, in other cities? Put flyers up in taverns, banks, and inns? It might bring you more business from afar.�

�What an incredible idea,� Ana�s deep blue eyes lightened. �I�d not thought to advertise in those establishments. I will send my boys to do just that later today.�

Rellah smiled, glad to be able to offer help to the sweet woman. It was then that her wound on her arm sent a spike of pain into her shoulder, making her wince. Rellah pushed back her clothing to view her arm. The wound was growing smaller, and less bruised. It still was sore to the touch.

�My, that�s a nasty wound you have there, was it looked at by a healer or mage?� Ana looked concerned.

�No, it was healed by a�another elf in Tel�Ruid,� Rellah still didn�t know who she owed her life to. Not anyone knew much about him, as she had asked around. Her description of him (of what she remembered, at least) made some of the elves say the name �Laerithil�, but they could not be sure, as he had left a long time ago. �I received this wound from a lizardman, whose spear had been laced with very deadly poison.�

�You know what would help your arm?� Ana suddenly got up from her chair, moving over to a stack of parchment on the table.

Rellah looked over at Ana, who was busy sifting through the papers. �I�m sure in a few days it will not hurt as much.�

Ana waved her left hand back at Rellah, as if she had just said something preposterous. �That might be so, but this will make it stop hurting today.�

�Okay,� Rellah smiled, her eyes lighting up inquisitively.

�Ah ha! Here it is,� Ana pulled a pale green sheet of parchment from the rest, and handed it to Rellah. �Buccaneer�s Baths.�

Rellah read the flyer. �Do you have aches and pains that you can�t seem to get rid of? Perhaps a wound that�s not healing right? Then come to Buc�s Bath House, where we guarantee to make you feel youthful and pain-free again! Day passes start at only 250 gold pieces! Please see the innkeepers at The Peg Leg Inn!�

�Ya, I�d go, but 250 gold? I�d rather keep trying my own remedies,� Ana smiled at Rellah. �But I�m sure that this can help your wound. The salts they use in their tubs I hear are amazing, and they have tons of fragrant bath oils.�

�How do I get to Buccaneer�s Bath House?� Rellah handed the paper back to her.

�It�s in Buccaneer�s Den,� Ana set the flyer back on her table. �The fastest way to reach there from here is to take the gate northwest of town.�

�A moongate?� Rellah questioned.

�Oh, no, this is a special gate. Only goes to Buc�s Den. It�s a huge stone archway near where the Vesper road meets the road that leads to the other towns. You won�t miss it,� she picked up the tea cups and brought them into another room.

Rellah stood up, covering her head with her hood. Ana reappeared shortly, and asked, �You wanted to buy some honey, correct? How many jars would you like?�

�I�ll take five, please,� Rellah smiled, deciding the Arrow could use some of this wonderful honey, and then pointed to a shelf with stacked tins. �And what in these containers?�

�Oh, that�s our beeswax,� Ana picked one of the tins up. �It�s great for many things. I like it in the winter, for chapped lips. Makes it easier to work in the cold.�

�I�ll take one of those also,� Rellah watched as she put the jars of honey and the tin of beeswax into a small cloth bag. �How much will this cost?�

�Our jars of honey are 10 gold each, the beeswax is 5 gold, and the tea, well that is free,� Ana grinned, her blue eyes sparking.

Rellah counted out 55 gold from her small satchel and handed it to Ana. �Thank you kindly, I will return to visit and to buy some more honey. I wish you luck with your advertisement. I will tell everyone I know to come here to have some tea.�

�You�re a sweet elf, Rellah,� Ana hugged Rellah tightly. �Come back anytime you wish deary. And do go to the Baths, and get your arm healed up well, all right?�

Rellah agreed to Ana�s requests, and after saying goodbye again, she headed out the door, into the mid morning sunlight.

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> Rellah finished packing her things inside her room at the Vesper Youth Hostel. After a long journey on the road, she had come to Vesper late at night. Exhausted, Rellah had stabled Ru and rented a small room at the inn. Now, as daylight approached, she picked up her pack and headed toward the stable. > Once Ru was fed an apple and some sugar cubes, Rellah mounted him and headed toward the bee shop that she had seen on her way to the inn last night. The lights were just coming on inside the large building, and Rellah could hear the incessant buzzing of the insects in their hives. Leaving Ru outside, Rellah pushed the door open slowly and entered the sweet smelling shop. > A human woman, in her middle thirties, was busy stirring a pot of wax by the fireplace. She looked up, brushing some wayward locks of dark brown hair out of her face, and smiled at Rellah with deep blue eyes. �Our first visitor on this cold autumn morning! What can I do for thee, mi�lady?� > Rellah pulled off her hood of her robe to reveal all of her face, her cheeks bright pink from the cold. The woman�s eyes lit up with surprise for just an instant (it was not often she saw an elf) but her expression quickly changed into a friendly smile. Rellah cupped her hands around her mouth, blowing into them for warmth. �I was hoping to buy some of your honey, and perhaps a cup of tea?� > The woman stopped stirring the wax and wiped her hands on her apron. �Sit there, by the fire, my dear, while I put a kettle on.� > Rellah smiled, thanking the kind woman and sitting down in the rocking chair by the warm stove. Her violet eyes sparkled with the reflection of the flames licking at the wood. The wood crackled and cursed in the heat of the flames, which were dancing rhythmically upon them. Rellah found herself lost in the flames� dance, not able to pull her eyes from their hypnotic glow. Only when the woman patted Rellah�s shoulder to pass her a cup of tea did her eyes break from the fireplace. She looked up with appreciative eyes and, almost in a whisper, said, �Diola lle.� > To her surprise, the woman smiled and replied, �Creoso.� > �You know Elvish?� Rellah brought the cup of tea to her full pink lips, her eyes focused attentively on the woman. > �Well, can�t say I do really,� the woman smiled again, sitting down in a chair across from Rellah. �But after the years, one does pick up a few phrases here and there. My name�s Ana.� > �Mine�s Rellah,� Rellah replied, taking a sip of her tea. The mixture of herbs, sweet spices, and the famous honey filled her mouth with surprising pleasure. �This is delicious.� > �That honey has been a secret recipe in my family for many centuries,� Ana set her cup down on a small wooden table beside her, and pulled out a book from the drawer. Opening it, she turned the book to Rellah and pointed, �This here is a picture of the shop we are in now, when it first was built, many centuries ago.� > Rellah studied the painted picture, the people in it almost coming alive, showing her the hard work and dedication that was put into this shop. �You�ve done well, I see.� > Ana nodded, smiling a moment before it faded and was replaced with a frown. �Business isn�t as well as it used to be, though. Times are changing.� > �I�m sure that it will pick up again,� Rellah took another sip of the delightful tea. �People are just unaware of this amazing tea. Perhaps if you were to advertise, in other cities? Put flyers up in taverns, banks, and inns? It might bring you more business from afar.� > �What an incredible idea,� Ana�s deep blue eyes lightened. �I�d not thought to advertise in those establishments. I will send my boys to do just that later today.� > Rellah smiled, glad to be able to offer help to the sweet woman. It was then that her wound on her arm sent a spike of pain into her shoulder, making her wince. Rellah pushed back her clothing to view her arm. The wound was growing smaller, and less bruised. It still was sore to the touch. > �My, that�s a nasty wound you have there, was it looked at by a healer or mage?� Ana looked concerned. > �No, it was healed by a�another elf in Tel�Ruid,� Rellah still didn�t know who she owed her life to. Not anyone knew much about him, as she had asked around. Her description of him (of what she remembered, at least) made some of the elves say the name �Laerithil�, but they could not be sure, as he had left a long time ago. �I received this wound from a lizardman, whose spear had been laced with very deadly poison.� > �You know what would help your arm?� Ana suddenly got up from her chair, moving over to a stack of parchment on the table. > Rellah looked over at Ana, who was busy sifting through the papers. �I�m sure in a few days it will not hurt as much.� > Ana waved her left hand back at Rellah, as if she had just said something preposterous. �That might be so, but this will make it stop hurting today.� > �Okay,� Rellah smiled, her eyes lighting up inquisitively. > �Ah ha! Here it is,� Ana pulled a pale green sheet of parchment from the rest, and handed it to Rellah. �Buccaneer�s Baths.� > Rellah read the flyer. �Do you have aches and pains that you can�t seem to get rid of? Perhaps a wound that�s not healing right? Then come to Buc�s Bath House, where we guarantee to make you feel youthful and pain-free again! Day passes start at only 250 gold pieces! Please see the innkeepers at The Peg Leg Inn!� > �Ya, I�d go, but 250 gold? I�d rather keep trying my own remedies,� Ana smiled at Rellah. �But I�m sure that this can help your wound. The salts they use in their tubs I hear are amazing, and they have tons of fragrant bath oils.� > �How do I get to Buccaneer�s Bath House?� Rellah handed the paper back to her. > �It�s in Buccaneer�s Den,� Ana set the flyer back on her table. �The fastest way to reach there from here is to take the gate northwest of town.� > �A moongate?� Rellah questioned. > �Oh, no, this is a special gate. Only goes to Buc�s Den. It�s a huge stone archway near where the Vesper road meets the road that leads to the other towns. You won�t miss it,� she picked up the tea cups and brought them into another room. > Rellah stood up, covering her head with her hood. Ana reappeared shortly, and asked, �You wanted to buy some honey, correct? How many jars would you like?� > �I�ll take five, please,� Rellah smiled, deciding the Arrow could use some of this wonderful honey, and then pointed to a shelf with stacked tins. �And what in these containers?� > �Oh, that�s our beeswax,� Ana picked one of the tins up. �It�s great for many things. I like it in the winter, for chapped lips. Makes it easier to work in the cold.� > �I�ll take one of those also,� Rellah watched as she put the jars of honey and the tin of beeswax into a small cloth bag. �How much will this cost?� > �Our jars of honey are 10 gold each, the beeswax is 5 gold, and the tea, well that is free,� Ana grinned, her blue eyes sparking. > Rellah counted out 55 gold from her small satchel and handed it to Ana. �Thank you kindly, I will return to visit and to buy some more honey. I wish you luck with your advertisement. I will tell everyone I know to come here to have some tea.� > �You�re a sweet elf, Rellah,� Ana hugged Rellah tightly. �Come back anytime you wish deary. And do go to the Baths, and get your arm healed up well, all right?� > Rellah agreed to Ana�s requests, and after saying goodbye again, she headed out the door, into the mid morning sunlight.
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