Eleanor Alger | Fox
Eleanor watched the feeble old woman wobble around the bulking wooden desk at the front of the class, paying no mind to the talkative youngsters that were haphazardly sprawled across the back of the room, some at least attempting respect by sitting in the chairs that had desks. Liver spots adorned her arthritic hands, and wispy white hair floated about her withered forehead. In an uncharacteristically graceful movement, the old woman suddenly lifted herself up onto the front of the desk, so she was just on the edge of it, her feet crossed in front of her. She clapped once, looking around at her students with a charmingly unique twinkle in her eyes.
"Well, well well! Looks like you survived your first year here." She said with good humor. The talking behind Ella gradually fizzled out. "I am Miss Grover, and you may address me any way you want. As for you, I will eventually learn who you are. Oh, and don't feel bad if I have trouble remembering your names - my memory can get a little spacey at times."
She popped off of the desk, slowly walking over to an adjacent door. "Now, who would like to follow me into my special room?"
A loud catastrophe of boisterous voices from the more outspoken guys howled out excited answers, smuggling out a few giggles afterwards. The old woman smiled, patiently waiting for them to calm down. She didn't officially say for them to follow her, but after reaching for the outdated handle, teenagers hoisted themselves down from the back counter tops and weaved through abandoned desks to follow her. Ella followed a short distance behind them.
Turns out the other room wasn't really a room; well, not technically. A large skeleton of metal framing held up clean-cut green glass, and rows upon rows of tall, short, dangerous and flowered plants grew freely. On two walls of the greenhouse, questionable equipment, hooks and tubes hung in stations. On the wall to Eleanor's left, however, drew her eye immediately.
Where the green glass should have been, beautiful colored glass glowed and cast intertwining colors onto the floor and nearby plants. The glass was skillfully placed into an image, or rather a symbol, though Ella couldn't guess what it stood for. Intricate pictures framed around the symbol, but her attention was pulled away by Miss Grover's voice before she could start asking questions.
"This here is what is called a jewelweed; the crushed leaves of the jewelweed can be used on poison, ivy, and rashes; this poultice also works for cuts, burns, bug-bites, sprains, warts and ringworm. Juice from the stems also can be applied to poison ivy. However: this plant, if applied wrong, could make you deathly ill, or be fatal. We will be learning the right way-" She gave a lighthearted look towards a group of rowdy Wolves, which snickered, "- to apply and effectively use this."
She was holding an unimpressive looking weed in a pot, with a bright yellow and orange flower curling over the lip. With effective hands she plucked a few dark leaves, plopped them into a mortar and pestle waiting by her side, and she began to grind. She held it away from her, stirring in water, to let the Twos bend over pots to see clearly.
"Would anyone like to volunteer?" Miss Grover asked. After a uncertain pause, a very tall figure slunk to the front, silver hair swinging, dark skin contrasting brightly. She towered over the bijou woman, but Miss Grover seemed unfazed. She whipped out a wickedly thin dagger, elegantly plain, and gently held the girl's hand.
"What is your name, child?" Miss Grover asked.
"Kaiya Blackfire."
"Kaiya, I'm going to need you to make a small cut on your wrist for me. Not too deep, not too light. Could you do that?"
The girl nodded, and Miss Grover folded the dagger in Kaiya's hand. The class had gone quiet, uncertain and jarred by this uncharacteristic favor from a professor. Pausing over the skin, Kaiya glanced once at the teacher, and then sliced into her wrist. Bright blood rose to pour over the lip of the cut, but neither the professor or the student moved to stop the flow. Miss Grover took out a sponge to begin applying the mixture in the bowl.
"After mixing it correctly, apply it evenly to the cut. However, do not put too much on, or that is when it becomes lethal. The best way to know how much to put is if you can still see the wound through the mixture, and that it must cover the entire wound."
Seeming satisfied, she reached into her smock to pull out a roll of gauze and cotton, dressing the girl's wound accordingly. She patted Kaiya on the shoulder, smiling warmly, and then turned to the rest of her class. She spotted a Tiger raising his hand, and nodded in his direction.
"Why do we need to learn this stuff? I mean, doesn't the Antidote basically do that for almost anything?" That was what Ella was thinking too. The Antidote, a universal cure that was injected into the bloodstream, had been invented ten years back, able to heal and cure any minor injuries and ailments without hiccups. It had been opened to the public's general use eight years ago, and basically replaced most medicines. Now they were focusing on a second version that could handle the more fatal illnesses, but there hadn't been any major accomplishments in years.
Miss Grover smiled. "That, dear one, will not matter if you are lost in the middle of nowhere with no medical kit and help far, far away. On a much lighter note, I like the old ways better."
With that, she addressed the rest of the class. "You will be learning how to correctly make and identify the jewelweed, so please report to one of the stations on the far walls in groups of two. And no cutting yourselves."
The class thinned and broke off, and Eleanor ornery glanced around, looking for someone to pair with. She met eyes with a girl with flaming hair, who raised her eyebrows in suggestion and Ella nodded. They both walked off to a station, awkwardly introducing themselves on the way.
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