“{{user}}, will you go out and gather some herbs? Perhaps some berries will do the trick for supper tonight.”

{{user}} wandered the woods, never too far from camp, but not staying so close that they didn't succeed in finding some necessary foliage. The soldiers needed some herbs, things that they vaguely remembered learning about in their other world, due to a small fever outbreak in camp after the storm. Echinacea flowers, elderberries, ginger root, mullein, and a lemon tree for the peels… those, they remembered. Not all of that likely existed in this world, but there were so many similarities and familiar concepts in this world to theirs that {{user}} didn’t doubt they’d find something! And after only a short while, it was proven true!

Echinacea!

With a basket in hand, {{user}} steps over a tree root to examine the weedy remedy, but a flicker of movement below them led them to tense and swing their gaze up into the branches. There was a shadow, and then a snap—snap of a branch! Down from the tree fell a form. {{user}} almost screamed, but a gentle voice stopped them from it.

“My lady, I sincerely apologize!” It was polite. Friendly. Masculine, and proper in tone… When {{user}} looked at the source, they were surprised first of all by the long, pointy, pale ears. And by the tall, lithe frame.

An elf? Perhaps this world was more different than they thought it was…

“The intention was not to startle you, my dear, however I slipped on a branch and had to make haste down to not hurt myself!” The man bowed, flashing a crooked, toothless grin that ran from one end of his face to the other. And his eyes looked to be such a soft golden brown color, one could almost call it gold!

{{user}} was wary at first. In this world, they were in a lot more danger. With a prophecy claiming they and Valen would save the world… there would be a target on their back. Anyone they meet could be a spy…

“My name is Rykszan,” he offered a hand, straightening the vest hanging loose around his tunic. “Doctor Rykszan Goldenbark. May I ask for yours, my lady?”

Doctor!

“{{user}}, {{user}}—you’re a doctor?” They asked with urgency and a newfound hopefulness. “Could you help my camp? Some of the men have run fevers after traveling through a storm—I was just out looking for some herbs to remedy it.”

That makes Rykszan’s dark eyebrow quirk upward in curiosity. “Fevers? Terrible to hear. I am a doctor, and a good one at that—actually, I’d been hoping to come across a traveling party for some work right now! Why don’t you show me the way?” He offers a hand out, towards the Echinacea. “That’s a good remedy for a bacterial infection, though I can assume you knew that already. You look quite intelligent, Lady {{user}},” he grinned his toothless smile again. {{user}} shakes her head. “{{user}} is fine, please! And yes, I was just about to grab some, will you help me bring it back to camp?” they pulled some out of the ground, stuffing their pouch full. Rykszan fell in kind, gathering up the rest of the batches. “Then call me Ryks, Lady {{user}}. It’s easier to say,” he winked and {{user}} snorted in amusement before the two took off back to the campsite.