{YVVO} July Prompt 2022 - A String of Bad Luck

Ka'altuhe sighed. Zayetem gathered on the shelves of her home, knocking bottles and herbs to the ground. They hopped around, snuffling the ground and everything else. "Shit!" Her hands flew to her head at the sight of the destruction inside her home. “I can't have anything nice…” At her words, the Zayetem twitched their little antennae, looking at the old healer, standing in her doorway, with anger on her face. “Al Samakt and Al Hasmel, grant me luck…and gratitude.” She walked inside inside her house and began to pick up the shattered bottles and vials of her potions, sweeping little bone fragments into her hands and brushing them into a bowl, sliding books back into place on her shelves and shooing the Zayetem out through the door and into the jungle outside.

Leafy greens swallowed the little rabbit-like creatures as they disappeared into the underbrush. Trees swayed softly in a breeze that covered the jungle of Bothea, and another day began. Ma'ni and Kubo rose over treetops that reached for it, stretching long shoulders and sloughing off the cold night, coming to drink up the rays as Ka’altuhe cleaned and hummed to herself, a wordless little song like Ibuem in the night dew. She was a healer in the world of Bothea, and spent her days and nights inside a hut she had constructed herself. She often left her home to gather herbs and items, animal skins and sand to heat into glass. When she came back there were always a few critters inside, sniffing items and stealing a few of them.

Ka’altuhe often had to shoo them out and back into the jungle, taking the stolen things back to their proper places, organizing and correcting what the animals had done to her home, but this time it had ended up worse than usual. Mixtures she had spent weeks brewing were splattered into the dry dust of the ground, draining away into the sands to never be seen again, feeding the hungry earth. Ka'altuhe grumbled to herself, sweeping up the infused powder into a spare jar. Maybe it would be useful later.

And this is how her day went, repairing her home, helping the odd customer or two. Ma'ni and Kubo were high in the sky, and she sat with her lunch, broth reversing her reflection back at her, half-shaven head and gold collar glimmering in the soup - and her stupor was broken when a voice called to her. "Hello?" The Yevat's tone was calm and melodic, voice deep and roughened by sands and desert winds that chafed against the throat. She stepped into view, her fur a sandy brown and armor scuffed. A large gash spread along her torso, dripping blood freely.

In the back of her mind, Ka'altuhe was rolling her eyes. More mess to clean up later. But she beckoned the young one inside, watching as her Siune followed close by. He looked more concerned than she thought he ought to be - weren't Siune known to be loyal? But not intelligent. "Hmph." The healer sat down with a groan, creaking in her old joints as she joined the huntress Yevat at the small table she had set up for healing. "Name?"

"Skaravital."

"How did you get this injury?"

The young Yevat frowned at that, shifting slightly in pain. Ka'altuhe raised her eyebrows. "Going to speak up?"

With a huff, Skaravital answered. "I tried to pet a Boka cub. I thought she was alone."

Ka'altuhe clicked her tongue, and got up to fetch healing supplies. "Well, at least we know you aren't poisoned, yes?" She trundled around with her armful of items, and set them down on the table when she had gathered what she wanted. There were a slew of items in front of her, and she knelt by Skaravital's side, humming softly as she bound and cleaned the wound.

Once the huntress had been fixed up, she paid Ka'altuhe - in honey. The healer accepted the jar, with joy she did not show on her face, and ushered the younger Yevat out.

Score one for Ka'altuhe, score one for the wild beasts...the healer was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of a pot crashing - the younger Yevat's Siune had knocked over an urn full of dried leaves. She shooed him out the door and began to pick them up, muttering curses under her breath.

Score two for wild beasts, it seemed. And of course, when she got back to her lunch, it was cold.