bet they won't be expecting that [tempest]

One of the few joys he took in life was a daily constitutional out in the forest. It didn't really matter at which point in the day it was taken; mostly, it was dependent on the season. He was more inclined towards morning or evening walks during Summer, daytime during the Winter, and whenever he had free time during the Spring and Autumn.

He had too much to think about right now, mostly because of the human that he had discovered in the forest. He was well aware that he should have left the young man to his own devices, and now... now, he was in the process of recovering in Tempest's own home. Of course, eventually, he would get his feet under him, he would leave, and Tempest could go back to living his life the way that he needed to.

Until then... a walk would help to clear his head.

The sight of a familiar length of purple hair and pale violet wings made him stop and cringe internally. It was good to see, at least, that the bush before her wasn't currently in the process of smouldering, but there was the chance that it just hadn't been set on fire quite yet. Sighing quietly and well aware that it was his duty to ensure that she did not cause damage to the entire forest, and their entire home by proxy, Tempest made his way over and reached up to adjust the brim of his hat.

"Young Herald," he greeted, one eyebrow raising slowly. "What, exactly, are you doing?"

"An extra bonus," Tempest repeated with a very slow nod, walking over to the bush and picking one of the berries between two gloved fingers to look at it closely. "You know, Estel, these berries will probably kill anyone who eats them in a very slow and painful way unless they're prepared properly. But if you know how to do so, then by all means, go right ahead." Dropping the berry, he turned his attention back to her with a raised eyebrow. The prospect of her out gathering "plants", as her boss certainly was no more specific than that, was a frightening one indeed. Of course, there was a reason that he went other places for his potions than the girl before him and her best friend. The two were terrifying together.

"If you are looking for little white flowers, then it is likely you are looking for some variety of stitchwort," he said, motioning for her to follow. A short distance off the path were small clumps of tiny white flowers among thick green leaves. "This is the most common type of stitchwort, at least out here in this forest. Do you think this may have been what he sent you to find?"

Oh, she just had to go and ask him a question, didn't she?

Ever since Tempest had been young, he'd always had something of a weakness for sharing his knowledge with other people. He supposed he would have been a natural teacher if he was actually able to stand children. But, though he wasn't a potion expert by any means, he had done his fair amount of reading on the subject. Standing near Estel in order to observe her gathering and making sure she was doing it properly, he began to... well, answer her question. There was a reason many people viewed him as something of a walking encyclopedia of magic.

"Stitchwort is the common name of a particular genus of small white flowers such as the plant you see before you. Though their appearance varies, they all perform similar functions in potion making. Most commonly, the petals are used as a base for many tonics or potions that take their affect through consumption via swallowing. Their relatively neutral property allows them to combine two or more ingredients with conflicting attributes, permitting the creation of potions with multiple functions. The stalks and leaves, too, contain the same neutral property as the petals, providing an excellent thickening agent for ointments, salves, and other things of that nature. When used alone as a salve, it has no real medicinal property but can be used as a clear coating to keep bandages dry or a preservative for magical artifacts, books, or scrolls."

He paused for a moment before adding, "The roots, however, have an extremely distinctive property in that they will neutralize anything they are added to, making it predominantly ineffective unless it was neutral to begin with."

"An oversimplified explanation, perhaps, but not an inaccurate one." When she actually wanted to listen and didn't run off on a tangent, Estel was a decent enough student. Sometimes he wondered if he shouldn't be the one teaching her and her little friend magic. It would be less destructive, to be certain, and anything that preserved the peace in Meridell was a good thing in his book. But they already had a boss, and he was loath to take on extra tasks anyway. Perhaps if he got paid extra for it...

He tapped his chin a couple of times as he considered her question. "Well, that is dependent on the quality of the preservative coating and what it is placed on. It can be used on the pages of books, but if the book is used frequently it will need to be reapplied fairly often. On a largely stationary object, such as a magical artifact, it typically lasts for up to a year. An extremely high quality preservative can last for longer, though the most that I have seen is five years. During that time, whatever is beneath the coating is protected from weather damage, sun damage, water, and fire. It does not protect it from being broken or torn. I would not recommend using it on anything organic that you want to remain alive or on fabric, but it can be used on metal accessories without issue."

After a moment, he sighed, waving his hand a bit. "If you would like for me to teach you how to make the preservative sometime, I can do so. It is not a complicated potion." There was also no fire involved, making it excellent practice for her.

Nodding a little, Tempest said. "Very well. I will leave you to your gathering for the time being, then. I am typically at home during the evenings, so the next time that you are free, come by." For now, he would leave her to her work for her boss. Inclining his head, he said, "Good luck. I hope this is what he was looking for."

Turning, he began heading back through the forest. Estel coming while that human was still there... well, that would be rather interesting to watch. Besides, someone else could deal with him for a short period of time, right? Worst case scenario, he would try to help with the creation of the salve.

...there was no way that he could be worse at it than she was, even if he didn't have any experience at all.