Chapter 44: A new friend

"Lets see, now to extract the needed compounds I take this blend of herbal goop, mix it with fresh snow and let it drip into the condenser while pouring over fresh water." Oz muttered to herself, a strip of jerky dangling from her lip as she chewed on it.

"So basically like drip coffee." She smiled to herself.

A set of beakers and spherical bottles sat before her on the rock slab table, held up by golden stands. It was cheaper to buy wholesale beakers and bottles made for science labs over the expensive alchemic bottles sold in hunter malls. They were 100% the same, made by the same companies. She had teeny tiny beakers and mixing bottles and large gallon sized mead bottles, cute glass test tubes perfect for throwing at enemies or at the feet of others. The large mead bottles were full of filtered water, the water all having gone through the charcoal based water treatment set up on the opposite wall. She was sure the water was safe to drink, given the elves drank it easily, but it was still better to be safe.

As much as she enjoyed napping with Selene and Nahern, after two days she needed her own space to craft and relax. She still slept with the siblings, far better to keep warm during the frigid nights. But for working, the tiny storage unit was perfect. Small but cozy. With the help of a few of the she-elves, she stacked the freshly organized baskets of supplies up on freshly made racks to give more space to work. Fresh mats were laid out over the tamped down ground, herbs and the tundra flowers drying overhead on woven grates of thin branches.

It was a cozy little workshop. Perfect for her to work on her dailies and to try and upgrade her skills.

Oz had been working quietly on grinding the foraged herbs, the mortar and pestle full of an earthly blend that she would hopefully extract a powerful fever-cure. The elder elves were talking while weaving baskets this morning, the weather would turn soon. It would somehow get even colder, and with it came the fevers. Oz wanted to make sure her new people had the medicine they needed. 

After morning exercises and foraging, she put herself to work. Already there were shelves full of useful medicines, from fever breakers, health potions, energy refreshers, and her alchemic levels were level five. The experience boost was doing her wonders. 

Slowly she poured the boiled and cooled water over the snow-packed herbal goo in the gold mesh reusable coffee filter resting on the lip of the beaker. A thick green slime dripped down, drop by drop. Peering over to the tablet resting on the curved wall she smiled, she followed the recipe perfectly. Everything was just as it was supposed to be.

"Now we just let this cure for a few days until it hardens and we have a very nice antifungal gel. Perfect for itches and anything else. If nothing else, it will be a good way to turn a profit." Oz hummed. 

"Saint! Saint!"

The fur flap flew open, allowing the frigid day air to hit her back. She let out a squeal of complaint, having just been relaxing in a sweatshirt and comfy jeans. Far from the protective beast furs. 

"Warn me next time." Oz said around her chattering teeth, "What's wrong Qell?" 

The young bathhouse attendant held her chest, breathing heavily. "The stranger is awake, the Elder told me to get you."

"The Beastman? I'm coming!" Oz jumped to her feet, grabbing the heavy fur from the hook on the wall. She stuffed her feet into a pair of bright yellow rain boots. She loved the ice-elf boots but sometimes she just wanted something easy. The boots were high to her knees, waterproof and warm from the fur lining. They weren't any use for hunting, but for rushing through the camp they were perfect. Qell held up the heavy fur and allowed Oz to rush out. 

She held the fur closed as she rushed to the blue roofed yurt, shivering as she kept her bare skin tucked into the furs. Today was bitter cold despite the sunlight. A line of curious elves were lingering about the medical tent, only moving aside when they saw Oz coming close. She slipped the fur off by the door and shook the snow from her hair.

"How is he?" Oz gasped out of breath from the quick sprint.

Sitting up on the bed was the golden beastman, just wearing a pair of trousers that struggled to hold in his heavily muscular thighs. He sipped the thick broth from the odd pear shaped mug, filled from the elder's pitcher. He looked up, immediately at the top his head a pair of animal ears shot right up. Almost like fox ears but far fluffier. 

'...I want to pet them.' Was the only thought that filled her head at the sight, his fluffy ears wiggling and his tail wagging like crazy. He stood up, arms wide.

"My Savior!"