Over The Years | Merlin

vii |The Gates of Avalon

"Now, what are the healing properties of ginger?" Gaius quizzed Elara, as the two sat together at one of the dark wooden tables in the physician's chamber. Over the last few months, the physician had treated Elara very much like an assistant to his practice. She had shown an eager interest in healing, and now it was time to test just how much knowledge she had retained.

Elara pursed her lips together and squeezed her eyes shut as she formulated her response, "hmm, well, if a moderate amount of the root in ingested, the rhizome helps to quell nausea and motion sickness."

Gaius nodded his head in approval, "and what of Valerian root?"

In front of them on the table rested a rather large copy of 'De Materia Medica,' which was composed in the first-century AD by the Greek physician Dioscorides. It was an encyclopedia of six-hundred different herbs and plants along with their medicinal properties and uses.

"It helps to relax the body and is a natural sedative."

A proud smile framed Gaius' lips, "very good, now here's a tricky one, what if a patient came in and was suffering from alcohol poisoning? What would you give them?"

This one took Elara by surprise as she bit her bottom lip and squinted her eyes in thought, "hmm ..." she searched her mind for a few moments before the answer hit her, "oh! You give the patient the ground seeds and root of Milk Thistle. It'll help to block damage to the liver."

A smile appeared on her face as Gaius nodded his head, "excellent... now what is this plant and what are its benefits to healing?" The physician flicked through the book and pointed to a drawing of a bundle of small white flowers with orange pollen centres.

This one's easy, Elara thought, as she instantly knew what she was looking at. "That, Gaius, is the Camomile flower, which is used to both reduce swelling and clean wounds. It can be both ingested or applied as a compress."

Gaius' nodded his head in approval and smiled proudly, "very good, in a few short years you'll be ready to take over as court physician."

Elara smiled fondly, "it's all thanks to your great teaching Gaius."

The physician let out a hearty chuckle as the distant trotting of approaching horses echoed from the grassy fields in the near distance. "Ah, it seems that Merlin and Arthur are back from their hunting trip."

Both Elara and Gaius stood up from the table as Elara walked over the window and Gaius packed away Dioscorides' encyclopedia.

"I wonder if Merlin caught anything," Gaius speculated as he joined Elara by the window and the two watched the pair gallop through the castle's gates.

Elara shot him a quizzical look as she chuckled in amusement, "remember, it's Merlin we're talking about here... I'd be shocked if he was able to stay on his horse let alone hunt and catch game."

Gaius chuckled softly as the pair's gaze fell to the Prince and his servant below. But to their surprise, the boys were not alone, as trotting behind them on horses of their own was an elderly man and a young girl who looked to be his daughter.

"Who are they, I wonder?" Gaius mumbled as Elara bit her lower lip in thought. "I have no idea ... let's go and find out."

***

"My name is Aulfric, heir of Tirmawr," the older man addressed the King and Royal Court, as Elara stood beside Merlin towards the back of the throne hall. The pair leaned with their backs rested against one of the many stone columns. Elara stood slightly on her toes to reach his ear, "I see you didn't catch anything," she whispered, a cheeky grin framed her lips.