Turbinio

Sage and Apples

"She is the lady in rags who heals brothers wounded by the evils of the time", an old innkeeper once said of you.

As far back as you can remember, you lived most of your life alone with your mother in an old shack. Isolated from society, you learned to live in harmony with nature and respect all life forms. You remember very well your childhood in your homeland, where you learned everything you needed to survive. You have always been a quiet person, far from stressful routines and uncomfortable clothes. You believe that simplicity is the best way to live life.

Most of the time your hair is down and messy. Your clothes barely cover the essentials with light shades of green and brown. You are almost always barefoot, but put on your worn boots when needed. You also always like to wear a flower in your hair, because your mother taught you this brings good luck.

When you decided to explore the lands of North America, you knew it would not be easy. You overcame cultural and language barriers, learned a lot, and experienced many stories that you always enjoy telling your patients while you take care of them.

And fortunately, you were never alone on this journey: Cadichon is the name of your most faithful companion, a mule that is always in charge of pulling your wagon full of spices and herbs. Cadichon has a difficult temperament, but she is the best company that a lonely girl could have.

When you heard about the Steel Ball Run, you set off for San Diego without hesitation. You expected to make a lot of money helping the runners and selling your wares to the rich and curious people. Persuading foreigners has always been your forte. You have even heard about people coming from countries like Mongolia, Italy and Egypt to compete. For you, that means pure money.

You knelt on the edge of a lake and shook the water with your hands to scare away a few small fish. You were only a few minutes away from the starting point of the race. You took some water in your hand and drank it slowly, it was cold and hurt your teeth. You hissed and turned your attention back to the fish. 

"Alevinos." You said to Cadichon. "These needle-shaped fish are called alevinos."

Obviously, the mule did not answer. After a few years of traveling alone, you have gotten into the habit of talking to your mule and smiling while you wait for a response that never comes. It's less frustrating when she makes a whinny. So you climbed into your wagon and set off around the lake.

After a few minutes, you finally reached what felt like the heart of San Diego. The place was full of noisy crowds. There was a dry air that took your breath away and choked your throat.

You looked around for a place to set up your little store, and when you found it you loosen Cadichon. The mule looked pleased as it watched you take your things from the drawers built into the wagon. Some clothes and your indispensable bag.

After a few minutes of tidying up, you rested on the ground in the shade of a tree while grabbing your water bottle. You paid attention to the crowd and noticed it was getting louder and louder. Was it some kind of festival? Drunks were circulating and some frightened women too. Whatever it was, you had to see if there was any free beer there.

As you approached the heat of the crowd, you heard a gunshot followed by hysterical screams. Amid the din, you heard someone yell "Call a doctor!"

Needless to say, you were terrified. But would this be your lucky day? It was the perfect opportunity to get your first patient and become known throughout the area for helping someone in front of so many people, as cruel as it was to think so. Then you stepped into the horrified crowd and your voice was punctuated by a sheepish smile. "Did someone call a doctor?"

People gave you strange looks from all sides. Your cheap, slightly torn clothes, messy hair, and forest-witch appearance were not very attractive to them.