Chapitre 25 Herbs.
'I knew I would find you here.'
A smile lit up Elrond's face. He wore a long white apron tied around his waist, gloves, and a mask covered his mouth and nose. "Good day, Nienor," he replied without lifting his eyes from his work.
Lord Elrond was busy grinding ingredients for his various remedies and balms. Empty vials, already labeled, were scattered on the worktable where he worked.
Nienor entered; it was the second or third time she had come here. She knew Elrond spent most of his time here. If he was nowhere else, he could only be here. The workshop was a large circular room filled with glass cabinets and shelves stocked with books, vials, and ingredients. In the center, there was a worktable with mortars and pestles, filters, test tubes and funnels, bowls, knives, and boxes. All this equipment was neatly arranged and classified across the entire surface.
'Don't get too close,' he said, 'it's belladonna.'
'Why?' Nienor asked as she returned to stand near the door.
'A painkiller. Belladonna can be very toxic, but when properly dosed, it has analgesic virtues.' Elrond poured the belladonna powder into a vial, sealed it with a cork stopper, and said, 'There you go,' as he placed the vial on a shelf. He then dipped the mortar in water and wiped the worktable with a cloth. Finally, he removed his mask and gloves. 'No more danger,' he signaled her to approach.
'All this is fascinating,' she said, joining him.
'I grant you that,' he answered. He watched Nienor as she ran her fingers over the books on the shelves. 'It's a very useful skill, and yet it's not complicated.'
'Who taught you?' she asked.
'Time,' he answered promptly.
Nienor stopped in front of the shelf filled with vials. 'Chamomile, lavender, valerian,' she read a few more, 'but not all these plants and roots grow in Imladriss...' Nienor remarked.
'I buy them from merchants or get them during my travels...' He smiled, 'you seem very interested.'
'Believe it or not, I have a particular taste for dried flowers,' she said, pointing to the flowers hanging above the shelves.
He laughed and joined her, 'I will teach you to distill them to extract their essence and seeds,' he said, embracing her tenderly, 'all my knowledge and recipes are in these books.' He then placed his hand on her belly and caressed it, 'but not today; a pregnant woman should not frequent such a place. Many of these vials could kill you if you just inhale the smell. And it could also harm the health of our dear little girl.'
Nienor nodded, 'Very well, then. I'll leave you to your work, my Lord Elrond,' she said teasingly. She broke free from the embrace and walked away.
Elrond laughed, 'You take it that way, so be it. Goodbye, my lady.'
She smiled at him one last time before disappearing into the corridor.