Heir of Fire and Ice

Examinations: Day One

Today was the first of the exams, and they went from what herbs could be used for to how the conditions a complex mixture was kept it could effect it, and what would happen if you substituted one ingredient for another.

Students were assessed one to one in a room with just them and the examiner, to avoid any type of cheating. These tests were life and death. No one wanted an insufficient healer. It took time, of course, but as only twenty people were actually taking the test today (All handpicked by Hafiza herself), it wasn't too bad. In fact, she was only going third, but it felt like ages. Thank gods, she thought, that my last name begins with G, not Z or something. Being last would be awful. Each person took roughly half an hour, so she had approximately an hour to go. She took out a book and began to read.

"Galathynius, Elentiya." The voice demanded no dallying, no fear. Elentiya used it as her rock, to ground her, and stop her from having a panic attack or something silly like that. She had read a single page over and over, taking none of it in.  She stepped in through the wooden door, avoiding looking at Eretia, who was impatiently tapping her nails on the desk before her, and sat down.

"What are the medicinal uses of lavender?"

"On it's own: muscular pains, bites and stings, blisters, minor burns, cuts, earaches, headaches, mouth ulcers, sleeplessness, sunburn and  sore throats. Minor ailments, basically. Mostly used by physicians." 

Having been asked the question, knowing the answer, calmed her down. She was glad she had revised so much, though, or she wouldn't have been able to get the words out. After explaining and demonstrating for, what she was later told, an hour, she left the room dazed, but happy. Convinced she'd passed. It had been hard, but manageable.