Marcella
Alcuin maintained his smile but grew a bit embarrassed at the older man's chuckles. He spoke cheerily but a bit falteringly, **"I uh... I never meant to imply... I just..."** He chewed his lip again, staring down the gentleman without meaning to, **"I'm sure I have a lot I could learn from someone who must be as experienced as you. I didn't mean to be so bold, it's just my habit to offer help. I'm happy to assist you."** He laughed again, nervously. Glancing down at the bud again, he nodded, looking back to the old man, **"I have some healing magic, but little else outside of it. I would love to learn more about druidcraft, in any capacity."** He began walking along the same path the old man had been, brows furrowed in concentration as his eyes searched. He went on this way a few minutes, finding a few more mushrooms, before he turned to the other man and blurted with some anxiety, **"Oh! How rude of me! I'm Alcuin, by the way."** He gave a small bow, **"Very pleased to meet you."** 

Time was plentiful enough for Alcuin, right now. He tried to do what he could each day, offering his services and potions for a little extra coin. But he tended to spend it too easily on rare ingredients, when someone really needed them. His mouth turned down into a frown at the thought. He'd have to learn to be a little more... Conservative with his resources, if he was going to leave. Stealing a glance at the man foraging alongside him, he ventured, **"If it's not too much trouble, I'd ask a little more of you..."** He trailed off, then took a deep breath, **"I'm treating a... Condition,"** He almost stumbled over the word, **"That I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out. I plan to leave to do more research and maybe try different reagents and recipes, but..."** His eyes become glassy, and he swallows, **"I've never really left home before. Had no need to."** He looks sheepishly up at the older man, through long lashes, **"But you must be well-travelled... Any advice for the road?"**
Cynthia
Listening to Alcuin talk, Tolius simply couldn't help himself but keep smiling. It was like looking in a mirror at his younger self. "I'm just pulling your leg, boy." Tolius chuckled, walking alongside Alcuin as he continued to look for the mushrooms. "Druidcraft? Well, you seem to have bumped into the right man. I'm quite the druid myself." He said casually, watching the young man pick some of the mushrooms. Tolius did not seem to be in any rush at all, and seemed relatively calm compared to the young man. At the introduction, Tolius held a hand out to shake, waiting for Alcuin to finish bowing. "I am Tolius, Tolius Olosim. I suppose some have called me more colorful names, but Tolius will do." *Bowing to a simple old druid?*, he thought, making a little *Tsk* Sound, *I haven't seen that one before*. 

"A condition?" Tolius questioned, in a way that implied he would like to hear more about it, "Well, if you would like, I could help you research this... Condition. But, if this is something you would rather solve on your own, I won't stop you." The man straightened his back and raised a curious brow at the question. *Advice for the road?* He glanced off to the woods for a moment, taking his sweet time trying to decide on an answer. "Common sense. You and I were both made to understand what we should and should not be afraid of. Our instincts are within us for a reason. Do not ignore them. If you hear a noise and it scares you, run. If you feel tired and hungry and think you should stop at an inn, stop at the inn. Trying to be brave or trying to ignore your instincts is what gets people hurt on the road."
Marcella
Alcuin eagerly and warmly returned the handshake, noting the gentleman's reaction to his bow. It was common enough in Mertune; perhaps it was outdated elsewhere? It just wasn't the sort of thing he paid much attention to. He listened to Tolius and continued walking. Hagsfinger was a little harder to find this time of year, but not impossible. It liked the cover of trees to shelter it from the cold. Noticing that Tolius didn't generally seem to like keeping eye contact, and not wanting to stare, he let his eyes wander to the tree line.

It took quite a few more moments before he could figure out how to put his thoughts into words. He didn't want this stranger to immediately dismiss him as some young lunatic. But other than his parents, he had no other elders skilled in such arts to turn to; and he didn't dare tell them anything about what he'd been experiencing. It was too shameful, and they already disapproved of his worship of Lunara anyway; they couldn't understand how or why he'd pay reverence to anyone but Calisto, who had given them so much.

**"If you could help, it would be much appreciated."** His levity quickly melted away, replaced by a frown and a dark look in his eyes, **"I owe you honesty, otherwise I'm just wasting your time. I got lost over the border to the beyond lands, about 30 years ago."** He heaved a deep sigh before continuing, **"It's literally a miracle I made it back. I thought for sure I would die there. But... Someone, or something, saved me, guided me out. Since then, my magic has been somewhat better, and I could do some things I previously couldn't. And that was it, for the last 30 years."** He shrugged, **"But it's as if something has awakened, and now my mind is plagued by... Voices, visions, desires... It's overwhelming at times."**

Finally spotting a bit of hagsfinger, he walked a few paces away, back to Tolius, not daring to meet the man's eyes now, for fear of what he'd see there. He crouched down, gently plucking the hagsfinger. He slowly turned and walked back, extending the specimen to Tolius. **"I don't know that there's anything to be done for it, really. But staying here, feeling a danger to those I love, isn't an option anymore. So I might as well seek answers and curatives along the way."** He gave a small laugh, a little ruefully, **"Thank you, for the advice. I'll certainly follow it, as much as my scattered mind will let me."**