“I figured you might want this,” she said casually, “looked pretty bad back there.” Ashton took it slowly, downing the potion like it was a shot of whiskey. Laudna offered the potion to him as they stepped outside, her eyes concerned. Laudna paid for the potion as they stood blankly, the woman giving a grin to them as they stepped out. He didn’t let anyone know it still was bothering him. Orym was about to be flattened, so he did it without thinking, but the residual pain through their side down to their hip made them silently wish it hadn’t happened for the rest of the evening. “Hello ma’am, my friend took a nasty hit earlier today and I’m wondering if you have anything that may be of help?” Laudna beamed as the old woman shuffled to the back of the shop, leaving Ashton dumbstruck. Their expression shifted the second Laudna spoke. Fuck if he knew what magic required, maybe there was something she needed at the shop, it wasn’t worth their worry.
Ashton didn’t bat an eye at the departure from the norm. She turned into an apothecary a few blocks away from the shop she’d usually visit. Laudna said it was for spell components, and Ashton was mostly just bored, but it quickly became clear that her plan was not as it seemed. As Fearne, Orym, Imogen and FCG busied themselves with making camp, Chetney whittled away at a new project, Ashton and Laudna went into town.