It's nearing lunch time in Southern Weyr, but not all are headed for the living caverns and the midday meal. In fact, one particular healer apprentice can be found meandering one of Southern's vast gardens, plucking 'winter' grown foliage and fruit from trees and garden boxes with a practiced eye. From the outside looking in she could be picking ingredients for a meal, but really, it's for medicinal practices. Well…. maybe except for an apple or two she may or may not have stowed away. It's a pleasent enough day for what passes as 'winter' in this part of Southern, chill, but clear…for now. Rain will be coming later, but she seems safe enough from the weather at the moment. It's quiet here, with few people roaming at the moment.

This little respite from winter's rains is perfect to get a bit of fresh air, so that is exactly what Alyna is doing, having gone to pick up her son from the nursery first. Now the two turn old little boy is toddling fearlessly along the paths, bundled up well with hat and mittens as well as a thick coat. Every so often he stops to crouch by a particularly pretty plant and sniffs exageratedly while babbling, "Smell goo' mama! Flowa smell goo'!". The greenrider's lips hold back a giggle as she looks down at the boy, "Those are just leaves, Adryn, flowers are like…" she looks around, but can't seem to spot any.

Phaedra finds her peace pleasantly disturbed with the excited babble of a small child. She pauses in her reach for a dangling seed pod that'd been missed by the fall and winter storms to turn and find the source of the noise. Her eyes land on Alyna and her small son, watching them with interest, though her features remain blank. She sinks back to being flat footed and readjusts the basket on her arms before moving in a slow path towards the other pair, curiosity drawing her near.

Adryn doesn't seem to care if it is a flower or not, everything leafy seems to have that particular denomination at this time. It's not long before he takes off again, running wobbily on his short legs. Alyna winces as she watches him take off, one hand raised and about to call out when the toddler's feet tangle themselves under him and he goes tumble face first to the ground. It only takes a moment before a loud wail breaks the peace and the greenrider catches up quickly to pick him off the ground to survey the damage. There's a small scrape just above his brow and the beginings of a goose egg rising, his lip is bleeding some as well. His cry is inconsolable as she gathers him to her with a worried shushing, "It's ok, baby, you're ok."

Phaedra can't help but feel bad for the poor little lad when he takes a tumble. Not being too far away, it doesn't take long for her to reach the pair. "What a hard tumble. Poor little one. Is he alright?" Phaedra is already digging in her basket, any good healer, apprentice or not, is always prepared for a boo-boo! Bringing up a kerchief, she pours some water on it from a fresh skin and hands it to Alyna. "Here mom, would you like to clean him up? I have some numbweed salve in here we can put on that little forehead." If Phaedra were Mary Poppins she'd probbaly be climbing in her basket to find things, the way she digs about, but she eventually comes up with a stoppered clay jar.

"Oh yeah, he's still learning where his feet go most of the time," Alyna chuckles, but she takes the kerchief with thanks and begins to dab at his lip and then the small scrape on his forehead. "He's definitely all boy, this one," she says with a grin. For his part, Adryn's wails turn to sniffles, his large brown eyes swimming in tears as he looks up at Phaedra. The greenrider pushes back Adryn's hat to get a better look at the bump forming on his forehead, a tumble of dark curls revealed, hissing in sympathy, "Yeah a little numbweed wouldn't hurt. I don't like the look of that bump coming up though." Even though she's a veteran of a decade and a half of threadfighting, this is her little boy, and a mother's worry is real.

Phaedra smirks. "Aye most of us are at that age." She says of learning where one's feet go. Phaedra gives a light bow to Alyna and sets her basket aside on a small patch of dry ground. " Rider Alyna, right? If you wouldn't mind turning him around where I can see, I could take a look for you, and get some of this numbweed on his scrapes." It dawns on Phaedra that she's met Alyna before, and she wonder sif the rider remembers her in turn.

"Just Alyna is fine," Alyna replies as she takes a closer look at Phaedra, recognition sparking, "I remember you, Phaedra right? Lucky you were nearby. I hate taking him to the infirmary for bumps and bruises, I'm sure the healers are all rolling their eyes at me for being overprotective." Complying, she turns Adryn around and sits him in her lap so that the healer can get a better look. The little boy's tears have mostly dried by this point, as he continues to stare with wide eyed wonder up at Phaedra. "So how are things with the healers?" she asks conversationally.

Phaedra drops down to Adryn's level and eyes the cleaning Alyna had done. LIke any mom, it's nice and clean. "Aye, that would be me. And if we healers got angry every time a mama brought in her baby with a cut or a bump we'd be in a hurt, being angry all the time is unhealthy." This is stated rather matter of factly as Phaedra continues to look the young boy over. FOr the child's sake she puts on a bright smile while she does, and runs a bit of numbweed salve over the cut above his brow. "He's a bit bruised, and that'll end up being a good sized little egg on his noggin, but I think he'll survive. If he seems dizzy, listless or gets an upset stomach, bring him by the infirmary though." Phaedra ruffles the little man's curls and caps the numbweed salve.

Putting on his bravest face, Adryn doesn't move through the application of the salve, only flinching slightly when she touches the cut. Alyna watches on with pride as she holds him tight in a reassuring hug. "I know, but I never wanted to be one of those mothers," the greenrider replies with a chuckle. "I swore I would be the cool mom who takes everything in stride. Yeah right!" She scoffs with a bit of a snort before heaving a sigh of relief for the healer's prognosis, "Dizzy, listless or upset tummy, got it." She replies before turning her head to place a kiss at Adryn's temple, causing the boy to giggle infectiously and squirm to get out of her grasps. "No kisses!" he declares as he manages to get back to his feet and wanders over to the next plant that needs sniffing as if nothing every happened. "Resiliant little buggers," Alyna declares with a shake of her head as she gets back to her feet with a groan.

Phaedra chuckles and shakes her head, a rare small smile remaining on her lips. "That they are, now if only full grown adults could be as resiliant, we'd be grand." Phaedra's seen far too many that act like a scratch or fleshwound is something mortal. "I'd put some more numbweed on that before bedtime too." She offers the small crock of salve. "Here, I can always get or make more."

Keeping one eye on Adryn as he continues his examination of the "flowers", Alyna smiles back at Phaedra with a bit of a quizzical lift to her brow, "Yeah well, grown adults acting worse than children seems to be a theme around here lately." Although her complaint is mainly with men who still act like horny teenagers. Taking the little crock of numbweed, the greenrider smiles broadly, "Thanks. With him at this age, I can't keep enough of this stuff around the weyr." She says with a giggle before slipping it into her pant's pocket. "Sorry, I hope we didn't interupt anything for you," she says suddenly, nodding at the younger woman's basket of things. "I really do appreciate your help."

Phaedra can only nod in agreement to Alyna's first and chuckle about her second. "Aye well, with boys, it's generally a good rule of thumb to keep it about." As to being interrupted. "No worries ma'am, that's what I'm here for. To heal. I hope youand your son continue to have a good afternoon. STaying in the garden for long?" Now Phae tries her hand at small talk. This could be a disaster.

"I am starting to get that," Alyna replies with a fond look at her son as he crouches by a bush to watch the water drip off the leaves with utter facination. "I always kind of wondered what having a daughter would be like, but he doesn't leave me a whole of time to think about things like that, adorable scamp that he is." When asked about her plans, the greenrider shrugs noncommitally. "Not sure yet. We're supposed to go for lunch here soon, but I just wanted to allow him a bit of fresh air while it isn't dreary and wet. So we'll probably head back in when he starts to complaning about being hungry," she explains with a tilted smile in Phaedra's direction.

Phaedra looks a slight bit surprised. "Is it really near lunch time already?" The woman shades her face and looks up to check the position of Rukbat. "By roads it is. I get so wrapped up in things I tend to lose track of time." She should probably eat herself, but the weather is indeed quite agreeable. "Hard to make yourself go in when it's so nice out though, right?" An eyebrow goes up in question, but her face has reverted back to nuetral.

"Yeah, just about," Alyna replies, following Phaedra's gaze upwards, "I was going to wait until the worst of the bustle was done before heading in ourselves, just easier when dealing with a toddler and plates. And yeah, hard not to take advantage when you know the winter rain will be back with a vengeance soon enough." That garners a hefty sigh from the greenrider, who is a summmer girl through and through. Adryn for his part seems content enough babbling at the plants he seems so fascinated with. "So you're an apprentice healer then? Or did you walk the tables since we last spoke?" she asks, giving the girl a look over and trying to gauge her age.

Phaedra nods. "True enough." As for being an apprentice, well, "No, I have not walked the tables yet. Still have to complete my journeyman project before then. BUt I am close." EYes track the small boy and his movements, as if looking for something. And maybe she is. A change in gait, stumbling, anything that might indicate the bump had done worse things. But it looks like the little tyke is fine. Phaedra is young, and looks to be in her mid teens.

Alyna catches how Phaedra watches Adryn, and it worries her for a split second before realizing that the healer would surely say so if there were something wrong with him, so she she doesn't, the greenrider relaxes a bit. "Good luck to you then. Or whatever people say to aspiring journeymen," she replies with a chuckle and a shrug. Adryn seems to be well indeed, moving to the next leafy green he spies and reaching out with a chubby fist to pluck a bit of greenery and then immediately bring it to his wide open mouth for a taste. Luckily his mother has been keeping that eye on him, because Alyna moves in a flash to stop him, "No no, we don't eat things we don't know what they are." She chides before turning back to Phaedra. "I think that means it's lunch time," she jokes as she takes up the tyke and balances him on her hip. "Did you want to come along with us?" she invites with a tilt of her head in the direction of the living caverns.

Phaedra looks around for a moment and shrugs. "Sure, why not?" There's no reason for her to stay here much longer, saving that pod she was trying to get at when Adryn fell. But that, that she just grabs on her way out and on her way to enjoy lunch. That she has company makes it a bit fun, and less dull to go eat in the caverns with everyone else. It's a good start to the afternoon, that's for sure.