"It's also important to note that when you're working with addictive extracts, it is absolutely imperative to be accurate. We do not want to create addicts," Anna said, looking up for a moment to glance at her apprentice, who was taking frantic notes. "You won't be working with those mixtures for a bit yet, but it's best to get in the habit of being as precise as possible all the time, even if there's wiggle room in the formula."
The room the two worked in was well-lit, the walls absolutely covered in shelves full of vials of tinctures and extracts and bags of dried herbs. There was a small sink in the corner, but there are shelves even above the sink. A large book, looking to be at least 500 pages, sits on a work table in the middle room. There's just enough space for the two women to stand comfortably as the older galdor tucks a loose cinnamon-colored curl behind her ear and demonstrates how to add the extract.
"Please grab a label and write out the directions for this," Anna said as she straightened up, sealed the vial, and shook it. She stretched, her back cracking audibly. "Then I want you to do 4 vials of the same mixture. We're also low on that arthritis balm the women on Mulberry street like, so you should probably make a batch of that for backstock. When you're done, come down and we'll review how to use Quantitative Conversation to check your mixtures."
Anna washed her hands thoroughly, then watched her apprentice as she starts to replicate the recipe that Anna just showed her. Lisette was just out of school, eager to help people and willing to study as much as needed so she could be a good apothecary. But she was a bit too eager and starting to be a bit sloppy, so Anna hoped she could learn focus and accuracy.
The galdor stepped out of the room, undoing her ponytail just to redo it so she could capture the stray curls that had slipped out. "Any customers?" she called as she went down the stairs. She knew the answer. Fran, her human helper, would have called up if a customer was there. But that didn't mean that she didn't hope that Fran had forgotten to call up.
It had been almost a year since the Vienda store had opened and business was steady, if not as robust as it had been in Brunnhold. Customers came in spurts, usually around the time the shifts at the factories changed. Galdori rarely stopped in, preferring the apothecaries and doctors in the wealthier parts of Vienda, which had cut into Anna's profits. The store wasn't in any danger of closing, but Anna definitely felt the pinch. If not for her brother's discounts on herbs, things would be dire.
"Has anyone even looked in?" Anna sighed as she saw Fran sitting on one of the chairs, sipping coffee. Unlike other store owners, Anna didn't chastise her help for resting if there wasn't anything to do.
"I saw a couple people, but…" Fran trailed off. "Shift change should be soon."
"True. We'll see how things go," Anna said, smiling. "I take it you finished the inventory of the west wall?"
"Yup," Fran said cheerfully. "The list of what we need is on the counter."
"Excellent. Thank you," Anna said as she made her way behind the counter and started figuring out what she needed to restock. She focused on the paperwork, trying to ignore her anxiety over when she would hear the door open.