Jarrah stood with his arms crossed, watching over the village as the sun rose over the horizon. Another Cycle gone, another start for the Ansharin. For the farmers, it was a chance to see if the harvest could bring in a better yield than Cycles prior. For some of the more competitive hunters, it would mark a new beginning for the tallies he knew some of them kept. But for himself and Jannali, it meant nothing beyond the sentiment of a new Cycle. Healers were always needed, their roles independent of the passing of time or seasons. 

Jannali emerged from the hut, stretching her arms as she awoke. With a yawn, she asked, "If the Kodonji plant numbs pain when eaten, father, why does it also put me to sleep like it did last night?"

Jarrah laughed. "Is that what you dream of, Jannali? The differing effects of the Kodonji plant?"

Jannali shrunk, embarrassed that those were her first words of the day.

"The Kodonji leaves numb pain, but mix them with the Arokko leaves in water and they are excellent at relaxing the body and inducing sleep," Jarrah answered, smiling down at his daughter. "Do you know what today is, little one?"

Jannali took a moment to respond. The Arokko leaves were also used as blood thinners if one was to find themselves poisoned, though she assumed the Kodonji mixture nullified that effect. She set that thought aside, returning her thoughts to her father's question. "The final day of the Cycle, isn't it? And it's also another centennial. That's why mother is already out of the hut. She's going on an earlier hunt than usual to prepare for the celebration."

"That's right. Not everybody gets to experience the centennial Cycle. It's a special day, and we have our own work to be doing, as well."

"What's that?"

"The celebrations might prove to be too much for some of the villagers to handle. We should have remedies prepared, just in case."

Jannali was confused. "What's the worst that could happen? Isn't it just a feast and a dance, tonight?"

Jarrah nodded. "Exactly. Do you remember what happened the last time your mother brought back a Yakkul and you had too much to eat?"

Jannali blushed. She remembered having a terrible stomach ache and throwing up shortly after.

"And that's why we need to be ready. The hunters will want to bring back as many Yakkuls as they can, so we should prepare. Just in case. And besides, sometimes the dancers fall and hurt themselves, or young ones get into a fight. When the entire village is celebrating a moment such as this, anything could happen, and the elders might call upon us to assist," Jarrah explained, as he began to walk away. "I'm going to be gathering the herbs we need in the area to the south. I've heard the Manalo plant is growing throughout the village, so try to collect as many leaves as possible."

Jannali nodded; the Manalo leaves cured the stomachaches she had fallen victim to. She took a moment to gather herself and look upon the village, as her father had. She spied the short, spiny Manalo plant just in the distance, by the painters and hunters preparing for the celebrations that evening. With one last stretch to wake herself up, Jannali headed in that direction, checking to make sure her pouch had ample room to hold the leaves she would need.