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14

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Two weeks. It was hard to believe that it had already been two weeks since Essie had rescued Rylir from the blizzard outside. Two weeks since they resumed living their lives under the same roof. An entire two weeks of compromise and care. It was almost an entirely new experience from what life was like before.

Rylir made a full recovery after the first couple of days thanks to Essie’s diligent care and attention. Though she scolded him the first afternoon for carelessly charging out into the frigid mountainside forest and then attempting to make the trek back with limited supplies, Rylir could tell there was something in her voice that was different.

It was more tender – caring.

While she never lost her straightforward and direct approach in addressing him or saying what was on her mind, Rylir could hear something different in the wizard’s voice. She was actually worried about him. She was genuinely concerned for what had happened to him. He knew she cared about life and preserving it, but now he had confirmed that she truly cared about him specifically.

The thought made him smile.

Perhaps she wasn’t as cold and unfeeling as she generally let on.

Then again…

Rylir could have thought differently because, immediately following his recovery, she cracked down on him hard to learn more about the herbs and their uses than ever before. Essie claimed it was because the spring season was coming in the valley and she would need all the help she could get finding the smaller plants which her own eyes sometimes failed to pick up, but Rylir also suspected she enjoyed their learning sessions.

At the very least, she had built up a tolerance to him and wasn’t bothered by his questions or teaching him some of the same material over and over again.

It was after those two weeks that Essie surprised Rylir with something he didn’t expect.

“You… want me to go out harvesting on my own?” asked Rylir, legs dangling off of the edge of the flower box he had just tended to. “Are you sure about that?”

“Yes,” replied Essie as she finished dusting the soil off her fingertips. “I believe it will be good for you to go out on a harvesting mission independently. It will be a real test of your skills, and the herb you are looking for is not particularly difficult to identify.”

“And it’s… mint, right? For infections?” asked Rylir.

“Yes. Mentha piperita. It helps ease internal stress, calming anxieties, and promotion of restful slumber. It also makes an excellent tea. It grows by streams, so you should be familiar with the terrain,” stated Essie, a tease hinting in her voice.

“Really? You are really going to tease me about that so soon after I almost froze to death?” asked Rylir.

“It will be good practice for you to navigate to your location, collect the correct herb, and then navigate back. Consider it an opportunity to redeem yourself as well as prove your earlier point about practicing your autonomy and exercising the skills you have learned from me,” stated Essie.

“And you think I’m ready? To go out on my own and find this? What if I bring back something poisonous?” asked Rylir.

“Unlikely. Your skills have progressed significantly since you have been spending more time dedicated to your studies. We have drilled the herbs and how to identify them. To be honest, there is little chance of you misidentifying an herb as recognizable as mint,” stated Essie. “Also, this is a simple, independent training exercise and not a life-or-death scenario. In addition… I believe you can do this. Don’t you?”

Rylir reached up and scratched the back of his neck. Essie did have a point. This wasn’t something that his life depended on. She was using this as a training opportunity, and he wanted to take every chance she gave him to show her he was capable of doing things on his own.

If she thought he could do this, then that was all the confidence he needed to make it happen.

They had a quiet lunch together before he gathered up his pack, dressed in as many layers that he could while still being able to maneuver, and stood ready by the door. It wasn’t until he crossed the threshold that he glanced up at Essie and called up to her.

“So, you’re really not coming?”

Essie shook her head in reply.

“You do not need me to accompany you. Ensure you are back before sundown. If not, I will have to come looking for you and the torment shall not cease this time,” she warned. Rylir nodded and headed out into the snow.

The brisk afternoon air, thankfully, was not as cold as it was the day he left. There was a bit of warmth to the air, thankfully, and the promise of spring lingered in the trees and the melting snow. Rylir remembered where the banks were, and it was going to be a bit of a trek if he was going to make it there and back before sundown.

Essie watched Rylir turn and begin walking down to the right, carefully following along the tree line so he could brace himself if he were to slip.

She knew he was capable of doing all these things. The Wizard of the Wood had the utmost confidence Rylir could make it there and back again. At the same time, she had a subtle unease that he may need some assistance.

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Rylir carefully slid from tree to tree when the areas were far too slick to walk down. It reminded him of a game he used to play as a child, sliding down the side of a hill to see how far he could slide.

This, sadly, was no game and he was certainly not a child anymore.

Rylir grasped onto the bark of a nearby tree as his feet attempted to give out from under him once again. He was sure his side was going to be one large bruise if he landed on it again. Surveying his surroundings, he saw one indistinct tree after another. To make sure he didn’t lose his way, he pried away a small patch of bark in the same place on every tree he passed.

For a short while, he thought he was completely and utterly lost. He knew Essie would never let him hear the end of it if he got lost this early into his first solo mission. It wasn’t until he stopped and listened as he had seen Essie do many times before that he heard something familiar.

The trickling water of the stream.

The afternoon sun had melted enough of the snow for him to hear the stream!

Rylir slid down a patch of ice, barely catching himself against one of the trees, until he finally spotted the stream. Long icicles dangled from the edges of the banks and formed small caves out of ice and snow.

He knew he needed to be careful there by the water so he wouldn’t slide in and make a freezing mess of himself. So, one step at a time, he tiptoed through the crunching ice, kneeling and checking every so often by the banks for a hint of the green leaves he was searching for.

Slowly but surely, he made his way upstream. He was beginning to feel disheartened when, by the banks, he spotted a patch of green, jagged leaves. Rylir nearly slid back down the way he came in his haste to get up to the patch, but he avoided slipping all the way up. Sure enough, there was a large bundle of mint right there.

Harvesting didn’t take very long at all. He was sure to leave some behind, harvest the roots, and then repack the exposed dirt so the other roots weren’t exposed to the elements. He packed the roots away carefully and made the hike back, following the path of exposed bark he made on the way to the stream.

While he walked back, he couldn’t help but notice that some of the snow further up ahead had been disturbed, which he thought was odd. Had something come through here?

Just as the sun set, Rylir crossed back over the threshold, victorious.

Essie, who was still working at her desk, actually offered a smile when Rylir came back inside. He allowed her to help him up onto the desk as he presented his prize.

As she examined the herbs, Rylir glanced by the door and noticed something odd.

On the shoulders of Essie’s cloak, there were dozens of tiny droplets of water. Was that… melting snow? He glanced over at Essie, who was still admiring the herbs he brought with him.

“Essie?” he asked, gaining her temporary attention. “Did you… go outside?”

“Hm? No. Why?” she asked absently.

Rylir couldn’t hide the smile. Though it was the first time Essie had been dishonest with him, somehow he couldn’t be mad about it. She had gone along… she had gone outside to make sure he was okay and that he made it back on his own.

If anything… it showed she cared… which was a lot more than he could have said a few months ago.