Earthy scent in the soft heat of the afternoon wafted towards me. I hadn’t wanted to sleep for as long as I did, but I supposed it wouldn’t matter. There was no need to work myself all hours of the day. Smiling, I carefully sipped the amber amer, casting a glance around my cabin. My appreciation for it never ceased, and neither did the nose scrunching I did when I drank it in.

The four beans I was given grew well, with some encouragement from one of the Fae who tended the small garden. A House Elf, by the name of Geai, with a charming smile and two green thumbs. They complimented her personality quite nicely, as she arguably spent more time outdoors than any of the other House Elves. It might even be argued that she wasn’t a real House Elf, but there was nothing to be gained by that knowledge. Not to mention, she was one of the first to arrive at the cabin. As such, I did not allow anyone to be negative to her.

As if summoned, Geai wobbled into the central room where I was sipping my morning elixir. She spoke with a soothing, motherly voice. Flowery and soft, matching that of the garden she tends.

“Fawn, the third amer has sprouted.”

I gave her a wide grin. She had done it once again, grown a plant that wasn’t meant for the climate in which we lived. Her golden eyes lit up when I stood. I wanted to see it for myself, and a stroll through the garden didn’t hurt.

We happened upon the garden just as the sky was beginning to tint with the lowering sun. An apricot hue among the diverse meadow. It was a peculiar place that seemed to be devoid of time, despite the sky being clearly visible from the patch of clear land. It seemed a wild place, where plants grew unkempt, but it was only under the glamour and guise of Geai that the melody to it’s madness was shown. Rows of scattered herbs and vegetables, it was where we harvested most of our food. All of the plants here were useful, no space was left that could be planted on. Even the common grasses could be used for something or another, whether it be tea or remedy.

Geai lead me to the deep scarlet plants. The first two had grown exceptionally fast, and it didn’t take long for Geai to discern the proper way to prepare their beans. She even found that she enjoyed the earthy beverage as well, which encouraged her all the more to grow and harvest them. As a gesture of good will, I allowed her to take whatever she needed from the garden whenever she felt necessary.

I smiled at the bright plant, suddenly thinking of what sort of elixirs I could make with it. Something energetic, or soft with the tones of sleep. It couldn’t be too different from tea, could it?

We returned to the cabin after sundown. Geai handed me the amer she had harvested as I requested, and I thanked her before shutting myself into my lab. Duill knew to light the burner as soon as I had gotten back, but there was still waiting to be done so the water could boil. I pondered what herbs I could add. Lavender, possibly. With the honey, it could give a gentle contrast to the natural bitterness. I shrugged, it was worth a try.

I soon emerged from my cabin with a fresh mug of lavender amer, the calming and earthy scent engulfing me. It was perfect for the cold night, sitting under the stars and in the way of the warm breeze. The fireflies, like dots of green stars trapped to float on the surface, began hovering around me. I saw them as an audience, waiting patiently for some sort of treat. I offered them a tune, one of misty wistfulness, on a pan flute that I had never been fully capable of playing. Getting lost in the serene nature of the flute, I thought I could hear a harp join in, as well as a cello, and soon there was a swirl of fireflies swaying to what sounded like an orchestra. Melodies and countermelodies, the soft thunder of a cello underlying their entirety, I was completely engulfed by song. My breath was music, the forest my stage, the mysterious woodland creatures my audience.

Through it all, the bittersweet scent of amer accompanied me. A reminder, that however good it was to get lost in the world of stars and grasses, melody and wilderness, I could always return, and I always would. To the cabin, the House Elves and Broonies, to the village and the work.

Because, after all, a simple life is an adventure all on it’s own.