J. M. Prigmore

Dec 13, 2024 by J. M. Prigmore

It finally got cold here in Texas. I've always loved cold weather, gloomy mornings and dreary afternoons. Call me edgy, I don't care. Maybe I just hate the sun. It helps me write, so at least there's that. Could be that I just don't like having the sun blind me while I stare at my monitor at work between 4-5 P.M. Hard to feel inspired when you can't even see what you're doing. Anyway.

Today is mostly just going to be another excerpt. I've had a long week and honestly haven't written enough, so I need to just get back to that rather than figuring out how to waste space here. No offense. Just not feeling particularly expository right now. Holiday blues or something, eh. I can trick my brain into feeling better by just focusing on writing and staying focused on that, so that's what I plan to do until depression season ends. In the meantime, here's the next excerpt. Hope you enjoy it! See y'all next week.

Make your own fate
J. M. Prigmore

Ch. 7

Yelena had no memory of the trip back. She was in and out of consciousness, apparently grumbling in her sleep about inane subjects, according to Hemlock. She had awoken after only the day after, but she had stayed in bed for the whole of it. She had no energy, feeling as if she had just recovered from a serious illness. In a manner of speaking, she had. How Hemlock had saved her from the shadow curse, she didn't know. He had kept his lips sealed tight about it, but it was rather obvious to her that he had taken it onto himself in some way. One of Hemlock's beautiful golden yellow eyes gave that much away, his right eye now replaced with a swirling, inky black orb. He claimed that it felt no different and that he was in no pain, but she had her doubts. She didn't press him too hard, but she knew he was keeping something important from her. She'd just have to ask later.

Other than briefly explaining how they had returned, Hemlock hadn't said much. She could tell that he was upset, thought she wouldn't describe him as angry per se. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it was clear that he wasn't happy about how things had turned out. She planned on asking him about things in more detail once things had settled down a bit, but for now, she'd let that possibly uncomfortable subject rest. Her staff was leaned in the corner of the room a few feet away from her. She could tell that it had recovered its magic, likely in tune with her own. It emitted a subtle glow again, only it seemed to be one of a magical variety. Her eyes hadn't changed to be able to see magic now so much as something in her mind was able to perceive it alongside her normal vision. It was like morning fog on a pond, only tinged slightly blue, and she could see it on almost every living thing now, but especially from hemlock and her staff. It was strange, but when she had described it to Hemlock, he seemed more relieved than worried, as if it was about time she could perceive something so simple. She'd have to get used to it, despite it seemingly making certain things harder to discern from a distance. Since it had only really become obvious to her after getting back home, she assumed it was due to her bonding with the frostbloom. She still wasn't quite sure what all that one little fungus would change for her, but so far, it had been a lot.

Sonya had dropped by while she was in bed recovering around midday. She was a welcome sight, to say the least.

"Sounds like you went through a whole ordeal," Sonya said, a rather calm reply to the whole retelling of the story. She glanced over at the staff in the corner. "May I?"

"Sure. Should be fine."

Hemlock was napping on the table a few feet away, but Yelena could tell that he was still conscious of their conversation. If there was some kind of weird danger in her touching the staff, she was sure he'd have piped up by now. Sonya gingerly reached for the staff, tapping it with a single finger first. She looked back at Yelena with wide eyes.

"It's warm!" she said, her curiosity taking over.

"I know! It's really cool!" she replied, happy that Sonya thought the same way she had at first.

She lifted it up and inspected it, walking back over to the bed and sitting down right beside Yelena. She hadn't bothered to pull a chair over, instead just using the free space on the bed to perch.

"Its lighter than I expected. You said this is from a frostbloom?"

Yelena shifted to get right next to her, looking over her broad shoulders at the staff too.

"Mhm."

"I never even knew they were real. I mean, I'd heard the fairy tales about them, but that's all I figured they ever were."

She ran her hand along the length of the staff, admiring the texture and feel of the crystalline structure. Her eyes focused on the thrush at the top now, turning it back and forth to observe its design.

"Why a thrush?" she asked.

"I don't know, really. Maybe because I was falling?"

Sonya looked over her shoulder. Her face was close, Yelena realized. Really close. Their eyes met, and she could feel her cheeks get a little hot. One of her eyebrows was raised, and her amber eyes seemed to be interrogating her.

Then, she let out a playful snort.

"So you thought of a bird?"

She burst out into a full on laugh, leaning back onto Yelena. She couldn't help herself and began to fall into a near uncontrollable laughter as well. It was a silly thing, wasn't it? To think of a bird as you're falling hundreds of feet through the sky, as if she was wishing for wings or the like. She honestly didn't know why she had thought of a thrush, but it was still a cute animal to have on her staff, so she liked it. She was glad Sonya did too. As the two laughed and slowly recovered, Yelena felt a wonderful warmth in her chest. Sonya was leaning on her, wiping tears from her eyes, having fun with her. Hemlock was having a nice nap, and everything seemed to be okay again. This was all she wanted, really. Whatever this lovely feeling was in her chest, she desired more than anything right now for it to remain just like this..

The pair caught up for a while, with Yelena going into probably too much detail about the trip to find the frostbloom and their encounter with the shadow beast. Sonya seemed particularly interested in the fight, which made sense. She had run into a couple of them herself in her past, only barely managing to escape with her life both times.

"It felt like jelly, huh? I guess that makes sense. They never look very…solid," Sonya said, her hands forming around an imaginary ball in her hands, then squeezing it with her fingers as if pretending to knead it.

"It didn't smell like anything, which was surprising," Yelena continued, trying to dredge up every detail of her encounter for Sonya.

"If they really are made up of human emotion, I guess that would make some sense. Still, its weird to find something that doesn't have a scent. Are you sure your nose wasn't just broken?" she said, teasing.

Yelena leaned in close to Sonya's neck, then sniffed with intentional exaggeration.

"Nope, seems to be working just fine!" she said. "You smell nice, by the way."

Sonya looked a little surprised, but she didn't pull away.

"What, did you expect me to stink of meat and mud?"

"Would you be mad if I said maybe?"

Sonya pushed her back playfully, and Yelena fell back onto the bed. Laying on her back felt nice, actually, so she opted to stay down. She was still recovering from the effects of the shadow curse, after all. There was a long pause, and Yelena wasn't sure if Sonya was getting bored. She'd been here for a while now, just talking with her like they were the best of friends. She was overjoyed that she was, of course. But she knew that she was busy, and that she'd have to leave soon.

"Hey."

Sonya's tone was different now. Softer. Yelena leaned her head up, putting her weight on her shoulders to prop herself up a bit.

"Yeah?'

A soft hand fell on her knee.

"Don't do something like that ever again, okay?"

Was she…worried? She clearly cared for her, that much was apparent. But she had never taken this gentle tone with her before. Was it possible that…?

"Did you miss me?"

The words tumbled from her lips before she could stop to think. Her heart skipped a beat as she spoke them, and she knew that they were too much. It was too late now though. She watched Sonya's face, as her eyes shot her way for just a split second, meeting before abruptly breaking off. This time, Sonya's cheeks looked a little flushed.

"I…" she hesitated, searching for the right words, "I worry about you. Its dangerous out here. And I know that you can be reckless, so…"

She pulled her hand away, placing it back in her own lap.

"Just promise me you'll be more careful?"

It was an artful dodge, she had to admit. Yelena wasn't sure what had come over her just then, but it had felt good to be a little more forward for once. She had no idea if what she felt was real, or if it was just a side effect of her most recent dance with the reaper, but from now on, she wasn't going to wait around for things. She couldn't count on tomorrow's chances of success to put off today's opportunities. At the same time, she had no clue if Sonya was even single, much less if she as interested in women. She'd find out, though. Somehow.

"I promise to try," Yelena finally replied, giggling afterwards to bring the mood back up. She crossed her legs and set them on Sonya's knees, trapping her. "Are you going to stay for dinner?"

Sonya reached up and brushed her hair back behind her ear, despite only one small loose lock being free from her tightly bound ponytail.

"Probably not, I'm afraid. I need to be back in town before sunset to help carve up a reindeer with the lads. I dragged him back yesterday, but didn't have the energy to clean him."

"Aw. Guess I'll have another boring night alone with my cat then," she said, laying the pity party on thick.

Sonya lightly played a short beat on Yelena's shins, then said, "Guess so, little witch."

That had been the first time she'd been called a witch by anyone. To be fair, there weren't a lot of people who could've, but still. Could she really call herself a witch now? She could use magic, she had a familiar, she even had a staff that she'd forged from a magical plant in the Deep Forest. She may not have all the experience, but wasn't she a witch now?

Sonya brushed her legs off and stood, stretching her arms and back. Even Yelena could hear a few satisfying pops. She'd been sitting there for a while.

"Speaking of which, I should get going. I'll stop by in a couple days. Rest up in the meantime, 'kay?"

She turned and smiled. She was so beautiful. Yelena wanted to ask her to stay a little longer, to talk and laugh and just…be here. But she knew it would be rude of her to ask her to further put off her duties to the village. Not to mention, Yelena didn't want to come on too strong. She would have to be patient, even if it hurt a little to put something like this off.

"Fine, but you'd better stay longer next time. I'll cook something nice for you too," she said, sweetening the pot.

Sonya grinned, then said, "Its a deal. Take care, Yelena."

As she left the small cabin, Yelena couldn't help but long to go after her. She knew it would be pointless, and honestly, pretty awkward, but the feeling stayed in her head regardless. She'd had crushes before. She knew what they felt like.

This was not a crush. At least, not anymore.

"Do you make a habit of using your own barely-abated demise as a lure to attract a partner?"

Hemlock chimed in at last. He must've been listening to them the whole time.

"No, I don't. In fact, I've only been in such danger after having met you, so its a bit new for me," she replied, with sarcasm seeping into her voice. "So you'll excuse me for acting in the moment."

"Hmm," he grumbled, still not raising his head. He'd never admit it, but he was recovering too. She knew that between the trip, the fight, and his sacrifice of taking on her shadow curse, he was worn down just as much as she was. 

"Is that a problem for you?" she asked, suddenly defensive about it.

"Hardly. Only take care to guard your heart. The life of a witch is not an easy one, nor is it complimentary to those without magical proficiency," he said, just as calm as ever.

"Sure."

She fell back down into bed with a loud fwump, sighing aloud. As if a magical cat from the Deep Forest had any advice on human relations anyway. She would defer to him when it came to magic and all things metaphysical, but when it came to matters of the heart, she was the expert. Well, maybe not the expert, but well versed. Well. That wasn't really true either. She'd never even kissed anyone before. In reality, she was pretty much completely inexperienced when it came to romance. She hadn't really cared much about it before, and there was no one in her village that had remotely piqued her interest. She'd never felt anything towards any of the boys, but she hadn't ever really considered that she might be attracted to the girls. She'd never seen any women married, so it had never even occurred to her that such a thing was possible. At least, up until her mind had wandered back to Sonya just before dying. That was when she knew that she wanted something more than being just friends. She didn't really know what that would be like, or if it was something that anyone else would even dream of doing, but she didn't care. There was no one else around to judge her, and all that mattered was if Sonya could feel the same. She'd play things slow, and see how things panned out for now. She had time, but she also didn't want to waste a second of it.

The rest of the day passed by uneventfully, and as evening shifted into night, Yelena's belly grumbled with fervor. She had hardly eaten today.

"Hey."

"Yes?" Hemlock replied. He'd hardly moved as well.

"Why are you mad at me?"

There was a long silence. She took it to mean he either didn't want to talk about it, or he was hiding something again. Either way, she wasn't going to let him evade her this time.

"Just tell me, Hemlock. Come on."

"I am not mad at you. I am disappointed in myself."

Yelena sat up, confused.

"Why?"

Hemlock was facing away from her. He didn't bother turning.

"I should have been able to destroy the shadow beast myself. Instead, I was hurt and you nearly died. It was a failure on all counts, purely on my part."

His tone was soft. She knew he wasn't fishing for sympathy. He wasn't the type to do that. He was being perfectly honest with her for what felt like the first time. He was opening up to her, at last. She got up from bed and moved to the table, pulling up one of the rickety chairs, and placed a hand on his back.

"We're a team, remember? We have to be able to lean on each other."

"I have grown weak, and you suffered for it Yelena."

"That's not true, and you know it. I chose to attack the beast. That was my call. If what happened was anyone's fault, then it's mine. So please, don't blame yourself."

She could hear him purr gently under her palm.

"We're in this together, right?"

After a moment, he replied.

"We are, yes."

She laid her head down next to his, snuggling up beside him on the table.

"Then let's start acting like it, okay? I'll tell you when I'm tired, when I'm happy, when I'm sad, and you do the same. Deal?"

He was quiet for a while again.

"Deal."

He purred softly again, and Yelena couldn't help but smile. They had been through a lot already, and she was sure there would be even greater trials ahead. But so long as they were together, things would work out somehow. She knew it. It might take some time, but they would both grow and learn to be open with each other.

"Good. Now come on, let's eat. I could eat a whole pie right now," she said, getting up from the chair.

Hemlock rose a last too, giving a big stretch before leaping down from the table with a sharp mreow.

They were going to be okay. She knew it.

Ch. 8

The winter seemed to drag on forever this year. Yelena was stuck mostly clearing snow from the roof and the front door everyday, slowly implementing some minor magic to assist with the work. She was, with Hemlock's instruction, beginning to get a better hold on how to control the flow of magic and better direct the output. It was slow going, but the daily practice of blasting snow away with controlled bursts of wind, or melting the frozen window panes with tiny sparks of flame, was surprisingly helpful to her. They had also gone back into the pages of her book, delving further into its secrets and learning all kinds of enigmatic spells and odd potions. She really needed to acquire something to brew in, but winter was hardly the season for finding a cauldron. Still, she could do all the prep work required to make a space for it in her cabin. She'd need a spot for an open flame, which would also require good ventilation. Over the span of a week, she and Hemlock, with Sonya's help on the last day, managed to get a cozy little fire pit that was practical and didn't ruin the layout of the already cramped cabin. She was quite proud of it, but she still lacked the actual purpose of it all. Sonya said she'd ask around back in Village to see if anyone had something laying around, but she'd likely have to wait until spring for the local smithy to get back up and running again. She knew it was hard to keep a forge at the perfect temperature when the gusting winds of winter weren't so much a matter of if, and more of when.

So, upon her first sight of a yellow flower pushed through the thinning layer of snow this morning, she was more than overjoyed that winter was coming to an end. She'd been wanting to get into the alchemical side of the book for a while now, and she was finally knowledgeable enough to confidently imbue her magic into liquids. As Hemlock had explained it, she first needed to master the flow of magic in order to consistently produce viable potions that wouldn't possibly harm those who drink them. It was easy to make a poison, as she herself had experienced. It was incredibly difficult to craft a truly successful potion.

One week after the tiny spring flower had bloomed, Yelena and Hemlock were headed into town to meet with Sonya. She was going to help them negotiate with the local smith, a man named Lathander. He'd been the village smith for over forty years, and his father before him for another fifty, and his father, and so on. Needless to say, he was a skilled man with a long lineage of technique backing him up. There was no better man for the job, Sonya's had said. Hemlock wasn't so sure, so the three of them were going to find out if he passed Hemlock's sniff test.

Yelena had been able to test some magic on her way there as well, harnessing a stronger, more focused wind spell to propel her through the air in long bounds. It was a little dangerous, but it didn't feel too different from when Hemlock had boosted her physical stamina back when they were running from the shadow beast. She'd learned how to cast that spell too, but it was a bit trickier to pull off than altering the wind. As Hemlock had explained it, magic that altered the physical state of living things was a specialty to feyfolk, due to their stronger connection to the land and nature. For humans, who were less connected on a spiritual level, using such spells was significantly more difficult. The simplest spells for humans were ones that manipulated inorganic substances, such as wind and flame, ice and stone. To force one's will upon an inanimate object was leaps and bounds easier than it was to coerce something with a mind. Still doable, but not without decades of practice and learning.

As she was carried just above the tree tops of the pines in the direction of Village, she had time to think of what to say to the smith. She and Hemlock had discussed the exact specifications needed for a well made cauldron, but the entire discussion had gone a bit over her head. They still didn't want everyone to know that Hemlock was a fey, so she and Sonya would have to do all the talking. That meant that she was going to be more or less his mouthpiece. She was somewhat reluctant to play the part, but if it was what needed to be done, then so be it.

The normally three hour trip into town was shaved down to just under one, and as she neared Village, she decided to cover the last few dozen feet on foot. She didn't want to spook any of the villagers with her magic, after all. She landed in with a light gust of air catching her from below, and as her feet hit the ground, Hemlock leapt down from her shoulder as well.

"Your aim could use a little more work, but I don't feel as nauseous as the last time you did it, so we shall call it an improvement," he said, sniffing the air around them. "Well done."

"Thanks!" she said, brushing her skirt down and fixing her hair.

The pair made their way into the village from the main path now, enjoying the crips breeze and the fresh scent of pines. The sounds of work could be heard even out here, the clanging of steel, axe heads chopping into wood, and the calls of men echoed off of the trees into her ears. The spring was always busy for carpenters, working to fix anything that had broken during the winter. Sonya was finally able to slow down on her hunting too, as more and more animals were out and about and returning from their seasonal migrations. Many shadow beasts also became slightly more dormant during the spring and summer, though the reasoning amongst scholars was mostly speculative.

The large wooden gates of Village came into view at last, and Yelena spotted a familiar figure leaning against one of the poles.

"Sonya!" she called out, breaking into a jog to close the distance faster. Hemlock opted to lag behind.

Sonya turned and gave her a short wave. She hadn't seen her in over a week now, and she had really grown to miss her. Without hesitation, and without thinking, she ran up to her and wrapped her arms around Sonya.

"Woah there, easy," Sonya said, laughing. She returned the hug, squeezing Yelena tight for a few seconds before pushing her back.

"Sorry," Yelena said, fighting off the slight embarrassment. "Couldn't quite help myself. How are you?"

"I'm good, I'm good. Been busy helping repair the tavern with the boys."

"What happened?"

"Last heavy snow caved in the roof. We've all been a little grumpy since then, what with the lack of beer and all. Come on, let's walk and talk."

"Sure!"

Hemlock had caught up, and as Yelena and Sonya walked side by side into the village, he stayed tucked into her shadow, walking silently just behind her. She had noticed that he wasn't particularly fond of any other human besides herself and Sonya, so he was reluctant to come into town. She'd have to treat him somehow. She still wasn't exactly sure what he liked to eat, but she'd figure out something nice to get him.

She rarely came into town, but every time she did, she was greeted warmly. She had a bit of a reputation as a witch in training, so most of the villagers were helpful in offering their support. It was a nice change of pace compared to how magic and witches were viewed in her hometown, where she likely would have been chased out of town with pitchforks and torches. She received a litany of 'good morning' waves and smiles, which she returned with glee.

"I'm glad they all seem to like me," she said quietly to Sonya.

"Why wouldn't they? You saved Alma's kid, and everyone is giddy at the idea of getting some potions back in their lives. The previous witch, Esme, was really skilled with healing tonics."

"Are there that many injuries here?" she asked, confused as to why such a peaceful village would require potent healing potions.

"No," Sonya replied, letting out a little chuckle. "They're just always working hard and get a lot of sore backs and feet. We'd all much rather down a healing tonic than drown our pain in booze. A lot less complaining too."

Yelena shrugged. It made sense to her, which meant that if she wanted to stay on the villagers good side, she'd need to master healing potions. A simple enough goal.

"Up here is Lathander's place. He looks like a real rough fellow, but he's a softie. Don't let him scare you," Sonya said, pointing over to a small unassuming building to the right.

It was a single story shop with a long overhang roof that stretched off to the left, enclosed on three sides but open to the front. Inside Yelena could see all the tools of a small smithy; a kiln, an anvil, a long table, and tools hanging on every inch of the walls. The owner was inside, his back to them, hammering away at some red-hot metal, shooting sparks out. It was the hammering she had heard from all the way out of town. If anyone was still sleeping, they must be able to ignore his hammering.

None of the buildings here had more than one level, save for the tavern. Village was smaller than her hometown, but not by too much. It was clearly much less wealthy, but that didn't seem to impact their attitudes. They lived simple, humble lives, and didn't want for too much.

The ambient temperature rose as they stepped into the workshop, and the scent of charcoal filled her nostrils. She'd always enjoyed the smell, even if it did make her throat scratchy after being around it for too long. The constant, steady beat of Lathander's hammering was just loud enough to be uncomfortable at this distance, but she did her best not to let it show. She waited for Sonya to get his attention. She certainly didn't want to be the one to break his concentration.

"Hey! Old man!"

Lathander visibly jumped, nearly dropping his hammer. He whipped around and looked at the pair with wide eyes before his expression changed to that of annoyance.

"How many times must I tell you not to startle me while I work?" he asked, holding his arms out to emphasize his point. "It is dangerous!"

"Yeah, but its funny," Sonya said, stepping forward and putting her hands on his shoulders and squeezing hard.

Lathander waved her off, then carefully set his hammer down on the table beside his anvil. The metal piece he had been working on looked like the start of a small tool, a narrow handled iron rod that was quickly cooling off from red to brown. He got up from his stool and turned to face Yelena now, with a grin growing across his mouth.

"Ah, the silver witch! I had hoped you would make your way to my little shop one of these days," he said, wiping his soot-stained hands on his thick apron. "What can I help you with?"

The silver witch? She had no idea she'd gained a nickname, but she wasn't necessarily opposed to it. It had a slick ring to it. Sonya was standing beside him and gave her a nod, telling her to go for it. She wasn't necessarily bad at talking to people, but she'd never commissioned anything before. She didn't want to say something out of turn or imply anything about the man's work, but Sonya had assured her that she could practically do no wrong here. She cleared her throat and started as confidently as she could.

"I am in need of a large cauldron for brewing, Mr. Lathander. Sonya has told me that you are the person to talk to about making one."

A wave of relief flooded over her as she finished the sentence. She didn't flub anything, and as far as she could tell, she sounded like she knew what she was talking about. A small win, but a win.

"A cauldron, hm?"

He placed a hand on his chin, pondering the request.

"Shouldn't be too hard for you, right?" Sonya asked, nudging him with an elbow.

Lathander brushed her off with a wave and said "Quiet, woman, I'm thinking."

Sonya turned to Yelena and gave her a double thumbs up. She replied with a small thumbs up herself, then crossed her arms over her chest.

"How big we talkin'?" he asked, his eyes on the ceiling. He must've been trying to visualize it in his mind.

"Four feet to the lip."

"Oh. A big one. Alright, how wide?"

"Three feet."

"Okay…" he said, going back to visualizing.

For the next few minutes, the three of them went back and forth on the details and specifications of the proposed cauldron. Lathander seemed to be on board and willing to make it, but he said it would probably take a week or two. He had a project he was already working on, but he would at least get things started and see about getting some extra iron the next time the merchants came through town.

"Now, not to be rude," he said after the details were settled, "but I'm going to assume that you don't exactly have a huge coinpurse, right?"

She was prepared for this too. Sonya had told her that the meager sum of four coppers wasn't even enough to commission a decent knife here, so she'd have to barter and negotiate a deal with him. She already had an offer in mind.

"You would be correct, which is why I have something else in mind for payment."

Lathander put his hands on his hips and said with a grin, "Then let's hear it."

"Not only am I willing to offer you first call on batches of healing potions," she said, leaning against the wall beside her, "but I've also discovered the means with which to produce a type of coal that burns twice as long as half again as hot as anything you could find locally, using my magic."

"Is that so?" he asked, his interest clearly piqued. "How did you manage that?"

"Its a rather complicated process that I've mastered, but to put it simply, I am able to slow the rate at which the coal's energy is dispensed by altering its chemistry, allowing it to put off more heat and last longer," she explained as well as she could.

To be perfectly honest, she didn't really understand how it worked either. She had simply copied a spell she had learned from her book, using the frigid winter months to practice the spell and get the process somewhat reliably repeatable. She wasn't lying, it was better coal in almost every way. She just had no clue why it worked the way it did.

"You wouldn't happen to have a sample with you?"

Yelena smirked without even realizing she was doing so.

"I just so happen to, yes."

She snapped her fingers and produced her staff, which she had named Éan beag, or 'Little Bird' in the language of magic. It rapidly formed and fell perfectly into her outstretched hand just as she'd practiced almost a hundred times now, and she let it lightly thud to the stone floor beneath them. With another quick gesture with her staff, a small piece of coal was pulled from a small pouch on her belt, and she pushed it over to Lathander. It was all showmanship of course, but it would help sell the idea that she really was skilled with magic. Hemlock had been against the idea, saying 'magic isn't some marketing tactic', but he had been promptly out-voted by Sonya and Yelena.

Lathander grabbed the small coal from the air, clearly impressed by her display. He let out a light chuckle, then inspected the coal. He turned it over in his hand once, then gave it a deep sniff.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing to his furnace.

Yelena nodded. He wanted to test it right now. A good idea. He tossed it into the forge, and it immediately began to heat up along with the other, normal chunks of charcoal. She was possibly the furthest thing from an expert, but she knew the smell of wood charcoal, and how it was different from that of naturally occurring coal. She knew for a fact that hers would burn much hotter and longer than his charcoal, and even more so than any coal he might have shipped in from other towns or mines. Not to mention, hers were created from charcoal, transmuting it into a much more efficient fuel source despite its humble origins. It would be cheaper, better, and closer. She presented an offer with almost zero downsides. He watched the coal burn carefully, pushing it around with a long iron rod to test it out. If he truly was a life-long smith, then he was sure to see the difference in quality.

After a few minutes, he spoke up.

"Aye, its impressive stuff. I don't imagine you'd be willing to simply tell me how to make it myself, would you?" he asked with a smirk.

"Even if I did, without my magic, it wouldn't work," she replied, leaning now on Éan beag. "But, I'm willing to sell it to you for the same price as whatever you pay for your charcoal here."

His eyebrow shot up. It was a deal too good to refuse, and she knew it. Not only was she trying to ensure a sweet deal on her massive cauldron, but also locking down a stable income for herself by partnering with Lathander. He'd have to be a fool to turn her down.

Lathander stood back up, seemingly satisfied with her sales pitch. Held out his hand, palm blackened with soot and cooled metal shavings.

"You've got yourself a deal, Yelena the Silver Witch," he said, all smiles.

She returned the gesture, taking his massive, rough hand in hers and squeezing tightly. It felt like he might break her hand once she squeezed, but she knew it was a sign of respect.

"It'll be a pleasure working with you, Lathander."

***

The rest of the day was spent meandering around town and getting to know some of the people who lived there. Yelena recognized a lot of the faces from her previous trips in, but this was a good opportunity for her to actually put names to them and get to know them. She needed to know what people needed and what they liked, otherwise she'd be wasting her time making brews that no one wanted. She wasn't a merchant so much as a local doctor, so getting to know people personally, and having them actually trust her, was imperative. As best as she could tell, there were only roughly thirty people who lived in Village. Not as large as her former home, but large enough to have some distinct characters and some minor drama, as she came to learn. Apparently, one of the loggers was currently being accused of having an affair with one of his fellow logger's wife, and it had been the prime subject of all the gossip she'd heard when she'd asked about the general goings-on about town. She had no desire to learn any more about such a messy thing, but it was interesting that even with the seeming tranquility she'd seen there was always room for some very human problems.

Their last stop was the tavern, where Sonya and Yelena had planned to have a nice dinner before she headed back home. Being the largest building in town, it stood out with its high roof and second floor balcony that overlooked the entire courtyard in the center of town. Despite the hole in the roof, the actual dining hall was intact. It was the second floor, which was reserved for dancing and festivals, that was damaged and currently in disarray. The annual celebration of spring's arrival, Blooming Day, had to be moved to outside this year. Normally it wouldn't have been an issue, but a late snow had made the central courtyard especially soft and muddy, which ruined some of the standard dances that were customary to welcome in the warmer weather. Some claimed that the series of mishaps were a sign that the gods were upset with them, while most others just chocked it up to bad luck. Either way, once the second floor of the tavern finished its repairs, better spirits were likely to return to the entire village.

Hemlock had disappeared for most of their trip, but had returned as the sun began to sink towards the horizon, tagging along as they entered the tavern. The first floor was simple, but cozy. A spattering of tables and seating with a massive fireplace off to the right to heat the entire room. It was lively, with most seats taken, filled with hungry folk indulging in warm food and drink after another hard day of work. Yelena garnered a fair amount of waves as people noticed her, and Sonya exchanged some goading words as they found a pair of seats next to a few of her fellow hunters. Yelena had met them earlier today, and they seemed like good folk, but she didn't really know how to have more than a a surface level conversation with them. They, like Sonya, to some degree, were hardy, rough, and blunt. Not rude, but they weren't short on jokes and crude remarks about Sonya being the only woman who took parts in the hunts. There were only three other men, but it was also clear that she was the de facto leader of their little group, and she gave as good as she got when it came to jabs about the sizes of certain body parts and who-lacked-what.

The hall was loud and filled with voices. She wasn't quite used to this environment, having eaten meager meals with her family at their home every night, offering prayers to the gods before and after every meal. She realized very quickly that few people out here had such strict reverence for the gods, or any deity, really. Instead, most made only passing remarks on appeasing the spirits or honoring their ancestors. It was a bit of a culture shock for her, but out here, there wasn't always time for such stringent religious practices. She liked it, and the freedom that she had to ignore the practices she'd been forced to participate in as a child.

Hemlock had become like a small warm ball nested in her lap. He hadn't spoken to her much today, and she could tell he was uncomfortable with all the humans around constantly. This must've been particularly rough for him. She gently rubbed his back and massaged his little head.

"Don't worry, I won't stick around too long," she communicated to him silently. "I know you hate this."

"Pay me no mind. Do as you will," he replied, but she could sense the aggravation in his voice. He was putting on a brave face for her sake, since he knew how excited she was for today. She didn't want to ignore his feelings, so she'd wrap things up quickly after they ate. If nothing else, she might have Sonya show them her place just to get away from the crowd of people.

They ate and chatted for a while, and the fellow hunters shared stories with Yelena about proud kills and embarrassing mistakes. Much to Sonya's chagrin, one of the stories that was shared was about her when she was young, still learning how to hunt under the direction of a man named Esberth. She'd apparently managed to not only snap a bow, but she also had lodged an arrow in her mentor's rear. It had happened a long time ago, and Esberth had passed away some five years ago now, so it was more of a fond memory for all the hunters rather than a purely comedic one at Sonya's expense. Esberth had been a mentor to all of the hunters here, until a shadow beast had gotten the better of him. He'd sacrificed himself to save two of the younger hunters, one of which was the boy named Eric that sat across from Yelena. He couldn't have been any older than she was, and his red, curly hair fell into his face, covering his eyes as he lowered his head to quietly thank Esberth's spirit. It was a somber moment, but the group immediately broke back into loud jests and heavy drinking nearly immediately afterwards. She wanted to ask Sonya more about this Esberth fellow, but she'd do that later.

The night began to wind down, and Yelena couldn't help but start yawning. She rarely stayed up late these days like she used to, partly from her wearing herself out with physical and mental work everyday, but mostly from her not needing to steal time to read her book like she used to. She'd sneak a candle under her covers and flip through the pages of the book, losing herself in its arcane images and foreign words. Now, all she had to do was get comfortable and start studying. A lovely change of pace, now that she thought about it.

"Hey," Sonya said, nudging her with her elbow. "Wanna get out of here?"

Yelena was surprised that she had been the one to initiate the request, but relieved all the same.

"Yeah, its getting late and I've got a long way back home," she said, trying her best to make her desire to leave seem a practical one.

"Cool. Let's go."

Sonya had been drinking with her friends, and she was obviously more than a little drunk. Yelena had only had a single mug of ale, which was well inside her limit. She wasn't too fond of strong alcohol, but even she had to admit that the local brew went down shockingly smooth. They both said their farewells, and the hunter group gave warm goodbyes to Yelena before returning to their own shenanigans. They had been there for a few hours she reckoned, and while Hemlock had endured it without complaint, even she could sense that he was at his wit's end. The tavern was still packed, and there were multiple groups who had taken to singing and dancing. It seemed to be a common thing around here, a bit of drunken revelry to wrap the day up. It was lively, to say the least, even at this time of night.

They left the tavern and exited out into the courtyard. It was pretty dead, save for a goat that was mindlessly munching away at a tuft of grass. It watched them as they walked, with Sonya swaying side to side a bit.

"I'm this way, come on," she said, her words slurred a little bit. She'd never seen her like this before, and it was kind of fun to watch.

"Sure you can walk straight?" she asked, teasing her.

"I'm perfectly fine."

She turned to give her a questioning look just in time to see her nearly falling into Yelena. She reached out and caught her by the shoulder just in time, and Sonya ended up practically hanging off of her. Sonya was taller and more muscular than she was, but she was still barely stable enough to not knock them both down. Yelena helped her regain her balance, both of them laughing while doing so.

"Sorry, little silver witch," Sonya said, rubbing the top of Yelena's head like she was a kid.

Yelena brushed her hand off, then wrapped her arm around hers. This was as good a chance as any, she figured.

"You're the only one who gets to call me that," she said, glad that the darkness would be able to hide her blushing.

Sonya giggled, but didn't resist Yelena's hold on her arm. The two stumbled back across the village to a small house not too dissimilar to the one Yelena had claimed. There was almost no decoration on the outside save for a small twisting circle of dried twigs that hung on the door itself. The door opened easily, and Yelena was finally in Sonya's home for the first time. They clumsily made their way over to her bed and both fell into it, laughing like children. She was glad that Sonya was a happy drunk, unlike Pa had been. Sonya reached up and pulled the leather strip that had been holding her hair up, letting it fall down around her red cheeks. Even in the darkness, Yelena could see her amber eyes shining, a little glassy. They lay side by side on their backs, their legs dangling off the side of the bed, arms still entangled.

"Hey Yelena," she said.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming today. I had a lot of fun just walking around with you."

"Me too," she said, not really sure how to respond to such earnest words. She was certain that Sonya didn't feel the same as she did, so just as soon as the idea cropped up in her head that she meant anything more than expressing simple thanks, she crammed the idea back down into her brain.

"The guys I hunt with are sweet most of the time, but sometimes I get a little tired of being lumped in with them and their antics. Its good to have another girl around again."

Again? Yelena wasn't sure what that meant. Still, she understood what she meant. Sonya had a bit of a tomboy-ish persona about her, and now that she had seen the company she kept, it made sense. Hunting wasn't exactly a traditional role for a woman, so she likely had had to work twice as hard to get to where she is now. There were a lot of things about this little town that seemed to differ from the expected norms that Yelena had grown up with, and it was always refreshing to see and hear things that would have been frowned upon in her old life be brushed off here.

"Well," she started, searching for the right words to say, "I like being with you too, so."

She swore to herself internally. What a lame response. She was glad Sonya would likely forget this.

"Oh yeah?"

The continuation caught her by surprise. The way Sonya had said that, it was almost like a challenge. What was she shooting for here?

"Um, yeah, I guess," she said, her confidence very quickly evaporating.

Sonya shifted onto her side, facing her now. She pulled her hand down and lightly gripped Yelena's. Her red hair fell across her face, long and wavy from being held up all day. She smelled like sawdust and woodsmoke. Yelena's heartbeat picked up its pace, and all she could do was meet Sonya's gaze. She was frozen in place, having no idea what was going on anymore.

"Sonya…?" she muttered out, her mind going fuzzy.

What was she supposed to do now? Wasn't this what she wanted? Or was she completely misreading this? Was this even okay? Sonya was clearly drunk, so she wasn't thinking straight. She would never do something like this otherwise, she was sure of it. No, there was no way she liked her back. That was impossible. No, no no no no-

Sonya leaned forward and kissed her forehead, her soft lips like two tiny pillows gently pressing against her. Her heart skipped a beat, and she could feel her whole body go hot. Sonya was so close now that Yelena could feel her body heat, and her free hand had shifted up to the small of Yelena's back, slowly sliding up her spine. It sent chills through her body, but she had no idea if they were from fear or excitement. Yelena didn't know what to do. What was she supposed to do? This meant that she felt the same, right? Then she should be happy! She was happy!

Wasn't she?

Sonya put her lips up to her ear and whispered a short question.

"You wanna stay the night?"

The words seemed to enter her ears like water, blocking out all other noise and making her head swirl. Her throat seized up and her eyes went wide. It felt like her entire body was on the brink of exploding into a million pieces. Sonya's soft lips brushed past her ear, and her body trembled against her will. Sonya's hand held her close, and her face was so close that she could feel her hot breath on her own lips. Their eyes met, and there was a look that Yelena had never seen before. It wasn't predatory, no. It was something else. She didn't know what…but it was terrifying. She was scared. Why? Why!?

Yelena pushed Sonya away and got up from the bed as quickly as she could, taking a step away and covering her face with her hands before even realizing she had done so.

Why had she done that? Wasn't this exactly what she had wanted? Was she really so stupid that she would deny this chance?

"Yelena?" Sonya asked, confused. "What's wrong?"

"I," she started, the single syllable the only sound that was able to escape her mouth before a thick tension choked her up. Her cheeks were on fire, and her heart was beating like she had just ran a marathon. What was she about to say? What on earth could she say?

"Hey, I'm sorry," Sonya said quietly. "I just thought-"

Again, against her will, her body turned and her mouth spit out a flurry of words before her brain could even register what was being said.

"No, I do, but I don't, because I didn't think, but now you, but right now, and I don't know how, and I can't," she rambled on, tears welling in her eyes. Her hands were covering her mouth, and she felt like her only way out of this was a quick death. She heard herself spew out nonsense, but she couldn't stop, "It's not you, It's me, because I don't, and I you can't, and we shouldn't and-"

Sonya leapt out of the bed and wrapped her arms around Yelena, pulling her close. The drivel she had been unable to cease suddenly abated, and all of the incomprehensible emotions she had been flooded with vanished into vapor. All at once, now being held tightly in Sonya's arms, all that went away, and she felt safe again.

"It's okay, Yelena. We don't have to do anything. I'm sorry."

She stroked the back of her head and moved gently back and forth, like she was rocking a child to sleep. Under any other circumstance, Yelena might have pulled away, chastising her for treating her like a kid. Right now though, she felt like it was appropriate. Yelena wasn't really sure what to do, so after a few seconds, she gave a light push to tell Sonya to let her go. She didn't feel like she was spiraling anymore, but she was still on the verge of tears. She'd never felt so embarrassed in her entire life.

"I'm going to go home now," she whispered meekly.

"You gonna be okay?" Sonya asked, still a little slurred, but genuinely concerned.

All she could do was nod. She certainly couldn't meet her eyes now, not after all this.

"Can I come by tomorrow? Just to talk," Sonya asked.

"Yeah. See you," she said, turning on her heel and all-but running out of the house.

The moment she cleared the door, she summoned her staff and leapt up into the air, making for home as quickly as she could. She could feel Hemlock squirming his way out of the small pouch on her side, poking just his head out of the leather bag.

"Well that went poorly."

"Shut up!" she yelled, much more aggressively than she had wanted. Tears began to stream down her face, and the cold night air stung her lungs and she traversed the sky.

What had just happened? Why had she done that? Nothing about how she'd acted in the last five minutes made any sense, and she could quite wrap her head around it all. Had Sonya felt the same way about her this whole time? If so, why hadn't she said anything about it!? Was it that normal here in Village, for two girls to like each other? Was she the weird one for thinking it was weird? Or was Sonya just weird too? She was completely lost, and as she bounded atop the trees and was carried on the wind that she herself directed, she couldn't wait to get home. All she wanted to do was bury her face in her pillow and scream until her voice gave out.

"Yelena, I smell something odd up ahead," Hemlock said.

"I don't care. I want to go home."

"I understand, but-"

"Hemlock, please just stop!" she yelled again.

She waved her hand a huge gust caught her and flung her through the air, still controlled, but only just. She approached the little clearing her cabin was in rapidly, and with one final burst, she safely landed in a huge cloud of dust. Hemlock leapt out of her pouch the second she touched down, but Yelena was already moving towards the door and reaching for the handle by the time she too felt what he had been referring to.

"Yelena, stop!"

Her body was already moving though, and even she couldn't stop herself from swinging it open with anger. Despite her outburst, what she saw was enough to pull her back from her emotions.

"Well that's quite the entrance," the strange woman sitting at her dining table said.

The starlight above illuminated what little of her face was showing beneath the wide brim of her tall, pointed hat, revealing a sharp jawline and blood red lips. She wore a long, slim black dress that was slit up the left side, showing off her long, perfect legs as she sat with them crossed. A small pipe was held between her fingers with a thin trail of smoke rising from the bowl, and as she took a long drag and raised her head, the embers underlit the brim of her hat. With one look, the woman's crimson eye gave Yelena all the information she needed to know. She was a witch.

"Hi there, 'Silver Witch'."

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