Chapter 21

Twenty-One

The knights,bless their hearts, not only brought back shovels, pots, and wagons, but also more people. The farmers of the area, upon hearing about the flowers that warded off the miasma, were gung-ho in helping in whatever way they could. Before I could even properly get the wagons—loaded up with flowers and potatoes—out of the miasma, they had workstations set up at the base of the stairs.

These people were hard workers, you had to give them that.

Gren the hunter approached me first, his hands full of a large box. “Jake. This big enough for the flowers?”

Ever feel like you’ve come in on Act III and someone’s singing, but you have no clues to what’s going on? Yeah. “Gren, first explain to me what you’re holding. Is that a planter box?”

“Yup.” Gren tilted it so I could see it from different angles. “We were told what you found, what you want to do with them, so we all pitched in to make planter boxes for them. Only got four made so far, but give us time, we’ll get it done. This good, though?”

I’d had the occasional houseplant but safe to say I’d never made planter boxes for them. I mean, it looked like a good two foot wide, four foot long box, and deep enough for dirt and water. What more could we ask for? And these guys were farmers. I was sure they knew more about planting something than I did, so why they were asking me was anyone’s guess.

Still, apparently I needed to give approval, so I put my verbal stamp on it. “Looks great. Let’s plant some and figure out how many we need to cover the top of the Wall.”

Gren nodded, satisfied, then called over his shoulder, “Izzy!”

Eh? What the hell was she doing up here? It was way too dangerous for her.

Izzy came bopping over to me, all smiles. “Hi, Master Jake. I’m here to assist you.”

Uh-huh. More like she wanted to be part of the action. Well, I guessed I didn’t mind. I could heal any miasma she picked up here. In fact, I should probably do that with everyone working up here.

“Izzy, you’ll be my messenger.” If she was here, might as well put her to good use. “Pass along to everyone building the boxes that this size is good.”

“Got it.” Izzy spun on her heels, light as a dancer, and darted off.

Anyway, time to experiment. I headed up to the top of the Wall, one plant in each arm, with Theon right at my heels with another two. It really was spacious up here, plenty of room for flower boxes and people to walk past. That space would stand us in good stead. We didn’t even do more than glance at each other as we coordinated putting them down. I started with them about a foot apart and then stepped back to see the results.

Miasma shifted over the top of the Wall like a dense fog, insidious and creepy. The flowers stopped it dead in its tracks, or the miasma flowed around the plants.

“That distance definitely works,” Theon observed as he stood next to me. “But that means a lot of flowers will be needed to cover the top of the Wall.”

“Yeah, and who knows how many we can actually locate. All right, let’s double that distance and see what happens.”

He and I both shifted the four pots even farther apart, stood back, observed, and realized the miasma was still being blocked. Well, maybe we could push this out a bit farther still.

We repeated this process about four times before I called a halt. “No, Theon. That’s too far apart. See those little tendrils escaping between the flowers?”

“Yeah.” Theon made a face but then brightened. “Still, that’s quite a distance between them.”

It was. Nearly six feet. Which was more than I’d dared hope for. I wondered if that meant the flowers could spread and grow six feet in all directions? I knew some types of flowers could do that.

Well, guessed we’d see. At any rate, we had our answer. “Let’s scooch them back in closer. I think five feet apart will be our answer.”

He gave me that odd look he sometimes did, suggesting what I’d just said made no sense. “Feet?”

Don’t tell me I had to learn a whole new measuring system. “What would you call this distance?”

“A little over a pace.”

Pace, huh. “Then I think precisely a pace will work.”

Shrugging, he accepted this, and we made adjustments. Despite being reasonably sure this would work, I still stepped back and double-checked. Yup, that was perfect. The miasma reacted like it had just hit a brick wall.

I clapped my hands together before rubbing them in glee. This might be a Band-Aid approach, but you know what, I liked Band-Aids. Marvelous invention. If it could buy us time and health, then I’d water the flowers myself.

Izzy popped up, coming up the stairs like stamina wasn’t something she ever worried about. Kid wasn’t even winded. “Master Jake, what’s the answer?”

“A pace apart.” I turned, heading down the stairs myself. “Which means we probably don’t have enough right now, but let’s plant what we can.”

She nodded, and down the stairs she went, calling out the answer.

Theon’s hand landed on my shoulder, gently pausing me in midstep.

“Wait, Jake. I have a question.”

I stopped, turning to face him. Part of me still remembered that moment only an hour ago when I’d hugged him. (Look, I couldn’t help myself. Fries were my comfort food and I missed them keenly.) There’d been a moment, just a moment, when I’d thought he’d kiss me. If Mina hadn’t interrupted, he might well have.

And me? Well. I’d have totally kissed him back.

Now wasn’t the place or time to ask him about any of that. But by god, I was following up on it. See if I didn’t.

For now, though, I kept my brain focused on this moment. “What?”

“I wonder if you singing to the flowers will augment their powers?”

Huh.

Almost immediately, he looked a little embarrassed, pink tinging his cheeks. “Sorry, that sounded stupid the second it left my mouth.”

I threw up a hand to stay him. “No, no, don’t say that. Actually, on Earth—my old world—there were studies about how plants like music. They often thrived and were healthier if they had consistent exposure to music.”

“Oh.” Theon blinked, taking this in. “Well, I feel less stupid now. Want to try it?”

“I think we should.” The question nagged at me now. I must have an answer.

After singing around the knights most of the afternoon and not getting even one weird look in response, I did feel more comfortable.

I started singing. “The miasma is thick on the fields today, not a creature to be seen?—”

The flowers immediately perked up. Like, it was obvious. The buds on the plants started unfurling, the flowers orienting themselves toward me like a sunflower would the sun. I was surprised, but at the same time, not surprised. They thrived off divine power, after all. I only needed that single verse and chorus to verify the hypothesis.

“Well.” Theon’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “That was a resounding success. I say we sing to all the flowers after they’re replanted up here before calling it quits for the day.”

“Yeah, sound idea.”

A commotion started up down below, catching my attention. It didn’t sound good, whatever was going on, like an argument picking up steam. Uh-oh, what was this about?

I headed to the Wall’s edge and looked over, only to find several people gathered around my potato cart and arguing with the knights about it. For fuck’s sake. The prejudice against root vegetables apparently ran deep here. Theon had explained why, but I wondered if this was one of those prejudices passed down without any justification? Like the old superstition about all red vegetables and fruits being poisonous. There was a time when people wouldn’t eat tomatoes or apples for that reason.

It didn’t explain why they ate beets and onions here, though. Unless theirs didn’t grow in the ground.

In any case, I’d better head this off quick. People were not allowed to keep my fries away from me.

I quickly descended, probably a touch faster than was prudent, and hit the ground running. “Hey, guys, what’s up?”

Mina turned and waved me in closer. “Jake, everyone here is concerned about your…what did you call them again?”

“Potatoes.”

“That.” She gave the gathered farmers, probably a dozen altogether, a scowl. “Said they’re poisonous even when I told them all you said otherwise.”

Hello, Deep Suspicion. I am Knight Reasonable, and I am here to vanquish you forthwith. I plastered on a reassuring expression. “I promise you, they’re truly safe. Nutritious, even. These plants give off divine power like the flowers do.”

I got disbelieving stares in return.

Deep Suspicion was apparently an archvillain I wasn’t leveled up enough to deal with. Dammit.

All right, let’s show and not tell.

I climbed up onto the wagon spokes, just enough to snag a potato. I rubbed the dirt off on my pants leg, then lifted it to my mouth. Raw potato wasn’t my first choice in cuisine, but I knew it’d be fine to eat.

Gasps of horror emitted from everyone watching, and I had at least two people reach out to stop me out of reflex. Mina being one of them, so that told me a lot right there. I still got a bite in before her hand could catch mine, and I munched while looking her dead in the eye. Tasted a bit gritty—likely the dirt I hadn’t rubbed off—but otherwise like a normal potato.

“What did he just put in his mouth?” Theon demanded of them. “Jake, spit it out!”

I glanced back at him and pointedly swallowed. I would get rid of this prejudice if it was the last thing I did. “I told you. It’s not dangerous to eat.”

People literally held their breath, waiting for me to do…something. Gag, fall over frothing at the mouth, anything.

Only real urge I had was to find a knife, a pot, and some oil. Oh, and salt. Let’s not forget salt.

A minute ticked by. Nothing happened except my craving for fries intensified.

Izzy, my darling Izzy, came in closer, all while licking her lips and eyeing my potato like it was a yummy treat. “Master Jake, can I have a bite?”

“Sure, but they’re really much better cooked. Especially fried in oil.”

She didn’t care, just took it from me and bit into the side I hadn’t. Full-grown adults quaked in terror but watched as she munched, as if watching an inevitable train wreck.

Izzy swallowed and bounced on her toes. “It’s good, Master Jake!”

If she thought this was good, just wait until I borrowed a kitchen.

“Glad you like it.” I quirked a brow in challenge at the adults. They still looked uneasy but also curious, like they really wanted to try it but didn’t quite dare at the same time. Luk got up some nerve and tried a bite too, munching, then paused before chewing some more. Luk was my buddy; he was willing to at least try it.

“Crunchy,” he said, giving me a smile. “Bet it pairs well with alcohol.”

“Oh, even better, you can make alcohol with this.” Vodka, too, was calling my name.

I clapped him on the shoulder, then looked around hopefully. Any other takers?

Everyone was still staring like they expected the three of us to keel over. Not promising.

Hmm. Now, how did I fix this?

Theon clapped his hands, breaking the moment. “Let’s focus on flowers today. Jake, send your, uh, potatoes to wherever you want them.”

“Castle kitchen,” I directed Mina. “Park them at the back door and don’t let people do something bad to them. I need every single one.”

Mina looked half sold on the potatoes. Enough that she saluted me and issued orders to take the carts where I’d designated.

I had flowers to sing to—and oversee their planting—so Theon was right in that I didn’t have time to gorge myself on potatoes today.

But tomorrow? Oh, tomorrow was going to be a very different story. I would woo Theon with the glory of fries. Then hopefully kiss his face off.

Baby steps.