Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

C larice followed Miran into her cottage, her eyes slowly adjusting to the dim interior. Candlelight flickered across shelves that stretched from floor to ceiling, casting mysterious shadows on walls covered in hanging bundles of dried plants. The scent of herbs lingered in the air.

“Watch your step.” Miran brushed past a dangling cluster of purple flowers. “Things have a way of finding their own places here.”

She ducked under the flowers, drawn to a shelf lined with glass containers. Inside, liquids shimmered in shades of amber, emerald, and deep sapphire. Labels in flowing script adorned each bottle. She thought it was Frostarii but it was too different from the printed script she’d learned for her to read.

A large wooden table scattered with mortar and pestles of varying sizes occupied the center of the room. Half-ground herbs spilled across its surface like tiny green constellations. A string of tiny bells chimed as she bumped into them, their sound clear and sweet in the close air. The cottage reminded her of illustrations from childhood storybooks—the kind where magic lurked in every corner.

Behind her, Lina darted between the shelves with practiced ease, clearly familiar with the space. The little girl’s excitement was infectious as she pointed out her favorite bottles to her.

This place felt alive in a way Rudi’s sparse home didn’t—though she found herself missing his brooding presence all the same.

“What do you think?” Miran asked, her eyes twinkling.

“I think it’s incredible,” she said honestly. “And all of this is for healing?”

Miran nodded, tracing her fingers across the bottles, her golden skin gleaming softly in the candlelight.

“Each mixture serves its purpose.” She lifted a blue-tinted vial. “This one soothes fevers. And here, this amber liquid helps with joint pain during the cold months.”

“It’s so different from medicine back on Earth. I trained as a nursing assistant and it was all machines and pills.”

“You were a healer?” Miran’s face lit up.

“Only in the most junior way possible. But I liked being able to help people who were hurting.”

“That’s the most important part.” The older female studied her thoughtfully. “Would you consider becoming my apprentice? These old hands won’t mix remedies forever.”

“I’d love that.”

The answer escaped before she could second-guess herself, but she was sure it was the right one. It was a chance to be useful, perhaps even to belong.

“I want to learn too,” Lina said, bouncing over to them, and they exchanged smiles before Miran rubbed her hands together briskly.

“Why don’t we start with preparing ingredients?”

Miran pulled down one of the bundles of dried herbs, then guided her hands as they crushed dried leaves into a fine powder.

“Gentle now. Let the herbs release their essence.”

She nodded, the careful strokes oddly soothing.

“Rudi used to watch me work, you know. Such a quiet child after his mother passed.” Miran sprinkled water into their mixture. “His father had died years before in a mining accident. The poor boy had no one.”

Her hands stilled over the mortar. The image of a young Rudi, alone and scared, struck too close to home.

“Unfortunately, many of the villagers...” Miran shook her head. “They feared what they didn’t understand. When his antlers started to glow they whispered that it was unnatural.”

The paste turned a deep green under their ministrations. She focused on the task, trying to steady her voice.

“I know what it’s like. Being different. Unwanted.”

“Oh?” Miran’s golden hands paused in their work.

“I never knew my father and my mother died when I was two.” She swallowed hard. “I had a lot of different foster homes. Some of them were kind, some... not so much, but none of them were really home. People look at you differently when you don’t belong to anyone.”

“You understand then.” Miran’s voice softened. “I’d hoped it would get better as he got older, as people learned to accept him, but it was too late. He’d already learned to shut everyone out, even me.”

How many times had she done the same—pushed people away before they could reject her first?

A puff of green powder suddenly exploded in her face, making her sputter and blink. Lina’s small hands flew to her mouth, her silver skin flushing a deeper shade.

“I’m so sorry! I just wanted to smell it and?—”

Miran’s laughter filled the cottage, washing away the painful memories. The sound was infectious, and she found herself laughing despite the herbs coating her nose and cheeks.

“You look like a forest sprite,” Lina declared, her earlier mortification forgotten as she bounced on her toes, antler buds now pulsing with delight.

She wiped her face with her sleeve, still smiling. The herbs tickled her nose, their sharp scent making her eyes water, but Lina’s enthusiasm lifted the heaviness from her heart.

“Now then,” Miran handed Clarice a damp cloth, eyes twinkling. “Shall we continue with our lesson? Though perhaps we should keep certain curious fingers away from the ingredients.”

Lina settled onto a nearby stool, swinging her legs as she watched them with rapt attention. Her earlier mishap hadn’t dampened her enthusiasm one bit.

The lessons continued until the golden light of sunset filtered through Miran’s windows, painting the cottage in warm hues. She watched the dust motes dance in the dying rays, her muscles pleasantly tired from the afternoon’s work.

“Time to head home, little one,” Miran said firmly to Lina.

The little girl’s face fell, but she slid off her perch without argument. She hugged Miran, then wrapped her arms around Clarice’s waist, squeezing tight.

“Thank you for letting me stay.”

After Lina disappeared out the door, Miran shook her head.

“Her aunt and uncle mean well enough, but they have six children of their own.” She poured steaming tea into two worn cups. “That child needs more attention than they give her.”

“Did you know she visited Rudi?”

“Yes, or at least I suspected. I thought it would be good for both of them.”

“I think it is,” she agreed, remembering the child’s worshipful looks and Rudi’s gruff kindness.

The fragrant steam from the herbal tea curled up between them as Miran settled into her chair, giving her a penetrating look.

“You know, I have room here if you’d like to stay with me.”

Her hands tightened around the warm cup. Miran’s cottage was full of life and warmth, so different from Rudi’s stark home. But she thought of his hunched form on that too-small couch, the surprise in his eyes when she’d made breakfast. The way his gruff exterior had cracked, just a little, over their shared meal.

She shook her head. “Thank you, but no.”

A knowing smile played at the corners of Miran’s mouth, as if she’d expected nothing less.

“You’ve made your choice then.” Miran gathered up the cups and placed them in a wooden basin. “As long as you realize that that male has walls higher than the mountains around us.”

“I know,” she said ruefully. “But I know what it’s like. To feel alone.”

Miran’s weathered hand settled on her shoulder, warm and steady.

“Good. You’ll need that understanding.” She squeezed gently. “But don’t expect him to welcome it. Rudi has spent years perfecting his isolation.”

Her chest ached as she thought again about the way he’d reacted to breakfast. Such a simple act of kindness had thrown him completely off balance.

“Come back tomorrow,” Miran added. “We’ll continue with the lessons.”

“I’d like that.”

She stood, brushing herb dust from her clothes. Her choice to stay with Rudi felt right, but her hands still trembled slightly as she gathered up her furs.

“The first thing a healer learns is to trust her instincts. Trust your instincts where he is concerned as well. I believe they will lead you true.”