Behind him, Axel barked a laugh as he counted and sorted dried marigold leaves.
Her scowl was purely for show, and she stuck her tongue out at him, which only made him laugh again.She untied her hair, and as she walked past, she flicked him with the end of the scarf.Fael grabbed her wrist, and she turned halfway back, hair unbound, heart pounding with a mixture of amusement and defiance.
“Come now,” she said playfully.“You can’t convince me I hurtyou.”
He was definitely blushing this time, and a pulse of magic rushed from his hand to her wrist.This—this is what it feels like to live.She watched him work to steady his breathing as her own pulse ran rampant in her veins.
“I refuse to eat within distance of a human dustpan,” he retorted.“I don’t want gritty bread.”
She giggled and waved atAxel.
“Tomorrow?”she asked, pushing down her anxiety.I am enough.I have something to offer.
“Yes, lass,” Axel grunted.“You’re helpful enough.”
She practically skipped down the street atthat.
At supper, she was still beaming with joy.Fael sat contentedly while she glanced around the small town square from their table.
“I’ve never been so happy for fresh bread,” she said toward the end of the meal.“All that hard tack in the forest made me grateful forthis.”
Fael nodded.“Hard tack will keep you alive, but bread made with love”—he glanced down at his plate—“that will feed your heart.Though pleasant company improvesboth.”
His compliment set her soaring, and heat blazed across her cheeks.
“Tell me about your day,” she said, brushing past her flustered thoughts.“Since you know mine was spent dusting with myhair.”
“Nothing much to say,” he replied.“I spoke with some farmers who’d brought goods to sell in the village shops.Some talked of trouble to the east near the Capital; others mentioned unrest west toward Ishvaen.No talk of magic, though that was unsurprising, given I’m a stranger.No mention of imperial forces, either.I didn’t… sense anything unusual as I roamed.”
He wouldn’t put that last part into too many words, cautious of who might overhear.Ren’wyn tapped her fingers against the rough wooden table.
“I’m going to work at the apothecary until we’re ready for whatever is next,” she said.“I’ll keep my eyes and ears open—if we even get any customers.I suppose we’ll see a way forward as time passes?”
“Yes,” Fael replied, and once again she was struck by his quiet conviction.“We’ll find ourpath.”
11
In the end, they stayed in Delmor for three months.Fael and Ren’wyn found a secluded spot in the forest to practice magic.They woke early each morning and spent an hour exercising, with Ren’wyn adding a new movement to her routine at the start of each week.As the weather cooled into autumn, the mornings became more enjoyable.Starting the day flushed and sweating never felt good, and the cooler air was a welcome relief—especially since Fael never seemed to suffer from the heat the way shedid.
After breakfast, Fael traveled to the farms and homesteads surrounding Delmor, while Ren’wyn worked at the apothecary.She and Axel dried and processed herbs and mushrooms, cleaned and sorted stock, and recorded sales and inventory.
After supper, Ren’wyn and Fael returned to the forest, fueling rumors about their relationship while giving them a chance to practice magic in secret.Ren’wyn honed her shadow-weaving skills and worked to settle the shades lingering in the area.Fael practiced a deadly-looking routine that combined shield, spear, and sword in turn.She loved watching him slice at trees and shrubs, leap over rocks, and let his berserker fire roll across his arms and sword.When he finished his practice, he often watched quietly as she moved her hands and arms through intricate patterns to interact with theVoid.
Slowly—but steadily—the shop became cleaner.Ren’wyn spent a few days during the second week resting through her period.Axel, thankfully open-minded and accommodating, didn’t mind.She felt a wave of gratitude that she hadn’t bled during her escape in the Dark Forest.
When she returned to the shop, Fael came along to help for a day.He opened windows and worked hard enough to get sweaty and dirty, prompting her to shoo him off to rinse in the stream before supper; they couldn’t always afford the luxury of a hot bath.Little bottles gleamed on the shelves, and sunlight streamed through newly clear windows as Ren’wyn worked her way from top to bottom.She also took inventory, arranging with the dressmaker to send linen scraps in exchange for a liniment to ease the seamstress’s aching hands and shoulders.
She convinced the butcher to give them leftover fat and grease after she brought his wife a tea that helped bring in milk for their newborn daughter after a difficult birth.Ren’wyn wasn’t a healer, but her knowledge of herbs and their uses came easily.The smells and sights of each plant—their flowers and leaves—felt like family: familiar, comforting, and valued.
Three weeks in, a young woman named Sori came into the shop looking for help with her husband’s persistent headaches.Axel and Ren’wyn worked together to prepare a treatment for him to try in varying strengths.Sori’s sister-in-law became their next customer, seeking help for her oldest son’s fever.Ren’wyn sent her home with ingredients for tea and instructions to send for the healer if the fever didn’t break within aday.
A week later, the woman returned when her two younger children also developed fevers.Axel and Ren’wyn quickly realized they were running low on figwort root as the illness spread through Delmor.Ren’wyn dragged Fael into the fields surrounding town to harvest mountain mint for moretea.
Fortunately, there were only two fatalities—both elderly men who had suffered from chronic coughs.The healer in town warmed quickly to Ren’wyn, who admired the woman’s practical approach of mixing medicine with good sense.
Every person who came into the apothecary felt like a gift.Ren’wyn relished every moment, listening to their concerns and needs.She shared her patients’ stories only with Axel—to ensure accurate treatment—and with Fael.Fael listened well, asking thoughtful questions or laughing along with her anecdotes.She trusted him completely, and from time to time, he even offered advice on the personal issues that often accompanied medical concerns.
She refused to let Axel peddle “nonsense” during her hours at the shop.The man ran a sly side business at night for customers who wanted love potions, good-luck charms, and hex bags, but fake medicine was strictly forbidden during what Axel came to call “Ren’wyn’s hours.”
