Heir of Obsidian (A Throne of Glass Fanfic)

26 - Eye of the Apothocary

She braced her forearms against her chest as the familiar scene before her registered, sending a fresh wave of anxiety through her body. She was standing on plush, red carpet, surrounded by dark, timber walls. A spiral staircase stretched up the middle of the room, leading to what she knew was the domed upper level that held the offices and the greenhouse. A lonely desk - again, timber - sat in the corner of the room, piles of parchment sprawled across its length. And, of course, there was the smell: always the hint of mint, intermixed with the lazy scent of smoke and a pinch of wildflower.

"I'll be down in a second!" a lilting voice called from the upper level. She heard the front door creak open behind her as Quinn, Luka, and Benji softly entered, sending a rush of warm air that seemed to rustle the cooler, calm atmosphere of the serene room. Luka released a small gasp as he beheld the looming staircase and the books and jar laden walls.

"Damn, this place is cool!"

Benji whistled in agreement, moving forward to explore the small, circular room. Distantly, she heard Quinn hiss at him to try not to touch anything important, given his track record. But it didn't matter, because at that moment, she heard the clacking of polished shoes on the stairs above, saw long legs descend from the rooms above -

"Star!?"

A jolt of warmth went through her body. Gods, she hadn't heard that voice, that name, in months. The shape of a young woman emerged from the shadows of the spiral staircase. Her short, curly hair was untamed, her clean, russet blouse constricted by a fine boned bodice. Ears pierced by swinging golden swords, no doubt perfectly tempered and sharp, that accentuated her soft, dark skin upon their glinting edges. Asterin's lips twitched as she beheld the tiny blades, as willful as the beautiful woman standing before her. She'd given them to Jorah as a gift last time they'd seen each other. A happy coincidence she would be wearing them now but she supposed Jorah had always had an attention to detail and an almost uncanny ability to predict the future.

"What are you doing here?" Jorah's eyes were full of questions and gentle concern as she beheld the unusual roughness of Asterin's expression and the rather rag-tag group that trailed behind her.

Asterin cooled her face into neutrality, not knowing what to say. She couldn't just blurt out what had happened, not with everyone else here. She opening her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it again. Little did the group realise that the reason she was here and the reason they were all here was completely different. Quinn noticed her silence, and probably just assuming she was uncomfortable talking to her ex, spoke instead.

"You must be Jorah. Sorry to barge in like this, but we really need to replenish our medicinal supplies for the journey ahead. Do you have any basic poultices, bandages and supplements spare?"

It was the most formal she had ever hear Quinn speak and Jorah nodded and turned to Asterin again, her chocolate eyes narrowing. "How long will they need to last for?"

Asterin averted her gaze, choosing instead to study the smooth wood of the nearby window frame. She understood she appeared awkward, but what was she meant to say? Nothing. It was better to let them think she was just rude. But even as her eyes flickered across the surrounding shelving like an innocent, startled rabbit a heavy pit of dread was pooling in her stomach. Gods, would Jorah even get the hint as to why she was here or have the supplies to make her more so soon. What would happen if she refused? Blood roared in her ears, carrying her thoughts away like a rip in the ocean. Quinn spoke again.

"Well, we plan on travelling for a while longer, leaving Rifthold and travelling down towards..." Asterin's eyes travelled to the window in an attempt to focus her gaze on anything but Jorah. "--salve for burns..." Quinn's voice faded as the roaring in her ears gave way to a melodious burbling of running water that echoed through her mind, carrying with it the tinkling laughter of children. Her eyes flicked to gaze beyond the filmy glass of the window, lulled by the sudden switch of sound to see two children - a boy and girl - frolicking in the majestic water fountain situated at the centre of the courtyard. She'd seen them when they entered. They were so carefree, so innocent, as she had once been and her magic drew her mind towards them.