The Portal

II 2.5 Liam

Despite the pale sky, an icy breeze ruffled the pines, and Bia tucked her furry coat around her arms. This was probably not the best outfit for a morning walk. In addition to the large fur coat, she wore a light pink dress embroidered with red mini-flowers. Her little boots crushed the dried plants as they made their way into the woods, making an annoying noise. Beside her, Serena walked gently, wearing a dress equally inappropriate for the task: it was pale blue, her favorite color, and her tulle skirt almost snagged the roots of the trees.

They walked in silence for more than ten minutes, their eyes watchful. At every sign of a known plant, Bia stopped, watched closely, sniffed. Whenever she found something promising, she took a sprig and threw it into a basket that she carried by her side. She wasn't as experienced as Leila and was still an apprentice, but some herbs and plants were easy to find and, knowing the right dosage, could be useful while they were in the fortress. Before leaving the Island, Leila had instructed her to look for typical plants of the region, which they could test.

Because of Shailaja's cold weather, and as the Island had a very different vegetation, hopes of finding something useful weren't great, but after an hour of walking in the dense woods, Bia noticed an orange flower, shaped like a tiny sunflower, that was growing under a pine tree. This one she knew well, and, scooping up as much as could fit into the basket, they hurried back to the fortress.

- I think we have enough to make an ointment... I would need some blue fennel, the one we ordered from Hiwot. Could we get some here? – Bia asked, when they were already passing by the stables.

- It's close enough... If I'm not mistaken, it grows in regions along the shore, doesn't it? – Serena asked.

- That's right! Who knows, on a next walk, we can look directly at these branches that grow almost on the sand...

The two walked through the cold corridors and entered the Mavi Hall. Dropping the basket onto an armchair, Bia hurried to the fireplace and put her hands together to warm herself. It was close to lunchtime and the hall was full of servants preparing the table. Accompanied by Serena, she snuggled close to the heat and informed a maid that they would have lunch in the hall with the others. She had barely eaten breakfast and her stomach was growling. She also asked the maid to bring some bread while they waited.

Serena chuckled softly at her uncontrolled hunger. Then she nodded across the room to where Christine was playing cards with Rariff and Blake. Despite the low temperature, the dress left Christine's arms exposed and she didn't seem to need a coat. Bia searched the rest of the room but didn't see Hannah and assumed she was staying at her room for lunch. A thunder echoed and she realized that a storm had begun to fall from the gray sky.

- Will the days here always be like this? – she asked, crestfallen.

- Well, I hope you don't give up on your stay because of the bad weather.

Liam Roparzh was looking at her with an amused face. His clothes were soaked, and his white shirt clung to his body. His long blond hair was wet, and he splashed water around the room while drying it with a towel. Bia knew he had spoken to her, but she couldn't remember what he'd said. Feeling foolish, she smiled politely.

- Roparzh! Did you take the morning for a swim? - Blake asked, stepping closer.

- I was with Winoc when the rain fell... We had to interrupt our training earlier, but I think I'm glad to be back at the Mavi Hall - Liam replied, with a wink at Bia, who felt her cheeks warm.

She had been warned about this type before leaving the Island. Gaetana had even called her in private to warn her about the dangers of men like this. Flirts, as she defined it. And Liam was a notorious flirt. He became involved with the ladies of Rariff's court, then grew weary of their companions and left them heartbroken. Before arriving at Shailaja, Bia didn't think she was in any danger, but now that he was in front of her... Liam was tall, his blond hair had a color that reminded her of honey, but his eyes were deep brown. He was leaning casually against the bar as he continued to run the towel through his wet hair. He had a relaxed posture and a casual smile that gave him a mischievous look.