The Alchemist's Apprentice

2 - The Other Apprentices

So like a normal human being I've completely avoided this hazel-eyed beauty, the only person in this shit hole of a town who ever showed me any kindness and decency.

It's not because I like her.

I simply don't trust her.

Her and her easygoing smile and the way that she laughs that sounds so open and freeing. None of it can be real.

I've made my peace with people who seem authentic and stab you in the back and I don't plan on letting anyone in to allow that to happen again.

"Do you think you can help me bring these barrels in, Marsh?"

In the great interest of keeping civility alive, I of course nod yes and help Desiree (for her name is Desiree. I heard it in passing. By her window. At night.) move the grain barrels into the bakery where she's apprenticed, as well as clear the backyard, sweep the trellis, milk the goats, scrub the aprons, and feed the chickens (I don't know why they would need chickens here but I can only assume it's for some sort of pilfered snack to include in their pastries).

The entire time I help her with her chores, she keeps up a long-winded and excited monologue of what we're doing and why and how thankful she is to have caught me when she did— and I'm honestly astonished at her energy levels never dipping but only peaking over and over until I'm actually tired from being in her presence.

But not entirely so. There's a strange tired energy that I have experienced the total of one times I've consciously been in her vicinity.

It's a lousy tension that doesn't stress me out for some reason but also a weird excitement that makes me not want to leave her.

The most direct comparison I have is when you have diarrhea and you're stressed about shitting yourself but absolutely relieved when you don't. A catch-22 in my stomach.

All her questions I've redirected with grunts and "Ah ha's" or an occasional "Oh." with a hard period because that in itself has led to so many different offshoots of our already long conversation.

She can talk enough for the both of us. But I don't really mind because her mind works in such mysterious ways and the trails of conversation that she begins and never ends has me aching to learn more about her. Curiosity and all that jazz.

I finish combing their hog's thick and rough fur and by now I'm neatly covered from head to toe in putrid mud and straw and the moons have replaced the suns in the sky with their ethereal light. I'm late to Galin's.

But luckily Galin has no concept of time, so I should be fine.

"Thank you so much for your help, Marsh," she gushes. She holds out a damp towel to me, but smiles and starts rubbing at the grime crusted around my face.

I grab her wrist and take the towel from her not ungently. "Thank you," I mutter. Not even the alchemist has seen my face beneath the bandages and I wasn't about to let the girl with the beautiful eyes do it.

She pouts but concedes and watches as I dab the worst parts off and smother a lavender and eucalyptus concoction across my clothes. Not exactly a shower but just because I look like I got down and dirty in a pig's sty doesn't mean I have to smell like I did. I still have my pride.

"I didn't mean to take up so much of your time," Desiree says. I shrug. I know I should be going and she probably wants me out of her fine, auburn hair...

I don't want to say goodbye even though I have to leave and it's late and the night windchill is picking up. So I'm waiting for her to say something to dismiss me first.

She rambles on for a bit more and I have a sinking feeling that she could go all night but after a brief 30 minutes of us standing outside as the twilight darkens, she slaps a hand to her forehead. "Where are my manners?! I've kept you past curfew and I'm still talking your ear off! I'm so sorry."

Desiree walks me to the front of the baker's shop, now shuttered and lightless and we stand there awkwardly as she looks around and rubs her arms.

It's pretty cold according to her shivering, but I'm warm in my cloak.

"Thank you, again, Marsh. You should stop by more often! It was nice having you around and you can say hi y'know? Like, you don't have to duck behind every corner whenever you see me...unless I did something wrong?"

She looks at me with those big, guileless eyes and I struggle to recall every moment I've avoided her: there have been a lot but I'd always assumed I was slick enough to get away without being seen.

Apparently not.

"Well I know you don't talk much. And I know you avoid people in general. But if I ever did anything to offend you, I'm sorry. Get home safe okay?"

She waves and enters her dwelling and I'm left standing alone in the street with the thunderous beats of my heart rushing through my head.

"Oh man," I feel woozy and light-headed but in a good way. It was nice just being with her and not having her flinch every time I moved, like all the other townsfolk here.

I kick at the half-cobbled dirt street and make my way down the main road to get to the opposite end and Galin's hut.

"I think you overstayed your welcome there, bucko," an airy male voice calls to me from across the street. All feelings of relaxation fall out of my body as I turn and grab at the knife on my belt.

I know who it is before I even turn, but I can't help but groan when I see them bunched in the shadows and I can't help but sigh at the gleam of weapons catching the moonlight.

"Oh. Hello there."