Heirs of the Gods

Ch 54: Through roses, thorns and time

It was an unseasonably warm winter in Gerrathea. Meaning, it was mid-November, yet the grounds weren't covered knee-deep in snow.

This was not to say it was a springtime oasis, by no means. The bitter cold had merely delayed its arrival. Ella, despite having grown up in the fairly cool region of Codshire, was still not fully accustomed to Gerrathea's brand of cold. As she burrowed her freezing red nose even deeper into the thick knit material of her scarf, she couldn't help but snort as Katram raved about the lovely weather.

Misty grey skies loomed above, accompanied by a salt-drenched frosty breeze that ruffled bare tree branches and whipped at her face, making her eyes water slightly. Ella trudged along the mulchy, damp ground, following behind a nimble-footed Katram as they walked along the forested estate ground.

"Kat, I believe you might have enough mushrooms," Ella said, muffled by the scarf covering her mouth.

Katram shook her head, foraging around the damp leaves surrounding a pine tree, until her keen eyes spotted the small brown head of a button mushroom. "Nonsense, Miss," she said, triumphantly lifting her treasure before handing it to Ella. "This is the perfect weather for berry and mushroom picking before winter sets in."

Ella shrugged and dutifully placed the mushroom inside the wicker basket she carried on her arm. She couldn't argue with her, they'd had an exceptionally good couple of finds that day. The basket was heavy with pine nuts and bark, chestnuts, golden chanterelles and Katram's proudest discovery of the day--a couple of perfect morel mushrooms they'd picked from the bottom of a decaying elm tree.

After what had taken place, Ella had decided to heed Aedion's advice. Take a break and whatnot. Well, "decision" was a loose term. She'd more or less strong-armed into it, as Aedion had stubbornly refused to let her work her usual hours. He'd even gone as far as to bring Katram into the debacle, sly cheat that he was. Ella would have admired the move, had she not been peeved that she'd been conspired against.

Katram was a force to be reckoned with, small as she was. With no more than a stern expression, she'd corralled Ella into accompanying her on her scavenging trip, pushing a basket into her hands and ushering her out the door in that no-nonsense way she had. And Ella had been helpless to refuse. One did not negotiate with Katram, one simply complied.

The promise of honey-glazed pine cakes and roasted chestnuts might have also helped convince Ella, lessening her sulking. Only a little.

Truth be told, it was not all that bad. She'd earnestly enjoyed the hours she'd spent with Katram roaming the vast estate grounds, breathing in the frigid saline air and letting the scent of soil, damp wood and sap fill her lungs, as she listened to Katram chatter on about the types of berries and herbs they came across.

They made their way across the mulch-covered, uneven ground, ducking under a few scraggly tree branches until they came to stop in front of a large Holly tree. Glossy evergreen leaves offset by the ripe crimson berries cradled between the branches.

"Oh, what a treat," Katram grinned wide, those small pointy teeth of hers visible as she beamed up at the tree. "The berries are usually ready by late December, but these are ripe for the picking, you can just tell by the colour."

Her spindly arm raised upwards, a faint crackle of magic palpable as a small bunch of red berries shook off the tree, falling onto the damp soil.

"Do you want them for decoration?" Ella queried, sending a considerably more powerful tendril of shadows up into the branches, weaving it around a large bunch of berries before extracting them and gently depositing them into the basket.

Katram sent her a grateful smile, before shaking her head. "Nonsense. They make lovely decorations, but it would be a shame to waste perfectly good berries on table arrangements. Not when they can be made into jams and tarts."