Sing to the flow of the river, to the shadows of black and of blue

Chapter 13

Lost in a land of a thousand forests

Music filled the room that night at the Black Lantern, a full day after it had originally been planned, but no one seemed to find reason to complain. Alex sat atop an empty table at the back, and played song after song, some she sang along to, others she just strummed. Her eyes found Gabe's often, gleeful and enthusiastic behind the bar, and Steph's a few times, where she leaned against a wall with a tankard in hand and a hint of a smile on her lips. There were about two dozen people in the tavern, Alex looking over their varied energies to assess which song they'd enjoy most next. Most were a pale yellow, a few bright, but most dim as they tended to be, and some people naturally didn't show much of their auras at all.

One of these people, as Alex had noticed over time, was Steph. And now that she saw her in a crowd, it had never been more clear how little the herborist's emotions shone through. While she always seemed a colourful character, her aura rarely did flare, muted even when she exhibited strong feelings out loud. Stephanie the herborist may no longer be the mysterious Magpie to Alex, but she was still a riddle. A wonderful enigma that she was delighting in learning more about each time they met.

Patrons gently applauded Alex's performances, making their appreciation clear, Garry's pleased nods punctuating the end of each song. It was a very different feeling from the city's inns, even more so from the cabaret, and Alex found herself more content than she had been in ages, at the idea that she might well be able to combine the bustling life she enjoyed living in Haven, with a calmer yet even warmer one here, around her brother and new friends. Renting a room for the night was an easy task, particularly with the extra five silvers in her purse. Alex stayed up late talking to Gabe, sitting on a nice enough bed, quietly reminiscing about their childhoods. She leaned against his side and pressed their mother's pendant in his hand, watching as he traced its delicate etchings with a trembling finger, before returning it and pulling her into a long embrace. The world didn't feel as confusing anymore, now that she'd found him again, and things were most certainly looking up.

Leaving for Haven just past dawn, Alex noticed two people already at Steph's door, and waved through the window to Valkyrie, whose yellow eyes she could feel on her back until she was long past the clearing. The day went by fast, with a few stops into places she knew would be busy and where her music would be rewarded with a handful of copper coins, then heading up to the Rosemary and Thyme. She found Chelsea in her room, and immediately jumped on her, telling her all about Gabe, knowing she'd understand the depth of her joy. Her best friend's shriek of happiness could probably be heard down in the main room, but they were both too excited to care. Stories like theirs rarely had a good ending, and finding someone lost long ago was as likely as stumbling upon diamonds. Once they'd both come down from their high, Chelsea poked Alex's arm.

"I am so happy for you! Oh, and I almost forgot. Master Nowak came by while you were away, asking after you. He'd like you to go see him when you get a chance, I think he wants you to deliver an order to your herborist."

"My- ugh," Alex poked back at Chelsea, pouting. "Don't give me that look! She's not my... my anything. Only my friend."

"D'you blush, too, when someone asks you about me? Or am I not the right kind of friend? You're as red as my hair!" Chelsea stood and danced out of Alex's reach, laughing. "It's always too much fun to tease you when you've got your eye on someone. Come on, now, they're waiting for me downstairs and I could well do with a musician to distract from my not-so-effortless dancing."

Alex found herself knocking at the physician's door the next morning, and being given a list, as planned. The older man invited her in with a smile, handing her a sealed envelope, and assuring there was no need for her to rush it to her friend. This was merely a first trial to see if the herborist's skills were in fact superior to others', including in the making of salves to help the fishermen in the city, who often suffered rope burns, net cuts and fish bone stings. If Master Nowak's conviction about her work was proven, he'd have much more complex ointments to request, and promised he'd pay handsomely for them.