Sternenstaub und Abendfeuer

35. Gathering Mushrooms

"I never would have thought to see you in clothes like this."

Seonghwa lifted his head from where he was digging for winter mushrooms in the snow. A few servants skimmed the area around him and their cloaks dragged in the white dust whenever they crouched to dig around the earth.

With an amused beckon of his chin, Yunho nodded down at Seonghwa. The elf wore the loose cotton pants fitting those of the servants, a humble brown to match the rare pair of shoes on his feet. His shirt was a washed-out beige and the laces stubbornly frilled open around his chest. Not bothered by the cold air, Seonghwa merely wore a wide-brimmed hat to protect himself from the sun glistening on the spread of white.

"I'm glad to surprise you every day anew," Seonghwa smiled. He noticed the lack of Aodhán on Yunho's arm after he showed the baby around the snowy gardens earlier. The last time Seonghwa saw them, Aodhán had been tugging at Yeosang's branches, practising his grabbing and yanking on the complaining dryad.

"I brought him inside since I didn't want him to get cold. As much as you strive in winter, I can see his light dwindle whenever he is out too long," Yunho said as he crouched by Seonghwa's side. "What are you doing?"

"Collecting mushrooms for dinner tomorrow," Seonghwa chirped, thankful for Yunho's attention on their child. It was not common among human fathers, especially towards sons. Human men preferred treating their sons as fellow men at an early age, dragging them to work and war.

"Did you get fed up with the letters?" Yunho chuckled as he watched Seonghwa dig around the earth with the gloves that were comically too large on his delicate hands.

"Sometimes mundane tasks help ground ourselves. Especially those concerning the scent of the earth. You can help," Seonghwa offered. He held a mushroom from his basket out for Yunho.

"Always check beneath for frills. It doesn't matter if they have chunks bitten off them either," he explained, patient with nature and its frivolities.

"I know just the way," Yunho chuckled as he whistled for Buddy. He scratched at the dog's neck as a curious snout buried into the mushroom. With a pant, Buddy took off and a moment later, his paws dug into the snow, keen on the scent. Yunho jogged along to retrieve the mushroom and Seonghwa went back to work with a smile.

For a while, they worked in peace. Yeosang emerged from the forests soon with a full basket and chuckled at all the holes Buddy dug. Once loaded with mushrooms, the three made their way inside to deliver their rewards to the kitchen. Seonghwa gladly stayed to help prepare dinner, needing a day away from papers and politics.

Yunho watched as Seonghwa and Yeosang danced around each other with practised ease, giggling over jokes only they understood and swatting at each other without heat. While he scrubbed the mushrooms, his curiosity mirrored Buddy's. The dog sat at their feet, begging for anything to gobble down even when it was no more than kitchen utensils.

"What was Seonghwa like as a child? Seeing Aodhán now and how refined he is even in young years, my hope diminishes that Seonghwa ever had a foolish side to him," he asked. After all, human babies took much longer to develop their understanding of urgency. For them, anything was urgent. Aodhán never cried, and he comprehended his task when Seonghwa handed him over to Hongjoong for their classes.

Yeosang pondered as he leaned against the kitchen counter. He matched the season and lost his leaves, but the evergreens adorning his shoulders were lush as always.

"It's been so long, I can barely remember younger Seonghwa. When we met, I was also a sprout."

"We used to be afraid of the forest. Even though Yeosang is a dryad," Seonghwa reminisced. Only if Yongguk was with them, they ventured between the trees and even then their towering height and long shadows made them shiver and flee.