Mutante

Chapter 14

Copyright 2023 Elizabeth Frerichs

Crossposted on elizabethfrerichs.com and fanfiction.net

*****

When morning came, Rosie felt a thousand times better. She stretched, luxuriating in the feel of the air against her skin. Robert wasn't on the blanket with her—probably checking on Waterdancer and Thomas. She put on her tail and slipped back down the tunnel below the cave.

"Good morning!" she called to the three males as soon as she caught sight of them.

Robert and Thomas returned her greeting, and even Waterdancer whinnied at her.

Robert looked her over and then smiled. "You look much better than you did yesterday."

"I feel much better."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I was getting worried. You've been asleep for 13 hours."

Rosie blinked at him. "Good heavens, has it really been that long?"

He nodded solemnly.

"Miss Rose needed to replenish her energies," Thomas put in.

Robert jerked a thumb at the mirror. "He wouldn't let me wake you up."

"As I said, Miss Rose needed to replenish her energies," Thomas said primly.

Robert glared at him and then turned his attention to Rosie. "Well, you don't look as pale as you did yesterday, so I think it worked. Did you want to eat breakfast first or collect the fairy's breath now?"

"I feel as though I could eat a whale right now," Rosie said, her stomach immediately making its complaints known now that she was awake and thinking about food.

Robert grinned. "Breakfast it is then."

"Miss Rose, how are you intending to collect your blood?" Thomas asked.

"Well, I—er, I hadn't thought about that. Do you—do you have a suggestion?"

"I do. After breakfast, perhaps you ought to do the collection in the cave. There's a spell to collect liquid ingredients underwater, but it might be easier to simply collect it while in air."

"Ah. Yes, I suppose that makes sense. Since neither Robert nor I can do magic." Rosie removed her grandmother's basket from where it was tied to Waterdancer's saddle. "What tools will I need?" She began rifling through the basket.

"There ought to be a vial with a thin funnel on it. The funnel is spelled to collect whatever you put near it. If you simply place it against a small cut, it will fill the vial. Likewise, if you uncork one of the funnels while in the air."

Rosie nodded somewhat less than enthusiastically. The thought of collecting her own blood sent a shiver down her middle—she didn't like blood.

"I'll help you," Robert said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

She nodded, found the appropriate vials, and then returned the basket to the saddle.

"I'm really glad you're all right," Robert said as they re-entered the cave and walked to the picnic blanket. "Watching you lay there, all pale—" He shuddered. "I'm glad all you needed was sleep."

Rosie studied him. "I'm sorry it was so stressful. I didn't really mean to sleep for 13 hours."

"No—it's not your fault. I just—well—" He took a deep breath. "My father was injured about a year and a half ago and has been in a coma since then. The healers don't know why he isn't waking up, but . . . it's terrible waiting."