Phoenix: The nuruk beast.

Chapter Thirteen: Mandrake

 The boy looked at Aldrich with all but regret in his eyes, Aldrich didn't seem to care though. He took a seat beside the boy and rested his head on the tree. The pounding feeling in his head was getting hard to ignore.

"What is your name?" Aldrich asked;

"What do you want?"

Aldrich held up the dagger the boy once had to his face. It was a simple but well-crafted dagger with a silver pommel and a handle made of smooth brown leather.

"Where did you get this?"

"What does it matter to you? You don't seem to need it?" He said jerking his chin towards Aldrich's sword which was rested on a tree right in front of them.

"What I need is of no concern to you." he tossed the dagger back to the boy who now knew better than to use it on him.

"There is a craftsman who lives east, not too far from here, he makes weapons and armour of all sorts."

"And why do you carry just a dagger?"

"Well, you see, most of the things he makes are foreign and eccentric, like the boss's hooked sword."

"I see."

"If you want to see him just travel east from here." Aldrich then got to his feet and picked up his sword.

"No, not yet." He said looking towards a part of the forest where sat a cave amidst felled trees. "There is something I have to do first" he then looked back at the Richard, "And you are going to help me"

"Why would I?"

"What would you rather have me do to you right now?"

The lad gave a loud grunt and reluctantly hoisted himself to his feet. They both then set off in Aldrich's lead. In a few hours, they arrived in a meadow full of different herbs and plants that prodded through the snow, as Aldrich reached the middle of the grassy field, for the first time in days he smiled. The warmth he felt in him was enough to make him smile so much, the young bandit was made confused. He took a deep breath through his nose for the first time in weeks with no hindrances, the antidote he took must have already started to take effect.

"Why are we here?" the young lad asked,

"We need ingredients for a special type of plant."

"What kind of plant?"

"You just worry about fetching me some yarrow."

He handed the lad a small make-shift bag crafted from leaves and vines. They spent the rest of the entire day gathering herbs of all kinds, some found in the grassy fields while others at the foot of mountains and under small trees (which Aldrich uprooted.) It was only a matter of time before they had gathered over forty different herbs in their various quantities. Aldrich placed about half of it in a hollow log of wood and filled it with water while he grinded another portion, he gave the last and smallest portion to the young bandit and instructed him to bury it by the healthiest tree he could find.

With all the desired herbs collected and stored in their rightful places, both Aldrich and Richard now sought warmth laying by a fire they kindled under the cover of the night. Although Lillian's antidote had improved Aldrich's health greatly, they had spent the entire day only speaking, when necessary, given Aldrich didn't care to speak much and his company insisted on scowling throughout the whole time. Aldrich knew however that he would have to talk to him sooner or later.

"So--" he said to Richard;

"Well?"

"What's your story?"