As They Bloom

2 - The Stranger

Two weeks later.

"Look here, Lily!"

The creek flows by you, silver fish darting through the clear water mere meters away. Your hands are wrist deep in mud, your fingers rooting through for naaps. You could scarcely believe your eyes when you spotted the familiar leafy green tufts. You didn't think you'd ever taste one again – they grew like weeds in Noxus, but you haven't seen a single one in Ionia.

With a mighty heave, you pull it out of the ground. It's not a particularly beautiful plant, looking like a cross between a potato and onion, but nothing beats it in flavour. The thought of the root roasted away to crispy perfection has your stomach growling in seconds.

"Lily!" You call out once more, your excitement growing as you pull out another naap, larger than the previous. "You'll never believe what I just found! We'll be eating better than the Grand General tonight!"

But she does not answer you.

Your brows furrow with worry. Surely, she can't be far. In the two weeks you've spent together, the farthest she'd gone is the edge of the forest. You tried so hard to convince her not to go, to spare her from witnessing the aftermath of the battle, but she insisted.

She wandered back into the garden mere hours after leaving, clutching the branch against her chest so tight that her knuckles had gone white.

"So... so many..." she whispered. You'd struggled to look her in the eyes.

Neither of you had ventured beyond the forest since.

You rise to your feet, a layer of mud covering you from fingertip to elbow. You quickly place the naaps in your basket and wash the mud off in the creek. With a quick, graceful movement, you loop the basket handle over your elbow and begin your return to the garden.

The walk back is familiar to you now, welcoming even. The path, though obscured by plant life and twisted roots, is now as obvious as a cobblestone road. You recognise every rock, tree, and creature, and remember their names. The forest no longer feels unwelcoming. It's presence around you as comforting and reassuring as an old friend.

You've grown to love the garden, too. The plump blooms that sprout wild and untamed. The swaying bulbs that rain glittery pollen. The delicate cloud fruits that beckon a taste. You've resisted so far: they may look delicious but they're not quite worth the memory loss.

The Mother Tree is now in your sight. You delicately step over another root and are immediately relieved to hear a familiar giggle. But the feeling fades as quickly as it appears, because another voice, unknown to you, soon joins hers.

"It brings me comfort to see you again, Lillia."

Your stomach churns. Lily seems willing to accept anyone into the garden, but you're wary of strangers. Your limbs ache with the need to run. To hide. You can always return when this stranger has left your sanctuary.

Coward. You are a coward. 

You came here, to this land, seeking glory and found only shame. You abandoned your fellow soldiers. You can't even face this stranger and look upon him.

'Weak,' the wind seems to hiss all around you. 'So weak...'

You shake the thought away. Perhaps you are getting ahead of yourself. He likely has come here for the same reason you have: to seek shelter and safety and nothing more.

With hammering heart, you slowly sneak closer.

You take a tall bush for your vantage point. It's broad blue and pink leaves shroud you from sight. Crouching, you peer through the foliage, listening intently and trying to decipher the stranger's intentions.