The Tales Of Esmeralda

Chapter 32: Ingredients

Esmeralda raised an eyebrow. "You seriously need everything to be red?"

Eirinn nodded. "Yes we do."

"Even our hair?"

"Yes."

"My hair's already red!"

"Then you're good!"

"My hair's reddish!" Yolanda said. "Does that count?"

Eirinn thought for a moment. "Better not risk it. I wouldn't want to get on Macha's bad side."

"Me neither," Jason agreed.

"How many acorns did you say we needed?" Sebastian the driver asked.

"As many as is possible," Eirinn said. "Why?"

Petros smirked back at Eirinn. "'Cause we're about to be going into a forest with oak trees. We'll be able to find plenty of acorns."

"We also need red foods, right?" Esmeralda asked.

"Yep," Eirinn said. "Red everything: hair, clothes, food. All except for acorns."

Esmerlada started writing down what they would need: red dye of sorts, red clothes, red apples, bindweed, cherries, pomegranates (though she wasn't sure if Persephone would agree with that), and yew (though she wasn't sure what the Furies would think; she hated upsetting multiple people from the Underworld but it needed to be done).

Sebastian stopped the cart and turned to his new friends with a smile. "Here you are! Oak trees!" They were on a road that was surrounded by oak trees. The sun was shining through the leaves in a warm glow.

Eirinn smiled. "Nice! We'll be able to find acorns in no time!" She jumped down from the cart. "Jason! Can you help me?"

Jason shook his head with a slight smile as he looked at the Magnificent Four. "It's because of me that we're together. So I have to prove that I really want to be in this relationship."

"But you started it," Esmeralda said as Jason jumped down from the cart. "Isn't that proof enough?"

Jason shrugged. "Her father wasn't around so she has trust issues when it comes to men."

"I don't blame her," Yolanda agreed rather quietly.

Eirinn ran over to Jason and handed him a couple acorns. "Hold these?"

"Sure thing."

Eirinn smiled back at him and ran back into the forest.

"So how did you two meet?" Petros asked. "If you don't mind my asking."

Jason turned to Eirinn. "You cool with it, love?"

Eirinn came back with another acorn. "Sure thing!" She went back to get acorns.

"We met while I was on the road with my thieving team," Jason said as he walked in front of the horses to follow Eirinn. "You know how it is, Yolanda: you have a team that you work with because you're better together than alone."

Yolanda nodded. "Right, exactly. Teams are how most thieves get by. Only the best do it as individuals."

"Right, exactly. Well I had started on a team. And my team and I had stopped at a little village. And we went to the inn of the village." Jason gestured his head towards Eirinn. "She happened to be a dancer and waitress in the inn."

"Oh, that's nice," Sebastian said as Eirinn came over with a couple more acorns.

Eirinn smiled. "Yeah! It was! I liked the job!"