Dreamer

Chapter 13: Gwen

Even before Gwen opened her eyes, she could smell the potions brewing in their pots. The calming bubbling, along with a sweet, hummed melody sounded through the room, almost singing Gwen back to sleep. Before that could happen, she opened her eyes and sat up.

Master Melisandres laboratory was packed and cramped with dozens of old wooden bookshelves and even more glasses with weird liquids and... sometimes not liquids in them. Plants and flowers grew in brass pots, growing all over the shelves and the ceiling, some pots even just hang down from it. It was like an old library in the middle of a jungle. Except for the campfire in the middle of it all, with three pots cooking something weird in them. Something magical.

And then there was Melisandre. From the couch Gwen laid on, she could only see her scurry around and put things into the pots or organize all the paper flying around the place, all while humming a sweet melody. Because of her deep, husky voice, it sounded even more calming. Her red, long locks moved around in waves over her back every time she moved her head.

"So you are finally awake?" she noted without turning around. Gwen flinched. With a smile her master turned around and winked at her. Only a green bandage prevented her locks from blocking her view. "Took you long enough."

"How long exactly?"

"About a day and a half."

Gwen swung her legs over the edge and stood up, almost getting caught up in the creepers hanging from the ceiling. Her body felt like born anew, not like being eaten by a red demon, digested and then puked out. "What are you brewing?" she asked curiously and threw a glance over to the smoking pots. Melisandre smiled and added another few drops of a glowing liquid to one of the potions. With a little pow steam rose up and formed a cloud underneath the ceiling. The plants getting in touch with the cloud died faster than flies.

"Dinner." she explained in a cheerful tone.

"For who?"

"Nobody you will get to know in the future." She winked at her again. Gwen sighed. The fact, that Melisandre was a master of poisoning people others (or alternatively herself) didn't like was... something she still had to get used to. Carefully she sniffed the potion and immediately regretted it.

"How are you gonna sneak that into someones food without them vomiting before eating it?" Gwen tried to hold back the urge to puke into the pot, her master would probably not be very happy about the surprise ingredient. But maybe it would make the new smell more bearable...

"Trade secret." she explained while she let a stick stir the evil smelling potion, barely even moving a finger. Fascinated Gwen watched the magic work. It was impressing, what she was able to do with it. Almost everything. Not even Chandler could keep up with her.

"How are you?" Melisandre ripped her out of her thoughts.

"Better than before." she answered, looking down at her feet.

"That shouldn't be too difficult..." She eyed her up and down and sighed. "After everything that happened in those past weeks... Do you want to talk about it?"

"Ludociel is an asshole, beside that, there isn't much to talk about." she mumbled, avoiding Melisandres gaze. Thinking about him let her mood drop by a few thousand kilometers again. No wonder, Mael had some serious issues with his self-esteem. If Gwen had an older brother like that... Nope. Not even thinking about that.

"I could have told you. You didn't need to fight him just to find out."

"Marvelous." With a sigh she let herself fall back onto the velvety couch and looked up at the ceiling. The whole thing was full of plants, from pretty lilies to the most poisonous shit ever. If anyone robbed the laboratory, they would probably be able to poison and kill the whole fucking demon court.