Finding Beauty in the Darkness *Obi x OC*(COMPLETE)

Distracting Aeri

Obi POV

I returned to the castle, moving as quickly as possible. I didn't even stop to drop off Garak's herbs, I just went straight to Master's office. There's no way Ryanne has a simple cold and Aeri and I definitely can't take care of her. She knows Garak so I thought if he would allow me, I'd bring them here for treatment. Ryanne is the only one in that village that could treat whatever is going on but she's not conscious enough to do that. He gave me permission since the relationship between her business and the castle is so strong. She had even treated him at the cottage when he got injured while he was out once apparently.

I hurry back to the cottage and after proving to Aeri that I was actually me and not a scary bad guy, she lets me in to the cottage. I tell her that we are going to see Miss Garak at the castle for a little while so she can look after Ryanne. I ask her to gather a bag of essentials for herself and for Ryanne and she asks me to find Herron and let him outside in exchange. That's easier said than done with the mess that Aeri created along with all of the hiding places he could be in. I search the main room and kitchen twice with no luck. I laugh and hate myself for the idea that I have to find him, but I have to do it to see if it will work. I'm going to die if it does. I quietly open the door to Ryanne's room and make sure she's still asleep before wrapping the blanket snugly around her, then lift her into my arms. I carry her into the living room and place her on the couch and wait. She sniffles in her sleep and a split second later, a black blur comes streaking into the room, making a direct path toward the couch. I catch him as he tries to pounce on her and scratch his head despite him hissing at me in defiance and I put him outside before shutting the door. I can't believe it worked.

Aeri, Ryanne, and I make it back to the castle a short while later. She woke up slightly and asked Aeri if they had been kidnapped but fell asleep again right after asking. I bring her straight to Garak and the woman sends us away to check her over. I lean against the wall as Aeri fidgets with her bag strap, trying to distract herself from worrying over her mentor.

"Is she going to be okay, Mister Obi?"

"Of course. Garak is one of the best. Miss Ryanne will be just fine."

The far door opens and Shirayuki walks in with Ryuu following close behind. I find myself staring at Shirayuki but force myself to look away when I hear a small squeak come out of Aeri and she attaches herself to my hip.

"What's up?" I whisper, then remember what Ryanne had said. "Oh, right. It's okay, why don't you say hi?"

She buries her bright red face into my torso and shakes her head.

"Oh, hello Obi. Who's this?" Shirayuki asks.

"Hello Miss, this is Aeri. She's an apprentice herbalist and her mentor is ill so Garak is taking care of her."

"You're an apprentice? That's so cool. You must have worked really hard since you're so young. Do you like it?" Shirayuki asks, crouching slightly to get closer to Aeri's level.

I feel the girl pull her face out of my side and slowly nods her head. "I like working with Mistress Rya. She says that I have great potential but I need to focus more."

"How old are you?"

"I'm eleven." She tells her, her confidence returning until Ryuu glances over at her. I hold back a laugh as I hear almost inaudibly squeaked words as she returns her face to my side. "He looked at me."

Shirayuki gives me a questioning look and I shoot a pointed look down at Aeri then over to Ryuu and she grins as she understands. Garak steps out and distracts Aeri by asking what Ryanne was doing before she felt ill and anything she may have touched or eaten because apparently she isn't sick, she's been poisoned. That honestly doesn't surprise me. Aeri tells her that she had harvested the poison garden and brought one plant in to her bedroom and told her to stay back because the smell is poisonous as well. She recruits the other herbalists to start researching what the poison could be and how to counteract it. I feel Aeri struggling to keep herself together, so I decide to take her out onto the grounds to distract her.

Aeri and I come across Mitsuhide shortly after we head outside and I teach her how to annoy and harass him properly. Mitsuhide seems to not mind her presence though. We finally leave him behind and I take her through the gardens. Every time we pass guards though, she greets them all happily. Despite their duties, they're all nice enough to greet her back and a few of them call her My Lady to make her giggle. We come across Master and Kiki sparring and I'm not sure about her seeing the fighting but she insists so I let her watch in awe. Master introduces himself to her when they're done and she immediately turns red faced like she did when she saw Ryuu. I have to bite my lip to hold back a laugh as I hear her mumble that she's not worthy as soon as Master says who he is. After Kiki and Master leave and Aeri remembers how to breathe again, she tells me that she's hungry, so I take her to the kitchens where one of the cooks makes her a sandwich and slices an apple for her for dinner. I let her eat and afterward we return to the pharmacy to check on Ryanne.

Garak tells us that they've discovered what the poison must be and it's one that has a strong effect with the scent of it and a film it leaves, so having it in her room was enough to start to poison her. Since she had been exposed for a while and was mostly unconscious, the poison was never removed and made her worse. It's the only explanation they could come up with without talking to Ryanne herself. They did give her something to help ease her symptoms as the poison works itself out of her system. Shirayuki had to strip and bathe her as well to get any residue off her body and clothes and had to dress her in something of her own since the clothes Aeri brought are contaminated. Her whole room will have to be stripped and scrubbed down once the poison is removed. Garak tells us that as long as she stays properly dressed and covered while dealing with the poison afterward, she shouldn't get sick again and that her poisoning was likely not ventilating or taking the proper precautions when dealing with it. She is so reckless. She really concerns me sometimes and I've only dealt with her three times in my life. Garak offers for Aeri to stay with Ryanne in one of the empty beds for the night and Aeri looks up at me as if asking permission.

"I think it's a good idea."

"Are you going to come back tomorrow Mister Obi?"

"Of course. First thing in the morning." She grins and hugs me before telling me goodnight.