"She what?" Elara asked. "How?"

I explain to her how I have always been able to feel Misty’s emotions. As my companion, we have a sort of mind link over short distances.

"I normally see a sort of blurry image of what she has seen or is seeing, you know," I tap my head. "In here. I can also tell if she is happy or not, scared, or angry. Strong emotions… so a common one seems to be hungry." I smile down at the preening cat, who truly seems to be basking in the attention she has garnered.

‘Not scared, don’t do scared,’ I feel her tell me.

On a whim, I send a thought up to wherever my observers might be. Thinking perhaps it might be better to check something basic before I go saying too much. I’ve already been hauled out on that once—no point in getting a second telling-off.

‘Menolly or Teach or great BB, do folks round here have access to your shit; all the levels and such, or is it just me?’ I have no idea if I will be heard, or get an answer, but—

In my head, I hear the robotic voice of Teach.

"They have not been integrated into the Overmind. If they had, this test would not have been necessary." And all goes quiet again.

‘Alright, that answers that question. No confusing the natives with talk of levels and shit then, Del.’

"So, because we have this strong bond, I think she is picking up new tricks, kind of learning more."

Elara nods her head, thinking. "I have heard tales," she says, tasting each word carefully as if to check its veracity. "Some rare mages are able to bond with animals and create intelligent allies in them, some even extending their power through the animal."

"But I’m not a mage," I say to her.

"This is also true," she responds. "But perhaps Misty doesn’t think that important," she continues with a chuckle, reaching down to pet the ginger furball.

"Right," I say with conviction. "Onwards to find the wicked witch of the West."

"What?" Elara asks in total confusion.

"Nothing," I laugh. "Just an old children’s tale from back home."

Still inwardly laughing, I muse about leaving a trail of breadcrumbs as we head deeper into the woods.

It doesn’t take long before, on the path ahead, we see a clearing with a neat cottage surrounded by a low fence. The whole area smells and looks incredible. The entire clearing is a plant paradise; some I recognise from collecting them myself. Most, I don’t. There is a rich scent of sweet floral notes interspersed with more medicinal tones. The whole area is interwoven with a network of paths to allow access without needing to walk on the plants, in a way that seems both organised and chaotic. The result is a garden unlike any I have ever seen before—a true taming of nature by a master of the art. The path we had followed through the woods continues straight to the gate in the fence. The cottage itself is neat, painted white with a thatched roof and smoke gently curling up from the chimney. To the front is a porch, and sitting on a chair there, a woman regards us with kind eyes.

Misty runs up ahead, and before I know it, she is on the woman's lap, kneading and pawing her way into a comfortable position before curling into a ball. Joyous tinkling laughter rises from the woman as she pets Misty. We reach the gate, and she beckons us to enter.

"Good afternoon," I smile. "Vita, I assume?"

She gives a small nod of her head in acknowledgement, still softly stroking the cat and murmuring to her. She looks to be a bit younger than me, dressed in simple clothes with mud stains on the knees of her trousers, and an apron with deep pockets, from which a few plant leaves poke out. Her light brown hair is fixed in a practical bun, and her eyes sparkle with a mix of mirth, kindness, and curiosity.

"I am Del, a bit of a traveller, new to these parts, and this is Elara, my friend." I introduce us, indicating the purring mess of contentment on her lap. "You have already met Misty; she seems to have taken to you."

She smiles up at us. "The bond you have with your cat already tells me much about you, young man."

‘Young? Should get your eyes checked,’ I think wryly.

"Come, let's get some tea, and you can tell me what brings you to my home." Misty jumps down as she starts to stand and darts into the house as soon as Vita has the door partially open. Vita just shakes her head, and, opening it up fully, precedes us into her house.

The inside is comfortable and seems to comprise two main rooms with stairs leading up. We first walk into what is best described as a treatment room. There is a raised padded table suitable to lie a patient on and a couple of chairs by a table. The walls are lined with cupboards, and on one side is a table beside a stove on which sits what could only be a small cauldron alongside several small vials, flasks, and other devices. I assume these are for mixing various remedies. The room has a distinct medicinal aroma to it.

Vita leads us through to a room beyond her workroom. This one is homely and comfortable, with armchairs and a small dining table. A range cooker is at one end alongside a sink and countertop. She gives a kettle a quick shake, adds some more water, and puts it on the stove. Bustling about as we make ourselves comfortable, it doesn’t take her long before she joins us with cups, a teapot, and a milk jug.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"Now," she says, "you are not my usual patients, so what brings you to my little piece of the woodlands?"

We accept the cups she passes to us, and Misty laps at a saucer of milk.

"We met Merl, the smith, back in Stonebridge and were talking with him about our travels through the woods, and he suggested we come see you."

"Really," she sounds intrigued. "Now why did he suggest that?"

"Up in the higher woods, I was attacked by some ruffians. I won, they lost." I shrug, sipping at the aromatic hot drink. "But they had already attacked and killed another man before I got there."

I put down my cup and reach into my pouch for the pendant.

"I described their victim to him and showed him this. It was the only thing that could possibly identify the man, and when I showed it to Merl, he suggested you might know it."

"Why would he think that?" She holds out her hand. "May I?"

I pass it to her, and she looks at it carefully, rubbing it gently between her fingers, then kisses it.

"The man… he would have been young," she says quietly. "A bit shorter than you, with mousey hair. He also had a mild limp, but you wouldn’t have seen that. He was getting over a sprained ankle."

She looks up at us, a small tear glistening in the corner of her eye.

"His name was Lucas, and I gave him this pendant when I accepted him as my apprentice two years back." She holds out the pendant on her open hand. "These three circles are the symbol of a bonesetter, a person of healing and aid to those in need." She flips the pendant over. "The inscription is in Archan, it’s the script we use to guard our secrets and recipes. It is his name."

I lower my eyes at this revelation. "I’m sorry to bring you this news," I say softly.

"It is better to hear the truth than to wonder on the possibilities. He was out gathering plants that only grow at higher places and studying the seasons' movement. I would not have realised he was missing for at least another month yet." She looks again at the pendant. "May I keep this?"

I nod. "Of course, it is right that you do."

The silence starts to become uncomfortable, Misty’s unconcerned purrs the only sound as Vita contemplates the memories embodied in the small necklace. With a sigh, she puts it in one of her pockets and looks up, giving her eye a quick wipe.

"Enough of that," she states. "I can relive memories and honour his loss at a later point. For now, is there anything else I can help you with?" She sighs. "I am not being the most gracious of hosts."

"It’s completely understandable," Elara says. "If you want time alone, we can always return another day."

Vita takes a large, calming breath and sighs it out. "No, but thank you. It’s not often we see one of your kind in this region, and I sense from you both, something is troubling you."

"The villagers' attitude towards elves does seem a bit off," I say. "But I get the feeling that there is more going on than just some racial dislike."

"Stonebridge has always been insular," she answers. "Though perhaps more so of late. A long way back, in the early days of the village, we used to get raiding parties of elves." She stands and starts collecting up the empty cups, putting them by the sink as she continues. "They felt that the woods were theirs and had no place for humans. For almost a generation of turmoil and conflict, the skirmishes continued. Eventually, our elders managed to forge a peace accord as elves and humans mixed more within the more general Gondowan society. This happened long before the last heaving, but in village life, memory is long and often unbending." She gives a small sigh at the foolishness. "We have also, more recently, heard rumours that the old wizard of the mountain may still be alive, though none have really been able to say for certain. This could be good or ill. Without knowing more, it is hard to say."

She looks thoughtfully at Elara. "There have also been stories of elves moving through the woods as if looking for something or someone. This could have stirred up the old fears and prejudices."

I notice Elara seems to shift uncomfortably. "I hadn’t heard that," she says.

"Rumours come and go; some have meaning, others are just wind through the leaves," Vita states.

"I do know that the people of Stonebridge seem to be worried about something. I don’t know what, but just take care and keep your ears and eyes open while here. Maybe you will figure out what’s going on, maybe nothing is happening at all, and I am just an old woman mumbling ghost stories over an open fire."

"Hardly that," I chuckle. "But we will take care while here. If you can think of any way we might be of help, just let us know. We are staying with Jake at the Cock and Ball."

"He is a good man, but do ask his wife to prepare your food. Jake is good with beer, not seasoning." She gives a small smile. "If you move on, then do call by as you leave. I shall prepare some salves and remedies for your journey. The road can be a harsh place."

"That’s very kind of you, Vita," Elara says.

I give Misty a mental nudge. ‘Time to leave.’ She looks at me and gives a lazy stretch as she gets to her feet. ‘Nice human, trust,’ she says to me.

Thanking Vita once again for her time and advice, I let her know she can call on us if needed while we are in the area.

Her parting words as we stand again on her porch: "Go and see Paolo, the village elder. He may know what's going on, if anything is."

We wave as we head back through the carefully kept garden and back towards the village.