The bright yellow sun woke her early the next day. She could hear palia birds singing their high pitched song outside the large windows. Sielyth hopped out of the bed with new found motivation. I need to assess the town and talk to more people.

She quickly dressed in a purple dress, to honor her grandmother, and some sturdy brown boots. The best place to find people to talk to and gain information about what’s been going on would probably be Larby’s General Store, she thought. The owners of the store, Erik and his wife, saw almost all of the townsfolk each week and were generally the most informed. The Larby’s are one of the few human families of the town and have lived in Willow Fae for many generations.

Sielyth cautiously locked up the manor behind her as she left. On her way back up the path to town, she tried to take note of any trees or bushes that may look foragable. She needed to come through with a basket later to gather fruits that may be edible and compare them to the books back home. She saw some small trees with pale yellow fruit that looked familiar. Those look similar to a fruit I remember Gran using to make a drink that helps an upset stomach, the juice was pretty bitter but a little sugarcane fixes that, she recalled. Sielyth saw a few bushes with wine colored berries that she wasn’t sure were edible, but stuck a few in her satchel to compare later.

The edge of town approached quickly and she heard the chatter and noises of people bustling around. Sielyth passed old stone houses. When she was younger she would visit many of these homes with her Gran as she did her duties as high priestess, but she couldn’t recall all of the families’ names or if they still lived there. She politely smiled and greeted anyone who walked by her, but continued her path into the town center.

One house she did recognize on her way there was a pale stone house on the corner with a blue wooden door and flower boxes out front. This was the house of one of her childhood friend’s, Evelyn. Evelyn is part of another elven family who specialized in Light magic so they were best friends in school. I will come by and see her this week too, we can catch up and she might have some useful info.

After passing a few more houses, Sielyth finally reached the town center. She looked around the large square and although some paint colors and signs may have changed, the structures looked much the same as she remembered. In the middle of the square was a large round fountain. The fountain was made out of white stone which had been enchanted to give off a subtle white glow at night. During the day it sparkled in the sun. The center of the fountain was a statue of Andyrsa, the first high priestess of Willow Fae and one of Sielyth’s ancestors. She had a serene and welcoming expression carved into her face and her hands resting open on her sides.

Lining town square were many of Willow Fae’s most important buildings for day to day living. The clinic, blacksmith, and general store could all be found here making it a very busy place. The saloon, restaurant, and bakery also took residence in the town center. As a child she spent a lot of time running around here while she waited for her Gran to finish up in her office.

Sielyth made her way into Larby’s General Store. The large store was decorated modestly with some wildflowers that gave the entrance a fresh scent. She grabbed a basket to pick up a few things for the manor. On her right, near the window display were some packs of seeds. She grabbed a pack of turnip seeds, potato seeds, and ovuny herb seeds and placed them in a basket. This should be enough to start out in the garden, she thought to herself. Gran may have a few packs of special seeds in the shed as well, I’ll have to remember to take a closer look when I get back.

“Sielyth, is that you?” asked an older gentleman with dark skin and a very perplexed expression from across the store.

“Oh hello Mr. Larby! Yes, it's me. I got back into town yesterday,” Sielyth replied politely. As she walked closer to Mr. Larby, she noticed that he had aged significantly in the last five years. His dark hair had tints of gray throughout and his skin had many wrinkles along his brow and around his mouth. I forget how quickly humans age sometimes.

“You are all grown now, you can call me Erik,” He said with a smile that made his eyes crinkle, “And welcome home.”

“Thank you,” she said graciously, “The store looks like it's doing well. How is the family? How are your kids?”

“Kara and Colby are doing well,” Erik replied, “I’m sure you’ll see them around here any second. They’re no longer kids though, they’re almost young adults. Still just as hard working!”

His expression changed suddenly. He wrung his hands in front of his blue apron as he took a breath to continue. “Unfortunately, we lost Rissa a little over a year ago,” he continued, “She was attacked by a pack of deranged werewolves while she was out foraging near the northern mountains.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“I’m so sorry for your loss Erik,” Sielyth said sincerely, “Rissa was always very sweet to me.”

“Thank you,” he replied, “I’m sorry for your loss as well.”

Sielyth smiled and nodded. She wasn’t sure what to say or how to continue the conversation with the weight of grief and loss over them. Erik seemed to feel the same, but a serious look went into his eyes and in a concerned, low tone he told her, “Be careful if you go out of town. There have been a lot more monsters too close to the outskirts of Willow Fae and we’ve seen more than a few attacks from goblins and slimes. I’m not sure what has changed recently but we need to be on guard.”

“I will be careful, thank you for letting me know. That is strange that they have come so close to town,” Sielyth replied. There are usually many magical wards around WIllow Fae, I wonder what has weakened them. And why didn’t Liadan mention anything yesterday? Is that why she had Rowan walk with me? she thought to herself.

The backdoor opened and sounds of someone approaching them pulled their focus. Entering the store was a young man who was the spitting image of Erik in his younger days, except for his hazel eyes which looked just like the late Rissa’s eyes. He was carrying two large sacks of produce easily over his shoulders. He had a strong physique and carried himself with confidence.

“Hey pops!,” he said as he gave his dad a playful pat on the shoulder. Then he smiled at Sielyth and continued, “Surprised to see you here Sielyth. I didn’t know you were back in town.”

“Hello Colby,” she replied with a smile, his good mood and happy presence rubbing off on her. “I almost didn’t recognize you. You have grown a lot! But I’m happy to see you still have as much energy as ever.”

“Thank you for bringing in the produce from the market,” Erik said to his son, “Is your sister following behind you?”

“Yeah she was talking to the flower lady at the market earlier and said she was going to run an errand before coming to the shop. She should be here any minute,” Colby replied and then turned back to Sielyth. “I am sorry for your loss, I know how hard it is to lose someone so close to you,” he continued earnestly, “If you need anything repaired or moved at the manor, you can always come find me and I will lend a hand.”

“That is very kind Colby, if you need anything you know where to find me too. I am hoping to bring Gran’s garden back to life so hopefully I’ll have some Willow Fae grown produce for you all to sell at the store as well,” Sielyth replied.

The trio said their goodbyes as Sielyth paid for the seeds she needed to start up the garden. The Larby’s were kind enough to give her a large basket to use when she is ready to bring her freshly grown produce to the store.

This will come in handy very quickly, she thought on her way back to the manor. I can stop at the trees and bushes I spotted on the way in to gather some fruit. I’ve used almost all of the money I brought with me so I may need to start foraging a lot more to survive.

When she made it to the grove of trees she picked some of the pale fruit and started to fill her basket. She also picked some more of the wine colored berries in case they proved to be edible or useful for potions. Standing there, surrounded by trees and nature, she felt more energized than she had all day. Sielyth took a moment to sit and take it all in. She noticed the rough, weathered bark of the fruit trees and the way their leaves blew in the wind. She felt the grass under her hands as she leaned into the ground beneath her. She enjoyed the way the afternoon sun shone in between the branches and spread over the land.

“Gran, I’m sure your spirit is here with me,” Sielyth whispered, “I am not sure if this is what you meant by feeling the energy of nature, but it definitely looks magical. I can see why you spent so much time outside.”

Sielyth soaked in the feeling of peace and joy that she found in the grove of trees for a while until she noticed the sun was lowering itself across the sky. She took Erik’s warning and decided it was best to head to the manor.

When Sielyth got home she sat in the living room with one of her Gran’s many books called “Surviving Off the Land: A Beginner’s Guide to Foragables” and the wine colored berries she picked on the path. She looked page by page at the pictures and descriptions until she found the one that matched her berries the closest.

“Dissant berries,” she read from the book, “A wine colored berry roughly the size of a fingertip. White on the inside. Poisonous if eaten raw. Can be boiled down with Usod herbs and Goblin hair to make a potion that can paralyze an enemy for a short amount of time.”

Well I won't be eating these then, she thought as she tucked them into a box. The potion sounded useful though, if she could get her hands on the other ingredients. Sielyth went on to read about the pale yellow fruit she picked from the trees. She smiled when she realized she had been right about those at least. They were the same fruit her Gran used when she was little.

“Citron,” she read, “A pale yellow fruit with a rough exterior. Pulpy, bitter fruit inside. The juice from it can help cure upset stomachs.”

She placed the citrons in the kitchen, excited to make some juice with them later this week. As she was cleaning up her books and organizing everything before getting ready for bed, she heard a knock on the door.

Not sure who would be visiting her at this hour, Sielyth approached the door hesitantly. She opened the door while bracing herself to do some self defense magic, but the face on the other side did not scare her. Instead she felt an intense wave of worry when she looked at Colby’s panicked face.

“So sorry to bother you already, Sielyth,” he said in between short breaths, sweat pouring down his face. “Kara never came home. It’s not like her at all, especially after what happened to mom. We need as many people as we can get to go out and look for her.”

“Of course,” she replied wasting no time to think, “Let’s go.”