Tamma continued her limp, making her motions even more exaggerated the closer she came to the two guards blocking the path. Miwah maintained a short distance behind her, making sure that her head was kept as low as possible.

"Are you lost, ma'am?" the guard on the right asked. He moved his hands from behind his back to in front of his chest. His face was covered in a thin stubble, giving the look of a man in his mid-twenties. He tilted his head at a slight angle, staring at Tamma in a perplexed manner.

"I-I..." Tamma began. She took in a few deep and rapid breaths as she looked at Miwah. "My friend! She's sick. Isn't that right?" The hunter nudged Miwah with her elbow. She coughed on command and bobbed her head up and down.

"I suppose that means you're trying to get through here to see the healer, eh?"

"Yes sir."

The second guard walked past Tamma and towards Miwah. The seamstress focused on the shadow approaching her before letting her legs tremble. The man's hand touched the cloth of the hood, ready to pull it back.

"I'd advise against that if I were you," Tamma called out.

"Oh yeah?" The second guard replied. His fingers still clutched onto the top of the hood. "Why would that be?"

"She came in from Darrowsville. You know how they have had a hard time dealing with the Drowsy River Flu. The only known natural treatment is in a little flower found only in that part of the world." Tamma placed one arm across the back of Miwah's shoulders and pulled her in close for an embrace. The seamstress coughed again, making the guard release his hold on the hood. "It's very contagious. Not quite fatal but it will make your existence miserable for as long as you have it. Unless you want an endless cough and some runny bowels for the next six months, I suggest you keep as far away as possible."

The guard jumped back, putting the hand that touched the hood up and shaking it out aggressively. "What about you? You're standing right next to her!"

"I think it's too late for me, sir." Tamma pressed her hand against her chest, covering her heart. "I'm already feeling a weird tingling in my throat and my legs are exhausted just from walking up that path.

"Fine, you two can go to the estate to see one of the mage doctors. Just..." The guard's entire face squinched together as he took another step back. "Just stay away from as many people as possible. We don't need whatever you two got spreading around here."

Tamma smiled while sighing with relief. "Oh, thank you sir. We'll go straight to their room. Nowhere else."

"Yeah. Make sure of it. Hopefully you have enough coin to pay the fee." The guard then waved to his partner, making him stand to the side of the path, well underneath the overhanging willow trees.

“Don’t worry about us. We’ve been saving up.”

Tamma took Miwah's hand and led her down the stone trail, resuming her exaggerated limp. The guards stared at the two women as they travelled further along the path until they took a turn and were obscured by willow trees.

Once the two guards were out of view, there were only the ambient sounds of nature; birds chirped. Leaves rustled from the wind. The hunter ended her charade, stretching her arms above her head as she took in a whiff of the air through her nostrils.

"You can stand upright for now, Miwah. There's no one around at the moment. Slouching like that isn't good for your posture, anyway. But keep the hood up."

Miwah listened to the hunter's words, setting herself upright just enough to get a comfortable view of the world around her. The sudden bright and vivid greens and oranges from the dangling leaves made her stagger back. "I am not used to seeing so much... life..." Miwah whispered. Her eyes grew in size as she slowly turned her body around to take in more of her surroundings. The chirping birds were perched at the top of the branches, their deep blues almost blending in with the clear sky. Yalch flew up to their level, waving his hand in front of one only to be completely ignored.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Chaston is the one that oversees this orchard. I like to come here every once in a while whenever I need to clear my mind."

"It's beautiful."

"It is. I would stay here all day if I could, but a lot of the members of the Farrowport Guard aren't fond of the idea of people from the lower section of town staying around here for very long. I've been told to scram on more than one occasion."

"Is this place closed off for everyone who is not from the Governor's District?"

"Not officially. But sometimes it seems that way. The wealthy folks won't hesitate to call a guard to get a commoner out of town if they feel threatened. Or if they just don't like you."

"That is horrible." Miwah raised one hand and brushed a willow leaf with her palm. "This place deserves to be enjoyed by everyone."

"That's what I say. But I'm not the one that helps to line the pockets of the Farrowport Guard." Tamma stretched her arms above her head again and tilted her neck from one side to the other. "But that is a conversation for another day. I think it's time we start heading out to our actual destination. Maybe once this is all over... if it's all over... I could show you around the other parts of the orchard. Chaston managed to import plants from all over the world here."

Miwah readjusted her hood before slumping forward. "Xiwaoan trees included?"

Tamma walked forward. "Yep."

"Is there a Royal Fire Blossom?" Miwah said steadily.

"A Royal Fire Blossom? Maybe. I think I remember Chaston mentioning something about having some rare Xiwaoan seeds in his collection. And that was years ago. The name alone makes it sound elusive."

"It is."

"He might have planted it then. The harder it is to find, the more Chaston wants it in this orchard."

Miwah darted forward and grabbed Tamma's wrist. "Would it be all right if we took a short detour?"

"To see the tree?"

The seamstress gave Tamma a nod. "Yes. It does not have to be for long. I just want to see it."

"Sounds like it's important to you. Usually, you'd be all about trying to get our work done as quickly and efficiently as possible, lass."

"I can make an exception. Besides, we are already here."

A quick wink came from Tamma. "Sure. How can I say no to showing someone a bit of nature?"

"We're going on a tour?" Yalch asked as he flew back down from his failed attempt at a conversation with the birds of the willow trees.

"Don't get too excited, Yalch. There's a specific tree Miwah wants to see before heading towards Chaston's office." The hunter stepped off the trail and pushed aside the branches of the nearby willow tree. As the leaves separated, a long dirt trail was revealed through the foliage. "Now if I remember correctly, the trees from other parts of the world should be a straight line from here." Tamma held out her hand and looked at Miwah. "Do you want to lead the way?"

The seamstress pointed at herself. "Me?"

"You're the one that knows what a Xiwaoan Royal Fire Blossom looks like."

"Oh."

"Go ahead. Me and Yalch will be right behind you."

Miwah obliged. She straightened up her posture and began the trek. The dirt trail was still moist from yesterday's rain, making each of her steps uneven as her foot sank slightly into the ground. Despite the mushy terrain, her pace remained steadfast. The end of the trail came closer as wooden planks embedded with the ground formed a small staircase towards a small soil plot. A wide area of soil was placed on a small plot that was elevated less than a foot higher than the trail. Long wooden planks encircled the area, separating it from the rest of the willow trees.

A wide assortment of plants grew from the ground, creating a visual spectacle that swayed gently from a breeze. Every color was visible among the various shades of green of the trees' leaves. Tall trees that jutted far beyond the height of the willows cast long shadows over the smaller but just as colorful shrubs.

"You see it?" Tamma asked.

"Not yet. But I have a feeling it is in there somewhere." Miwah climbed the first step, examining all the plants towards the front of the enclosure. She stuck out one hand as she entered, letting it brush against a white rose.

"It goes on for a while, Miwah. Chaston has been collecting and maintaining this area ever since I was just a young lass." Tamma scurried up the steps and began to walk next to the seamstress. Miwah's attention was spent looking for the Xiwaoan tree to pay her any mind. "What does this blossom plant look like?"

After a few more steps, the seamstress froze. She pulled back the hood of her cloak. She stretched out one arm and pointed towards the furthest point in the orchard. "It looks just like that."