Rowan showed up a few days later, proudly displaying a small vial of something he called liquid rennet. I’d been slowly accumulating more and more milk, but lately, a lot of the jars had been disappearing from the refrigeration room, only to reappear empty. I had a feeling it had something to do with the sprites, and I’d seen a few of them sneak in and out of the barn on several occasions. Still, there were enough jars left in the fridge, all filled with fresh, creamy milk.

Today, we were going to make some famous dwarven cheese.

Rather, we were starting the process, and the cheese would cure over the span of a couple of weeks. Fortunately, dwarven cheese was a soft cheese with a mild flavor, and Rowan assured me it wouldn’t stink up my refrigeration room.

Rowan took the chilled jars of milk and examined each one while nodding in approval. A thick layer of cream topped each jar, taking up about a third of the total milk volume. He paused as we passed by Bessie’s stall, cocking an eyebrow as he looked her over. I felt my cheeks redden as I realized Holly and Ivy had braided a flower crown into Bessie’s long hair.

“I see you’re taking great care of Bessie,” Rowan remarked, casting me a sidelong glance before turning and exiting the barn.

He shook each jar to mix it as we walked to my farmhouse. Then, he taught me how to heat the milk, making sure it reached the prime temperature for cheese making.

Carefully, he took the cork off the rennet, measuring out a few drops into a separate glass. Next, he produced a small vial of water and mixed it with the rennet.

“This rennet is derived from the stomach lining of dwarven goats,” he began, thoroughly mixing the concoction before adding it to the milk. “It produces a lovely, buttery cheese with a dreamy texture. I can’t wait for you to try some.”

I forced a polite smile. As much as I appreciated his enthusiasm for his culinary creations, there was no way I was going to try this cheese. “Oh, thanks, but I’m actually lactose intolerant,” I admitted, trying to keep from grimacing while inwardly breathing a sigh of relief. The truth was, after weeks of milking Bessie, and hearing where the rennet for the cheese came from, I was relieved to have an excuse not to indulge.

A frown crossed Rowan’s face. “Why don’t you just try harder to tolerate it?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at me. His tone was laced with disbelief, and something about his thick accent made this feel like a personal attack.

I shifted uncomfortably, feeling suddenly defensive. “It upsets my stomach.”

Rowan shrugged. “It upsets my stomach, too. The solution is to eat more cheese, not less. That will help you build up a tolerance.” He shrugged, nonchalantly putting the rennet next to the other jars of milk, his tone suggesting he’d proposed the most logical solution in the entire world.

I couldn’t help but grimace. The idea of force-feeding myself cheese to build up a tolerance seemed dubious at best, and downright dangerous at worst. But Rowan was as stubborn as dwarves came, and he firmly believed cheese was the answer to all of life’s problems. Still, if this cheese resembled mild cheddar from back home, I’d consider suffering the consequences of eating a grilled cheese sandwich.

Rowan turned back to stir the milk and rennet mixture. As I watched him work, I couldn’t help but marvel. He was a talented craftsman, a gruff blue-collar type, and it was surprising to see him also thrive in the kitchen.

“Bessie is a great producer,” Rowan said after a moment. “She should continue giving milk late into fall, maybe even winter. Her production might go down in the hottest days of summer, though. Just be sure to give her plenty of water and shade for her to rest in.”

There was a knock at the door, and Rowan’s wife Renna entered.

“Hello, laddie! I knew when Rowan wasn’t fishing that he was here plotting to get his hands on some cheese. It seems you two have started making it without me.” Renna crinkled her nose in mock annoyance before her features softened into a knowing smile.

“Rebekah told us your date went well. How come you haven’t reached out to her since? It’d be a shame if Bessie was the only female in your life.”

I swallowed hard. How was I supposed to tell Renna, a dwarven woman, that I just wasn’t into dwarven women? Rowan turned to me, his eyebrows raised, clearly interested in my answer. I cleared my throat, but before I could speak, Renna held up a hand.

“There’s lots of other women in Sagewood, y’know. Not just Rebekah.” As she said this, there was a knowing glint in her eye. “There’s Emily, the nurse that works with Dr. Night. Why don’t you go ask her out to dinner?”

Rowan chuckled as he turned back to his cheese mixture.

I sighed, relieved that neither dwarf was offended that I wasn’t interested in Rebekah. Woods had told me something very similar a couple of nights ago. My thoughts turned to the nurse. She didn’t possess the ethereal beauty of an elf, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t beautiful in her own way. She was simply human, just like me. Maybe that’s just what I need, I thought to myself.

“Life is better lived with a companion,” Rowan said after a moment. “A good companion is almost as important as access to good dairy products.” He held up one of the jars of milk and took a swig.

Renna rolled her eyes. “You’re going to be sleeping on the couch tonight if you drink any more of that milk.” She turned back to me and gave me a smile. “He’s right, you know. About the companion thing. This farm could use a woman’s touch.”

I had to keep myself from chuckling. My farm already had many sprite women living on it. Maple ran the kitchen, Ivy and Holly helped with Bessie, and Skye helped keep an eye on Woods. Fern, the other female sprite from the south, often came and went, studying the flora and fauna around the farm. But I knew deep down, Renna was right. Even with the sprites as my friends, it had been lonely living on the farm this past year.

“Maybe I’ll go talk to Emily tonight,” I offered.

Renna patted my hand, appeased by my answer. She stepped in to help Rowan in the cheese making process, and I watched curiously. The dwarves carefully transferred the creamy cheese curds into circular metal molds, allowing the excess liquid to slowly drain away as the curds settled. Renna then brought out some coarse pebble-like salt, and the dwarves coated the now thickened cheese rounds. I marveled at their meticulous attention to detail with the cheese. Honestly, I thought it was a little too much work, and resigned myself to just selling Bessie’s milk. After an hour, the cheese was set and chilling in the fridge.

Before Rowan and Renna left, I decided to bring up my plans for a new building with them. “Do you think you two could build a greenhouse?” I asked.

Rowan shrugged as he downed another bottle of milk, but a thoughtful look crossed Renna’s face. “We could probably manage something like that. When would you need it done by?”

“Just sometime before winter.” I pulled my bag from off my back and retrieved most of the etherchips I’d earned from my recent crop harvest. “Does this cover the down payment?”

Renna laughed. “Of course, laddie. With how much you overpaid me for your barn, we’d be willing to do it for free.”

“Or, if you wanted to pay us in cheese, we could work out that deal as well—oof!” Rowan was cut off as Renna elbowed him in the stomach.

She turned back to me, giving me a sweet smile as her husband doubled over dramatically. “I’ll write you up a cost breakdown and we’ll order the supplies. We can start building in a few weeks.”

The two dwarves left together, strolling northward back to their home and Rowan teasing Renna as they went. I watched them go, feeling a tug of loneliness as they disappeared down the path. They had each other and their son Carter. They lived a simple life here in Sagewood, but it was filled with happiness.

As I mulled over these thoughts, I walked slowly to my orchard, surprised that no sprites were out. A heavy stillness descended upon the farm, making me feel slightly unnerved. Usually, by now, Clay would have found me, but he’d been helping the other sprites the past few days, and Holly seemed to always have some task for him to do. Reed was either fishing or helping Maple in the kitchen, Rock and Ivy were always off together when Ivy wasn’t taking care of Bessie. I sighed. Soon, the craziness of spring planting would come to an end, and I’d have to find other things to fill my time.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

I turned to look southward, toward where the cave was. Mining was how I’d filled my days in the winter, but I’d stopped after finding the cave stone. I knew there was some sort of monster on the bottom level, something big. With Woods back, maybe he and Finn could come down with me to fight whatever it was. It was probably guarding some huge, unknown treasure.

As I stood alone on my farm, the quiet of the evening setting in, I couldn’t shake off the nagging feeling that Renna was right. Life was better with companionship, and even if I wasn’t planning on staying in Sagewood forever, it might be nice to make friends. Human friends.

Emily, the nurse, had always been friendly during my visits to Dr. Night’s clinic, and I couldn’t deny that she was pretty. Plus, she was human, and probably closer to my age than anyone else in Sagewood. Renna’s words tugged at me again, and deep down, I knew they were right.

I looked up at the sky, noting there was just enough time to make the quick walk to Sagewood and back before dark.

With newfound resolve, I headed out into the evening, the setting sun casting a golden glow over the rolling hills of the valley. The recent rain had spawned a plethora of wildflowers, their different hues mingling like a watercolor painting. The air was crisp, and the sounds of nature surrounded me as I made my way toward the small village.

My heart hammered in my chest as I approached the clinic. It had fared better than many of the other buildings, but still was subject to peeling paint and chipped roof tiles. The air hung heavy with humidity from the recent rain, and a sense of anxiety settled over me like a suffocating fog.

My steps faltered as I caught sight of Emily, the nurse who had been so friendly during my stay at the clinic after my farm had burned down. She waved at me through the clear glass window. I hesitated, my resolve wavering. Maybe I could turn back, pretend I hadn’t seen her. But as if sensing my uncertainty, Emily’s friendly smile widened, her eyes meeting mine. I swallowed hard, steeling myself.

With a deep breath, I pushed open the clinic’s glass door, the bell chiming brightly as I stepped into the building. The interior was brightly lit, the air thick with the scent of antiseptics. I glanced nervously at Emily, who was waiting for me with an expectant look, seated behind the check-in desk.

I cleared my throat, my voice barely above a whisper. “Um… I’m just here for… a check-up,” I stammered, chickening out at the last second. My heart sank. Idiot. Just ask her out and leave! You don’t need a check-up. I drew my eyebrows together. In actuality, my knee had been bothering me lately, so maybe I could use a check-up. Coward, I scolded myself again, trying not to let my inner turmoil show on my face. Emily stood, and I followed her numbly as she walked down the hall to the examination room.

As Emily chatted amiably during our walk, my palms grew damp with sweat, and I remained silent. Her ponytail swayed gracefully with each step. She wasn’t as slender as Leia, but I found her curves to be pleasant, and her chestnut hair was rich and slightly curly, reminding me of the waves of the sea. I was struck by her attire, which resembled scrubs from my world. They were a pristine white, perfectly matching the clinic’s sterile environment. The cold, clinical atmosphere was amplified by the gleaming medical instruments hanging on the walls. My nerves got the better of me, and I couldn’t help but fidget, feeling my determination waver once more. Just ask her out and leave! It doesn’t even matter if she says no, just do it.

As she led me further into the clinic, my heart pounded in my chest, and my mind was consumed by a growing sense of dread. I’d never been good at asking girls out. Confidence had never been my strongest quality.

“Here we are,” Emily said as we came to the examination room.

I sat on the table, chiding myself for how poorly my attempt to ask out Emily was going.

“So, what brings you in today, Matt? Anything bothering you? Or just a general check-up?” She grabbed a clipboard and pen and gave me an expectant look.

It was now or never.

“Actually,” I blurted, my voice filled with nervousness, “I was wondering if you would like to go out on a date with me sometime?”

Emily’s eyes widened in surprise.

I continued, the words spilling out of my mouth faster than I could think about them. “I actually don’t need a check-up—I just came here to talk with you. I’m just really, really bad at talking to pretty women.” I grimaced, chiding myself for being so incredibly awkward as silence filled the examination room.

The silence was eventually broken by Emily’s soft giggle. I looked away, my cheeks flushing. This whole thing had been a dumb idea. I silently cursed Rowan and Renna for putting me up to it.

“I’d like that,” she said. “I’m free tomorrow evening if you are.”

My gaze snapped back to her. “Really?” I asked, genuinely surprised.

She nodded. “Yes. That sounds like fun! It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten out and done something fun. What did you have in mind?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but just then, Dr. Night burst into the room.

“Matt! It’s good to see you. I’ve been wondering when you were going to come in. What’s bothering you today?”

Emily started to speak up when Dr. Night raised a hand, silencing her. “Thank you, Emily, I can take it from here.”

Emily shot me a sympathetic look, but I shrugged, and she left the examination room.

“Dr. Night, I don’t really need a check-up, I just came by to ask Emily out on a date.”

Dr. Night’s bushy eyebrows rose in surprise. “Did she say yes?”

“Surprisingly, she did. We’re going out tomorrow night.” I wondered why I didn’t feel more excited. All the anxiety I’d felt about asking her out hadn’t transformed into relief. It still gnawed at my stomach, weighing me down like a heavy stone. Why don’t I feel better about this? After all, she’d said yes, hadn’t she?

“Emily’s a fine young woman, and it probably makes it easier that she’s already seen you naked.” Dr. Night had commented so matter-of-factly as he looked over my chart that I thought I misheard him.

I stared at the doctor for a few long seconds. “I’m sorry, what?”

Dr. Night began writing something on his clipboard, not bothering to meet my eyes. “She helped me take care of you when you were brought in the night of the Harvest Festival. We had to check your body for burns. Your entire body.”

I felt all the color drain from my face. How was I supposed to go into this date with that hanging over me? Hopefully Emily has a bad memory.

“Good for you for putting yourself out there.” Dr. Night finished writing on his clipboard and gave me a fatherly smile as he continued. “Since you don’t need a checkup, I’ll let you be on your way, but there is one thing I’d like to discuss first.”

“Oh?” I asked, still reeling from what he’d said before.

Dr. Night backed up to the door and pulled the handle tight to make sure it was shut and secured. He lowered his voice, his gaze boring into me, his grey eyes intense. “It’s about Clay.”

I felt my heart sink at the mention of the youngest sprite. This couldn’t be good—Clay had just seen Dr. Night the other day.

“It’s about his arm. I don’t think we can expect the wound to mend any more than it already has.”

I nodded slowly. We’d been hopeful since sprites possessed remarkable healing properties, but such a dire wound was bound to require a miracle to regenerate.

“At this time, I highly doubt he’s going to regrow the limb. We can expect that all the healing that’s going to take place has already happened, and it’ll probably be like that the rest of his life. Of course, I’m not an expert in sprite physiology. There may be instances of sprites regrowing limbs over long periods of time—centuries, even—but I wouldn’t put my hopes in something like that occurring.”

I let out a long, disappointed breath. “Have you told him this?”

Dr. Night shook his head. “I didn’t tell him exactly what I told you, though I think he already knows. He showed me his animal form, and it’s also affected. I don’t think there’s a chance his owl form will ever fly again.”

I ran a hand through my hair. This was absolutely terrible news. “All right, thank you for the update, Dr. Night.”

The doctor nodded somberly. “Of course. Grab a lollipop on your way out. Congrats again on the date, I hope all goes well.”

***

I walked slowly back to my farm, my footsteps heavy. The clouds were now a soft pink, resembling wisps of cotton candy against the fading daylight. But the beauty of the scene did little to lift the weight that had settled in my chest.

My feelings were a tumultuous mess, swirling within me like a storm of conflicting emotions. I tried to push them down, burying them beneath a facade of stoicism. After all, I had a date with Emily to look forward to, and I didn’t want my inner turmoil to bleed into tomorrow evening, ruining my night.

But as I made my way through the familiar paths of my farm, my thoughts kept drifting back to the bad news I had received about Clay. He was still young, considered a child in sprite years, and the news had hit me hard. Had he shifted into his animal form before meeting with Dr. Night? Would his animal form even be useful now? And now that Woods was back, how would he take it?

I reached the porch of my farmhouse. The windows emanated a warm glow and the sprites’ voices came from within. I leaned against the wooden railing and stared out at the sunset.

After a few minutes, I clenched my fists as my emotions bubbled to the surface despite my attempts to suppress them. It was unfair, cruel even, that someone so young and innocent had to face such adversity. A pang of anger shot through me, but I quickly pushed it aside, knowing that anger wouldn’t solve anything. There was no point in being angry anyway, it wasn’t anyone’s fault what had happened. Except maybe Corruption. I got a bad taste in my mouth as I thought of the shadowy entity. The being that had made my life so incredibly difficult. Was there any way to stop him?

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing thoughts. I knew I couldn’t ignore my feelings, but for now, I could leave them be and plan to sort through them later.

With renewed determination, I straightened my posture and made my way inside. All the sprites, including Woods, Finn, and the southern sprite Skye, were gathered around the table playing Uno. The cards I’d made were now basically falling apart, and I was pretty sure all the draw four cards had been marked, their edges folded down. Skye appeared perplexed by the game, having more than half the deck in her hand.

“Matt! How did it go? Did she say yes?” Reed sat at one end of the table. I saw that he was down to two cards.

I nodded.

“Tell us everything!” Holly said, grinning. I noticed she only had one card in her hand, making her the closest to winning the game.

I forced a smile and took a deep breath, pushing my worries to the back of my mind. “I have a date! We’re going out tomorrow evening.”

The sprites erupted in cheers.