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Language:
English
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Published:
2023-11-16
Words:
911
Chapters:
1/1

Tealeaf

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The night came without incident and sleep came as sleep does, slowly and intentional. Caduceus was more than used to this kind of rest, the purposeful routine of getting as comfortable as possible in rooms that would only ever be temporary. Today had been normal (if that word was ever appropriate to use in relation to the Mighty Nein) but the night felt uncharacteristically serene. Fjord was seemingly asleep across the room as Caduceus laid down, his body taking to rest effortlessly this time.He woke up warmer than the room he had fallen asleep in. Breathing in humidity and the pungent smell of rotting foliage, he looked around at the swamp moss and the oak trees, still green, as if summer couldn’t bear to leave them. The wall of vines and bramble still stood outlined in purple and gray and the lopsided bars of the wrought iron fence still bowed down to pay homage to the Wildmother. Everything here belonged to nature, its territorial hand resting on all things placed in the sanctuary. Nature is thorough, it never did discriminate on what it chose to hold.“It’s good to be home...” Caduceus continued looking around at the Blooming Grove, seemingly untouched from the day he left.He gingerly made his way through the shifting, pitting dirt and the stone tablets, brushing his fingertips against them as he went. Absent-mindedly, and unsure of if he was actually saying it out loud, he began reciting the names on the tombstones.“It is good to see you all again” he said, stopping and scanning through them all “It’s nice to see you have taken care of this place while I was away.”Eventually he made his way to his house on the northern side, the old stone steeple still waiting for him as he had so diligently done for his family. The grove was overcast. Silent. Caduceus pressed his hand to the old, worn, wooden door but did not push it open. As he stood there, a dull yellow light emanated out of his peripheral vision. He turned. Frumpkin sat looking intently at him.Caduceus chuckled, “Not gonna lie, I expected to see the Wildmother. But what are you doing here, Frumpkin? Where’s Caleb?” he took his hand off the door and made his way to the bengal cat. As he approached, Frumpkin walked away a few feet before looking back expectantly. “Care for a tour?” Caduceus chuckled again, but followed.Frumpkin leapt between scattered vines and brambles before circling in place and sitting on the thick green algae covered parts of bog water. Several feet forward from the cat, now cleaning a paw, was a tripod table that balanced a kettle and three teacups. Caduceus meandered up to the tripod, a modest grin creeping up on his face. He reached down slowly and picked it up.“You can’t be in the Savalirwood without having some tea. I have some you’d really like - Castala - it’s from a family who now specializes in textiles but a few generations ago they were a wonderful tea family.” Caduceus smiled warmly and left to fill the kettle in the house.When he returned there was a person sitting cross-legged, head down, beside the tripod. Not much could be made out of the figure themself except perhaps the curled horns laced in shiny dangling baubles and lavender skin. Their eyes were shut and it didn't appear as though they had noticed his return.Caduceus cleared his throat as he approached. "Oh hello, I don't mean to interrupt but you haven't seen a cat around here have you?" The figure looked up, their solid red eyes soft and full of knowing. They wore a deep red coat and from what little was evident by where Caduceus stood, it appeared masterfully adorned.The figure said nothing."I'm sure Frumpkin will find his way back." Caduceus sat down across from him and relaxed his shoulders. "Would you like some tea?" The figure smirked, picked up one of the teacups off the tripod, and extended it out to Caduceus, who happily filled it.There wasn't any conversation per say but the company alone was enough. It was the first time in who knows how long that someone came to the Blooming Grove just for tea. There were smiles exchanged, and a thoughtful note of how the red and purple leaves of Castala tea fit so well with a guest such as this. Neither gave way to the silence.The man looked up to the sky only briefly before looking back to Caduceus. He grinned, set the empty teacup back onto the tripod, and nodded. As he stood, the clouds parted and welcomed a filtering sunlight that immediately brought forth an array of flora in every color that were strewn across the grove in ways that looked gorgeously haphazard. Caduceus sat, teacup in hand, and watched the flowers come."Goodbye, friend."The man turned back once as he walked away, his smile warm and eyes still full of knowing something Caduceus now knew too, but did not know how to articulate. As he walked off, his form appeared to evaporate into one of the streams of sunlight. Caduceus stood. Off in the near distance, stood a stone tablet in a place he himself did not plant. He made his way over and traced the elven script with his fingertips."May the Wildmother bless you and keep you safe…"He woke up."...Mollymauk Tealeaf."

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