Magic and Mayhem

Cedar’s Evaluation

Cedar sat, nervously wringing her hands; she knew there was more she could be doing to advance her knowledge and abilities, but Cedar was so drawn to the garden, and the fairies, that it was hard to drag herself away from assisting them in their quest to keep the garden looking its best. She loved making things grow, however she also realized that there was something (Paris never told them what) that she had to be capable of protecting herself from.

Paris sat opposite her at his desk, looking over a folder of her studies her. “Cedar,” he began, smiling gently at his niece. “You’re doing exceptionally well as far as practical application of your forest magic goes; there are new plants in the garden nearly daily, some that haven’t been seen in years anywhere in Ceokia. You can coax them out of the ground, out of their hibernation, and into life again. Your ability to grow and control plants is far better than I ever expected it to be in someone as young as you, and after only a few short years of study.” He beamed proudly at his young apprentice, the piece of his family he could keep close to him always. “However, when it comes to being able to protect yourself-”

“Maybe I’m just not meant to be a fighter,” Cedar blurted, cutting him off. Her deep complexion flushed with embarrassment. “I mean, you always say everyone has their own purpose. Maybe fighting just isn’t part of mine?” She questioned, looking at her uncle for direction, answers.

Paris sighed; his gentle eyes sad with knowledge Cedar did not understand. “Cedar, my dear, someday you will have to fight. You will not have a choice. It will come to you protecting your friends- no, your family here. When it comes to that day, I need to know you will be ready to protect them, no matter what the situation is. You are so powerful, Cedar, and you do not yet realize it. There will come a day when I have no more to teach you, and that day will come when you realize that protecting your family, no matter the cost, is more important than being a pacifist. Do you understand what I’m saying?” he folded his hands, resting his chin on them.

Cedar paused, and then shook her head, letting out a defeated sigh. “You will, one day,” Paris said with a reassuring smile. “Now, go out to the garden. I’m sure the fairies can put you to good work out there, while you contemplate what we’ve spoken about.” Cedar stood, moving around the table to hug her uncle. Paris chuckled, patting her back gently. She waved over her shoulder as she exited the office and headed towards the garden.

As Cedar looked out the glass of the back door, she noticed Absidae leaning up against an oversized, yellow bear. She smiled softly, amazed at how quickly Orion was able to make the skittish, shy, timid girl to trust him and open to him. Cedar decided it was best not to disturb them, and instead followed the wrought iron stairs up to the library; maybe she would challenge Sinclair to a game of chess.

* *

Absidae looked over her shoulder at the massive bear that was now sleeping behind her in the sunlight. He seems much calmer in bear form. I know it’s all got to do with the moon, but I wish I understood more about why, Sid pondered to herself, her blue leather notebook open on her lap as she perused through the plants Noc had led her towards; she had asked where the burn balm plants were after Orion had taken his bear form so as not to irritate him. There was something comforting about leaning against a large, warm bear, and for the first time in a long time, Sid found herself relaxing, enveloped in her work.

“I just don’t see why you want to play chess! You hate chess, and I always beat you…” Sinclair’s voice trailed off as he burst through the back-garden door, causing Absidae to jerk in shock. This woke Orion, who raised his large bear head and looked over to his yellow eyed friend, his face annoyed at being woken from his nap, before he lowered his head back onto his paws. “Oh, sorry guys…Cedar said there was something going on in the garden that she didn’t want to interrupt. I should have just listened to her,” he rubbed the bald side of his head, chuckling awkwardly.

Sid c****d her head in confusion, raising an eyebrow. “Cedar, what do you mean? Orion is just helping me study,” Orion snored as if on cue. “Well, sort of. He was showing me where the plants Tristan asked me to gather were, and he just sort of fell asleep while I was going over my notes. What did you think was going on, Cedar?” Absidae teased, smirking playfully at the other girl.

“I just…I didn’t want to…you just…” Cedar paused, gathering her thoughts. “You scare so easily, and you looked enthralled in your work, and so relaxed, I just didn’t want to come out here and disturb you, that’s all. I did not think anything weird was happening, that is for sure. I mean, we’ve all seen Orion in his bear form…he just usually doesn’t let anyone…um…cuddle him?” Cedar took a breath after rambling, her final words coming out as more of a question than a statement. Absidae looked confused for a second, then laughed. “What!? You two were clearly cuddling!”

Sid walked over to Cedar, shaking her head. “First, I was more using him as a chair than anything. Second, he did explicitly state before he transformed that he is not a teddy bear. And…and third, well, you could have come out here, anyway. I would not have stopped what I was doing! Not unless I was done, of course, which I am now; I must get these upstairs, so that I can try my first practical application.” She smiled (albeit still shyly) at Sinclair and Cedar. “I’ll see you both at dinner,” and without another word, she floated gracefully through the back door.

“See, I told you there was nothing weird going on back here,” Sinclair said matter-of-factly. “She’s just trying to find where she fits in here. Maybe she just feels comfortable with Orion because they are both so…quiet? Understated? I don’t know what word to use, but you know what I’m saying.” Cedar nodded, sighing. “It’s okay. She will get used to all of us eventually. Maybe you and I just need to tone down the excitement until she is more comfortable. Until then,” he tagged her playfully, “magic tag! You’re it!”

“We aren’t fourteen anymore, you immature lizard boy!” Cedar laughed, taking off running after him.

Their laughs drifted behind Sid, and she sighed longingly. Maybe one day I will be comfortable enough to just be carefree and spend time not worrying about everything, Sid mused to herself as she climbed the stairs to the alchemy tower. Tristan was hard at work, hunched over his desk with his green hair falling haphazardly over his shoulders. Before making herself known, Absidae watched him; he was so enthralled in what he was doing, so determined to make everything perfect…it was attractive to her. Sid shook her head, banishing the thoughts, and cleared her throat.

The young man looked up and smiled. “Did you have any problems finding anything?” She shook her head, gesturing to the small pouch she was carrying. “Excellent. Let us make sure you got everything we need,” Sid moved towards his desk, and gently laid out each item that had been on her list. “All right, so we have: the root of a fyirthuin bush, the petals and leaves from a dragons’ lilyac, and the dewvera berries from a flowering dewvera bush. Excellent work, Absidae,” Tristan smiled up at her over his glasses, which she had noted he wore when reading. Sid blushed at the compliment, avoiding his eyes. “Now, I need you to extract the oils from the root and the berries, do you think you can handle that?” Sid nodded and took her precious plants over to her workstation.

Tristan watched her, meticulously working, and turning back to her books and notes to make sure that everything was done just so. She looked so calm, so intrigued, so right sitting there, just a few feet from him, working on the same thing he himself had come to be so passionate about. Sid was passionate as well, Tristan noted to himself. Passionate about trying her very best at absolutely everything he had asked her to do. Sketch all the plants she would need to know for potions and salves? Sid did that, in greater detail than her mentor had been expecting. Review the plants in the garden that could be harmful when mixed with others, based on the diagrams Tristan provided? Apart from a few wrong answers, which was to be expected from someone just starting out, she had done that as well. The young lady shocked him, in more ways than one.