The Witch of Flowers

Corrin watched Iris glance out the carriage window. Her gaze was filled with longing and something akin to anticipation. He was relieved to find that she had been rescued from captivity, but the night before, he had learned that she wasn’t quite as free as he had thought. The screams he heard from her in the night haunted him even now. He hoped being back home would help her, being around people who cared about her.

“Corrin was it?” Iris greeted him after awhile.

“Yes,” he managed.

“You and your family were originally from Sauriel were you not?” Iris asked. How had she known? The question must have shown on his face because she spoke again, “I wondered because your clothing resembled those my grandparents told me were usually produced in Sauriel. Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re not wrong. We were from Sauriel. Our villiage was raided by the slavers in the night and we were captured,” Corrin managed. He remembered his injuries at the slavers’ hands. Iris had experienced much worse, he swallowed. All because of them, she had gotten captured rescuing them.

“Did you ever want to go back? I didn’t realize Lux would close off the border completely. I just thought that you would be safe if I sent you to my home,” Iris murmured.

“There isn’t really much to go back to. We could, of course do so, but great spirit lord Lux appointed us as envoys and had us trained. He said that we should stay if we wanted since it was what you must have wanted if you sent us to safety.”

“That’s true. I don’t mind if you choose to stay in the forest. Who trained you anyways?” Iris asked.

“Yuki and Farris,” Corrin admitted.

“Together?” Iris asked, a surprised tone in her voice. “At the same time?”

“Yeah, why do you ask?”

“They were always so competitive before, fighting all the time, so it was a bit surprising to hear that they would be able to manage training anybody together.”

“They didn’t fight that much actually, but they did argue about which one had better training methods a few times, but they stopped pretty quick. It might be that they were more worried about you though. They did seem very angry when they heard what had happened to you.” They might have been too worried to fight if that was what they were used to acting like. It wouldn’t surprise him considering everything he knew about them. They really cared about her, so much so that they had abandoned the plan they had been assigned when they drew close to where Iris was being kept in the palace grounds.

“I hope that’s not all it was. I’d prefer if they were done fighting in general instead of only holding back because they were worried about me when I was missing. I’m sure they could acomplish so much more if they worked together instead of fighting all the time, and we’re all friends, so fighting just feels,” Iris shrugged, “Like a waste I guess.”

“Friends do fight sometimes though,” Corrin said.

“They used to fight more often than they were not fighting. I don’t think that is exactly sometimes,” Iris protested.

She did have a point there. “Well, hopefully they won’t be fighting as much anymore then.”

“I assume you were trained to fight,” Iris said, changing the subject.

“Yes. We weren’t sure if we were going to find you with the slavers or your captive still. We needed to be prepared to fight to rescue you quickly before they could order you to hurt or kill yourself with the slave crest.”

Iris grabbed at her chest, but quickly lowered her hand, shaking her head of some errant thought. That must have been where the slave crest had been branded into her skin.

“Your slave crest is gone right?” Corrin asked, just to make sure.

“Yes, from what I understand, Prince William removed the slave crest the moment he was able to do so without being detected by my captors.”

“The prince that greeted and sent us off?” Corrin asked to confirm.

Iris nodded, looking out the window again. The longing was back. Did she like the prince or something? Getting involved with a royal was…problematic to say the least. Assassination attempts and the like were common around the royal families of the continent. Never mind the fact that if she liked Prince William beyond friends then she’d have to pass the rigorous standards of the Princess Selection to even attempt to explore the relationship. Should he tell her, warn her against such a relationship?

No, Corrin decided. He might be wrong about what that longing meant. Perhaps she just missed him as a friend, or perhaps she liked talking with the prince’s bodyguard, Brent. “What’s the first thing you want to do when you get home?” Corrin asked, changing the subject as far as he could from the prince as he could manage.

“I…I’m not sure. I spent so much time thinking about what I would do when I escaped and got home, but now that I’m actually heading home, I’m not sure what I should do. I want to talk to Lux, about a lot of things, about my grandparents, about this whole goddess thing. I want to check on my little garden behind the house. I want to make potions to help the people fighting the monsters. Aparently there’s a potion shortage because of all the monsters attacking the borders.”

“Is that why the formal escorts are carrying materials to set up a portal at the border of the Great Forest of Lux?” Corrin asked.

“Yes. Sarah and I discussed it wen she visited. She had her family fund the building of a portal from the forest’s edge to the capital and another to the capital to her territory. Her territory isn’t quite on the front lines but it’s close. She thought it was better to put it even further back, but was concerned that notlbes from more inland territories might withhold potions that I wanted sent to the front lines. Sarah insisted that I sell them for a profit though,” Iris pouted. “I don’t like taking advantage of the situation. It’s not like the materials cost me anything aside from the glass potion bottles. It doesn’t take much out of me either.”

Corrin knew the answer to this one, to why her friend had her charge more than the cost of the glass bottles. “For one, your labor does have value, even if it isn’t much to you, other healers would struggle to compete with that type of price, and they have to get the materials. By reaching a midground, you are still accounting for your reduced overhead costs, but not totally causing the value of potions to plummet by selling them for nearly nothing. The other healers have to make a living after all.”

“I guess you are right about that. How do you know so much about that?”

“My father taught us some of the basics about business and economics when we were younger, before he passed from illness, leaving us the small shop he owned. We struggled to keep the store operating with just the three of us. Mother passed away years prior so we didn’t exactly have anybody looking after us. It was hard for us to make enough to eat well consistently, even before the slavers started targeting villages near our own. When you rescued us, I worried about how to repay you, but then you got captured, and I felt guilty for thinking that I wished I was given some way to pay you back. Still, I figured it was too late to take it back, and I didn’t mean anything like that anyways. When Great Spirit Lord Lux came looking for you, he had me drink one of your potions, and I felt even more indebted. By then, I was panicking, realizing that in your efforts to rescue us, you had been captured, and there was nothing I could do alone to rescue you. So when he gave me and my family a chance, a path that we could go down to help get you free once you were found, I jumped. I’m glad I did. Training with Faris and Yuki helped me realize just how messed up my thinking was, but it strengthened my resolve to do whatever it took to make sure you could be rescued and returned to your home safely.”

“I didn’t save you expecting anything in return,” Iris frowned. “I just did it because I noticed it happening, and my grandparents had told me all about the horrors of what slavers did to people. Seeing it in person though, that was nearly enough to make me lose focus when trying to get you three away from them.”

“I know that now, that you weren’t expecting anything. Great Spirit Lord Lux said you were too kind on a number of occasions. Still, it didn’t make me feel any better that I wasn’t able to do anything to protect my siblings, and when you did save them, it was at the cost of somebody else’s safety and freedom. I do regret that I listened to you and stayed behind that vine wall you created with your unique magic.”

“I wouldn’t have fared much better if you had. I was too upset to fight logically in the first place, so all having another person around would have done at the time is make it more likely that somebody got hurt, perhaps worse than what actually did happen. Perhaps one of us would have died. I prefer the hell I went through over that fate any day. And if it hadn’t been me, I would have blamed myself endlessly for letting my emotions get the better of me when fighting. My grandparents taught me that emotions were the worst thing you could bring to a battlefield, though I think they weren’t thinking along the lines of me fighting in the Great Forest of Lux. They wanted me to travel before they passed, see more of the world. I bet they were thinking that I might need to defend myself if I ever came across somebody who meant me harm on my travels.”

“You don’t sound to thrilled about the concept of traveling,” Corrin pointed out.

“I didn’t, back before they passed, I only ended up agreeing to go for a short trip the following Spring, but the trip I ended up on was filled with horrors I don’t even know how to describe without breaking down. However, the time I spent on palace grounds, meeting William, er, Prince William, and Sarah. Even Brent, Bianca, and Harrison. It felt almost nice to learn about that aspect of the world. I didn’t much like the Princess Selection business, but without it, I never would have met Sarah, and we wouldn’t have become friends. I plan on exchanging letters with her and Bianca once I return home along with sending along potions. They seemed quite excited to hear from me again. I might even visit Sarah in her own territory once things calm down there. The way Sarah talked about her territory, the people who lived there, the things they did and the activities and festivals. It made me long to see them in person, and see more of them from other places too. My grandparents were right, I should see more of the world, it’s just that I wish I could go with them, or at least know that they were there waiting for me whenever I felt like I needed to go home. It is what it is though. I can’t change that they passed away.”

Corrin frowned, “Just because they are gone from the world of the living doesn’t mean that they aren’t waiting for you at home. If the religion surrounding the Goddess is to be believed, the Spirits of the deceased do watch over the living. Even if they return to the Goddess’s embrace, the Goddess allows them to look over the world and the people on it.”

“I really don’t know much about the Goddess if I’m honest. It was interesting going to the Church of the Goddess, but the Goddess did seem nice, so I could see her doing something like that, letting the deceased look over the people they left behind.” Iris said softly, a sad look on her face. He hoped for her stake, that the Goddess really did do as the clergy claimed she did.

Corrin felt the carriage come to a stop. It was likely time for lunch. His thoughts were confirmed when Farris stuck his head inside the carriage while holding the bag that Corrin knew contained what they needed to cook a meal on the go. Farris and Yuki had stopped once on their way to the palace to make sure he and Logan were fed. It had been a short stop, and they really only ate sandwiches at the time, but this time it would be different. Those two really cared about Iris and were worried about her health. Considering her condition, she shouldn’t be scarfing down a sandwich as fast as she could.

“Are you ready to stop for lunch?” Farris asked Iris.

Iris shrugged, “I guess it is around the time I’m supposed to eat. I’m not exactly a good judge of my own hunger, at least not since…” she trailed off as she likely saw Farris’s expression change. Farris looked furious but also horrified. Corrin felt much the same despite barely knowing anything about Iris aside from what he was told by Farris, Yuki, and great spirit lord Lux. She had suffered what he and his siblings would have faced had he not been saved by her. The thought chilled him, the thought of his little sister suffering the same conditions that Iris had. None of them would have survived that. They didn’t have the blessings that Iris had, so they wouldn’t have lasted even a month, let alone the year that Iris had survived.

“What would you like?” Farris asked.

“How long are we staying here?” Iris asked.

“Probably a little over an hour. Our escorts are letting their horses rest and eat.” Farris replied.

“I could help you make a vegetable stew,” Iris murmured. “It takes a little less than an hour to make and we can eat it afterwards. My magic can help prepare fresh vegetables and everything.”

Farris looked uncomfortable. “Are you going to be overdoing it?”

“No, of course not. If it bothers you I’ll just produce the vegetables and you can cut them.”

Farris nodded hesitantly. “Very well. What vegetables are you wanting to add?”

Iris just shook her head, “Just give me a bowl. I’ll produce the vegetables and give them a quick wash so you can cut them.” Farris did just that and Iris began to concentrate on the bowl. First onions appeared out of nowhere as magic built up in the air, then potatoes, carrots, celery, garlic, tomatoes, even mushrooms, and several herbs. An orb of water enveloped many of the vegetables before they fell into the bowl. The moisture was pulled away from the surface of the vegetables as they fell into the bowl. “All done,” Iris murmured, “Unless you want me to cut them up as well.”

“No,” Farris said sharply. “I am not letting you risk overdoing it. I’ll fetch you when the stew is done, Corrin, follow me.”

Corrin moved to leave, noting that Farris gestured for Logan to switch places with them as he stepped outside the carriage. “What do you need?” Corrin asked carefully.

“Does Iris seem okay?” Farris asked nervously.

Corrin grimaced, “I’m not sure to be perfectly honest. I can tell that she was really hurt mentally and physically by what she went through, and while she’s recovering well physically...” Corrin shook his head. “She’s probably going to need some support mentally for awhile. I mean, think about that nightmare last night. I tried to talk with her earlier about it and based on the little she shared of the dream, she was reliving the torture she went through, and it was a particularly vivid nightmare. I’m not sure how anybody can help with that. Maybe some scholar or healer from Kojiquin might be able to help. I’ve heard that their healthcare system is much more established than in other countries. She’s going to have to visit the country anyways if she is to do what the Goddess told her to.”

“I guess,” Farris looked worried. “I know the great spirit lords wanted Iris to travel, as did her grandparents, but the thought of letting her go out and about all on her own after what she just suffered, I don’t like it.”

“Traveling, doesn’t necessitate traveling alone. Even if I have no basis behind my thoughts, I doubt her grandparents would have let her travel alone either. You’ve said that they raised her as family. Family usually doesn’t let their loved ones face danger without any sort of support system in place to protect them. Sorry if I’m overstepping by saying as much.”

“No, you’re probably right.” Farris sighed. “Everybody in the Great Forest of Lux adores Iris, especially her grandparents. The likelihood that they would have let her do anything risky is pretty low. After all, they were proposing her travel in the spring, as opposed to right away, which would have been more dangerous with winter approaching.” Farris frowned and looked down at the bowl of vegetables, “Do you think she’s overdoing it?”

Corrin shrugged, “I wouldn’t know. She doesn’t look like she’s pushing herself, but she seems really good at hiding how she’s feeling, probably because of how long she was suffering while she was held captive.”

Farris looked angry for a moment before resignation crossed his features. “If only Yuki and I hadn’t fought so much...”

“It's not your fault that slavers were operating across borders,” Corrin interrupted his train of thought. “They escaped both country’s notice, and perhaps even more countries as well. I’m not sure where they were exactly operating beyond the fact that they struck our village in Sauriel and they took Iris to Phisofia.”

“I’ll never let those monsters get away with what they did to Iris. I’ll talk to great spirit lord Lux the moment I return,” Farris’s voice shook.

“Iris mentioned that you and Yuki fought a lot back before she was captured and was surprised you two didn’t fight all that much since you started training us.”

“Fighting is what started this mess. We would have been there for her, been there for her when her grandparents died, been there for her when those slavers showed up. None of this would have happened had we managed to put our differences aside and stop fighting for a change. I think we both feel that way and so we’re more tolerant about things we would have fought over before.”

“Well, as long as you aren’t just bottling it up now and explode later, I doubt it will cause any trouble,” Corrin pointed out. That happened a bunch with his siblings when they were first orphaned. Luckily things calmed down later and they talked over disagreements a few days after they came up so that they could process the problem and release the built up emotions in a safe way.

“We aren’t. When you and your siblings are sleeping, we usually spar and talk about the crap we disagreed on during the day, get our anger out that way, and sometimes realizing that there really wasn’t any reason for us to fight in the first place.”

Iris sighed as she looked out the window again. Iris didn’t know why she missed William. She didn’t miss Sarah like this. Perhaps it was because she had planned on talking to Sarah again. They were going to at least send letters back and forth, but with William, she had no real reason to contact him again. She doubted the others would let her anywhere near the search for the slavers so she no longer had a reason to greet him. But why? Why did it bother her? Af first she thought it was just that she wanted to see more of the world, but she didn’t have the same sense of longing when thinking about visiting Sarah’s territory.

“Do you miss somebody back in Phisofia’s capital?” Logan asked bluntly.

Iris nodded without thinking. “It’s wierd but I miss the prince.” They hadn’t talked that much, at least not enough to form a real relationship, so just why did she want to learn more about him as a person. He was kind and compassionate. He had saved her life because he couldn’t stand the injustice happening before his eyes. “We didn’t have that much time to interact with each other so it makes no sense in my head.”

“He saved you from the people holding you captive, so perhaps that’s colored your view of him. Still, I wouldn’t suggest getting too close to him.”

“Why?” Iris asked, confused.

“Do you think that assassination attempt we heard about was an isolated incident?” Logan asked dryly.

Iris’s breath caught in her throat. Sarah had almost been killed by that assassin. Iris had barely got there in time to do anything. “I wasn’t really sure how common it was, but I assume that most attempts that are stopped by the guards. Besides, that was an attack on a potential princess not a friend.”

“You don’t get it, do you?” Logan sighed. “Why do you think that prince always has a guard with him when he leaves the palace, and even when he’s in what he considers his home? Prince William is the future king. People who want to take over that position, people who disagree with his actions to help his people, corrupt nobles, and others, they all have a reason to target his life. People around him are just collateral damage, perhaps being used to manipulate public opinion or even turn allies against him. Think about what would have happened if they had succeeded in killing that friend of yours. Duke Laurine could have easily blamed the crown for letting his daughter get killed and the people of the territory who liked what he had done for the territory would all turn against the king and the prince by association. If you get close to that prince or any prince for that matter, you are just putting yourself in danger as a potential target.”

“I can protect myself,” Iris objected.

“Can you?” Logan said sharply. “What if they have tools like the slavers did? Would you be able to protect yourself then?”

“Oh,” Iris managed, memories of that day rushing back to her, cutting deep. “Right. I guess I’d have trouble then. Still,” Iris murmured. What a lonely way to live. Did William live in fear his whole life? He didn’t seem afraid. She doubted he was oblivious to the danger, he seemed too dependable for that. It didn’t matter all that much anyways. She wouldn’t have much of a chance to talk to him again anyways. “It doesn’t particularly matter anyways. I don’t exactly have a reason that would justify talking to him again.”

“I’m not saying you can’t,” Logan groaned. “I really am fumbling this. I’m just saying that it isn’t a good idea and if you do talk to the prince again, you should be cautious of your surroundings.”

William sighed, looking out his office window. “What?” Brent asked.

“Nothing,” William mumbled, not wanting to admit that he missed Iris even though she had barely been gone a day. She should almost be to the border.

“That sigh didn’t sound like nothing,” Brent said dryly. “You’ve been sighing for the past hour, and you’re looking out the window like you expect to see somebody there.”

Of course he was. His office window had a clear view of the Blue Palace’s gardens. Iris had been there up until her friends came to fetch her. For the past week, he had felt a small jump in his chest whenever he saw her walking by with Sarah, an almost jealous longing. “I guess I do.”

“What, you actually looking forward to the Princess Selection this time?” Brent snorted.

“Of course not,” especially not when Iris wasn’t going to be a part of the Princess Selection anymore. Damn, she hadn’t even wanted to participate. And that assassin, letting her participate was too dangerous. She could be the target the next time. There was no way in hell that he would allow her to particpate again, no matter how much he wanted to see her again. What he needed to do now was focus on tracking down those slavers so they couldn’t hurt anybody else again, couldn’t target Iris again.

“Then what is it?” Brent asked.

Ugh. It seemed like Brent wasn’t going to let it go. “Alright, I miss Iris. Happy now?”

“Yes, at least you’re being honest with yourself now,” Brent nodded.

“But it’s stupid. It’s too dangerous for me to be around her. The more time she’s around me, the more likely she is to be targeted by assassins after me. I don’t want to put her in that position when she’s already faced so much danger. She was hurt so much because I wasn’t able to keep track of the criminal activities of a corrupt noble family. Count Maelifos and his family nearly killed her, and if we hadn’t happened to stop in his territory that day, if I hadn’t asked you to follow the count’s daughter instead of the other criminal, then she might have died that night,” William let it all pour out. He didn’t deserve to indulge in a relationship of any sort when he only rescued her by chance, not friendship or anything deeper. He hadn’t even realized that slavers were operating in his country. She had suffered because of his failures.

“But she didn’t die, and you did rescue her. It’s not like you don’t have a reason to contact her again. She’s essentially the main envoy for the Great Forest of Lux now, and you will become king one day in the future. You are going to need to keep in contact with her to maintain good relations with the great spirit lords.”

William felt sick at the thought of that, “Being friendly with her just to maintain good relations with the Great Forest of Lux feels wrong.”

“It wouldn’t just be for that considering how you’re acting right now. You care about her and miss her. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Brent pointed out.

“I guess,” William relented.

Yuki felt a sense of relief cut through him as the guards parted with them just before the border of the Great Forest of Lux. They were home. Iris was home, and she’d be safe. He’d make sure of that. Iris stepped out of the carriage. “Home,” Iris murmured, barely loud enough for him to hear.

“Yes,” Farris said, quickly joining her. “You’re home now. Let’s get you to the house. I’m sure Lux is waiting there.”

A gust of wind brushed past them and he felt the mix of power that indicated that Farris was wrong. “Actually,” the familiar voice said, “I was waiting here.” great spirit lord Lux said as he walked closer. “Iris,” his voice sounded distressed. “I’m so sorry. We should have protected you better. If only we had stopped by sooner,” Lux shook his head.

Iris closed the distance between them and hugged the great spirit lord tightly. “The only people at fault are those slavers,” Iris said, her voice quivering. She eased away and Yuki felt as if he was being stabbed. Iris was crying silently, tears streaming down her face as she held back her sniffles.

“No,” great spirit lord Lux shook his head, looking mortified, “It is also our fault. The Goddess asked for us to protect you, and we were lax on security.”

“You didn’t even know about the posibility of the risk. The abolishment of slavery was one of the major conditions of the treaty between the Great Forest of Lux and the rest of the countries on the continent. The Goddess said they were able to avoid detection with the twisted magic they were utilizing.”

Great spirit lord Lux stiffened at her words. “You went to the Church of the Goddess?” Iris nodded. “Are you alright? You didn’t talk to her too long did you?”

“I’m fine. She did say that,” Iris hesitated, “that when I recover, it would be good for me to visit the oak trees in other countries to reinforce the barrier protecting the continent once I recover fully.”

Great spirit lord Lux’s expression darkened. “I will not allow you to travel alone, and I will need to confirm that you are fully healed before you even consider leaving.”

Iris nodded. “But I wanted to ask, why is it that the use of this twisted magic weakens the barrier that protects the continent from monsters?”

Fury cut across his face and then worry. Yuki wanted to know the answer too. He hadn’t come across any traces of the twisted magic yet so he didn’t have experience with why it might cause problems with the barrier, and why it had hurt Iris so much. “That twisted magic, it is magic corrupted by evil, twisted by it. It corrupts the air around it and can restrain unique magic and even blessings to some degree.”

Yuki felt his throat tighten at the thought of Iris suffering under the actions of somebody who wielded that twisted magic. If her blessings had been restrained any further, she would have died. When he learned the exacts of what she had gone through, even from a clinical point of view, he had wanted to go to the palace prisons and rip that count and his family to shreds.

“So that’s why the slave crest activated whenever I tried to use a blessing purposefully,” Iris murmured.

Lux’s eyes were filled with rage. “Is the slavery crest is taken care of?”

“Yes, Prince William, er, the prince from Phisofia removed it when he rescued me from the people who had bought me from the slavers.”

“I see,” Lux said roughly. “I will send a great spirit lord and a force of spirit lords and guards to capture the slavers, that is, if the slavers haven’t been caught yet.”

“They haven’t,” Yuki clarified. “The people who had bought her from the slaver are currently imprisoned and the prince Iris mentioned is heading the investigation to locate the slavers.”

“Then I’ll send them along to him to learn of the status of the investigation so we don’t waste any time by going over the same dead ends twice,” Lux said with a frown. “Iris, I’ll call Nyx to go home with you. I need to talk with Yuki and Farris.”

Iris nodded and then walked away with Corrin and Logan. He watched as she disappeared deeper into the forest. “What do you wish to know? Farris asked. He looked as anxious as Yuki felt seeing Iris depart from their sight. It had been over a year since they saw her last, and she had suffered so much since then.

“First, how is Iris holding up?” Lux demanded.

“Better than I would have expected from what she had suffered, at least that’s what it looks like from the outside. She has nightmares about her time in captivity that leave her screaming at night. One of the humans, Corin, suggested we see about her being seen by a healer from Kojiquin since they have a pretty well established healthcare system. I am leaning towards agreeing with him about that idea.”

“I am not sending Iris away from her home,” Lux snarled.

“And I am not suggesting that. The goddess wants her to visit other oak trees that are connected to the barrier to strengthen the barrier, but not until she has recovered physically. Her grandparents wanted her to see more of the world too. She can visit those places without losing her home. In fact, it is probably a good idea to make sure she knows she can come back at any time considering what she faced when she was taken from here.”

Lux let out a sigh. “Very well. She can leave after she is fully healed, but I will want frequent updates on how she is doing from both of you and anybody else that goes with her. Also, ensure that she can come home at any time, no matter how far away from home she is and the situation around her.”

Iris’s home had barely changed since she was taken by those slavers. The siblings had maintained the garden, and had been cautious not to disturb anything inside the small house. It seemed they weren’t even sleeping on the beds, opting instead to sleep on the couch and other similar surfaces. Iris changed that the moment she came home. The two brothers were made to sleep on her grandparents’ bed. It was large enough, as was her own bed. Iris insisted that their sister, Lillian slept with her on her own bed. Lillian was a few years younger than her brothers.

It took a couple weeks before Iris was fully able to control her power properly. By then, her diet was as close to normal as it would get. She was having potions sent off to the portal at the border of the forest almost every day by the end of it. She sent a letter with the last batch, asking how Sarah was doing and what the situation at the border was like, hoping that it had improved since she strengthened the barrier at the oak tree at the Church of the Goddess.

Sarah sent the promised price for the potions, and then some, worrying Iris. Iris didn’t want to strain the financial situation of her friend’s family with this. It wasn’t like Iris really needed the money for any reason. She could easily make her own clothes with the cloth her grandmother stored in the basement, and she grew her own food with her unique magic. Water could be produced with magic as well. She had never wanted for anything. Still the accompanying letter insisted she might need money when she decided to travel, even for things like souvenirs. Iris wasn’t sure she really would need it, but ended up accepting it. It would be rude to deny Sarah’s goodwill. Still, if she heard anything about the situation worsening in her territory, she would send the money back.

The most recent letter included the same amount of money, but this time she answered the question. Things at the border were improving. Fewer monsters were attacking the area, but not enough for things to risk going back to normal. Her potions and the healers Sarah’s family sent to the border had reduced most of the casualties at the border. However, the danger wasn’t anywhere near gone. Sarah said that an oracle from the Church of the Goddess confided in her father and the noble families at the border that there was a stronger monster eyeing the border, that it was preparing to attack at a moment’s notice. There was something holding it back, something it was waiting for though, so everybody was on edge.

The moment Iris finished reading the letter she started to throw things in a bag to leave. She couldn’t go to the border with monsters there. The goddess had been adamant about that. Still she could protect the people there by strengthening the barrier. She had to go to do that. Iris looked at her haphazard packing and forced the bag closed. She was at the door with the back when she ran into Lux, dropping her back, which proceeded to open up and spill it’s poorly packed contents all across the ground at Lux’s feet. “What are you doing?” Lux said with a gentle but firm voice.

Iris blurted out everything in the letter she just received. “I need to go to the other oak trees to strengthen the barrier. I can’t let that monster kill anybody, and this is all I can do to help.”

“Iris,” Lux said softer.

“I need to get to the oak trees as fast as possible. I can’t just sit back and do nothing,” Iris quickly forced the words out, thinking Lux would stop her.

“Iris,” he said a little louder, “Stop, calm down.”

“But, I need to do something to help the people at the border. I don’t want anybody to die if I can do anything to change that.”

“I’m not going to stop you from going to the oak trees, but we need to talk first,” Lux said louder still, placing his hands on her shoulders to force her to look up at him. “Leaving without making a plan and without telling any of us is the worst thing you can do. While your physical health is much better, it is not just your physical health that you need to worry about. Iris...why don’t you tell any of us about your nightmares. All of us want to be there for you, to help in any way we can, but we can’t do anything if you don’t say anything.”

“You aren’t going to stop me? But Yuki, Farris, and you have all insisted I stay home longer.” Iris frowned.

“And I still feel that way. You really should stay longer. Even if you are physically recovered, we worry about you. Still, if your new friend is in danger, it’ll probably hurt you more to do nothing when you feel like you can do something to help. Thus, I won’t stop you from going, but I want you to take precautious to ensure you don’t vanish from our sights for another year. I don’t want you to get hurt again. I want us to create an itinerary together so I know where you are supposed to be at different times. I want you to send frequent messages to me so I can send help if anything dangerous is happening around you.”

Iris nodded hesitantly. It made sense that Lux would want to make sure she was safe after what she faced.

“I’d prefer if you did this first, but given how quick you were to run out of the door I think you should leave Kojiquin for last. I’ve heard that their healthcare system is well developed. I want you to see a healer from there to see if they can help you recover from the emotional and mental trauma you suffered at the hands of those animals.”

Iris bit her bottom lip, “I’ll be fine,” Iris objected.

“You obviously are not fine. You are still having nightmares every night,” Lux said gently.

He knew about that? No, of course he did. Corrin, Logan, and Rachel had been concerned about her. They talked to Lux almost every time he came to the house. Never mind the fact that Farris and Yuki had stopped fighting and were instead working together to keep an eye on her. Everybody was worried over her. It was a bit exausting, but understandable. For some reason, she was important to them. She understood the great spirit lords since the goddess had entrusted her to them. She even understood Yuki and Farris’s concern. They had been friends since she was a child. But the siblings made no sense to her. Yes, she had saved them from the slavers, but they barely knew her. How could they care so much about her?

“The nightmares will stop eventually,” Iris managed. “It’s not something that will hurt me.”

“Iris, you can be hurt emotionally without the risk of physical harm. You survived a dangerous situation. As I understand it, the trauma of such an event can easily hurt people in the long term. I don’t want you to be stuck in that nightmare when you don’t have to be. If a healer can help you, then I would gladly ensure you see one,” Lux said firmly. “Please, just talk to a healer about the nightmares and listen to them. I want you to recover fully. I don’t like seeing you hurt. None of us do.”

“Fine,” Iris relented. “I’ll talk to a healer at the very least.” She could do that, no matter how much she wished she could just forget what happened. “I guess I should make a list of where I’m going when since you want to know where I’ll be. Can you tell me exactly where the oak trees I need to visit are, and help me make a proper travel plan.”

“Of course I’ll help. I already said I would help with the itinerary. I want you to start with the capital of Sauriel. Your grandparents had a message sent to someone from there that you should meet. They will help you with protection in that country. Considering that the slavers were operating in that country, you will need more protection there. I want you to ensure that you let Yuki and Farris address that issue while there, make sure the leaders there know of the situation with the slavers. Tell them that the borders to the Great Forest of Lux will remain restricted until the slavers are dealt with. They already know that the abolishment of slavery was one of the major aspects of the treaty. They will need to help with the investigation efforts on their side of the border.” Iris nodded and started back inside, looking for some paper to keep notes.