[AW] The journey begins...

[Yana]

Speaks | Thoughts @Pan @Florentine The witch’s ears flicker whilst the conversation progresses, but in truth her mind is elsewhere. The mud squelches under her feet as she approaches the emerald boy; she might as well make the most of this visit and give him an exam while he’s here. She listens to his cheerful introduction as she looks him over. The boy’s tone is youthful; no grunts to indicate any pain. A nod. Time to move down the checklist. Perhaps a little excessive with the merriment, however. Best not to mind the opinion of a bitter recluse. Just as an ink stained muzzle is about to prod at Pan’s shoulder, an interesting tidbit slips past the boy’s lips. The hag lifts her head to meet his gaze. “You knew her mother?” The bog falls silent when she poses the question, as if holding its stale breath with anticipation; the eerie orchestra of mosquito and toad culminates with one last echoing warble.   How is it possible? The Champion briefly turns to Florentine as if to ask, is he serious? “You look… Quite young, then. For your age, I mean.” She isn’t certain if she should be more concerned about the boy’s scales and green complexion or his mental health. Her patient doesn’t appear to be troubled by this particular condition, however, and the witch is actually thankful for his talkativeness; the frogs must interpret his words as encouragement for they return to their songs with vigor. It is difficult for the mare to ignore his confession from earlier, but she attempts to smile in response to the compliment nonetheless. “You are kind to say such things. I hope I have proved my worth as a Champion of Dusk--” her eyes roll at that, for it is a title she did not want but has been forced to fulfill, though her duties have become second nature by now -- “as of late, it feels as if I am good for nothing more than tending moss.” She turns her starry head to face Florentine, holding back most of the exasperation in her tone when she voices her concerns. She’s offering to help, after all. No need to punish her for that. “The swamp suits me just fine, but it is limited in resources. I need more supplies. I have plans to establish trade routes with the other Courts, but I despise politics, so tell me who it is I need to avoid and who I can seek for partnerships.” A cough interrupts her demands, and she spits out a wad of phlegm before turning back to the green-scaled lad. She isn’t particularly interested in taking on an apprentice, but if she can get him to fetch herbs with her, why not? It’s not as if the other healers have offered much of their time. “If you’re committed to this, we had better start with the plants from your home. You’ll use those most often. If you believe your healers are willing to come to an agreement with me, we’ll leave at first light." The stars are blind my love, you will learn to crawl under oceans above

Headshot by Empluvie | Code by Clarity