Sea Hawk is right, the food made in the castle is delicious. Catra hasn't really found Etherian food that she dislikes, but the fresh seafood she eats that night is added to the top of her list of things to have again.
The beds are just as fluffy and absorbing as the ones back in Brightmoon, but Catra's exhausted so she quickly passes out, not waking until the sun peeks over the horizon the following morning.
Catra silently exits the room around 5:00 AM, being careful to tiptoe stealthily and not wake up Melog. She navigates the castle quietly, finding the exit and making her way to a familiar mountain side she sat on the last time she was in Salineas. The rocky cliffs remind her of when she found out Scorpia left the Horde, but also of the words they shared in Brightmoon, to find their own ways forward. She spends an hour sitting on the rocks peacefully, watching the ocean move beneath her feet as the wind rushes in her ears. A few seagulls fly beneath her and call to each other. Catra wonders what they're saying, she vaguely remembers Adora mentioning wanting to learn seagull, but she can't remember the details.
Catra returns to the castle after a short while to get her stuff ready. She wakes Melog and meets up with Mermista at the castle entrance.
Mermista has a paper bag and a small book in hand when Catra arrives. She hands her both with an insistent nod that Catra can't refuse. "These are leftovers from last night and this is the first book in the Mer-Mystery series." She also has two pears which she leans down to offer to Melog. "I'm sure you'll like the book. If you don't like it I don't think I want to know." Despite it probably being a joke, Mermista's tone is dead serious.
"I'll read it," Catra promises, letting Melog eat one pear and then taking the other from Mermista. She places all of the food into her ruck sack to eat later while they're traveling.
With that settled, it's time to leave. Catra's not good at goodbyes, her last few attempts have made that quite clear.
Mermista speaks, not seeming to feel the same nerves that Catra is, "So, have you fallen in love with sailing?" she asks with a slight laugh in her voice, like she already knows the answer.
Catra replies with equal merriment, "I don't think so." They laugh together for a moment. Catra pauses and waits for Mermista to finish laughing before continuing, her voice coming out softer as she changes the topic. "I'm sorry. For what I've done to Salineas, and to you."
"We're cool Horde scum." Mermista doesn't hesitate to respond, her smile not faltering in the slightest. "If your idea fixes my problem with my nightmarish boyfriend, I'll owe you for eternity."
Catra shakes her head, "We'll be even. Seriously, you guys are pretty great."
Mermista reaches out with her right hand, meeting Catra in the middle with a firm handshake, "You too, come back anytime."
"I will, thank you."
Finally, they part ways. Catra hops on Melog's back so they can continue their journey and Mermista steps back towards Salineas, waving as they depart.
Catra has to pass Brightmoon to get to Plumeria, so it takes them about half a day to travel there. They stop for a break when they reach the river running through Etheria, enjoying the cool water and eating the leftovers that Mermista had packed for them.
They are pretty close to Brightmoon at this point and Catra briefly considers swinging into town to say hi to Adora. She selfishly wants to see her, but she still hasn't achieved what she set out to do and she doesn't have enough time to do so. Melog agrees with her that they should continue to Plumeria, there's plenty of time to spend in Brightmoon later.
They finish eating and cross the river on a fallen tree, continuing their trip north-west. They arrive at Plumeria in mid afternoon, probably between one and two if Catra had to guess. The sun is sitting high in the sky and it's a warmer day than the previous, Catra can feel sweat forming on the back of her neck and forehead as they arrive in town.
Catra hasn't been to Plumeria in a long time, but she does remember that they don't have a castle. Instead, she squints and peers around, looking for the tallest tree. That's most likely where Perfuma will be.
It's pretty easy to spot, standing at least 10 feet taller than the trees around it. Catra slides off Melog's back and enters the town, noting the stark contrast from Salineas and Brightmoon.
Instead of solid homes, everyone is bustling in and out of lightly colored tents, some of which are entangled with the trees and roots. It looks easier to set up and maintain for sure, though Catra wonders how cold they are at night.
A few villagers pause to watch her, she definitely stands out more here than she did in previous towns. The tall tree is just a few hundred yards away now, so Catra keeps moving without acknowledging the people staring at her.
She spots Perfuma in front of a tent a few feet further, still around the corner from the tree. Catra's glad she noticed her instead of going all the way to the tree and having to loop back.
Perfuma's currently reading a book out loud to a group of children sitting in a group in front of her, so Catra sits down near the back to wait for her to finish. She hugs her knees to her chest, motioning with one finger for Melog to lie down by her side. Melog complies and Catra leans against its side and starts to listen to Perfuma speak.
"…and then the Princess shouted, 'I've always said the universe will repay the Horde one day. Well I guess that day is today!' and the entire village of Plumeria followed her loyally into the Horde base, pitchforks raised!" Perfuma flips the page of her book and holds it up, showing the audience two drawings. On the left is what appears to be a group of villagers holding sticks with spears and other swords. On the right is Horde members cowering in fear, hands on their heads. Catra squints, isn't that Scorpia's art style? It sure looks like her drawings, with bright crayon colors and carefully sketched lines.
Perfuma continues her story, "Once the group had overwhelmed the Horde, She-ra destroyed their base and healed the Heart Blossom. It is a day still famous across all of Etheria." Perfuma flips the page to reveal a drawing of what Catra assumes is the Heart Blossom. It looks like the tree in the center of the Kingdom she was originally heading towards, its leaves drawn in bright greens. "The people of Plumeria slept well that night, knowing they stood up for their Kingdom. The end."
Perfuma shuts the book as the children erupt in cheers. They start shouting, "one more time!" and, "what happens next?" Perfuma soothes them with soft tones, assuring them that there will be more story times later. As she talks to them she spots Catra near the back of the group, her face lighting up in the way that annoyed Catra back when they first met, but now she doesn't mind it as much.
Perfuma politely tells the children it's time to return home, which they do after a series of aww mans and bummers. Catra rises as they clear out, brushing the dust off her pants.
It only takes a moment for Perfuma to reach her, lips turned up in a bright smile and the book from before nestled in her left hand. "Catra! It's so good to see you!" She stops a couple steps away, her arms starting to come up to her sides, "Are you a hugger?" she asks earnestly, motioning lightly with her arms.
This is definitely not what Catra was expecting to have to deal with, most people just hug her without even asking. She sees Perfuma's hands moving towards her and instinctively leans away before even being touched. Perfuma is still about six inches from touching her and she curses her own reaction. The last thing she wants to do is come across as rude right now, but she couldn't stop herself. "Uh…" Catra's not sure what to say, but is spared when Perfuma drops her hands back to her sides, her smile faltering ever so slightly.
"Oh no, it's okay!" Perfuma's voice is still chipper and as she speaks her lips curl back into a full smile. "Not everyone is a hugger, I get that!" Perfuma holds up her right hand, "how about a high five? Huntara said these are all the rage in the Crimson Waste."
Catra can't help but smile at the kind words and gesture. She raises her right hand as well and gently taps it against Perfuma's. "I hate to tell you, but I think Huntara might've been yanking your chain."
"She would never do that!" Perfuma defends her, then pauses, her free hand moving to her chin thoughtfully, "Actually, it is possible." Perfuma shrugs lightly, "even if that's true, it's still fun!"
Catra can't argue with her positive spirit and concedes, her eyes landing on the book Perfuma is still holding tight. "Uh, this might be a weird thing to ask, but where did you get that?"
Perfuma glances down, moving the book to hold in both hands as she does so. "This? It's a funny story actually." Perfuma flips the book open to the first page, revealing a short message written in red crayon. "Scorpia made this for me. I was telling her the same story I was just sharing, and she said, 'you know what would go great with that? Pictures!' and she drew these for me."
Old Catra would have felt bitter jealousy at her friend spending time with others, especially at her giving them drawings and growing closer with them, but she's pleasantly surprised to feel only happiness for them. She leans in closer to read the words Scorpia scribbled inside the front cover.
Never forget that you are brave! It's okay to rely on others, but don't be afraid to stand up for yourself and the people that you love. – Scorpia
Catra can practically hear Scorpia's voice in her head reading the message out loud. If Catra were emotional it might get to her, but she's not. She sniffles once and turns away, tail swishing. "It's nice." She clears her throat, "I mean, Scorpia did a good job."
Perfuma shuts the book and hugs it to her chest, a peaceful smile settling on her face. "She did great." Perfuma sighs happily, then perks up. "Well, let's get started then!"
For the second time on her journey, out of two she might add, Catra's not sure what they're doing. She holds off on asking for the moment, following when Perfuma motions for her to do so. Perfuma leads her towards the giant tree she was looking for earlier, which Catra now knows is called the Heart Blossom.
It only takes them about a minute to walk there, fortunately the people who were staring earlier have returned to their minding their own business or at least have the decency not to look. She's with the Princess anyway, so any suspicions of her have been alleviated.
There are a few blankets laid out in front of the Heart Blossom, mostly empty except for a small picnic basket sitting near the front of the center one. Perfuma sits down on the blanket with the basket, motioning for Catra and Melog to sit on the one to her right.
She slides the lid off the basket and starts to rummage. "I'm just so excited that you're here, did I already say that? Anyway, I know you had a long journey, so I thought we would start with a refreshing honey melon drink. I picked this just this morning." As Perfuma continues to tell them all about the honey melon, she pulls a large yellow fruit from the basket. In Catra's opinion, it must be the only thing in there because it looks like it barely fit. The round fruit has a wavy pattern running around the outside and is at least as big as Melog's head.
Melog is interested as well, crawling into Catra's lap a little bit to crane its neck and sniff the fruit. This isn't the kind I've been eating.
Perfuma reaches into the basket and pulls out a small machete, slicing the top of the melon off with one clean motion. She moves the rind to the side, pulling out a bowl and two cups from the bottom of her basket. Catra wonders how those fit with the giant piece of fruit, but she holds the question for now and watches curiously as Perfuma pours a yellowish-green liquid from the fruit first into the bowl and then into the two cups.
"I hope you like this; honey melon is a particularly difficult fruit to grow. The vines are prickly and it needs extra sun and water." Perfuma places the now empty fruit shell back into the basket. She uses both hands to gently lift the bowl and place it in front of Melog before picking up the glasses and offering one to Catra. "Most of the time they don't make it, but if you treat them with enough love and care the juice is delicious."
Catra accepts the glass with a small thank you, angry with herself at feeling a little hesitant to try something new, but years of being on guard still spikes her instincts and she swirls the liquid in the cup to stall for a moment.
Melog shows no such hesitation and starts to lap at the drink, slowly at first but then quicker after it's had a taste. This is good! It purrs happily.
Perfuma takes a sip of hers as well, so Catra gives in and raises the glass to her lips. She can instantly tell why it's called a honey melon. The juice is sweet, but not over the top. It's delicious and Catra tips the glass back to continue drinking it. She feels a flash of embarrassment for doubting her newest ally, especially over something so small. "It's good," she comments between gulps.
Perfuma is pleased, it seems she didn't notice Catra's earlier hesitation. "I'm glad you like it." She finishes what's in her glass and places it back into the picnic basket. Perfuma knits her hands together in front of her and bites down on her lower lip. When she speaks, her tone is much more serious, though she always keeps a hint of joy in it, "I've actually been thinking a lot about what we would do today." Perfuma frowns slightly. "If you aren't enjoying yourself, please just let me know."
Catra's heart falls a little at the comment, she wonders if she looks bored or annoyed. Maybe it's her eyebrows, Adora has always said her eyebrows naturally make her look annoyed sometimes. She tries to move them without being too weird. She takes one final sip from her cup, finishing off the honey melon juice. She passes the glass to Perfuma to put away and tries to think of a proper response. She doesn't want to upset the Princess, but it also seems like she might have subconsciously already done that.
"Everything's good so far." Catra responds carefully, "It's so relaxed here, much slower paced than I'm used to, but in a good way! It's nice."
Perfuma cheers up, her eyes gleaming in happiness, "Okay good! I'd like to try meditating together, if you are up for it. It's something I am passionate about and I think it might help you find internal peace."
Catra isn't surprised to hear it come up, as soon as Adora pointed to Plumeria on the map Catra figured there'd be meditation involved. "Sure, let's do it." She agrees.
If Perfuma is surprised at the easy acceptance, she doesn't show it. Instead, she moves the basket off the blankets so they can spread out a little. Melog is just about finished with its juice, so she moves that as well so it can finish off to their left.
Perfuma shuffles to the center of her blanket and motions for Catra to do the same. "Okay, the first step is to cross your legs and place your hands on your knees. You can hold your hands in fists or palms, whichever is more comfortable for you. Personally, I prefer palms."
Catra mirrors Perfuma's posture, resting the back of her hands on her knees. It's not an uncomfortable position and the temperature is perfect since they're sitting in the shade of the Heart Blossom. Catra's not confident she'll be able to meditate to Perfuma's standards, but she's willing to try.
"Next, the goal is to empty your head of all thoughts. I like to focus on the breeze or the smell of the flowers around me." Perfuma holds her hands about an inch above her knees and closes her eyes, "Breathe in slowly through your mouth and out through your nose, pushing out all thoughts as you exhale. Let's do one together. Breathe in."
Catra inhales through her mouth, closing her eyes as well to try and get in the meditation zone. She holds her breathe for a moment, wondering how long Perfuma will make her wait.
"And breathe out." Perfuma finally says, both of them exhaling.
Catra tries to 'push all thoughts from her head' as they repeat the exercise, but finds her thoughts drifting to Adora. She's probably out in Etheria right now, fighting bots and kicking butt. She's so good at that. Her Adora, who works so hard day in and out, who put this trip together for her at the drop of a dime.
Shoot, she's supposed to be focusing on the breeze. Catra takes another deep breath, twitching her ears as she tries to focus on the wind. She can hear it faintly, but still can't keep her mind from going elsewhere. She wonders if Mermista tried the fireproofing boat idea yet.
Next to her, she can hear that Melog has stopped drinking. She opens her eyes briefly and verifies it's done with its juice. Melog has lied down between her and Perfuma, head resting on its paws. It's very cute and Catra fights the urge to reach out and pet it. She glances up at Perfuma, her eyes are still shut and seems focused on meditating, no longer directing them to breathe in and out.
Catra slides her eyes back shut and focuses on her posture, straightening her back and adjusting her hands. She's not sure how long they're going to meditate for but her impatience is already picking up, her tail starting to twitch. She forces it to stop, closing her palms into fists as she does so.
A stronger breeze picks up, and Catra once again turns her attention towards it. She tries her darndest to sit still, a bead of sweat forming on her forehead. After what feels like an excruciatingly long time, Perfuma finally breaks her silence. "Let's stop for now. Oh! Are you okay?"
Catra opens her eyes and realizes that Perfuma's looking at her with deep concern on her face. Catra glances down, noticing her own fists are clenched so tightly that her claws are digging into her palms. She relaxes her hands, wincing when her claws leave deep indents in her palms. At least she didn't draw blood. She brushes it off, wiping the sweat off her forehead with the back of one hand. "Yeah, I'm fine, sounds good." Catra leans forward, uncrossing her legs and drawing her knees up to her chest.
"That was a good session for me, I hope it was for you too." Perfuma stands up slowly, "Did you feel relaxed? I guess maybe not since your hands were clenched so tight."
Catra rises with her, nudging Melog with her foot as it had dozed off between them. She tries to answer the question honestly. "I think so? I could definitely hear the breeze. I was trying to sit straight was all." She holds up her palms to show Perfuma that there's no blood. "My hands are honestly fine."
Perfuma accepts her response. "Okay… It's a good start then." Perfuma pauses and glances up at the sun before continuing. "Now, I know you have a long journey to the Kingdom of Snow after this, so I don't want to keep you too long. I want to show you one more thing if you have time." Her final sentence comes out as more of a question than a statement.
Catra looks up at the sun as well, it's moved a bit further down towards the horizon, but she probably has 4 hours until it's dark. "Sure, I have time." Melog rises as well and stretches, peering up at them curiously to see where they're going next.
The pure joy on Perfuma's face at her agreeing to stay longer brings a smile to Catra's face, it feels good to be wanted and not just to be used. Perfuma leads them back through town to a large field surrounded by a fence. Various plants are growing in neat rows and a small wooden sign at the front reads "Perfuma." Melog lies down in a patch of sun near the entrance, rolling onto its side and splaying out its paws. This is the life.
Catra hesitates near the entrance. "I, uh, don't have the best track record with plants."
Perfuma picks up a watering can near the entrance and pushes it into her hands with a small smile. "That's silliness. All we need to do is water them and plant a few seeds. You can do this!"
She's so convincing and kind, Catra finds herself nodding in agreement and stepping into the garden. The watering can weighs heavy in her hands, already full of water. She stops at the first row of plants. They're a few inches tall, but she isn't sure what vegetable they are. She tilts the can, sprinkling water evenly across them. After a few shakes she lifts the can to its original position and moves to the next row. Perfuma picks up a second can and starts at the back, moving with practiced ease.
Catra decides to strike up a conversation as she continues to water, "So… have you guys seen a lot of Horde Prime soldiers?"
Perfuma shakes her head left and right, "Fortunately no, we've hardly seen any since the final battle. Plumeria did have some rebuilding to do, but since most of our town is tents it wasn't too difficult. My people have always been resilient." Perfuma smiles, probably thinking about how proud she is of her citizens. "How about Brightmoon?"
"Not that I've seen." Catra replies with a shrug, "but I've been staying inside the city for the most part. We did help with rebuilding homes, but thankfully that's done now." Catra wobbles on her feet as she nearly trips over a plant. "Sorry!"
"You're fine! No harm no foul." Perfuma excuses her with a polite wave. "That is good! Have you seen any other Princesses?"
Catra pauses, hands freezing just before tipping to water a plant. That's kind of a weird question, isn't it? Catra turns to fully face Perfuma, eyebrows rising slightly. "I saw Mermista yesterday, other than that no."
Perfuma's face has tinted red, though Catra's not sure if she's embarrassed or it's from sun exposure. Both hands are on her watering can and she glances down at it, suddenly shy. "Have you seen Scorpia?"
Oh, so that's what this is about. Catra turns back to the plants with a dismissive flick of her tail, she was worried for nothing. "Yeah, I did, she was trying out guard duty at the castle believe it or not."
Perfuma turns back to the plants with a light chuckle gracing her lips, "that doesn't really sound like something she'd enjoy."
"Right? I said the same thing." Catra once again glances up, her lips curling up in a smile when she catches Perfuma's eyes. "She said she's trying to keep her options open."
"That sounds like her." Perfuma raises one hand to tuck a stray strand of her own hair behind her ear. "I hope she finds the right path. I hope you both do." Her finger twirls the hair strand subconsciously, "I want to help too…"
When Catra responds, she tries to speak honestly, the way she's been trying to more recently. "You are helping. More than you know. For both me and Scorpia." Catra clears her throat. "Thank you."
"Awwwwww, that's what friends are for." Perfuma gives her a dazzling grin and Catra can't help but smile back.
The two of them work on the garden for about an hour longer, planting a few new vegetables once they're done watering. The sun is moving further down the sky, so Catra needs to hit the road if they're going to make it to the Kingdom of Snows the following morning.
Perfuma walks her to the entrance of the city, tears already prickling at the corners of her eyes. "Travel safe Catra," she says warmly through a sniffle.
"I will," Catra promises, reaching down to adjust the ruck sack on Melog's back. Once she's satisfied, she turns back to her newest friend. Yes, Perfuma is definitely a friend, Catra can say that with confidence.
Perfuma's slightly turned away from her, one hand loosely holding her other arm against her body.
Catra bites her lip, "Uh… one hug would be okay, I think."
Perfuma's posture instantly straightens, her eyes lighting up with joy. "Really?" She's already started stepping towards Catra without waiting for a response.
Catra laughs lightly, "Don't give me the option to change my mind." She opens her arms and Perfuma steps into them, wrapping her arms tightly around Catra's back.
It's a different hug from the type Scorpia gives, super different. It's different from Adora too, Perfuma is much softer. After a moment they part, and now Perfuma really is crying. She sniffles and wipes a tear away with the back of her hand. "Okay, you should go now, gosh this is embarrassing."
"I won't tell Netossa, she'd definitely use this against you." Catra jokes, grinning when Perfuma laughs through her tears. "Take care." Catra gives her a final nod and slips onto Melog's back, taking off into the trees.
The sun will be up for a couple more hours, so Catra decides they should run for as long as they can and then make camp for the night.
After about an hour, Melog suddenly skids to a stop and jumps into a tree, nearly throwing Catra clean off its back.
"Hey!" Catra starts to protest but is interrupted by Melog hissing Shhhhh.
It swishes its tail, pointing to a lanky figure moving through the trees between them.
Catra squints, the sun is partially down so it's hard to see. They appear to be a young boy, tall and skinny with blonde hair. He has about ten sticks bundled in his arms. Wait…
Catra dismounts Melog and leaps out of the tree, landing in front of her target.
"Kyle?"