She was healing.
This he could easily see. Her eyes, the violet eyes that he loved had returned to the state of shimmering that he loved. Everything about her seemed to be glowing with health; her petite body no longer struggling to survive.
"I've brought you a few rice balls, milk, and a grilled yam. You do love yams, don't you?" Jin commented as he placed the basket in the center of the wooden table. Sophie's house was decorated cutely. With oak flooring and pink walls, she had a cherry wood stove of to the side of one of the walls. Decorations were sparse; yellow and white polka dotted curtains decorating the windows and a sheep covered calendar hanging on the wall over her counter top. Yet it seemed to fit her, playful without being cluttered.
"Thank you Jin!" Sophie exclaimed; tugging the pink wool comforter, so it was tucked underneath her chin. Her eyes were a bit blurry still. She had been sleeping when Jin had made his way into her home.
"You must take your medication first before snacking on yams or having a taste of the ice cream in the fridge." Jin replied, a smile gracing his lips. He felt warm inside; perhaps even happy. It had been almost a week since he had last seen her. Far, far too long. Since it was Sunday, the clinic was closed, providing him with a chance to travel to the hilltop where she lived in the Caramel River district.
"I'll be good!" Protesting, Sophie shook her head.
Moving to sit on the edge of the bed, Jin ran his fingers lightly over the comforter. The gentle, non-imposing scent of vanilla came to swirl about his senses.
"Now, be careful not to strain yourself. Your body seems to be healing rapidly, but we don't want any setbacks." Wagging his finger at her sternly, Jin's smile tightened. Before the season turned into winter, he would have to make the potion once more. He wasn't quite sure how long she would be well before her body craved more.
"Um…Jin." Nervously Sophie would glance towards him before her eyes fluttered closed. Her cheeks were bright with pink; her lips puckering sulkily for a moment.
"Yes, Sophie?" How he loved to say her name, his tongue caressing the word as he spoke it. Jin couldn't resist saying it as much as he could. After years of whispering it to himself with no response, he couldn't give up the opportunity to say it around her.
"Thank you for helping me. I-I'm sorry to be a burden." She murmured, her voice nearly coming out as a squeak. "At least now that I'm getting b-better, I won't need so much help." Her eyes opened, glancing towards him.
"You aren't a burden." Never, never to him would he consider her a burden. "It is my job as a doctor to heal people. No matter what it takes." Confidence filled his voice as he beamed down towards her.
Happiness spread across her features as she smiled. It was lovely when she smiled; Jin's heart beating faster in his chest. She didn't need to respond, her emotions clearly spelled out on her features.
"I have to leave now. Remember, Sophie, to drink lots of fluids." Getting up from the bed, he adjusted his glasses making sure they were perched perfectly on the bridge of his nose. "And if you need anything, simply ring the clinic. I don't want you to strain yourself."
"Yes doctor!" Her head bobbed up and down eagerly. Jin felt slightly entertained by her obedience, though pleased at the same time by it. It would mean a much faster recovery, having a patient who wished to obey his orders.
The sun hung high in the sky, its rays weakly spread over the land below. Vitamin D was necessary for the body to have, even in small doses. Despite his almost translucent skin color, Jin did go outside. At least twelve minutes a day, no matter what.
Since he was in the Caramel River, it wouldn't hurt to visit the springs that were hidden in the corner of the mountain path. Few people knew about it, not even Toby who came to fish there each day. Jin had discovered the place by accident; following the bird whose blue feather he needed to propose to Sophie years ago. He had tripped, rolling down the path until he had found himself submerged in the warm swirling water of the springs. It was a pleasant place to relax the muscles; especially after a stressful day at the clinic. He would have to recommend to Sophie that she visit the place each day if she didn't already.
Easily he strolled over the path that ran past the river until it reached Caramel Falls; sequestered away from the prying views of citizens going through the Caramel River district. Reaching down, he untied the laces of his dress shoes. It wouldn't be helpful; getting them dirty. Setting them on a large stone near the bank, he resumed his walk past the falls. This was the only tricky part, one had to be watchful of the slippery spots of the rocks if they didn't want to find themselves falling into the Caramel river. Safely he made it across and past; starting up the separate trail that would lead up and around the bend to the springs.
"Is someone there?" Jin called, tilting his head as he heard the splashing of water. Since Sophie was at her house, it certainly couldn't have been her. There was a monkey that lounged about the falls, though Jin hardly thought it would decide to take a swim in the hot water of the springs.
"Oh…yes." A voice called in response.
Jin froze as he walked about the curve that leads to the path leading down to the springs. That voice. It couldn't be him, it couldn't! Not the Wizard – not here. Unwillingly his eyes trailed own the pathway, widening as they locked on to the figure.
It was a petite female, submerged up to the waist in the hot water. She had her back to Jin; idly tracing circles in the water with her delicate fingers. Silver locks that reached her waist; fanning out about her in the water. In the back of Jin's mind, he couldn't help but marvel at the color. It was odd, even compared to the hair colors found in Harmonica town.
Looking back over her shoulder towards Jin, a surprised smile perched itself on her features. She had pale grey eyes, seeming to match the color of her hair. They were the kind of eyes that could easily make someone feel assured, perhaps even enchanted. But Jin was sure they could also hold a piercing anger in them, enough to make anyone tremble in fear.
"You're a female?" Jin whispered. The night that he had visited the Wizard for the fugue mushrooms, he had never actually seen him. Was he a female? There couldn't be two witches – there was a Wizard, and there was a Witch. Not two Witches.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you…I am not." The Wizard murmured in response, running his fingers through his hair to weave the delicate strands back into a braid.
Jin had heard of the ones who were known as "Children of the Earth", supposedly spawning from the Harvest Goddess. They were the beauty of the elements, made from wind, fire, water, and air. Their appeal was surpassed by no other, except Sophie, of course. Yet he had never been able to judge this for himself, thinking the children were simply part of the folklore that surrounded the island.
"What are you?" The lightest of pink brushed against his cheeks as he averted his gaze to the stones that surrounded the spring.
"I am a wizard…unless you mean my gender…" Cocking his head to the side, the faintest appearance of a smile appeared on his lips. "I am male."
"I-I" Flustered, Jin shook his head rapidly. "I knew that."
"Did you?"
How was he able to make Jin feel like this? Every word, every sentence seemed to be affecting him. He met with people every day. Yet this man, this strange man was the only one who could make him feel uneasy.
"I'll be going now. I-I must attend to several matters of importance." Jin muttered underneath his breath. He certainly couldn't take a dip in the spring water, whether Wizard was male or not.
"Goodbye…"
Pausing a moment, Jin cast a glance back towards the spring.
"Say…Wizard."
"Yes?"
"What is your name?" It felt a bit odd addressing him as "Wizard" all the time. Surely he had a name besides that. If "Wizard" could even be considered a name.
"It would be dangerous for someone to know my name...that is the only thing that cannot be changed about me."
Blowing air through his lips, Jin flicked his irises up towards the sky in annoyance. Why had he expected a different answer than this? It felt as if he were caught in a trap, he the mouse, the Wizard the cat toying with him until the moment came that he would snap his neck.
"May I guess your name?"
"Yes."
"Louis."
"No."
"Alexander."
"No."
"Henry."
"No."
Certainly any of those names would be much better than "Wizard".
"I would prefer Wizard…" He murmured his tone amused.
"Wizard then." Jin responded, shrugging his shoulders. A typical name would still have been better.
Hurrying down the pathway that led back to the waterfall, Jin breathed a sigh of relief. Carefully he walked over the assortment of rocks until he made it down to the bank; knowing the Wizard wouldn't be able to see him from there. Crouching down, he cupped his hands together in the chilly water. Lifting his hands to his face, he splashed the water on to his features.
What was wrong with him? Maybe he was becoming sick? That would explain the shallowness of his breathing, the racing of his heart, and the dull thud in the back of his mind. As soon as he reached the clinic, he would have Irene give him a healthy dose of cold medicine. Now that Sophie was becoming stronger, he couldn't be around her if he were ill. Any virus attacking her immune system now could be devastating to her recovery.
A high pitched scream filled the air, breaking the calm silence that had previously existed. He would know that sweet, bell like voice anywhere. Sophie
Note
Ack, I forgot to include this last time. Anyways, I don't own Harvest Moon or any of the characters used in this fanfic except for Sophie.