The Tea Sorcerer
Making the Tea

Garfield woke up with a start as Metrion crowed loudly above his head. He grumbled under his breath and reached up to try and shoo the bird away with his hand. He pecked at his fingers and Garfield snatched his hand back, opening his eyes finally. As he adjusted to the bright light pooling across his eyes, he found him staring into nest of blue-black hair just inches from his nose.

Huh. So… it hadn't been a dream.

Raven fidgeted under his arm, burying her body back into the warmth behind her. Garfield swallowed and stared straight ahead, hoping his body wouldn't react to her… er… fidgeting. He squeezed his eyes shut, and bit his lip, trying to pretend that he was back in his own home, and not wrapped… wait… under the covers? When had he gotten under the covers with her? He blushed and tried to unwind himself from Raven's body, taking extra care to not move any part of her.

Above his head, Metrion let out another ear-deafening caw.

Stupid bird. Garfield froze as Raven stirred under him.

"Yes, Metrion. I know. I'm awake." She yawned and pushed Garfield's arm off of her, sitting up on the bedroll. "I'm awake."

She looked down at him laying under her covers, her expression still unreadable.

"Um… good morning, Miss Raven."

"Good morning, Garfield." She stretched her arms above her head, working out any kinks in her muscles. Without any words on their current situation, she picked herself up from the bedroll and stepped over his shocked form.

"I still have a few ingredients left for the tea for your friend, and then I can send you on your way." She dusted off her clothes and made her way into the larger part of her tent, her entire body language conveying the message that she was all business.

Garfield sat there and stared, feeling as if he had a rug pulled out from under his feet, and he was left tumbling ass over tea kettle on the floor. She was so cold to him, nothing at all like she had been last night. Her arms has reached out to him with need, but now it was as if this was nothing but business between them… although… Garfield blushed and looked down at his hands. He supposed it was, honestly. After all, he was only here for the cure, and she was only helping him because…

Because why? His eyebrows knitted it confusion and he stood up, trying to return the bed to the way he had found it last night. He hadn't promised her any kind of payment just yet, although it was rumored she bartered more than accepted coin. But the truth was that she had simply started to work on the cure without agreeing to payment of any kind. What if he couldn't pay her?

No, that was something he couldn't consider. He promised Tara he would do whatever it took to get her cured.

Shaking off his feelings, Garfield stood up and followed her into the other room. Raven had already picked up where she left off, working diligently on evenly mixing and preparing the ingredients.

Garfield stood there for a moment, watching her silently. Something strange twisted around in his chest. It seemed so strange to simply take her tea and run away, severing their ties forever. This woman had opened her home to him, promised him a cure, and had never once flinched at his appearance. In fact, for once since his childhood, he felt normal, and that was something to hold precious.

"You seem tense, Garfield." She weighed ounces of something bright red and curly, eyes never leaving the brass scale in front of her. "Is there something bothering you?"

"No. I… I just don't know how I'm going to pay you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out what he had. His entire fortune of a single gold piece. He had sold everything he could in order to have leverage to try and bribe her, and now everything he had ever owned was sitting in that single piece of gold.

Raven picked up her eyes and stared at him. "I didn't ask for payment."

"But I heard that-"

"You heard wrong, Garfield Logan." She had reverted to calling him by his full name, and pulled the hood of her cloak over her shoulders. "I am not a charity, no. But I am neither a thief. You have given me honest companionship for these past few hours… and that is something I have not had for a long time." She scooped up the pile of curly things and placed them into a small, silk bag. "That is payment enough."

Garfield stared at the gold piece in his hands and felt something warm slide down his cheeks. "I can't accept charity from you, Miss Raven."

"It's not charity."

"I have nothing of value to give to you!" He felt the anger bubble up into his throat and he couldn't understand why. Something burned at him, something he didn't understand, and he wanted to know what it was. He wanted to yell at her, to make sure she heard him. To make her help him figure out this feeling that clawed against his ribs as he watched her put the last bits of the ingredients into the silk bag. He just wanted to let it all out, but he didn't even know what it was.

"I have nothing to give you!" He repeated himself, in hope that she would understand his desperation.

Raven picked up the silk bag and tossed it at him. "Visit me again."

What? That was it?

With those few words, she seemed to shut him down, and he continued to stare at her, confused by what she was telling him. Was she inviting him back again… not as a customer? The rumors about her were wrong then. They had to be.

"I don't understand…" He looked down into the small bag in his hands, smelling faintly of bergamont and sassafras, and the scent was strange and unknown. "You want me back?"

"You were a companion while you were here, Garfield Logan, not a customer. You're more than welcome back should you find yourself in need of my company." She nodded to the bag in his hand. "That needs to cold steep for three hours before drank. It will taste absolutely awful, but it needs to be done. Once the entire pot of tea has been drank, no additional foods or liquids should be consumed for another day. That gives the medicine the ability to distribute without interruption. Understood?"

He nodded.

"Good." She began cleaning up the mess she created, pretending to ignore his shocked stare. "You're free to go. I know the walk back to your homestead is at least a half-day's journey, so I would start now before it becomes too warm… oh, and say good bye to Metrion on your way out. He'll miss you most."

"I…" He walked up to her and took her hand, forcing her to stop what she was doing and look up at him. When their eyes met, he felt the words tumble out of his mouth before he could stop them. "I'll be back soon."

Raven's expression finally seemed to change, and her eyes went wide with surprise; red stained her cheeks and her mouth felt open just slightly. The image was so beautiful and strange, Garfield couldn't stop himself. He leaned down, and he kissed her.

She tasted faintly of tea and the floral scent of lavender, and it was not a taste he would soon forget. He pulled her hood down and buried his hands in her hair, feeling the smooth, gossamer strands weave between his fingers. She returned the kiss with eagerness and excitement, her skill somewhat lacking but obviously earnest in her emotions.

"Sorry." Garfield pulled away enough to look into her eyes, but not enough to break the contact between them. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." Her eyes were half-closed and it looked almost as if there was a small smile growing at the corners of her lips. "It was… a momentary lapse of judgment."

Was it though?

Garfield let his hands fall from her face and he backed away, making for the door in her tent. He paused at the opening and looked back at her, feeling his guilt and embarrassment bubble up like a fountain. "I am sorry, Miss Raven. I should have… asked… or something."

Raven lifted an eyebrow and pulled her hood back over her hair. She followed him out the door and stood by her tent as she watched him leave. When he was halfway down the path, Garfield heard her call out:

"Consider all future requests paid for, Garfield Logan."

Garfield blushed and stared down at the small satchel of tea in his hands before racing off into the forest.