45: What the Eyes Can't See: Epilogue
"Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition."
― James Baldwin
The little squares of cheesecloth had been cut to size and a respectable pile of dried herbs sat in a bowl. Cole sat patiently in the dispensary's waiting area, now quiet and calm, as he watched the elder elf mash some brittle leaves in a mortar while slowly adding an oily mixture. He liked the elf; like mages, elves tended to see and remember him better, and Elanan enjoyed his company anytime he appeared at the dispensary. When Cole allowed himself to dip into the deep current of his thoughts and mind, he glimpsed his deep reverence for nature, a pride in the knowledge he inherited, and so much love for his daughter Almira.
"So now," Ava began, "we spoon in some herbs and tie the cheesecloth."
"Why so many?" Cole wondered.
"If you put a sachet under your pillow, it keeps the stinging bugs away," Elanan explained, focused on his chore. "Should last over a month, if kept dry."
Ava measured a length of string.
"The soldiers posted at the Hissing Wastes' camps have had a tough time with all the bug bites. Plus, there's the danger of the fever—"
"I say: better to prevent than treat!" Elanan said cheerfully.
"This is a great idea," Ava agreed. "Cole, hold the ends together and when I tie the string around, place a finger upon it so I can tie down the knot."
"But that isn't something I do," he said pensively. "I undo the 'nots' and make things smooth again."
Ava grinned.
"Then how about this? Each knot we make will hold a good wish for the person who receives it?"
Cole smiled.
"I like that better," he said, placing his finger down. "What do we wish for?"
"No bug bites," she winked.
The dispensary door opened. A familiar patient walked in—one of the builders in Ovolir's crew.
"I need Master Adan to give me a refill," the man asked Elanan, extending a small slip to him.
"Master Adan is at the infirmary right now, but perhaps I can help you."
Elanan glanced down at the slip covered in scribbles from behind his spectacles.
"Powdered royal elfroot…Pinch of ardelian salt…Yes, yes… I see," he mumbled to himself. "Give me a minute and I'll do it for you."
"Thank you," the man stated, sitting down in one of the chairs, watching Ava and Cole tie down cloth bundles.
The door was flung open again.
"Baba!" Almira called out excitedly, stepping inside with a pot cradled around her arms. "Look! I got it to bloom!" she said. "Mistress Ve'mal said she didn't think it would bloom this high up in the mountain, but I was able to get it to do so!" She looked around the room at the startled faces. "Hello!"
"Hmmm…Looks good. Healthy. But don't forget to deadhead smaller blooms or the flowers won't be as potent." Her father examined the robust stalk.
"Hi, Almira," Ava called out, positioning the next set of cloths to be tied.
Krem followed behind, another bundle in his hands.
"We brought you food!" Almira exclaimed.
"Did you remember to actually cook the chicken before tossing it in with the grains this time?" her father grumbled, taking a cooking pot from him. "Thank you, Cremiscius."
"Master Elanan," he nodded politely.
"When did you get back?" the elf asked him.
"This morning. We rode in with the Orlesian company from Val Firmin."
"That's good, that's good," the elf said, wiping his hands on his apron, setting the pot down on the counter. "Back for a longer spell this time?"
"A bit. Commander Cullen wants us training a militia that's going to be stationed in Crestwood. It'll be a couple weeks, at least."
"I see. Then come by tomorrow night. I'll make us a Dalish dinner!" Elanan offered.
"Pfff! Don't hold your breath." Almira rolled her eyes. "The Dalish civilization will be restored before that happens."
"Thank you: I'd like that," Krem said graciously. "I'll bring some wine."
"Is she making you do her work for her?" Elanan asked suspiciously.
"No, sir," Krem grinned, grabbing the large flower pot Almira was thrusting into his arms as they left the dispensary.
The builder watched quietly as they left, waiting until they were farther away before addressing Elanan.
"Is your daughter involved with that…person?"
Elanan nodded, stepping back behind the counter and perusing the shelves for ingredients.
"You know…he's not really a man," he said with a hint of malice.
Elanan raised his eyebrows. Cole made as if to speak, but Ava placed a hand on his arm.
"I like to think the measure of a man is determined by his character."
"I would never let my daughter—"
"Then you would have no daughter. She would run away or harden her heart to you," Elanan said calmly, mixing several reagents in a bowl. "I like having a daughter, so I don't tell her what to do…regarding these matters, at least. I don't bother her, and now I have a daughter… and a son. It's very simple. Dalish arithmetic." Elanan tipped the bowl into a small container and tapped it until all the powder slipped out. "Here is your prescription. Have a good day!" he said amiably.
The man looked around embarrassedly and scurried out.
"You were far nicer than I would have been," Ava mumbled, casting a glare at the closed door as she tossed some of her sachets in a basket.
"The old is known and what is known becomes what is right if only out of habit. Challenges invite fear, never opportunity…Must stay on the familiar, beaten path," Cole stated. "It's a hard way to be."
They all nodded pensively and Cole sighed.
"Ava? I am stuck," he stated helplessly, trying to shake a sachet knot off his finger.
Krem liked it best when the Chargers arrived during the day, and he could go looking for Almira in the gardens, where she was working for Elan Ve'mal. She had a knack for gardening, it turned out, and the herbologist had been impressed with how knowledgeable she was of the rarest specimens and how to properly care for them.
"Ha! All those years tramping through swamps finally paying off!" She'd jumped for joy when she'd been offered the job.
He liked finding her crouching over her beds of sprouts, the wide brimmed hat he'd picked up for her on one of his trips on her head, her nose lightly freckled from the sunshine. She enjoyed showing him around the grounds, proudly pointing out to him what had bloomed, what had been planted, what she had harvested. He liked how she clasped his hand in hers as she walked with him and he enjoyed stealing furtive kisses behind bushes and trees. He found it devastatingly endearing how she introduced him to her fellow gardeners.
"This is my beloved, Cremiscius Aclassi. He's the Chargers' Lieutenant," she'd state proudly.
It didn't matter that he was introduced to the same patient souls again and again.
She was making him carry her on piggy back across the courtyard just then.
"Where to?" he wondered.
"I need to drop off these fresh cuttings at the infirmary, then I have to stow away my tools in the gardening shed, and then… I am done!"
"What would you like to do after that?"
"You!" she shouted.
A few shocked heads turned to look at them as they passed by.
"Sssh! Maker, Almira!" he shushed her, amused.
"Pick up the pace, Aclassi!" she commanded, pointing forward.
"My pack weighs less," he teased.
He laughed as she bit him lightly on the ear.
"I'm just glad you are home!" she sighed contentedly, placing a kiss on his neck.
And he agreed.
He was finally home.
A/N: I thought a James Baldwin quote was perfect for the final chapter in this romance. He was talking about race and sexuality way before it was deemed an appropriate topic, when people were still very much marginalized and penalized for being who they are. Thank you for the comments, support, and enthusiasm you fantastic people awarded me with while I wrote this story arc. It was so inspiring, generous...and sweet! May hugs and cookies be plentiful to you all when you need them most! ;-)