Hey guys! Welcome back to Hear a Tale! First things first, review time!
Thanks so much to CitrusChickadee for reviewing! Interactions between the characters like these are fun to explore! And yes, Tressa is a cinnamon roll :) Hope you continue to enjoy!
With that, on with the tale!
Relevant Events: References a Travel Banter in Ophilia's Chapter Two
31. Flowers
"Alright…just a little bit further!" came Alfyn's voice from just over Ophilia's shoulder, where the apothecary's hand also rested, guiding her along. Though her eyes were shut, Ophilia could feel the excitement radiating off of Alfyn in waves, and she couldn't keep the soft smile off of her face.
"You've said that about six times already, Alfyn," the cleric teased. "In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if there really is a destination for us to reach, or if you've simply been leading me in circles all this time for the fun of it!"
"Aw, Ophilia, you know I wouldn't do that to you!" Alfyn protested, though his voice was light. "I mean it this time, we're almost there. You're gonna love this, I swear!"
Ophilia chuckled. "Alright…I suppose I have no choice but to trust you, then."
Despite her dutifully closed eyes, Ophilia could make a few inferences about where they were going based on her other senses, at least. The ground was soft beneath her feet, indicating that they had left the path in favor of one of the Riverlands' many grassy expanses. The titular river burbled nearby, though there were no sounds of human life that would have suggested close proximity to one of the towns along its banks. The sun shone warm on her face, and the only rustling trees she could hear were distant. Most notably, however, was the distinctly floral scent carried on the breeze from the direction they were headed in.
It was all so very different from her home in the Frostlands, and the cleric felt her excitement rise with every step.
Finally, Alfyn came to a stop, squeezing Ophilia's shoulder slightly to get her to do the same. "Okay!" the apothecary began as he shifted around so that he was entirely behind her. "We're here…you can open your eyes now!"
Ophilia complied, blinking for a moment in the bright sunlight. When her vision cleared, however, she drew in an awed gasp at the sight that lay before them.
The pair stood at the edge of a field of wildflowers. Everywhere Ophilia looked, there was color upon color, with splashes of reds, blues, purples, oranges, and yellows dotting the ground like paint spatters against a canvas of emerald green. Bees buzzed lazily from bloom to bloom, their black stripes nearly obscured by the thick layers of pollen that coated them. A little ways away, a small brown rabbit nibbled on a stem, nose twitching, until it noticed the two human newcomers and darted off. A pleasantly cool breeze rushed through the field, causing the flowers to sway and ripple like a prismatic sea.
It was unlike anything Ophilia had ever seen before.
Most of her life had been spent in the Frostlands, where, while still beautiful, the natural color palette was severely limited to white, brown, dark green, and pale blue. Most delicate flowers could not survive in the region's frigid climate, leaving primarily hardy shrubs and fir trees to stand amidst the silver snow and often whited-out sky.
Since joining her seven companions on a journey across Orsterra, Ophilia had witnessed a vast array of biomes she'd previously only heard about, from the dry heat of the Sunlands to the salt spray of the Coastlands, or from the dusty crags of the Cliftlands to the crisp air of the Highlands. Even the relatively moderate climates of the Woodlands and the Flatlands were fascinating to the cleric, accustomed as she was to the extremes of her glacial home. Each unfamiliar area she visited brought with it a new sense of awe, and she looked forward to every new destination their group sought out, thrilled to learn ever more about the incredible continent they lived in.
The Riverlands, however, were her favorite new place by far.
The precisely perfect levels of greenery, sunshine, and life were all but unmatched by the rest of Orsterra's regions, she felt. True, she still loved the familiar, quiet serenity of the Frostlands, but the energy and color that enveloped the natural world in the Riverlands was nothing short of refreshing.
And this field of wildflowers was no exception.
"By the Sacred Flame…" Ophilia breathed, taking a few steps forward. "Alfyn, this…this is beautiful…"
Alfyn remained behind her, but she could practically hear the beaming smile in his voice. "Ain't it? I always used it as a spot for gatherin' up some medicinal herbs and flowers, but…it's a real pretty sight, too! When I realized how close we were passin' by it, well…I guess it made me think of you!"
Ophilia's eyebrows lifted as she turned to face the apothecary. "Of…of me…?"
"O-Oh, well…" Alfyn chuckled, reaching up to scratch at the back of his head as his cheeks reddened. "You know…last time we were in the area, over in Saintsbridge, I was showin' you that skullcap, remember? And you were talkin' about how pretty it was, and how you don't see many flowers where you're from…so I promised I'd show you all the flowers you wanted if it would make you smile?"
The cleric clasped her hands over her heart, biting her lip hard to keep from squealing. "You…you remembered that? From all that time ago?"
"'Course I did! I mean…I made a promise, didn't I? Wouldn't be right if I just forgot all about it and left it at that!"
"Oh, Alfyn…" Ophilia smiled, feeling her heart swell. "You're the sweetest person I've ever met, you know that?"
Alfyn laughed sheepishly. "Sh-Shucks…I just…I like seein' you smile, you know? And, um…oh!" He bent down over a nearby golden flower, carefully plucking it from the ground and holding it out to Ophilia as he straightened. "I also promised I'd pick some for you, didn't I?"
She accepted the flower carefully, letting her fingertips lightly brush the tips of the sun-colored petals. "You did…thank you, Alfyn, truly." Shyly, the cleric took a step closer to the apothecary. She stood up on her toes and craned her neck far enough to press a quick kiss to his cheek, then stepped away, blushing. "I-I greatly appreciate your kindness!"
If possible, Alfyn's face reddened even more than before. His jaw worked for a few moments, whatever words he meant to say only coming out in the form of bashful laughter and half-constructed syllables. Both of them could do little more than giggle awkwardly to themselves for a time, unsure of what, if anything, had just passed between them.
Finally, Ophilia managed to recover her voice, though her cheeks were still warm and tinged pink with self-consciousness. "I, um…I-I believe you promised to tell me about the medicinal uses of the flowers you showed me as well…?"
Alfyn immediately snapped out of his reverie, his expression brightening as the word "medicinal" seemed to bring him back to himself. "O-Oh! Right! Of course, I'd be happy to! S-So let's see, the flower I just gave you is a marigold - not many people know this, but medicines made from the petals can be used to treat all sorts of things! Headaches, sunburns, nausea, skin injuries…and so on! And, um…oh! That one over there is called feverfew. Bet you can guess what that one's for, huh? And over here, we have yarrow, which also has tons of uses…"
Just as she had with the skullcap all that time ago, Ophilia gingerly tucked the marigold behind her ear as she followed Alfyn around the field, admiring the vast array of wildflowers. She listened attentively to all of his explanations, and each time she caught a glimpse of his enthusiastic grin, she felt a new rush of warmth that she suspected had nothing to do with the sun overhead.
See you guys next time for Tale 32: Night!
