The bubble of the flask and the soft scratching of her pen nib on paper were familiar sounds, tucked in the office she and Ryuu shared. Obi lounged in the windowsill, book propped open on his lap, though his attention wandered, idly watching the dust motes float through the air. The lamp light illuminated them, dancing through the space. His eyes flicked over to Shirayuki. The rest of the castle was sleeping, but his Miss was, as they say, burning the midnight oil. A quiet sigh left her as she clicked off the burner, letting the flask finally cool from its long boil.

"I think that should be it," she said, rolling her shoulders back and closing the cover of her journal. "I'll wait a moment for it to cool, then we can pour it into vials."

"Yes, Miss," Obi murmured, slipping off the windowsill and slotting his book back onto the shelf. The Restorative Properties of Peppermint wasn't exactly a page turner. Before he could turn back to her, a soft knock sounded on the door. He turned, fingers ghosting his knives and held a warning hand out to her.

"Shirayuki? It's Zen. Can I come in?"

The tenseness of Obi's shoulders didn't ease. No intruder, then, but a visit from Zen this late never bode well. Not after he and the Miss had decided to mutually part ways a few months prior. Shirayuki stood from her desk, gingerly stretching up and unfolding from her work. A wince didn't escape his eyes and he made a mental note to not let her work so long again without a break. A few short strides had him to the door, easing it open to reveal the second prince of Clarines. The slight downturn of his lips and slump of his shoulders told Obi that this was not a social visit. Golden eyes narrowed slightly as he stepped back, allowing Zen in and shutting the door softly behind him.

"Shirayuki, I…" Zen's eyebrows furrowed, his steps towards her hesitant.

"Would you like some privacy, Master, Miss?" Obi moved to open the door again and excuse himself.

"No, Obi. You need to know, too." Blue eyes raised to meet hers and her heart fluttered at the pain behind them. "Raj's father passed. It was very sudden. A heart attack, they think. He… he needs you. And we'll be going as well to lend him the support of Clarines. Lord Brother has the staff making preparations for us to leave in the morning." Zen lifted his hand slightly, as if to reach out to her but thought better of it. "I'm sorry, Shirayuki. Try to rest, if you can. It'll be a long trip. I have to go pack, but I'll see you in the morning."

He dropped his eyes and Obi shifted to the side to let him pass. Their eyes met for a moment and Zen nodded at him, looking more tired than even the late hour deserved. The door snicked shut and Obi turned to Shirayuki. She stood as if carved from stone. Her wide eyes finally shut and a shuddering breath left her.

"Miss? Are you alright? I hadn't realized the King of Tanbarun meant so much to you," there was a gentleness in his tone that he rarely took with her.

"It's not – it's Raj. He must… he must feel so alone. Both of his parents gone, just him and his brother and sister left." Her eyes opened, a line between her eyebrows forming and her mind on a younger version of herself. Parents gone, grandparents who had loved her with every fiber of their beings laid in a cool grave. A young girl trying to make her way on her own, trying to be strong when the world was now on her very small shoulders. With a struggle, she brought herself back to the present, and with trembling hands reached for her traveling medicine bag. "I should pack, there are some remedies I can bring that can ease some of the grief, I hope."

Obi stood back and watched the tightness in her shoulders, the shaking in her hand as she reached for vials of herbs. A few small steps brought him to her and he lightly grasped her elbow and eased her towards her chair.

"Sit, Miss. I'll pack. You finish your work and then we'll get you to bed." His sure hands flew over the storeroom. Lemon balm, valerian, chamomile, motherwort, they all slipped into their places in her bag. Her voice echoed in his head from days past, naming the herbs and their uses. He barely needed to think to remember her cheerful voice ringing out the full list in the storeroom as he helped her that past Spring, organizing and refilling jars. When he had packed it all, plus some bandages and her usual wound kit for good measure, he turned back to the desk. Shirayuki's hands had not been idle while he had perused the shelves. The medicine from the flask was now in three small stoppered bottles. One of which was closed up with a small dropper.

"Shall I put that away for you, Miss?" He raised an eyebrow as he stepped closer, the pack held between them.

"No, Obi. I'll bring along one of these and then store the rest at my desk. It's a newer medicine and shouldn't be used by the other herbalists until I can give them directions." With deft hands that only had a slight tremble, she lifted the flap of her bag and tucked it into a small sewn in pouch. "The dosage is tricky and in the wrong hands could cause more harm than good."

"Ah, a deadly cure, Miss, how unlike you! Most of your medicines only taste like you are trying to kill me," he quipped, trying to bring some levity back to the room.

"A necessary one, Obi," she said, a small smile pulling at the side of her mouth. "It's a concentrated pain medication for taking out with the soldiers. One drop can make them compliant, two can ease pain, three can help them rest while the patient heals. Four, though, and they may not wake up." Her lips turn back to a frown at that. The patient she had learned that with had survived, but just barely. It weighed on her, but with careful studying, she was confident they had worked it out. "I'm hoping we won't need it, but it may allow Raj to rest, if the other medicines don't work."

"I see, then let's hope that Raj takes well to the other herbs, though I won't rule out a drop or so in his tea if he gets a bit too enthusiastic," Obi said with a wink. He slipped the medicine bag over his shoulder and turned down the lamps. Hand on Shirayuki's elbow, he guided her gently out the door and towards her room. "Now we'd best both pack and get some sleep or you'll have to whip up a restorative to keep us awake." He opened the door of her room and nudged her inside.

"Goodnight, Miss."

"Goodnight, Obi. Sweet dreams."

"Always." His eyes lingered on her as she padded softly into her room, fingers grazing her dresser as she moved to pack. The latch clicked in place on the door and he sighed heavily. It was at least a three day ride to Tanbarun if they kept a moderate pace, considering he and Shirayuki would be doubled up. Despite his attempts to teach her, she had not yet mastered riding anywhere other than in the training field. Her tendency to become distracted by the plants under her horse's feet did not lend her to independent riding quite yet. He went over the route in his mind as he returned to his quarters, packing lightly and tucking her medicines alongside his bags.

Once everything was settled, he straightened and headed for his window. Swinging out, he landed in the tree outside his room. With a few nimble leaps, he was outside her window, settled into his usual perch. Unbeknownst to her, her room had been chosen specifically for the trees outside. The crook of the branch was as familiar to Obi as his window seat in her office. A glance inside her window showed the red head was already asleep. Her locks flared over the pillow and her hand rested gently on her chest. Her eyes were slightly swollen, and the light hitch in her breath gave away that she had been crying moments before falling asleep out of sheer exhaustion. Obi pushed down the instinct to go and wipe the drying tears off of her face. Instead, he leaned back against the tree trunk and tried to rest, knowing the next day in the saddle would be a long one.