Young Salma, thanks to the money from the braids Wraithvine left in her home, was sent to school by her mom. Now, an older teen, she was about to enter an Academy for Alchemy. And, spotting Wraithvine, she went to thank hir for the kindness ze showed her family. And give a blessing in return.
From here -- @internutter/challenge-03562-i273-a-gift-a-blessing-and-a-visit -- Anon Guest
"It's hir! It's really hir! WRAITHVINE!"
The eternal Elf braced for impact. That kind of enthusiasm automatically came with a glomp in the immediate future.
A young lady in a bright primrose dress was approaching at speed, arms wide as her grin. The hefty boots and the gloves peeking out of her leather apron's pocket marked her as a student of alchemy. It was the bracelet on her wrist that marked her as a past friend.
Ze knew those agate beads. Ze had helped thread them onto braids of hir hair, a little over a decade ago. Salma Bauer. Almost done with growing up and very evidently doing well.
Wraithvine caught her into a twirl and accepted the hug with as much grace as possible. "Ah, Miss Bauer. I see you still haven't landed."
Her hands were buzzing as she carefully paced back away. "I've been learning all about potions and liquid magic and I know you know that magic used to be fluid and carried around around the world with sprites and so on and there was this lady who had to become a god and all that, but did you know that sympathetic magic comes from that original water? That's why some potions use things with the same property..."
She hadn't changed that much. Ten years and social pressure tended to wear down the children like Salma into shy and retiring wallflowers. Scared to share about the things they loved lest they be 'boring'. Scared to be enthusiastic about anything lest they be 'weird'. She was not like the others at all. Proud to be herself, regardless of anyone's opinion of her.
The blessing had really worked.
Wraithvine guided her to a place where she could sit and talk and ze could sit and listen. Patiently smiling at all her joy as it poured out of her mouth in a flood.
Finally, when she reached the end of her exposition, she said, "Thank you for your blessing. I've seen it working more than a few times. I have a blessing for you, too. Hand-crafted and sincere." It was woven out of some of her hair. Scorched with chemicals in some places, bleached in others, but all braided together with some of her mother's spare agate beads. The dragon-scale ones. "May you see more people with two kind hands, who lighten your load wherever you go."
No matter what other magics are involved, a heartfelt sentiment is always endorsed by the gods.
Wraithvine could feel it purring on hir wrist. Ze gently petted the bracelet. "When this wears away from me, I shall add what's left of it onto my hat, and carry you with me always. Thank you."
Neither said 'goodbye'. They said, "Better days becoming."
[Image by Content Pixie on Unsplash]
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