Chương 95: Chapter 4: A Shared Burden - Part II

The meal lingered long after the last bowl had been emptied. No one seemed eager to leave the warmth of the fire or the company gathered beneath the Silverwood's broad canopy. The children had eventually wandered off toward their own biddings after extracting a solemn promise from Lorcan that he would, at some point, demonstrate how one actually climbed a tree as a squirrel. Lorcan had wisely refused to commit to a date. Now only the adults remained.

The fire crackled softly between them, its amber light dancing across the roots that wound through the clearing. Beyond the circle of light, the grove rested beneath a blanket of quiet, disturbed only by the occasional whisper of leaves high overhead. Elyrion cradled a wooden cup between both hands, listening more than speaking. Lorcan seemed content simply to exist within the company of others. For someone who had wandered alone for four decades, silence no longer felt empty.

Aibell watched the flames for several moments before speaking.

"You know..." She smiled to herself.

"I almost said it earlier." Ciara glanced sideways.

"Said what?" I ask.

"That everyone keeps getting chosen." A faint chuckle escaped Ciara.

"We were having that conversation before Kaelen left and then Elyrion arrived... followed by a squirrel." Lorcan looked mildly offended.

"I suspect that's going to follow me for quite some time."

"It absolutely is," Ciara replied. The quiet laughter faded almost as quickly as it had appeared. Aibell tucked a loose strand of hair behind one ear.

"It just seems strange." She looked around the gathering.

"The grove accepted Kaelen, that's easy, he was the one who grew it." She nodded toward Garrick.

"Garrick was chosen as its knight." Her gaze shifted toward Lorcan.

"And now another druid finds his way here." She shrugged lightly.

"It feels as though everyone keeps finding a role, where they belong."

"Except us." Ciara finished the thought without bitterness. Only quiet acceptance. For a moment, no one answered. Lorcan studied Aibell thoughtfully.

"You said something earlier." She looked up.

"You've always been able to sense mana?" She hesitated before nodding.

"A little."

"How little?"

"I don't know." She frowned, trying to find the right words.

"When I was younger, before Blackthorn burned when you used to visit…" She looked toward me.

"... sometimes I knew you were coming before I ever saw you." I blinked.

"You never told me." She laughed softly, "I thought everyone could do it. I only realized they couldn't when I was older." Her fingers traced idle circles against the rim of her cup.

"Since the grove awakened, it's become easier. Not strong, but clearer." Lorcan leaned forward.

"And you've never tried learning?" She looked surprised.

"Learning what?"

"Druidic magic." Aibell stared at him.

"I couldn't."

"Why not?" She gave a small, uncertain laugh.

"I'm not a druid." Lorcan smiled, "No, you are not. Not yet." She looked between the two of us.

"I don't understand."

"If you can naturally perceive mana," Lorcan explained gently, "then you already possess the first thing every apprentice spends most time trying to develop." He gestured toward the Silverwood towering above them.

"Everything else can be taught." Hope flickered across Aibell's face, only for a moment, then it faded again. She looked toward me, "But, Kaelen never-" A soft rustle interrupted her. Every head turned upward. One of the Heartwood's lower branches had begun to sway. There was no wind. The movement was slow and deliberate. A single flower bud emerged from the branch, small and pure white. It continued growing before their eyes until it loosened from the stem entirely.

The tiny blossom drifted lazily through the evening air, as if floating midair. It came to rest gently upon Aibell's head. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work. She froze and the others did the same. Slowly, the flower slipped free, landing softly in her lap. For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then the bud unfolded, petal by petal, until a perfect white blossom rested against the fabric of her dress.

The Heartwood fell still once more, no glow, no surge of mana, only silence. Lorcan smiled first. His voice barely rose above a whisper, "I believe the grove has answered." Aibell looked from the flower to the ancient Heartwood then to me. Her eyes shimmered. She swallowed, "I... It chose me?" I smiled.

"No, it invited you." She stared at the blossom once more. Almost afraid to touch it. After a long silence, she carefully cupped it in both hands.

"What do I do now?" I looked toward Lorcan. The young druid smiled knowingly before looking back at Aibell. He glanced up into the vast canopy.

"You learn and if you'll have me. I'd be honored to help teach you with Kaelen, along with learning from him myself." Aibell's eyes widened. She looked at me then back at Lorcan. A laugh escaped her before she could stop it, pure and unrestricted. For several moments, no one spoke. Aibell remained seated exactly where she was, the delicate white blossom cupped carefully between her hands as though afraid it might disappear if she looked away.

Every so often her eyes lifted toward the Heartwood, still struggling to believe what had just happened. Lorcan's smile hadn't left his face.

"I suppose," he said quietly, "I'll be teaching sooner than I expected." Aibell laughed, the sound still carrying an edge of disbelief.

"You make it sound so simple." He folded his arms comfortably, "It rarely is. But it is always worth it." Ciara reached over, gently squeezing Aibell's shoulder.

"I'm happy for you." The words carried genuine warmth. There wasn't the slightest hint of envy in her voice, only pride. Aibell looked up immediately.

"You'll help me, won't you?" Ciara smiled.

"I'll probably be the one reminding you to eat after you spend an entire day studying plants."

"I wouldn't forget." Lorcan and I exchanged a glance. Neither of us believed that for a second. The quiet laughter that followed eased the last of the tension lingering beneath the canopy. One by one, everyone began gathering the empty bowls from the table. Aine and Eammon insisted on helping despite creating considerably more work than they solved, while Elyrion quietly carried a stack of wooden plates toward the washing barrel without waiting to be asked.

The grove settled once more into the familiar rhythm of shared work. Ciara watched them for a moment before reaching for the simple wooden staff resting besides her. She pushed herself carefully to her foot.

"I should-" Her sentence stopped as she shifted her weight. The familiar ache shot through her remaining leg. She steadied herself against the staff before taking a slow breath.

"I'll clean these."

"You don't have to," Aibell said immediately. Ciara smiled.

"I know. I want to." She turned toward the washing barrel. The first step had barely left the ground before something brushed gently against her ankle. She paused. A thin root had emerged from the earth beside her foot, another followed, then another. They wound around her remaining leg supporting her balance with quiet certainty. Confused, Ciara looked down.

"Kaelen..." I hadn't moved. The roots weren't responding to me. They were answering something else. Before anyone could speak, fresh vines slipped silently through the moss surrounding the Heartwood's roots. They crept across the ground toward Ciara. The vines gathered beneath the end of her amputated limb. For a heartbeat, they remained still. Then they began to weave.

Roots intertwined with living vines, twisting together into a slender framework before thickening, strengthening, growing as naturally as branches reaching toward sunlight. Layer upon layer wrapped around one another until the shape became unmistakable. A leg. The final vines curled gently around her thigh before sinking beneath the fabric of her trousers, disappearing as though they had always belonged there. Silence settled over the grove. Ciara didn't move. She simply stared.

Slowly, almost fearfully she shifted her weight forward. The living limb answered instantly. It bent with her, supported her, balanced her. Her breath caught. She took another step. Then another. No hesitation this time, effortless movement albeit a bit awkward for now. Tears welled in her eyes before she even realized they were there. She looked down at the living roots forming her new leg. Her voice faltered.

"I... I can... It feels..." She searched helplessly for the words.

"I can feel the ground." She lifted her foot. The woven roots flexed naturally. Her toes curled against the moss.

"I can feel it." No one spoke. Some moments deserved silence. Ciara laughed through her tears. Then, before anyone could stop her, she walked. She took a careful step, then a second and then a third. The living limb moved with her, responding as naturally as flesh and bone, yet weeks of relying on a single leg made every motion feel unfamiliar. She faltered, catching herself before she could fall, and let out a quiet, breathless laugh.

"It listens..." Her eyes filled once more as she looked down at the woven roots.

"I just have to learn how to walk with it again." She finally stopped beneath the Heartwood, resting both hands against its ancient trunk.

"Thank you." The whisper was barely audible. The leaves above answered with a gentle rustle. As though the Grove had simply done what it believed was right. Behind her, Garrick watched the entire scene with folded arms. A slow smile spread across his face. Everyone turned toward him, "Well, I suppose I've officially run out of reasons to complain about sore muscles." That drew a laugh from everyone. He rubbed the back of his neck. His eyes drifted from Aibell's flower to Ciara's new leg.

"I'll admit I'm beginning to feel a little left out." Kaelen raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" Garrick shrugged and nodded towards Aibell.

"The Grove chooses an apprentice. It gives Ciara a new leg. And I've spent the last week trying to sense enough mana to convince myself I wasn't imagining it. I can just about manage it now. Only, if I sit perfectly still and concentrate hard enough to give myself a headache." The clearing erupted into quiet laughter. I couldn't help smiling.

"You've made progress."

"So you keep telling me."

"I have." He folded his arms again.

"But I thought accepting your offer meant I was becoming this... Grove Knight."

"You accepted the role."

"I did." I nodded.

"But you haven't become one." Garrick frowned.

"I haven't?" I looked toward the Heartwood rising above us.

"No." A small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.

"You've only been recruited." The smile faded into quiet certainty.

"The initiation..." I rested a hand against the ancient bark.

"... comes next."