Chapter 15 #2
Yoni shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t think anybody knows. It just is. That’s why you have all those towns here. Emberglen, Greengrass, even Ferncombe still takes some water from it, especially during spring after the snow melt. It’s good for the crops.”
“If it’s so good for crops, why did so many farms close down?”
A shadow crossed Yoni’s face. “Because you can’t compete with price. We take pride in what we produce, but that doesn’t count for much in a corner store in Willow Harbour.”
Mira bit her lip. Sore subject. Right. “Sorry. I was just wondering… Never mind.”
They kept walking in a silence thick enough to cut.
Even the birds seemed intimidated by it, judging by the way their song got just a little more distant as they made their way through the forest. There was plenty of other noise to fill the space between them, at least. Insects that Mira couldn’t see.
Rustling near the ground where they scared off the forest’s smaller denizens.
The occasional pointed call of a larger bird overhead.
“I wonder if there are books written about the area.” Mira looked up just in time to catch a large shadow flit across the canopy. “I’d like to learn a bit more about all of this.”
“What, like a science book?”
“Maybe. Or history. Or a travelogue. Anything, really. I doubt there are shelves full of literature about a town this small, so I’m not picky.”
“We have an exhibition in the town hall. Or we used to. I’m not sure it’s still being maintained.
” Yoni seemed thoughtful. “I know there was someone staying here for a bit around… ten or so years ago, he said he was writing a book.” She blinked rapidly.
“Or maybe he was writing the same stuff you do. Stories and all that.”
“If he was, I don’t think I’d learn much reading those.”
“Aren’t you supposed to do lots of research?”
Mira laughed, and a bush to their left trembled in response. “Are we? I suppose it depends. Personally, I prefer making things up as I go along. Takes less time and gets me paid more often, and readers sure don’t seem to mind, seeing as the same editors keep buying my stories.”
“If you’re selling stories, why even try the potion shop?” Yoni sounded genuinely surprised. “That seems like so much more work.”
“Would you believe it if I told you that it’s less work?
” Mira said dryly. She sighed deeply. “I thought I was going to be a famous writer. Rich, too. You know, before I started working as one. It doesn’t pay much.
Besides, when I… After I inherited the house, it seemed like some sort of sign, you know?
Maybe this was where I was supposed to be. ”
Yoni looked sceptical. “Seems very esoteric.”
“Maybe. I like the idea that we’re not all alone in this world either way. It’s a big place to be crawling around all by ourselves, it would be nice if something was looking out for us.”
“We’re not alone,” Yoni pointed out. “The world is full of things that are not us.”
“Yes, but I doubt your cat, precious as she is, will grant me divine intervention if I ever need it,” Mira replied lightly, “so I like to keep that door open.”
“Who knows,” Yoni whispered slightly too loudly, too ominously to be serious, “maybe she will if she likes you enough. There used to be people who thought cats were the avatars of their gods.”
“Really.” Mira squinted at her. “Does that make your living room a temple?”
Yoni chuckled. “It makes my living room covered in fur, is what it does.”
“I’m sure Marigold is very sorry about that.”
“Sorry!” Yoni barked out a laugh. “That wretched creature doesn’t know the meaning of the word, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The last part of the trail turned out to be the most difficult to find, and Mira was glad that she was with Yoni, who seemed to have little issue navigating the narrow dirt path nearly hidden between ferns, fallen leaves and undergrowth.
Even if the Sweetwater Spring had been a popular tourist destination once upon a time, now it was a secluded, downright enchanted part of the forest with nothing to disturb their peace.
“Are you sure we’re not bothering anything out here?”
The trees had closed in now, and branches kept catching Mira’s skirt as she was walking next to Yoni. There was substantially more noise around now, and the rustling sounds were much closer than before.
“Oh, we definitely are bothering something, but there is plenty of forest to go around.” Yoni ducked under a low-hanging branch.
Mira barely felt it graze her head. “And there is nothing large enough to bother us around, either. The wolves don’t come out of the foothills until winter, and even then they stay away from the town. ”
“Wolves?” Right. She was living very rural now. “Never mind. How far…?”
“Listen.”
So Mira did, and after a moment of adjusting, she heard it – the gentle sound of water close by. And not ten steps after, there was a rather abrupt end to the dense foliage around them when they stepped off the trail and onto a clearing that lay bright and peaceful in the midday sun.
“Oh!” Mira physically turned to take in the sight. “This is beautiful!”
No park in the city could hold a candle to what she was seeing.
Lush green grass, surrounded by trees and flowering bushes.
Sunlight dappled the ground, the green, and the rock formation ahead.
And at the base of the rocks lay the fabled spring, glittering in the sun and gently lapping at the muddy shores of a small pond.
The breeze carried the scent of juicy leaves and wet dirt all around them.
“Now you know why people used to come here so much.” Yoni gently brushed past her. “Not everyone’s happy that the tourists are staying away, but at least they don’t trample the…”
She trailed off, moving further into the clearing. Mira barely managed to tear her eyes away from the magnificence all around her.
“Is something wrong?”
“…I don’t know.”
Yoni had made her way to the spring, standing at the edge and staring down into the water.
Down, Mira now realised, because the water level seemed oddly low for the way the little pond looked.
Like it had only recently dropped. Between where the grass ended and the water started was a noticeable brown strip of damp dirt, bare of any growth.
“Is it supposed to look like this?”
“No.” Yoni sounded tense. “See those grey lines on the rocks? That’s where the water usually is this time of the year.”
Mira turned around to survey the area. It made sense if it had been exceptionally dry. Only it had rained just a few days ago, and everything else around them still seemed to thrive.
“Maybe something is diverting the water. A stream, or… maybe something big took a bath.”
Yoni snorted. “Would’ve had to be a bear, or maybe an elk, and we would definitely know if there were any of those in the area. Besides, no prints, hooves or paws. Doesn’t even seem like people were here recently.” She made a frustrated sound. “Sorry. I know how this sounds, but…”
“I heard,” Mira said. “People have been having issues with the water in town. That might be why.”
“Maybe.” Yoni sighed, hands on her hips. “Well, that has to be a bit of a downer. You were probably hoping to see the spring in all its glory.”
“Well, I wanted to see it at all, and I did.” Mira managed a smile. “It’s fine. At least I got to have a good time on the way here.”
“Really?” The genuine surprise in Yoni’s tone was a little strange. “I’m glad you did.” She cleared her throat, and couldn’t quite look Mira in the eye. “So did I.”
This was decidedly not a reaction Mira had expected. Seeing her rather stoic neighbour so flustered… It made Mira wonder how far down that blush really extended past her collar.
And the very next moment, she wanted to kick herself for even thinking about that. Why was she thinking about that? Yoni was just being friendly. Taking pity on her, even, for having the same sense of direction as a goldfish in a washing machine.
“Ah!” Abruptly, Yoni held out the basket to Mira. “Could you hold this for a moment? I want to see if the plants I need are there. They need a lot of water, so…”
Mira took the basket, reeling with the sudden change of subject. “Of course.”
Yoni turned without another word and trudged off towards the treeline, presumably to hunt for whatever plants she needed.
Meanwhile, Mira went to look for a place to sit down and have her snack.
Deciding on some large, flat rocks off to the side of the pond, she got as comfortable as she could without a blanket, which she promised herself she would bring next time.
She leaned forward, eyeing the water. People got their well water from the spring, but not directly from it, did they.
That wasn’t how that worked. It was a warm day, and cooling her feet in the clear water sounded heavenly.
She was sitting with her eyes closed, toes dipping into the water, resting back on her elbows, when she heard footsteps on the grass.
“Looks comfortable.”
Mira cracked one eye open to find Yoni blocking the sun. “More than it seems.” She sat up and scooted sideways. “Feel free to join me.”
To her surprise, Yoni did. She sat primly, knees tucked sideways under her, and kept her shoes on. Mira gestured at the napkin between them, with apple slices and half a pastry.
“If you want some? Don’t worry, I pulled it in half before I ate the rest.”
“Really?” Yoni reached out almost automatically, but her hand hovered over the pastry. “Are you sure? All I brought is tea, and, uh, I didn’t bring a cup.”
Mira chuckled. “It’s fine. I brought water.”
“To a spring.”
Mira blinked rapidly. “Well, now that you said it…” She looked away. “Besides, I don’t think you’re supposed to drink from that directly.”
“No, I don’t think you are. Not without a drop of cleanser, at least.”
“Hm.” Now that Yoni had said it, Mira vaguely recalled a mention of that in Uncle Lochlin’s book. “Maybe next time.”
After a moment of silence, Yoni said: “I come out here once or twice a month.”
Mira waited, but there was nothing else. Her mind spun its wheels like it rarely ever did. Was that an invitation? Or just chit-chat, and it didn’t mean anything?
“Maybe a little break like this once a month couldn’t hurt.”
And, much to her delight, Yoni’s response was a narrow but noticeable smile.