A loud splash startled Elizabeth, though she was not surprised that even when she turned her head as fast as she could, she saw only ripples on the moor’s water. It wasn’t the first noise she heard since coming out here.
“At least nothing attacked me yet.” She murmured, focusing again on the cluster of black flowers just a bit further. She took a deep breath and tested if a log laying across the grass patches would hold her weight.
She balanced on it, walking toward the nightshade. With a relieved sigh she kneeled by the black cluster. She touched the sparkling petal.
“I’ll need to make another painting of the ruins, with those flowers in the foreground.” She whispered, dreamily looking at the plant.
Another splash interrupted her painting planning and she quickly snapped the stem of the closest orchid and wrapped it into a cloth before gently placing it in her bag.
She rushed back across the log, thankful that she didn’t need to go too deep into the moor to find the nightshade.
“I got it!” Elizabeth waved to the herbalist when she emerged from the forest. She was still catching her breath, since she just might have run all the way from the moors to get as much distance from the unsettling noises as fast as she could.
The girl ran up to her, but stopped a few steps away, as if she’d hit a wall.
“Ouch!” She rubbed her wrist.
“Oh, sorry.” Elizabeth walked to the girl and took out the flower. “Here it is.”
“Thank you!” The girl gave her a strong hug. “I should be able to make it just in time!”
The girl hopped over to a cauldron already filled with a boiling solution and dropped the flower in.
“I didn’t even introduce myself, did I?” She looked up at Elizabeth. “I’m Katherine.” She switched the ladle to her left hand without stopping the stirring for a moment and extended her right to her.
“Elizabeth.” She shook her hand with a smile.
“I’m so glad you came today! But probably you wanted something other than chasing nightshades through the moors?” Katherine smiled back at her.
“Yes. My brother went missing, searching for the Canyon Shrine. I’m trying to find him, but there’s a sickness that supposedly gets whoever crosses the protective sphere around the shrine. He listed a few potions that may help with it, but I don’t know how to make them.” Elizabeth explained.
“I see…” Katherine thoughtfully nodded. “Oh, this potion is ready, I’ll better take care of that first!” She scooped the black potion with golden specks floating within and poured it into a jar. “All right now,” she closed the jar with a cork “what potions do you need?”
Elizabeth pulled out Jonathan’s research and opened it on the potions page.
“Those two have to be made fresh in order to work.” Katherine frowned. “But for this one I have most of the ingredients already, so if you’d pick some yarrow and river beauty, I could get to work right after I come back. That is, if I’m still human-shaped.” She winked at her and headed down the hill.
Elizabeth started gathering yarrow and by the time Katherine came back, she had a nice bouquet.
“Look!” Katherine waved her bare wrist at her with a joyful laugh. “And I picked some river beauty on my way too, so we can start working on your potions as soon as I grab the other ingredients from my hut.”
The herbalist skipped toward the hut and Elizabeth re-started the fire under the cauldron.
“You know, now that I can go anywhere I want, it’s so hard to decide where to go first!” Katherine plopped down beside Elizabeth and started grounding herbs in the mortar.
Elizabeth wasn’t sure what to respond, since she’d much rather be back in her painting studio than exploring the world, so she just watched as the herbalist added ingredients to the boiling water.
“Are you sure this potion will work?” She asked.
“No. You didn’t even tell me what sickness they were supposed to fight off.” Katherine pointed out.
“Oh. You’re right. There isn’t really much information on that, though.” Elizabeth bit her lip.
“No worries, I’ll make all three for you. Who knows, maybe I’ll tag along if I still will have no idea where else I could go, and be ready to brew the last two in case nothing else works.” Katherine added a pinch of dried herbs and started stirring.
Elizabeth watched her work, but that was not enough to keep her worries at bay. Why couldn’t Jonathan write to explain what happened and what exactly was he asking her to do?
By the time Katherine was done with the last potion, Elizabeth was a bundle of nerves, wound up by the thoughts of all the bad things that could have happened to her brother. She got up and started pacing across the meadow.
“There you go.” Katherine gave her the vials with potions, at least three of each.
“Thank you.” Elizabeth smiled and started packing the vials into her bag.
“Well, thank you. If you wouldn’t get me that orchid, who knows what would happen to me?” Katherine smiled, cleaning her cauldron. “So, are you ready?”
“Ready for what?” Elizabeth looked up, confused.
“To go save your brother, silly!” Katherine laughed.
“Of course I am. But does it mean you’re coming too? You don’t look ready at all.”
“Ah, it’ll take me only a moment!” Katherine waved her hand and rushed into packing.
Indeed, it took her only a few minutes and soon they headed to the forest.
Katherine stopped at the tree line and carefully stretched her hand. When nothing happened, a grin stretched on her lips. She took a step forward.
“I’m free! I’m really free!” She danced.
Then they heard a scream.