Chapter 275: Planting The Seed (Part One)
That night, Heila joined Ashlynn in the latter’s hut for the evening. After days of anxiously waiting for Ashlynn to pass her portion of the trial and sleeping alone in the hut that Talauia had prepared for her, Heila barely managed to hold herself back from asking to sleep with Ashlynn in the same bedroom.
Perhaps it would have been easier if she’d adjusted to sleeping by herself in her own hut before Ashlynn underwent her trial, but right now, she just wanted to return to something that felt ’normal’ and recently, normal meant sleeping near her lady and being available for anything she needed.
After spending months so close to Ashlynn, Heila couldn’t fail to notice the strain in her lady’s voice when she spoke or the way she frequently touched her chest above the seed of witchcraft she’d nurtured.
Of all the burdens she’d seen Ashlynn bear, seeing her lady bear such an obviously painful one for her sake sat heavily on Heila’s heart. In her mind, the very least she could do to show her appreciation and understanding of the discomfort that Ashlynn was enduring would be to stay close at hand through the night in case her lady needed anything.
The small reading hammock on the balcony was the perfect size for Heila and before she knew it, she’d fallen fast asleep while listening to the sounds of the Briar outside and Ashlynn’s steady, rhythmic breathing inside.
Morning came with the first rays of dawn filtering through the thick canopy of the Briar, casting diffuse light through the small hut that gradually brightened as it pressed back against the fog. The day was already hot and the air carried a muggy dampness that left everything outdoors slightly damp, including the unfortunate Heila who had slept in the balcony hammock.
When Ashlynn woke her, Heila found that despite sleeping in the hammock, she felt more refreshed than she had any right to expect. Her night had been plagued by unsettling dreams and the sounds of creatures moving in the night startled her awake several times, but each time she jolted awake, she found herself enveloped by a soothing evergreen scent that reminded her of Ashlynn, as if her lady were standing nearby to keep any harm from reaching her. Within a few moments of waking, she quickly drifted back to sleep.
Together, in a reversal of their usual roles, Ashlynn helped Heila to wash and then dress in a simple outfit consisting of a plain white skirt and white blouse, topped with a silvery-green silk bodice that matched the color of the Ancient Willow’s leaves.
Amahle had made the bodice herself and the back, front, and side panels of the garment were each covered with carefully embroidered glyphs invoking the strengths of the willow tree.