Harvest - 2 (Patreon)

It wasn't long before the foxes got tired of my antics, with both Nim and Nem grumbling about overexcited kits. Something I had to admit was fair, considering I woke up the fox kits and spent a good half hour playing with them and Tricks after I shrunk down closer to their size. They were adorable little things, and I couldn't help but feel protective of them; they were family now.

There was something mildly concerning about that change, a moment of panic brought on by recent experiences, but as the fox kits had stopped to look at me worriedly when I stopped playing... I realised it wasn't much of a surprise.

All magic changed the user. All magic. Transforming into an animal was always going to have consequences; I had felt attachment to Tricks and adoration of the others' cuteness before, this was just a change in perspective towards them brought on by a literal change in perspective from gaining an animal form. From gaining Lord Renard's blessing.

And as I followed Aderic out of the grove, the maze of twisting illusions made into a clear and straight path through the trees and down a gentle slope, it was clear that it came with more than just that one change. The very air of the forest seemed welcoming now, the trees whispering in the wind openly rather than secreting themselves away from me and, most noticeably of all, when we turned back into humans and walked into Tal'Doren's glade the grasses curled comfortingly at my feet and Tal'Doren whispered a soft greeting.

Far from the indifferent tolerance of my presence that I had felt before, the weight of its existence, or the demanding nature of its questioning from when I had drawn its attention, accidentally or not, there was kindness there. An offer of sanctuary and protection no matter what threatened me.

"Different, isn't it?" Aderic asked as I paused to stare at the tree. "Don't make the mistake I did and think Talloren is your friend, you are merely more welcome here than most. Wild things are capricious by nature."

I nodded, deciding to do little more than echo an acknowledgement back to the tree.

Then my attention was drawn elsewhere by a soft breeze pulling at my hair.

"Gwen!" Vivi yelled, running at me. "Where were you?!"

I broke out into a smile anew. "Hey Vivi!" I yelled back, moving to catch her in a hug, which she quickly turned to spinning me around a little. "I was busy meeting someone. Did you miss me that much?" I asked with a teasing grin.

"Yes." She pouted, burying her head in my hair. "What if..."

"I'm fine." I kissed her cheek, enjoying the way she flushed as crimson as her hair. "I'll tell you about it later. What happened while I was gone?"

As Vivi told me about the decisions that were made, the clear establishment and agreement to the plan and some additional factors that had been added, I decided she deserved to know about my fox form. Not yet; maybe it was the fox in me now, but I wanted to surprise her with it. Maybe prank her. What would she think if she woke up cuddling a fox instead of me?

Something funny, I was sure.

-oOoOo-

I watched with satisfaction as a group of twelve witches, their hands linked in a long line, imbued the soil and grasses of a small clearing in Tal'Doren with life. The plants grew and grew, swelling as the working continued on; all the way until the heads of grass lay heavy with seed and yet stood strong, near six feet tall, and defiant against the thought they would break under the strain.

Elsewhere, Celestine, Aderic, and Old Grims would be overseeing similar sights. Making sure everyone who was taking part had the basic skills necessary to be part of a circle; my position had been mildly contentious, but the fact I couldn’t just see, but feel, hear, and taste magic made me especially suited for these sort of lessons.

"Well done," I said with satisfaction. I was sure any one of them could work on their own now, and together... we could handle miles of fields in a single casting. Miles upon miles, each of us amplifying the others. "I think you're all ready, now."

Mathis humphed loudly, staring at the field of grass. "Could be better."

"You've never done this before today," Alys snapped, crossing her arms and glaring at Mathis, "and maybe I thought wrong that I only needed practice working with others." She narrowed her eyes at me for a moment. "The girl is good. Better than me, even if not by much."

I nodded faintly at the begrudging compliment. She was at the end of the line and a distance from me for a reason, I didn't trust nor like her.

"Of course, when you offered lessons I thought you meant some of your secrets. Not things that are known to three quarters of our kin." She continued, frowning at me. "Or were your promises to share just a lie?"

Taking a deep breath I held on tight to my irritation. "I am teaching what is practical and necessary, Alys. I will share when there is time spare to do so."

"I get why we need to know this," Adrian said petulantly, "but did we need to spend all day on it? You could've shown us how to make those lights you throw around all the time! Or the visions everyone's said you did during the initiation, or some of the other things your student's bragged about. Can you really make lances out of light? No one would mess with us if we could do that!"

Making a note to reprimand Trix for bragging at some point, I frowned at him. "Astral magic isn't the same as Life magic, it can't be learned in a day. Even Celestine took a few weeks for me to teach." Though, I hadn't worked one-on-one with her like I had Emma and Trix. "There isn't time."

"Just an excuse." Alys countered, getting Adrian to nod along with her as well as a pair of the older men. "You made the offer, so give us something. Plenty of daylight left since we've finished with this so quick."

"There's still–"

"You showed us how to heal," Adrian cut over me, "so why can't you do this too?"

Frowning at him I debated how to answer. With the chorus of people wanting to know how to do my 'secret' magic growing, and only a small portion of the whole, I realised it would be sensible for me to start making textbooks. I couldn't dedicate all of my time to teaching, not the most basic of basics, and that would take a portion of the work away from me. It wasn't like we witches were illiterate.

As I was about to make the offer of doing just that Mathis smacked her cane against a tree loudly.

"Oh, shut up. All of you." She snapped, marching forward until she was right in front of me. "Secrets, secrets, secrets. Girl's right. You don't need to know that stuff yet." She took her cane and shoved it into the dirt, the grasses peeling back to expose bare soil. Using the cane she carved a symbol into the ground. "You want a secret? There you go. My secret, one of the old runes of our ancestors. I've got a bunch more and I'm willing to teach everyone. Better that than us forgetting any more of 'em when I die, like happened with me nan and her nan."

Looking her in the eye for a moment, I kneeled down to touch the rune. Just laying there in the soil there was something to it, and when my fingers brushed against it came to Life.

"That one means Growth. Lots of stuff you can make it do, but especially useful for like what we're doing." Mathis said with a sniff. "Worthwhile to teach."

With the forest welcoming me I'd had an easier time reaching out to grow the plants here, connecting to them and coaxing them to grow with much less effort; even the stubborn blackwald oaks merely complained rather than refused now. It was another clear side effect of Lord Renard's blessing. But the rune... while it wasn't to the same degree, there was a noticeable change.

Like a super-powered version of my yarrow wreath crutch from before I started learning under Celestine, directing my magic along the path of Growth without any input on my part. But, unlike the clumsy crutch that had been the yarrow wreath, it amplified the effect rather than constraining it.

Above us the blackwald trees flourished, fruiting abundantly with a myriad of nuts that immediately started falling to the ground. Including a few apples.

I knew blackwald apples were a thing, but it was still weird they grew from the same trees that were known for producing acorns. Weird magical botany striking again. I made sure to snatch a couple up, I'd already made use of the forest's friendliness to grab some thornvine, some more moonleaf, and some of the mystical turquoise grasses. Everything here was generally better for my purposes than its mundane counterparts, stronger or more durable in some way; just also less cooperative before.

"That is definitely worth knowing." I said, brushing the dirt off my knees as I stood. "Thank you, Mathis. I'll return the favour as soon as I can."

She huffed. "Don't bother, I'm too old to learn new tricks. I'm no Aderic; that boy acts like a child when he's older than me."

"Suppose that's my cue then." Lewis, one of the men Joseline had dragged off during Minglingce, said as he scratched his cheek. "Got to fix the drought too, don't we?"

Joseline smiled widely at him. "We do."

"Never thought I'd teach any but my son how to do it, but it feels right to show up Storms." He said with a grin. "Calling the rain ain't the easiest of things, and always worked better down in Duskmist in my experience, but I figure we can do it. If Arevin don' mind letting me show her how to lead, that is."

"I don't." Of course I didn't, learning new forms of magic were always worthwhile, and there had been some concern that after Meredith was banished that we didn't have anyone who knew weather magic, beyond the mind wind spelling that Joseline and Heather knew. While we could solve the famine even without fixing the drought it would take a significant degree of additional effort, requiring more magic to substitute for the lack of water. Or, good luck with the weather finally turning.

But, even if we didn't need it, learning that someone other than that bitch knew the secret of how to change the weather was good news. That they were willing to share that knowledge? That was a great boon to our efforts.

"We obviously need to bring the speakers into this, but I believe that it would be worthwhile bringing Vivianne and Heather in as well." I looked at Joseline for a moment. "They both have experience with the wind, and Vivi can walk on water. Perhaps she'll have some insight."

Plus, the idea of holding Vivi's hand during a ritual held a certain level of appeal. Getting to feel her use her magic directly even more so.

He chuckled and scratched his cheek again, smiling dumbly at Joseline. "Well, I don't mind. Just be sure my kid gets the best teaching you've got, alright?"

Joseline put her hand over her stomach as she beamed back at him.

I suppose I had to thank her for this blessing. I wasn't entirely sure how to ask her about it, or offer my thanks, without things becoming immensely awkward, though.

-oOoOo-

Lewis, for all he seemed to be a decent sort and willing to help and earn Joseline's favour more permanently, wasn't the best at explaining what it was that he did to call the rain and change the weather. Constantly referencing the feel, the touch, and the tickling laughter of raindrops. He had tried to demonstrate by causing a small shower but his little ritual song, as jaunty a tune as it was, had been such a mess it was hard for even me to use it as a starting point.

The forest had liked the sprinkling of water it got though, even if it hadn't lasted very long.

At Vivi's suggestion, as the only one who seemed to understand the language he was using, Heather, Joseline, Vivi, Aderic, Celestine, Lewis, and I all found ourselves standing ankle-deep in the stream that ran near Tal'Doren's grove. Thankfully, with the heat of summer still present, the water was just refreshingly cool rather than bitingly cold.

"You can feel the water, right?" Vivi asked, squeezing my hand with her eyes closed. She, of course, was standing on top of the water. "The way it, um, flows around you and pulls on you. It's almost laughing."

Aderic hummed neutrally, looking down at his toes and wriggling them.

I couldn't feel it directly myself, but I could almost feel what Vivi was feeling, the way the water was shaping under her feet to support her, and how she interacted with it. "Almost." I murmured, then lowered my voice to a scant whisper. "Could you help, please?"

A breeze answered me, tickling my ear. Urging me to move and follow the flow.

Tilting my head I glanced at Vivi, then took a small step towards her. Without any hesitation she shifted out of the way, maintaining the same distance between us. It took Heather a moment to follow suit, and Celestine beyond her, but Lewis reacted immediately. I felt something as I moved, the water trailing around my legs, tugging and teasing and pulling and laughing.

The babbling of a stream amused at our antics.

"You got it!" Vivi said excitedly; though there was something slightly off about her look, she was still happy for me.

"I think we are ready to try now, Lew," Joseline said, "if you want to start."

"Of course!"

With the right feeling of what to look for as he worked I caught what he was doing. A messy and disjointed call into the sky asking for rain, for a reprieve from the heat, for life giving water. It was almost immediately apparent where I could streamline parts of it; and then even further, as the breeze whispered in my ear.

He wasn't calling the wind to shape the clouds, to gather the water, to bring about the rain he was asking for. That was all happening in the sky.

"Wind and water, storm entwined," I murmured, splitting off from the main circle to just take Vivi.

This wasn't a dance of many, it was a dance of two. Her magic intertwined with mine and my feet alighted atop the flow of the stream. Our eyes met and, spurred on by something not entirely from within us, we spoke at the same time. "We seek a boon, a blessing, of life-giving water. To soothe the earth and douse the flames. We ask for rain."

As I poured magic into the spell, the stream that was babbling curiously, the breeze that had been my companion for years, the atmosphere started to shift. Far above clouds formed, twisting and churning, until–

A drop of water landed on my nose and broke the focus I felt. Vivi blinked at me with her cheeks flushing, and smiled. I licked my lips as I looked up at her, my heart beating hard in my chest.

Then there was a rolling rumble of thunder, a great flash of light, and the rain intensified. Rapidly.

"Shelter!" Celestine yelled as the wind picked up, a storm brewing and accelerating over our heads. "You overdid it, Gwyneth! Get to shelter!"

Arm in arm with Vivi we sprinted our way back to the tents, the witches preparing for departure shoving belongings under cover as what we had planned to be a small shower rapidly turned into a full-blown downpour, complete with thunder and lightning.

-oOoOo-

We did get more control over our efforts on subsequent attempts, though I got the faintest impression from my elemental friend that they were disappointed in our decision; that they had enjoyed the havoc they had been allowed to wreak in our name. Unfortunately for them, we really did need a more steady and calm rain shower rather than the torrential fury of a storm.

You couldn't solve a drought by causing a flood, as much as that might seem illogical to some.

After the other group leaders, and a few others with either windcalling or waterspeaking talent, had a chance to stand in a pair and feel how it worked we had more than enough people who could call the rain to fit with each group we were sending out. We were all set to leave at last, even if I was a little later than most.

"All set," I said, nodding to Aderic and Celestine as I moved to join the northbound group. Ruffling Trix's hair affectionately I shot him a wry grin. "My apprentice got lost playing with my fox and I had to catch her."

"Apprentices," Aderic chuckled with a shake of his head, "always up to something."

Trix pouted at my side but didn't protest, even as Tricks started to snicker by my feet. She'd led me on an hour-long chase when we were supposed to leave so a little embarrassment was warranted.

Holding up her arm Celestine whistled, and after a moment a raven flew out of the canopy to alight upon it. "I have convinced our feathered kin to offer their aid in our efforts, so you shall have another companion to bring with you, Gwyneth."

I tilted my head at the raven, receiving the same gesture in return, and moved to take it onto my arm. As it hopped to my shoulder I found it was surprisingly heavy, though it was a normal raven it had more heft to it than I expected. "Hello," I said, scratching at its chin, "and thank you. I assume you'll want payment?"

The bird croaked affirmatively.

"As we will be making use of your friend Frazzle's organisational skills they will be carrying messages to your home. I have already sent her a letter telling her to provide sufficient bribes for them, be it food or a comfortable roost." Celestine said, her face neutral. I got the feeling she'd had to negotiate fairly hard to get this. "Don't hesitate to inform us if something of consequence occurs."

"I won't." I said, then looked at the group I was going to be leading. Rachel was joining me as her home was past the capital, and Mathis had chosen to follow me and see that I learned more of her runes, while Trix and Vivi were a given. All in all there were seventeen witches, four apprentices, one Vivi, and a fox. The smallest group out of the four major ones but still sizable. They all had their packs prepared and were looking at me impatiently. "We are ready, speaker."

Aderic slipped the fox mask he always wore over his face and nodded. "Today we set out to enact change, to alter our place in the world. We set out to regain our old rights, our old duties, to see our people fed in famine and healed from ills. Go, all those who carry the gift of Talloren, and let your deeds prove the worth of our Order of Amber."

There was no unified response, but I was amongst many whose hands went to the talisman of Amber around our necks. The small bead taken from the gift Tal'Doren had granted us and made into a makeshift necklace. Mine set into a wooden star wrapped in vines that echoed faintly of both Tal'Doren and Celestine's magic, but most others had ravens or foxes they had made themselves.

"As you say, Fox Speaker." I said, bowing my head before I turned to leave. "Northbound group, time to go! Trix, no getting lost again."

She whined under her breath but followed obediently, and we set off. We had formed our Order of Amber, but now it was time to be the witches who saved the harvest. I couldn't lie and claim I didn't feel a little giddy about finally setting out, and trepidation at the part I had to play in our plan.

-oOoOo-

The trip through the northern reaches of the Blackwald, always the tamest and most frequented part of the forest, was uneventful. I was given a chance to spend some quality time with Vivi each night, though I made sure to take an hour after we stopped for our few days of travel to work with the apprentices on their magic and let any who wanted listen in. Mathis kept shoving runes at me as well, telling me to contemplate them while we walked; there was more to it than just drawing symbols, and there were clear holes in her knowledge, but my advantages were working here same as they did everywhere else.

One day, maybe, we could find a vrykul or an earthen willing to restore the knowledge we lost over the millennia. But such things were a dream for the future that I doubted I'd ever have the time.

We came out of the Blackwald almost exactly where we had planned to and I lead us down towards the small village nestled along its edge, one Bucklehurst. An insignificant place beyond what it meant to our planning; though thanks to the rain showers and storm we called over the Blackwald it and the other bordering villages had likely had more rain than any others in some time. The crops in the few fields around the village weren't doing well, but weren't as dead as they could have been.

And there, just outside of town, was a small patch of tents flying a familiar emblem. A talon grasping a winding stream.

As we approached our motley group gathered a fair bit of attention, with one of the men at arms in the camp springing up and retreating deeper in. It wasn't long before he came back with someone I personally recognised leading a squad of thirty men behind him. I paid no heed to the fact that it was just Vivi and Trix following me as I moved up to him.

"Sergeant Fallan," I greeted him amicably, "it's good to see you. Did the baroness give you much trouble?"

"Good afternoon, Lady Arevin." He nodded his head, though his eyes tracked my fellow witches. "Little, she doesn't believe you will be successful but is willing to try. Even went so far as to offer a reward if her prized orchard got saved."

I grinned. "Well, I hope you got that in writing." I turned back to the others, "This is Sergeant Fallan, one of Lord Crowley's men at arms. He and his men will be our escort."

"Men!" Sergeant Fallan suddenly barked, startling my kin into a near panic as the soldiers stiffened and hefted their halberds and rifles. "Attention! As ordered by our generous lord, these fair men and women are our charges! Look on 'em well, 'cause if we get to eat something other than hardtack come spring it'll be on them! You got that?!"

"Aye, Sergeant!" The soldiers chorused. A fair few of them were grinning, of course the soldiers would consider the famine a disaster to the quality of their rations.

He glared at them for a moment before nodding and turning back to the skittish witches. "Every man and woman in my company was picked for having worked with Lady Arevin. You've nothing to fear from us, sirs and madams." He saluted firmly. "No foe a soldier fears more than his rumbling belly and you're here to vanquish it for our fair nation."

After a moment Trix started giggling, and then Rachel let out a short, albeit nervous, bark of laughter.

"Alright," Mathis grunted with crossed arms, "maybe they're honest. Ain't nothing a soldier boy cares about more than his next meal."

"What about the childhood sweetheart from back home?" One of the men called out, only to immediately get elbowed by the woman to his left.

"She's next to you, you twit." She hissed.

After a moment where the pair bickered quietly, and a few snickers ran through the line, Rachel pulled up enough courage to add something. "Brought mine with me," She said, snatching Adrian and pulling him up against her bust. "Only way to be sure they don't wander off."

Sergeant Fallan guffawed. "Ain't that the truth!" The laughter, which the rest of his men quickly joined in on, helped settle everyone's nerves. It wasn't too long before the witches were willingly talking to the men. "We'll need a few hours to strike camp, if you plan on continuing on today." He said to me quietly. "Time enough for you to work your magic here?"

I looked out on the struggling fields and nodded. "I can handle it while you get them used to each other." I said, taking Vivi's hand and squeezed it gently. "Keep an eye on them for me?"

"Of course." She smiled, the simple gesture still enough to make my heart flutter a little.

The sergeant nodded and turned back to his men. "Wallon, Frieda! Guard the Lady Arevin! Yarrow, get your horse and ride to inform Lord Crowley the witches are out of their woods!" Before he set about directing the rest of his men, he paused: "Good luck, Lady Arevin. May your gods be kind," he whispered.

"And may the Light watch over you, Sergeant." I replied, reluctantly letting go of Vivi and looking at the work ahead of me. "Trix, with me." My every step down the path saw the wilted and dry fields of wheat revitalising, springing back to life and stretching towards the sun. It was enough to start whispers amongst the curious onlookers, but not an efficient way of doing things. No, I could already see a small hillock with a copse of trees at its top perfect for enacting a larger scale working from. Somewhere I could far more of the land I needed to restore.

"If you impress me I'll give you a three-part cut of the reward the baron offered," I said to Trix as we walked towards the hill, "with one part for each of the rest of us. Incentive for you and for them."

"Really?" She looked at me with a glimmer of excitement and I nodded. It wasn't like I needed the coin. "Thank you!" She started skipping alongside me and I had to resist the temptation of ruffling the hair of my cute little apprentice.

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A/N: Going to be trying to keep the pacing a 'little' faster than Amber this arc. I have... not been happy with how it went. Writing quality might've been fine but the pacing wasn't.

While it might be realistic for there to be piles of busy meetings between events, and things to take ages, it's not great reading.

Also: Chapter beta read by Trestira. My erratic capitilisation has been purged with prejudice.