Harvest - 6 (Patreon)

"Home sweet home," I said, stretching my arms high over my head. Staying in a bag as a fox wasn't the most comfortable of things, and had gotten old very quickly as the months swept on by during our travels. Once Lorna had finished her little rendezvous with the prince and we left the Duskmist Plains, we set out to catch all the minor settlements in isolated regions that needed help and that had meant a lot of flying.

I could've left sooner, gone with Frazzle when she teleported in to take Alys far, far away from Duskhaven, but I'd decided against it. As curious as I might be about arcane teleportation and what it actually felt like, she was doing a better job organising us and didn't need me demanding her time to be ferried around Gilneas when I could just wait for Lorna.

With her having also given both Aderic and Celestine a lecture on proper information management, and what warranted an update being sent out, hopefully there wouldn't be any more mishaps like the one that had seen us all rushing to Aderic's aid when he didn't need it anymore.

Though, watching a three-foot-tall pink-haired gnome lecture two adults who were more than twice her size had been quite amusing from my point of view.

"For home and proper bathing facilities!" Lorna exclaimed with a laugh, though she stopped and grimaced as she ran her fingers through her dark hair. "Juliana is going to be appalled. Father will want to have dinner tomorrow, I suspect. You'll be there?"

"I'd like to sleep for a week," I said, dropping my head onto Vivi's leg and reaching up to hold her hand, "preferably with company... but yes, I'll be there. Need to ask about the ball."

Vivi hummed, her fingers twining with mine. "The ball. We're... we're going, aren't we?" She asked, a hint of trepidation in her eyes.

"I have to." I said, then ducked my head to hide my blush. "I'd like you to."

"As if Father would let anyone else serve as Gwyneth's escort," Lorna said teasingly. "You swore to be her protector, so you'll be protecting her."

My cheeks burned and my heart beat faster. Vivi was my knight in enchanted armour after all, not so shining but fiery. Maybe literally one day. "You sure you can't stay?" I asked pleadingly.

Vivi shook her head. "Father wants me home, and Isobel..." She grimaced. "I don't have a choice now you're home."

I reached up and cupped her cheek, having to stretch on the very tips of my toes to reach her atop Donovan. She obligingly leaned down and our lips met; the soft tingle of excitement that ran through me not growing old no matter how many times it came.

Sighing sadly as we parted, I smiled up at her wanly. "I can come with you..." I didn't want her to leave, or I didn't want to leave her, either was right, but…

She shook her head again. "Not, it's... it's best if you don't."

Pouting slightly, I nodded. I could understand even if I didn't like it. "Stay safe, Vivi."

I stepped back and Vivi's answer was drowned out by the beat of Donovan's wings, the gryphon eager to return to the skies and finish his journeying so he could get a well deserved long rest. The three yelled, cried, and waved their goodbyes as they soared off into the distance. Tricks chirped out her own farewell to the three from beside me.

Lorna would be back soon, returning to the Crowley manner, but I wouldn't see Vivi for a while. Just knowing we were going to be apart for the first time in months made me feel lonely.

Pushing that feeling aside I turned towards my home. "Well, you and me Tricks. Feel free to make yourself comfortable." I muttered, watching as the blink fox disappeared into my garden. Stepping back onto my land was refreshing, a homecoming in more ways than one as the hedges and trees I had grown from seedlings greeted me sleepily, and my magic hummed with Life as it coursed through it all. Tricks was a little beacon all her own, a slippery and elusive feeling examining everything she could shove her nose into. There were others too, a chill prickling of Arcane coming from beside the river, and a buzzing hum of the same coming from my workshop.

Rosaline and Frazzle. It was good to see Rosaline was still practising, but I needed a bath and a change of clothes before I met with them; magic or not there was a limit to what self-cleaning enchantments could handle.

By the time I was washed and changed, my hair wrapped in an awkwardly heavy towel on my head, the scent of fried vegetables and spices wafting up from the kitchen. Meat too; Frazzle must've noticed I was back and was cooking up a good meal.

"Welcome home, Gwen!" Frazzle chirped, smiling brightly as she levitated pans and plates and ladled out food onto them. "I hope you don't mind me cooking, I just thought it would be a nice treat after all the travelling you've been doing. How have you been since I last saw you? Are you and Vivianne still getting along well?"

"We've been waiting for you." Rosaline said irritably, staring at the plates longingly.

"If Gwen wants to be clean before she eats she can be clean before she eats." Frazzle said matter-of-factly before rolling her eyes. "Rosaline has been doing quite well with her studies, but I've found she gets grumpy when she's hungry."

I chuckled as I sat down, smiling at the sight of Rosaline eagerly jumping at her plate. She had enough manners to just hover over it intently rather than dig in, waiting for me with a pointed stare. "It's fine," I said, "you can eat. And yes, Vivi and I are getting on... well." My smile brightened, I wished she was here but just thinking about her made me happy. "Did something happen while I was gone? I noticed the pipes in the bathroom were replaced."

"Ah..." Frazzle scratched at her cheek, glancing at Rosaline.

The girl, who had been happily eating, froze in place as her eyes widened.

"There was an incident, where Rosaline decided she could work on her frost magic without supervision. Lacking sufficient control she made a mistake and damaged the pipes; it was thankfully contained to the bathroom!" Frazzle waved her hands placatingly. "So nothing outside got damaged, not even the walls; it's quite well waterproofed in there. And she learned from her mistake. Didn't you, Rosaline?"

"Not allowed to practise in the house anymore." Rosaline answered mulishly.

While a part of me was angry, seeing the similarities to Godfrey's men damaging my home, she hadn't done it intentionally. And if Frazzle said there hadn't been more damage... I snorted and shook my head. "The first time I learned to make my hair grow I nearly gave myself a beard. It was so itchy." I smiled reassuringly at Rosaline; magical mishaps happened. "And, if she asks where you found out, tell her Richard tattled, Trix's first successful time growing a plant from a seed saw her tangled upside down in a rosebush."

I was exaggerating a little, I'd given myself something of a moustache – but it was faint and wispy and went away after a few days. Trix'd been so excited she was succeeding, and not knowing how to direct it, she failed to get out of the way of the growing plant so it lifted her up and toppled her head over heels.

Both instances were funny looking back on them, though I'd been quite panicked for a while when I was ten and thinking I'd messed up permanently. I liked being cute.

"This is just a story for you to tell your apprentices one day." I told her, reaching out and ruffling her hair. "You're learning and that's what matters. In fact, why don't you show me tomorrow morning? It's been a few months and I'd like to see what my cousin can do."

Roseline looked up at me like Emma used to, before she picked up her bratty streak, and nodded eagerly. With how she saw me as stealing her mother and sister's attention for so long, it had been something I despaired I'd never get from her; something heartwarming. Trying to ruffle her hair more I laughed at the way she tried to bat my hand away, and started on my own food.

It was good to be home; I could just see Vivi sitting here and eating alongside me to make it perfect.

-oOoOo-

"A blessing of good health and fertility be upon you," I proclaimed as I draped a wreath around a young woman's neck. "Lifegiver bring you joy and family in the years to come."

"Thank you, Lady Arevin!" She said, lifting her skirts and dipping her head in an approximation of a curtsy before taking her beau's arm and leaning into his side. "We won't bother you further!" The pair marched off, both smiling at each other, to join one of the dances.

I sat back and sighed, frowning as I watched them go. They weren't the first pair to ask for my blessing, nor did I expect them to be the last; I'd had a string of people coming up to me thanking me for saving their crop, asking me to pass on word to the other witches who had done it, asking me to bless their fields again, or just offering me payment for what we'd done.

For once, I accepted the various offers of coin. Squirrelling them away as funds to be put towards the Order of Amber rather than myself; I was setting aside a small portion of my income from Darius as a tithe as well. It would likely be years before our finances were properly sorted but we needed to start somewhere.

Though, from the effort Darius had put in to make sure Crowford and the surrounding villagers knew to thank, the pressure to put witches and the Order of Amber at the heart of the harvest festival this year – a Thanksgiving, almost, which I found funny since I'd never celebrated that myself – perhaps we wouldn't have an issue of funding so much as an issue of how to manage it.

It was somewhat annoying that I'd been singled out and made to sit at the heart of the festival alone, sat beneath the dangling corn dollies to bless them with my presence and ensure the next harvest was a good one. While the thanks and respect were nice, being the centre of attention rather sucked.

If Celestine ever tried to get me to succeed her and take over her duties as the Speaker of Ravens, meaning I'd have to do this for the Order of Amber, I'd refuse. I didn't enjoy it at all.

Trix stomped up to me, her father in tow, and stopped right in front of me with crossed arms and a serious pout on her face. "I want a flower crown. And a garland. And a wrist thing too." She demanded, her gaze deeply unhappy. "I want tulips."

I blinked at her, this was the first time I'd seen her since I came back. I'd sent a letter saying I was home when she didn't show up like usual and now she was here... randomly demanding tulips from me? Trix was perfectly capable of making her own, and certainly would put more effort into them than I was. Which meant... tulips, she wanted me to apologise for something. I sighed, realising she did have a reason to be mad.

"I'm sorry I left you behind, Trix." I said, doing as she asked and taking some of my seeds and fashioning a crown with tulips as the core. Lilies and a small smattering of irises to give it colour and more meaning. "At the time I thought it urgent, though that turned out to be wrong."

"I get that." She said grumpily, glaring at the flowers. "But you left me with the queen." It was an accusation, a note of fear and horror mixed in with the word queen.

My hands froze as they worked. "Did... did something happen?" Had I made a mistake leaving her with Queen Mia? She had been supportive and friendly, considerate and willing to listen when I talked and even entertain our beliefs. She might not share them but she wasn't a zealot trying to force us to change our ways. Or at least that's what I'd thought.

"She made me dress up! She had me play with the princess, had me watch every word I said in case I offended them and they cut off my head or I made things worse for you! I had to learn to eat with seven different spoons! I was scrubbed and scrubbed and stuffed into dresses and paraded around making lights–" She shook angrily, only pausing in her rant because her father put his hand on her shoulder. "You abandoned me. With royalty. I had to make rainbows."

Part of me wanted to laugh, and by the odd twitch on Trix's father's face, he was struggling not to laugh as well. But, Trix was actually distraught over this.

"I'm sorry. I wanted you to be safe... I hadn't considered how nervous you would be around the queen. I suppose this means you won't want to accompany me to the ball on New Year?" Darius had finalised the timing of the event after a discussion with me, there was enough time to make the trip from Tal'Doren to the capital between solstice and New Year. "I had thought you might wish to see the princess again..."

"Nu-uh!" Trix protested, shaking her head wildly. "She's bossy! And– and young. She liked me 'cause I made pretty stars not 'cause we were friends."

Her father chuckled. "Never thought me daughter would meet royalty. Figures she'd want nothin' to do with 'em after. Thank you for looking after me girl, Lady Arevin." He bowed.

"It is a pleasure, always. I did miss her" I said, smiling as I put the crown on Trix's head. The corsage and garland only took a moment longer. "Take care and have fun, Trix."

"Gotta cheer Richard up. He's still moping." Trix mumbled, turning to leave only to pause briefly before running off. "Bye, Gwen."

Seeing a young girl run off covered in flowers I'd grown for them reminded me of Dalaran, of Children's Week where I'd handed them out to everyone. Even with the frustration I felt about the city itself, it was one of my fonder memories.

With Trix gone I ended up with another slew of farmers, couples, and children asking me to do something. Most of them were farmers asking me to bless and hang their corn dollies on the latticework above me, burdening it ever more with their hopes of another bumper harvest. I was glad to have seen Trix, one of the friendly faces here; Vivi had been forced to stay at home by her mother for their harvest festival, Rosaline had gone home to see her parents at last, and Frazzle was cooped up in my workshop since she had no interest in the harvest festival.

Not enough fireworks, tinkering, and intelligent conversation to be had from her point of view. I got the feeling she didn't like the stares and weird attitudes that people aimed her way due to her being a gnome either; even though she was clearly not a child, some people saw her height and treated her like one anyway.

"Having fun giving out gifts, are we?" Lorna asked, walking up as I gave another kid a flower crown. "And without even offering me one. Don't you like me anymore?" She pouted at me dangerously, leaning over just enough her womanly assets were emphasised along with the hurt in her posture.

"You've got your rose still." I said, looking away before I found myself staring. Bloody Lorna and her teasing. "If you don't want it anymore or want to trade in the first one I made, just say so."

She gasped, and even without looking I could tell she would be clasping at her heart. After a moment she laughed and slung an arm around my neck as she took a seat on the arm of my chair. "The kid was one of the refugees, they're doing a lot better."

"I'll start growing more shelters for them–"

Lorna pulled my head against her, smothering my attempt to talk in her chest. "No. Father has the refugees well in hand, houses are being built and new villages settled. Your shelters filled the gap when we needed them but neither of us want you pushing so hard again." She let me go, my face a bright red. "You are allowed to take a break sometimes, Gwen."

"Not with what's coming." I mumbled, not quite able to look at her. I was happy with Vivi, I was, but damnit Lorna was gorgeous and didn't care about pressing my buttons.

I should ask Vivi if she minded. She hadn't seemed to when Lorna did it on our trip, but if it bothered her I'd ask Lorna to stop. She would if I asked.

"Helping the refugees more won't fix that." She said softly. "I'm spending more time with Dame Hilda now and Father has commissioned me new armour, even going so far as to pay Frazzle to help enchant it. Teach your students, work on your magic, prepare for the ball and winning over the nobles, relax and make yourself a new dress. But don't burn yourself out trying to help people who are already being helped."

Sighing I leaned back into my chair. "I'll check up on them. If I don't think they need me, I'll... I'll work on something else." I did want to help them, it wasn't just obligation and a sense of guilt... but maybe Lorna was right. I should practise magic to fight the undead, something large-scale to help defend the wall, to prepare for the future. And... and do something for myself.

A new dress for the ball... it would be an excuse to spend time with Mama, and I could even make one for Vivi too. My cheeks warmed as I imagined what Vivi would look like in a more modern style, something that would accentuate her lithe figure. Yeah, that sounded good.

We stuck together and chatted until it was time for the feast, Lorna's presence as Lord Crowley's daughter scaring off a great number of those who might've come up to bother me. All in all it was a good festival, a happy celebration if something of a tiring one. I did get more than a few odd glances when I refused to drink the punch and stuck to my personal flask, but Lorna’s frown told me she understood why.

I hadn't told her but Vivi clearly had.

-oOoOo-

The steady clacking, clanging, creaking, and whirring of machinery filled my workshop as threads were spun, cloth was woven, and the prototype sewing machine Frazzle had finished got put through its paces. Noisy as it was, it wasn't deafening like it could've been thanks to Frazzle's magic. There had been teething problems here and there, the sewing machine in particular was still a little temperamental and I was still a little leery of accidentally sewing my fingers into the fabric, but it was working.

Pushing a sheet of fabric through, I watched as the needle blurred up and made a neat line stitch that would normally have taken me hours in minutes. Even now, while I was still getting used to it, it was as much as four or five times faster.

Of course, what immediately came to mind when I thought about the fact I could make clothes in a practical time frame as a hobby was dressing Vivi up... and dressing up for her. As it was, I had largely finalised the design of my own dress; a relatively simple off-the-shoulder piece that showed more cleavage than I was normally comfortable with, but I wanted to show off for Vivi. I wanted her to be looking and staring at me like I knew I was going to be at her; assuming she let me put her in the dress I had designed for her I wasn’t going to be able to take my eyes off of her.

I'd briefly contemplated a suit, something dashing, but I liked Vivi's girly side and she wasn't averse to dresses. Also, she was cute when she was blushing.

Still, I wasn't going to force her to wear it if she didn't want to. Which was why I felt her and Lorna step over the boundary of my home; their designs were mostly done but I needed final approval.

"Finished with the pleats, Mama." I said, taking the skirt of my dress out of the sewing machine and laying it on the table beside Mama. "I felt Lorna and Vivi are here; are you okay to keep going while I greet them?"

Mama smiled up at me warmly, not pausing in her embroidery. "Of course. But, are you sure you don't want it to be longer? You..." She hesitated, worried that she would say the wrong thing and upset me. "You're going to grab attention."

My cheeks warmed. "That's part of the point. But I already wear skirts that short, it's fine, they're comfortable and I like them that way." And so does Vivi.

"Perhaps a scarf, as it's a winter ball?" She suggested, clearly hoping I might preserve some modesty.

"Fine." I whined petulantly, putting every bit of teenagerhood I could muster into it. I couldn't keep it up for long and started giggling; Mama rolled her eyes in response. "That wouldn't be bad, and it gives me something to add more warming enchantments to."

Something practical I might wear again. I might've stopped growing but I didn't see many uses for a dress suited for a royal ball in the near future. It was why I wasn't going crazy and pouring magic into them, they were dresses not something I needed to cast magic or fight in. Nor something practical I would be wearing while travelling. Though it was still tempting to slip in some expanded pockets with how pitiful the pockets I could fit into my skirts were; not quite modern girl pockets but still bad.

Maybe I could get around to making bags for Lorna and Vivi like they had asked for months ago. There hadn't been much of a chance to celebrate Vivi's birthday while we were flying across the country and it'd be nice to make up for it with a Winter Veil present.

"Be back in a moment. Love you, Mama."

"And I love you too, my not-so-little blessing."

I laughed as I turned the machines off before leaving the workshop; it was good to spend time with Mama again. The moment I had asked for help, sent a raven off with a hefty bribe to bring her a letter, she had set off and made her way to me. It had been a scramble to put together an automatic loom to turn my thread into cloth so we would have something to work with because she showed up so quickly.

Two scarves. I needed one to give to Mama as a gift too, things we made together that we both got to keep rather than me gifting something she helped make for me back to her like a stupid child.

"Gwen!" Vivi ran up to me and took my hands the moment I opened the front door, her eyes shining as she leaned in to give me a kiss. The sweet taste of her lips after a month apart set my toes curling, and I stretched up to push back and keep contact for longer.

Lorna coughed, bringing us out of it before we could devolve into something less chaste than a touch of the lips. "I believe we were here for designs and fittings," She said, putting a hand on her cocked hip and raising an eyebrow at me sceptically, "or was that just an excuse to see us both in our underclothes?"

"Um," My cheeks burned, "I've seen you–!" I coughed, looking up at the ceiling for a moment as I took control over myself again. "I mean, I've given you fittings before Lorna. I just need to be sure they're still good. And Vivi's grown a little since then."

Nope. Couldn't look at her right now; already having trouble avoiding inappropriate thoughts.

"So, you made a dress for me?" Vivi asked sweetly. "I'm sure it's great."

"I've not made it yet, I want you to say it's okay first." I tugged her along into the workshop, keeping one hand intertwined with hers as I spread out the design sheets for them. "I think you'll be gorgeous in it, absolutely stunning, but it's, um, a little different. Sleeker."

It wasn't like I was making her show off her cleavage like I was, but it was still a slinky black halter dress. A few variations on them with different cuts and lengths, some with the side slit that would let her move freely and others with a slightly more typical flared skirt.

Lorna's were, in comparison, more traditional – like mine, though I had quite a few options that lent themselves to covering up her bust rather than emphasising it. She didn't really need the help like Vivi or I did, but I rather expected she would pick something more provocative. It was Lorna after all.

"Um." Vivi stared down at the rough sketches, my art skills not the best, then started glancing between them and me. "Are you... are you sure?"

"Y–yeah." I wrapped my arms around her from behind, emphasising her slim and lithe form. "Graceful, elegant, not... not voluptuous but you don't need to be. Your good traits." I planted my head into her neck, my heart loud in my ears. "If I could, I'd show off your stomach. How fit and strong you are. That you're a knight that rescues damsels, not a damsel in need of rescuing."

The choked whine that escaped Vivi's throat made me wish we didn't have things that actually needed doing today. Stupid responsibilities and clothes and needing to make dresses.

"M-maybe... maybe not... n-not at a royal ball?" She stuttered embarrassedly, squirming in my arms. "But you can... you can dress me up. If you want. Like my hair." She touched her loose hair, missing the crown braid I'd done for her for months.

"Of course." I had so many ideas. Some of them Vivi absolutely wouldn't like.

Mama snorted loudly. "Well, at least I don't have to worry about you getting pregnant like I did." She said with clear amusement, which only grew as I turned to look at her with wide eyes. "And a better choice in partners, too. Better decisions about love in general really."

"I wouldn't know about that..." Lorna said, grinning and tapping her chin. "How long did it take you two to figure it out? There was a lot of pining going on, and Gwen was completely oblivious."

"That was your fault!" I protested. "You– rrgh." I grumbled, going back to hugging Vivi. "I figured it out eventually."

"When I asked if I could kiss you." Vivi said, betraying me by joining in on the teasing. "I don't think that counts as 'figuring it out', Gwen."

I whined into her neck. Three against one was completely unfair!

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Chapter beta'd by Trestira