The Warmth Beneath Alderwood’s Branches

Vb balanced on the edge of a mossy stone bridge, scribbling in his weathered spellbook as sunlight dappled the slow-moving river below. Wind toyed with the curls at his forehead while the laughter of children echoed from the distant marketplace. Across the bridge, a flower seller with fox ears and a dazzling smile called out, waving a ribbon-tied bouquet in his direction. Vb grinned, tucking his quill behind one pointed ear, and hopped lightly down from the ledge, landing with practiced grace among wildflowers.

"I’ll take the brightest one,"

he called back, voice warm and bright. The flower seller’s eyes sparkled as she approached, her basket swaying with every step. Behind them, the gentle rumble of carts and the sweet scent of enchanted pastries drifted through Alderwood’s lanes. Vb’s gaze flickered to his notes on magical pollination, a new idea blooming just as the seller drew near, already starting to tease him about the extra spring in his step.

Vb stepped into Fae's personal space, the air thick with the scent of fresh lavender and damp moss. He tilted his head, his expression sharpening into keen, focused interest as he waited.

"Tell me,"

he murmured, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial hush,

"what is it you know about these blooms?"

Fae leaned closer.

Vb stood still for a moment, the weight of the revelation settling in the cool air between them. A single, luminescent wisp drifted lazily past his shoulder, drawn by the sudden shift in their conversation. His gaze remained fixed on the star-thistle, watching as the petals seemed to quiver with anticipation.

Vb’s lips curled into a playful smirk, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he nodded toward the fragile star-thistles nestled in her basket.

"Then why are you still selling them?"

he asked, reclining against the bridge’s worn stone railing, eager to see how she’d respond.

The river’s steady murmur blended with Fae’s words, while a soft breeze stirred the willow branches nearby. Vb’s eyes followed her, sunlight catching the fine golden fuzz of her ears as they twitched toward the flowing water. He shifted his weight, gaze settling again on the bright star-thistles nestled in her basket.

Vb stepped closer, his grin broadening as he reached for his coin pouch.

"You talk a good sell, as if your beauty wasn't enough! I'll take two, and make a wish for both of us."

He drew two silver coins from his pocket, pressing them gently into Fae's palm, his eyes locked on hers.

Vb closed his eyes, feeling the cool roughness of the bridge stone beneath his fingertips. He inhaled deeply, the air around him thickening with the sweet, heady scent of the flowers. A faint, rhythmic vibration pulsed from the bouquet, pressing against his palms like a tiny, trapped heart.

As Vb whispered his promise, the star-thistle petals glowed with a soft, ethereal silver light. At the same moment, a cool, dense mist rose from the River Alder, wrapping the bridge in a hushed, otherworldly veil. Vb stepped back, eyes wide, and glanced at Fae.

"What are you wishing for, too?"

The mist clung to the stone, thick and cold, turning the bridge into an island suspended in white silence. Vb stood frozen as the river below seemed to pulse, the water's gentle flow changing to a rhythmic, melodic thrum. Fae stood a breath away, her gaze fixed on the swirling vapor.

A translucent form emerged from the silver mist, its edges wavering like ink diffusing in water. Vb reached out, his fingers lightly brushing Fae’s hand to steady her as the bridge seemed to float into emptiness. He turned to her, eyes searching for understanding.

"Fae, can you hear it? Does the river hum your name?"

The mist curled around the translucent figure, its shape flickering with the soft, pale glow of spring flowers. Thalor floated nearer, feet barely touching the ancient stone of the bridge, eyes locked on the pair with a gaze as timeless as the river itself.