Triss smiled at the novice lying in the bed of the Aretuza infirmary.
“So, what’s going on today?" Triss asked kindly.
“I have a headache.” The novice said timidly.
“How long has your head hurt?”
“Um…two days?”
“Ok, where is the pain?” Triss asked moving a candle in front of the young woman’s eyes, watching her pupils.
The novice pointed to her forehead. “Here.”
“Ok.” Triss said. “I’m going to give you some herbs that should help.”
The novice nodded.
“I’ll be right back.”
Triss walked to the supply cabinet at the end of the infirmary.
“Faking a headache to get out of lessons?”
Triss looked up to see Margarita Laux-Antille smirking from the doorway.
“Seems so.” Triss sighed. “Poor things get homesick.”
“Yes, and you indulge them." Rita said.
“It’s just chamomile, Rita.”
“Mmhmm.” Rita rolled her eyes. She gave Triss flack for babying the novices, but she loved the younger mage’s soft heart.
Triss was about to respond when she heard a commotion in the hallway and the familiar voice of Sabrina Glevissig.
“Got another one for you, Rita!”
Sabrina strolled in with a novice who was bleeding from a forehead laceration.”
"Oh. Triss…Hi.” Sabrina said, flummoxed. She was expecting only Rita in the infirmary today.
Triss blushed. “Sabrina. Hi.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a previously empty glass vase burst forth with a sprig of blooms. sh*t.
“Are you just going to leave that novice there bleeding, or…?” Rita smirked. She’d watched these two idiots stumble over each other for years.
“Oh, right! This one tried to pick up a rock a little too enthusiastically.”
Triss nodded and placed her thumbs on either side of the wound. She chanted a spell in elder and the wound quickly healed.
“There.” Triss smiled warmly. “Try to control that chaos a bit more next time.”
Triss realized the irony of this statement as she glanced at the vase again.
“Alright. Back to class with you. Thanks, Triss.” Sabrina gave Triss a lopsided grin, and the vase erupted with more blooms.
“Of course…Anytime.” Triss blushed and busied herself with restocking supplies.
Sabrina strolled out of the infirmary with her charge, and Triss went to give the chamomile to the novice with the headache who was still lying in the bed.
Once that task was completed, Triss set about the usual stocking and cleaning of the infirmary at the end of the day.
“Triss! I’m about to head to dinner. You coming?” Rita called.
“Yep! Finishing up!”
Rita was walking out, but the out-of-place pop of color caught her eye. She narrowed her eyes. “Have those flowers been here the whole time?”
Triss felt her cheeks burning. “Erm…yes. Picked them this morning.”
“Where? It’s the dead of winter.”
“Oh…one of the greenhouses.” Triss lied.
“Pretty.” Rita shrugged. “Don’t stay too late.”
That evening, Triss had dinner with Yen, Sabrina, Tissaia, and Rita. They decided to have dinner away from the novices. This new group was a challenge, at best, with all the magical ability of shoe leather. Needless to say, some time away with a bottle or two of Toussaint red was necessary.
“These novices are going to get themselves killed at the lightening challenge, Tissaia.” Rita said with an exasperated look on her face. “Not even Triss can patch that up.”
Triss smiled, but Rita was right. The novices were a mess.
“They will not be doing the lightening challenge. Best we can hope for with this group is wood witches and illusionists.” Tissaia said with a sigh.
“I’m sorry, darling.” Yen stood and massaged Tissaia’s shoulders, which were tight with tension. She knew how hard it had been for Tissaia to open up Aretuza to families who would pay to send their daughters to learn magic.
“I’ve never used so many potions in a term before.” Triss said. “I’m brewing them as fast I can use them.”
Sabrina cleared her throat. “Could…Would…Erm. Would you like any help?
“Oh! Erm, yeah. I mean, if you have time…”
“Yeah. Plenty…”
Rita elbowed Tissaia so hard it knocked the wind out of her. In the dim light of Rita’s chambers, it was almost impossible to see the tiny orange flowers sprouting in Triss’s hair.
The next morning, Yen and Triss were walking along the hillside before classes began. It was a chilly winter morning and the dead grass crunched beneath their feet.
“So…” Yen began. “What’s up with you and Sabrina?”
Triss stopped dead in her tracks, cheeks blazing red. “Nothing! Why? What have you heard?”
Yen cackled. “Your face tells me everything I need to know.”
“Gods…” Triss sighed.
“I am pretty sure the feeling is mutual.” Yen said with a grin.
“What makes you think that?” Triss asked.
“Have you not noticed how she follows you around like a lost puppy?” Yen asked incredulously. “She pops into the classroom at least 5 times a day looking for you.”
Triss blushed again and smiled. “Really?”
“Really.”
Triss tried to contain her excitement, truly she did, but when she looked away from Yen, she noticed the hillside, previously barren was exploding with wildflowers.
Yen laughed, but Triss looked embarrassed.
“Hey. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Happens to the best of us.” She quirked an eyebrow at Triss. “Sometimes sparks fly from Tissaia’s fingertips when we are…together. I’ve been known to set a small fire or two, myself.”
Triss smiled and shook her head. “That is significantly more information than I wanted to know.”
Yen laughed and then sneezed.
“You two need to get it together, I don’t think my allergies can take it.”
Later that afternoon, Sabrina came into the greenhouse, allegedly for herbs, but looking for Triss.
“Oh, hey.” Sabrina said, attempting nonchalance. “Just need some beggartick and hellebore.”
“Ah, over here.” Triss said with a smile. She led Sabrina down a row of tables containing herb pots. This time of year, the greenhouses were full of leafy green herbs and vines, and Sabrina marveled at how quickly Triss identified what she needed.
“Here’s the beggartick. The hellebore is here, but it is not in bloom right now. Do you need the petals?”
“Erm, yes. But I’m sure Tissaia can order some dried petals. The beggartick will have to do for now.” Sabrina reached for the pruning shears at the same time Triss did, and they momentarily grabbed hands. Triss watched, mortified, as the hellebore erupted into bloom.
Sabrina smiled in wonder. “That’s…convenient. How did you do that?”
“I…don’t know. It…just happens sometimes.”
“Randomly?” Sabrina asked in fascination. “You should write this up. I’m sure Tissaia would be happy to assist with a publication. It’s really interesting.”
“I can’t control it.” Triss said quietly.
“Hmm. Any clue what triggers it? If you could figure that out, think of all the uses. I’m sure they’d love the extra feaininewedd at Kaer Mohren.” Sabrina’s mind was turning with possibilities.
Triss turned away from Sabrina. “Is there anything else you need from the greenhouse?”
“I dunno. What can you make bloom?” Sabrina teased with a grin.
Triss didn’t return the smile.
“Hey.” Sabrina approached Triss. “What is it?”
Triss shook her head. She could feel her chaos tingling ready to make the greenhouse come alive. She took a step back, but Sabrina stepped closer.
“It’s ok. There’s nothing wrong with a little uncontrolled chaos. It’s better than when Yen was starting fires everywhere when she was yearning for Tissaia.” Sabrina put her hands on Triss’s shoulders and squeezed.
Triss closed her eyes and felt her grip on her chaos slip. When she opened her eyes the greenhouse was teeming with color. Plants that didn’t even bloom had flowered in colors she could only imagine. Sabrina’s blonde hair was peppered with light green-gray flowers that matched her eyes.
“Oh.” Sabrina said. “Oh.”
Triss gave a slight shrug. She opened her mouth to respond, but her words were cut off by Sabrina’s lips meeting hers. Triss initially stiffened, but then softened into the kiss. She placed her hands on Sabrina’s waist and pulled her closer.
Eventually, they separated to take a breath. Sabrina looked around the greenhouse in amazement. She looked back at Triss who was smiling, even if slightly bewildered.
Triss picked one of the flowers from Sabrina’s hair and tucked it behind her own ear.
“You are amazing.” Sabrina sighed as she pressed her forehead to Triss’s.
“Wanna get out of here?” Triss asked with a glint of mischief in her eyes.
“How?” Sabrina asked with a laugh. “We are trapped by flowers and vines.”
“I guess that means no one can disturb us?”
Triss pulled Sabrina in for another kiss, deeper this time. Sabrina ran her fingers through Triss’s flower-filled hair.
“Guess not.”
