After she had a good rest, Demi did read some books.
And then she got right back to her ordinary work.
When Aelfric wasn’t working himself, he spent most of his time silently observing her, regardless of what she was up to. She had become accustomed to it quickly.
Sometimes he did force her to take breaks, and he brought her more than one Apple Spritzer and more than one cooling strip. She appreciated his thoughtfulness, even though she was often as cranky as a toddler when she was told that she needed to go take a nap. Eating or drinking something sweet usually immediately improved her mood, and so he habitually brought her a peace offering whenever he made her go to bed.
He also had produced a massive jar of alchemic candy that was now sitting in the center of the largest worktable in the atelier. Whenever she was fatigued, he gave her a piece of candy and she felt moderately better. She had immediately put some into her pockets for emergencies, and when she realized how much they helped her, she began giving them to him whenever his brows drew together or he looked especially strained, tired, incredulous, or cross.
Demi was immediately predisposed to anyone who gave her sweets.
When she had thought this to herself, she had realized that it was probably also an embarrassing thing to admit.
That makes it sound like I’ll just follow any random stranger who gives me candy, she lamented. I’m not that naive! I’m not!
✦ ✦ ✦
They had been working together in the atelier a little over two weeks when Demi felt that she had finally made a substantial breakthrough.
After many iterations and a lot of challenging work, she had at last succeeded at completing an advanced healing potion that had a high-quality rating and also significant effects and traits. Even the symbolic units that made up the final product were aligned with the effects and the traits.
Demi had done her best to transfer the most powerful effects she could to the potion, down a long string of transmutations. There were effects in the current potion that she had never been able to transfer down correctly, and other effects that were unique, at least in her experience. It was certainly the highest-quality healing potion that she had ever made, and even Aelfric had quietly proclaimed it a success after silently studying it for several minutes.
Demi dutifully recorded the potion in Evergreen Memory and they both went to see Tata.
The quiet dryad was again resting in the lean-to, as Demi expected her to be. Demi softly tapped at the mat covering the entrance so as not to startle her.
After a moment, the slightly disheveled dryad appeared.
Her dress had enormously long sleeves that fell all the way to her knees, making her look even more small and thin than she might have otherwise. It was layered in many different types of fabrics and trims and so long that it barely escaped dragging the ground, being only a quarter of an inch clear.
Well, at least she’s probably not cold wearing all of that, Demi had reflected the second time she had seen Tata. All of the dryads were mori girls in some way or another, with their layered forest clothing, but Tata was truly the most mori of the mori girls. She was a mori superlative.
Truly mori-nificent.
And I have to admire that conviction and dedication, Demi thought as she looked at her again. And her strong sense of personal style.
Tata had eyed Aelfric slightly warily when she emerged from the lean-to and was careful not to call Demi “goddess” in his hearing, as the dryads generally did. She did relax slightly when Demi introduced him.
“This is Alt,” she explained. “He’s a doctor.”
This made Aelfric look over at her sharply, his brows drawn, but he said nothing.
Demi did not notice this at all, as she was preoccupied with her own thoughts.
She gave Tata a tight smile, slightly unsure of how to begin. Tata had not come to her for help. She had not even told Demi that she had an illness. This information had come directly from Tina.
Well, there was really no use hesitating about it. If she could help, even a little, then she ought to try.
“Tina told me that you were sick,” Demi explained.
Tata looked down at the ground when her illness was mentioned.
She must be uncomfortable, realized Demi. But still, I have to at least offer.
Reaffirmed, Demi continued. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to help,” she admitted. “But I want to try.”
Tata silently thought about it for a moment, her eyes on the ground. Finally, she nodded.
Aelfric had been watching Tata closely, his eyes slightly narrowed.
When she consented to treatment, he said, “Would you mind showing me your arms and legs?”
She shrank back slightly, and at first Demi thought it was from shyness, but when Tata slowly nodded, she discovered that it was for a different reason entirely.
She slowly lifted the hem of her long skirt and exposed her legs below the knee.
They were covered by strange yellowish growths, each the size of the head of a pin. Her legs were marked and discolored, the skin uneven and cracked in places. It looked painful.
Aelfric silently dropped to his knees to study the growths.
After a moment, he looked up and said, “It’s a pathogenic fungus.” He paused, then quietly added, “It’s necrotrophic.”
“Meaning?” Demi asked hesitantly, biting her lip. She felt that she already knew what it meant. She simply didn’t want to believe it.
“It will kill her,” he answered quietly.
Tata covered her face with her overly long sleeves and quivered.