Taking advantage of the cooler morning temperatures, I meander down the gritty streets toward the apothecary shop in the early morning glow. The milder temperature means I’m not soaked with sweat like I will be in a few hours, and I am grateful for the respite — it has become increasingly clear to me that getting used to the strong sun and humid heat will take longer than the week I have been here.
I’d hastily dressed and readied myself, leaving Lennox at the boarding house to attend to his own affairs, and slipped out the front door before Lyra came poking around. I will see them both this evening for Marie’s event, but I need to be alone with my thoughts for a bit.
Hopefully, I can catch Siobhan alone before customers start trickling through her doors as I am eager to discuss the ceremony from last night. I was surprised this morning to find that my sigil was still slightly darker than it was before the ceremony — a remnant of the glow — and curiosity has me wondering if Siobhan has experienced the same effect. For eight years, it has only seemed to fade into my skin — the crescent-shaped mark dimming significantly once I fled the temple and ceased worshiping with others, even though I continued to do so quietly alone.
Disappointment greets me when I reach the shop and find a note tacked to the cheerful green door:
Will open around noon — I am harvesting in the garden. If you require urgent attention, please visit me there. – Siobhan
The garden. I have no idea where to begin to find a garden, but if she has instructed customers to find her there, I assume it must be well known and not terribly far. A woman walks past me on her way to the market, so I stop her to inquire after Siobhan.
“Oh yes, Mistress! Miss Siobhan grows a lovely garden just outside of town. If you follow the road straight, you can’t miss it. It’s just to the right once you pass the last buildings,” the woman instructs me, pointing her finger in the correct direction.
“Thank you for your guidance,” I say, looking in the direction she’s pointed.
“Of course, Mistress.” She dips into a small curtsey and continues in the opposite direction from me. The courtesy takes me aback briefly, and I blink at her retreating form a few times before continuing on my way.
The instructions are easy to follow, and I would have stumbled upon the garden on my own if I had continued my exploration down the road. A neat wooden fence wraps around the perimeter, more to denote the edges than to keep things out since it isn’t solid. The gaps in the fencing allow me to see all of the plants within, regardless of their varying heights.
Vegetables, as well as medicinal plants and herbs, flourish in the tilled soil. Nearby trees are covered in whimsical pink puffballs that sway in the gentle morning breeze. A vining plant with delicate purple flowers covers one side of the fence, wrapping me in the sweetest scent when I bend to inspect their unique blooms. My eyes rove over the greenery and pops of color as I look for Siobhan, landing on a tall, handsome sentry who stands distracted near the far fence line. Erik.
“My, what an interesting scarecrow,” I tease as I approach the fence. Erik’s head jerks up from where it was directed and two rows of plants rustle before Siobhan’s copper head pops up above them, bearing fruit in hand. Her smile is genuine and warm as her gaze settles on me.
“Hello, Sister!” Siobhan calls, handing the fruit to Erik to wipe her hands on the apron she wears over her linen skirt.
“Good morning! I hope I’m not interrupting,” I respond before I step through the little gate into the lush and tidy space.
“Of course not. I am pleased to see you! Welcome to my garden,” she says as she holds her hands out gesturing around at the space.
“It’s lovely. I have never had much luck growing my own herbs, but it seems the climate here agrees with it.” My eyes continue to soak up the different plants and flowers as I approach the couple through the rows.
While I’d always relished my time in the hothouse with my aunt, nurturing gardens had not been a part of my training at the temple. My herbal knowledge was focused on their uses in healing, not bringing them forth. By the time I made it to the House of Starlight, where skills in the cultivation of healing plants would have greatly benefitted me and the other women living there, it was too late to learn. The soil outside of Artemisia was too rocky to sustain tender plants, and the city was so crowded with cobblestones and sooty buildings that there was no place to attempt their growth.
“It’s wonderful to be able to nurture the medicine from the start, but I am lucky to get what I can’t grow from the Captain when he stops on Delosia. Erik usually takes a list for me, and if they come across it on ships or at ports, they get it for me.” Siobhan beams at the large man, who still holds the fruit she handed him. His stern face is soft in her presence and he returns the expression.
“Will the two of you be attending the Hallow’s Eve party at Marie’s this evening?” I venture to ask. It would be nice to have someone to talk to so I can avoid Marie’s clutches.
“No.” Siobhan’s happy expression only falters for a moment, but in that moment, I feel her sadness at being separated from him. “Unfortunately, Erik must ready the ship for their departure. He’s going to have dinner with me first, then complete his duties in the late hours.”
Erik casts his eyes to his feet, sparing a glance at Siobhan, his disappointment palpable. The reminder of the men’s impending departure sits heavy on my heart and I wonder if my own countenance reflects the same feelings. I've been avoiding the reality that my time with Lennox is nearing an end and don’t want to look too closely at my emotions while I am with Erik and Siobhan. Fearing my sadness may be etched on my face, I bite the inside of my cheek to distract myself, tucking the feeling into the same space I have been storing them for years. A space that might not be able to hold many more hurts.
“I see. Well, at least you will have a final meal together in private. Is there anything I can assist you with here or at the shop?” I change the subject, moving to the topic that brought me to visit in the first place.
“Yes! That would be wonderful.” Siobhan grins, pulling an extra pair of leather gloves from her apron and passing them to me. “Erik needs to meet with the shipwright in town and check in with the crew soon, so he was about to leave. An extra set of hands is always appreciated. I can show you some of the native species and explain their uses while you are here since they will be unfamiliar to you.”
As I pull the soft gloves on, she takes the fruit from Erik and places them in a basket before pulling him down for a kiss, his long dark braid mingling with her red curls. He cups her face gently as they break apart, and turns to walk back into the town with a quiet wave to me.
“A man of few words, that one,” I mutter to Siobhan.
“He has lots of words, he just uses them wisely.” She wistfully smiles at his back, then takes my gloved hands in her own. “Last night was amazing, I haven’t felt Goddess energy like that since before the King came to my temple. Thank you for inviting me to join you.”
“I feel the same way. I can’t help but wonder what would happen if we were able to gather more lost sisters, or find new ones, like Lyra. What power would we hold then?”
“At the rate Lennox brings them, it might not take long to find more,” Siobhan responds, releasing me and turning to pick up a pair of shears.
“What do you mean?” I ask. I know Lennox has saved some girls from the Houses and taught them sailing or dropped them off at safe ports, but we haven’t discussed his operation in detail.
“Has he not told you? I thought you would know everything after seeing the two of you together.” Siobhan hesitates as if she doesn’t know whether this is her story to tell, her smooth brow pulling together in a slight furrow, but continues, “As you heard yesterday, Captain Lennox’s mother was a priestess. She left the temple when she fell in love with his father so she could marry him.