**COMPLETED**
"You have a weird look on your face," I said and his frown deepened.
"I do not," he closed his spell book and ran a hand through his shaggy hair.
"Hmm," I hummed under my breath as I smoothed the crease between his brow. He grabbed my...
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Ibhans POV
I had spent the rest of the evening laying across my armchair while my mother sat across from me with her book. I was drained, tired, and still stunned. I had never let myself truly feel the way I had tonight. Not when my brother disappeared. Not when my father all but shut me out. Not until I realised that the one bright spot I had had in the last few years, my Light, the one person who had made me feel anything other than empty, was gone.
I stayed that way for a while, head hanging back, thinking. It had been a cathartic experience, all the crying, but I wasn't eager to experience it again, so I tried to keep my mind preoccupied. I imagined my spell book in my minds eye, and turned through its pages. I recited the spells in my head, repeated the knowledge and tips, over and over until the words swam across the pages.
"Well, I guess I should be going now," my mother said, uncurling from her position and standing up.
"Does he even know that you came to see me?" I asked and she crouched by my head and ran her fingers through the messy curls of my hair.
"Maybe it will be different when you've completed your apprenticeship," she said quietly. I sighed, looking at her face from my upside down angle. She was starting to age, very gently, around the corners of her eyes. A soft smile appeared on her face as she dipped her head lower and kissed the tip of my nose. "I wouldn't mind if you stayed just as you are," she murmured before standing and picking up her bag.
I sat up and watched her fasten her robe and leave. My mother was the only steady thing I ever had in my life. Sometimes, I thought she deserved better than my father, but with time I realised that his love for her was undying. It was only his love for me that was wavering. I groaned and stood up, my body feeling lethargic as I walked back into the kitchen. I heated up the left over soup and downed it all, before heading up to my room. I crawled under the blanket, belly full and heart empty, and let my mind wander away.
***************
"Ibhan, come on," Isamu whined, pulling on my hand. I snatched my hand back and carefully picked up the flower I had found.
"Just a second," I yelled as he began stomping away.
"When are you gonna stop picking flowers during our free time?" he asked.
"When I've studied them all," I said smugly and he grinned.
"Fine, but last one to the park has to eat that flower when its rotten," he said as he began sprinting down the path.
"Cheater!" I yelled as I pocketed the flower and followed. My brother was stockier than I was, and I used my leaner frame to my advantage, closing the distance between us quickly.
"Come on, baby brother, keep up!" he panted as the park came into view.
"No," I gasped, "you keep up," I pushed ahead, lungs burning and muscles screaming, as I headed for the park. A he disappeared from view I felt victory build in my chest but then a heavy weight pulled me back. "Get off you oaf!" I yelled as Isamu grabbed the back of my robe.
In our pulling match, I tripped, sending us both sprawling into the dirt. We rolled over and over until we came to a stop, Isamu laying across me.
"You're crushing me!" I said, pushing at his bulky frame.
"Lay off, I'm pretty sure one of your bones punctured my organs," he said as he rolled off.
"That's not how it works, stupid," I said and he swatted me in the stomach.
"If I say that's how it works, then that's how it works," he huffed.
"I'm so gonna finish my apprenticeship before you," I said with a grin, "you may be a year older but you're at least 3 years stupider!" I said, scrambling to my feet to get out of range.
"Who you calling stupider?" he laughed as he quickly followed after me.
I bolted awake, panting like I really had just been running. I rubbed my head, feeling groggy as I slipped out of bed. Dreams of my childhood were not uncommon, but always unwelcome. After a quick breakfast I grabbed my bag and headed out into my garden. My garden was a generous size, 7 meters across and about 12 metres in length, and I had cultivated it into a little jungle in the last 2 years. At the far end of my garden was a green house, housing my more delicate plants. I headed there now, looking over the rest of the greenery.
Satisfied that they were all growing evenly, I slipped into the greenhouse and took in a deep breath. The heady scent of the plants wafted around me, welcoming but also a warning. The more inviting the smell, the more potent the magic. I had another desk in the greenhouse, cluttered with pens and drawings from the last time I had sat here studying. The dried husk of a ruby peppered mushroom lay on the desk, its rubies still glinting in the light of the greenhouse. I picked out the rubies and discarded the mushroom, adding the rubies to a little collection I had.
I set my satchel down on the table and carefully opened it, the contents of it spilling out across the table. Some of it was old news, just stock for my inventory, other plants were new, waiting to be cultivated. Amidst the leaves and trimmings was the silverlace blossom. I sighed as I carefully lifted out of the mess, watching it reflect little prisms of light across my desk.
"Dammit wolf, you really did out do yourself," I murmured as I pulled out a clear jar, gently setting the remainder of the flower inside. I took it over to a fridge where I kept some other winter based plants; snowberries, white apple slices, the usual, and placed it on an empty shelf.
A loud chirp pulled me out of my trance and I looked up to see Feathers poking his head through his hatch in the greenhouse. "Awake are we?" I asked and he fluttered down to my desk, pecking at the flowers. I sighed and sat down, stroking my fingers gently over his head as I picked out some of the berries I had collected and held them out for him. He happily ate them all, without a moments hesitation.
"Well then," I said, plucking him up from the desk and placing him on a nearby perch, "lets get to work."
Several hours passed by, Feathers fluttering in and out of the greenhouse as I worked. I sorted through my samples, replenishing my known stock. Then I took some time to go through the unknowns, using some textbooks as reference. I made my own notes and drawings, then placed each one in a separate jar. Over the next few days, I would take the cuttings and replant them, hoping to grow my own plants, if that didn't work then that mean it would need regular restocking. And regular restocking meant more trips back to Raynor. To Kyda.
I closed my spellbook, rubbing my face to reset my mind. I left the greenhouse, locking the door behind me, and slipped back into my house. It was quiet, and I was painfully reminded of the constant noise of Kydas' home. I winced and switched on the stove, making a quick lunch. This was all I had now. Feathers, my house, my garden. Even my apprenticeship would be over soon, even though I had already been learning individually for some time now.
But once that was all over I could turn back to my original plan. Train hard. Complete my apprenticeship. Find Isamu.
This chapter is a little shorter but I basically just needed a transition scene for Ibhan from his breakdown to him throwing himself into work
