Growing Heart

Ch 3 - A Budding Answer

"And...where do you think you're going?"

Sid chuckled from behind her ginger plants. She was squatting next to the pot with a basket of freshly cut herbs at her feet. Boo slept right at the center of the basket and the herbs encircled him like a garland.

Sid's hand clutched the stem of the ginger plant but she had paused to uproot it when she saw Aisa run right past her with her now empty bag swinging at her side. The child froze mid-step with a foot still dangling in the air. Sweat beaded from her forehead while she slowly turned to face her interrogator.

"Nowhere...?" Aisa squeaked.

Sid let go of her plant and picked up her basket. The medicine could wait another time for her to prepare. "Had a nice nap?"

Aisa's foot lowered to meet its twin. "Yep. Thank you for letting me use Boo."

Sid nodded and went back into her tent. Just as Aisa was about to sprint off again, the healer called out over her shoulder. "Have fun in Upper Yard!"

It didn't take long for the child to turn around and scurry right back to Sid. Aisa jumped up and tried to cover Sid's mouth with her hands. "Shhhh! Don't say it so loudly! Wyper might hear and get mad!"

Sid was too tall for the child's reach so she knelt down, just to indulge Aisa. She set her Boo and her basket down in the shade of her tent. "Okay...then what's it going to take to buy my silence?" she mumbled against Aisa's still soft and battle-free hands.

"I'll...I'll bring you more Vearth for your plants," Aisa hissed.

"Hahaha-pffffft," Sid's laugh was cut short when Aisa pinched her lips together with her fingers. It only seemed to amuse the healer more and her lips sputtered from the force of her laugh. Her outburst woke up her pet and he blinked up at her from the basket.

"Boo?"

"EWW!" Aisa shrieked. Her hands drew back and she wiped off Sid's saliva on her dress.

Boo floated up next to Sid's head and his paws jutted out from underneath. He flopped himself over her shoulder and rubbed his body against the side of Sid's neck.

"How about this?" Sid said with a grin as she rubbed Boo behind the horns, "Let me come with you."

Aisa's eye widened. "What?"

Sid pinched Aisa's cheeks and pulled it away from each other. "What? I'm not good enough to tag along? Don't get cocky just because you can use Mantra."

"Let go!" Aisa reached up to grab Sid's hands but she was no match when it came to strength.

Sid chuckled and released the reddening cheeks. Then she sat in a cross legged position in front of the child and her face turned solemn. "I know you've snuck in and out of Upper Yard many times but it still doesn't make it any less dangerous."

"I know that," Aisa said. Her hands reached up to clutch the straps of her bag and she looked down at her feet, "But..."

"I get it," Sid sighed and planted a firm hand on top of Aisa's head, "As a proud Shandia warrior, it's frustrating for you to stand by and watch the rest of us do our part in helping the tribe, right? You want to help out too, don't you?"

Aisa nodded. "I just...I just want to bring some of our homeland back to us..."

"That is honorable," Sid said and she lifted her hand, "And as a proud Shandia warrior, myself, I can't stand by and let a fellow warrior run into enemy territory alone."

"You're really not going to stop me?" Aisa asked with a wondrous whisper, "You really want to come with me?"

Sid grinned and gave a hard jab to Aisa's forehead. "You lead the way. I'll follow and you just signal to me if someone is approaching...and if they are...well, you'll leave the rest to me."