Verdantia: Chapter Four

Chapter Four: A Place of Magic

She stared openly as the woman let her silver hair loose from its ties. In the privacy of her own bed chambers the silver haired woman undressed with ease; she was used to having an audience of one in her rooms. Realizing she would be distracted, the visitor looked around while the other woman undressed; after all, there was an important matter to be discussed first and foremost. Her garnet eyes wandered, landing on walls richly decorated with tapestries-weavings of graceful women long gone. This was a splendor which she would never get used to.

"So it worked?" Hope shone in the voice floating from behind the long silver curtain of hair as the woman bent to undo a garter belt.

Suddenly hot in the cloak, she found it difficult to speak with the view in front of her. Clearing her throat, she answered, "Yes. Everything is going as it should. There will be movement in the near future."

The silver-haired woman stood upright, completely naked and breathtakingly beautiful. She clapped her hands together, obviously quite pleased. Blue eyes glowed. "Wonderful!" She crossed the room towards her visitor, almost seeming to glide in the process. "Now, what about this kind of movement?" the silver haired woman asked as she brushed her body provocatively against the garnet eyed visitor in the dark cloak.

Her eyes widened as she gasped, arousal speeding through her the moment she felt the silver haired woman's body press against her own. "I-I...Let's keep to the topic at hand please." She strove for strength in her voice to prove she was not affected by the naked woman's actions.

"I thought that was what we were doing?" the silver haired woman whispered as she placed a kiss alongside the other woman's neck just below her earlobe. She slipped a hand into the cloak of her companion, the palm resting exactly atop a plump, full peak that traitorously stood to attention.

"H-hold on, there are still other matters to discuss!" She willed herself to produce the customary stern look from her garnet eyes and knew she was losing when she heard the other woman giggle.

"I am holding!" The naked woman chuckled mischievously; the hand cupping the visitor's breast began to move in a slow circular pattern.

A breathy moan escaped her lips as lids drifted closed over garnet orbs. The fingers beneath her cloak deftly plucked and teased, and a blankness expanded in her mind. She fought for air, her breath hitching when she felt the strength leave her knees. She willingly gave in when she felt the other woman's lips on her own. Everything else could wait; they did not have a choice in the matter anyway.

-x-x-x-

"I hardly believe I was summoned here for some reason or another. I'm sure there is another explanation as to why I ended up here," Makoto argued. It was a day later and she insisted on getting out of bed and moving around before she went stir-crazy. Ami had agreed and right now Makoto sat at the table keeping the Healer company while she strung freshly collected herbs into bunches before hanging them from the rafters.

"I believe my mother. After all, her words led me to you," Ami stated simply, her fingers nimbly tying the string around the gathered stems. She made it look incredibly easy.

Makoto opened her mouth and then closed it without saying anything. She could not deny the truth of Ami's statement. Damn it.

"So you think destiny or fate is the reason I am here?" Makoto asked as she took a bunch of herbs of her own and some string. The words were said in a half-jest. She did not believe in such things. She was a firm believer in controlling her own fate with her own power. There was no such nonsense like some higher power controlling her path. Her left hand ached dully when she tried to knot the string, drawing her mind back to her task. She frowned in annoyance at the offending limb.

"Yes," Ami replied, moving onto another bunch.

Again Makoto could only stare at the woman who offered such a definite answer, pain forgotten momentarily.

"Why me? I'm just a regular woman from New York. I don't understand this at all." Makoto looked at Ami, hoping the Healer would have some kind of explanation but the woman remained silent. Was it possible she had ended up in the hands of a loony bin candidate and gotten caught up in the woman's delusions? She struck the thought from her mind the moment it occurred. It was a very unkind thing to do to Ami and she immediately felt guilty for it. What if it's me? What if I'm the one with the delusions? No, it can't be. Everything has been too real, even that surreal moment when we faced the Muur-Kami.

There is no way I am imagining things.

"So why are the Travelers necessary?" she asked.

"I have not a clue. Mother did not say. Only that it is your destiny to be here at this time. Just like it was my destiny to find you," Ami stated, her expression apologetic.

Makoto noticed Ami observing her slowly moving left hand and aimed for more normal movement.

That word again. Destiny.

"So, who would know?" Makoto asked curiously. Ami tapped her right forefinger against her lips in a thoughtful manner. Makoto found the gesture adorably appealing.

"The day after we got back I searched through all of Mother's journals and I could not find any notes on the subject. I think we need to go into town," Ami finally spoke. "There is bound to be someone who knows what is happening."

"Well then let's get going!" Makoto practically leapt up from the table.

"Not so easy! First of all you are not yet fully recovered." Ami held up her hand anticipating the brunette's forthcoming interruption. "And second, it is a three day trip."

"That isn't a problem for me," Makoto piped up. "Unless there is another Muur-Kami between here and town?" she asked sarcastically.

Ami politely ignored the sarcasm. "As the one taking care of you, I say when you are well enough to make such a trip and in this state you would only relapse. There is still poison in your body." She nodded towards Makoto's left hand to indicate her point.

Makoto made a disgusted face but she knew in the end Ami was right.

"We will wait a few more days. We can try to build up your strength slowly in the meantime."

"Tch. Slowly," the brunette grumbled as she stared out the nearest cottage window. She gave up trying to help Ami with the rest of the herbs. The forest appeared in the distance and Makoto's lips tightened into a thin line as she viewed the greenery. But it wasn't just the trees, everywhere she turned she saw an abundance of flourishing green. From what she had seen so far, it really was a land worthy of being called verdant.

"Are you always this terrible a patient?" Ami asked calmly, her eyes firmly fixed on her task.

Makoto glared at her. Is she poking fun at me?

Unperturbed, Ami continued to string together herbs.

-x-x-x-

The next few days found the two settling into an easy routine. Makoto helped out with small tasks, carrying water from the well and bringing in firewood when it was necessary. She even tried to insist on chopping the firewood but Ami refused to hear it. She also helped out with meals, finding satisfaction in cooking for the woman who had done so much for her already. During the evenings they went for short walks together, Makoto sharing stories from her life in New York, and Ami often pointing out helpful herbs along their path. It did not take Makoto long to realize she liked hearing Ami talk.

The third day after she regained consciousness Makoto asked a question of utmost importance in the middle of breakfast. "Don't you have any indoor plumbing?"

The smaller woman looked at her blankly and Makoto sighed in defeat. She was tired of washing up from a small basin Ami left near the bedside every day before leaving the cottage to ensure privacy. "I appreciate the fact that I can even wash up at all but it would be nice to have a soak in a tub. Or a shower. Especially a shower."

"The only shower I know of refers to rainfall," Ami mused. Then she smiled, so charmingly childlike it unconsciously brought a smile to the brunette's own lips. "I do know something that is just as wonderful!"

"What is it?" Makoto asked, her curiosity piqued.

"You will see when we get there. It's a short walk. We'll go right after breakfast," Ami answered before lifting another spoonful of the sweet, creamy oatmeal-like substance to her mouth. Makoto was about to do the same when she glanced up at Ami and noticed the shorter woman's lips wrap around the spoon. They look really soft...Makoto's mouth suddenly felt dry.

"Is-is there something wrong?" The Healer's cheeks were pink, her eyes unable to meet the brunette's.

"Eh...no. Just zoning out. Sorry," Makoto mumbled, completing the action of bringing her spoon to her mouth. She barely tasted the contents.

-x-x-x-

They set out on a trail east soon after taking care of the dishes. Makoto knew it was east because they faced the direction of the rising morning sun. Then a thought occurred-perhaps it wasn't the same as in her own world.

"Ami, that direction-" she began, her finger pointing towards the sun.

"-do you mean east?" Ami responded.

"Ah yeah. I was just wondering if it's called the same like in my own world. Are there west, north and south too?"

"Yes," Ami nodded with a smile. A slight breeze brushed her blue bangs across her forehead.

She really is cute, Makoto thought. Sometimes she appears so frail but I know that's not the case. She's out here in the middle of nowhere and somehow she's been fending for herself all this time. A question escaped before she really had time to think on it. "Don't you get lonely out here by yourself?" Immediately Makoto knew she struck a nerve and wished she would have bitten her tongue.

Ami looked down at the ground as they walked along, sunlight highlighting the planes of her face. "I was not, when Mother was around. Now and then I get visitors, so it is not all that bad," the Healer answered in a failed attempt to sound cheerful.

Silence sprang up and Makoto inspected their surroundings as they walked along. There was green everywhere. Flowers dotted the predominantly flat landscape with bright bits of color nearby and far off into the distance. Occasionally she would get a waft of flowery scents she could not identify along with the underlying odor of earth and lush green grass. The only sound heard was the wind rustling the leaves of the lone trees they passed. It might have been five minutes since Ami last spoke and it bothered Makoto.

"I'm sorry, that was-" Makoto began only to be interrupted.

"It's fine," Ami tone was brusque. She pointed forward with a finger, "Do you see that knoll ahead?"

"Yeah..." Makoto estimated they were more or less fifty or sixty yards away from the small hill decorated with a tiny number of trees.

"That is our destination. Or rather, just beyond it," the shorter woman said.

They covered half the distance before Makoto heard the sound of rushing water. A river? No, it sounds really loud even from here. She could only wonder what caused the sound. Her footsteps became a little faster and Ami doubled her pace to keep up with the brunette. The sound urged them on.

They crested the mound and Makoto's jaw dropped. A glade lay on the other side of the knoll. A small waterfall landed in a pool of water that glimmered and shone in the morning sun. "Oh my god!" She turned to gape at Ami and noticed the woman wore an expression of pride. "Ami! This is incredible!" She grabbed Ami by the forearm, unable to contain her excitement. Green eyes danced as her mouth formed a crooked joyful grin.

"Well? What are we waiting for?" Ami asked with a smile and Makoto laughed in delight. She tugged Ami by the arm, down the path to the edge of the pool. Every so often the wind would gust, and mist from the waterfall would drift over them. Makoto felt like a kid in a candy store. Being in the glade left her giddy with happiness; she couldn't quite understand why. She glanced over at Ami and could tell the Healer looked the way she felt inside. Any leftover awkwardness from the walk had simply disappeared between them and in its place appeared elation.

"It is a place of magic," Ami explained, as if reading Makoto's thoughts. "All throughout the land, there are many spots like this. Some contain dark magic, some light. As you can tell, this is a good place."

Makoto nodded, half listening to Ami's explanation. Stepping out of her boots, her fingers worked to undo the buttons of her shirt. The water called to her and she could not resist it for much longer. Whipping the shirt off, she quickly unfastened her jeans and drew them down her legs. Wading in up to her waist she turned halfway to find Ami frozen on the spot, cheeks ablaze in crimson as she stared at the brunette.