The Westgate Orchard
Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2024 12:34 am
There is in fact, nothing wrong with crab apples. They work fine for pies or sauces. You can feed them to livestock. But there hadn't been livestock in these stables for awhile now. And no one was using these for pies. Or food of any sort. Ria looked around the orchard with a sadness. Long forgotten baskets. She picked one up, seeing the base of it had rotted out. The trees hadn't been pruned or cared for in some time. She reached up and picked an apple from the tree. Back home, her parents would have just grafted the desired flavors into the tree. But, this wasn't back home.
------
She sat now with Celeste, looking at the tree in front of them, a basket of the crab apples gathered near the trunk tucked into the roots. She bit one, demonstrating the bitter taste.
"Blegh... I remember some of the boys getting me to eat those when I was little..." Celeste commented, "I used to think I actually liked them."
"So what sort of apple do you like?"
"Big, crisp red ones, sweet as honey."
"Alright..." Ria said, pausing and focusing her magic, then conjuring forth an apple based on Celeste's description, presenting it to her with a hopeful look. Celeste stared at the apple for a moment as she reached for it.
"Ria, you are the most talented, amazing person I believe I have ever met."
"Well, taste it to make sure before you say too much"
"You think even if this was a mealy, worm riddled apple I would change my mind?" the noble said taking a bite, before closing her eyes and continuing to crunch down, "Oooo, perfect... this is perfect. A perfect apple."
As she spoke and the women stared to the tree in front of them, a third had approached, unseen and unheard at the time until he stretched an arm forth, taking an apple from the tree. Ria, suddenly seeing him, spoke up, "Vel, no! Those are crab apples."
"Oh, Pppppft!," declared the older woodsman, "Maybe Mandarb will like it."
He took it over to his loyal stallion, beside the fence line, who promptly took the apple and then spit it out.
"Mandarb didn't like it," VelCrow chuckled, taking an apple now from Ria, as she conjured a second for him. They sat there for a moment, catching up on the work at Westgate as VelCrow and Celeste feasted on the magical fruits provided. Ria looked the man over, as he started to head back in to work.
"Vel, do come sit with us. I want you to help me with something too right now."
"Ah?"
"VelCrow's not a druid, but like you and I, he's got an innate affinity to the natural world," she spoke as Celeste made room for the man and he came over, joining them, giving a squirrel his apple core, "He aided me when I needed a carving from the tree of Gaia to cure a poison from Azamul"
At this point, she began to calm her aura, looking to Celeste, instructing her to take lead. Celeste hesitate, but did so, her aura coming to life, the wind rustling in the tree as the a breeze surrounded the three of them. Ria turned now to VelCrow, asking him for his knowledge of the tree.
"Me thinks there is life left in it, but I feel it needs something..." he paused, looking over the tree, placing a hand on the bark, "Hmmm... Yes it has been left too unattended for some time now."
"I think you're right. It would survive on its own, but this tree was like once tended by a farmer. Someone cared for this orchard. The crab apples make me think maybe feed for the stables."
"Me thinks it just needs some love," the ranger chuckled.
"Well love would work in time. My mother and father could certainly graft on some better apples But, I'd like to spped it a along. Celeste, focus your aura on the tree. It is living, you can begin to heal it. As you do, imagine the taste of the apples you enjoy, the flavors. VelCrow, imagine how this tree would look if healthy and tell us about it?"
As Celeste's aura tightened around the tree, she felt the world around her, trying to understand the tree, the puzzle Ria had tasked her with. VelCrow began to speak.
"When I was a boy, my pa had a beautiful tasty apple tree. It had a strong solid trunk, with full sturdy branches, leaves a green as a field on a spring day. The apples grew larger and redder then anything I ever seen! And ohhh. The sweetness and juiciness of those apples!" Vel recalled, his eyes closed as his lips smacked dreaming of the apples.
Suddenly, Celeste tensed, something clicking, finding the moment, the place she needed as the breeze whipped into a wind. The tree seemed to be listening as life and energy surged around it, within it. The ground pushed back to accommodate the wider trunk, buckling as thick roots pushed further into the ground and the crab apples that still clung to the branches fell like stones around them. Ria and VelCrow reacted, shifting and moving with the ground, Celeste herself toppling over with a yelp as a root surged through the ground beneath her.
"Oh! Me thinks that these are going to start growing much nicely!" VelCrow exclaimed, looking over the changed tree
Ria was pleased, looking at the other druid, her skill showing up quicker Ria's ever had, but Celeste was afraid. She was worried about her skill, "It wont hurt the tree will it? This kind of change and rapid growth? I didn't mean to this... I just wanted to encourage it... just a bit."
Ria spoke with her a little, reassuring her she had encouraged it, and succeeded. It was like a patient going to a physician who encourages them to care for themselves better. For some, that encouragement from a professional was that was needed. But it didn't mean it would work for for everyone. With that, Ria charged Celeste with the care of the orchard, healing the trees and their neglect, and changing the apples to something more flavorful for those who used them, "If one of them isn't responding, or you need help, I'm here. I was going to ask you to do it with me, but seeing what you've done here, you're skilled enough to not need me."
"Ria," Celeste said, "you are vastly overestimating my skill... but I will do my best? I will let you know when I need help though!"
Ria started to speak, but noticed VelCrow shaking his head, nodding towards him instead
"You will do very well, lass! Dontcha worries. No needs to doubt cha self!" encouraged the ranger, as Celeste, perhaps hearing the encouragement of the professionals, thank them and looked out, flustered but smiling, towards the orchard.
(With thanks to Anlei and VelCrow who roleplayed this scene with me and allowed me to write up this version of it)
------
She sat now with Celeste, looking at the tree in front of them, a basket of the crab apples gathered near the trunk tucked into the roots. She bit one, demonstrating the bitter taste.
"Blegh... I remember some of the boys getting me to eat those when I was little..." Celeste commented, "I used to think I actually liked them."
"So what sort of apple do you like?"
"Big, crisp red ones, sweet as honey."
"Alright..." Ria said, pausing and focusing her magic, then conjuring forth an apple based on Celeste's description, presenting it to her with a hopeful look. Celeste stared at the apple for a moment as she reached for it.
"Ria, you are the most talented, amazing person I believe I have ever met."
"Well, taste it to make sure before you say too much"
"You think even if this was a mealy, worm riddled apple I would change my mind?" the noble said taking a bite, before closing her eyes and continuing to crunch down, "Oooo, perfect... this is perfect. A perfect apple."
As she spoke and the women stared to the tree in front of them, a third had approached, unseen and unheard at the time until he stretched an arm forth, taking an apple from the tree. Ria, suddenly seeing him, spoke up, "Vel, no! Those are crab apples."
"Oh, Pppppft!," declared the older woodsman, "Maybe Mandarb will like it."
He took it over to his loyal stallion, beside the fence line, who promptly took the apple and then spit it out.
"Mandarb didn't like it," VelCrow chuckled, taking an apple now from Ria, as she conjured a second for him. They sat there for a moment, catching up on the work at Westgate as VelCrow and Celeste feasted on the magical fruits provided. Ria looked the man over, as he started to head back in to work.
"Vel, do come sit with us. I want you to help me with something too right now."
"Ah?"
"VelCrow's not a druid, but like you and I, he's got an innate affinity to the natural world," she spoke as Celeste made room for the man and he came over, joining them, giving a squirrel his apple core, "He aided me when I needed a carving from the tree of Gaia to cure a poison from Azamul"
At this point, she began to calm her aura, looking to Celeste, instructing her to take lead. Celeste hesitate, but did so, her aura coming to life, the wind rustling in the tree as the a breeze surrounded the three of them. Ria turned now to VelCrow, asking him for his knowledge of the tree.
"Me thinks there is life left in it, but I feel it needs something..." he paused, looking over the tree, placing a hand on the bark, "Hmmm... Yes it has been left too unattended for some time now."
"I think you're right. It would survive on its own, but this tree was like once tended by a farmer. Someone cared for this orchard. The crab apples make me think maybe feed for the stables."
"Me thinks it just needs some love," the ranger chuckled.
"Well love would work in time. My mother and father could certainly graft on some better apples But, I'd like to spped it a along. Celeste, focus your aura on the tree. It is living, you can begin to heal it. As you do, imagine the taste of the apples you enjoy, the flavors. VelCrow, imagine how this tree would look if healthy and tell us about it?"
As Celeste's aura tightened around the tree, she felt the world around her, trying to understand the tree, the puzzle Ria had tasked her with. VelCrow began to speak.
"When I was a boy, my pa had a beautiful tasty apple tree. It had a strong solid trunk, with full sturdy branches, leaves a green as a field on a spring day. The apples grew larger and redder then anything I ever seen! And ohhh. The sweetness and juiciness of those apples!" Vel recalled, his eyes closed as his lips smacked dreaming of the apples.
Suddenly, Celeste tensed, something clicking, finding the moment, the place she needed as the breeze whipped into a wind. The tree seemed to be listening as life and energy surged around it, within it. The ground pushed back to accommodate the wider trunk, buckling as thick roots pushed further into the ground and the crab apples that still clung to the branches fell like stones around them. Ria and VelCrow reacted, shifting and moving with the ground, Celeste herself toppling over with a yelp as a root surged through the ground beneath her.
"Oh! Me thinks that these are going to start growing much nicely!" VelCrow exclaimed, looking over the changed tree
Ria was pleased, looking at the other druid, her skill showing up quicker Ria's ever had, but Celeste was afraid. She was worried about her skill, "It wont hurt the tree will it? This kind of change and rapid growth? I didn't mean to this... I just wanted to encourage it... just a bit."
Ria spoke with her a little, reassuring her she had encouraged it, and succeeded. It was like a patient going to a physician who encourages them to care for themselves better. For some, that encouragement from a professional was that was needed. But it didn't mean it would work for for everyone. With that, Ria charged Celeste with the care of the orchard, healing the trees and their neglect, and changing the apples to something more flavorful for those who used them, "If one of them isn't responding, or you need help, I'm here. I was going to ask you to do it with me, but seeing what you've done here, you're skilled enough to not need me."
"Ria," Celeste said, "you are vastly overestimating my skill... but I will do my best? I will let you know when I need help though!"
Ria started to speak, but noticed VelCrow shaking his head, nodding towards him instead
"You will do very well, lass! Dontcha worries. No needs to doubt cha self!" encouraged the ranger, as Celeste, perhaps hearing the encouragement of the professionals, thank them and looked out, flustered but smiling, towards the orchard.
(With thanks to Anlei and VelCrow who roleplayed this scene with me and allowed me to write up this version of it)