In spite of the urge to do so, I didn’t immediately run off to find Alys. I had wrapped up my work relatively early in the afternoon. I knew my dragoness wouldn’t be finished for several hours yet.

  I could push my luck, of course. But Alys had thrown herself into building up ‘my’ half of what would become our shared home with just as much enthusiasm as I’d employed to distract myself from my doubts and fears. If I bothered her before she was ready to stop for the day, I’d have a grumpy dragon on my hands.

  Besides, I wanted to deliver the immune system boosting powder in person. Hagmar and Nelaeryn hardly meant as much to me as they did to Alys, but I had given them my word. I was eager to present the first results of my hard work to the couple. Though the immune system boost wouldn’t absolutely guarantee a safe pregnancy for the elf, it was a massive step forward.

  I packed up my tent quickly, thanking the Seasons that my recent work didn’t produce any severely worrisome fumes. Then I headed straight for the town.

  My first destination wasn’t the home of the expecting mother, however.

  Since I was going into town anyway, I decided I would drop off Grafton’s daily dose of supplements. (With a few hidden taste bombs included, of course.) I could let Kiri know later that I wouldn’t require her familiars’ help today. Besides, I didn’t think the visit would take much time.

  Yet I made an important mistake.

  I forgot that one should always account for mischievous foxes when making plans. They will always find a way to insert themselves into one’s life, regardless of one’s needs or preferences.

  The moment I walked through the door of the Hall, box of supplements in hand, Ritsu was suddenly standing in front of me with a large smile on his face.

  “Oh,” he said, his smile dropping as his ears and tails both wilted. “It’s you.”

  My eyes narrowed at the furry miscreant. I was already not feeling kindly disposed towards him after all the inner turmoil his Summer-inspired meal had caused. The disappointment he was radiating at the sight of me did not improve my mood.

  To his credit, he made an effort to recover.

  “I mean, I apologize, dear customer!” he said hastily, pasting another smile onto his face. “You are simply not who I expected to see.”

  Only my years of Court training enabled me to keep the bite out of my tone. “Oh really? And who were you hoping for?”

  “Ah, well… Kiri has been delivering those… things… for the last few days. I caught their scent as you approached, so I assumed…” His smile faltered as his tails writhed nervously behind him.

  Now that was an interesting piece of information.

  I handed off the supplements to one of Kiri’s familiars every day, so her involvement wasn’t unexpected. The fact that she was delivering them personally, however… I was truly surprised.

  Fighting to keep my expression neutral, I tried to adjust my expectations of the future. If Kiri was starting to reciprocate the fox’s feelings, then it was unlikely that I would be rid of him any time soon. Yet I refused to deal with another instance of the fox capsizing my entire emotional balance and digging up traumas I’d done my best to bludgeon into submission.

  My head tilted to the side as I stared at him, pondering an important question.

  At this stage of their courtship, will Kiri feel upset if the fox turns up mildly poisoned one day?

  A brief look of worry bordering on fear crossed Ritsu’s face. He took a small step backwards.

  Of course, I thought. Kitsune. They are supposedly sensitive to all sorts of things.

  I blinked to draw myself out of my contemplation.

  “Sorry. Lost myself in thought for a second there. What were we talking about?” I smiled placidly, then snapped my fingers. “Right. Kiri delivering the supplements. Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll pick that up again tomorrow.”

  “That sounds wonderful, dear customer!” Ritsu assured me, though I noticed his smile was nowhere near as cheerful as usual.

  Not wanting to spend any more time with the fox at the moment, I gave him a curt nod.

  “Well, I’d best drop this off with the elders. I have another delivery to make afterwards.”

  Without another word, I turned and proceeded further into the Hall. I waved at Arandel as I crossed the floor. Then my eyes finally landed on the elders’ table, and I paused mid-step.

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  Hyel was there, nursing a tea and looking supremely comfortable. So was Yora, who seemed to be reading a book of some kind. Ferlis was fussing over the fourth person sitting at the table, making extra sure to wipe away some crumbs that had fallen all over his chest as he indulged in a bowl of nuts and berries.

  It was this last elder who was the issue.

  The Grafton I knew was a lanky, skeletal man whose clothes hung loosely on his bony frame. Always hunched over, always snacking on something, and always looking like his hair and beard had decided to riot as viciously as his temper.

  This wasn’t that Grafton.

  The man sitting in the human elder’s seat actually filled out his clothes annoyingly well. The muscles pressing against the fabric outlined an obviously powerful body. His face had filled out as much as his frame, now bearing what I could reluctantly admit was an aristocratic mien.

  His hair and beard were tamed, too. His hair was tied back in a tidy, low ponytail. His beard had been meticulously trimmed close to the skin, enhancing a strong jawline and no longer looking like it might be concealing a rat and a couple of birds.

  Grafton no longer looked like a dying old man. He was now a hale, hearty, middle-aged man in the prime of life. Handsome, even. I didn’t know how to feel about it.

  Two women, or girls, rather, were sitting a few tables away. One of them kept giggling while stealing glances at the human elder. My family finding me might have been preferable to seeing that.

  I looked briefly down at the box of supplements, wondering if I should chuck it out the nearest window.

  “Oi, brat!” Grafton’s voice rang out, sounding frustratingly strong and stately. “When did you show up? Does that box have more of those horrid things you made?”

  My left eye twitched as I forced myself to keep moving. “Yes. I must say you look… better than I expected you to.”

  He sent me a smug smirk and held out his hand for the box. Resisting the urge to brain him with it, I set it down on the table.

  At least his most defining trait had not changed. This new Grafton was just as supremely unpleasant as the old one.

  “Yes!” Ferlis jumped in. Her voice still gave the impression that death itself had developed a way to communicate, but at least she sounded like a happy death. “You undersold the effectiveness of your supplements! I cannot thank you enough, truly. He hasn’t looked this healthy since before we got married. Seeing him waste away, for me…”

  She trailed off, and I bit back a sigh at the realization that I would be stuck making the supplements for some time to come. I thought quickly about what I could say and actually mean it.

  “Well, I am happy to help you.” I smiled at the wendigo, getting what I thought was a beaming smile in response. It was still difficult to read what was little more than a skull.

  In the meantime, Grafton had already torn the box open and stuffed one of the balls into his mouth. To my utter delight, the elder froze and gave a full-body shiver. His mouth fell open in a soundless scream, the noise catching in his throat and coming out as a series of pitiful choking sounds.

  “Oh dear. It must be one of those supplements that encourage digestion.” Ferlis rushed to push a glass of water towards her husband as I concentrated on keeping my expression smooth, devoid of any gloating. “Is there no way to mark them out somehow? It might be better if he can brace himself for them.”

  “I am afraid not,” I said with false regret as Grafton glowered at me, his face now a cherry red. “It might actually be even harder if he has to brace himself.”

  In fact, I was wasting about ten minutes every batch on making those supplements look identical to the rest. I had no regrets about losing that time.

  “Nothing to be done about it then, I suppose.” Ferlis sighed and shook her head. The motion made me a bit concerned, as it carried her large horns rather close to Yora’s face. Grafton’s as well, but I wouldn’t mind seeing him gored a little. I could heal him up immediately afterwards, anyway.

  Once I was sure that such services would not be required, I gave the wendigo a slight bow. “I am happy to see how effective my products have been, but I should get going. I have one more stop on my list today. Though…”

  Reaching into my bag, I quickly extracted four of the powder packs. I had carefully measured out several doses in the correct amount and placed them in small packets I’d made from lightly processed bark. I could have just handed over a jar, but then people would have to dole out doses themselves, and I wasn’t quite confident that all the townsfolk would do so properly.

  And overdosing would be rather… undesirable.

  “I finally completed these, so I need to get them to Hagmar and Nelaeryn. I think she will be happy to have assurances for her health throughout her pregnancy.” I placed the small packs on the table and pushed one towards each elder. “Try them out. I’ll send some tomorrow with Kiri for you and the town in general, but I wanted to secure Nelaeryn’s supply first.”

  “Thank you.” Hyel spoke up for the first time, his eyes shining at the sight of the packets. “This will make the town much safer. Your abilities continue to impress me, Thorn.”

  I just nodded, not wanting to say anything. I couldn’t stop mulling over his comment as I waved goodbye and headed out.

  Was I doing too much? The things I had managed to achieve were certainly impressive, even if it was a stroke of luck that had allowed me to complete the healing potion recipe so quickly. Was it all a bit too impressive for a random common fae alchemist who wanted to make a living out on the frontier?

  I didn’t regret everything I had accomplished, obviously. This was the sort of thing I had set out to do when I resolved to make better use of my alchemy.

  Still, I was thankful we had no frequent visitors who could carry rumors of my achievements beyond our town’s confines. It wasn’t a guarantee that such rumors would catch the eyes of people I didn’t want looking my way, but it was a risk. A risk I would have to consider and find ways to mitigate in the coming years, especially if trade started picking up.

  I took a deep breath in, then let it out.

  I’d been allowing myself to fall into darker thoughts as of late. Doubts, fears, even memories I wanted to forget and leave behind. I couldn’t let any of that dominate this new life of mine.

  I realized then, as I was approaching Hagmar’s and Nelaeryn’s houses, that a simple decision to stop avoiding people wasn’t enough. I needed to move past such things. I wanted to learn how to live, and live to the fullest.

  Right by Alys’ side.

  A smile quirked my lips as I thought of my dragoness. I couldn’t wait to see her. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from bothering her as soon as I finished my business in town.

  Whether it was ‘too early’ or not.