Chapter 57 Nectar

Chapter 57: Nectar

"So the news about us repairing the magic portal has spread this far already?" Sirius said. "I don't remember telling that many animals."

"But animals have animal friends, and those friends have friends too," the parrot Zha Zha said. "Eventually, the message came from a friend of a friend of a friend."

"That's great news. I believe the Rainbow Fish will appear this way too," Xavier said.

"So where is the Frost Flower?" Sirius asked.

"Good question. Do you have a map? You should take it out. It's a bit hard to explain clearly with just words," Zha Zha said.

"Of course, just a moment." Sirius went back inside to fetch the map.

He returned shortly, not only with the map but also with some collected vegetable seeds.

"You kept your promise, good. We can continue doing business," Zha Zha nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, now unfold the map. I'll tell you where to find the animal who knows about the Frost Flower."

He pointed with his wing to a place called the Sweetberry Grove in the northern part of the Misty Forest.

A young lady named Ransha lived there. She knew where the Frost Flower was and how to collect its nectar.

"Okay, I understand. We'll set off tomorrow to visit Miss Ransha," Sirius said. "Obtaining the Frost Flower's nectar sounds like a pretty challenging task."

"That's right, indeed," Zha Zha nodded in agreement. "Ransha specifically instructed that I must bring you to her, otherwise you won't be able to get the nectar."

Now that they had found another material for the magic portal, they needed to get going.

Early the next morning, Sirius and Xavier set out for the Sweetberry Grove.

This place was a good distance from the Hollow Tree, which was almost at the center of the Misty Forest. Walking non-stop, they finally arrived in front of the small house in the Sweetberry Grove just before sunset.

A young ewe named Ransha had been waiting here for some time.

"Are you Sirius and Xavier? Yes, that's right, one looks human, the other looks like an elf. I heard from a friend that you're searching for the Frost Flower and need its nectar," Ransha greeted them, but it sounded more like she was talking to herself.

"Yes, that's right, I'm Sirius," Sirius said.

"Hello, I'm Xavier," Xavier said.

The conversation sounded a bit silly, but at least they had finally identified each other.

"You've arrived at just the right time. We can go see the Frost Flower tonight. There's still some time to prepare," Ransha said. "First, there are things you must know."

Sirius listened attentively.

Ransha said that to obtain the Frost Flower, one must go on a night with moonlight.

The Frost Flower only blooms on nights with moonlight.

Another condition is a pair of ice-silk gloves. The Frost Flower buds must not be touched directly with bare hands.

The nectar must be stored in complete darkness.

"That sounds straightforward enough," Sirius said.

"Only I can touch the Frost Flowers. You two need to stay farther away," Ransha said.

"Alright," Xavier said, looking like he wanted to ask why but didn't.

"Why is that?" Sirius asked.

"Because the Frost Flowers aren't very fond of males. They are flowers with feelings," Ransha said. "I spent a long time talking with them before we became trusted friends."

"I see, no wonder Zha Zha said we had to come find you," Sirius said. "Only you can obtain the Frost Flower's nectar, something we could never manage on our own."

"The weather has been clear these past few days. We should be able to collect the nectar tonight," Xavier said.

"I hope so too," Ransha said. "Do you live far from here?"

"We walked the entire day to get here, so yes, it's pretty far," Sirius said.

"Then you should spend the night here before heading back," Ransha said. "But this house only has my own bedroom. Do you mind sleeping in the living room?"

"Not at all. Just having a place to sleep is fine by us," Sirius said.

"We brought some food on the way. If you don't mind, we could eat together," Xavier said.

"Does it contain any meat?" Ransha asked. "I don't eat meat, and I don't want any meat in my kitchen."

"We have some jerky, but we can stick to the vegetables," Sirius said. "These vegetables are all grown on our own farm. They taste very good."

"I'm glad you understand," Ransha said, visibly relieved. "We can have a simple stew and salad."

Dinner wasn't the point, of course, but it has to be said that Ransha was a real whiz at cooking vegetables. Sirius felt the veggie dishes he had today were the best he'd ever tasted.

Night fell, and tonight was indeed a beautiful, moonlit night.

Ransha led the way with her small lantern, guiding Sirius and Xavier to find the Frost Flowers.

"I hope you can agree to one request. Would you put on blindfolds?" Ransha said. "I know this request is a bit much for walking in the forest, but I have to ask."

"We can do that," Sirius said. "Being blindfolded won't be a problem in the forest."

Xavier also nodded.

"Whew," Ransha let out what felt like her umpteenth sigh of the day. She seemed to nervous easily. "I'm really glad you agreed. It's not that I don't trust you, but I can't allow any accidents to happen."

"Caution is indeed necessary. You're protecting your friends," Sirius said.

Walking blindfolded through the forest was no easy task. Sirius and Xavier held hands to steady each other.

Ransha, leading the way, called out occasional reminders. After a long walk, they finally arrived at a small patch filled with Frost Flowers.

Sirius and Xavier could now remove the cloth strips from their eyes. Once removed, they saw a beautiful little sea of flowers.

They stood at a distance, still several bushes back from the edge of the Frost Flowers.

Ransha had walked farther away. She placed the lantern by their feet. She didn't need it now.

The Frost Flowers were transparent and clear as frost, shaped like six-pointed stars. Under the moonlight, they gave off a faint, pale blue glow. The light flickered, as if conveying some message.

Ransha crouched down, gently stroking the petals with her hand, whispering softly to them, "Good evening, ladies. It's so good to speak with you. I brought two friends today. They need your nectar."

Sirius and Xavier didn't make a sound, keeping their breathing quiet so they wouldn't disturb the conversation.

"Why? Because they need to repair the magic portal. Once fixed, animals can visit their friends more quickly. The animals in this forest aren't as lucky as we are; they can't see their friends every day."

Ransha's voice was very gentle. The Frost Flowers' light flickered, swaying in the wind. It was unclear whether they agreed or refused.

After a good deal of murmuring, the Frost Flowers finally agreed to her request.

Sirius saw Ransha take out a glass bottle and gently tip a Frost Flower.

Each Frost Flower produces very little nectar—just a single drop stored in the honey sac at the base of its pistil. They only offer it all when they are willing.

After gently tipping the surrounding Frost Flowers, she had finally collected enough nectar in the glass bottle.

Once she had collected enough nectar, Ransha didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she chatted a while longer with her flower friends before reluctantly saying goodbye.

When she walked toward Sirius and Xavier, they promptly tied the cloth strips over their eyes.

Back at Ransha's small house, she found a wooden box, placed the glass bottle of nectar inside, and cushioned it all around with plenty of soft cotton wool to prevent any accidents.

“You and the Frost Flowers are very good friends,” Sirius said. “Do you talk to them like this every night? Can you understand what they’re saying?”

“Thank you for saying that,” Ransha rubbed her face. “It's enough that you don't think I'm strange. Yes, I can sense their moods. They're flowers that have their own likes and dislikes, their own feelings. I tell them many things, and they are happy to share their stories with me too… Sorry, am I talking too much?”

“Not at all. You are friends because you understand each other. You are special, and they are special too,” Sirius said.

“No, Miss Ransha,” Xavier said. “The feelings between you are very genuine.”

“I’m going to tell the Frost Flowers everything you said. They’ll be as happy as I am,” Ransha said.

“We also want to thank you,” Sirius said. “When we were at the edge of the woods, I heard you say you hoped the magic teleportation array would make it easier for friends to meet. You are a very kind person.”

“Thank you for saying that. It's what I can do. Could you promise me one more thing? Please do not reveal the Frost Flowers' presence here. I don’t want them to be disturbed,” Ransha said.

“Of course. Would you mind if we put your name on the stone of thanks? If you prefer, we can write ‘a kind lady’ instead,” Sirius said.

“Just write ‘a kind lady,’” Ransha said.

Sirius respected her wishes and didn’t press further.

After resting overnight in Ransha’s small house, Sirius and Xavier set off for home early the next morning, carrying the wooden box with the Frost Flower nectar.

Now only one material remained: the scales of the Rainbow Fish.

Sirius had decided: after tending to the crops in the fields in the morning, he would take a small boat and fish in the nearby waters. Perhaps one day, the Rainbow Fish would take the bait.

Fish did bite—some big, some small—but none were Rainbow Fish. Fortunately, the weather was now perfect for drying fish, so they could stock up on plenty of dried fish for the long winter ahead.

What arrived before the Rainbow Fish was the dried corn cobs.

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Author’s note: Good night, good night. [Calico Cat]