The Birds and the Trees.

Moose

Squiddily diddily
Benefactor
It was a foggy day, and it had just begun to rain when Diarmaid had awoken. He put on his woolen rain hat, a conical brim as was typical of a man of his profession. He donned a robe that was little more than a burlap sack with holes cut for head and sleeves, and made to be long enough to cover his whole body. He put on a blue cowl which matched his hat, keeping the hood down to leave his hat on. He straightened his rain hat and thumbed through a collection of staffs at his bedside, they were of various makes and material, but he selected an old wooden one. This one came up to his shoulder, but it was taller than the wizard whom he took it from.

He walked out of his buried house, the large door was wooden and reinforced with steel he had smelted himself. He generally only needed the materials for items that he wanted, though he had taken from other wizards who thought they should challenge him.

It was a monday, so at the town market would be the dryad, selling her remedies and ingredients for the sins committed on Sunday. At least he hoped she would come out in this, though he couldn't think of rain and mud being a reason to delay a dryad. As he approached the village he lived near, he pulled down his cap, covering his third eye so that the humans could not see it. He looked for her, wanting to see her again, not just for the ingredients.
 
Lilea's bare feet padded through the soggy leaves and mushy dirt as she hopped her way through the forest towards the market... This was her fourth trip from her home in the forest to her market stall, she had a lot to give and only two hands! Her arms were wrapped around a deep whicker bowl full of little glass bottles which clinked together tunefully with each step she took. As she hopped down from a raised root onto the edge of the market, her long, lace cloak waved behind her, swooped up by the wind.

She set her potions down on her market stall, a simple wooden table that wobbled if you leaned on it wrong. She fumbled to stop her more sphericle bottles from rolling off of the table, clutching them firmly and carefully balancing them on her display. She cautiously stood up before letting out a contented sigh. All was right. Brumisia smiled upon her that day.

Her eyes scanned the market quietly as she clasped her hands together in front of her, leaning a little forward to get a better look down the rows and rows of stalls. She squinted through the fog, hoping this foul weather wouldn't stop her customers from visiting! She had lots of regulars, especially elderly villagers who needed her pain relief and natural remedies. She tucked her snow-white hair behind her ear, the coils hanging loosely by her jawline.

Her toes curled impatiently, the stems climbing her calves a little further than usual and the white flowers blooming even brighter. There was a specific customer, one of her regulars, who she always looked forward to seeing a little more than the others. She couldn't explain why, they just seemed fascinating to her, like there was something he wasn't telling.
 
Derry made it to the market, thankfully before the aforementioned sinners. For some reason they found the dryad easier to approach than the wizard, which was well enough, their business was unneeded. Just as he finished that thought, others began to approach the market as well and he pressed on to get to the dryad's stall.

"Weren't you supposed to get a new table?" Derry asked her as he approached, planting a hand on the table top, pulsing magical energy through the top to the leg that made it wobble. The leg became gnarled like the branch of a dead tree and grew until it was of an even height with the others. Derry scraped the small dead sproutings he generated off the top of the table, "There, good as new. I don't need my product to greet the ground again." He said with a nod.

He looked around, the thought about sinners was almost a joke to him, but sure enough there was more people wearing cruciform around their neck than there was last week. He would need to move soon, before he had to go into hiding.
 
Lilea's eyes lit up as she heard a familiar voice, turning to greet Derry as she did most Monday mornings. She bowed her head as she did to each customer that visited her before grinning her typical grin. She'd noticed many of the villagers avoided or ignored Derry, she'd never understood why, he was always nice to her!

She giggled softly as he mentioned her table... She hadn't made enough money the last week to afford a new table, but she didn't want to trouble him with that.
"I suppose time passed me by this week..." She told him softly, rubbing her elbow nervously. She frowned a little as he rested his hand on her table, leaning to the side to get a better look. Her eyes widened a little as she watched it grow before her very eyes. How hadn't she thought of that?
"Wow!" She grinned, standing up straight. "Thank you!"

She watched him scan the area, frowning for a moment. She paused before shuddering, holding her elbows as her shoulders hunched.
"Hah... Perhaps I should have dressed more appropriately for the weather." She told him in an attempt at small talk.
 
Derry looked up when she complained about the weather, almost as if he hadn't noticed it, "well, yes I suppose." he hemmed for a moment about what to do and decided to try something admittedly risky.

He held out a hand and whistled a magical tune to call salamanders, the fire spirits gathered in his hand and began dancing, creating a flame in his palm," I don't know how you feel about fire, but this should keep you warm." he said, reaching up into his hat and pulling out a jar.

He continued whistling his tune as all the salamanders were tipped into the jar and he put a lid on it, setting it on the table," there, canned heat. You don't need to pay me but a discount would be appreciated." he joked
 
Lilea watched as he held out his hand, leaning forward a little and furrowing her brows in confusion. The flames reflected in her doe-like eyes as he summoned his salamanders, their dancing causing her to smile. She straightened up as he set the jar down, picking it up herself and bringing it closer to get a good look at the little spirits spinning and leaping within. She carefully set the jar down behind her own wares, aware of the town's averse opinions on magic, and grinned at Derry.

"Of course," She giggled, tucking her hair behind her ear. "How can I help you today?" She inquired cheerfully, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
 
He nodded when she thanked him, "they don't need to be fed, but they need to be sang to, to keep you warm." he placed his hand on the lid of the jar and there was a crinking sound as a few holes appeared in the lid. He removed his hand and looked around at the alchemy ingredients she had available.

"I need some common things but I'm definitely interested in some of your finer ingredients. For the more common end of things, do you have black and white Birch sap, and sassafras?" he then began going over a mental list, recalling that he actually did need something, "Any moon fruits you have, I need them all, all varieties. And..." he coughed, "I don't know if it would be inappropriate to ask, but any living spirit dandelions you might have would be great."

Other customers began filing into the market as he gave off his list with a quick young man making it to the stall and standing behind Derry as if he was waiting his turn. He wore a crucifix like the others and tapped his foot impatiently.
 
"Oh, they like music?" She smiled, watching as he allowed the salamanders to breathe. "Little cuties..." She spoke under her breath, watching them spin and dance.

She looked up as he listed his requirements, crouching down to search her boxes for what he needed. She placed them in a neat pile in the centre of her table.
"Moon fruits..." She began before crouching down once more, disappearing behind her stall. "I'm sure I.... ah, here!" She grinned as she popped back up with a handful of little fruits. She scooped them into a little paper bag for him, setting it down with the rest of his wares.
"Ah..." She began at his question, pausing to think. "I don't really sell spirits, but my friend down the way does. Just down there, to the right!" She told him, pointing further down the market.

"Anything else?" She asked politely, her hands clasped together. She'd barely noticed the man waiting behind him, focused solely on her current customer.
 
The salamanders slowed their dancing and faded away from view, though they would be visible to those who could sense magic.


"That works for me." He said when she pointed out that there was another woman who was selling plants with live spirits. He picked up his hat and reached into it, pulling out a large sack of coinage, "That's it. How much do I owe you?" The man behind him eyed the sack, but Derry paid him no mind.
 
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