Ardis entered the hut, and just as usual, Astra quickly called her over.
Soon, Ardis was sitting beside her mother, recounting everything that had happened during the meeting.
Astra listened carefully, occasionally asking questions.
"What did he say after that?"
"Did he seem serious?"
"Did he look at you when he spoke?"
Ardis answered each one patiently.
After hearing the whole story, Astra nodded slowly, looking satisfied.
"He sounds thoughtful," she commented.
Nearby, Ardis's fathers were also present. Aeron and the others were talking quietly among themselves, their voices low and slightly secretive. Every now and then, they glanced toward Ardis before continuing their discussion.
Ardis noticed but didn't interrupt them.
Soon dinner was ready.
After eating, Ardis spent some time working on the herbs Sissira had given her to practice with. She carefully ground them and mixed them according to the instructions she had learned earlier.
By the time she finished, she felt tired.
Not long after, she fell asleep.
The next morning followed the familiar routine.
Astra helped Ardis choose the furs she would wear that day. After that, she lightly brushed berry juice across Ardis's lips before wiping most of it away, leaving only a soft reddish color behind.
"There," Astra said with satisfaction. "Perfect."
Ardis smiled slightly.
Soon it was time to leave.
Aeron and Ravik escorted her toward the meeting place.
The walk was peaceful, as Aeron and Ravik asked some questions.
Before long, they reached the usual spot.
Not far away, Averin leaned casually against a tree. She waved lazily from a distance, chewing on a piece of dried meat as if she were enjoying the day.
Ardis waved back before continuing forward.
Aeron and Ravik soon turned to head back toward the village.
Ardis walked toward the clearing where her next meeting would take place.
Kaerith was already there when she arrived.
Unlike the others who usually stood or walked around while waiting, Kaerith was kneeling on the ground.
He seemed completely absorbed in examining something among the grass.
Ardis slowed her steps, watching him with curiosity.
For a moment, she wondered if she had arrived too early.
Then Kaerith looked up.
He stood, brushing the dirt from his hands and straightening calmly.
"Hello," he said.
His pale blue eyes were calm and focused.
"Hello," Ardis replied with a small, polite smile.
Kaerith studied her for a brief moment before nodding.
Ardis glanced at the ground where he had been kneeling.
"What were you looking at?" she asked curiously.
Kaerith crouched slightly again and pointed toward a cluster of small plants growing between the grass.
"Herbs," he said.
Ardis nodded.
"Come sit," Kaerith said as Ardis sat on the fallen tree.
Ardis looked at the herbs; her eyes brightened a bit.
"Do you recognize them?" Kaerith asked.
"Yes, this one is for reducing swelling," Ardis said, examining the herbs.
"Correct," Kaerith said.
His voice carried a faint note of approval.
He then reached into a small pouch tied to his belt and placed several herbs on the flat surface of the tree trunk between them.
"You brought these for the date?" Ardis asked suprised.
Kaerith nodded, "I heard you are learning to become a priestess."
Ardis nodded.
"So, I thought this would interest you." Kaerith seriously said.
Ardis felt a bit speechless, then nodded.
"It does."
They began discussing the herbs one by one.
Unlike her previous meetings, the conversation quickly became focused and detailed.
Kaerith spoke precisely, explaining where certain herbs grew and how different climates affected their strength.
Ardis listened carefully, asking questions when she didn't understand something.
At one point, she picked up a thin purple leaf.
"This one… I don't know," she admitted.
Kaerith leaned closer to look at it.
For a brief moment, the distance between them became much smaller.
Ardis could faintly smell the clean scent of forest and stone from him.
Kaerith pointed to the stem.
"See this marking?" he said quietly.
Ardis leaned closer.
Their shoulders almost touched.
"This herb slows bleeding," Kaerith continued. "But only if prepared correctly."
Ardis nodded, memorizing the detail.
Then she realized how close they were and leaned back slightly.
Kaerith seemed to notice as well, but he didn't react.
Instead, he calmly placed the herbs back into the pouch.
"You are a fast learner." Kaerith praised.
"Thank you for the compliment," Ardis replied with a smile.
For a while, they continued talking about their interests.
Ardis spoke about the herbs she had been learning from Sissira and how she hoped to improve enough to help others someday.
Kaerith listened quietly, occasionally asking questions that showed he was paying close attention.
Eventually, the sun began to lower slightly in the sky.
Their meeting time was coming to an end.
Kaerith reached into his pouch again and took out a small bundle of herbs tied together with a thin strip of grass.
He handed it to her.
"These are useful for practice," he said.
Ardis accepted them carefully.
"Thank you," she said sincerely.
Kaerith nodded once.
"I enjoyed our conversation."
Ardis smiled.
"I did too."
Soon she stood and began walking back toward the path where Averin would be waiting.
After a few steps, she glanced back.
Kaerith was still standing near the tree, watching the clearing quietly, before he slowly turned back toward the herbs growing in the grass.
Averin arrived just as Ardis stepped away from the clearing.
Without saying anything at first, she simply fell into step beside her as they began walking back toward the Fox Tribe.
After a few moments, Averin glanced sideways at her.
"So," she asked with a small knowing smile, "how was the meeting?"
Ardis thought for a moment before answering.
"Informative, I guess," she said honestly.
Averin's smile widened slightly.
"He's going to be a good healer," she said calmly, glancing at Ardis.
Ardis immediately understood what she meant.
Averin wasn't only talking about his knowledge of herbs. She meant that Kaerith would make a good healer… but not necessarily the main husband she would rely on for protection and leadership.
Ardis stayed quiet for a second, then nodded slightly.
Behind them, Zayreth let out a small laugh.
"It's the first time I've ever seen a meeting where the two of them spent the whole time talking about herbs," he said.
Maelor chuckled softly.
"He might be a little dense," he added. "Most males would try harder to impress her."
Vaelrix shrugged casually.
"At least he knew what Ardis likes," he said. "That's already better than most."
Ardis couldn't help smiling faintly at that.
The conversation continued lightly as they walked through the forest path.
The sun had begun to lower slightly, and the familiar scent of the Fox Tribe's territory slowly reached them.
Soon, the huts came into view.
By the time they entered the village, the small teasing conversation had already made Ardis feel much more relaxed.