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That night, Heila joined Ashlynn in the latter’s hut for the evening.

After days of anxiously waiting for Ashlynn to pass her portion of the trial and sleeping alone in the hut that Talauia had prepared for her, Heila barely managed to hold herself back from asking to sleep with Ashlynn in the same bedroom.

Perhaps it would have been easier if she’d adjusted to sleeping by herself in her own hut before Ashlynn underwent her trial, but right now, she just wanted to return to something that felt ’normal’ and recently, normal meant sleeping near her lady and being available for anything she needed.

After spending months so close to Ashlynn, Heila couldn’t fail to notice the strain in her lady’s voice when she spoke or the way she frequently touched her chest above the seed of witchcraft she’d nurtured.

Of all the burdens she’d seen Ashlynn bear, seeing her lady bear such an obviously painful one for her sake sat heavily on Heila’s heart.

In her mind, the very least she could do to show her appreciation and understanding of the discomfort that Ashlynn was enduring would be to stay close at hand through the night in case her lady needed anything.

The small reading hammock on the balcony was the perfect size for Heila and before she knew it, she’d fallen fast asleep while listening to the sounds of the Briar outside and Ashlynn’s steady, rhythmic breathing inside.

Morning came with the first rays of dawn filtering through the thick canopy of the Briar, casting diffuse light through the small hut that gradually brightened as it pressed back against the fog.

The day was already hot and the air carried a muggy dampness that left everything outdoors slightly damp, including the unfortunate Heila who had slept in the balcony hammock.

When Ashlynn woke her, Heila found that despite sleeping in the hammock, she felt more refreshed than she had any right to expect.

Her night had been plagued by unsettling dreams and the sounds of creatures moving in the night startled her awake several times, but each time she jolted awake, she found herself enveloped by a soothing evergreen scent that reminded her of Ashlynn, as if her lady were standing nearby to keep any harm from reaching her.

Within a few moments of waking, she quickly drifted back to sleep.

Together, in a reversal of their usual roles, Ashlynn helped Heila to wash and then dress in a simple outfit consisting of a plain white skirt and white blouse, topped with a silvery-green silk bodice that matched the color of the Ancient Willow’s leaves.

Amahle had made the bodice herself and the back, front, and side panels of the garment were each covered with carefully embroidered glyphs invoking the strengths of the willow tree.

"Amahle says you should drink this now," Ashlynn said after she finished tying the laces at the small of Heila’s back.

In her hands, she held a small earthenware bottle sealed with a cork stopper and covered with wax to prevent anything, even air, from polluting the contents within.

"She said that it will help to give you strength while the seed grows within you. "

For a moment, Heila hesitated, her fingers hovering less than an inch away from taking the bottle.

While it wasn’t exactly true, she felt that the moment she drank the contents of the bottle, there would be no turning back.

She would either become Ashlynn’s Willow Witch or she would join Sister Holly as a permanent resident of the Briar.

Her hesitation lasted only a moment. She’d been offered many opportunities to change her mind. Now that the moment was upon her, the time for second thoughts was over. Breaking the seal and pulling the stopper from the bottle, Heila quickly drank its contents.

The liquid was cool and refreshing with a taste that reminded her of mint tea and fresh lemonade with faint undertones of rosemary, thyme, and other herbs she couldn’t identify.

The concoction sent a wave of energy through her body, banishing the lingering fatigue she felt after waking and leaving her refreshed and ready to face the trail to come.

"I’m ready," Heila said firmly.

"Good," Ashlynn said with a warm smile. The pressure on her chest had grown even worse as the night went on but she refused to show signs of her distress to Heila as her diminutive friend prepared to face her own trial.

Instead, she guided Heila outside to join Amahle and her coven as they boarded a wide, flat-bottomed boat.

"Jacques has raised a new island, just for you, sugar," Amahle said warmly while Jacques took a pole and began navigating their way through the waterways of the Briar. "He’ll keep you company and keep you safe while your seed grows, just like he did for Ashlynn."

"I’ll be with you too," Ashlynn promised. "You don’t have to do this alone."

"Are you sure, little sister?" Amahle asked. "You won’t be able to influence the outcome and you have much to learn in the limited time we have. I had hoped to begin your training while Heila undergoes her trial."

"I won’t leave her," Ashlynn said, placing a hand on Heila’s shoulder and giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"I know Jacques will be there, and he’s very good at protecting people, but I know that being alone is the hardest thing for Heila.

I’ll stay with you," she said, kneeling down next to Heila. "So don’t you worry."

"Maman," Jacques added, his tail swaying with a touch of eagerness. "I can practice a bit wit’ Auntie Ashlynn dese few days, non? We won’t be wasting no time."

"Little sister," Amahle said, looking at Ashlynn with a slight smile on her crimson lips. "I wonder. Does Lady Nyrielle ever tell you that you can be a might bit willful?"

"More often than you’d imagine," Ashlynn said, blushing at the question. "But she always indulges my willfulness."

"So I see," Amahle laughed. "You should learn from little Heila. She’s the perfect student. Mindful and diligent in every way."

The warm, casual banter helped put Heila’s mind at ease as they navigated through the thick morning fog.

With so many witches on the boat, the creatures of the Briar stayed far away from them, as if they could sense that only trouble would come from approaching the boat as it glided through the murky waters.

Faintly glowing moss seemed to dim as the diffuse light in the Briar gradually grew brighter but nothing else gave a sense of time to their trip through the thick, hazy fog of the early morning.

Eventually, however, the journey reached its end when they arrived at a small barren island a few dozen paces across.

"Doesn’t anything grow here?" Heila asked, looking at the strange island in puzzlement. Everywhere else, trees, vines, and even flowers grew, but here, the island was completely barren, as if the earth had been salted and nothing would grow.

"Maman said, didn’t she? Dis island wasn’t here till last night," Jacques explained. "I rose it jus’ for you, ma petite. Dis way, dere ain’t nothing growing here dat could infringe on you. Just you and de willow seed."

"It’s safest this way, sugar," Amahle said, using her spider-like legs to navigate through the shallow water until she reached dry land. "Come," she added, extending a hand. "It’s time to begin."