Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ame hasn’t been at Grandmother Wren’s cottage for very long, but she’s already fallen into a routine. Taro wakes her up, she eats breakfast, cares for the animals, cleans a little, then runs off to play on her own. There aren’t any other kids to play with, but that’s alright. Ame is very good at keeping herself entertained. Plus, the woods are full of treasures (and friends!).

So when her routine is interrupted suddenly one morning, the change is met with annoyance and confusion in equal measures. At first, she thinks Taro has let her sleep in. The light in her room is so bright, her eyes sting a little as she blinks blearily. Then she thinks she might be early, she can’t smell breakfast cooking, she can’t really smell anything.

But she can hear, and what she hears is the tell-tale clicking of Taro’s talons on the floor. That wily bird. When she’d first arrived, the bird had been a novelty, always appearing where he shouldn’t be and disappearing from where he should be. She’d even tried staying up late and getting up early to catch him coming in, to see if he was using his talons to turn the doorknob, magic, or just Grandmother Wren opening the door for him. Everytime, he appeared right as she dozed off, or blinked, or turned her head.

But now! She can hear him approaching, now she can catch him in the act! Throwing herself into a sitting position with a ferocity only known to small children, the door wobbled and swayed in front of her.

No, she was the one swaying, and it was making her dizzy. Flopping backwards with an oof, Ame closed her eyes, furrowing her brow in frustration. The moment she closed her eyes, Taro stepping onto her belly, his talons poking her gently. But he didn’t crow.

Opening her eyes just a little, wary of the way the room had spun before, Ame peeked at the old rooster. He stared back, his head tipped to one side. Stepping forward and craning his neck, Taro peered at her closer, studying her. 

Ame narrowed her eyes, suspicious. Probably the rooster was magic, and was working his magic on her. That explained why she couldn’t sit up! It was a ploy to keep her from discovering his secrets, and any moment now he would crow with victory…

Any minute now…

Taro hopped off, clucking gently. Ame pushed herself up slowly, supporting herself with her arms, watching him.

“What are you planning?” She grumbled, not trusting this apparent truce.

Taro only clucked again, tapping his way over to the closed bedroom door. He pecked at it twice, and Ame sighed.

“Alright, alright. I’m getting up.” She grumbled, pushing against the floor. Her tiny body felt too heavy, and the floor seemed further away than normal.

“Did I grow?” Ame wondered aloud. It made sense, she couldn’t stay small forever …but everything else seemed the same height, so unless she grew at the same time the rest of the room shrunk, which…wait was that possible ?

Interrupting her stunned inspection of the room, the door swung open. It wasn’t Taro’s doing, much to Ame’s disappointment. Grandmother Wren shuffled into the room, surveying Ame with a careful eye.

“Oh dear. Well, it appears Taro was right.” Grandmother Wren murmured. “That settles it, no chores for you today. Go back to sleep, Ame. I’ll bring you some jook and tea to have in your nest.”

Ame stared back in confusion. “What? Why?”

“You’re sick dear. Just a little cold, but all the same. You’d better rest.” Grandmother Wren told her gently.

“I’m not sick! I’m just a little…” She paused, contemplating the morning. “Ok, maybe I’m sick. But only a little!” Ame insisted.

“Yes, only a little. But you still need to rest.” Grandmother Wren replied.

“But I don’t want to stay in bed all day. That’ll be boring! And what about all the chores? Who’ll do them?” Ame whined.

Grandmother Wren raised an eyebrow. “And how do you suppose I got all the chores done before you got here?”

“...magic?” Ame whispered. She certainly would not be resting in bed if Grandmother Wren was going to be doing magic. Already she was planning ways to sneak out of her room to watch.

“A little bit of magic, and a lot of work.” Grandmother Wren chuckled, shaking her head slightly. “Alright, if resting in bed is too boring for you, you can come sit at the table.”

“Yes! I’ll rest a lot better at the table.” Ame promised, smiling widely. She pushed herself to her feet, wobbling for a moment before sitting back down heavily. Pouting just a little, she started to try again, determined to get to the table.

Grandmother Wren smiled gently. Bending down, she scooped Ame (and half of her nest) into her arms, holding the little girl close. With Taro leading the way, she walked into the kitchen, setting the bundle of blankets, pillows, plushies, and child down in one of the chairs. Grandmother Wren inspected the pile, then began arranging the assorted soft things so that they were supporting Ame, helping her stay sitting up.

Ame wriggled slightly, freeing her arms from the tangle of blankets, and pushing a pillow off of her head so she could see. In front of her sat her favorite bowl, full of jook with minced garlic and thin slivers of ginger. Beside it was one of Grandmother Wren’s beautiful tea cups, the steam rising from it soothing her even before taking a sip.

As she sipped and ate, Ame watched Grandmother Wren putter about the kitchen, sweeping the floors, watering and feeding the plants, coming and going to care for the animals.  All the things Ame would normally be doing. Too soon, her breakfast was done, and there was significantly less magic than she’d been expecting.

Grandmother Wren returned from feeding the goats to see Ame wiggling, trying to extricate herself from her nest. Upon seeing Grandmother Wren, she froze, eyes wide. Grandmother  Wren simply raised an eyebrow.

“If I find something for you to do sitting down, will you stay in the nest?” She asked.

Ame nodded, and Grandmother Wren sighed. She left the room, returning a moment later with a basket of herbs. Sitting that on the table, she gathered Ame’s breakfast dishes and replaced them with a clean bowl.

“Take the leaves off the stems and put them in the bowl. The stems can go back in the basket. Will this keep you busy?” Grandmother Wren instructed.

Ame nodded as vigorously as she could without making the room spin. She settled back into her pile and started stripping the leaves from the herbs. The air filled with the sharp, clean scent of fresh rosemary, thyme, and basil. Ame sank into the repetitive motion, her hands moving almost without thought or intention. She slowed, taking longer between each stem, then between each leaf, until finally she stopped entirely, slipping off to sleep. Without Ame realizing it, Grandmother Wren had worked the most powerful magic of all: convincing a child to rest.

Chapter Text

Suvi has been at Grandmother Wren’s home for two weeks, and she thought she was used to how loud Taro was in the morning. But Taro was much louder this morning, the light much brighter, and the air much colder.

Suvi felt the nest shift as Ame clambered to her feet, beginning her regularly scheduled tussle with the elderly rooster. And logically, she knew Ame wasn’t any louder than normal. Which meant Taro wasn’t any louder. Which meant…oh no.

Taking a quick inventory, Suvi realized with growing dread that she must be sick. They’d been running around yesterday, she’d splashed through the river, her socks had been wet all day. Now she was cold, but the blankets were stuck to her with sweat, and everything was loud and bright.  Of course she had a cold.

But being sick meant she couldn’t do chores, and Suvi had to do her chores. She had to be polite, and respectful, and good . So she sat up and stretched, doing her best to seem normal.

Ame paused, turning away from Taro, narrowing her eyes at Suvi. Suvi stared back, freezing in place, trying to keep from swaying or sniffling.

“Are you…okay?” Ame asked, studying her face.

“Yep! Yeah, I’m fine. Just a normal morning.” Suvi replied, forcing cheer into her voice.

Ame let out a thoughtful hmm, and Suvi rushed to her feet, determined to prove she was fine.

“Let’s go, time for breakfast.” Suvi announced, brushing past Ame to reach the door. And if she stumbled just a little, maybe it was because she’d only just woken up, not because her legs felt like jelly. Her head was pounding, but she stubbornly ignored it.

Ame followed her to the table, still watching her carefully. Her witch senses might not be fully developed, but she was still an intuitive little kid. Ame was sure something was up, and she thought she knew what it was.

Suvi climbed up onto one of the kitchen chairs, holding herself as straight and still as a little girl could. Ame paced slowly around the table to tug on Grandmother Wren’s skirt, motioning for her to lean down.

“I think…I think Suvi’s having an herb day .” Ame whispered.

Grandmother Wren turned to look over her shoulder, peering carefully at Suvi. Looking back at Ame, she nodded.

“I think you’re right, Ame. I’ll finish up breakfast, you get the tea.” Grandmother Wren whispered back.

Suvi watched closely as Ame scurried around to whisper to Grandmother Wren, then went to get one of the prettiest tea cups. She was starting to think she hadn’t fooled anyone, and the mix of anxiety and headache was making her queasy. 

A moment later, a hot cup of tea and a bowl of soup sat in front of her. The soup was full of fresh carrots, mushrooms, and herbs from the garden, floating in a golden broth. The sight of it stirred a memory in Suvi’s mind, of the last time she’d been sick. Soft’s prickly beard as he’d kissed her head, a bowl of soup in front of her, and Stone’s certainty, reassuring her that the soup would make her feel better.

Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes, and she wiped them away quickly. Swallowing thickly, Suvi took a careful spoonful of soup. It was almost as good as she remembered. Spoon after spoon, sip after sip, the soup and tea warmed her through.

With her headache and chill easing, a wave of exhaustion washed over Suvi. She blinked, trying her hardest to fight it off.

“Okay. Let’s get started on the chores.” Suvi announced, pushing back from the table.

Ame reached out to stop her. “Hang on a minute. I think Grandmother Wren had something special for you today.”

Suvi narrowed her eyes, but Ame gazed back innocently. Ame wasn’t entirely sure why Suvi didn’t want to say she was sick, but that didn’t matter right now. Her friend needed comfort, and if pretending she was ok made her feel better, Ame wasn’t going to spoil that.

Grandmother Wren appeared just a moment later with a basket Ame had become well acquainted with. Suvi looked in confusion at the pile of herbs, turning to look at Ame for guidance. The smaller girl had jumped up when Grandmother Wren entered, grabbing a bowl and sliding it across the table to rest next to the basket. Looking up at Suvi, Ame nodded encouragingly.

“If you wouldn’t mind dear, I need these herbs stripped from their stems. I know it’s a bit tedious, but it’d be greatly appreciated.” Grandmother Wren said with a knowing look in her eye.

Now Suvi was trapped. She could tell that Grandmother Wren was giving her light work, which meant she was aware that Suvi was ill. But she’d been asked to do something, and to refuse and insist on doing her regular chores would be rude .

In the end, Suvi decided that being rude was worse than admitting she wasn’t feeling well. Nodding, she gathered the herbs and began plucking the leaves, one by one. Satisfied, Grandmother Wren went off to her study, and Ame began taking care of the rest of the chores. 

It took longer than it might have otherwise for Suvi to drift off. She was stubborn, dedicated to finishing the task set before her. Eventually, though, even her need to be good couldn’t withstand the power of the herbs. When Ame returned from collecting the honey, Suvi was slouching in her seat, with her head on her arms.

Grinning victoriously, Ame tiptoed up the stairs to tell Grandmother Wren.

Grandmother Wren smiled down at Ame, bending to kiss the top of her head. “Good job Ame.”

Ame tipped her head to the side. “‘For what?  It wasn’t me, it was the herbs.”

“Yes, the herbs helped her rest, but you understood that she needed them. That’s an important part of witchcraft, you know.” Grandmother Wren explained.

Ame smiled proudly. She carried that joy with her for the rest of the day, passing quietly through the kitchen to avoid waking Suvi, and playing on her own out in the garden. She considered going to the woods, but wanted to be close, in case Suvi woke.

Suvi slept until late afternoon, when preparations for dinner were just beginning. She woke with a start, blinking blearily around as if she wasn’t sure where she was for a moment. Taking in the red-gold light from the window, Ame shelling peas, and Grandmother Wren chopping vegetables, Suvi put together what must have happened.

“Oh, you’re awake!” Ame perked up, smiling broadly at her.

“Mmhm.” Suvi nodded, looking down. “Sorry.”

“For what?” Ame asked.

“I’m.” Suvi glanced at Grandmother Wren and lowered her voice. “I’m supposed to be good while I’m here. That means doing all my chores and stuff, but I didn’t…I only had one chore today and I didn’t finish it.”

Ame furrowed her brow in confusion. “Yeah, but being sick is different from being bad . Besides, you did finish.”

Suvi shook her head. Looking around, the basket and bowl of herbs was gone, but she felt sure the basket hadn’t been empty when she’d fallen asleep. Her fingers started tapping, anxiety rising in her chest.

Ame leaned close, glancing around secretively. She held up one hand, as if to shield her words from view. Of course, Grandmother Wren already knew the secret she was about to share, but that wasn’t going to dampen Ame’s fun.

“No, but see the secret of an herb day is that the herbs aren’t actually the chore. Resting is the chore! So really, you did what you were supposed to.” Leaning back, Ame grinned at Suvi.

“Ooooh. That…actually does make me feel better.” Suvi smiled back at Ame, reaching out to take her hand. “Thanks Ame.”

“Of course!” Ame replied cheerfully. Squeezing Suvi’s hand, she continued. “I know it’s hard, being sick away from home. And I can’t help with all of it. But…I’ll take care of you the best I can. And so will Grandmother Wren.”

Suvi pulled Ame into a tight hug. Grandmother Wren watched, smiling softly before returning to dinner preparation.

Chapter Text

Spirts don’t get sick . Yes, Eursulon had been unwell on his first night, but he didn’t really remember that, he’d been sleeping, after all. So it came as a complete surprise to him when, a week and a half into his stay at Grandmother Wren’s, Eursolon woke up with an ache that ran from the top of his head to the tips of his claws. Pain was foreign enough, but this type of sourceless, senseless ache was entirely alien, yet another unpleasant facet of this world.

Grunting, he slid off his shelf into Ame and Suvi’s room, slumping to the ground and sending a series of small stones clattering across the ground. A head of tousled black hair poked up out of the nest, followed by a pair of blinking eyes. Suvi startled awake, freezing in place for a moment before joining Ame in peering over at Eursulon.

“My body hurts.” He huffed.

“Cause you fell out of the window?” Ame asked.

“No. It hurt first, then I fell.” Eursulon noticed his voice was rough, which confused him.

“Oh.” Suvi walked over, laying a hand carefully on his head. “I think you’re sick.”

“What is sick ?” Eursulon grumbled, sniffing indignantly.

“Oh, um. Sick is when…when your body doesn’t feel good, but not because you’re hurt?” Ame tried to explain.

“If it doesn’t come from injury, where does it come from?” Eursulon demanded to know.

Ame turned to Suvi. Although she’d been sick before, and she understood generally how it worked (you felt bad, you had herbs and rest and tea, you felt better), she wasn’t sure where exactly it came from.

Suvi answered matter of factly. “It can come from different places. Being in the cold without a coat, eating bad food, stuff like that.”

“Food can be bad?” Eursulon was momentarily distracted from the ache in his paws. He’d known that not everything was food, of course. And it had crossed his mind that humans couldn’t eat all the same things he could. But food that was bad? He placed a paw on Suvi’s shoulder to make sure she was listening to him.

“If the food is bad, then it is not food.” He explained intently.

“Well, that’s not exactly…” Suvi trailed off, seeing the serious expression on his face. “Ok.”

“Wherever it comes from,” Ame piped up, “the important thing is how you treat it. Herbs, tea, good food, and rest. Grandmother Wren will know what herbs to use.”

Eursolon padded after Ame, with Suvi at his side to steady him if he started to wobble. She only had to steady him once, when he paused to cough. Mostly, he stayed upright on his own, which was probably for the best. Eursulon didn’t think Suvi would actually be able to hold him up, she was so much smaller than him. 

Grandmother Wren looked up as they entered the kitchen. Taking in the scene with a keen eye, she knew what  Ame was about to say. She waited for Ame to say it anyway. It’s important, after all, for a witch to be able to make her own proclamations. 

“I think Eursulon needs an herb day.” Ame announced, as Grandmother Wren thought she would.

“His paws might be too big for the herbs though…do we have big herbs?” Suvi asked.

Grandmother Wren smiled. “We don’t have any big herbs at the moment, but that’s alright.  As an Honored Guest, Eursulon might benefit from a different kind of herb day. Being outdoors, connected with nature, should fix you right up dear. Follow me.”

Leading them out into the garden, Grandmother Wren stopped in front of a large, old rosemary bush. The ground underneath it was soft and rich, and the leaves and flowers perfumed the air as Eursolon brushed his side against the branches.

“Now, we need to make a little hollow beneath it, for him to sleep in.” Grandmother Wren instructed.

Ame knelt down and started to dig, scooping out as much soil as could fit in her tiny arms. Suvi paused, thought for a moment, then dashed off. Grabbing a basket (the very same herb basket that Grandmother Wren had brought her when she was ill, although Suvi didn’t realize it), Suvi collected the softest moss and leaves she could find. She even added a few leaves from the other plants in Grandmother Wren’s herb garden (only the one’s she recognized of course. There’s no telling what grows in a witch’s garden).

When she returned, the space under the rosemary bush was large enough for Eursulon to curl up comfortably. Holding up the basket, Suvi paused to catch her breath. Grandmother Wren glanced at the basket, nodding approvingly. Ame gasped, clapping her hands together.

“Yes! That’s a great idea Suvi! Here, let’s spread it out.” Ame exclaimed.

Together, they spread the moss and leaves and herbs out over the hollow, creating a lovely little nest for Eursulon. He stuck his head into it, sniffing deeply before padding all the way in. He circled twice, then lay down, curling into the leaves.

“Good. You rest now, and we’ll bring breakfast out to you.” Grandmother Wren said, taking a moment to pet him gently between the ears.

Ame and Suvi followed Grandmother Wren back into the cottage, thinking hard about what they could do to comfort their friend.

“Now, we want to avoid things that are processed or, well, made if that makes sense. A little bit of heating is alright, but cooked foods likely won’t agree with him just now.” Grandmother Wren warned them.

The girls nodded seriously and set to work.  Ame began brewing tea, pulling down her favorite bowl for Eursulon to use as a cup.

“I know it’s kinda big, but he’s big too. Plus, he can drink from it with just his mouth instead of picking it up.” Ame explained.

“Let’s add a little bit of honey. He was coughing earlier, honey helps with that.” Suvi suggested, going to fetch the jar of honey with its lovely wooden wand.

When the tea was ready, the girls carried it carefully out to the garden. Following close behind was Grandmother Wren, carrying a tray laden with fresh fruits and berries. Eursulon sat up at their approach, rumbling happily at the sigh of breakfast (and his friends). As he lapped at the tea and munched on fruit, the aching in his body began to subside.

This, Eursulon decided, was some kind of mortal magic. Healing magic wasn’t exactly unfamiliar to him, but to heal an injury that wasn’t an injury, a pain that came from nowhere in particular? The tea, the food, the presence of his friends, something had broken the curse they called sick .

Grandmother Wren returned to her daily duties, leaving them with the instruction to call for her if Eursulon seemed to get worse. Eursulon lay his head down, tucking his nose under one paw. Ame pulled Suvi a few steps away, so they could speak without disturbing him.

“We have to do the chores, but I don’t really want to leave him alone. I mean, he’s never been sick before, what if he gets scared?” She whispered, casting a worried gaze over to the now sleeping spirit.

Suvi nodded. “Maybe we take turns? One of us does a chore, the other sits with him, then switch? It’ll take longer to get them done, but he won’t be alone.”

With a plan in place, Ame and Suvi spent the day alternating between doing chores and sitting next to the slumbering spirit. It took a while longer to finish everything, not in the least because whichever child was doing a chore at any given time would have to pause and peek over at Eursulon and the other child, just to be sure. 

At lunch time, Eursulon roused, shaking off a bit of moss and climbing out of the little den. He felt a bit better, although still sluggish. Stretching out in the sunshine, chewing on a bit of honeycomb with Ame tucked against his side, the pair of them listening to Suvi read aloud from her latest book, Eursulon thought maybe this was what had broken the sick-curse after all. Being taken care of was a magical act, somehow. Yes, that made sense to him.

It was nearly nightfall when Grandmother Wren returned to them. She checked over Eursulon, nodding approvingly at what she found.

“Well, it seems the illness is leaving you. Good job girls, you’ve done very well to take care of our Honored Guest. Eursulon, you’ll be right as rain in the morning, but I think you ought to spend the night out here, just to be sure.” Grandmother Wren declared.

Ame pouted a bit, looking back and forth between Eursulon and Grandmother Wren. “I don’t want to leave him out here alone.” She said. “Could we stay with him? Please?”

Suvi’s shoulders drooped a little. “I’m not supposed to be outside after dark. But maybe you could stay with him?” She looked up at Grandmother Wren, trying to match Ame’s pleading expression.

“That would mean you’d be spending the night alone, Suvi. Would you be alright with that?” Grandmother Wren asked, studying her with a keen, but gentle, expression.

Suvi swallowed thickly. It was true, she hadn’t spent a night alone since coming here, and that did scare her a bit. But Eursulon was sick, and he’d never been sick before, didn’t even know what sick was . It wouldn’t be fair, she thought, to ask for comfort that should be his. So she nodded, resolving to be as brave as she had to be.

Eursulon didn’t know where Suvi came from, or why she might dread being alone in the dark. But he could tell that Grandmother Wren’s question had weight to it, as did Suvi’s answer. He looked at Ame. Earlier, Suvi had said being in the cold without warmth could make you sick. It was summer, the nights were warm, but they were cooler than the day. Could Ame get sick, if she stayed with him?

Looking at his friends, Eursulon realized something. I want to do the same magic they did. I want to take care of them. 

“Is there…” He paused, thinking. “Is there a place to make a den by the window? Ame could sleep in my nest, and I could sleep outside, and Suvi could be inside, but we would all be near each other.”

Grandmother Wren smiled down at him. “Yes, I think I know just the place.”

And so that night, Eursulon slept in a fresh hollow beneath a young pine tree. Curled in his usual nest, close enough that he could stretch out a paw and touch her, was Ame. And just an arm’s length away, safely indoors, was Suvi. Together, as True Friends should be.