Spilling the Tea

Azariah's life had changed for the better the day she met Ulric, he had captured her entire being that night. Had she known he would ensnare her so quickly, she might have run in her anxiety. The witch wouldn't change a thing about their love, happy to have found someone she felt warm and safe with after Lucifer and her years alone. Her anxiety had kept her from reaching out, depression had crippled her, and the volcano all but destroyed her. It had changed her world, had given her a different perspective on things. Finding the demon king had died had also been a changing point for her; she no longer had to hide. Azariah had branched out, learning new things in her time away from Boreas and Auster. She had become a better wolf as a result of her findings, Ulric had helped with the rest. Having him close made her anxiety fade away, knowing his embrace made her feel the safest she had in her entire life. The woman was completely bewitched.

Roza, her love's mother - and hopefully one day mother-in-law - had taken her up on her offer of tea. The makeup of which would help soothe travel-weary muscles and ease the mind. She just needed something to quell the bitterness of it all. White willow bark and some of the other herbs she had used were quite off-putting in a tea, even when warmed. It was while escorting Roza to the den site that she heard the answer to her problems. It was a low hum, one she had grown all too familiar with on the Forgotten Isle. The thrum of angry bees was close, and Azariah knew where there were bees, there was honey. 'Honey would be the perfect way to bind it all...' The ghost witch thought to herself, those ruby red eyes looking back toward the cinnamon and ivory woman she escorted. "Do you hear that?" She asked Roza, her tone innocent. Not far off a bear sounded pained, and the tinkling of bells seemed everywhere (faerie laughter) which made an odd, mischievous grin come over the witch's face. Azariah waved her monochrome tail and headed off in the direction of the angry hive.

The tea would not be nearly as good without this sweet, sticky condiment. "I will go and gather what those bees are guarding, you keep a lookout for that bear, if he comes back, we run." She stated her plan with veiled confidence, nervous for herself and her hopefully-mother-in-law, hoping the older woman wouldn't take offense. "My tea is missing something to pull it all together, and that golden sweet fluid would solve everything." The witch highly doubted the bear would be back, and she would have to risk a few stings herself. Pushing on her wolf skull mask to protect her face, Azariah moved through the brush and toward the fallen hive. Hopefully, Roza would keep an eye out, and wouldn't think she was too far off her rocker. Azariah worried that Ulric would be upset with her for putting his mother at risk, but she could hear the branches breaking in the bear's wake in the distance. Bees were pretty nasty, and she knew it wouldn't be back any time soon. Her work would be quick, either way. It was a chance for her to show off a bit, without being uncouth about it. With swiftness and silence that would seem otherworldly, Azariah rushed to gather as much honeycomb as she could. Three wafers and five stings later, she was back, almost in seconds, nodding to Roza with a smile and honey dripping from the comb. Motioning for the older woman to follow her, Azariah held her masked head high and practically danced the whole way to the den, bell collar tinkling the entire time. The sound mimicking a faerie's laughter.