you is kind, you is smart, you is important

While waiting for the girl to finish her bowl Hazel and Barnabas went back to grinding their bowl full of goodies. As soon as the contents were a fine powder it got dumped into a little leather baggy. Once that was done Barnabas rummaged around for more things to grind. She pulled what looked like a small dried frog from one of the bags and then the pair began to work on turning into powder.

As the girl began to wind up Barnabas deftly reached over and removed the bowl from her reach. The capuchin covered the top of it with a paw until it was well out of range and then she peeked inside. There was a little bit of liquid left in the bowl and Barnabas turned it from side to side to let it swish around. She stared intently, seemingly obliviously, as Ophie began to huff and puff. After a beat she leaned over and whispered the verdict in Hazel's ear.

After listening to Barnabas, Hazel scooped up another bowlful of snow and set it over the fire. By now Ophelia was in full panic mode, but Hazel did nothing besides listen until the girl apologized. That was enough for her. The girl's feelings swirled as heavily in the air as the smoke from the fire. Hazel added leaves to the new bowl and then said gently, "Your heart is very heavy, isn't it? These terrible feelings eat at you like a wild beast." Hazel ran a claw around the rim of the mortar. "This makes you do things to feel better; things that help for a short time and then make you feel worse."

When the newest bowl of tea was done Barnabas removed it from the fire and set it before Ophie. "Drink this and feel better." It was just tea. Plain jane, nothing funky tea. "This is what the leaves say: what you struggle with is here to stay unless you break the cycle. You feed the beast and it grows, yes? If you want to break the cycle and kill the beast you must stop feeding it." Hazel turned her face towards Ophie. This was a tough one. It was easier to talk about wealth and fortune, or the lack thereof.

Her voice soft but practical, Hazel continued, "But that is not your only option. This "beast" does not have to be your enemy. You can live with it; work with it. Tame it, perhaps. All of these options; kill, tame, befriend; they all have one thing in common. They are not easy. I can tell you this," she said slowly, unsure of where to draw the line, "You stand on the precipice; things are going to change and there is more struggle for you in the seasons ahead. Things that will make you or break you. So you must decide, my dear. And," the air was heavy with threat and promise, and Hazel leaned forward, hoping to impress upon the girl the seriousness of what she was saying, "You must understand that inaction is a choice."