blue flowers like stars

Acacius was pleased to see the snow begin to melt and the colors of a new spring return. Honing his skills in healing had been a slow arduous process in the winter, and so he'd gathered every inkling of knowledge he could have from his porcupine companions and best friend to prepare for the new year. The porcupines specifically had been a welcome addition to his unusual family of friends, though even having been with him for nearly a year, they continually refused to give out their names. They had claimed that sharing their true names would forfeit their magic, and so Acacius ended up referring to them by nicknames alone - Prick and Poke. Alongside his travelling companion Pocus (who nobody else could see, but Acacius didn't spend much time thinking on that) they were a close-knit foursome of unlikely friends.

Acacius did not know how the porcupines had acquired the seeds that they had, but he was not surprised when they pulled a bag of them out from a nook in the den and offered it to him. Their instructions were clear, and he repeated them to himself as he looked for a suitable spot around the lake.

The Borage flower did not do well transplanted, they had told him. It needed to be grown from a seed, at the spot one wished the plant to flower. He needed to find a spot that drained well of water, and received sun for at least half the day. That meant he could not place it too near to any trees, nor any of the boulders that were strewn throughout the lake, nor too close to the lake itself.

He searched with a near obsessive eye, until he'd found a spot that was not exceptionally well traversed, in an open space devoid of other foliage that might threaten it. The dirt was soft and not overly wet, did that mean it drained well? "What about the rain? It's rained a lot so far this season. Pocus offered from his right. "If Prick and Poke didn't mention it as an issue I'm sure it will be fine." The yearling replied hopefully, though a hesitance was present in his words that showed he worried similarly.

Acacius, happy with his placement, then began to dig. It was frustrating that Pocus could not tangably interact with the world and help with the digging, he did not like to rely on his own decision making for things as important at this. The depth was supposed to be 5cm deep, and each seed needed to be placed 30cm apart. The math was difficult for his young mind, another small frustration.

His purpose for planting the Borage itself was medicinal in nature, though he was told it would be an exceptionally beautiful herb when it did flower. Every part of the plant was edible and medicinal, treating everything from fever to depression, and more interesting, the leaves could be used in sedation. Acacius had a specific interest in that application, Prick and Poke had assured him that it could be used in conjunction with other materials to create a fine witch's brew.

Other members of his pack may not appreciate his intention to sedate and potentially go further with other wolves, so he'd chosen a plant that was as aesthetic as much as it was useful. The Borage flower was a beautiful blue, boasting unique starry looking flowers and a characteristic fuzzy stem. Once wilted the color of the flower became almost purple apparently, though he doubted he'd allow them to reach that stage of death before he harvested them for use. If someone were to bother him and ask why he was planting these seeds and not a more common and understood plant for fevers and depression, he could speak to the beauty of the plant and how he wanted to brighten Aerie's land with rich, new colors. Pocus nodded at his side, pleased with Acacius' internal monologue and accepting of the easy logic which the yearling had presented.

With the 5cm holes dug in a widely spaced arrangement, Acacius upended his bag of seeds onto the ground. They were smaller then he'd anticipated, and for a moment he stood awestruck at the miraculous survivability of flowers, that they could grow from a container so small and delicate. With one toe he pushed a seed into the first hole. As far as he was aware there was no need to fertilize them with anything, and so he gently pushed the dirt back atop the seed to let it soak. Moving onto the second, the third, and eventually the twelfth hole he repeated the process until every seed in the bag had been sown.

The last step would be to ensure no other dug up or interfered with his prized garden. He had come prepared with some carefully and beautifully carved branches, his porcupine friends having chipped away at the bark until it came away in spiralled and unique patterns - clearly done intentionally. He placed each stick firmly into the ground until it built a sort of fence around the seeds, hoping that would be enough to encourage others away from disturbing the dirt here. If all else failed, the passionate yearling would set up camp and sleep beside the newly planted seeds. He did not appreciate the thought of going through all this work for nothing, only to see the garden destroyed a week from now.

With his seeds planted and a raincloud in the distance, Acacius and Pocus departed for home. It would be a season or more before the plants could be harvested, but he had remained patient throughout the winter so surely he could continue to be patient throughout the spring. When the summer finally arrived and the plants had flowered, he could return to begin the harvest. Every part of the plant could be used, and being paw-grown with his own sweat and blood, surely whatever sort of potion he'd craft them into would be exceptionally powerful in turn.

Word Count: 1007