They labored over the potions for the remainder of the day. Saara's pain often drew Lynx from the task at hand, leaving Ryock to pour over notes and observe the effects of combining his world's ingredients with hers. Some chemical reactions were more obvious than others and testing the fruits of their efforts on Saara would be more than a leap of faith from their combined knowledge.

"Who is that man with you?" Saara asked. "I've never seen him before."

"He's a... friend. Traveling from another city." Lynx smoothed Saara's blankets and turned her pillows. "His name is Ryock, and he is here helping me find a cure for you."

"He dresses funny."

"Oh?" The only piece of his attire she'd come into contact with was the fur around his collar. She hadn't given much of a thought to what else he may be wearing.

"I've never seen any of the boys around here dress like him. Like his coat. It's very tight."

Lynx chuckled. "Ah. Is that so?"

"Yeah! And his hair is so red. Does that mean he's like you, Lynx? That he can use magic?"

The potential correlation hadn't occurred to her. The first clue to Lynx's arcane abilities had been her violet hair growing in when she was just a toddler. She wondered if the others in the village had drawn similar conclusions upon seeing him. "That is very perceptive of you, Saara. Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course!"

Lynx dropped her voice to an excited whisper. "He does know magic."

"I knew it!" Saara giggled. "Is that why he has pointy ears, too?"

Lynx paused. "What do you mean?"

"Like the stories you've told me. Of elves? Like that, I think."

That rendered Lynx speechless. Elves were a subject of sharp contention in many parts of her world. Very few travelers—and even fewer citizens of Analyn—spoke of them. They were a race thought to be extinct. "O-oh! Yes, like an elf. But I do not believe all elves know magic."

"Oh! I see." Saara's voice broke. She grimaced but forced down her discomfort.

Lynx took her hand and concentrated. A sharp throb she'd grown intimately familiar with filled out beneath her skin, creeping from the tips of her fingers to the bottom of her feet. How Saara managed to hide the severity of her pain was a wonder—even absorbing a piece of it was a task Lynx had grown to dread. She'd never experienced anything like it; there was no definitive beginning or end to it. No specific location she could identify and call its origin.

"Um...Lynx?" Saara murmured.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Lynx's heart broke. She wished she could say she'd done anything of note for Saara to be grateful for. She was beginning to worry that her endeavors were doing nothing more than keeping the girl in agony for longer than she needed to be. Orlando's words were a constant echo in the back of her mind. You're wasting your time.

"You're welcome, love," she said, her voice cracking on the words.

"I think I've got it," Ryock called from the doorway.

Lynx nodded and mentally detached herself from Saara's pain. "Let's try it then."

"You know another language?" Saara asked Lynx.

Lynx was still trying to solve that particular mystery herself. "Yes."

Saara gasped as Ryock moved to stand beside Lynx. She reached out both hands and made grabbing motions with her fists. "Can I touch his ears?"

"What does she want?" Ryock chuckled at Saara's overreaching.

"She...wishes to touch your ears," Lynx answered honestly. "You're an elf?"

Ryock sat down on the side of Saara's bed and leaned forward so she could reach. Saara traced and poked his ears and giggled in glee. "We're referred to as 'arlez' where I'm from. I didn't see how it was important to mention."

"I have a feeling I was not the only point of interest in the Snow Rabbit, then." Lynx pulled her hair over one shoulder and plaited one long, pensive braid into her hair.

"No. But I'm used to it."

"I want to try these on. Can I try these on?" Saara suddenly asked Lynx.

Ryock caught on before Lynx could answer, removing his glasses and handing them to Saara.

"Yay!" Saara slipped them on her face. "Oh. Wow. How do you see through these?"

"She's asking how you see through them," Lynx laughed.

"The better question is how I see without them," Ryock replied.

Lynx could hear a genuine smile in his voice. Her heart skipped.

"They help him with his magic, Saara. Please be careful?" Lynx requested.

"Oh! Sorry!" Saara gingerly handed them back to him. "Can you tell him I said I'm sorry? I didn't know."

"She apologizes for taking your glasses."

Ryock shook his head. "No need to be sorry." He ruffled Saara's hair. "Let's try this potion, then?"

"Saara, Ryock and I created a new medicine for you to try. Would you mind taking it for us?" Lynx asked.

"Mhm," Saara murmured.

Lynx could sense her nervousness. The other tonics had fallen flat—some had left her with lasting, irritating side effects.

Ryock handed her the small wooden bowl he'd used to create the final potion. Saara glanced into it before peering up at both of them. "Will you stay after I drink it?"

"She's asking if we will stay with her," Lynx translated.

Ryock nodded.

"Okay." Saara nodded and summoned her courage before drinking every drop from the bowl. "It's sweet!" she said.

"You sweetened it?" Lynx asked.

"A little honey won't hurt anyone, I think." Ryock shrugged.

"How do you feel, Saara?" Abandoning her braid, Lynx took Saara's hand and closely observed for any shifts or changes Saara experienced.

Saara yawned and snuggled back into her sheets. "A little sleepy."

"This is the elixir with the sedative. If she's tired, that's normal," Ryock provided.

"Her pain is very steadily waning. It is slow, but it is noticeable," Lynx noted. "I pray this holds. But I will need to stay and monitor her for the evening."

"I'll do it."

"What?"

"I'll stay with her. There's a cot in here, and you need sleep. Isla can walk you home, and you can come back in the morning."

"But—"

"You said she wakes up during the night if her pain is too great—that won't change. I can make snap alterations to the medicine if necessary. She won't be any worse off than she has been." Ryock took the bowl and set it on the corner table before kneeling beside Saara's bed. "But you aren't helping any of us by not sleeping."

Saara's lids were heavy, and her words were slurred. "Are you arguing? Did I do something wrong?" She rolled to the side and snuck her free hand into Ryock's palm. "I didn't mean to."

"No, my sweet. You did not do anything wrong. Is it alright if Ryock stays here with you for the evening? He will fetch me straightaway if you call."

"Mhm. If he's your friend, he can be mine too." She nodded and giggled. "Just...don't leave yet?"

"No, not for a while yet," Lynx confirmed.

"Good." Saara yawned again and drifted off into her pillow.

Lynx and Ryock sat quietly beside Saara, each holding one of her delicate hands. There were so many things Lynx wanted to say to him, to ask him.

"Ryock, thank you."

"We're going to help her. I promise." Ryockcaught a strand of Lynx's hair that had fallen into her face and tucked itbehind her ear.

---

Thank you for reading! For early access to posted chapters, blogs, and more, check out my Patreon: www.patreon.com/whispersfromcat