Fragments of a Wanderer: Petrichor

The ink on the pages of the tome was beginning to blur into indecipherable marks. There might’ve been the rune for “ca”, or was it “ha”...?

Fayen felt the dull aching pain behind their eyes radiate ever deeper into their head. They pulled their spectacles from their face and closed their eyes, bringing a hand up to gently massage the creases on their forehead away.

What were they doing wrong? No matter how many hours they poured into that accursed tome, they made no progress. How much more time would they waste away chasing this futile dream?

Fayen set their hand down on the desk and replaced their spectacles. In front of them, streams of light filtered through the half-drawn curtains of their modest window and caught on the specks of dust in the air. 

How had they missed it?

The storm clouds had been dark enough earlier that Fayen was forced to light a candle. Now the sun exerted her full force, brightening the room with ease, though there were sparkling beads of water left on the window pane which had yet to dissipate. Even from inside, the verdant green of the garden underneath the sun’s rays was mesmerizing.

And here they were, hunched over their desk.

The prospect of taking a walk had barely reached their mind when they rose to their feet and strode out the door.

Warm, humid air carrying the scent of fresh earth greeted Fayen as they stepped out onto a gravel path. They breathed in deeply. Fragrant herbs, shrubs, and grasses enveloped them— the smell of home. Years of living in this forest had only enhanced its effects.

Fayen proceeded through the garden, minding pools of mud as they walked. The greenery surrounding them was coated in a dewy sheen that commanded attention regardless of where their gaze happened to fall.

They look healthy, Fayen thought, as they approached a group of tall, stalky plants. They watched as a water droplet slid down the wide leaves and fell to the ground, and then another…

The rain had passed, but together with the sunshine and soil it would continue to nourish this garden for days to come. Fayen smiled at the idea, simple though it was. Its simplicity made it real, something tangible, something to hold onto. They could debate with themself over many things, but they couldn’t go against the laws of nature. The plants would grow— along with weeds, which they’d help their family clear in due time.  

The sound of birdsong above interrupted their thoughts. They glanced upwards, searching the trees. Suddenly a gust of wind rustled the leaves, and a dark-colored bird darted from the branches to land somewhere beyond Fayen’s sight. Although Fayen couldn’t identify the bird, its presence wasn’t surprising. They knew a family of blackbirds that’d been roosting nearby for years. Surely this bird was a part of that family. 

Another errant breeze came, toying playfully with their shirt and ruffling their hair. It was… comfortable. In this heat, it was mostly ineffectual, but it felt pleasant against their sun-warmed skin nonetheless.

Fayen turned their head to look at the sky. Azure blue stretched towards the horizon, partially hidden by some lingering clouds. For a moment, they imagined themself to be one of those clouds, drifting slowly, aimlessly…

“Ah, there you are, darling.”

Their gaze followed the sound of their mother’s voice, and they saw her, with a filled basket in tow.

“Enjoying the sunshine?” she asked light-heartedly, walking up to them.

“Mm. It’s a lovely day.”

 

--- Author's Notes ---

Word count: 590 words

Prompt #101: Weather

This scene takes place in Fayen's home village when they were just starting to really learn magic, long before any portal business began.

Short one, but unfortunately that's all I could manage. I hope I was able to get my message across despite the low word count. Thank you for reading.