Rosella's one true love

e stirred the embers of last night's fire, adding dry wood to coax flames b

hild," Elar

ing her mother sit u

tings with neighbors, her feet carrying her to the nearby well. The

a meager meal of bread and porridge. Their small cottage, pa

Elara's cou

fetch the healer

nd. "I'll be fine,

d, worry etch

etable garden, feeding their sole chicken, and mending worn clothing.

t the window. The rolling hills and lush forests surroundin

rbs for mother." s

icker basket and scissors for her herb-gathering task. She walked t

ing a well-trodden path. Sunlight filtered through the c

rifted to her mother's worsening cough. She worried about the

the nearby bus

d, looking around for

who's

n out of

eer," she sig

rge brown ey

atched, m

le grazing calm

umed gathe

eturned to her

reased

ckened

ish he

e nig

home, her mother's c

Rosella said, sett

weakly from t

d the thyme?

, concern etch

worse. I'll ma

eyes d

ne, child.

lla knew

ad lingered

s Hannah, had diagnosed

feared t

ould exacerbate

sive if not scarce. But nevertheless, Rosella's determination h

reate a soothing tea. She then mixed crushed thyme and ros

," Rosella said, he

tea, her eyes clo

the poultice t

your cough," R

smiled

atural heal

of herbal remedies c

watched Agnes tend t

properties

la's wound-h

r's calmin

fascinat

ced alongs

the art of

e poultice, ensuri

's your coug

yes flutt

child. Th

d, relief was

ht supper – vegeta

but Rosella enco

sella helped Elar

th you," Rose

nd grasped

ild. You n

. She watched Elara's frail form,

re cra

anced on

ness worsens?" Rosell

esponsibility p

s stung as te

lip, holdi

rtainty wrest

ther doesn

l care

armth couldn

l of lon

thoughts

r's illne

agile ex

er, no

each

resolve

are for

ter th

ght of resp

her at

e n

d at Elara'

nally claime

exhaustion

r mind

intricately carved wooden box on the

flooded

lus, a sturdy soldi

r, barely 19 when h

left, Rosella

didn't return

ia and Winervia had c

ding

tters had fille

had made

ence fo

of the w

st of fall

nd Eryndor,

tched in

fell, dripping

ill raw a

e voice had c

lara neede

wiped he

ion harden

are for

r family

eir lov

re cra

ws da

s though

ence, reso

ce whate

er mo

hers

resolve

s to improve E

re their

ed, Rose

gan to

s fo

ther mor

ent with ne

t Mrs

k her g

stoppe

d out th

cast a si

l's sleepi

of peace

her w

newed p

urned to El

er's che

with gent

la sm

k Elara

ace this

th

a st

sel

m h

t n

s eyes

la wa

her m

h the

Rosella's thoughts t

t community had alwa

she could c

h her wisdom and

'd fashioned tools for

hose warm blanke

would rally

determin

eek the

guid

he'd visit

re her

woul

es and tr

eir small

's collecti

Elara's

's eyes

claimi

ed into t

Elara

crep

ire's em

lage's

d arou

warm

early the n

tion l

ope r

ough had

Madam Hann

illagers'

la sm

repared

ge wit

's fa

, how a

d, serving t

eyes bri

er, c

s heart

rel

hey

rmth a

illage g

illed h

Elara, she noticed a

l lingered, but

her own

esili

y herb

oultice

forting w

la re

than a worr

a villag

a source

on of

l's darkes

ound self

tears to

ense of

er h

la's

bled

e grew s

tended

e vill

confidence ripple

her assured pride, h

vering d

ired

heir own

newed c

acksmith, appr

or Elara ins

voice filled

ed to have y

eaver, nodded

ngth is co

s heart

hum

purp

veryone. Her confidence grew as she navig

g, as star

sat besi

at her w

, you've

ning

r vil

la's

ming

h j

grat