Chapter Text
Jade had expected a botanical anomaly—a vast, hidden sanctuary of frozen moss and rare alpine vegetation that would bring any avid botanist to his knees. What he found instead was a rebellion against nature itself. Two eagles perched on the crown of the stone didn’t mind sharing space, and timid marmots that would scurry away at the sound of shifting gravel instead formed a furry blanket of twitching snouts and soft brown pelts near the wall of rock. The dusty, barren paradise of the mountainside bore the faint scent of a forest after downpour, mixed with the slight metallic tang of cooling sweat.
Stepping closer, the moray eel watched the centerpiece of this bizarre woodland court come into focus.
Tucked into the sun-warmed cradle of the stone was a boy clad in ink-black Diasomnia training leathers, a heavy wooden sword slumped lazily against his thigh.
Jade squinted.
Silver Vanrouge was utterly, profoundly asleep. Chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm, lips slightly parted in soft breaths—in the harsh, unfiltered glare of the high-altitude sun, his hair seemed like spun starlight, casting soft glints of violet onto the dead, grey crags. His arms lay relaxed on his stomach, and a small water canteen lay at his side. That and his sword were all he seemed to have brought. Even the moray eel, who had a different motive entirely, stopped to watch the knight—transfixed by the scene in front of him.
He took a step closer, shadow enveloping Silver. Once the sight of Silver had settled, Jade’s shoulders slumped, and he found that his smile had faded. Upon closer inspection, it was apparent that no plant apart from dead weeds were to be found. The unconscious boy stirred as Jade scrutinized the stones, a small mumble causing the vice-housewarden’s eyes to shoot back to the figure below him.
“Mm… I dozed off…”
Jade met aurora eyes, the teal colour of his hair swimming in them as Silver looked up at him.
“Ah, Jade. This rock was warm and comfortable, I suddenly found myself taking a break to lie down… Sorry, I must be taking up the plateau. I shall move, now.”
Silver mumbled incoherently as he sat up, then shook his head. Slowly, he moved off to the side of the alcove, allowing the small rodents space to travel with him. Jade straightened his posture, taking note of the shaking puffs of air that Silver let out, and the goosebumps that travelled up his skin. It was a shame—he would’ve enjoyed the stew.
“And a good afternoon to you, Silver. Training, I presume?”
“Indeed..” Silver yawned, reaching for his water canteen. He tipped it back, only to pause as a few meager drops hit his tongue. “Though I should head back quickly. I told the others that I would be back by sundown. If I happen to fall asleep again and arrive late, Fa—Lilia may worry for me.”
Jade sat next to Silver. Silver, the close friend of lichen-seeking marmots. “He may. Though, a word of advice: running down a steep mountain with loose shale may worry your peers more than your tardiness. Perhaps rest would be favourable first?” He unbuckled his hiking pack, the shift in posture drawing Silver's attention downwards.
Silver lowered his empty canteen, eyes widening at the unlit, compact stove that Jade had set upon a smooth stone. He turned to Silver, brass and aluminium parts clinking as he extracted cups from his bag—only two despite the three that he had packed, just in case Floyd and Azul had an unforeseen change of heart. “I don’t suppose you’d appreciate some herbal tea?”
“I—I would,” Silver’s eyes were fixed on the kettle. “Thank you, Jade.”
One of the two eagles leaned in closer at the staccato of a plastic lighter flicking, tilting their heads at the sudden whoosh that followed, compressed gas igniting into a tight, rushing crown of bright blue flames. Against the sky they were barely visible, but the heat shimmering above warped the air subtly, a detail that Silver noticed as Jade emptied a bottle of water into the small kettle set on the stone.
“The pleasure is mine.”
As the water slowly came to a boil, Jade introduced his bittersweet, crushed botanicals. “It’s an original, custom blend. We truly are fortunate students here at Night Raven College; what wonderful resources we have at our disposal.”
Fogging in the crisp air, the steam seemed to wrap itself around the two, Silver’s shoulders dropping away from his ears as the soft, rolling wave of warmth met his skin. “Mm. But, I'm not sure if it's entirely our school. The preparation that goes into your voyages must be extensive. I admire your passion."
Jade’s hands stilled over the open kettle for a moment before he added the leaves, the rustling catching the attention of the rodents who lingered still at Silver’s other side. “You’re too kind, Silver." The kettle was centered well on the stove, but Jade adjusted it anyways. "If we speak of diligence, you surely outshine me.”
The moment the herbs met water, the bubbles reached high, a surge of aromatic fog carrying a resinous, sharp musk of crushed needles and the pungent, camphorous sting of wild alpine roots. The sterile air of the mountain bore the weight of Jade’s homemade creations once again, the vice-housewarden allowing the tea to settle for a moment before taking the kettle off of the stove.
Pine-stained liquid flowed into the two travel cups. Jade handed the steaming ceramic over, watching as Silver’s slightly trembling, leather-gloved fingers wrapped tightly around the heat. A soft sigh slipped past the knight’s lips, warmth visibly thawing the tight posture he had carried since waking.
Jade lifted his own cup, taking a slow sip of the astringent brew. Over the rim, his heterochromic eyes shifted sideways. He had climbed 2,500 meters into a desolate wasteland of rime ice and stone, determined to hunt down a rare, pristine botanical specimen to lock away in a sampling jar and grow. Yet, staring at the boy sitting a mere few inches away, Jade felt the length of his detour sink in. Under the blinding, unfiltered glare of the sun, the sharp line of Silver’s jaw and the impossibly long lashes casting fan-like shadows over his flush dusted cheeks kept Jade’s attention. The wind combed its fingers through Silver’s hair each time a draft snuck past the opening of their spot. Yes, Silver was exquisite. But Jade noted that, after the glassy depth of shifting colours in Silver’s astounded eyes, he had found the small jump that second-year made at the taste of his tea—followed by a slow, involuntary hum of contentment as he leaned closer to the warm ceramic—the most beautiful part of the image. Knowing his custom blend had successfully thawed the knight’s defenses brought a warmth in Jade's chest, completely irrelevant to the stove.
For all his calculations, the moray eel had to internally concede that, in this moment, a perfect mountainside view was entirely subjective. He had scaled the summit with a very specific reward waiting in his pack, reserved only for when the setting felt exactly right. He had intended to wait for the horizon, but watching the soft sunlight trace the figure beside him, Jade felt that he hadn't brewed it a minute late or early.
Silver lowered his cup, his shivering finally ceasing as the camphorous warmth settled into his chest. The heat seemed to clear the last of his drowsiness, prompting him to finally look past the jagged lip of the rocky alcove, out toward the endless horizon where the saturated blue sky melted flawlessly into a rolling, infinite sea of white clouds below them.
“It really is beautiful,” Silver said, a sort of innocence in his wonder. “My motive was to train, and so I focused on my breathing and running uphill. But this place… The mountainside scenery is truly incredible.”
Jade didn’t turn his head. He didn’t look at the horizon, or the clouds, or the sky. His gaze remained fixed on the pristine side-profile of the one beside him, watching the sunlight trace the edges of his face.
Bringing the travel cup back to his lips, a small, toothed smile crept back onto Jade’s face, his eyes glinting with a quiet, private amusement.
“Yes,” Jade murmured into the rising steam, his eyes never wavering from the knight for a single second. “I suppose this view is quite nice.”