Chapter Text
Rosemary pulled Sage along, “C’mon Sage! Mama’s dinner is about to start!”
“I know Rothe! You’ve been talkin about it all week!” Sage happily followed along, keeping hold of the hat too big for her seven-year-old head,
The two sat at the table, Rose pulling the shorter into her lap so she could actually see the table, “Thankth!” She got a roll for both of them, her hat set in what was her assigned seat,
Words were spoken, but the two were just waiting for the lady of honor, who seemed to be taking her sweet time on getting there. “Papa, when doeth Auntie get here?” Sage looked at her dad, who softly smiled at her,
“She’ll be here soon, she just needs to get out of her work outfit, a monster nearly got into Pebble,” He quietly explained to his daughter, though he made sure only those two heard,
They heard the noise pick up, looking around, before they caught sight of Rosemary’s mother. The tall woman, frame broad, hair up, walked to the table with her husband, who was putting a band aid on a cut on her cheek, “Good evening Pebble!” She shouted to the town of people, “Thank you all for coming to, and providing for this feast!”
The crowd cheered, Eugene picking up Rosemary and Sage as they clapped for her, “I’m going to miss Pebble’s food, but tonight is not for what I’ll miss, it is to celebrate what I have now! Let the celebration commence!”
Immediately people dug into the food, Rosemary given the seat next to Lavender, who smiled fondly down at her, “Why hello there, Cutie, how have you and Sage been doing?”
“Good! We went on an adventure, helped a toad cross the road, kept birds from attacking the scarecrow, and helped Papa make the bread!”
“Wow! Good job you two, you’ll make wonderful guardians yet!” Sage noticed her mother’s uncomfortable look at that, but she held her tongue,
“We’ll be the best adventuring duo!” Rosemary wrapped an arm around Sage, who smiled brightly,
The dinner continued, jokes and chats crossing the table. The kids were allowed to run off, told the normal rule of stay out of the forest. Rosemary dragged Sage along, smiling as they ran around to find their next act of heroism “Oo! Sage! Your mom needs ingredients, right?”
“Yeah, but we can’t-“
“C’mon, they’ll probably be right there, and Mama will save us if it gets too bad,” Rosemary pulled her closer to the woods, unnoticing the shaking of her friend,
“…Ok, but it’ll have to be quick! If Ma findth out..”
“We’ll tell her we just found them on the edge and picked them, now what is the list?”
The two wandered far, sticking to the dirt path that led out of Pebble most of the way, before Rosemary pulled them off to get some glowing mushrooms for her play aunt,
Rosemary hummed a tune with Sage, which seemed to help them collect the mushrooms into Sage’s hat with the other things they had grabbed, “I think we’ve got enough!” Sage happily said, joyful to have done so well!
“Really? But it doesn’t feel like a lot..”
“..Maybe a couple more will do?”
“What else does she need?” Rosemary stood up, dusting her hands off, though they glowed still,
“Uh.. thomething called thtarfruit? I think it might be for your Mama’th journey?”
“Where do we find those?”
“Too far for uth to go Rothe, c’mon, we need to get goin!” Sage grabbed her hand, the light from the sun slowly leaving them with just the mushroom glow. Rosemary pulled against her, until the two heard the scratching of a familiar beast,
“Sage-“ But her friend was already pulling together the ingredients,
“Get behind me.” Rose did with no question, a shield going up as the timber beast almost hit them,
“Mama!” Rosemary screamed out as they kept being hit, unable to move from the spot and keep the shield where it had to be,
“Pleathe latht..” Sage begged under her breath, even though it wasn’t going to help, she knew it wouldn’t, no matter what her mother said,
Rose stopped calling out after a minute, throat raw. She looked around, trying to find something to do to help, or at least an escape for Sage. She found a rock, one that looked like it would be easy for even her to throw, “Sage, keep the shield up, I’ve got a plan!” Before her friend could ask what she meant she was running out, picking up the rock,
The timber beast watched the young guardian run from the protection and went after her. Rose threw the rock, watching it hit the thing square in the face, stopping it for a moment. “Rothe, c’mon!” Sage dropped the shield, running from the scene with her hat. Rosemary ran after her, tears muddying her sight,
She fell to the ground at one point, ankle twisting as she did. Sage turned back hearing the fall, seeing her friend on the ground with the beast coming after them. She went over to Rose, helping her up,
As she was facing the monster, Lavender got there, her sword hitting the creature strong, “What are you two doing here?!”
“W-We-“
“Tell me-“ She dodged a hit, sword cutting into the wooden flesh of the animal, “-when we get home, go!”
“We can’t leave you!”
“Go!”
Sage tried to lead Rosemary away, who tried to stay by her mother’s side still. It wasn’t until they saw her trusted sword, Budding Thorn, skid past them that Sage let them turn back around,
Lavender was pinned under the creature, black ooze beginning to surround both, “Auntie!” “Mama!” both screamed out, Sage looking down at the ingredients they had managed to get, “Rothe, I need you to thtep back,” Sage let her go, moving towards the fight,
“Sage wait-“
But by then it was too late. The light from the spell, a similar glow to the mushrooms, blinded Rosemary, making her look away,
When she opened her eyes again, she was at home, a cup in her hands, the steam of it smelling like cocoa. She looked towards the kitchen; the doors shut,
“..Ginge?” She called out, looking around, “Sage? Mama? Papa?”
“Rose!” She felt arms tightly wrap around her, her older brother holding her close. “Oh thank every god there is you’re safe!”
“What happened? Where’s-“
“Sage is with her mom, you.. might not be able to see her for a while,” He kept her in her seat when she tried to get up, “You need to stay seated, your leg-“
She finally looked down, and saw her leg bandaged tight. Though they needed to be changed soon, “..Ginge, where’s Mama?”
The silence that followed told the child all she needed to know.
He didn’t know.