Lira gently took the seeds from the satchel, counting them carefully in her palm.
"One… two… three… twenty," she whispered. "Twenty seeds. I should plant them so each has its own space to grow."
She walked slowly past the neat rows of herbs and magical plants they had already planted together. The others followed, curious. In the middle of a clear patch, she stopped and pointed toward the soft earth.
"Here," she said, her voice steady. "Here we should plant them."
Renkai and Thalanir rushed forward at the same time, almost bumping shoulders.
"I shall help you," they both declared in unison.
Lira blinked at them, tilting her head slightly. They're acting… odd.
In the back of her mind, the tree spirit chuckled, the sound like rustling old leaves.
"Ho ho ho… youngsters."
Lira bit back a smile but said nothing.
Renkai cleared his throat. "How deep do we dig?"
