Northstar Vale artificer

Towhee stood beside the spring, thirst freshly slaked and eyes glassy. She still felt under the weather, the congestion having migrated to her chest. She could breathe a little better now, though wet coughs wracked her frame at regular intervals. She hadn’t slept well and Towhee knew she’d disturbed Maxim’s rest too. She just hoped he might avoid coming down with this terrible cold somehow.

She sensed someone approaching and turned her head slowly, assuming it was her mate. But it was young Zosime, signing Towhee’s name in an obvious bid to get her attention. Despite how poorly she felt, the Theos turned to properly face the child, a wan smile on her lips.

-“Hey there. I wouldn’t get too close, I don’t know how contagious I am,”- she greeted, the words punctuated with a brief but phlegmatic hacking. -“What brings you my way, Zosime?”- she wondered.