Despite the care she had been taking, the scorching Tallsun sun was not being kind to the plants within the garden. Many of them were starting to show signs of too much heat - curling around the edges and brown dead patches on their leaves. She could stand all day in that garden, letting the nutrients leech magically from her hooves and replenish the soil, but what they really needed was a good rain and a few cloudy days to give the plants a break.

Just when they were starting to get it back to its previous glory, the weather was uncooperative.

Some of the herbs, gathered further north, were particularly affected by the weather and had died so she was moving among the planted rows and gently pulling out those that needed to be pulled.

Her mind was hazy with the work, welcoming the distraction that the labour gave her, and she was so focused that she startled when her companion’s voice cut into her mind.

‘Queenie’s owl!’ Hemlock alerted her as soon as he spotted Irma and he swooped to get the attention of the other companion before leading her towards Alysanne. That rush of fear and dread spread so quickly through her body, only getting more potent in the few moments between hearing her companion’s deep voice in her mind and confirming with her own eyes that it was Mauja’s Irma that he was with. “Oh! What’s he done now?!” She asked the owl curiously, knowing very well that Irma could not answer her but feeling better for it all the same. The last time she had been summoned by the owls of Mauja, he had a minor burn and Myrinne was bleeding out from a difficult birth while a handful of stallions stood around and chatted.

What would she find this time?

She quickly abandoned the plants she had been tending and followed the owls.

To her surprise and delight, Mauja was standing in one piece and there didn’t seem to be any injuries on the roan pegasus with him as well. She didn’t bother to hide how she was checking them both over as she approached - that unease in the back of her mind ebbing slowly as she came up with a lack of major injuries. It seemed odd that she could have been called for anything else beyond her abilities as a doctor - but it would seem the day would be full of surprises.

“Hello Mauja, are you well?” She greeted him with an amiable smile before turning her green eyes to the stranger by his side, her ears perked with interest. “I’m Alysanne, can I help you two with anything?” Hemlock, instead of landing in his usual spot between her black ears, settled for circling overhead for the moment. He felt uneasy in the presence of Mauja’s much larger owl companions - both wanting to befriend them and fearing them - and the result was he did not know what to do with himself.