A bit subdued after the unexpected emotional moment, the girls and I decided to head for Amelia's parents, even if it was a little early.

"Ooh, make a right here." Amelia says after a few blocks. "There's a good wine shop up ahead, and I wouldn't mind grabbing a bottle or two."

"Sure thing." I nod and make the turn. "I could use a drink myself."

"Welcome to the Wine Cellar, how can I help... Amelia?" A peppy young woman dashes out from behind the counter to wrap the blonde up in a hug. "Why didn't you tell me you got back in town?"

"Helen? When did you start working here?" A smile lights up Amelia's face as she hugs her friend back. "Sorry, I didn't get in touch, but it's just been a few days and things have been kinda busy."

"I can see that." She says while looking me up and down. "Who's your new friend... friends?" She adds after spotting Apricot, though I don't know how she missed her and her wings.

"I'm Sorrel." I introduce myself. "And, this is Apricot. We met Amelia on the road back from Northwood. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too." She gives Amelia a look that makes her blush.

Apricot and I wander off into the store, giving Amelia a chance to catch up with her old friend. I'm just walking aimlessly, but the pixie is going around from bottle to bottle sniffing at their corks.

"This one." She hands me a bottle before going back to her bloodhound routine. "Here." She hands me another bottle. "Ooh, get two of these." I have to fight back a laugh when she bends over and flashes her lack of panties after homing in on a particularly good smelling wine.

"What about the ones on that shelf, down there?" I say with a grin.

"Nnh, no." She shakes her head. "But, if you want me to bend over again, all you have to do is ask." She winks at me over her shoulder, and I hear Amelia choke on her words.

"Heheheheh." I chuckle wickedly.

"I think those four should be enough." Amelia rushes over, blushing madly while her friend hides a smile.

"Miss Rialta? Oh, it is you." An older woman walks stately out of a small doorway behind the counter. "I thought I heard a voice I hadn't for a while now. How's your aunt doing?"

"Thank you for asking Mistress Pru." Amelia dips into a shallow curtsy. "Carmen is quite well thanks to Sorrel here. He was even able to heal the underlying cause of her clumsiness."

"A healer, eh?" The woman who is old enough to be my grandmother looks me up and down like a piece of meat. "I see you've got good taste too. But, I may just happen to have a bottle of select from the royal Elialle vineyards. It and those are yours if you can do something about this ache in my joints."

"Oh?" I tilt my head to one side. "I suppose it would give me a chance to try out those spells that Elise just showed me. Please sit down and let me have a look." I approach the shop owner and set the bottles of wine on the counter next to her.

Sending my magic into the woman's body, I see that she's in alright shape for a person of her age. Maybe a little too much wine over the years, but aside from that and her arthritis there are no major health issues.

"There's some old scarring on the ligaments of your left knee." I state after a moment. "But, other than that it seems to just be arthritis, the cushioning cartilage between your joints gets worn down as you age. Well, your liver could also be in better shape, but it's not as bad as it could be for the owner of a wine shop."

"Is there nothing you can do then?" She looks as though she expected that answer, but is disappointed nonetheless.

"I never said that." I shoot her my most winning smile and manage to bring a slight blush to her cheeks. "I just need you to drink this for me, then it's just a matter of a few spells. Fire and water to reduce the inflammation, and then light to promote growth. I don't have anything for scarring yet, so I'll just have to do that the hard way."

"Hard way?" She questions while taking a cautious whiff of the healing sap.

"That healing sap you're so suspicious of transfers my vitality to its recipient." I explain. "I'll just concentrate it on the scars and let it do its thing."

"Are you sure?" She looks at the tumbler with awe. "It's not going to hurt you is it?"

"It doesn't take anything out of me that a large meal can't replace." I smile back at the worry in her eyes. "Now, drink up. I promise I haven't had any complaints about the taste yet."

This earns another blush from Pru and Amelia along with a round of titters from Apricot and Helen. Once the older woman finally drinks the healing sap, I send it to the trouble areas while also using it as a conduit to cast the more traditional healing spells.

"Elise was right about your sap bypassing the body's natural resistance." Apricot's eyes shine as she examines the spells I'm casting. "You could be working magic on a plant right now for all the interference you're not getting."

"Mmm." Pru closes her eyes and lets slip a small moan as the inflammation in all of her joints disappears.

"We're almost done, Ma'am." I say and switch over to the light spell, going from joint to joint until I get the hang of it. "You'll have the joints of a woman less than half your age after this."

"And, you'll have a discount in my store for as long as it stands." She replies with her eyes still closed.

It only takes another moment to finish up. The scarring at her knee didn't take nearly as much effort to repair as healing Carmen's and Annette's ears. This fact combined with my inability to get a clear scan of Annette's brain, and the knowledge that the simpler an animal is, the easier it is to influence, all lead me to the conclusion that intelligence is responsible for the magical interference.

This also makes me think that a drug that affects the brain might make normal healers more effective. I'm sure someone would have noticed by now if alcohol or poppy juice was enough. I lack knowledge of modern anesthetics, but I'll pass the idea onto Elise and see what she thinks of it.

"And... we're all done." I pat her on the knee and watch as her anticipatory wince of pain turns into a wide smile of relief and joy. "The scarring on your knee didn't take as much effort as I thought it would so I was able to put a bit more work into your liver. But..." I hold up a finger. "You still need to watch what you drink."

"Oh, thank you, dearie." She stands up and pulls me into a deep hug. "You have no idea what it means to be able to stand up and move around without constant pain. And, don't worry about me drinking too much, my healers have long since warned me about that. Now, just give me a moment to gather that bottle for you. Helen, wrap up these bottles for them."

"No need." I wave my hand and place them into storage. To which Pru just nods and practically dances off into the rear of the store.

"That was impressive." Helen says while looking at the doorway her boss just disappeared through. "I hear she was a dancer when she was younger, but hasn't been able to move like that in years. I shouldn't say anything, but you know you could charge a lot more than a bottle of select for healing like that, right?"

"Maybe, but I needed to practice those spells anyways." I shrug. "And, I'm sure the discount will come in handy in the future."

"Amelia hooking up with a man that doesn't care about coin. How on Earth did that happen." Helen laughs at her friend.

"That's easy." I laugh, and then again harder when Amelia blushes, no doubt thinking I'm about to say something naughty. "I just let her handle all the money." I stick my tongue out at her when she breathes a relieved sigh.

"So, you're handsome, talented, and smart." Pru says with a laugh from the doorway. She's cradling a large wine bottle in her arms, much like a mother would hold her baby. "This is one of the best bottles in my personal collection; you've more than earned it."

"Thank you." I bow my head to her and take the bottle with the same reverence she showed to it. "I'll be sure to offer up a toast in your name when we open it."

"Oh, if only I was a few years younger." The older woman sighs under her breath before clapping her hands. "Alright, I've got friends to go brag to, so don't be surprised if a few more old folks show up at your door in the coming days. Helen, lock up an hour after dark, like usual."

"Yes, Ma'am." She replies and watches with a smile as the now spry old woman walks outside with a spring in her step.

"We should get going too." Amelia says. "My parents will be getting home soon, and I'm sure Sorrel will need a snack after that. Helen, it was great seeing you again, I promise we'll get together soon."

"I'll hold you to that." Her friend wraps Amelia up in a hug and then whispers in her ear just loud enough for me to hear. "And, I expect to hear 'all' the details."

Apricot and I grin while walking the blushing blonde out of the wine shop.

...

"So, you and your parents are kind of a big deal." I say as we pull up outside their home. It was dark the last time I was here, so I didn't notice how nice it was. "Everyone, including the Baron seems to know who you are, even up in Southwood."

"Oh, Daddy used to run supplies to and from Southwood, his company does it now." Her voice is filled with pride as she explains. "As for all this, he and mom made a really good deal when we were younger and were then able to leverage it into what you see today."

"So, I'm dating a rich girl. Nice." I say with a smug smile.

"Oh, shut up." She playfully swats me on the shoulder. "I wish you cared more about money in general, but I like that you don't actually care about my family's money. I don't know what's worse, the creeps after me for my body, or the ones who just want my parents' coin."

"What's wrong with lusting after your body?" - "Is wanting both alright?" Apricot and I speak over each other and then start cracking up. Temmie even throws in a few *Dings*.

"You two are such butts." Amelia huffs and stalks up to the door.

"Oh, Baby." I slide up behind her and pull her into a hug. "You know we're just teasing, right? I love that big sexy brain of yours just as much as-"

*Ahem.* My eyes snap up to see her mother waiting at the now open door.

"Missus Rialta." I quickly disengage from her daughter who is now smirking at me while Apricot giggles. "How lovely to see you again. As the source of Amelia's beauty and intellect, perhaps you can help me convince her." I give her a courtly bow and not so subtly hold out a selection of chocolate.

"Oh, get in here you three." She rolls her eyes and moves aside, but makes sure to take the chocolate. "Is he always like this?" She asks Amelia.

"Thankfully, no." The blonde shakes her head with a smile. "But, you should have seen him with old Pru from the wine shop. I never thought I'd get to see her blush."

"Mhm, speaking of..." I retrieve the bottle the old woman gifted to me. "She gave me this for taking care of her arthritis, but I wasn't much of a wine drinker back home and am completely unfamiliar with the local varieties."

"That..." Amelia's eyes go wide. "That's not the Elialle select. That's from Laruna, one of the best winemakers in this part of the world. You don't even know how many leagues that had to travel to get here."

"It smells good." Apricot gives the bottle an approving sniff.

"So..." I draw out the word while peering down at the bottle in my hand. "Save it for a special occasion, then?"

"I've heard of people buying Titles in Cendassa with lesser bottles than that." Amelia scoffs. "So, yeah. Save it for something special."

"You must have made an impression on Pru if she was willing to hand that over." Kaitlyn gives me a reappraising look.

"Her joints were a painful mess." I answer honestly. "Amelia's friend Helen said that Pru used to be a dancer, and she must have danced away almost all of her cartilage. I just replaced what was missing after taking care of the inflammation."

"And, you have no idea how rare that is." Amelia says with a gentle smile. "Especially in a place like Riverton where it's something of a miracle that we have not one, but two high tier healers."

"Would you rather I get a big head about stuff like this?" I say with a sigh. "It's not like I don't understand, but what am I going to do? Not help a nice old lady whose every movement causes her pain?"

"You really are just a big ol' softie, aren't you?" Apricot wraps her arms around me.

"Which is exactly why I wanted to learn those spells from Elise." I reply while rubbing the small of her back with a vine. "I know I can't help everyone, but I also can't just sit by while others suffer."

***

I tried to help out in the kitchen but Kaitlyn shooed me out. My attitude towards helping people seems to have won me some points with her, but she made it clear that that is her kitchen.

She didn't have anything planned for dessert though, just a store-bought cake. So I borrowed Amelia's ice magic to make the chocolate ice cream I promised her earlier.

"Just how many recipes do you have for this stuff?" Turner asks after making sure his wife can't see him sneaking a spoonful.

"A few... hundred." More like over a thousand if you include all the duplicates. Everyone seems to have their own spin on chocolate chip cookies, cake, and brownies. "I'll have to write them all down later, but for now I'm just happy to have a decent stock built up."

"Would have had even more if you didn't chop down that poor tree." Apricot pouts, still upset about the cacao tree.

"But, if I didn't then what would I have to treat Blackie with?" I hold a few wood chips up to my cane which promptly devours them. "But, if it makes you feel better I'll grow an even bigger one. But, we're going to need a steady supply of milk if I'm to make enough chocolate to suit your appetite."

"Apricot isn't the only one with an appetite for this chocolate of yours." Turner interjects. "Have you thought about how you're going to bring it to market?"

"Not at all." I say with a smile before wrapping an arm around his daughter. "I thought I'd leave that to someone who actually has a head for business."

"Heheheh." The man chuckles at his daughter's blushing face. "Well, I hope you won't mind if your business partner's father asks a few questions. Riverton being a trade city, my first two are. How long can it be stored? And, how well does it travel?"

"Quite well." I answer. "Up to a year for milk chocolate and twice that for dark. Cocoa powder will last even longer. Provided everything is kept cool and dry that is. Oh, and away from anything smelly, chocolate soaks up scents like a sponge."

"So, you wouldn't want to ship it during the summer?" He prompts.

"You could, but you'd probably get what is called bloom. This is just the sugar and fats separating, but it's completely recoverable. You just need to melt down and re-temper the chocolate, a process that anyone with a decent thermometer can do."

"Daddy." Amelia speaks up. "You have all the foreign contacts, so it would make more sense for you to handle that side of things."

They were just starting to get into the details when Kaitlyn announced that dinner was ready. I was able to take the edge off my hunger from healing Pru by raiding the stash of snacks I've taken to keeping in storage. But, I still ended up eating two full plates, and nearly a pint of ice-cream.

"Good thing I made extra because I already knew you ate a lot." Kaitlyn laughs.

"Mmm. Thank you, Ma'am." I nod to her between bites. "It was a delicious meal."

"This ice cream isn't half bad either." She smiles while scooping up the last bite in her bowl. "Roddy will be jealous that he missed it, but he insisted on catching up with his friends tonight."

"Speaking of your brother." Turner interjects. "He was complaining all day that he had to do inventory on his own, and barely got anything done. Any chance you could stop by tomorrow and help out?"

"That's fine." She nods after looking at me. "But, Sorrel has a big meeting with the enchanter's guild at lunch. He's helping Rozelle to keep Olivar from becoming the guild head."

"Oh?" He cocks an eyebrow in my direction. "Planning to bribe them all with chocolate?"

"Something better, actually." I lift up the tiny crystal I got from Ro's shop. "I figured out how mana nodes work, along with how to grow and duplicate them. I also know a few math tricks that Ro seemed excited about." I go on to explain about algae and coral again.

We stay for a little while longer after that, though it was mostly just Amelia and her father chatting about business. By the time even Kaitlyn was looking bored, I decided that it had gone on long enough and extricated the three of us. A gently snoring pixie helped my case quite a bit.

Only the small gate was open by the time we reached the wall, but I just slipped the rickshaw into storage for the few seconds it took us to walk through.

"Mhm, it looks like William is already asleep." I comment as we pass by their farm. "Remind me to talk to him about an alchemy lab in the morning."

"Sure, but do you think you have enough magic to finish the plumbing?" Amelia nods. "I could kill for a shower right now. And, umm." She's blushing bright enough to be seen even in the dark when I look back at her. "I know it's gross and all, but..."

"Period sex?" I ask while trying not to laugh at her bashfulness. "It's not gross, and all you had to do was ask." It's not like we don't have the magic to clean up afterward, either.

I quickly build a water tank that Amelia fills with hot water while I hook up the septic system. The rest of the night was spent getting dirty and clean at the same time.

***