The Tea Dragon Tapestry

49

| have never
understood why
Tea Dragons follow
chickens around

like that.

They seem
to look up to them--
| reckon they think

the chicken is a
very nonchalant

Tea Dragon.

Rooibos
is a bit of

a fan.

You have
such a green

thumb.

50

Who’d
have thought, eh?
| never stuck around
in one place long
enough to find that

out, ’til we lived
here.

It
certainly beats
going to the market
every week. And it’s
lovely to be able to trade
with the neighbours
around here. They’re
all vying for your

kale.

Too bad
your cooking

skills don’t
match!

Life That’s
would be pretty very true.
boring if we had
nothing to work

for.

51

Speaking | do, of
of trading, | hear course…
my nibling and their big
dragon friend are going
to be heading this way
soon, with the village

wares.

It would
be lovely to see
them again! You
must miss your

family very
much.

…but
don’t you think
we’ve found a
lovely one out

here?

52

53

Very Thank
elegant, as you. | am glad
to be passing the
always. knowledge on--
Minette, who lives
here, spent time in
a monastery and

has a knack
for ritual
arts.

|’m Do you
glad to hear it. think perhaps you
A good apprentice
has been hard to are being too
picky?
find.
You, who
had to test if Erik
was good enough
for a sword before
you would sell it

to him.

Perhaps….

In truth,
| have not felt excitement
for blacksmithing for many
years, and that has made
it difficult to find the will

to teach.

54

That

is natural, when

you have been doing

something for such Then
a long time.
what changed,

that brought you

here to seek

Greta?

Something You
about this piece do not feel

interested me. It made that?
me feel, for a

moment, envious
of someone who had
the freedom of mind
to make something
that existed purely for
its own sake, just to

create a joyful
object.

It’s
amazing what
cages the mind
can build for

itself!

| see….

| think
Greta would be
just the apprentice
you’re looking

for.

55

It will
all depend
on what she

makes.

We shall
see. | can’t take
anyone on unless they
are proficient enough to
keep up in my forge,
for both of our

safety.

56

So now And |
we’ve tried the think that’s the last
warm thistle milk, of the list of her favourite
the oats and berries, foods that Hesekiel passed
the honey carrots on to me from her
and the pickled
previous owner.
figs….
She’s still
Maybe eating fresh salad
she’s just not leaves and a bit of
hungry right vegetable broth, which
is what Hesekiel
now.
recommended.

57

Mr. Hesekiel…
do you have any
herbs to give an

easy sleep?

What
has happened,
Minette? Are you

all right?

| keep …but then
having the same dream… | see that under the
a black lake with an island on water, all my ancestors,
my teachers, my friends
it, and at first | think
|’m alone… are there.

58

Do you | do, | don’t have
miss them? Erik but it’s not many memories
could take you of that time, but
for a visit to the that. | do know one

monastery if feeling.
you wish.
It was
like a warm
hand in mine, the
feeling of knowing
my purpose and
what | lived

for….

| don’t
have that
anymore.

If there is
anyone who knows
how it feels to have their
life’s purpose change

in a drastic way,
it is Erik.

|’m sure
he would be happy

to listen.

59

Oh,
Min?
What
is it?

60

| see.

It sounds | think
strange, but | feel | know what
homesick for the
person | used to you mean.

be….

61

Once |’d
regained my
strength a bit after
my injury and gotten
used to the chair,
Hese and | did keep
on adventuring
together for

a while!

But those | was
months spent fixed on that being
quietly here in the my sole reason for
tea house, pulling weeds, living. | just wanted
cleaning and rebuilding to get back on that
the place, stayed
path.
with me.
Over time,
| looked more forward
to coming home than
leaving. | realised my new
purpose was building
a home for Hesekiel

and me.

Eventually,
| was ready to put
down my sword for
good--well, except

during pumpkin
season.

You feel
like you’ve
lost your path.
It’s natural to

be sad.
It’s alright

to let those feelings
wash over you, and give
them time to soak into
the earth. That’s when

things start to
grow again.

63



Chapter Four



Oooh,
how about
a custard

tart?

We’re
supposed to be
finding something
Ginseng likes, not

you, Greta!

67

True … Probably not.
and | suppose Mr. Hesekiel says it’s
custard isn’t good best to steer clear of
for Dragons. any lactose. | asked him
why but he said it was
better that | didn’t

know….

These Aren’t
are so they? | brought
cute! them from my village--
they only grow far
up in the mountain

forests.

Would you
like to try

one?

68

They’re so Is that
sweet! a Tea Dragon
back there?
| think they’d

like one
too.

Thank you, but she’s in
mourning for her last owner,

so she hasn’t been eating

much lately….

Perhaps Taste
she needs to try has a strong
more new foods that association
don’t remind her with memory,
of her previous
after all.
caretaker.
Rinn!
| finally found
someone selling the
mushrooms you
were looking

for--

69

Thank you, Aedhan! This is |’m not
why the village can spare their complaining!
guard-dragon for a few weeks,

so you can run errands
for me.

70

Here, Pardon
take some of me?
these berries for
free and give them a
try. | know it can
take some work
to cheer up a

dragon.

Thank Are you
you! feeling any
better today,

Min?

A
little.

72

...So
| decided to
take over the
merchant journey
from Mama and

Papa.

It was
time for them
to relax, and this
way | can travel and
seek new foods and
places, with a home
to come back

to.

And you |’m
are still enjoying glad you
your life in the did! It’s good
to see you
mountains?
both.
| can’t
imagine living You’ll be
anywhere else. staying a
| only came along
this time because while?
Rinn mentioned
they’d pass by

you.

Only
a few days,
sadly, but |’ll
be sure to pass
by again when

| can.

73

You must be | hear
Minette! Uncle Erik you enjoy
mentioned you, but | finding herbs
didn’t realise we had for Hesekiel’s tea--
would you like to
already met. see some |’ve
found on my
This is journey?
Rinn, and my
name is Aedhan. Do
you live here in
the tea house

as well?

| have a
little hut in
the woods…
| work here,

though.

74

It’s really
getting towards
winter! | better

come up with
something soon

for Kleitos.

75

Start to

grow….

Did
you say
something,

Min?

76

Nothing.
77



Chapter Five



That
looks lovely,
sweet one.

Thank What
you… but |’m kind of item do
not sure if it’ll be you think would
impress Kleitos
enough.
most?

81

The one But | am
your heart right. If you do not
make something your
makes. heart is completely
happy with, you will
That is never be able to accept
such a Mama the result, whether

answer! it is success or
failure.

| guess Believe
that’s in yourself
and Brick, my girl.
true…. Your Papa and |

…He came both do.
a long way to test And even

me. | want to though he does
honour that. not show it, | think

Kleitos does
as well.

| want to
make him something
that only | could have

made.

Is this
the type of
tree you were

looking
for?

83

Yes, Time for
a golden larch… what?
| had heard there
was an especially fine
one growing here,
and late autumn is

just the right
time.

For They're sparrowfern
these to grow fronds--you can boil
them to make a broth
beneath it. to help people with

arthritis.

84

One | thought
would think you were both
you’d grown up in from the same
a tiny mountain
place!
village!

Well | am, Once |
now. But | wasn’t was ready, it felt like
always so ready to | was part of a new song
call it my home--when that | had somehow
one feels displaced, it
can take a while for always known.
the connections

to grow.

85

|’m happy
that you knew
about the sparrowfern.
All of the knowledge of the
village feels fleeting when
|’m so far away from it,
like it could disappear

in the wind.

|’ll Really?
remember.
Dragons live You’ll
for a thousand remember
years, after something
so small?
all.

86

|’ll
remember.

87

Here you go,
Ginseng!
You
liked this new
fruit, didn’t
you?

88

There
you are,
Greta!

It’s
freezing
outside, let’s have
some milk and
honey--

Greta?
What’s--

Ginseng
misses her
old owner--
so much!

|’m scared
that |’ll never be a
good enough caretaker to
make her happy. | just--
just want her to be

happy again!

My
dear, that
is something
you cannot

control.
When

someone is
grieving, the best
thing you can do
is let them heal on
their own, and show
them that you’ll

be there for
them.

89

| know

it’s hard, because

you are a kind girl and

want to help everyone. Give

But sad people aren’t them space and
objects to fix.
show them you’ll still
You’ll always
love them whenever love Ginseng even
if she’s sad, won’t
they are ready to
you?
be loved.

| will. You’re
a good girl,

Greta.

90

There
should still be a
couple of weeks before
the first snows come…
| think | know what
to make for the

test.

| look
forward
to seeing

it.

91

Not bad.
Though, | am
but a humble

amateur.

Like
blazes you

are!

| can
barely remember
who | was when
| made this… it
feels like it was

created by a
stranger.

92

| remember you quite well!

We had never met a more proud and

demanding blacksmith, but as soon as

| saw your blades, | knew | needed

one by my side. You

certainly made

me prove myself

though.

It astonishes
me that | once had

such passion.

But you
know…

…perhaps
passion takes
many forms.

Perhaps
it becomes
quiet and tired,
and needs time

to rest.

Like
being away
from your
forge for a

spell?

93

| am not sure.
But being so far
removed, | find myself
noticing things around me
that had become burned
out by my focus on the
forge fire… | feel like
all my senses are

returning.

Strange,
but | had not
even noticed

they were
gone.

94

95

96

97

|
thought--
you would never
come to me

again.

98