Amber Flamehart's Arc

Chapter 2 of 4

Amber opened her journal and laid it flat on the workbench. The pages were still mostly blank. She needed to start documenting everything she found on the plateau. Each plant had to be sketched, labeled, and tested. She couldn't rely on memory alone. Her quill scratched across the paper as she drew the pale blue flowers from earlier. She added notes about where she'd found them and how the petals felt. This was the real beginning of her work. But sketches weren't enough. She needed real knowledge about plants that survived the cold. Amber pulled a carved wooden chest from beneath her bed and blew dust from its lid. Gnome motifs covered every surface. Inside lay her grandmother's old books, pages thick with botanical drawings and faded notes. She lifted the first tome carefully. The spine cracked as she opened it. These pages held generations of plant knowledge. She would read them all. The morning disappeared as she studied. When her eyes grew tired, she stood and stretched. Outside, frost glittered on the rocks. She grabbed her satchel and a slim tool she'd made from fire quartz and dark wood. The crystal tip glowed faintly red. Perfect for melting frozen soil without burning roots. She headed toward a spot where silver-green stems poked through the ice. Back inside hours later, her satchel bulged with specimens. Amber filled her iron cauldron with chunks of ice and set it over the peat fire. The flames crackled and hissed. Clean water was essential for testing remedies. As the ice melted and steamed, she arranged her new plants on the workbench. Each one would be studied, documented, and preserved. She was building something that would last.