Scents of the Season

     As you walk up to the cottage it's easy to tell something is different. The exterior is beautiful as always of course- that can't be it. Rustic brick walls, flower vines covering the roof, a lovely garden filled with every plant that could possibly have healing properties. Animals were wandering the grounds, as per usual. The various protection symbols etched into the door looked the same as they had for the last decade. Nothing about the house seems out of the ordinary, yet the feeling remains. You realize why almost immediately upon entering the building.

     For once the cottage doesn't smell of herbs when you walk in. Instead, the scent of marbleberries and chocolate rush to your nose. If you hadn't noticed the current season approaching you couldn't deny it now, not with Seluril making their signature pie. Every last crumb was made from scratch, and the sound of music filled the air. This was a luxury to the dasher- traveling too much prior to retirement allowed for very little time to prepare such goods.

     First the marbleberry compote is made, and set aside to be chilled. Following that comes the preparation of the chocolate crust. Once the mixture reaches perfection- expect no less when Seluril is set to a task- it gets laid into the pan and pressed thin. The next step is for a small layer of cheesecake to grace the bottom of the pie. This entire process is truly beautiful to watch, it being one of the easiest situations where one can find our retired healer truly at peace. Humming along to the music is a stark contrast to their usual closed-off demeanor. The memories of the past seem unable to haunt them here in these moments. The smile on their face seems to brighten up the cottage more than the sun or stars ever could.

     The cheesecake is left to chill for a short while and then the marbleberry compote is layered on top of it. Seluril decides to take a break as the pie's current layers are left to settle. You can clearly see that they're having a good day, laying their head on their hands with a soft smile and a sigh. As the dasher closes their eyes you can almost feel how relaxed they are in this brief period of time. Just from watching them the feeling seems to become contagious, as if somehow they'd discovered how to heal the soul as well as the body. The entire cottage was built to be a sanctuary for the hurting and broken, of course, but it would be far less effective if it wasn't for Seluril's caring and attention to detail. Anything they do becomes a category of beauty like no other. Whatever thought they seem to have been having was finished, though, as they stood and returned to baking.

     As they prepared the crumb topping every movement was graceful. The healer truly is a sight to behold when preparing this dish. The more progress made, the happier they seem to become- as if the pie had a way of healing them somehow. Everyone is entitled to something like this. Something that spreads joy simply because of their enjoyment of the act. Perhaps that's one reason that this time of year is so important, why so many look forward to it.