“Ice cream! Ice cream! Ice cream!” the pixies chant. It’s the usual suspects.

“Alright, alright. I’ll get it out of the freezer,” I told them walking into the kitchen. “I’m surprised you didn’t eat it last night or this morning already.”

“Jase, this is a treat none of us has had in a long time, if ever,” Lily advised me. “Even the elder is here.”

I hadn’t noticed Trillium, but Lily was correct, she was here and appeared to be just as excited as the others. I greeted her.

“Jase, if this tastes in anyway similar to what I remember, I will show you an herb and a flower that have been scattered throughout the area. Both are edible and the herb has health benefits,” Trillium replied. She then smiles. “You will be able to use either to make another flavor of ice cream.”

“Oh! Can I guess the flavor?” Lily asked her.

“Interesting,” I said.

“Indeed. And no Lily, you may not guess,” Trillium tells us.

“Aww,” Lily pouts before smiling at the elder.

“Alright. Let’s see how this stuff tastes,” I tell the pixies while I take the ice cream out of the freezer. I place the container on the kitchen table and get out a spoon for myself. “Do you guys want spoons?”

“We have our own,” Trillium advises me. A tiny spoon has somehow appeared in each of their right hands. I shake my head in wonder.

“Jase, you should eat that spoonful extremely fast.”

“Why should I do that Willow? Shouldn’t I just taste it?”

“Nah. It’s better to just eat it quickly.”

“Ok,” I reply getting a spoonful up. I fail to notice that a few of the other pixies are holding onto Lily and covering her mouth.

“Gah! Lily bit me!” Yam screams as I lift the spoon to my mouth.

“Jase no!” Lily screams as I swallow the frozen treat.

“Why not?” I ask after swallowing. “That’s good.”

“This is going to be great!” April exclaims.

“What is?” I ask.

“5, 4, 3, 2, 1,” all the pixies except Lily chant.

I grab my head as a sharp pain hits my right temple. “Ah! What is this pain?”

“Brain freeze!” the pixies shout before falling into a giggling fit as I rub my head. They release Lily and she flies to me. Lily helps rub my head.

“I wanted to warn you, but they held me fast,” Lily said.

“It’s alright.”

“You eat ice cream slowly, so brain freeze doesn’t happen,” my familiar tells me.

“I see that now,” I reply. I return her feelings of love and affection. “Eat some before the others do.”

“You don’t have to worry about that Jase. They are waiting on me to taste your ice cream,” Trillium said.

“Feel free to taste it then,” I mutter as I keep rubbing my temples.

“The pain will pass quick enough,” Trillium advises me as she lands on the table and scoops some ice cream onto her spoon. The elder slowly eats it. “That is very good though not quite as I remember it from my younger years. I suppose it’s because you didn’t use vanilla bean and had to substitute it with the Joe Pye weed. Still, a very nice first effort.”

“Can we try it now?” May asks the elder.

“Go ahead children,” the elder replied. The others swarm the container. Lily looks from them to me.

“Go ahead,” I tell her. Lily joins her kin.

“Jase, will you open a window?” Lily asks me.

“Uh, sure,” I reply and open a window after eating another spoonful of ice cream. A flock of pixies fly in clutching spoons. “What the?”

“We have guests.”

“I see that,” I reply watching the pixies take turns eating the ice cream. A few minutes later the container is empty, and all the pixies gone except for Lily and Trillium. “Did we just have every pixie in the area in here?”

“Yes,” Trillium answers.

“Wow.”

“Wow indeed,” Lily agrees.

I take the container to the sink. “Guess I need to wash this out.”

“Just run water in it and let it sit,” Lily suggests.

“That is a good idea. That way I can show you the two plants I mentioned earlier,” Trillium replies.

“Alright,” I agree and run water into the container and set my spoon in it. “I do love having running water.”

“The simple things make you happy,” Lily replies.

“True. But is running water really simple?”

“It is when you have the technology,” Trillium answers. “Come, let us go before it gets too late.”

“Why the hurry?” I ask.

“The flower loses its scent and closes or drops as the day warms up.”

“Ah. Let me grab my satchel.”

*

“This is some kind of daisy,” I muse aloud.

“Berlandiera lyrate,” Trillium replies speaking the scientific name.

“Also known as chocolate flower, chocolate daisy, and lyreleaf greeneyes,” Lily adds.

“Very good,” Trillium praises Lilly. “This particular flower originally came from the west and southwest of the continent.”

“How did it get here then?”

“People brought it over the years and nature took its course.”

“What is that scent it is giving off?”

“That is chocolate and where the flower gets its common names,” Trillium answers.

“Besides being edible, what are its benefits?” I ask.

“Some of the ancient humans used it for stomach problems and treating nervous conditions,” Lily answered.

“You’re cheating and using the network,” Trillium teases.

“It’s there to be used,” Lily replies.

“Indeed, and I am grateful that you two were able to bring it back to us.”

“But we’re quite far from the cottage and antenna. You’re connected out here?”

“Yes. We have our own connections to it when there is a hub nearby,” Lily advises me.

“The computer is the hub,” I conclude.

“Very good,” Trillium praises me. “I see that you have questions, but they can wait. Gather some of the daises and I’ll lead you to the chocolate mint.”

“Alright,” I reply squatting down to gather some flowers.

*

“What are the benefits of the mint?” I ask looking at the leafy green and good smelling plant.

“Like other mints, it can settle an upset stomach,” Trillium answers.

“It can boost the immune system,” Lily chimes in.

“Improves mental clarity.”

“Can be used to reduce inflammation.”

“And used to freshen your breath,” Lilly and Trillium say together. I laugh.

“Ok. I guess I can harvest it the same as peppermint.”

“Yes,” Trillium answered. “I shall take my leave of you now.”

“Thank you, elder,” Lilly and I chorus. Trillium snorts a laugh and takes off. I spend the rest of the day harvesting more herbs and milking a couple of the cows after deciding to make ice cream the next day.