"Ohh, thank you." Apricot expresses her gratitude for a job well done. "Too bad the rest of you wasn't pixie sized though."

"I should be thanking you, that was amazing." I let out a deep laugh that rocks her up and down on my belly. "And, I may be able to do something about that. It'll take me some effort, but I should be able to shapeshift a little pocket Sorrel down there. Being so passive was fun, but not easy. And, I really do just wanna grab that ass."

"Please do." She breathes out.

"I'll start working on it right after I get some clothes." I smile down at my strange new lover and very carefully use my pinky to stroke her hair.

The clothes don't take too long; I didn't bother weaving the linen, and just fused the neighboring fibers together. The outfit wasn't anything fancy, but it works for now, and more importantly, frees up my vines from berry guarding duty.

"Alright, you're dressed now." Apricot looks genuinely disappointed. "Can you play some more of that music while you work on mini-you."

"Yeah, give me a minute to build a new speaker." I use my vines to gather some deadwood, and use magic to shape it a speaker box. "This should help with it sounding so tinny." I explain and start making a stiff cone from the leftover linen fibers.

"Testing, testing." I project my voice through the new speaker once it's complete.

"Oh, that sounds much better." Apricot flies up close and gives it a tap. "You're pretty clever for a Plantkin, you know?"

"Never met any others, so I wouldn't know." I say and start playing some instrumental guitar music. "Though, I have read that they're kinda weird."

"That's one word for it, but I guess being treated like a houseplant by your parents is bound to mess you up." She chuckles.

I just smile and get a drink of water from the stream before heading off in the direction of town again. Luckily the stream was heading in the same general direction as town, and we ran across a road after only another half hour of walking.

Around two hours later, I stop the music because I can hear a couple horses coming up behind us. "...would you slow down?" A man's voice carries over. "I know you hate Aunt Carmen, but do you have to act like this every time we go see her."

"I don't hate her." A woman replies. "She hates me, you just don't see it because you're her favorite. And, it's going to be dark soon. This road should be safe, but I still don't want to ride in the dark."

I step aside to let them pass when Apricot shouts a warning. "Sorrel!"

Turning around, I see two men with bows drawn. "Look out!" I shout my own warning to the riders, causing their mounts to rear up and saving their lives in the process. The woman falls off her horse as it takes an arrow in the throat, the man is less lucky and ends up with one in his shoulder.

My body reacts before I can think, and I find myself charging the bastards. They try drawing on me, only to have their bows come to life in their hands and start smacking them. Throwing their useless weapons away, they each draw a wickedly sharp dagger.

The glint from their blades is enough to make me think instead of just act. So, I conjure some vines and yank the fuckers off their feet. I'm about to finish the two-legged wolves off when a fearful cry distracts me.

"Amelia!" The man is cradling the limp form of his sister.

"Fuck!" I spit out the oath and command the vines to bind the men before racing back to the injured woman. "Lay her down, I can heal her." I order the grief-stricken man.

Looks like she hit her head when the horse threw her, and her once shiny blonde hair is now matted with blood. She's bleeding pretty badly, but head wounds do that, and if she's still bleeding that means she's still alive. Channeling my vitality into a healing spell, I coat her injury with a slick sap-like substance that swiftly stops the bleeding.

"Give him some room to work." Apricot berates the man as he crowds me while I'm checking for internal injuries. "She's not out of the woods yet, Sorrel is looking inside her brain right now."

"No bleeds, but she's got a bit of a concussion." I can fix her up, but I'm going to be weak afterward.

"Please, I'll do anything, pay anything." The man begs.

"Just watch the bandits." I point with my chin to where they're trying to squirm their way free. I tighten their bonds until they stop wiggling and start cussing, and then add gags so I don't have to listen to it. "This is going to take me a minute."

Placing a finger in the blonde's slack mouth, I drip feed her more healing sap, and use my nature magic to guide the magic contained inside of it up into her brain. A moment later her eyes start fluttering and she instinctively starts suckling on the sweet substance coming from my finger.

"Mmm, more." She whines when I pull my finger away. "Wha, huh, who are you?" She startles and shies away after opening her brilliant blue eyes.

"It's okay Amelia, he saved your life." Her brother rushes back over at the sound of her voice.

"Roddy!" Amelia shouts when she sees the arrow still sticking from his shoulder. "What the hells happened?"

"Fucking bandits of all things." He spits down the road towards the trussed up scum, only to wince after agitating his wound. "Mister Sorrel was it? His shouted warning saved us, though your horse took an arrow for you, and mine ran off. He then charged them and tied 'em both up."

"Thank Apricot, she noticed them first." I say and try to get to my feet, only to have my pants nearly fall off. Apparently, my shapeshift wore off sometime during the fight, or the healing. "Well, this won't do." I mutter while holding my pants up as I shift back to a human. "I don't suppose you two know where I can get my hands on a rubber tree? It's going to be a bit embarrassing if that happens every time I get in a fight."

"Snerk." Amelia snorts and tries to hold back her laughter, but the stress of the moment burbles its way out of her. Roddy lets out a guffaw, only to wince again.

"Here, let me see that." I walk over next to him after I finish transforming. "Damn, it's nicked an artery, and I don't think I have enough spare vitality to heal you right now. Just leave it in and try not to move it." I pinch the arrow off a few centimeters above his skin and then transform his shirt into a sling to hold the arm steady and a pad to wrap around the wound.

"You alright?" Apricot hovers in front of my face as I go a little wobbly.

"Used too much magic, gimme a sec." I pant out while firming my stance and spreading my arms wide. Connecting to the late sunshine filtering in through the trees, I draw on it and all the nature around me to replenish my mana.

"Neat trick." The pixie flies around examining the mana flows.

"It's only good during the day, and only then if there's a lot of greenery around." I educate her. "Too bad it doesn't do anything for my vitality. You guys don't happen to have any snacks, do you?"

"Asking my sister if she has snacks? I'd laugh if it didn't hurt so much." The humor quickly fades from his face when he looks down at the saddlebags where her snacks must be stored. "Shit. I'm sorry Amy I knew you liked that horse."

"Aww, poor Belle. Ugh, there's blood everywhere."

"Cleanse!" I've recovered enough magic to clean up all the blood from the horse, and what's on the three of us. "What should we do with her?"

"Can you free my bags." The woman quickly gives up trying to do it herself, so I make the branch of a nearby tree reach down and prop the horse up enough to get all the straps undone. "Thank you, I guess, just push her off to the side, we'll send someone with a cart to collect her later."

"Are we far from town? I'm new to this area." I ask, trying to distract her.

"Should be able to walk there by dark." She answers and looks away from Belle, only to spot the two that killed her. "You two!" She snarls, and draws her belt knife.

"Before you get blood everywhere again." I interject. "Is there a reward for catching bandits, and are they worth more alive than dead?"

"Fuck!" the fiery little blonde spits out, making her brother smile.

"They are, in fact, worth more alive. A fact that this little merchant should have recalled." He rubs her head with his good arm.

"Can't I just stab them just a little?" Amelia whines.

"Oh, I like you." Apricot says, hovering in front of the merchant. "Sorrel already said my name, but I'm Apricot. Nice to meet you."

"Amelia, and this is my brother Rodrick." She nods to her brother who's starting to look a little pale now that all the excitement is over.

"You should sit down, before you fall down." I say and help him to the ground. "Let me build a travois, then we can get you to a proper healer."

"Uhh... Yeah, good idea." He blinks a bit.

"Is he alright?" Amelia hovers over her brother just like he did when she was wounded.

"It's just pain." He waves her off with his good hand.

"He'll be fine." I reassure the worried woman. "And, I should be recovered enough to heal him fully by morning."

"Oh, yeah." She runs over to her saddlebag and pulls out a bag of dried fruits and a couple sweet rolls wrapped in waxed paper.

"Thank you." I take the proffered treats and start stuffing my mouth, it's not enough to recover fully, but it takes the edge off. "That's much better." I smile at the rather cute blonde and go about fashioning a sled to haul her brother into town.

"She's checking out your butt." Apricot whispers in my ear when I bend over to pick up a branch. "Who knew I'd run into not one, but two hotties in the woods today. Don't suppose you can shapeshift her too?" She asks with a low chuckle.

"Sorry, that only works on me." I laugh along with her and mold the wood into the desired shape.

"Oh, well." The tiny woman shakes her head. "Now the excitement is all over can you put the music back on?"

"Sure." I pick the speaker up from where I dropped it and check for damage. "Good, it's not busted."

"Is that some sort of enchanted music box?" Amelia looks up from ministering to her brother when the music starts playing.

"No, I'm controlling it directly." I hand it to her and explain how it works.

"Wow, wish I could do something like that." She turns the speaker over in her hands. "All I've ever been able to manage is a couple feeble water spells."

"That's still better than me." Rodrick mutters. "I'm lucky to even make a ripple."

"Does water magic run in your family?" I ask, interested in how magic works for those not gifted it by a god.

"It's weak, but yeah... at least on our dad's side." He answers. "Unfortunately, I seem to have gotten my potential from our mom. She's lucky if she can even light a match with her fire magic."

"It's rare to see someone as powerful as you, especially around these parts." Amelia continues. "But, I suppose that has to do with... whatever race you are."

"Plantkin, but I was raised human." I answer her unasked question.

"The magic is all him though." Apricot adds. "I've met other Plantkin, and they're good with plants. But, they can't throw around mana like he just did, not unless they're much, much older."

"Huh." I just shrug my shoulders to that. "Alright Rodrick, let's get you onto this, and into town. And, here." I slip my finger under the padding and send a couple drops of sap into his wound. "I can't heal you yet, but this should help with the pain."

"Ahh!" A look of bliss crosses his face when it takes effect. "Thank you."

"No problem, now just lie back and we'll get you fixed up soon." I pick up the handles with my vines after he does as told. "Alright you shits, on your feet." I haul them up by their necks and shift the bindings into fetters that will allow them to walk, but not run. "Try to run off and I'll just strip you and leave you tied to a tree for the wolves to get."

A few muttered curses come through their gags, but I just ignore them and turn to Amelia who's struggling with her bags.

"Just put them on the sled, silly." I tell her and laugh. "Oh, and toss their knives and bows on there too." I point out where the bandits dropped their weapons, having four arms is awesome for stuff like that.

***