"Dewdrop?" she said in amazement. "You came out of hiding?"
The spirit — Dewdrop — chirped something that sounded like explanation mixed with pride.
"She's been living in these chambers for months," Master Nerida explained to Osa. "A healing spirit who lost her way during a storm and ended up far from her home in the cloud forests. We've been trying to help her feel safe enough to accept assistance getting home, but she's been too frightened to trust anyone."
"She wasn't frightened of me," Osa said, gently stroking Dewdrop's water-form with one finger. "Maybe because my healing feels different from what she's used to?"
"More than that," Master Nerida observed, studying the revived vine with professional interest. "You're not just healing with water, you're healing with understanding. Looking at what each living thing actually needs rather than applying standard techniques."
