Noble was relieved that they were talking about something else; it was easier to talk about potions than it was to talk about feelings. "Could you grind one of the bitterroots down into a powder?" he asked, with a gesture to where he kept the ingredient. "I'll need to add it later."

Some beats passed when they worked; her grinding down the bitterroot, him periodically stirring. Finally, he dropped the unicorn hairs into the potion and watched them sink in after giving them a stir. "Well," he said, leaning back on his heels and grinning at her, "Now I'm ready for anything."