The nurse that accompanied the old doctor everywhere he went spoke up from a corner of the room, "I saw her playing in the butterfly garden near the eastern tower earlier Sir."
Thaddeus shoved his chair back and rose to his feet abruptly and headed around the bed for the door. He thumped the doctor on the back harder than he should have as he left the room.
The old doctor after recovering from the hard smack met the nurse's eyes and they shared a smile, as they listened to the rapid tap of Thaddeus's cane departing down the hall.
Thaddeus was breathing hard by the time he reached the butterfly garden near the east tower.
"Haven't walked so fast in years." Thaddeus wheezed out to himself, as he leaned against a stone wall briefly trying to get his breathing under control.
He looked out over the profusion of flowers in garden in search of Zarsha. There she was.
She was such a beautiful child, with such a sweet temperament to match. Her arrival at Thunder Ridge had been an unexpected joy for him. He had spent many of his afternoons listening to her imaginative stories and then had told her many fanciful ones of his own making. He made his way over to her his leg throbbing painfully.
She was standing waist deep in the middle of a patch of purple Hatacha flowers. She had her finger held up in front of her face and he could see that a beautiful Naortian Butterfly had chosen to land on her finger.
Thaddeus sat down on a garden bench not wanting to interrupt the girl's fascination with the beautiful creature that was expressively flexing its wings in front of Zarsha's nose. The butterfly suddenly flew off in search of another flower. The girl watched it go her lips parted in a sweet smile.
"Zarsha dear? Could you come over here please? I have something I need to ask you." Thaddeus said.
The little girl whirled around her face all lit up at the sound of his voice. She ran to him with the grace of a young deer through the wild profusion of blooms scattering butterflies to the wind as she came bounding up to him.
The smile at seeing him abruptly faded as she saw his face "Did something happen to daddy?"
"No, no! He's the same honey just sleeping!" Thaddeus said before patting the seat beside him.
The little girl sat down beside him her expression openly curious.
"Zarsha?"
Thaddeus paused not quite sure how to put the question to the little girl in the best way, "Have you seen how the baker's daughter and the young guard over by the armory carry on over each other?"