Wis had given him a quest and so Chris was hellbent on finishing it for her. She was kind to him and he could tell she meant it genuinely, didn't mean it as an act to cover up for anything. So when he pulled himself from her blossoms and reoriented himself in her garden, he set off determined to get news from those she couldn't reach and come back in a decent amount of time.

It would stand that if Wis couldn't hear the plants on the wind, that they were probably far out from her tree, or at least a good enough distance that Chris would have to walk. He was excited for it in a way, because while he didn't trust the garden he did appreciate its beauty and hadn't gone very far in it last time. It was lucky that he had thought to turn around that first time, but he was definitely happy that he could go farther this time. Especially since he had something of a friend on his side.

His path this time was similar to his first, but he passed the tree easily this time, going deeper into the garden. The sights were no less fantastic than the first, but he still kept his goal in mind as he looked out for the ones Wis wanted information from. Looked for a divergence from the path to some small nook, looked for something that looked out of place, even the slightest. Something that looked like it would be friendly to him.

It was about ten minutes before Chris finally spotted his first find - the rosebush that looked speckled in paint. It was hidden a little off the path, behind a couple of bushes of otherworldly rosemary, easily missed if Chris hadn't been looking for it so intently. He walked up to it quietly, appreciating the color, the effect of the roses. The blooms were beautiful, especially with the paint speckled aspect. They were unique, like nothing he'd ever seen grown before.

Before it he crouched down, wondering how best to approach it. The thorns made his usual habit of just touching the plant a little more difficult and Chris always felt bad about touching flower blossoms - magnolia trees had taught him to not do that anyways. Maybe the leaves? They'd have to do and he gently reached forward, touching the leaves gently.

Talking with plants was less of a conversation and more of a... push. Feelings, emotions, seemed to work better than words most of the time, when it came to asking questions. Not that plants couldn't reply back with words - Chris understood no matter what they said - but they'd be slow and it would take longer. So it was easier to push things to them like emotions, like images, and he'd get one in return.

Gently, he sent the rosebush a question about a warm wind, about Wis. Her purple blossoms, her gentle scent. A questioning feeling, asking if they could reply to her, why they hadn't. The initial reply was quick - the bush recognized Wis and her wind of course, but the second part that had more words, that was trickier for the bush. He waited patiently, and then had his reply.

It seemed the rosemary in front of the bush, the pair of it had a habit of covering the wind from Wis. They couldn't reply quickly to it and the rosemary had no interest of sharing words back, so they hadn't been able to talk to Wis. They wanted to tell her they were fine though - they were doing well and sooner they would be taller. Sooner they wouldn't have to worry about the rosemary and they would be able to talk again soon.

Chris wished the plant a thanks and a quiet goodbye, along with a question on where to head next. Once with his directions he stood up, stretched, and continued down the gravel path.

The roses didn't know about the lone flower, they said, but they did know about the gazebo. It was farther from them, maybe fifteen minutes down the path. They knew that it was on a path hidden between hedges, a tiny path that was easily missed if one wasn't looking for it. That the gazebo would probably know about the lone flower, if he asked.

Chris walked carefully this time, keeping his eyes peeled for hedges, for gravel that veered off the main path into something smaller, something hidden. It was as the roses said, fifteen minutes in Chris noticed a smaller path veering off from the one he was venturing on. He looked up, surprised to see an incredibly small gap in the hedges that had started to line the path. It took him a minute to squeeze through, but when he did, he was granted passage to the gazebo.

He was quick to traverse the pond, to find himself in the moss and ivy covered thing. It was enchanting, beautiful, and Chris for a moment longed to take Thorne here. Show him the sights he was seeing, But Wis needed him to continue what he was doing and so he walked over to the ivy and the moss, gently touched it once more.

His replies this time were quieter, fainter. The ivy and moss were sleepy, were tired. They hadn't meant to ignore Wis and her wind, they were just sleeping, resting. Growth over the gazebo was tiring and they wanted to claim more of it, so they were preparing for it. They would reply sooner, when they felt stronger. Better.

Their directions to the other flower were helpful too, once Chris managed to pry them from the sleepy plant, and he bid it a goodbye as he left the area and squeezed back through the hedges. His directions to the last flower had been vaguer - to continue along the path until he could see trees that were bare. But it was all he had so he set off, making sure he was going in the right direction.

It took him awhile, by his estimate, but eventually things began to seem barer. Off, like it was the winter and there was no one around. It felt like it was a little colder in the garden too, like winter had actually come and made its home in this long far off corner. Chris walked and walked and walked and finally, he found himself in a forgotten corner with a winter flower.

The flower was beautiful despite the landscape around it, despite the perpetual chill in the air and everything else looking like death. Like before, Chris bent and inquired too it, a familiar pattern. Like before, he got his answer.

The flower here, it simply just didn't want to talk. It wasn't sad, or feeling bad, it was just.. quiet. In thought. It wanted to keep its peace and its silence for now, have a contemplative peace. Chris gave it a gentle affirmative and then left, walking back on the path.

He had found the places, found the plants, and now it was time to report back to Wis like he said he would.