The Strange Thing

Imagine you are walking through the woods one day and suddenly notice something out of place: Hanging off a tree branch just in front of you is a jalapeno pepper.

"Hello, little pepper. What are you doing there?" You may be inclined to ask.

"I'm not a pepper. I am a strange thing, and I'm getting ready to fly." It replies, "Flying has been my only dream for as long as I've been alive."

"How long have you been alive?" You inquire.

"Thousands of years." It responds, "But I'm closer to flying now than I have ever been before!"

Would you feel inclined to pity this thing that has no wings but has been trying to fly for thousands of years? Would you scoff at it? Many would. In fact, many have. So many that the Strange Thing once struggled with doubt, thinking maybe it was wrong and that its dream might never actually come true.

In a few, very painful instances, individuals who actually had wings have met the Strange Thing. "You could make fake wings if you had the materials... Or arms to use them." They've said, as if that was encouraging, then flew away and left the Thing alone. Others, who had no wings and no interest in flying, have complimented the Thing for its remarkable feat at having gotten on the branch in the first place. To them, the Thing will ultimately never fly, but its gotten up pretty high and should be proud of its efforts.

"There are airplanes! Get on an airplane and someone else could fly it for you." Some have advised, only to mutter under their breath how expensive airplane tickets are.

Oh, how the Strange Thing knows this!

"Why do you think you will fly?" You could ask, "Why haven't you given up after thousands of years and chosen a more realistic goal?"

"Because God has said that I can fly. He will help me fly someday." Answers the Strange Thing.

You can say whatever you want to after that; you can tell the Strange Thing that it'll fly in the afterlife, or that literal flying might not be what God meant. You can even accept the Strange Thing's answer and continue your walk, never looking back at the Strange Thing or even thinking about it again. Whatever you choose to do, let me tell you the ultimate fate of the Strange Thing:

Where you saw a jalapeno pepper, wanting to fly but without any real way of doing so, God saw something more. Because He put it on the branch where you found it, and He gave it that dream of flying. He told it that it could fly, and for thousands of years, it has tried. One day, the Strange Thing is going to try to so hard that it will crack open, and a beautiful butterfly with big, colorful wings is going to emerge from inside it.

And that Strange Butterfly will fly.

Just because a chrysalis takes a long time to change into a butterfly does not mean that it never will. The change just isn't happening where you can see it. Never scoff at a Strange Thing that talks of flying even though it doesn't have wings. It simply doesn't have wings yet.

Through God, all things are possible.

A monarch chrysalis. (Photo taken from off Google)

The Witch Child's Amulet: #6

Chapter 6 - The Secret of The Amulet

When Bridgette returned to the cottage later that night, she was amazed to find Vano, sitting with his arms folded on the table and his chin resting atop them, watching as Meep filled its little belly with the rest of the mushroom stew. Behind the specter lay the coveted Keonor Root. Her shock and elation were so great in that moment that when Vano told Bridgette that he’d given Meep permission to stay with them, he received no argument.

Finally, the Potation of Location was brewed and the two companions ingested it simultaneously. Its effects were not as intense as the effects of raw Mind Mallow; rather the potion imbued them with a very subtle, subconscious awareness of one another that Vano didn’t really notice until the following morning. He awoke to find Bridgette absent from the cottage, yet he knew exactly how far away she was and in which direction to go to find her.

Bridgette was out collecting big red mushrooms with white spots, which the pair had previously agreed were likely poisonous: Fly Agaric. When Vano arrived, with Meep at his heels, she instructed both to collect as many as they could. The mushrooms were brought back and planted in a large circle around the cottage, then Bridgette brewed another potion. A ‘Faux Fairy Ring’ potion she called it, and put a drop of it on each mushroom’s cap. To Vano’s surprise, the house suddenly disappeared, leaving only the tree it had once resided under. Bridgette too, who stood within the ring of mushrooms, vanished with the house; yet because of the Potation of Location, he knew she was still there. As he stepped within the ring of mushrooms, he found the house as well.

“The hallucinogenic properties of Fly Agaric mixes with the potion to create an illusion.” Bridgette explained, “It’s not as good as a Miric illusion or a proper cloaking spell because you can still see the mushrooms, but it’s the best I know how to do.”

After that, Bridgette lost all concern for her human friend, and frequently left him to his own devices while she went out to train. Meanwhile, Vano felt he could at long last fulfill his desire to explore Niris Tul. He took to wandering far and wide with Meep, climbing all the hills that Bridgette had avoided, and trees too whenever he found one that he could scale. During these exploits, and thanks to the Potation of Location, Vano learned the true immensity of Niris Tul’s ancient spell: When he stood still and focused on Bridgette, he could feel the direction that she was in orbit nearly a half-circle around him, yet the view of the swamp ahead did not alter in the slightest. Every day, he found somewhere new to explore, because he could never find the same place twice.

Meep continued to collect magical resources as Bridgette indicated she had need of them, and in response to any thanks she gave, it would offer her the grass doll.

The three of them; Bridgette, Vano and Meep, spent two weeks living together in the mire house. During that time the house was filled with garden boxes and hanging planters, which Vano crafted out of dead tree branches and old vines he found in his wanderings, and Bridgette filled them with seeds from the magical resources that Meep collected. At Bridgette’s request, Vano also added a garden box to the side of the house, where the water from the mire pooled. There, she planted a thin piece of the Keonor Root.

In later years, Vano would recall that time spent in the Niris Tul mire house as some of the happiest of his life. For Bridgette, it seemed like she had woken up from a terrible four-year long dream and found everything the way it used to be; except that she lived with a father now instead of a mother.

----

One day, Vano and Meep were out and about once again. They had gone several miles from Bridgette and the mire house, and had just scaled a very tall hill, when Vano caught glimpse of a tree arch out of the corner of his eye. “Look at that, Meep!” He said, “Why, that’s nearly a perfect arch. The only time I’ve ever seen something that round was when it was man made.”

Meep chirped and followed him as he approached it. He put a hand to the bark of the bent tree and thought he felt it shudder; or perhaps it caused him to shudder. It brought to his mind the thought of energy, but he didn’t know why. Was he feeling the life within the tree? He’d done so once before as a boy, with a tree a magician had told him was more awake than most, but in that instance Vano recalled the life felt like a powerful vibrance of deep seeded strength; not a vibrating energy. Maybe different trees felt different.

Vano swept around the trunk and under the arch. Immediately, the illusion dissipated: Instead of seeing more unremarkable swampland down the hill from where he stood, he found himself faced with a steep, natural stair, cut out of the earth and overgrown with grass; leading down to a monolithic structure, overgrown with moss and vines. Vano stumbled in surprise and fell down the stairs, but managed to stop himself before he reached the bottom or sustained too many bruises.

Meep rushed after him, coming to his side just as he crawled backward, up one step and sat there. The specter climbed his arm, up to his shoulder and peered at his face, chirping in questioning concern. Vano did not give heed to it. He continued to stare in awe at what they had accidentally discovered.

“I think we found something we weren’t supposed to find.” Vano whispered.

Meep chirped.

Suddenly, Vano’s attention was grabbed by movement below. He noticed the building ahead had a large door, which was open. Half of him worried about the trouble he would be in if he got caught, but more prominent was the voice in his mind telling him that he would never have a chance to explore this place ever again if he left now. So, he stood and continued down the stairs until he came to the doors and passed inside. To his astonishment, he discovered the building was an ancient library.

The walls, from ceiling to floor, were lined with books. A spiral staircase at the far end of the building ascended up to one balcony after the other, higher and higher until it was lost from view in the shadow of the tower. Each book looked well preserved; despite being so clearly exposed to the elements. There was no glass in any of the windows, grass grew out of the floor, vines and other foliage riddled the shelves. Birds, squirrels, and other small creatures Vano couldn’t name scurried to and fro. Even those strange balls of light from the swamp hovered here and there.

Vano was so lost in the wonder of the place, he almost didn’t notice that there were several magicians around him making use of its services. He looked at each of them anxiously, but they took no notice of him. Each person was busy with a book, or searching for a book, or speaking in hushed tones with a companion. It gave Vano a little courage. He ventured further in, with Meep still on his shoulder.

Inwardly, he bubbled with excitement; was he the first human to ever set foot in a magician library? Probably not, but he didn’t care either way. He only wanted to open one of those books and see what was inside it. Vano made his way to a shelf and grabbed the first book his fingers touched; a heavy one with a dark blue cover and golden binding. Clutching it with both hands like a greedy child, he scampered toward the spiral staircase, intending to sneak behind it and shield himself from suspicion as he gleefully explored the book’s contents. Upon rounding the stair, however, he found himself face to face with Nyx!

“Klippin!” She exclaimed, then checked herself. “I mean Kolompar. I guess Klippin is not your real name.”

Vano started, but couldn’t decide whether to drop the book and run, or throw it at her. His indecision caused him to just stand there and stare at her. “It is my real name actually.” He responded calmly, resolving not to show fear in case it activated some latent maniacal tendency in the magician’s genes. “Klippin is my first name. Kolompar is my last name.”

“Oh.” Nyx said.

Vano waited, but nothing followed. She did not raise the alarm, and didn’t even look like she intended to. Instead, she bit her lower lip, lowered her eyes and twiddled her thumbs. It seemed she didn’t know what to do in this situation either. Several minutes of awkward silence passed with the two standing across from each other.

“I owe you an apology.” Nyx said suddenly, looking up and meeting his eyes.

“No, you don’t.” Vano said bluntly, “You owe Bridgette an apology.”

“Yes. Her too.” Nyx said, an expression of shame coming to her face. “Her especially. …Uhm… Where-- Where is Bridgette?”

“Hiding.” Vano replied.

“She didn’t lose you, did she?” Nyx asked, seeming suddenly concerned, but he couldn’t tell who for.

“No. I know where she is.” He said.

“Ah, of course. Potation of location. She would know how to make one of those, wouldn’t she?” Nyx chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck.

Vano didn’t know how long he should keep this conversation going. He wondered how to politely excuse himself, but before he could do so, Nyx suddenly reached over and grabbed his arm with both hands, dragging him around behind the spiral staircase. He saw a cozy reading spot back there, but at the moment his focus was on Nyx.

“What are—” He began. Nyx lifted her finger to her mouth.

“It’s Father. He mustn’t see you.” Nyx said, glancing cautiously around the stair. Vano didn’t really believe her, so he risked a look around the other end. She was telling the truth. Ikalis had just entered the library and was looking up searchingly toward one of the balconies. Quickly, he approached. Nyx and Vano ducked behind the stair simultaneously, subconsciously sitting next to one another on the reading bench. Neither dared breathe as Ikalis ascended the stair until the sound of his footsteps died away.

“Is he searching for you?” Vano asked, looking at Nyx with a suspicious glare.

Nyx’s gaze was still focused in the direction Ikalis had gone. She shook her head. “He’s probably looking for a book on potion lore. My family is not as skilled in potions as Bridgette and her mother.” She looked at Vano with a soft smile. He detected deep sadness in her eyes at the mention of Bridgette’s mother and felt his heart pricked by it. Though he didn’t want to let his guard down around this woman, he couldn’t deny he was starting to feel it slip. Nyx wasn’t as hardened as her mother and father. Maybe, just maybe, there was a reason he’d run into her again.

“Did you know Bridgette’s mom?” He asked, his tone softening.

“I did.” Nyx replied with a chuckle that was both fond and sad. “Avalon was my favorite person ever. She was so beautiful and kind, and loved so deeply. I remember spending hours in her cottage as a little girl, watching while she brewed potions to sell at market… It was the only place I felt was really safe after--” Nyx bit her lip to stop herself.

Vano didn’t push for her to finish her sentence, he was barely even listening. His mind was going back over all the stories that Bridgette had told him about her mama, and finally putting a name to the woman: Avalon. It was so perfect.

“Klippin, I’m sorry.” Nyx said, drawing him out of his thoughts.

“You already said that.” He replied.

“No. I’m truly, TRULY sorry. I didn’t know what to do, but I should’ve done something. Anything. I was just so shocked to hear Mother say she wanted to kill you, I couldn’t think. We owe so much to you.” Nyx continued earnestly.

“What?” Vano asked, taken aback.

Nyx took a deep breath before explaining, as if bracing herself to reveal something that her family was not okay sharing. “That name, Kolompar, is known to us because your father was the one who enslaved us. He captured all three of us; my father, my mother, and myself. We lived in Suddlepuff.”

Vano felt his heart skip a beat, then fill with dread. Miva’s merciless hatred toward him, upon learning his name, finally made sense. “You lived in Suddlepuff?” He repeated in a gasp.

Nyx nodded. “I was only six or seven, but I remember seeing you around town, apprenticing yourself to the various artisans. I even watched your puppet show. You seemed fun, but I confess I was afraid of you. Mother told me you were the son of our enemy and not to be trusted… Then… Then the day after the castle collapsed, you returned to Suddlepuff and set us free. You said no one had to stay if they didn’t want to. So, we left. I’ve never forgotten that. These many years I’ve spent in Niris Tul, getting to meet my aunt Avalon before her death, I owe it to you really.”

Vano didn’t know what to say. He almost couldn’t believe it. Frantically, he searched his memory for even a glimpse of Nyx somewhere. Had he ever noticed a young Ayto with pink markings on the streets of Suddelpuff? He couldn’t recall. Then an image flashed through his mind of a small magician child watching his first puppet show from across the street. Yes, it was Nyx, a few months before the castle’s collapse. Vano remembered wondering why she didn’t come over and join the other children in the audience, but then forgot all about it as his show continued.

“I’m so sorry, Nyx.” He whispered.

“No! Don’t say that. You never did anything wrong. I don’t blame you for what happened.” Nyx said quickly, “Like I said, I’m grateful to you, because you taught me that not all humans are bad. I’m humbled that, after all this time, you’d be sent from across the world to teach me another lesson: That I should’ve stood by Bridgette.” She looked away remorsefully.

Vano stared at Nyx. His view of her had completely changed. She wasn’t an enemy. She was a victim. She was confused; frightened by the things Miva and Ikalis had told her, conflicted by the fate they had sentenced Bridgette to, and deeply ashamed of her part in it.

“I should’ve done more to help her when she came to us four years ago. I could’ve taken her when Mother turned her away. …I should’ve taken her.” Her voice cracked. She looked at Vano again and her eyes were full of tears and agonizing regret. “I was just so afraid of Corvin.” She sobbed.

“Who is Corvin? Why is everyone afraid of him? And why is he after Bridgette?” Vano asked.

“Because of the amulet.” Nyx replied, trying to compose herself so she could speak clearly.

Vano’s mind returned to that day in his kitchen, when Bridgette had all her tricks displayed across the table, but refused to show him the last ornament in her pack. He had completely forgotten about it until now. “You mean that red one?” He asked.

“Yes. Corvin is desperate to have it.” Nyx answered.

“Why?” Vano asked.

“It’s part of the Witch-Hazel Curse.” Nyx explained, “You remember how we said the Witch-Hazels were trying to make an Ultimate Master Key? Well, the amulet was one of the means they were using to do it. You see, when the first Witch Kings made the master key, they were all Level 50-- And married. Their wives were Level 50 also, which technically meant their magic was Level 100 each. No magician has even come close to obtaining that kind of power since your uncle, Haygen, began his conquest. So, the Witch-Hazels created an amulet that would amplify a magician’s power by 10 Levels for a short amount of time, and sought high level craftsmen of all the coven families to wear the amulet while they imbued the new key with their ancient magic. But it wasn’t enough. The Witch-Hazels realized they had to increase the power of the amulet, so they started to imbue it instead, making it more and more powerful until it could amplify a magician’s power fifty-fold. That seemed to work, but then came the price… Then came the curse. The kind of power they sought to imbue the amulet with is meant to be obtained through hard work and true union, it cannot be contained in an object. The amulet became volatile. Anyone who wore it for too long would lose control, and there were many high-level magicians who suffered terrible injury because of it. Thus, the name of Witch-Hazel was blackened, because those high-level magicians were needed in the war effort—And now, they couldn’t fight.”

“Where does Corvin come in?” Vano asked.

“The Witch-Hazels wouldn’t give up. They were determined to make an Ultimate Master Key to present to the Heir of Keonor to save the enslaved magicians, maybe even the amulet as well. They passed the quest from one family member to the next, until the burden finally fell to Reuben; Bridgette’s father.” Nyx said, “Reuben and Corvin were childhood friends, and Reuben told Corvin about the amulet, but he himself wasn’t focused on the Witch-Hazel quest anymore. He and Corvin were part of the Great Witch’s rebellion; Reuben saw more hope in following The Great Witch, who had earned her power the proper way, than in trying to break the laws of nature with a volatile amulet. Sadly, because of the Witch-Hunters, Corvin and Reuben were captured and enslaved together. Corvin told Reuben to use the amulet to help them escape, but Reuben didn’t have it. He had left the amulet with his pregnant wife, Avalon. As I understand it, they spent years in captivity, and Corvin slipped further and further into hatred and insanity. Then an escape plan gone horribly wrong cost Reuben his life, and Corvin snapped. He cut off his own hand to be rid of the Magic Bind, and hunted down Avalon to get the amulet from her. But she refused to give it to him…”

Nyx paused for a moment, then continued: “He took the amulet, but not the Witch-Hazel’s well-intentioned but sadly misguided quest. He intended to turn the amulet into a weapon and wipe out all humanity with it. He hunted down Aytos to imbue it with more and more power, and even resorted to imbuing it with dark magic. That is why the amulet is red. It used to be white, but it is now tainted by blood. It is a terrible object now.”

Vano’s mind spun with all this information. He was starting to feel the full gravity of Bridgette’s danger, and understood now why she was rejected by all her people on account of her family name. “Why does Bridgette have it?” He asked.

“She stole it. She stole it back from Corvin at seven years of age, then came to find us. Anyone who helped her along the way was killed. Mother told Bridgette to just give the amulet to Corvin, but Bridgette refused, saying she wouldn’t allow him to kill the humans. …That’s all I know, I’m afraid. It was the last I ever saw of her until recently.”

Vano heaved a deep sigh. “So Corvin is a murderous lunatic, and he’s after my girl because she has his toy.” He surmised.

“I—I suppose that’s correct.” Nyx confirmed.

Vano clicked his tongue, but said nothing else, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He still had questions, but knew Nyx couldn’t answer them. After learning all this, he was sure his amazement over Bridgette could go no deeper; she was only ten! Then his thoughts turned to finding a solution to the Corvin problem. “Can the amulet be destroyed?” He asked suddenly.

“I don’t know.” Nyx replied, “I should think so, but it has a lot of power stored inside it, so only something equally as powerful could damage it.” Suddenly, her gaze shifted to the specter that sat on Vano’s shoulder. She chuckled lightly. “Who is this by the way?”

“This is Meep.” Vano said. Meep chirped.

“He’s adorable!” Nyx laughed, patting the creature on the head.

“Oh, so it’s a boy then. What with those eyelashes, I wasn’t sure.” Vano said humorously, glancing at Meep as the specter pulled a huffy face.

“Is that a grass doll?” Nyx asked.

“It’s Bridgette’s. Meep is really fond of her, but she won’t accept him on account of Corvin.” Vano explained.

“I see.” Nyx said, looking a little conflicted by that information.

“It’s getting late. I should get back to Bridgette.” Vano said suddenly, rising from the bench.

“Yes, of course. Will you give her something for me?” Nyx asked, suddenly bending over and grabbing a wrapped parcel out from under the bench. “I made it for her after our… Unfortunate parting. As part of my repentance.”

“What is it?” Vano asked.

“It’s a wand. I enchanted it with an amplifier. Any magic she uses with it will increase in power twofold.” Nyx said.

Vano gingerly took the parcel. “Should I tell her who it’s from?”

“Only if she asks. You can’t lie to a Narvian.” Nyx replied.

“I’ll give it to her.” Vano said.

“Thank you… And, uhm, this is for you. I’m sure you remember it.” With this, she removed from her waist the dagger she had used several weeks ago to cut the rope that held Bridgette and Vano together.

“Yeah, I do.” Vano answered.

“It’s also enchanted. It can withstand magic blasts and cut through any spell. I made it for myself though, so it glows pink when near someone who means to harm the dagger's wielder.” Nyx said, then added with a sheepish shrug: "...I like pink."

"So do I. But why are you giving it to me?” Vano asked.

“I didn’t have time to craft you a weapon, but if Corvin catches up to you two, you’re going to need one.” Nyx replied.

Vano set Bridgette’s parcel down a minute so that he could inspect the offered blade more closely. Drawing it from its sheath, he admired the skilled craftmanship. His only complaint was the red, two-headed snake on the hilt. Nyx must’ve somehow noticed his displeasure because she chuckled. “I’m sorry. That’s my family crest.” She said. Vano sheathed the dagger and strapped it to his side.

“Thank you, Nyx.” He said honestly. Nyx seemed to beam. Shyly, she reached over his shoulder and stroked Meep’s head. “It was good to meet you, Meep. I wish you wouldn’t go back to Bridgette—But… No. That’s selfish of me. Bridgette needs allies. Take good care of her.”

Meep chirped affirmingly.

Nyx looked at Vano again. “And you, Klippin Kolompar, if ever you need anything an Ayto can provide; I am at your service.”

Vano smiled. “You can call me Vano. It’s my middle name.”

Nyx chuckled. “Until we meet again, Vano.”

“Until we meet again.”

Nyx acted as a lookout for her father while Vano and Meep escaped the library. After hurrying back up the steps and toward the tree arch gate, Vano paused a moment and looked back. He suddenly remembered that he hadn’t looked inside the book he grabbed, and had just left it on the reading bench behind the stair. His heart filled with regret as he realized he could no longer go back for it. Ikalis was there, and unlike Nyx, he wouldn’t hesitate to get Vano mobbed by every magician in the place. Besides, who knew how many more of them were prisoners from Ost Tera? He stared longingly at the library for a moment, committing its glorious image to memory. He knew he would never see it again.

Then, with a remorseful sigh, he turned and plunged through the gate.  

----

The sun was sinking and darkness was setting in quickly about Niris Tul when Vano finally returned to the mire house. As he drew near it, Meep suddenly gave a shrill chirp. “What is it, Meep?” He asked.

The specter leaped from his shoulder and scurried toward the cottage beneath the tree. Vano watched him go in confusion. The house looked fine. Then suddenly, his heart froze. THAT’S what was wrong: He could see the house! The Faux Fairy Ring potion didn’t sound like something that should be temporary, something had to be wrong. Vano sprinted after Meep. Upon passing the ring of mushrooms, Vano noticed they had been violently slashed. As the two arrived together at the door, they found it was broken. Dread filled his mind and heart. He could detect Bridgette within the cottage, but he didn’t know whether the Potation of Location stopped working if the other person was dead.

Passing the threshold into the house, Vano found all the planters and garden boxes had been overturned. The chairs were all destroyed, the cauldron had a horrible gash in its side, and the table lay partially shoved into the fireplace. Bridgette stood in the midst, quietly salvaging what she could.

“Bridgette! Are you alright? Are you hurt? What happened here?” Vano panted.

Bridgette turned to look at him. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes shone with disillusion and weariness. She turned away, pointing to the table. There, as if written by a flaming brand, was a name: CORVIN.

“He must’ve found the place while we were out, and left his name behind so we’d know who did it.” Bridgette muttered. Vano knelt beside her, aiding in the cleanup. Meep, too, began to help where he could. “It was starting to feel like home again, you know? I should’ve known it was too good to be true.”

“Yeah, we were getting too comfortable here.” Vano mused as he turned the table over. The table legs were uneven now, burnt and blackened, it couldn’t even stand up straight anymore. Staring at the name on its face, he didn’t even want to salvage it. Bitterly, he drew out his dagger and began to carve into the wood. The blade glimmered faintly, confirming what Nyx had promised about glowing when near hostility, though Vano assumed from its dimness that the threat wasn't close enough to worry about.

Bridgette noticed the room was suddenly filled with a pink light and turned to discover it’s source. She approached Vano slowly, looking over his shoulder to see what he was doing. Under the name CORVIN, he had carved the words: IS A DORK.

“Isn’t that Nyx’s dagger?” Bridgette asked, looking at Vano with confusion and concern.

“Yup. I ran into her at the library and she gave it to me. She also gave me this to give to you.” Vano responded casually, offering Bridgette the wrapped parcel. Bridgette took it with no small degree of suspicion and unwrapped it; a silver wand with a green jewel in the shape of a star lay within.

Bridgette’s eyes widened. With a trembling hand, she reached for it, but quickly withdrew and glared up at Vano. “Why would she give you this?”

“It’s part of her apology. She feels bad for what happened.” Vano explained.

“Good. She should.” Bridgette said, thrusting the package into Vano’s hands and turning back to her work.

Vano watched her for a moment. “You know, if you don’t forgive after amends are made, the sin is with you.” He said.

Bridgette spun around with eyes like fire. “Don’t try to make this out as if it were easy! Nyx turned her back on me, just like Miva and Ikalis and everyone else.”

“I know that. So does she. But she’s trying to make it right, and I don’t think we’re in a position to refuse any would-be allies.” Vano argued. Bridgette folded her arms stubbornly and looked away. “She’s sorry, Bridgette.” Vano insisted.

Bridgette looked at him. “I can see that you believe she’s sorry, but I would’ve preferred to be there myself, and see for sure if it was in her eyes or not.”

“Maybe you will someday.” Vano said, “Until then, I have a question for you: What do you intend to do with the amulet?”

Bridgette looked at him in shock. “She told you?!” She shrieked angrily.

“You would’ve had to tell me about it eventually!” Vano replied defensively.

Bridgette growled, turned, and kicked the remains of one of the chairs. Vano was unmoved. After several minutes of seething, Bridgette finally answered through her teeth: “I’m going to destroy it.”

“How?” Vano asked.

“Reverse engineer it. I can undo each spell inside it if I’m the same level as the magician that imbued it.” Bridgette replied, “I just don’t know what those levels were, so I’m aiming for Level 50 because that will cover everything.”

“So that’s why you’re trying to increase your level? I thought it was to help liberate your people.” Vano said.

“I didn’t lie about that. I fully intend to help liberate them, but I can’t until the amulet is unmade. It’s as much as danger to magicians as to humans, because Corvin wants to rule Niris Tul. If he had the amulet--” She paused, “Well, it probably wouldn’t help him succeed. It’s so volatile now, it would probably destroy the place.”

“I’m surprised the thing hasn’t destroyed itself. How much magic can possibly fit in there?” Vano mused. Bridgette only shook her head. Meep scampered around busily at their feet, seemingly unaware that a conversation was even taking place. Bridgette and Vano followed his example. Vano used the table to repair the door; making sure to put the words on the outside in case Corvin stopped by for a visit in the middle of the night. Bridgette gave what was left of the chairs to the fire. The planters were mended and restrung, and the garden boxes put back together, but sadly nothing could be done for the poor cauldron.

When the work was done to a satisfying degree, Bridgette and Vano sat together on the floor in front of the fire. Meep was curled up in Bridgette’s lap, sound asleep. Since Bridgette was still unconvinced of Nyx’s penitence, Vano related everything Nyx had told him, to confirm whether or not there were any falsehoods in the story. Bridgette listened carefully; eventually being forced to admit that it was all true.

“There’s one thing that I’m still curious about: How have you avoided Corvin for so long?” Vano asked.

“Corvin is scared of humans because he doesn’t want to lose his remaining hand, so I took to sneaking into human cities to ward him off.” Bridgette answered.

“By doing that, you’ve been risking your own freedom and your whole purpose. If you were caught and a Magic Bind put on you, your quest to destroy the amulet would fail. You won't be able to exceed level 20.” Vano said.

Bridgette nodded solemnly as she watched the dancing flames. “What else could I do? Corvin was always one step behind me. It was almost worse than having a Witch Hunter on my tail because he never gave me a break, not even for a second. Human cities were the only place I could go to rest for a bit.”

“You have got to be the bravest little girl I have ever met, Bridgette Witch-Hazel.” Vano said, staring at her face.

She looked at him with a proud grin, but there was sadness in her eyes. “It’s not easy being brave. I really wish I could stop for a while.” Vano didn’t reply, so Bridgette stood and stretched. “Corvin knows we’re here, we can’t stay here anymore.”

“You’re right, but we can’t go running out in the dark like sheep without a shepherd.” Vano said, “If Corvin is so afraid of humans, we’ll surround you with them. Let’s go back to Suddlepuff.”

“He's already followed me into Suddlepuff." Bridgette replied.

“What?! When?” Vano demanded.

“The night before we met. It’s why I broke into your house; I had to up the risk for him. I told you; he’s getting braver.” Bridgette explained.

Vano huffed. “Well, this time we'll be on the lookout for him."

"What do you mean?" Bridgette asked.

"You're not going to hide out in Suddlepuff, you're going to live there, and everyone is going to know it.” Vano replied, rolling backward into a standing position.

“What?” Bridgette gasped.

“I’ll introduce you as my ward. Everyone will know about you, and by virtue of your connection to me, they’ll be watching out for you. Who knows? Maybe some of them will even learn to like you.” Vano said confidently.

“And if they don’t?” Bridgette asked dubiously.

“They will. We Suddlepuffians are good at adapting.” Vano laughed, then his smile fell to a look of concern. “You can continue your training in Suddlepuff, right? I know you wanted to come here to level up, but--”

“Actually, about that.” Bridgette beamed as she lifted her hand up for him to see. Her level had changed.

----

Early the next morning; Bridgette, Vano and Meep set out. Initially, Bridgette wanted Meep to return to the swamp and find another magician, but Vano refused to allow it. “We’re taking anything that a magician needs that you can’t find in Suddlepuff.” He said, “That means this wand from Nyx, seeds for a magical resource garden, dirt from Niris Tul for them to grow in, and Meep.”

They were packed, the cottage was clean and secure as well, and some magical resources were still growing in the planters so that the next person who found the house would have a safe place to be. As Vano closed the door for the last time, and the trio turned their back to the mire house, their hearts were heavy. It had become a home for them, and they were sad to leave it.

“The mire house took good care of us.” Vano mused. “It’s hard to say goodbye.”

“We’re not the first people to leave it. I hope someday it can be a permanent home for somebody.” Bridgette added.

So, with the expanse of several hundred miles between them and their destination, the three companions began the long journey home, ever haunted by the knowledge that Corvin was following.

To Be Continued...

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you so much for reading The Witch Child's Amulet! I sincerely hope you've enjoyed it thus far. Don't worry, the story is not over. Vano and Bridgette's adventure will continue for several chapters yet, but this novella will be taking a short intermission until the next chapter is finished.

Chapter 7, currently titled "The Thing About Zevs" , features characters that do not belong to me. I am collaborating with their owner in order to portray them correctly, which is taking a hot minute. Please check back later, or follow my newsroom for updates!

The Witch Child's Amulet: #5

Chapter 5 - Never Giving Up

It was increasingly hard for Vano to keep his bearings whilst under the ancient spell of Niris Tul; he almost couldn’t tell the difference between the way he had come and the way he was going, even with Bridgette leading. As for Bridgette, she had neither a map nor memory of living in the swamp as an infant, so the two companions were really just wandering aimlessly. Thankfully Bridgette was resourceful, and began to learn the flow of the land through the course of their wandering until at last she could lead in a steady direction. After a few days, Vano noticed the swamp began to lose its flatness and gradually incline or decline as they went. Bridgette turned opposite to the hills, following rain trails down the slopes, in search of shallow water where Keonor Root could grow.

Days and nights passed in succession, yielding no luck in their search.

Whenever the companions found themselves short of food, they would stop and forage. Berries and mushrooms grew in abundance throughout the swamp, though there were more mushrooms than berries. Neither minded however, because the mushrooms of Niris Tul were as varied in flavor as the fruits of fruit trees; some were sweet, some savory, and some were even spicy. For Vano’s part, he never thought mushroom pancakes could sound appetizing, but soon found himself wishing he had the foresight to bring flour to try it.

The only concern Bridgette and Vano had while collecting berries and mushrooms to eat was whether those berries or mushrooms were actually edible. Bridgette had acquired enough knowledge from her mother, and four years of living on her own, to make a good guess. Meanwhile, though all the flora of the magician’s ancient homeland was foreign to him, Vano had some idea of what to watch out for. They were lucky for the most part, and only had one incident when fuchsia mushrooms got mixed up with the Mind Mallow, forcing the two to listen to each other’s thoughts for the rest of the afternoon. In this way Vano learned about the five magic skills and how leveling worked, but he also learned it was more preferable to keep one’s thoughts secret at times, since Bridgette did not appreciate being considered adorable in every little thing she did. The benefit was that Bridgette could no longer conceal from Vano that fact that she enjoyed some of his antics, and was indeed becoming quite attached to him.

Both were relieved when the effect of the Mind Mallow finally wore off.

One sunny morning, Vano and Bridgette chose to enjoy a modest meal in a small clearing, where the sun overhead had no obstruction from shedding its glorious warmth down upon them. Their hearts were cheered by the light, and Vano noticed the very birds, beasts, bugs and plants around them seemed energized. When they reached the place of their picnic, he performed a one handed back-handspring and landed sitting cross legged. Bridgette sat beside him. While they ate, she looked around.

“You know, at first I thought this might be the Festival Grounds, but now I don’t think it’s big enough.” She said, almost to herself.

“Well, at least we’re not lost.” Vano teased, grabbing a berry from the pile. He tossed it in the air and caught it in his mouth.

“You’re in really high spirits today, aren’t you?” Bridgette asked, looking amused.

“Of course! It’s a beautiful day.” Vano replied, tossing a berry to her. “Want to try?”

“No way. Catching berries like that is silly.” She said, but stalwart refusal was not present in her gaze.

“Good! Silliness boosts morale.” Vano said.

Bridgette looked at the berry in her hand with a little hesitance, then tossed it over her head. She did not have Vano’s long practiced skill or agility, and as a result, the berry hit her in the eye. To Vano’s surprise and everlasting delight, Bridgette responded to this with an explosion of laughter, then tried again. He had to demonstrate a few more times and give her several tips before she finally got it, but when she did, they both cheered!

Cloudy days followed. Vano didn’t like them, but his suffering on those days was his own fault: There was no noticeable change in the feel of the swamp or the lifestyle of its creatures on cloudy days, so Vano had made the mistake of asking Bridgette to help him find something to use to differentiate one cloudy morning from the next. Thus began his education in the names and magical properties of all the various resources used for potion lore. At first it was interesting, but after three cloudy days in a row, he started to feel overwhelmed. To make matters worse, Bridgette was militant in making sure he remembered everything she told him. She would even quiz him whenever the two stopped for a rest or to eat. So it was, at the end of another cloudy day, Vano threw himself to the ground feeling like his head was going to explode.

“Quick! What does a Surge Lily do?” Bridgette demanded suddenly whilst unpacking her blanket.

Vano sat up promptly. “Hold on! I know this.” He cried, thumping his forehead with his wrist. A lot of flower powers came to his mind, but he wasn’t sure about any of them. “It… Cures fevers?”

“That’s Lunar Flower. Same family, different plant.” Bridgette said, shaking her head disapprovingly at him.

Vano moaned and dragged both hands down his face. “No more tonight please.” He sighed wearily.

Bridgette wasn’t sympathetic. “Come on, Vano, you’ve got to know this stuff.”

“Do I though? Do I really?” Vano countered, rolling his head to look at her.

“Yes.” Bridgette replied seriously, “You’re my specter now, and specters gather resources. You said so yourself.”

“Gathering them is one thing. Why do I have to remember what they all do?” Vano asked.

“Because real specters already know what they do.” Bridgette said.

Vano sighed and laid down again. “When are you going to get a real specter?” He asked, “It would certainly make finding Keonor Root a whole lot easier.”

“I want Corvin off my tail first.” Bridgette said.

“I’m going to have to deal with that guy at some point, aren’t I?” Vano muttered wearily. He was very tired and overwhelmed by the information Bridgette had crammed into his head. It was like she was trying to make him learn six years’ worth of her mother’s teachings in a few days. All he wanted to do was sleep. So, he closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, a sudden breeze caught Bridgette’s attention. “There’s a storm coming. It’ll be cold tonight.” She warned.

“My mind is too numb to even grasp the concept of cold-- Unless it’s the magical capabilities of Winter Leaf, Ice Bough or Frost Flower.” Vano replied dryly, keeping his eyes closed and trying to think of deserts where no magical resource, or any growing thing, existed for miles and miles and miles.

With a flick of her wrist, Bridgette sent a small pulse of magic toward his travel pack, knocking it over. The blanket fell from the roll and onto his lap. Vano glanced at it for a moment, then at Bridgette, who turned her back to him and pulled her own blanket up over her shoulders. Vano did the same and fell asleep quickly.

He woke suddenly.

Turning over and sitting up, he looked around. Bridgette lay only a foot away, sound asleep, breathing softly through her tiny nose. The night around them was deep, and thin traces of moonlight filtered in through the canopy above. Nothing seemed amiss. For a moment, Vano wasn’t sure what had disturbed him, then suddenly he detected movement. Something was in his travel pack! It wiggled and chirped. Then a black, peanut-shaped creature came crawling out, carrying with it the grass doll that Bridgette had won at Mithil Gan over a week ago.

“Hey!” Vano hissed in a sharp whisper, “That isn’t yours.”

The specter looked at him with big, gold eyes and blinked at him, almost like it didn’t understand.

“It belongs to her.” Vano continued, pointing at Bridgette, “Put it back.”

The specter’s gaze followed where Vano had indicated. It tilted its head curiously and chirped again, approaching the sleeping magician without reservation until it had a clear view of her face. For a moment, it stared at her, then it looked at Vano. He could’ve sworn it looked like a child who had just been given a cookie. It reached out suddenly and began to poke Bridgette’s face rapidly. She moaned and stirred.

“Hey! Knock it off!” Vano whispered harshly, leaning over and brushing the creature away with his hand. The specter chirped and looked at him grumpily. “Don’t wake her up. She needs to sleep.” He said in response.

The specter trilled sadly, looking at Bridgette. Vano furrowed his brow in perplexity, wondering why the creature hadn’t spoken to him yet. He could’ve sworn specters could talk; leastways Angry Sock talked. “What’s your name?” He asked.

The creature squeaked in response.

“Meep?” Vano repeated, “…Is that your name or just more of your noises?”

The creature made the same noise.

“Okay. I’ll call you Meep, then.” Vano said, “Listen Meep, let Bridgette sleep, okay? You can give her the doll in the morning.”

With this, the specter smiled and trilled, then gripped the grass doll with both hands and scurried away. Vano made a grab at the creature, but it sped away even faster than he could reach it. “Hey! Bring that back!” Vano cried. The specter did not return. Bridgette sat up in alarm.

“What!? What is it? What’s going on?” She asked panickily.

“A specter. It stole your grass doll.” He complained.

Bridgette sighed. “Oh… Well, I didn’t want the doll anyway.” She said, laying down again.

“Well, I did!” Vano said.

“Why? You have your puppets.” Bridgette muttered.

“Sentimental reasons.” Vano replied, folding his arms in a pout.

----

The next morning, Bridgette woke and found the swamp around her shrouded in a dense fog. It might've been early morning judging by the light, but it was grey and cheerless. She turned over, and found to her surprise that Vano was already awake, sitting erect and staring intensely into fog behind her head.

"What?" She asked.

He didn't respond, so she followed his gaze. There, only a furlong away, an ominous silhouette rose up out of the mist. It was hard to tell what it was for sure, for it stood still as stone, but its shape was that of a person.

Instantly, Corvin came to her mind. Fear gripped Bridgette's heart and she instinctively shrunk back, finding herself drawing close to Vano's side. Unexpectedly, he put a protective arm around her. As he did so, the vision seem to pass and the figure vanished. Perhaps it was just a trick of the light, or else whatever it was had moved with the slight breeze and only seemed to dissipate. It was hard to tell.

"Any idea what that was?" Vano asked in a whisper.

"I'm not sure, and I hope my only guess is wrong." Bridgette replied just as quietly.

"Could he really have caught up with us so quickly? Surely we lost him by cutting through Mithil Gan." Vano whispered.

"We lost him, but he could've guessed where we were headed and gone around." Bridgette said, standing quickly and gathering her blanket. "We have to get out of here."

"No." Vano replied, and Bridgette was surprised to hear him say so. "We need to stay put."

"No way! If that was Corvin, then he's using the fog as a cover. He could sneak up right next to us and we wouldn't see him until it was too late." She argued.

"That's precisely why we should stay put." Vano said, "He can't see in the fog any better than we can, but if we go running off blindly into it for fear of him, he can easily herd us into a greater danger."

Bridgette hadn't thought of that. She felt a pit in her stomach as she looked around. Even though they were wrapped in a shroud so thick that everything more than ten feet away was obscured, she felt exposed. Vano stood slowly and beckoned for her to follow him. The drew closer to the trunk of the giant tree by which they'd slept and sat among its roots. With a gesture of his hand, Vano invited Bridgette to sit directly next to him. She didn't think twice about it, fearing Corvin more then she valued Vano's perception of her independence. She was surprised to find that she felt safe and secure being in such close proximity to him. For a moment, she almost felt like a child again, seeking comfort in her mother's embrace after having a scary dream.

Her stomach went tight at the thought, and she scooted a few inches away from him. Still afraid, she did not want to distance herself too much, but she would not permit herself to become attached to Vano, or view him as a parental figure over a mere friend.

Why not? The question came unbidden to her mind. Even after a week of being inseparably bound together, this was the first time that Bridgette considered the possible permanency of Vano’s company. He wasn't escorting her anymore, not really. He was part of her quest now. He had come with her into Niris Tul even though he didn't have to. Why did she feel their time together was temporary? Because it was just for the month. They'd surely go their separate ways when Vano returned to Suddlepuff... Right?

As Bridgette reflected on this, she felt Vano's eyes on her. "What are we supposed to do? Just sit here all day?" Bridgette whispered. She felt that speaking louder would give away their position to unfriendly ears.

"I could tell you a story if you're bored." Vano suggested, pulling a pair of hand puppets out from behind his back. To Bridgette's surprise, the puppets were in the likeness of Miva and Ikalis.

"Wha--?! When did you have time to make those?" Bridgette gasped.

Vano only winked.

Thus began his puppet show where he mercilessly mocked Miva’s self-righteousness and Ikalis’ cruelty. Bridgette couldn’t help but laugh until her sides were sore. It’s quite possible that, though neither of them knew it, Bridgette was not the only member of Vano’s audience; for during the show, Vano referred to Miva’s family as “Miva and the mob”, and that term has been heard used in various corners of Niris Tul ever since. For Vano, Bridgette’s laughter and being able to ridicule Miva and Ikalis did much to mend the fright the pair had caused him. The two companions were having such a good time during the puppet show that they’d quite forgotten about Corvin or keeping their voices hushed, until suddenly--

SNAP!

Vano and Bridgette looked toward the sound, but pressed their backs against the tree as the thought of Miva's trick played simultaneously in their minds. They would not be ambushed from behind this time!

No attack came.

Instead, the snap was followed up by another, and soon a tiny shadow became visible in the fog. Its shape was unmistakably that of a specter. Eventually, the approaching creature was clearly visible: It was Meep. Big golden eyes, long eyelashes, and holding the grass doll.

"Oh no." Bridgette muttered.

"Oh good." Vano sighed at the same time.

Meep chirped and hurried forward, holding up the doll toward Bridgette. The young magician rose to her feet as if she intended to flee, but only stood there.

"Looks like it wants to give you the doll back." Vano said, putting his hand puppets away.

"I don't want it." Bridgette said to the creature.

Meep chirped insistently.

"No. Give it to Vano." Bridgette said.

Meep looked at Vano, who shrugged, then looked at Bridgette again and chirped in dismay.

"You DID come here to train." Vano said to Bridgette, "And Familiar magic is one of the skills you have to learn anyway. Think of it as a free level."

"I can't, Vano." Bridgette snapped, "Corvin might be afraid of you for being human, but he won't hesitate to kill any specter I take up with."

Meep chirped.

"No." Bridgette said firmly.

Meep sulked in dismay. The sight clearly struck at Bridgette's conscience, causing her to kneel in front of the creature. "I'm sorry. You obviously don't know who I am." She said softly, "Maybe you haven't heard about the Witch-Hazels yet, but when you do, you'll understand and be glad."

Meep trilled sadly.

"Look, I don't doubt you're a really great specter. I'm honored that you want to choose me-- But there are better magicians out there. My cousin Nyx doesn't have a specter yet, and she loves them. You'd find a good home with her." Bridgette said.

"Hang on. Is Nyx that Ayto with the pink face markings?" Vano asked.

"Yes." Bridgette said, almost irritably.

Vano leaned forward and blocked Bridgette's view of his mouth with his hand, even though she could still hear him. "In case you want a second opinion, I've met Nyx. Would not recommend." He whispered hoarsely at Meep. Bridgette glared at him. He only smiled smugly and shrugged.

Meep chirped in confusion, timidly offering the grass doll to Bridgette once again.

Bridgette looked at the specter for a long time, almost wistfully, then shook her head. "I'm sorry." She said, sitting back and drawing her hood up over her head. She pulled it down low over her face and drew her knees up to her chest, refusing to look at the specter anymore.

Meep trilled, glanced at Vano, then turned and wandered off sadly. Vano felt pity for the poor creature, and also for Bridgette. Being chosen by a specter should've been exciting for her, but instead she was forced to reject it. A strange feeling suddenly filled his chest. He was not familiar with it, but took less than a second to put a name to it: Anger. Anger at Corvin. The rejection that Bridgette was suffering, and in turn was being forced to give to others, was Corvin’s fault. Vano tightened his fists, glaring into the mist. He wouldn't permit his thoughts to go further than acknowledging the feeling and its cause, but resolved in that moment to set Corvin straight when they met...

…And they would undoubtedly meet because Vano was not going to leave Bridgette.

---

The day passed slowly, with no further sightings or disturbances. The next morning the fog was replaced by a heavy rain. Vano and Bridgette resumed their journey, but Vano noticed that Bridgette’s mood had deteriorated since sending Meep away. She kept her hood up, her head down, and would not speak or answer any question he put to her.

With fresh rain, it was easier to find rain trails, and the pair soon came across a small river to follow. It ran on for a time, then dropped suddenly down a slope off into a spacious mire. Vano and Bridgette stood at the edge. Vano lifted his hand up to shield his eyes and peered out as far as he could see. The mire was full of plants, but none stood out as being any greener than the others.

“No Keonor Root.” He sighed.

“Well then, there’s no reason to go down there. I imagine it would be very hard to crawl back up.” Bridgette said.

The two turned, but at that moment there was a crack of lightning just overhead. The ensuing thunder was so earth shattering and sudden that Vano lost his footing and slipped. The wet grass and mud offered no resistance, allowing him to slide unhindered down the slope, off the edge and into the mire! Because Bridgette was tied to him, and a good deal smaller and lighter, she was yanked along. Before they knew it, both found themselves floundering in muddy water that was almost to Vano’s hips and Bridgette’s neck.

Bridgette coughed and flailed. Vano grabbed her arm and helped her up onto a shallow bank. Both were thoroughly soaked, muddy and miserable.

“I can’t believe we still haven’t found any Keonor Root yet! We’ve been here almost two weeks!” Bridgette shouted. “It grows back even if only the tiniest hair strand of a root is left after it’s pulled up. How can something like that be rare? I mean, how long does it take to grow back?!”

She stood up, stumbled over the rope, and with a growl, removed it violently from her wrist. Vano sat silent. Bridgette had clearly lost her patience for this. She retreated toward the edge of the bank and stood fuming. The rain cascaded down around them, dripping off the brim of Vano’s hat. His mind returned to that day, two weeks ago, when he stood out in the rain with his theater wagon; dancing and singing to himself. The rain hadn’t bothered him. Doing what he loved in a place he knew, with the promise of a warm fire waiting, had driven the chill from his mind and heart. Here in Niris Tul, it was instead amplified, for they had no warm fire waiting. Neither was doing what they loved, and they were both lost. Vano shivered. Looking around at the dismal mire they were now trapped in, he almost wished they had never come there.

Then he saw what looked to be a house buried under the roots of a large, twisted tree. “Bridgette. What is that?” He asked, pointing.

Bridgette turned and gasped in surprise. “It’s a magician house!” She said.

“You mean someone is living in there?” Vano asked.

“Maybe.” Bridgette said, returning to his side where she stooped and grabbed the rope from the mud.

“So, we’ll want to avoid that, yes?” Vano said, watching her. It was a trick question, for though he said one thing, he truly hoped the opposite.

“It’s not hidden, so it’s either abandoned or whoever is living there is not afraid of discovery.” Bridgette replied, staring thoughtfully at the house. The windows were dark, but even so she watched for movement behind them.

“Hidden?” Vano repeated.

“Most magicians hide their houses and hideouts in an illusion that makes it seem like it’s not there. It’s why you haven’t noticed all the other magician houses we’ve gone passed.” Bridgette said.

“Sooo… Want to risk it then?” Vano suggested hopefully.

“Unfortunately, yes.” Bridgette sighed. She was wet and miserable too. She couldn’t stand another minute being tied to Vano, and he wouldn’t get lost if he was in a house. Still, they approached with caution. As they drew nearer the quiet cottage, they discovered the door hung loose on its hinges and was bent inward, like it had been kicked in. There wasn’t much inside except a small wooden table, four overturned chairs, and a cauldron in the empty fireplace. The cupboards were open and bare. Everything was covered with dust and cobwebs.

Vano took the liberty of searching the rest of the house while Bridgette attempted to get a fire going, using cut logs which were deteriorating beside the fireplace. There were only two additional rooms off the main one: A small bedroom and a bath. The bed had a wooden frame, seemingly woven of willow tree boughs, but there was no mattress. The only other piece of furniture was a wardrobe, wherein hung a single large and tattered black cloak.

Assured of the house’s vacancy, Vano repaired the door and made sure it was bolted while Bridgette used the cauldron to heat rainwater for the bath. She went to get clean first and Vano tidied up the place. Then Bridgette started a stew of the mushrooms they had packed while Vano took his turn. When both companions were clean and warm, they sat down to eat, though neither of them were dry. Bridgette had not packed any additional clothes, so she cleaned her old ones while in the bath and put them back on while they were still wet. Vano chose to do the same. He didn’t want to be comfortable if she wasn’t. For him, it was enough to have his jester outfit returned to its bright and proper shade of pink and yellow and green, instead of brown with mud.

The two ate in silence as the rain outside pounded harshly against the windows.

“We’re never going to find it.” Bridgette muttered at last.

“We found plenty of other resources, why not just make a different potion?” Vano suggested.

“The Potation of Location is the one we need in order to keep you from getting lost.” Bridgette snapped, “There is no other potion that’ll do it, and I can’t focus on my training if I’m having to babysit you!”

Vano frowned, becoming a little indignant. He thought it was unfair of her to complain about being tied to him while training, since he’d been led around like a dog on a leash for the past two weeks and hadn’t complained. “What kind of training do you have in mind that you can’t do with a rope on your wrist?”

“Any of it.” Bridgette retorted.

“Oh really? So, you can’t teleport a person to your side, or use a wand, all because of a rope?” Vano replied hotly.

Bridgette grit her teeth. “Maybe I could, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to drag you around anymore!”

“Well, that’s good, because I don’t want to be dragged around. I’d like to climb a tree once in a while, or play with those pudgy little specters we’ve seen.” Vano said, “You are very goal-oriented, and that’s fine, but I personally would like to explore.”

“Explore then! I’ll just find you when I’m done.” Bridgette said angrily, fixing her eyes on her bowl of stew. She wouldn’t meet his eyes in case she’d hurt his feelings. Vano stared at her for several minutes. It actually didn’t bother him that Bridgette wanted to be on her own for a while, they were both kind of tired of being together all of the time; but even so, he had a feeling that wasn’t the real problem at all. There was something else on her mind.

“What are you thinking about?” He asked finally.

“It’s not fair. It’s not fair that I don’t get to live in a place like this, that I don’t get to call anywhere home.” Bridgette began slowly, “I’m sick of always feeling like I’m in danger, of always having to run. I’m sick of being hated by everyone, no matter where I go. I’m sick of trying to teach myself because no master will take me. I can’t do it anymore! I hate it!” With this, her voice cracked and her fists clenched.

Vano felt his heart sink. He was almost at a loss for what to do. Over the years, Vano had often found one of the Suddlepuff children sitting sadly by themselves, with hurt feelings or a scraped knee, and a simple puppet show had never failed to cheer them up. Bridgette’s hurts were too deep to be mended by tomfoolery. Yet, he had to do something. Pulling out the Miva puppet from before, he had it toddle across the table. “That’s rough, kid. Not that I care. I’m too pure-blooded to care about anything. Say, let me tell you about my fabulous hat!” He said, speaking for the puppet in a high voice.

"Stop. You're not funny." Bridgette said sternly, pushing the puppet away. She turned her back to him and the table.

"I'm hilarious. You're just in a bad mood." Vano said nonchalantly, standing and walking around until he stood in front of her.

"I'm serious, Vano! What is wrong with you? Stop trying to make it better and just give up on me!" Angrily, she pulled her hood up over her head.

Vano blinked. "Give up on you?” He repeated. Setting the puppet aside, he bent forward, supporting himself with one hand on his knee. The other hand, he lifted to the rim of her hood and flicked it back. "Never."  

The fire illuminated Bridgette’s face. She looked up at him with tear filled eyes. She seemed so defeated. Vano continued: “You’re right, it’s not fair. But you know something? Nothing is fair right now. Yeah, this was somebody’s home, but they had to leave it. Magicians everywhere are enslaved, or angry, or afraid. And humans too believe it or not. Even kings are forced to make an oath to my uncle that they don’t want to keep… Life isn’t fair. It wasn’t meant to be.”

Bridgette turned her face away. He gently grabbed her chin and made her look at him again. “Never say you can’t. Because in the short time I’ve known you, Bridgette Witch-Hazel, you’ve proven that you can do anything short of fly. You are too brave, too strong, and too stubborn to give up… And hey, if you need a home or someone to love you, I have one and I already do.”

Bridgette stifled a sob and threw herself into his chest, causing the chair to topple over behind her. Though initially surprised by her sudden movement, Vano’s eyes softened. He wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug and rubbed the back of her head reassuringly. She was so tiny, and as he now discovered, thin and frail. She hardly had any meat on her bones, and she trembled as she tried to suppress her tears. Maybe she couldn’t let herself cry yet, but for all the joy her laughter had brought him, her sorrow now brought him just as much pain. He almost wished that he could pick her up in his arms and hold her until all her fears and hurts went away. Silently, he prayed for her.

Bridgette felt the despair flee her heart, and the fears in her mind were quieted. Soon, her only focus was on his heartbeat. She almost expected it to be quick and flighty like a bird, but it wasn’t. It was strong and steady. A heart with love in it; love for her. She had been looking in his eyes when he said he loved her, and the truth went straight to her core. Finally, after four years, she was loved again. 

“Sounds like the rain has stopped.” Vano said after a while. Bridgette softly pulled away from him, and looked at the window. “Should we resume our search or stay here for the night?” He asked.

“I want to stay here.” She said quietly, then with renewed fire in her eyes, looked back at him. “We’ve got to stay here, at least for a while. I can go outside and practice casting, and you can stay here without getting lost.”

“You underestimate my ability.” He said with a teasing smile and a wink.

Wiping her cheek with her sleeve, Bridgette went to fetch her shoes, which she’d left beside the door. Vano gathered the bowls from off the table and returned the contents to the cauldron where it had been brewed.

“Promise you won’t leave the house.” Bridgette said seriously, pointing at him with one hand while the other was on the handle of the door.

“I promise.” He said with an erect salute.

As Bridgette ventured outside, Vano sat down just beyond the threshold of the house, watching her as she walked away. Several yards away, she focused her energy on the branches of a tree and cast her magic upon its boughs. Vano smiled. Then suddenly, a movement in the tall grass next to him drew his attention. There was Meep. The specter had come up beside him and was staring off after Bridgette with admiration and longing.

“You won’t give up on her either, eh Meep?” Vano asked with a smirk.

Meep chirped resolutely.

“Well then, it’s you and me. We’ll take care of our girl.” Vano replied.

The specter looked surprised, then chirped in affirmation and smiled.

“Actually Meep…” Vano began slowly, glancing at Bridgette to make sure she wasn’t watching. “Would you happen to know where any Keonor Root is?” Meep tilted its head curiously.

“Bridgette needs it for a potion, but we can’t find any.” Vano explained, “Could you find some?”

Meep chirped and began to sniff the air. After a moment, it chirped again and began to wander off in one direction. Vano watched it go, only to be surprised when it stopped and beckon to him with a tiny hand. He shook his head so quickly that the bells on his mask jingled. “I can’t yet. That’s what we need the potion for.” He said.

Meep looked worriedly down at the grass doll it was holding, then squeaked despairingly at Vano. “Right. Your arms are so tiny, you can’t hold the root and the doll at once.” Vano translated. Meep nodded. “Well, come here then, let’s see if we can’t do something about that.”

As the specter hurried back over, Vano pulled a thread from the hem of his jester cowl and cut it with his teeth. Then, tying one end of the thread around the doll’s neck and the other end around its waist, he slipped it over Meep’s head like the strap of a satchel. The specter examined itself for a moment, then trilled happily. A moment later, the creature scurried off. Vano bit his lower lip and looked at Bridgette, hoping she hadn’t noticed him just adopt a specter.

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