Ivy Strongwill and The Silent Sorcermaster

Chapter Four - The Canmore Twins

Ivy arrived early at the scheduled meeting place, a crossroad just outside a dense, evergreen forest, where she noticed a few impatient students waiting, just like her. From what she could gather, the older ones were going to resume classes the following day, or so it was rumoured, but the newcomers had yet to pass some sort of entrance test. She was much more nervous than when she used to go to her previous, normal school, this was no place for failure. At least, back there, she knew what to expect from her mean classmates and was prepared to forget every useless piece of information she always had to learn by heart as soon as classes ended. However, this new school and a supposedly sorcermagic one, no less, she had countless questions about it and even more worries, not to mention that the anxiety started to make her feel sick. Thomas had told her students sometimes failed their entrance test.

I hope I'm not going to be a failure on my first day. Everyone here seems quite skilful. And they must have a lot of friends, maybe they even applied to the Pergulum together. She turned her head and saw the slowly growing crowd. They are probably going to make many new friends quickly, and then forget about me. Or worse...

"You, too, are looking for that shadow racoon, aren't you?" A messy looking boy jumped from a spice bush in front of her, amber leaves falling like confetti around them. Startled, Ivy came back to reality and flinched.

"You scared me!" he exclaimed as he fell on his back.

"Oh, did I now? Poor thing!" she replied sarcastically.

"Yes," the boy said in a serious tone, as he scrambled back to his feet, brushing off the leaves from his neat clothes and checking to see if his wristwatch was broken. "By the way, I am the one and only Liam Canmore," he said, and pointed at himself while taking a superhero pose, which made his green cloak look even more solemn. "Nice to meet you." They shook hands.

"Oh, so you're that famous, hiding from the hoard of fans, perhaps?" asked Ivy, judging by the way he introduced himself. "How many people here know you?"

Unsure what to do, the daring boy started thinking while counting on his fingers.

"My sister knows me. And I guess you do too, now. And before you ask, yes, I'm rather famous, the only singer who performs in the shower back at our manor." Looking around cautiously, he whispered almost inaudibly "My sister can't sing."

Before Ivy could get a chance to say anything, someone poked her in the sides and she got startled yet again. A girl with straight blonde hair and blue eyes just like Liam's came into view.

"And, now, you must be wondering who his untalented sister is and where she goes to school, right?" a girly voice came from behind.

"How did you even...? And, who are you...?" Ivy was confused.

"No need to ask yourself twice, I'm Amanda Canmore, and I've just signed up for this school. I'm his twin sister, if our shared surname and similar looks are not proof enough. Unfortunately, these small details are constantly preventing me from pretending I don't know the spoiled brat. Speaking of which, what's your name though, you forgot to introduce yourself to my brother, Ms. ...?"

"Strongwill. Ivy Strongwill, glad to meet you."

"Likewise." As they shook hands, Amanda pulled Ivy's hand a bit, as she leaned closer. "Don't do the mistake of listening to him again, I'm the better singer." A few seconds later, bright eyes narrowed and she squealed, astonishment written all over her heart-shaped face. "Wait, what? Strongwill? As in Eulora Strongwill's blood relative?"

"I guess so, yeah..." Ivy was taken aback, but managed to keep a straight expression.

"Oh, floating Morgana and all her back hair! You're her niece!" shouted Liam, causing a considerable number of faces to turn in their direction.