Sorceress

Chapter 2

As twilight came, the sky turned a soft gray-blue, with bright pink streaks coming from the west. The first night stars were starting to sparkle. The top of the sun was just sinking into the ocean, setting it on fire. I soared high above trees and plains and hills. The crisp night air was rushing into my face. I tilted the end of the broom down, diving towards the ground.

"Woo!" I shouted, swiftly swooping up just as I came near colliding with the earth.

"Please don't do that again," groaned Ignis. He had pressed himself tightly against me, eyes closed and chestnut fur bristling.

Chuckling, I raced across a large open field, with a pasture containing large brown cows.

"Alice, wait, there's probably a barn somewhere where we can rest."

"I don't want to stop just yet! The night is young!" I replied, not even slowing down.

"You'll waste all of your energy! Save it for the morning. Besides, if I spend any more time dipping and turning on this broom I'm sure to get sick."

I sighed, "Very well." Coming to a halt, I scanned the field for any buildings. 

"There!" Ignis gestured with his paw to a small wooden barn. We flew over to it and landed, keeping as quiet as we could. There was a trapdoor on the roof.

"I bet that leads to the attic," I said. We climbed softly through the trapdoor and shut it silently behind us. The attic was covered in loose hay, and hay bales were stacked up the walls. There were two windows, one on each end of the barn.

Ignis made a sort of nest out of the hay and curled up in a perfect circle, his black-tipped tail covering his little black nose.

I lay down in the hay, placing my broom beside me, and covered myself in more loose hay to create a blanket.

"Goodnight," I whispered to Ignis, and he flicked his tail in response.

⚫️ ⚫️⚫️

"Who the hell 're you?"

I jolted awake to find a large man, his large burly arms raising an ax, glaring at me.

"Get out of my barn!" his voice was gruff and threatening, and though he was well built he was obviously weakened with age.

"Calm down, I was just sleeping!" I responded, stubbornly.

"Last thing I need 're bums sneakin' in and campin' out, ready t' steal from me! The king's taxes left me with hardly nothin'!"

"But we're not-"

"I don't care what ye' are, now quit yappin' an' leave NOW!" he said, growing angry, "And take that vermin with you," he added, gesturing to Ignis who, out of fright, had climbed up onto a hay bale, fur bristling.

"Fine! This place smells like cow anyway," I mounted my broom, grabbed Ignis, and flew out the window.

I smirked when I looked back to see the old man gawking out the window. He was obviously not well acquainted with witches.

"How rude," I exclaimed as we soared away.

"He found two strangers sleeping in his barn. You can't blame him for being startled," said Ignis.  He wrinkled his nose in disgust "though 'vermin' is not a word I would use to describe myself," he added.

We found a small glade in the middle of a forest where we landed and started unpacking the basket. Ignis went off to hunt in the woods.

I ended up eating an apple and a couple pieces of tuna, and Ignis had caught two birds he was happily snacking on.

As we ate, I started to hear a distant sound. Ignis' round ears perked up, and he looked up from his robin.

"Is that...?" Ignis started.

"Music!" I exclaimed, jumping up and quickly packing the basket.

"Alice," said Ignis, "We don't know where it's coming from. Do we really want to follow it?"

"Of course! It sounds fun," I replied. I tied the basket back to the broom and picked up Ignis, the bird still in his mouth.

We flew over the forest in the direction of the sound, which was growing loader and loader. We eventually reached a large town with cobbled streets busy with carriages and people. Lowering to the ground, we flew closer to the source of the cheerful tune. We came to a wide street where dozens of musicians made their way down. 

There were  rows of trumpet players, flutists, and fiddlers. They were so loud, Ignis had to cover up his ears with his paws. I lowered to the ground, where crowds of people were gathered along the streets, cheering and throwing flowers. I stood there, with my broom, cheering for the band with the crowd, until the end of the long line of musicians ended and everyone started to follow behind the procession. Following the crowd we eventually came to a large square with a raised platform in the center. In the middle stood a small old woman in a rich blue dress. Her fingers were adorned with several big rings, and she had large circular earrings and many necklaces. On her shoulder was perched a large barn owl. A big leather-bound book rested in her hand. She raised her other hand, and the chattering crowd went silent instantly.

"Alice," Ignis murmured in my ear, "You don't think she's a witch do you?"

"We're about to find out," I whispered back.

"Hush," whispered the man on my right, "Sapiena is about to predict the next year for the town."

The elderly woman opened her book and looked up at the sky.

"The crops will be bountiful as usual," she spoke clearly, "but the king's taxes will rise."

Everyone beamed at the first part, but the smiles quickly faded.

"There will be no major storms this year," she went on, "And it will be a lucky year for women between twenty and thirty." At this last prediction, she closed her book and stepped off the platform as the crowd cheered. 

"She must be a fortune teller!" I exclaimed, "Maybe she could be my mentor!"

"You want to be a fortune teller?" asked Ignis.

"Why not? Excuse me sir," I said, turning to the man on my right, "Where does this woman live?"

"Sepiena owns a tea shop on the west side of town. She lives above it."

"Could you point me in that direction?" he pointed down a wide street lined with tall shops and buildings. I thanked him and ran down the street. I'd almost run out of breath until I came to a small brick building with a wooden sign hanging above the door reading Sepiena's Tea House with smaller words under that saying Free Fortune Telling For Each Cup.

"This is it!" I exclaimed excitedly. Brushing the dirt off my dress and smoothing Ignis's fur, I took a deep breath and rushed inside.