The Necromancer (On Hold)

Chapter 2- The Choice

Morgan awoke to the sound of birds chirping and the tinkling of children's laughter from outside her window. She jumped out of bed and got dressed in a hurry. Even though Nancy had not told her to be there early, she still didn't want the woman to think she was lazy.

She left her new home and made her way over to Nancy's, she paused with her hand poised above the door, about to knock. She remembered what Nancy had said the evening before that she didn't have to knock. Hesitantly Morgan pushed the wooden door open and peaked her head inside.

"Nancy, I'm here."

"Oh goodness. Thank you so much for showing up early, are you sure you are rested?"

"Yes, I am fine." Morgan smiled at the kind woman. 

"Wonderful. If you would, please go gather some wood for a fire. Mother is having a bad day I am afraid and I want to keep her as comfortable as possible."

"Yes." Morgan nodded slightly and went out the back near the piles of large logs.

She found an axe lying near the pile and picked it up. The weight felt different in her hands, she wasn't used to holding such heavy weaponry. She shifted it back and forth between her hands as she got used to the feel of it.

She then turned to the pile of larger logs and rolled one away and sat it on one end. She placed the blade of the axe on the center of the log where she wanted to strike then slowly lifted it above her head. She used all of her strength and brought the blade down on the wood, striking exactly where she had wanted.

The axe dug into the wood, but when Morgan pulled it out, there was barely a dent. This is going to be more work than I thought. 

She continued the process of striking the wood until after what felt like thirty blows the log gave way with a resounding crack.

Morgan smiled to herself and lifted one of the halves back up to split it some more. She kept chopping away at logs, more than once she had been tempted to use her magic to split them. It would have been quick and effective. However, she couldn't take the chance of someone seeing her using the magic. It would unsettle them to know she had been hiding her abilities.

After she had managed to split two of the logs into four smaller pieces each, Morgan heard something approaching from behind.

She whirled quickly facing the threat, wielding the axe ready to strike.

Gregory put his hands in the air with a nervous laugh.

"Whoa there. I have just come to check on you."

Morgan lowered the weapon, mentally hitting herself for her reaction. Doing things like that was not a way for her to blend in and she knew it.

"I'm sorry."

"No need. You know you could have just asked and I would have chopped wood for you. I normally do for Miss Nancy. We do not make the women tax themselves with such tasks." Gregory said stepping forward.

Morgan looked the man up and down, she hadn't noticed before, but he appeared to be around her age, and she could see the muscles moving under the skin of his sun-tanned arms.

She bit the inside of her lip and turned quickly.

"That is quite alright. I do not need a man to do the work for me. I am just as capable as men." She walked back to the pile of logs, taking another from the stack. 

Morgan wiped her sweaty hands on her pants before resuming her work. 

Gregory leaned against a tree watching her as she worked. Many questions ran through his head as he watched her work. About where she had come from, where she was going, her wardrobe. For some reason he wanted to know all about this mysterious woman. The one who refused help on a task from a man, or was it just him?