Revival

The Discovering

1381-Madley, England

    I burrowed deeper into my bed, gripping the quilt around me in an effort to keep out the cold. I could hear the wind howling outside and rattling the windows but I hoped desperately I would be able to fall asleep again.

    My hopes were to no avail, however, when I heard a knock from behind the door. "Isolda, Miss Emeline asked me to fetch you." I recognized the voice of little Geva, newly brought into the coven at only eight. I elected to ignore it at first but a moment later more knocking came. "Isolda, please," Geva pleaded. "Miss Emeline has worked herself into a fury and the wind is howling mighty tall in her room."

    I groaned, but rolled over anyways. "It's alright Geva," I called. "I'll be out in a moment. You run back off to bed."

    "Yes, Miss," She whispered before I heard her little feet scampering away.

     I rubbed at my eyes and slowly sat up, reaching for the robe above my bed to put on over my nightgown. I slipped out of bed, heading towards Emeline's room, already anticipating the fight brewing. I walked down the hall, passing door after door, from the end where my bedroom was before reaching the staircase and going up, where another six bedrooms resided and Emeline's was the first.

    Inside was chaos. Emeline was there flipping hastily through books while the triplets were sitting in a circle, hands joined, chanting, while candles in the center of their circle suddenly caught flame. Rosalind, my mother, had a map of the town on a table in front of her and was whispering something I could not discern as her hands traveled over the parchment. The elderly Miss Mariel was drawing symbols from charcoal along the windows. Eve, a seer in her glory, was lying across Emeline's bed, focused on nothing, tears falling across her cheeks. All around the room my coven mates and sisters ran, searched through old spell books and histories, performed protection and strength enchantments, charmed jewelry, and spoke in hushed tones.

    Worse, Emeline appeared to be so focused her grasp on her magic was weak and a strong wind flew around the room. My hair whipped around me and my nightgown fluttered around my ankles, making me ache to bend down and rub them.

    The door slammed shut behind me and as my power was brought into the room everyone and everything suddenly stopped, except for Eve, the wind dying down with the conversations as everyone looked at me.

    "You all gave Geva a fright," I stated, raising a brow. "She sounded like she was shaking with fear. What has happened? Tell me at once." I crossed my arms over my chest, attempting to appear braver than I felt.

    Emeline stared at me for a moment before clearing her throat. "Continue with what you're doing ladies. Isolda, come with me."

    She beckoned me toward the connecting study in her bedroom, closing the door behind us and shutting out the noise from her bedroom.

    "Isolda," she began, "look outside. Tell me what you feel."

    I searched her face, searching for a sign of what was happening, before sighing and walking towards the window behind her, throwing it opening. Instantly a chill entered the room, settling in my bones. I shivered, pulling the robe closer around myself, as I looked out. Heavy snow was coming down and wind was shaking the trees so hard they looked as if they would tip. I looked towards the sky and the clouds seemed to be hanging too low, too close, as if trapping us. I glanced back down towards what was across from us, the woods, and realized that it was darker than I had ever seen it. A sense of dread began to fill me and the cold sets further in, making me shiver harder and harder until my teeth hurt from their clattering.