When Magic Speaks - NaNoWriMo 2020✔️

8

As brutal as winters were in Hural, there had once been a point in time when spring was the seasonal victor. The impatient buds would pop up from under the snow, the birds singing their song of new weather as the flowers bloomed and the ponds flooded, making puddle hopping a regular past time. Back then life was simple and the prolonged springs were blamed by the work of magic, only...magic was glorified then. At least in Marma's family it was. 

Marma awoke that morning with the intention of skipping over to the spring market. Hural was famous for its spring markets back then, bringing in visitors from far and wide to view their spectacles and millions of flowers. The town waited in anticipation for this market and seeing as it was opening day, Marma knew the city streets would be bustling as busy as a bee hive. She pecked her father on the head, ruffled three of her brothers' heads and took off with her basket in hand. She hadn't bothered to greet her sisters since they had more than likely already beat her there. Marma hadn't even bothered to comb her hair that morning, though most mornings she didn't bother with it anyway. She huffed as she climbed the hill, passing multiple groups of people as the towering rose arch welcomed her. She took a long inhale as she entered Hural, her nose going into sensory overload as the scent of millions of different types of flowers greeted her. From orchids to lillies to daisies and bundles of lavender. Roses and petunias and tulips and sunflowers, Hural had it all. The air was filled with the sound of people laughing and singing, of vendors chatting and musicians playing their ukuleles and violins in the streets. Hural had never been so beautiful. 

Marma felt the fabric round her waist kiss free petals as they danced through the air. Thankfully she had just mastered her pollen spell the night before - now she could fully enjoy herself. 

As she let the winds carry her down the street she mindlessly wandered the side streets and cramped alleyways, until she came upon one vendor in particular selling flower crowns. They were beautiful, stunning. And in Marma's eyes, much more valuable than a crown made of any silver or gold. She took her time as she walked around the booth, her eyes wandering across each crown on display. Each bore a different colour and a different breed of flower, sprinkled with what looked like fairy dust and accented with pine cones and twigs. Marma grinned down at one crown in particular - a lavender crown, wrapped with twinkling rose fabric and holly leaves. She had been gazing at this crown for so long in fact, she hadn't noticed the vendor behind the counter watching her. 

"That one's my favourite."

Marma quickly lifted her gaze as she met the vendor's. Dressed in a beautiful purple and gold corset to match the crown, her dark curling hair adorned with tiny flower petals, her eyes a mesmerizing rose hue. She smelled of lavender and birch, the smell practically radiated off of her. She was a vision. She smiled warmly at Marma, her eyes practically smiling along with her. Marma could feel her cheeks radiate with colour as she bashfully looked back and fourth from the girl to the crown. "I-it's very beautiful," Marma stammered, her fingers carefully stroking one of the leaves. "Your work is...breathtaking."

The girl smiled at Marma then to herself as she inched forward, leaning her hands on the counter. Marma caught sight of this and glanced at her neatly manicured fingernails. They almost twinkled under the rays of the sun. "They're really quite easy to make," the girl hummed. "I could show you on my break. I basically take any sturdy branch I can find, matched with quaint twigs and my flowers, add a wrap of fabric and...voilà."

Marma lifted her head to look at the flower girl, her gaze already on her. The two smiled at one another - it was possible they were rendered just as bashful as the other was. Now that Marma was here, she didn't really want to leave. Luckily she was flower girl's only customer right now so she had the liberty to take her time. "How do your flowers stay so healthy and vibrant?"