Chloe pulled the door shut behind her as she started to walk down the path toward the stables. The morning air had a bite to it, cool enough that she tucked her hands into the sleeves of her sweatshirt. Before Chloe reached the doors, she heard them, their hooves hitting the ground inside, followed by a snort, then another.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m coming.” Chloe said as she pulled open one of the stable doors.
Three heads immediately appeared over their stalls.
Chloe laughed. “Awe, I’m excited to see you all too.”
The nearest Pegasus tossed its head, wings shifting against it sides. Another stamped impatiently as Chloe walked down the aisle. The stable smelled almost normal, hay, leather, warm animals, until a loose white feather drifted past her shoe. She stopped at the first two stalls and rubbed each Pegasus along the bridge of their nose.
“Sorry guys. No Adrian and Andrew today.” She scratched beneath one of their chins. “They’re back home in Arcadia.”
One of them gave a low snort.
“I know. I’m sure they miss you guys too.”
The Pegasus pulled its head away. At the last stall Zoe was already waiting.
“There’s my girl.”
The mare pushed her head over the gate and rubbed the side of her face against Chloe’s shoulder hard enough to move her half a step.
“Okay.” Chloe planted her foot. “I missed you so much too.”
Zoe did it again and Chloe laughed and wrapped an arm around her neck for a moment before opening the stall. She ran her hand along Zoe’s side, then lifted the
saddle into place and secured it. Zoe stood perfectly still through the process, though her wings twitched every few seconds as if she knew exactly what came next.
Once everything was fastened, Chloe took the reins and led her outside. The moment they cleared the stable, Zoe stretched, both wings unfolding at once. Chloe stopped. No matter how many times she saw it, the sight still caught her.
The wings were enormous up close, each feather overlapping the next in smooth layers. Zoe extended them until they seemed to take up half the space around them, then gave them a powerful shake. Air rushed over Chloe, whipping strands of blond hair across her face.
“Good girl.”
Zoe folded them halfway and waited as Chloe put one foot into the stirrup and swung herself onto the saddle. She settled in, gathered the reins and leaned forward.
“Take me to Thalora Brightroot’s estate please.”
Zoe’s ears flicked back at the name. Then she ran. Chloe tightened her grip as the Pegasus charged across the open grass. One stride, two, three. Zoe’s wings came down. The ground disappearing.
Chloe’s stomach dropped as they climbed sharply over Darwin’s estate. Wind tore at her clothes, cold against her cheeks, and within seconds the stable had shrunk beneath them as Zoe climbed higher. Chloe stared, she had seen it all before, many times now, but she was still amazed by it.
Forests rolled across the land in colors she had never seen growing naturally back home. Rivers flashed between the trees like strips of polished glass. Farther away, towers rose above the hills, their narrow roofs catching the morning sun, The walkways curled through valleys and disappeared beneath canopies of trees, while tiny shapes moved through the sky at different heights, some with the help of the wind, others on creatures Chloe still didn’t know the names of.
Arcadia suddenly felt very far away from Avalon.
Zoe banked left.
Chloe leaned with her.
Somewhere beyond the forests and hills was Thalora’s Brightroot’s estate.
Darwin had called Thalora an old friend.
Zoe carried them beyond the forest and over another ridge before beginning her descent. Chloe felt the change immediately. The Pegasus angled downward and the wind softened around them. Chloe leaned forward and looked past Zoe’s neck.
“Wow.”
A cottage sat near the edge of a high grassy cliff. Not a castle, not a tower, not another sprawling estate with enough rooms to lose half a family in. A cottage.
From above, it looked like it was almost tucked into the earth. Pale fieldstone formed the lower walls, while weathered cedar and honey colored wood gave the upper half a warmth that seemed to deepen under the sun. Moss had spread across sections of the stone without any attempt to scrape it away. Thick vines climbed beside the windows and curled around the wooden frames.
Beyond it, the land simply ended. The cliff dropped into a vast valley far below, where patches of forest and open fields stretched toward distant mountains. A narrow river wound through the valley floor, catching the sunlight whenever it escaped the shadows of the trees.
Zoe circled once. Chloe turned in the saddle, trying to take it all in. “Thalora must live here.”
Somehow she expected something more dramatic. Then again, with Darwin, you can never tell. Zoe lowered he legs.
“All right, easy girl.”
Zoe’s hooves struck the grass several yards from the cottage. She took a few quick steps before slowing to a stop, and her wings still spread wide behind them. Chloe waited until they folded before swinging one leg over the saddle and hopping down.
“Good girl.” She said as she gave Zoe an affectionate pat on the neck.
Up close, Thalora’s cottage looked even older than it had from the air but not neglected. The stone had been worn smoothly in places and the cedar carried the gray; brown streaks of years spent under rain and sun. A little chimney rose from one side of the roof that sent up a thin curl of smoke that vanished fast in the breeze. There was something wonderfully lived about the place. Nothing matched perfectly.
Chloe glanced back at Zoe. The Pegasus had already lowered her head to inspect the grass.
“Don’t go too far please.” Chloe told her as Zoe tore out a mouthful. “Good talk.” Chloe said as she turned toward the cottage.
A stone path led to the front door, with grass pushing through the gaps between each uneven slab. She followed it, the wind brushing against her back. By the time she reached the doorstep, Chloe could smell woodsmoke and something else too. Sweet, maybe cinnamon. She raised her hand at the door but before her knuckles touched the wood, the door swung open.
“You must be Chloe.”
Chloe froze with her hand still raised. The women standing in the doorway looked at her for half a second before her face broke into a wide smile.
“Oh, look at you.” She opened the door farther. “What a beautiful young lady.”
“Hi, Thank you.” Chloe replied as she lowered her hand.
Thalora Brightroot was older than Darwin, or at least that is what Chloe thought. Fine lines gathered around her eyes when a smile came across her face and streaks of silver ran through her hair. But there was nothing delicate about the way she stood. One hand rested firmly against the doorframe while the other reached for Chloe as if they had met before.
“Come here. Let me see you.” Chloe stepped closer and Thalora took both her hands. Her palms were warm and rough. “Darwin told me so much about you.” She said, studying Chloe’s face. Her smile lingering.
Chloe raised an eyebrow. “All good I hope.”
A soft, raspy laugh escaped her. “Of course, my dear. He raves about his grandchildren all the time.
Chloe smiled, there was something about Thalora’s voice. A little rough around the edges, but warm. Not the rasp of someone struggling to speak, more like a voice that had spent years being used to tell stories, teaching, laughing loudly and probably arguing when necessary.
Thalora squeezed Chloe’s hand before finally releasing them. “When Darwin asked if I could teach you the basics of potion making, I could hardly believe what I was hearing.”
“Really?”
“Oh yes. Its rare to hear Darwin asks for a favor. And I have been looking forward to it ever since.”
Chloe glanced past her into the cottage. “You have?”
“Of course I have.” Thalora stepped aside. “It’s not every day Darwin sends someone to my door who actually wants to learn.”
Chloe bit back a laugh that sounded familiar.
Thalora motioned Chloe inside. “Come in child. We have much to do.”
Chloe smiles wide and stepped inside.
Thalora’s cottage was just as inviting on the inside as it looked from the air, Warm wood covered the floors and the sunlight spilled through windows crowded with plants. Shelves held books, pottery, little carved figures, and more framed photos than Chloe could see all at once. A fire crackled somewhere deeper in the house and the sweet smell she had noticed from outside was stronger. Definitely cinnamon.
Chloe slowed, wanting to look around but Thalora kept moving through the house.
“Come along. The greenroom is out back.”
“The greenroom?”
Thalora glanced over her shoulder. “You’ll see.”
Chloe followed her past a cozy sitting room and through the kitchen. Bundles of dried herbs hung near one of the windows and a loaf of bread sat beneath a cloth on the counter. Thalora crossed the kitchen and opened the back door.
Cool air swept inside. Chloe stepped out behind her. The land behind the cottage was sheltered by ancient trees, their trunks so thick Chloe doubted she could wrap both arms halfway around one. A large path began just beyond the back steps and disappeared between ferns, moss, and patches of wildflowers.
Thalora started down it.
Chloe followed.
The path curved between two enormous trees before opening into a small clearing.
And there it stood.
A round wooden building nestled among the trees.
It was built from the same pale stone and warm cedars as the cottage, though the vines had climbed so thoroughly across one side that parts of the wall were not even visible and tall windows reflected the forest around it.
Thalora walked toward the door. “The Greenroom.”
Chloe looked from her to the building. “This is where you make potions?”
“This is where you’re going to make potions.”
That put a grin on Chloe’s face as Thalora opened the door and Chloe followed her in, eyes narrowing as she looked around. Then she leaned backward through the doorway and looked at the outside of the building again as Thalora waited.
Chloe stepped back inside. “No.”
“No?”
“This room is a lot bigger than the building looks.”
“Good architecture.”
Chloe stared at her. “That’s magic.”
“Good architecture.” Thalora repeated with a wink.
Chloe laughed.
Chloe stood near the stream and slowly turned in a circle. Everywhere she looked, she found something she’d missed before. A cluster of tiny blue flowers had opened along one of the vines overhead. Sunlight caught the hundreds of jars lining the ingredient wall, turning powders and liquids into rows of amber, violet, green, and gold. Somewhere high in the tree, leaves rustled under the wooden dome.
“This place is amazing.”
Thalora begun setting several items onto the nearest worktable. “I think so.”
Chloe smiled. “You might be a little biased though.”
“At my age, I’ve earned that right.”
Chloe approached her as Thalora placed a mortar and pestle on the table and three empty crystal vials. “So,” she said. “Before I teach you anything, I want to know something.”
Chloe rested her hands on the edge of the table. “Okay.”
“Why potions?”
Chloe looked back at the equipment between them. “What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly that.” Thalora pulled out a chair and sat. “There are so many things you can be doing in your free time. Your grandfather always goes on at how talented you are.”
Chloe laughed. “He does?”
“Yes. Very much so.” Thalora smiled but didn’t let Chloe escape the question. “Why do you want to learn potion making?”
Chloe ran her thumb along one of the scratches in the table. She had thought about it plenty of times but saying it out loud was different. “I guess because I want to learn everything I can.”
“About potions?”
“About all of this.” Chloe gestured around the room, but she meant much more than the building. “Avalon. Magic. The creatures here. The things Grandpa knows.” She paused. “Everything.”
Thalora waited.
Chloe looked down at the table. “I know I’m not like my family.”
There it was.
Thalora didn’t interrupt her.
“My cousins can do things I will never be able to. They have wands that my grandfather teaches them spells with, and they can just…” Chloe searched for the right word and gave up. “Do magic.”
“And you can’t?”
Chloe looked at her. “No.”
Thalora nodded once. There was no pity in it, which Chloe appreciated.
“But that doesn’t mean I have to stand around while everybody else learns things.” Chloe straightened. “If there are things I can learn, I want to learn them.”
For several seconds, Thalora didn’t say a word. Then she reached toward one of the nearby shelves and picked up a small glass vial. Inside was a handful of dried golden leaves. “Tell me Chloe, is this magic?”
Chloe studied it. “Probably.”
Thalora’s eyes narrowed playfully.
“Considering where I’m at, that feels like the safest answer.”
A quiet laugh escaped Thalora as she placed the vial on the table. “A wand is a tool. A powerful one, certainly. In the right hands, it can accomplish extraordinary things.” She picked up the mortar and set it beside the vial. “This is also a tool.”
Chloe looked at the stone bowl. “Doesn’t look quite impressive.”
“Neither does a seed.” Thalora said as she leaned back. “People have a bad habit of believing magic belongs only to those who can command it, who can wield it by hand or by wand. They’ve forgotten that magic was in the earth long before any wizard channeled it.”
Chloe’s eyes moved toward the large tree growing through the Greenroom as Thalora went on.
“It’s roots. Minerals. Water. Creatures. Sometimes things so ordinary that people walk them everyday without knowing what lies beneath their feet.” She said as she pushed the vial toward Chloe. “Potion making isn’t about throwing ingredients into a cauldron and hoping they behave themselves. You’ll learn what each ingredient can do and what it can’t. What strengthens it and what destroys it. What happens when two harmless things become dangerous simply because someone put them together incorrectly.”
Chloe picked up the vial. The dried leaves shifted against the glass. “And I can learn all that?”
Thalora’s brow lifted. “Why couldn’t you?”
Chloe didn’t have an answer.
“Magic takes many forms child. Some people wield it through their bodies, wands, and staff, while others learn to recognize what already exists around them and give it purpose.” Thalora tapped one finger against the vial in Chloe’s hand. “Never mistake a different path for having no path at all.”
Chloe looked at the golden leaves again. Something in her expression must have satisfied Thalora because the older women pushed herself out of the chair.
“Well.”
“Well, what?”
“I guess we will need to establish a proper schedule.”
Chloe blinked. “A schedule?”
“If I’m taking on an apprentice, I expect her to arrive on time.”
It took Chloe a second. “Wait.”
Thalora began putting things back onto the shelves.
“Did you say apprentice?”
“I believe I did. Yes.”
“You’re serious?”
Thalora turned. “Chloe, I have far too many things left to teach someone to waste time being anything else.”
A smile slowly spread across Chloe’s face. “So, you will show me?”
“I will do more than that. I will teach you.”
“All of it?”
Thalora gave her a look and Chloe corrected herself.
“The basics.”
“For now.” Thalora said.
That made Chloe smile even wider as she turned and looked around the room again. This time everything looked different. Hundreds of drawers lined the ingredient wall and she knew the contents of perhaps a few of them. The tables were covered with instruments she couldn’t name. She didn’t know how to brew many potions or how to identify most of the plants growing around her, or why there was a vial marked Dragon’s tears. Was it real? If so, how would one acquire such an ingredient? She had no idea where to begin.
Her fingers tightened around the little vial of golden leaves. “Okay, what do I learn first?”
Thalora walked past her toward the ingredient wall. “How to clean.”
Chloe’s smile disappeared. “What?”
Thalora picked up a broom and held it out to her. “Everyone has to start somewhere.”
Chloe stared at the broom, then at Thalora. “You’re kidding?”
Thalora’s warm, raspy laugh filled the room as Chloe took the broom.