by Sarah Noffke
The door swung back and a tall woman with large hips and broad shoulders to match stared at them. Her skin was flecked with wrinkles and age spots, and her warm brown eyes were reminiscent of cinnamon. She wore a broomstick skirt that touched the ground and a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. And by the look of her frizzled gray hair she’d been working hard on something, or was simply too busy to corral the flyaway strands back into her bun.
Mage Lenore clapped her hands in front of her chest and let out a squeal of delight. She threw her arms around Monet and wrenched him in tight. “Queen Azure, it has been too long!” she exclaimed, and held Monet out at arm’s length, looking him over. “Now let me get my eyes on you. Well, well, well, you’ve aged a bit differently than I expected you would. Your hair did a strange thing too, didn’t it? And wow, you’ve got no boobs at all. Must have been cursed or something. But I’m sure you’ve still got your brains. Isn’t that right, honey?” The witch elbowed Monet in the ribs. He had drained of all color and looked about ready to lose his lunch on the threshold.
“Uhhh…who are you?” Monet asked, taking a step back.
Mage Lenore’s head tucked back on her thick neck. “Well, honey, I’m Mage Lenore. You know that, though, because you made your way to me. And only a person who seeks me with a true purpose and a bit of magic can find me.”
“Right! Mage Lenore. Now I remember,” Monet said, throwing his hands triumphantly in the air. He swiveled and poked his tongue out at Azure. “Oh, and Mage Lenore, I think you’re referring to this deceptive young lady. This is Queen Azure.” He leaned forward and whispered in Azure’s ear, “You were thinking she was going to fry me, weren’t you?”
“I’m still holding out hope,” Azure whispered back. She straightened up and lifted her chin, staring straight at Mage Lenore.
The ancient witch wiped her hands on her apron and shook her head, all delight gone from her face. “I don’t appreciate being tricked. The one who raps at my door must be the one who seeks my council. How dare you send your servant to do your work, Queen Azure?”
“Servant! I’m no damn—”
“I’m sorry, Mage Lenore,” Azure said, cutting Monet off. She took a step forward and bowed low to her. When she rose, she looked deep into the woman’s eyes. “My friends and I have come a long distance and faced many obstacles to seek your advice. I didn’t mean to start things off poorly.”
Mage Lenore considered Azure, her mouth tight, and she swiveled her eyes to take in Ever and Gillian. When she brought her gaze back to Azure, she nodded. “I’ll give you one more chance, since you were able to find me and keep your group intact in the process.”
“Thank you, Mage Lenore. What I need—”
She stopped Azure by holding up a large hand. “Oh no you don’t. No questions tonight, child. For one, you need to prove to me that you’re worthy of the advice I offer. Secondly, you must be patient when seeking wisdom. And lastly, it is getting late. The moons will soon ride high overhead, which means I’ll need to harvest branches from the Howling Willow. Come in and get fed, then you’ll all sleep while I work. Tomorrow, if I deem it time, I’ll answer your questions.” Mage Lenore held the door wide for the group, standing back as she did.
Azure turned to Monet, who looked eager to enter the old witch’s cottage. She glanced at Ever and Gillian, who were both wearing curious expressions.
She fixed her gaze back on the witch and nodded. “Yes, thank you. We appreciate your hospitality.”
“Oh, you won’t thank me when I have you cleaning dishes after supper. I made a feast to celebrate your arrival. And I’m glad you made it, or I’d have had to eat the turkey all by myself,” Mage Lenore said with a howling laugh.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The smell of sage and thyme wrapped around the group when they stepped into the living area. It was a circular room with oversized couches and chairs covered in crocheted blankets, as if to disguise the many places the cats had clawed the fabric. In several places those felines could be found curled up and snoozing. The room was large, as if a big family often gathered in front of the fire to share stories from their day.
Mage Lenore bustled through the house to the dining room, grabbing her wand off a side table. “Now, you go ahead and make yourself comfortable. Let me just set the table and then we’ll eat.” She flicked her wand at the long table and it shrank to accommodate five chairs. A lace cloth draped over the surface and a candelabra popped into place in the center. Blue dishes appeared on each of the place mats.
Smiling at the table, Mage Lenore nodded. “Well, that looks just about perfect, but we’re missing something.” She tapped her wand on her temple, thinking.
“Could it possibly be food?” Monet dared to ask.
“Yes, that’s it!” Mage Lenore waved her wand at the table, and a roasted turkey appeared. Next to it sat several covered dishes.
“Dinner is served. Please take a seat and dig in,” Mage Lenore said, gesturing to the table, her voice warm and inviting.
Monet didn’t hesitate, dashing for the nearest seat and plopping down. Gillian and Ever joined him a second later, both hungrily eyeing the turkey, which was currently being carved by a floating knife and fork.
“Go on, Azure,” Mage Lenore said, urging her to one of the chairs.
Azure took a step and then hesitated. “I’m grateful for the meal and you welcoming us into your home, but I’m confused. We were told by Sari, the queen mother, that you might not want visitors. That you’d made the deal that you’d deliver wands if you were left alone.”
A wide smile stretched over Mage Lenore’s face. “Oh, Sari—she’s still one of my favorite witches. You know she was born during an eclipse? All of Virgo was cast into total darkness for two whole minutes when the moons joined up and passed in front of the sun. That was the exact time Sari was born. I knew she’d go on to do great things.”
“By great things, do you mean ‘be a total pain in the ass?” Monet asked through a mouthful of turkey. He took another large bite from the drumstick, which was almost as big as his face.
Mage Lenore let out a hearty chuckle. “Oh Monet, you were born during the largest meteor shower in a thousand years. That’s how I knew you’d go on to great things.”
“We’re still waiting to find out what that is,” Azure joked, still standing awkwardly in the living room.
She nodded and pulled out the chair next to Ever. A gray feline lazily lifted his head and looked at her from the seat.
“Oh, I’m sorry to disturb you. May I please have this spot?” Azure asked, tucking her chin into her chest and looking earnestly at the cat.
He let out a long yawn and took his time stretching to a standing position before hopping down. Beside Azure, Mage Lenore was watching approvingly.
“Some would have just shooed Holiday away,” she said, indicating the cat and taking her own seat. “And to answer your first question, Azure, I do crave my solitude. My work can’t be done if I’m bothered. However, when I made the agreement, I meant that I didn’t want to be bothered by pesky concerns like grimoires that have gone missing or potions that have gone awry. However, the potential that a majority of Virgo could lose its magic is of great concern to me. Your gran was right to send you to see me.”
“So you’ll help us?” Azure asked, filling her plate with a spoonful of green beans and slivered almonds.
“Of course I will. But not tonight. Tonight, I harvest. Tomorrow I will tell you how to cure your people.” Mage Lenore took the serving platter from Azure, filling her own plate.
Relief flooded Azure’s chest. Tomorrow she’d have answers. Everything was going to work out.
“There’s milk in the mashed potatoes,” Mage Lenore said, a gray eyebrow raised at Monet. He froze with the spoonful of fluffy mashed potatoes hovering just above his plate.
“And so? Why does that matter?” Monet said, about to slide the mashed potatoes onto his plate.
“Oh,” Mage
Lenore chirped. “You don’t know yet. Never mind.”
Monet narrowed his eyes at the old woman before tapping the potatoes onto his plate and going back for another spoonful.
“Mage Lenore, would you please explain the Mountain of Truth to us? Did you create it?” Ever asked, leaning forward with curiosity.
“Of course, but first, I almost forgot.” Mage Lenore pointed her wand at the table and goblets of red wine appeared in front of each of their plates. “Let’s toast Queen Azure. She is both cursed and blessed by her human and witch heritage. Long rule Queen Azure!”
“Cheers,” all but Azure chorused.
“Did you just say cursed?” Azure asked, laying her fork on her plate.
“I believe I did, but right now I’ve promised to answer Everett’s question.” Mage Lenore wiped the corners of her mouth with her napkin, bringing her gaze to the Light Elf. “Many falsely believe that I enchanted the Mountain of Truth with the different levels. However, I’m merely the one who was asked to live at the top of the mountain. It is the Howling Willow which is responsible for the mountain’s magic. You see, many centuries ago, howling willows covered Oriceran.
“Many do not know that the trees were sought for their magical properties. The wood from the tree can be used to create wands, but while that’s the smartest use of the wood, it can be used for anything. A home built using howling willow wood will never be cold nor hot. Furniture made from it is incredibly comfortable. Anything constructed from the material will be durable, of top quality, and have a magical property.” Mage Lenore took a long sip from her wine as all eyes rested on her.
After she placed her wine glass down, she turned her eyes to Monet and Gillian, who had both emptied their goblet. “Where are my manners?” She picked up the wand beside her plate and flicked it at the table, and a decanter of plum-colored wine appeared. “Please help yourselves”
“Azure, I’m going to need you to learn that spell. Manifesting wine will be your chief task from now on,” Monet said, reaching for the decanter.
“Now, where was I?” Mage Lenore eyed the ceiling, thinking.
“You had said that the wood from howling willows was of supreme quality,” Gillian said, taking the decanter from Monet to fill his own glass.
“Right, right. Thank you, Gillian the Third. My memory isn’t as good as it used to be.” Mage Lenore took a bite of her fresh-baked roll, closing her eyes to enjoy the taste. Softly she opened her eyes, gazing around the table. “Well, needless to say, howling willows were chopped down all over Oriceran. Most didn’t know how to properly harvest the wood, so much of it went to waste. They were all destroyed, over time. All but one.” Mage Lenore held her arm out, indicating the giant window between the living and dining room where the Howling Willow could be seen gently swaying in the wind outside. Not just the long branches of leaves swayed, but also the trunk. And inside the house, the strings of crystals could be heard making their gentle music.
“When only one tree remained, the Mountain of Truth was born. No one knows how it happened, or if it was the magic of the tree. At the time I had been traveling all over Oriceran for many centuries, but I randomly got up in the middle of the night without knowing why. I sailed until I hit these lands and marched up to the top of this mountain, close to where we reside now. I knew that the last howling willow had elected me to guard it. After that the purple mists appeared, and I decreed that I was no longer to be disturbed. Since then, I’ve been caring for the tree and hoping to help it reproduce, although so far that’s not been successful.”
Mage Lenore pushed her plate away, not having eaten half of what was on it. She turned to Gillian, who had pulled his pad and pen from his pocket and was quickly scribbling down notes.
“You may ask your most burning question now, Gillian,” she said, a sneaky smile on her face.
Gillian’s green eyes rose, an eagerness in them. “You said harvest was tonight. During the full moons, correct?”
“Yes, when the moons are high in the sky. But to answer your next question, no, you may not observe the harvest. For one, you’ll be drunk,” Mage Lenore said, inclining her head at his empty wine goblet. “And also, that is one of the many ways I protect the last howling willow. Only I know how to tame the tree on the night of the full moons and harvest branches that can be turned into wands.”
“Tame?” Azure asked, turning to stare at the peaceful tree swaying in the wind. It was one of the most beautiful things she’d ever seen.
“Oh, yes. It looks sweet now, but when the moons are at their highest the tree turns into a beast that most wouldn’t survive,” Mage Lenore said, leaning down, her voice hushed. “Now, if you all are done with the feast, then I vote for dessert.” She swept her wand at the table and everything disappeared—the turkey, serving platters and the plates. A large chocolate ganache cake appeared in the center of the table, and next to it sat an apple pie with steam rising from it. And between the two was a large bowl with scoops of vanilla bean ice cream.
“Queen Azure’s two favorites, which represent her two different parts. Chocolate as rich as a witch’s magic, and apples as wholesome as a human. Well, and the ice cream is just a bonus because it goes with both.” Mage Lenore flicked her wand again and small plates appeared in front of each guest.
“Fuck yeah!” Monet exclaimed, picking up a knife and leaning forward to slice into the cake.
“Actually I think you, son of Hemingway, should stick with this.” Mage Lenore twirled her wand and a bowl of raspberry sorbet appeared in front of Monet.
He slid his eyes to the dessert, a look of incredulity on his face. “Uhhh…I think I’ll have the cake, actually. On second thought, I’ll have a slice of each.”
“Suit yourself,” Mage Lenore said with a shrug.
Over the next hour the four travelers easily shared stories, all of them taking turns telling the old witch something random about their past. She only listened, never offering advice. Finally she nodded, pushing up from the table. “The hour is late, and it is time I showed you to your rooms. Now, I think that since Gillian will have no problem sleeping, we’ll pair him with Monet, since the young wizard will be up all night.”
“What? No, you senile old woman. I’m ready to zonk out,” Monet said, daring to insult the witch. The wine could be blamed for his boldness, but Mage Lenore didn’t seem to take offense.
“Yes, dear. Now, you all follow me. I must get you comfortable.” Mage Lenore paused, sticking out her ear as if trying to hear something. Outside the warm house, the sound of the chimes had grown more intense. It was more of a clanging.
They followed the old witch up a winding staircase to the second floor. “Gillian and Monet, you’ll take the first room. Azure and Everett, you’ll be most comfortable in the room down the hall on the right. I’d offer you separate rooms, but you’ll want to stay up and discuss how strange I am and postulate on what I’m doing while you all sleep,” Mage Lenore said, ushering the four to their rooms. She offered them one last clever smile from the landing. “Now please stay in your rooms. Well, besides you, Monet. The bathroom is the second door on the right.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Azure closed the door to their bedroom, sliding her back against the wall. “That woman…” she began, then paused. The walls of the room were light blue, and clouds had been painted on them. A round rug stretched across the middle of the room, and a toy box sat against the nearest wall. But it was the bunkbeds that ran across the farthest wall that caught her attention. On each were three rows of stuffed animals, and just to the side was a round window with a bench and a shelf stacked full of books.
“Did she put us in a children’s room for the night?” Azure asked.
Ever strolled over to the window and plucked the first book off the stack. “I do believe she did. And yes, she is by far the strangest and most wonderful woman I’ve ever met. That’s what a millennium on Oriceran earns you.”
“Is that how old she is? I thought no
one really knew,” Azure said, heading for the rug and squatting to tinker with a toy train set that sat there. The tracks ran all over the room. She flicked her wand at the train, and it started to life and chugged forward.
“It’s my best guess. I thought she was younger before we met her. Didn’t you feel like you could tell her anything and… Well, you know,” Ever said, gazing out the large round window. The moons’ light streamed through, covering his face with white.
“Yes, I felt as though she’d never think ill of me, no matter what I disclosed. It must be her many experiences that make her nonjudgmental.” Azure stood and watched as the train climbed the tracks that ran along the wall. She slid down onto the bottom bunk, feeling the exhaustion thicken her head.
“Are you going to bed soon?” she asked, her eyes half closed.
“Yes, as soon as the howling dies down,” Ever said.
“What? What howling?” Azure asked, not hearing anything. She sat up, bewilderment on her face. Now that she was straining, she heard a muffled cry. “You can hear that clearly, can’t you?”
He nodded, still staring through the window. “And I suspect it will grow louder before it goes away.”
“Oh, well, try and ignore it as best you can. I need you rested.” Azure threw herself back on the bed, pushing the stuffed animals to the ground just before sleep overcame her.
***
Azure awoke several times to a high-pitched howling that sang so loudly it shook the walls. Knowing she wasn’t supposed to leave the room, she gripped her wand under her pillow and silently assured herself she was all right. She could hear Ever twisting and turning on the top bunk. It wasn’t until late into the night that both fell into deep sleep, finally giving their tired minds some peace.
In the morning a gentle clanking sound broke into Azure’s dreams. She lifted her head, nearly ramming it into the bunk above her. It took several blinks for her eyes to focus on the child sitting on the rug a few feet from her bed.