The day was an illusion. The suspended sun was shining brightly in the sapphire sky. Not a cloud in sight. Yet the leaves themselves seemed to shiver a little more from the frigid temperature. Narcissa internally scoffed at the towns people who wore their lighter clothing. Fools. She thought.
Narcissa clung to her own heavy robes; her blood read hair blowing in the cold wind. She scanned the marketplace. Thousands of Colors, scents and sounds assaulting her senses. She only pretended to be interested in the merchandise. She veered on through the town. Looking......for something, for what she wasn’t sure. She had looked over the building a couple times. There was nothing about it that stood out. It was a little darker and a little more rundown than the rest. But it’s out worldly appearances were not what drew Narcissa. She began to walk toward the building, and almost ran over one of Alonwynn’s classmate and best friend.
“Oof, sorry Maureen” She said
“Doireann” The child said with a sneer.
“As if it matters” Narcissa replied.
“Where’s Alon?”
“Alon? Oh, Alonwynn she’s err.....” Narcissa looked around for her younger sister. In her obsession to find this shack she forgot she was “looking” after her.
“You lost her??” Alon’s friend (why could she never remember her name) asked accusingly. It was a few moments before she noticed the tiny figure running toward her. Alonwynn finally approached and tried to grab the stitch in her side she acquired by her running.
“Cissy you walk so fast, I couldn’t keep up! Hi Dory!!”
“Hi Alon”
“Well come on we haven’t got all day, I have already been waiting ages for you”
“Cissy I just got here, I need to rest”
“Fine you stay here with Maureen here....”
“Doireann, like door reen, get it right!” Like it matters. Narcissa thought.
“Yes, it’s Doireann, Narcissa!” Cissa slowly turned to see Xandria. She was wearing a smug look on her face that always seemed to bother her. But she knew how to take that look of dear Xandria’s face as well.
“Xandria dearie, you look awful. Been lurking in the shadows late at night again? Can you watch Alonwynn? She is just soo tired and I can’t bear to make her walk another step. Besides I shouldn’t be too long” Narcissa said already walking toward the dark building. She felt a hand grab her arm and hold her back Narcissa glanced back to See Xandria holding her arm.
“You can’t go in there, people will see you!” Xandria hissed.
Yanking her arm back Narcissa replied, “People see me for what I am already, I have nothing to hide!” She continued to walk to the entry on the building. The scent caught her attention first. So familiar, but she just couldn’t place it. Walking closer to the stand of reagents she decided to stock up. I am running a little low. As she was bagging them she noticed that there were far too many here. Nox Crystal, grave dust, bat wings......I know these, I know these. She looked up and thought, what other familiar things does this shop have? The walls were lined with books of all sorts. Over on the shelf she noticed an emerald green book. Walking over to it she heard a voice. It gave her a start as she thought she may have been the only on in the shop.
“Can I help you?” The shop owner stepped closer to her and grabbed the very book she was after.
“Yes,” She said reaching for the book “I wish to purchase these”
“Hmm, I cannot let just anyone have them, only...”
“Look, I have the money” The man just laughed at her.
“It is not about the money child, but your dedication to learn something new.” He said, flipping through the pages. “Here, Try this one, it’s easy enough. You may use my reagents. You also need a target here use this.” He handed her a bag of the odd items that she noticed earlier and placed a mouse in front of her. “In sar” Nothing happened. The mouse was giving her a curious look as to ask why she was yelling. Evil rodent she thought.
“Let’s try that again. Remember you must pronounce it properly as well.” Narcissa placed her hair behind her ears and tried the spell once more. The shop keeper looked at her hair for the first time.
“Such an unusual color. You don’t see it often, and your fair skin almost the color of snow.” She expected him to go on and chide her for not going into the sunlight as often as she should. But he simply waited for her to try once again with the spell.
“IN SAR” She yelled. The rodent, much to Narcissa’s pleasure, fell, shuddering in pain, and died on the spot.
“Excellent, excellent indeed. Here, free of charge. You show promise young one,” He looked toward the door. “Perhaps we can continue this later when you are not....babysitting.” Narcissa looked out the door window to see her sister pacing back and fourth deciding if she wanted to come in or not. She reached for the door and heard, “You look so much like your beautiful mother” Narcissa glanced back so fast only to find the shop as empty as she found it. Sighing she opened the door to be face to face with Alonwynn.
“What, Alonwynn, what do you want?” She said just as she noticed the shop sign. She couldn’t believe that she missed it earlier. It read Trumain. It was Narcissa’s own last name. Of course, of course! Then she thought, yes father, I will be back. With that she smiled and began to trod home not caring or realizing that Alonwynn was talking to her.