The hut was flooded with smooth, white light from some peculiar candles, and Elissa was standing at her work table while Nannade was standing on a chair next to her, Faan was laying on the window sill, keeping a look outside. The witch poured hot water into a big bowl, then went over to a shelf and pulled out a paper envelope. She put it down on the table, unfolded it and presented a dark powder with a blueish iridescence.
"This is manifest flux." She said to the girl. "It is the energy that brings power to magic, in a solid, pure and concentrated form. Now hand me the mortar."
Elissa poured some of the herbs Nannade had powdered into the hot water. Then she took a pinch of the dark powder between her fingers, and snapped the fingers of her other hand. The water began to boil away, filling the room with an herbal scent. What was left was a sticky green glob of concentrated herbs, about the size of a finger nail. The powder between her fingers was gone.
"I used my mind to cast the spell instead of needing the paper like yesterday because I often use it and I remember it by heart. The manifest flux was used to power it."
"You didn't use the powder when you used the paper yesterday!" Nannade's tone was almost protesting the reality she had just witnessed.
"Correct. Because the ink, the spell was written in, was infused with flux. That makes it able to be used for the spell and the amount of flux in the ink was enough to power the spell. But without the ink, I need another source of flux."
Elissa used a spoon to transfer the green glob to a bowl with white powder and started to roll and knead it. "This concentrated herbal extract is sticky. But if we mix in this binding agent, it gets hard and isn't sticky anymore." She handed the round pill to Nannade. The girl sniffed it a bit and squeezed it a bit. "This is now a pill of medicine people can take to help them when they're sick. Put it in that paper bag." The girl did as she was told and the two repeated the process several times. During the process, Nannade repeatedly glanced over to Elissa's right hand, where the seal of the Lodge was. Eventually, Elissa stopped her current task and turned to the girl.
"Do you want to know what this is?" she asked, showing the back of her right hand.
The girl shook her head. "It's so weird and shiny."
The seal was comprised of a central symbol like a crest, and a row of other glyphs surrounding it in several circles, in Elissa's case two. They shone very faintly in different colours and it reached through her hand, being mirrored on her palm.
"It is the seal of the Lodge of Sturreland, the body of Druids and Witches that rule this land."
"You rule this land?"
"No, not really. The Arch-Druid Loganna has most of the power, but the Lodge decides the Arch-Druid as well as some other positions. We make sure the land is protected and kept properly. We also empower those who keep the law." Elissa held her hand down to the girl so she could inspect it properly. Her eyes were wide as she observed the exact lines and symbols and how they glowed faintly in the rhythm of Elissa's heartbeat.
"What's a druid?"
"I am a witch because I commune with the spirits and make medicine and heal people. But a druid also takes on important duties, like instructing the villagers what to sow, enforcing laws, speaking justice. I have no such duties, but I still get a say in the decisions of our Lodge."
"And the seal is to show everyone that?"
"Not just that. If I cast spells in a foreign land, I can show this seal as proof that I am affiliated with an official body. Universities do the same, as do noble families and other circles. If someone without a seal practices magic, they can get in trouble."
"And if you break a law, will they tell the Arch-Druid?"
"Yes, and she will send a representative of our Lodge to defend me in court."
"But Garetas doesn't have a seal."
Elissa smiled. She was one of the few to have deep insight into the world of Hidden Hands, so she enjoyed explaining it. "He is a Hidden Hand, because that which should be visible on his hand, is hidden instead. He has a mark, but it looks different and is somewhere on his body."
Nannade tilted her head in thought. "Ah! I know, I've seen it when he was bathing once. It's on the right side of his back." She turned around and pointed towards where she had seen it, below the right shoulder blade.
"Yes. He is allowed to hide it because he needs his identity protected and because the Hidden Hands are loosely organized. Instead of belonging to a solid circle, they have an individual mark, like a name, and around it, they have the marks of approval."
"What's that?"
Elissa remembered when Garrett had told her and how proud he was of his first mark. "Marks of approval are like small versions of these seals." She pointed to her hand again. "If a Hidden Hand's apprentice has finished their education within another circle – like the Lodge of Sturreland – they get the mark of approval from that circle. If they have enough, they become a full-fledged Hidden Hand."
"And I will get one too?" uncertainty spoke out of the girl's voice.
"Yes, if you pass our tests, in a few years. Your teacher had received his second Mark from the Lodge, but you'll get your first here."
"Where did he get his first from?"
"The University in Halonnes, a very, VERY large city far to the south from here, at the sea. It is a highly prestigious University."
The girl sunk into thoughts, probably imagining her teacher as a student, doing the same things she was now. They soon resumed their medicine production.
Garrett had been away in the village for the day, but he returned just before dinner. He greeted them, walked over to Nannade and handed her a leather bundle.
"Open it, it's yours."
She opened the bundle. A comb, a regular one, not for lice, a small pair of scissors and a stoneware bottle. "That's a special kind of soap for your coat." He said, gesturing to the bottle.
The girl brought forth a friendly "Thank you." and put the things into her part of the cabinet.
"Doting on her?" Elissa asked with a smirk.
"You didn't have to spend half a dozen days delousing her. You know nothing. Also, she should be brushing every morning or her coat will get all frowsty."
"You weren't in the village just for that, were you?" Elissa asked him.
"Aye, I set up my correspondents. I should be able to take a few jobs soon. Any news from the Arch-Druid."
"No, not yet."
"It's been seven days, hasn't it? Since you wrote her that letter."
"Yes. She might have other things to do. She's not just sitting in her forest like I am. She has to take to take care of the land's external affairs. Harvest is in a few months; the cities will try to secure their part of it."
Garrett sighed.
Nannade turned around, holding the paper bag in both hands. "Look, we made medicine."
Garret walked over to her looked in the bag and took in the herbal scent. "So, are you showing her how to make pills, huh?"
"Yes. I just told her about flux."
"Flux heh? You only use powder, right? I'll have to refill my oily flux sometime soon. Say, Nannade, do you want to see some more magic?"
Nannade nodded enthusiastically.
They were outside, Garrett had put a wood billet on the chopping block. He stood around seven paces away from it, Nannade stood to the side, outside the window an Elissa was leaning out of the window.
Garrett took a broad stance, clenched his fist and then, with a step, brought his fist forward like a crossbow releasing a bolt. With the sound of splintering wood, the billet was torn apart in the middle, a hundred splinters and some bigger pieces were flung backwards, ten, twenty paces. Garrett remained for a moment in his stance, fist outstretched, his feet in an L-shape.
Nannade's eyes were almost bulging out of her skull, her mouth agape. Garrett looked over to her. "This is what you'll be up against. This and much, much more."
"Will I be able to do that?"
"Only if you write it down beforehand and someone else casts it for you, since you don't have an Arcane Hand. Put down another billet!"
Nannade went ahead and did as she was told, then went back to her position by the window.
This time Garrett didn't clench his fist or even assumed a combat stance. He just stood there, inhaled slowly and then exhaled in a sudden burst. A hundred splinters flew back again.
"Why didn't he punch this time?" Nannade asked Elissa.
Garrett answered her before Elissa could. "That punch is what I call hook. It is not necessary. The only thing necessary is the spell formula. But to cast a spell with the Arcane Hand, us casters need to remember and concentrate on the exact formula. It's hard to memorize a formula this accurately, so many casters employ the hooks, which they prepare while learning the formula. It's what Elissa does when she snaps her fingers or speaks a certain word. The Magistrates from the universities use incantations or special gestures to seem more mysterious. Doing these specific things allows us to more easily remember the exact formula, but if we concentrate, we can do without it. It's about two parts mnemonic association, one part showing off."
Nannade had a confused look on her face, her head tilted, her ears flicked up and down. "Nemottik assosishun?"
Elissa couldn't help but chuckle. "Mnemonic means relating to memory and remembering. An association is a connection between two things."
"OH, HEY! Teacher Garetas didn't use powder, Elissa!" The girl said as if she was complaining about something unfair.
"I usedthis!" Garrett said and heldup a glassflaskfromleftsideofhis hip. Inside was a darkoilysubstancewith a blueiridescence, a threadofyarn, soaked in thesubstance ran upfromtheflask and to a ring attachedtohislefthand."Same stuff, different form." Then he assumed an attentive pose, legs together and hands behind his straight back, like an obedient little student. "Whether it be the sweat on your skin or the flux in your flask, all change and creation in this world takes energy, even magical. Even the spirits, as unreal they may be to our world's rules, still need to take energy from us." The he relaxed and smiled. "That's what my Professor in Halonnes always said."
He continued to show off his ability to crush, splinter, cut and scorch wood billets from afar. But eventually, even he decided that it wasn't worth all of his oil. Elissa had noticed that it wasn't exactly awe it inspired within the girl, but fear. But Garrett might just have planned that.
They went back inside to have supper and after that, Garrett ran Nannade through the forest again. He had told of different spots in the forest he'd take her to train next time.
It was during that relaxing quiet time with no one in the hut after a good meal, that an owl landed on the window sill. It wasn't an ordinary owl, Elissa recognized it. It was Nuuph, the familiar of Arch-Druid Loganna. She greeted Elissa and left her the message, then took off again. A busy familiar to a busy Druid. Elissa informed Garrett and Nannade of the contents when they returned. The day after tomorrow, after noon, Arch-Druid of the Lodge of Sturrenland,Loganna of Sturreland, would visit them to evaluate the child.
The day came. And after they had lunch, they sat and waited. Nannade was trying out her first glyph on the wax tablet. Of course, it was by all accounts unusable for its purpose, but Elissa could see the first signs of improvement in the girl. Elissa sat beside her, Garret sat outside on the porch, keeping watch on the skies. Chances were good Loganna would be coming by wings. And eventually, she did come, carried by Nuuph's wings down from high above the countryside.
As she landed, Garret stood up, put both his hands on his heart and bowed his head. Loganna opened her arms wide, as if for an embrace. Elissa came outside with the girl and the two did as Garrett did.
"How are you, dear?" said the Arch-Druid with her dry but friendly voice. She was tall for a woman but had a slightly hunched over stature. She leaned on her wooden staff which was adorned with various herbs and fruits as well as runes carved into the wood when it was still alive. The four of them exchanged pleasantries and then headed inside.
They sat at the table, Nannade sat on it. Loganna was inspecting her thoroughly, talked to her about apparently simple things. Her favourite food, colour, what games she liked to play, many more seemingly trivial questions, that were however posed with a specific goal in mind. Then she sent the girl outside. She took a deep breath.
"I have never received such a request. My father must have been the one who allowed Tirana to train you, Garrett, he never told me about it, just like I will not tell anyone about this. But the girl is a difficult case. Does she scream or cry in her sleep?"
Garrett nodded. "Occasionally, her sleep is very uneasy." he said.
"I thought as much. The girl is deeply scarred, she will need guidance." Loganna turned to Faan. "You will have to help her in her dreams. And you," she turned to Elissa. "...put up a proper ward! The last thing we need is a spirit snaking its way into her vulnerable mind."
"Of course." Elissa replied hastily.
"I think I'm done here. I still need to head over to the other side of the land and take care of business. Make sure this one grows up properly, Elissa."
"Yes of course, High Sister." Elissa bowed her head again.
Loganna was almost out the door, when she turned around a last time. "And another thing, Garrett: Tone it down with the blood magic while you're here. You now live a stone toss away from a place of power."
"I understand." Garrett bowed his head again.
With this, Loganna left the hut and said goodbye to the girl, who was sitting on the chopping block. Then Nuuph flew to his master and spread his wings, then he disappeared and instead, two huge spectral owl wings sprouted from Loganna's back and took her up into the sky again. Nannade, who hadn't seen her land, stared at her with amazement in her eyes.
"Wow, she can fly." The girl whispered, still in awe.
Garrett walked over to her. "Only while inside this land which she is the Arch-Druid of. Otherwise it would be rather exhausting. Not even five of these..." he tapped his oil flask "...would be enough to carry her over this forest alone. But since she rules over this land, she gets to waste everyone's life force, just like that."
"She's important and she does a lot for us, so shut up, it's not even that wasteful." Elissa scolded him.
"I'm just telling the girl to pay attention how the powerful act when nobody can defend themselves against it. For example, when they're chained to a wall."
Elissa decided to leave it at that and turned to Faan. "Do you think you can help her?"
Faan interrupted his grooming to answer. "Sure. I'll look forward to spending more time with her, she's a good girl." and went back to his grooming. Elissa looked at the girl, jumping from one foot to the other on the chopping block. Maybe she could get the girl a skipping rope. She'd like that.