It seems like I've no choice. However, I can easily admit this is my first time leaving the country. I run throughout the study and work towards finding my choices in books. Asphodel laughs quietly as I pace around.
It's hard to imagine, but I'm pacing about to just figure out what to bring. I'm utterly at a loss for what to bring. My family laughs a bit. I suppose they were excitable like me when they were younger witches.
"When you get there, remember we are the Crescents of Night." Mom says.
"Okay? Any reason why?" I ask.
"Our Family is pretty well respected." Asphodel joins in the conversation.
"What's that got to do with me, though?" I ask.
"Easier to find allies." My sister shrugs.
"Because we have more friends than enemies." Mom adds.
I twiddle my thumbs together for a bit as I try not to lose my head. I know deep inside I can do this. We just have to find the origins of a few generations long Curse. It can't be that hard, can it? I ponder in my mind deeply. I am not sure if I should be happy or nervous now.
Asphodel places a hand on my shoulder. I realize I have been nearly panting for most of the time we been talking. Guess I am panicked. I think to myself.
We all get back to moving about the house. We take a few hours to get prepared. Mom decided she would cook supper for us before we went off with Garth.
I fire myself down the stairs to meet mom for a moment. She will know if I need notebooks. I think to myself as I come around the corner into her old styled kitchen.
An old black and rusty wood stove is what she is cooking on. I couldn't imagine trying to use that thing. It almost looks like a furnace. I shake it off and look at Mom.
"What's up?" She says with a wooden spoon stirring into the aromatic pot.
"Wondering whether or not to bring notepads. What are you making?" I ask.
"Ah, it will keep you with something to do. As far as dinner, I'm making chicken stew." She replies.
"Oh, sounds good. Thanks for the answer, by the way. Is Asphodel still packing too?"
"Just finished up, actually." Asphodel flings into the kitchen, hanging from the wall's corner.
"Cool."
"You know, if you had the density of a golem, you would be pulling this house down on us." Mom pokes fun at Asphodel.
I can't help but giggle while Asphodel corrects herself by standing upright. Proper posture, I guess, is something these two like. I sigh and shake my head.
"Well, I'm ready. How about you, Annie?" Asphodel asks me.
"Lemme bring down my bags." I say.
"Or, just you know, shrink them temporarily to fit into your pockets."
"What do you mean?"
Asphodel leads me up the stairs into the room I stay in. She pulls her wand out and points it to my pile of luggage.
"Didn't pack enough did you?" Asphodel teases me.
"Yeah, yeah. What's this thing about shrinking the luggage?" I ask.
"Minimus!" she hisses out with a swing of the arm.
The luggage start to shake and one by one shrinks down to pocket sized. I stare in shock. I had no idea magic could ever do this kind of stuff.
"That's really sick!" I exclaim.
"It's what?"
"It's a phrase for that's cool."
"Why not just say that?"
"I dunno. Just fits the moment, I guess." I explain.
I grab the tree's tiny luggage and throw them into my jeans pocket. This is really convenient. I think. I walk out to the doorway of the room and take one more look. The pale pink walls are soothing. Its beige drapes are tattered and worn. A picture hangs above an old chest dresser made of mahogany. I inhale to smell the scent of paper, ink, and fresh linen.
Asphodel taps my shoulder and nods her head as if to suggest that I follow her. She would be right about that suggestion. We really should be going. Am I really ready for all of this? I wonder.
We head downstairs. Both of us take a turn giving mom her hug goodbye. We head out the front door and head back towards Garths. The serene forest keeping us company with the vibrant call of the leaves in the wind. We continue to head down the road until we approach Garths.
Asphodel walks up and knock onto his door. We stand there for a few minutes. No answer at the door. Wasn't he just getting into the car? I wonder.
"Weird." Asphodel says. She knocks again.
"He wouldn't leave without us, right?" I ask.
"Never." She sighs. "I'm breaking in."
"Asphodel, you can't ju-"I go to stop her.
KABAM! THUD! I see Asphodel standing facing away from the door. It was clear off the hinges and flew into the hallway. I stare at her for a moment.
"How do you do that?" I ask.
"I'll teach you another time." She says back.
She takes the lead into Garth's house. I look around and dart in after her. Something about this doesn't feel right.
"Hello? Garth?" Asphodel looks around as she calls him.
"I don't think he's here, Asphodel." I sigh.
Papers and scrolls lay scattered. He wasn't this messy before. He might have been in a hurry. But why? I wonder.
"Something tells me someone got to Garth before we did." Asphodel says.
"Who would do that?" I ask.
"I don't know. It seems we have something in common, though. Garth. We are gonna go get the car ourselves." She says.
"Fair."
"We dont know if Garth even will come now. His place seems pretty trashed. Either he ran in a hurry, or he got robbed." She explains her thoughts.
"Right. That's what I figured." I reply.
She lifts a brow when she looks at me. Her face is speaking for her. It's saying 'yeah, right'. She may not realize it, but I have always been good with my deductive reasoning.
"Ah-hah. Anyway. We are gonna have to walk for a while, the cars parked at the farm about three hours out." She says.
I groan and walk out of the house. I haven't walked for three hours since I was in grade school. I sigh as I start going towards the road.
"So which way, then?" I call out to her in question.
"Up to your right." She says as she catches up to my lead.
"What took ya so long?" I ask.
"This." She lifts a ruby amulet on a golden chain. The chain shines diligently as the stars in the night sky.
"What's that?" I ask.
"Something me and Garth made, around when I was your age." She says.
"Is he your boyfriend or something?" I ask her.
She stops in her tracks for a moment. She gives me a weird look. Her head shakes whatever caught her off guard away from her mind.
"Once before. That's ancient history." She laughs.
Something tells me he means a lot more to you. We aren't really going to just get the car, are we? What are you up to, Asphodel? I ponder.
"Think he might be on the way to the farm?" I ask.
"I hope." Her face looks as if she has been waiting for her husband to come home from a war.
The distress she wears as we walk only leaves me in silence for the time being. Everything has a time and a place. This walk is going to be a really awkward one. I think to myself.
Can hear a couple of different wolves howl as we walk on. Asphodel seems hard set on something deep in her mind. I assume it's Garth. They seem to have a history, especially after Asphodel's words earlier. I think to myself.