Chapter 1: The Garden.
"Evanora... excuse me..." a petite girl with rough hands shakes the sleeping body of the witch on her shoulders gently as she could.
The witch that came to her home just last night groans in her sleep not knowing there was someone else in the room.
"A few more minutes." she pleaded, taking the pillow by her side and covering her head with it.
Rowena giggles at the sound of her voice being sleepy.
"Alright. I will be at the garden if you need me." she told the sleeping girl and went on her way picking a dress that was in her closet.
Mother gave her that dress when she turned fifteen. Many compliments were heard that day, and she hoped that the witch would tell her she looked good in it as well.
She found the basket that was hung on the wall, her attention coming back to the unexpected visitor.
It was rather a surprise, a kind witch visiting her sullen tower.
Her mother's tales of witches were not kind, she heeded it as a warning but little Rowena surely did not believe that entirely. As much as she loves her mother, perhaps she lived a naïve and trusting life.
Rowena was blind. Yet she didn't mind. To see the world was just a wish, under the stars she always hoped but why is it they never come true?
Her hands were placed on her tower wall looking for specific marks that would tell her the way.
Whether it was a gift of blessing or a curse, she sometimes envied those who could see but never held a grudge.
Losing her eyesight meant that she relied on her other parts of sensory.
Her sense of smell was as strong as a dog's, the hearing and her instinct of trust on herself was far greater than a normal human.
Like last night, before the storm came she felt the wind changing its tides and her nose picked up that a storm would come.
She moved all that she could that was important outside in a hurry praying that her plants would survive the harsh night.
The wind was rather angry, the birds were flying to safety and the animals were in a frenzy to be in their homes to hide.
"I do hope my tomatoes are well." (Rowena) found the marks she needed and the door for the stairs on her tower. She could feel the key in her neck dangle as she holds it excitedly, feeling the knob and the keyhole she inserts it in.
Click!
With the sound of the door opening, she places the ring of the basket by the arm and downwards to the stairs of the tower she went to.
Drip... drip...
"It seems that the inside of the tower is still not dry." she used her bare feet to walk through the stairs feeling small puddles of water on her skin. Her other hand paved the way outside, using it as a guide feeling the marks of the wall.
The marks that she used to tell if she was close, were nails driven into some wood and each nail met means ten steps down she has already done.
Rowena sensed that she was close, feeling the air and its certain smell of wet grass. Instinctively she felt the exit was near. The last step she did reach, her bare feet touched the ground. Some pebbles were in the way but none harbored pain.
She breathes slowly her body moves on instinct her hands reached where the door handle was and grabbed it, pulling it to the side. It opened revealing a wonderful vision of a garden with so many ropes she has used to know where the plants are kept in, so she doesn't accidentally bump or step on them.
"Have you survived the horrible storm, my loves?" (Rowena) with a smile, holds one of the end of a rope and follows it, her hand sliding into it until-
Cling! Cling!
A bell rang to notify her that she was near one of the plants. The rope was tied into a thick pole that had a wooden sign. "Hmm..." Her hands reach onto the wooden sign and move it around to feel the surface.
"Ah the carrot field!" The blind girl who was unable to read and write, just felt the symbols of the things drawn that were taught by her mother that left her in the tower. "I wonder if the witch would love some vegetables for dinner. Mother has planted these out of love, I do hope she will like the taste."
She stopped holding onto the rope and kneeled into the ground, patting it trying to find its long leaves that she can pull. "Hmm... Oh!" Her hands feel the leaves, long and rather thick.
Feeling the top of the carrot has sprouted from the ground, her hands poked everywhere that she could to feel the size and shape, to see if it was ready for picking. She smiles thinking that this might be a big carrot big enough for her and the new witch guest she has.
"You've grown well, thank you for doing your best. I'm sorry to be plucking you out of the ground, but I'll be gentle." (Rowena) with the kind person she was, even gave mercy to plants believing that they had a soul within them worth talking to. She takes the carrot and places it into the basket with a satisfying plop.
A few more carrots were pulled, dirt getting on her hands but still thanked the carrots for growing so lovely today. "?"
Suddenly, she feels someone watching her. "Hmm...?"
Rowena holding the rope once more, looks up tilting her head wondering how the witch can get up in the sky. "How long have you been up, Evanora? I can feel you watching me not too far but I do wonder how did you ever get up there?"
Evanora eyes widened in shame, not expecting to get caught so soon. She planned to make some sort of entrance by using the magic of wind making her create some sort of platform and stayed there to try and see what could be her savior doing in such- erm...
What's a polite word for destroyed and ruined?
Only the root crops survived the horrible storm.
"I... Yes. I apologize if that made you uncomfortable. I didn't know how to erm..." (Evanora) sighs, raising her hand before lowering it down her body follows the motion. Her feet met the ground with such grace, and faced the sheltered girl who was holding a basket full of carrots.
"It's alright- but I couldn't hear any footsteps, I had assumed you were somehow flying up to watch me pluck out our breakfast." (Rowena) giggles, showing her the basket full of dirty carrots. "I'm sorry but I had to take these out first, I'm afraid that the storm destroyed some of my mother's plants... I wanted to make breakfast first before checking up on them."
The carrots were certainly huge but it seems that was the only thing that was inside the basket. The witch was famished, after so many days and weeks of rationing her food. Fresh vegetables like these could satisfy her.
"I see... that you care for them." (Evanora) looks around the garden, ruined. Many of the pots were broken, lines of some rope were in the ground and it was all dirty.
"Yes! My mother and I have worked hard growing all the crops here. Do you like the garden?" The girl's smile was so innocent and wide, the witch's heart and mind suddenly debated.
Tell her the truth?
Or lie?
"Your garden is lovely." (Evanora) lied, her brain suddenly making a malfunction with those lovely puppy dog eyes of hers. "It's a bit- messy from the storm." She walks not too far from one of the broken pots.
Quickly noticing the sheltered girl's bare feet, the witch chants a spell. A green light emerging from the broken pieces shined and all of the sharp clay floated up. "Volito."
Her fingers danced, she saw an empty bucket that wasn't too far and made it float too. "Volito." another she chanted, the sheltered girl suddenly got curious at what her guest could be doing.
She hears the sound of the metal bucket but-
"Volito?" (Rowena) repeats it, never hearing such a word in her life. Not even her mother has taught her what it meant. "May I ask what it means?"
"It means to float, I'm umm... currently making some of the broken pot parts float and placing them in an empty bucket that I found. I hope it's alright, your feet aren't wearing any shoes." (Evanora) places the sharp shards of clay into the bucket making a clunk sound.
"The reason I was also up in the sky- was because I was floating."
Now her heart feels a bit more relaxed knowing nothing sharp will be hurting the cute girl that saved her today.
"Oh! Floating! What's that? Mother hasn't taught me that one yet!" (Rowena) walks a bit more closer, their body only merely inches apart. Not knowing what personal space was, the girl reaches out to grab the witch's hand.
So soft and callused.
"Is it something amazing? Will you let me feel it?" (Rowena) asks, the dirt on her hand was left on the witch's. Evanora Evergreen, stopped thinking and misunderstood her request.
Touch what now?!
"I erm- Wait um aren't we moving a bit too fast-" she says, mind getting dizzy and cheeks flushed red.
"Can I float too?"
...
"..."
The witch wanted to kill herself for being too impure, and dare think of something like that to a girl who clearly has never met someone else inside this place.
"Oh that! Whew... Y-Yeah I could! Would you like for me to cast the spell on you?" (Evanora) places a hand on her chest, heart beating a bit too abnormally. "I won't make you float too high for your own safety, you can also hold my hand if it gets too overwhelmed."
The witch stares at her hand still being held. This sheltered girl is pretty bold.