The village bully spoke, and Mida, naturally, gave him face, agreeing without a word; upon hearing it was a birthday gift for Rosemary, Mida didn't forget to attach several items, wishing to leave a good impression in front of Amber.
Mida's beloved apprentice, Helenna, brought over an extremely exquisite jewelry box. Since the Grand Parable was a gift for a lover, the box that held it was naturally crafted with care.
Made from the large mother-of-pearl shells of Hebron, the box's lid was lined with a layer of natural, shimmering pearlescent white, and the edges of the box were encrusted with various colorful gems unseen before. At first glance, it was a valuable Hebron mother-of-pearl jewelry box, and one could not help but notice the fervor and sincerity of a love deeply rooted within, yet the dusty gems on top already foretold the end of the romance.
Even when Amber inquired about it to Mida, the latter was combing their beautiful silver hair to a smooth sheen, not knowing where to go for an appointment, and couldn't remember for a moment what the Grand Parable was that Amber mentioned.
Helenna and Rosemary walked out of the house side by side, with Amber inside, detained by Mida, who wished to ask for some blessings to enhance charm. Only Mida's silver cat familiar was at the door, watching the two leave. However, when Rosemary looked back, it was grooming its slate-blue fur with its tongue, until its entire body shone like silk, with a hint of silver at the tips of its tail.
"You should take your teacher's mirror; with the light of the full moon, a werewolf's disguise cannot hide."
The two girls of the same age, familiar playmates, knew that every young witch turning sixteen would receive many coming-of-age gifts, among which the gifts from the great witch were the most useful for future hunting trips, so Helenna didn't understand why Rosemary would want such a showy but impractical gift.
"So precious a treasure, if I take it, what will Lady Mida have left to give you?"
A blush spread across Helenna's fair cheeks; Rosemary wasn't speaking idly—Mida always used the silver mirror that could purify filth to comb herself, but what was placed on the dressing table just now was an ordinary copper mirror, looking somewhat old, as if it was temporarily brought out as a substitute.
"Only my teacher's silver hair can make the silver mirror shine the most beautifully; I have Aminos, and that's enough."
Helenna's tone was full of contentment. Despite her stubborn minotaur familiar that never listened, always wallowing in the mud pits near the valley and forest, one could often see Helenna, panting, brushing the back of the minotaur, which was like a small mountain, getting herself covered in mud.
Mida absolutely detested that minotaur, even stating that at least the great white goose knew to bathe in clear water, but in the end, it was always she who carried the exhausted and dirty Helenna back to the cabin.
"By the way, there's a revelry in the Moonlight Forest tonight; all the sisters will be there, and we want to sing and dance together for the last time before we set off. Rosemary must come too."
The falling brown hair couldn't hide the girl's blue eyes, deep enough to contain the entire ocean, just like her tender and sincere heart. Among the young witches who came to visit Rosemary, it was she who couldn't help but choke and sob for Rosemary's fate.
That's why Helenna wished Rosemary would take the silver mirror, never considering that as Mida's apprentice, she should have more right to compete for the teacher's magical artifact.
Helenna brushed her long hair from her forehead, covering her eyes, a bit embarrassed to say, "Vilnica said she had sent a familiar to inform you this morning, but all the cats... "
Did not want to approach a ferocious great white goose.
At this moment, the turnip followed Rosemary step by step, its round and fluffy appearance like a cloud of fluff, causing Helenna to sigh lightly—what a pure and innocent creature.
Familiars follow their masters, and Helenna increasingly believed that someone must be maliciously slandering Rosemary and her familiar. She had been close to Rosemary since they were young, and their situations were similar, both born from slave trades in the port; one was a second-hand item for bargaining, and the other was a gift to a lover.
Seeing the deceived Helenna reaching out to touch the great white goose, Rosemary suggested going directly to the Moonlight Forest to bring back Aminos before she got bitten. Helenna looked at the clear red sky; it wasn't far from the evening's revelry, so she gladly went with Rosemary.
The two arrived at the Moonlight Forest, where the dense trees grew at the mouth of the canyon, so every night, every treetop seemed to be covered with frost, the entire forest bathed in silver moonlight, even the stream surging with flawless moon springs, which is why it was considered a blessed land by the moon witches.
It is even said that if one enters the forest during the full moon, they would encounter the goddess, who has laid down her crescent moon bow and is strolling leisurely through the woods. At this time, the Moon Goddess cherishes all living beings, rejects killing, and is in the form of a holy and mature full moon goddess; if lucky, she would also use her magic silver staff, radiating a soft glow, to bestow some magical inspiration upon her believers.
Outside the forest, many small tents had already been set up, probably all the young witches planning to stay up all night. Helenna generously shared her beautiful white tent with Rosemary, saying it was a gift from Mida, an elephant skin tent that could easily accommodate even Aminos, likely another gift from a wealthy lover.
Rosemary touched the delicate fabric and finally decided not to tell the other party that it was actually a cowhide tent.
"Ah, isn't this Rosemary? I thought you wouldn't go out these days."
Several red-haired heads popped out from the neighboring small tents, and Veronika and her cousins looked at Rosemary with their usual malicious eyes, the ones who had previously teased about boiling eggs.
"And she brought the main course for the party." Veronika saw the turnip and immediately grinned, and the red-haired fox in her arms also cooperated with its owner, showing its sharp white teeth.
Helenna glared, and Rosemary smiled at the fox and said, "Goose meat is too tough, the main course for the party should be those plump chickens with loud clucking."
Veronika was the most acrimonious and intelligent among them, and she immediately understood Rosemary's implication, becoming both annoyed and frightened, and quickly pulled the tent curtain.
A few days ago, it was Veronika and others who were punished by Amber for gossiping; they were turned into red-feathered hens, walking on their short legs, clucking for help inside and outside the village. It was only at night that they returned to their original form, and they had no human dignity in eating, drinking, and defecating throughout the day... Afterwards, Amber also regretted that the fox familiar could recognize its owner. This powerful witch was also very protective and ruthless, and no one dared to speak for Veronika and others.
As the orange firelight disappeared on the horizon, the deep blue of the sea began to rise from behind the mountains, the smooth breeze brought a refreshing coolness that extinguished all the remaining heat of the day, also adding a smile to the children of the Moon Goddess. The ghost mushrooms hiding under the big trees sprouted clusters of bright little heads, attracting fireflies and phosphorescent moths to circle around, and the forest party was about to begin.
Rosemary accompanied Helenna to the forest to find Aminos, and as expected, it was soaking in a large puddle of mud. If it didn't have a pair of large, curved horns, the motionless buffalo would look like a small mud mound, with several toads with red bumps climbing up and down on its back.
"Aminos!!" Helenna happily stepped forward, her beautiful skirt hem not lifted in time, completely losing the ladylike demeanor that Mida always reminded her of.
The dark brown mud was churning with bubbling, rotten bubbles, and it was unknown what was mixed in it, perhaps not lacking the feces of other animals. When the bubbles burst, the smell was indeed unpleasant. So even though the buffalo is a familiar symbolizing strength, Mida, who loves beauty, still hates this smelly animal.
In response to the master's call, the buffalo seemed indifferent and still. But Rosemary still noticed that the thick tail of the buffalo, like a straw rope, swung up on its own when the master approached, driving away the mosquitoes that coveted the girl's fair skin.
To avoid Helenna being pulled into the mud pit by the familiar, Rosemary and she worked together to pull up the rope on Aminos.
After much effort, they saw the buffalo beginning to loosen from the mud pit. The two wanted to catch their breath, but with a slip of their hands, the buffalo fell back into the pit, splashing a wave of turbid mud. Rosemary was at the forefront and was splattered with the foul-smelling muck.
Helenna, witnessing it all, was on the verge of tears and approached to apologize to Rosemary. Rosemary insisted she was fine, but then playfully flung a clump of mud. The gentle-browed girl stood stunned for a moment, until a large mass of the foul mud slid down her right cheek, realizing what had happened.
The two mud-covered figures then indulged in a mud fight without a care. Meanwhile, the buffalo in the pit watched lazily as the girls played wildly. The sole white goose, sensing the chaos, perched itself atop the buffalo, displaying its spotless white figure.
"Eastern shore's dog slave!!" Veronika's furious scream was cut short by terror as her red-haired fox, which had been lunging at Rosemary's white goose, was snatched into the air by a pair of golden talons.
"Have you had enough?" The girl with her dark hair braided neatly wore a set of leather riding gear, with a thick green-scaled belt around her waist.
She whistled, and the golden-taloned eagle immediately returned to her side with its prize. As the girl raised her face, her sharp eyes revealed her to be a skilled hunter.
Gwenyth, the apprentice of the panther witch Bathsheba, had not disappointed her mentor. Her golden-taloned eagle could easily subdue any familiar present.
Dressed in leather and not seeming to be at a banquet but rather ready for a hunt, Gwenyth touched the dagger at her waist, her hawk-like gaze sweeping over the crowd. She warned in a low voice, "Today is the pre-hunt feast in honor of the Goddess of the New Moon. Whoever dares to utter foul language again will not need their tongue."
Veronika, looking at her little fox still struggling in Gwenyth's hand, quickly nodded. Gwenyth tossed the fox back to her, and Veronika, disregarding her mud-stained clothes, retreated into her tent with her fox; her other sisters scattered like chicks before an eagle.
If Amber was the high witch one must not offend, then Gwenyth was the peer one should not provoke.
Over there, the equally shaken Rosemary held the white goose that had narrowly escaped the fox's jaws, wondering why she felt Gwenyth had glanced her way, intentionally or not.