When I got home a little later, I went to the dining room, where my parents were sitting around the table eating lunch. I still wasn’t hungry, so I sat at the end of the table, on Mom’s right, in my usual spot, listening as they talked about the goings-on in the capital.

  “Some of the merchants have left the country altogether, with many more packing up to leave soon.” Dad said, shuffling papers around on the table, his sandwich lay forgotten on his plate.

  “Unsurprising.” Mom said, before taking a bite of her sandwich.

  “It’s not looking good.” He said, shaking his head, as he picked up his sandwich and then set it back down, pulling another paper out of the stack, reading something on it.

  “Hey kid.” Mom said, bumping me with her elbow.

  “Hey Mom.” I smiled halfheartedly.

  Dad sighed heavily, picked up his sandwich and finally took a bite, shoving the papers away with his elbow.

  “Are you sure you have to join the army?” Mom asked.

  I snatched a chip off her plate and ate it. “Yeah. I do. Becoming a merchant sounds like a failing business right now, being a mage is out of the question, and there really isn’t anything else I want to do. Becoming a knight is one of the most steady jobs currently.”

  “If you joined the Astral Order, you could become a mage.” Dad said, looking at me over the top of his sandwich.

  “After what they’ve done? I-”

  “Ribbit, we know. We know more than we’d like to.” Mom sighed. “We’re just not sure joining the army is going to get you to where you want to be.”

  “Not that we’re entirely sure where you want to be. Maybe that’s our fault as parents for not keeping up with you more, but we just want to be sure you’re happy and aren’t just jumping into something blindly.” Dad said, squinting at me.

  “Originally, I wanted to become a magic knight, but that plan’s gone to shit.” I said, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms over my chest, ignoring Mom’s disapproving look for my language. “Now, I’d like to become a member of the royal guard.”

  “You do realize how long it takes to become one, right?” Mom asked, before finishing the last bite of her sandwich.

  “Yes, but I have to try. Captain Teodoric thought I might have a chance at making it far enough to become one.”

  “You don’t have to join the king’s army to make it anywhere. You could become an apprentice apothecary and work in the palace, or somewhere else.” Mom said, leaning back in her chair.

  “I could, but I’m not… I’m not Elidyr. I’m not good at staying calm, or being patient, or dealing with people in that kind of setting, I’m not…” I trailed off. I’m not good at anything other than magic. I thought to myself. “You’ll never amount to much at this rate.” Elidyr’s voice came flooding back.

  “It’s true, you got your impatience from me, but Ribbit, you’re not giving yourself enough credit.” Mom said. Dad sat silently, lost in thought if I had to guess.

  “I’m joining the army.” I said with finality, standing up from my chair. “I’ve got some things I need to take care of before I leave.” I leaned forward, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, kiddo.” Mom said, hugging me back and kissing me on my cheek.

  I left my dad to his thoughts and problems and headed up to my room, shutting the door behind me. While mom was a very talented court apothecary even with as headstrong and impatient as she was, it wasn’t what I wanted to do.

  The tree we lived in creaked as it shifted. As if reading my mind, some roots shifted, bringing my suitcase and various weapons I had laying around the room to me, dropping them at my feet. I looked curiously at a book that was half buried under one of my dresses I’d left in the floor.

  I reached down and picked it up, gaping in surprise at a tome I thought I’d lost years ago. I’d gotten mad at it and hurled it across the room after several spells I was trying to make failed in succession. Once I’d finally calmed down enough to think clearly, I’d gone in search of it and couldn’t find it, even after moving all my furniture around.

  “You had it this whole time?” I asked, looking at the walls around me. No response. I shook my head and opened it up, thumbing through the pages, cringing at my handwriting and drawings I’d made as a kid. I stopped when I got to some of the pages Elidyr had filled out, back when we still enjoyed magic together.

  “How to catch your sisters pants on fire (without using a dragon)”

  (and her nose)

  #1 take one cup of burnt cricket legs and put in a bag.

  #2 take slime fudge patties (snail scented) and place in bag (5 cups)

  #3 take Elkwood droppings (3 teaspoons) and place in bag

  #4 slip in sisters pocket………………… SMELLY!!!!!

  All I could do was laugh at it and the little doodles she’d put all over the page. I didn’t remember her doing this one, but I was probably too busy practicing magic with James.

  I wasn’t sure what I’d be able to do with this tome, but I set it beside my suitcase anyway.

  “Thanks.” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I sat and opened the suitcase, picking through the clothes that I’d already packed months ago for when I left, making sure they still suited my current tastes. As if they’d changed at all, I mean, there was only one or two color choices I could pick from that didn’t clash with my hair. The tunic I’d be wearing once I officially joined the knights was red and I’d been debating on just dying my hair black. I’d grown attached to my natural green color, but I’d be less of a target if I dyed it.

  I picked up my usual rapier and a dagger and shoved them into the suitcase before resting my hand on a bow that my brother had made me when he first became the blacksmith’s apprentice. I’d always wanted to use it, but my aim was horrendous. He’d spent days on end trying to help me aim better, but I just never could get the hang of it.

  Suddenly struck by a thought, I picked up my dagger and started notching runes into the smooth metal of the bow, wondering if I could fix my terrible aim. I hadn’t been working with simple runes much, since magic circles were made up of different types of runes put together, almost like writing a detailed sentence about what you wanted the outcome to be. Runes by themselves were seen as being too archaic, but for what I wanted them to do, I figured it would be fine. I notched runes for stability, power, precision, good luck, and I giggled to myself as I put one on it for multiplying. Hoping it would do what I intended it to do.

  Once I was finished, I slung my bow over my shoulder and climbed out of my window onto the branch and climbed up the outside of the tree house, up to a high branch I could sit on. I grabbed my bow and pulled the string back, channeling magic into it, the gears clicking. My bow hummed with an almost terrifying amount of power as the runes glowed, magic circles appearing before me with many magic arrows in the center of each one.

  My eyes wide in shock, I held onto the string as I slowly let it go slack, watching as the magic circles disappeared. It looked like it would do way too much.

  I looked around for a target and saw one of my target dummies still standing a short distance away. I snorted to myself, wondering how I missed one when I was hiding them in my cave. I focused on it and dug around for some mana to create wind magic to pull the dummy into the air and rested it on an air current, holding it in place.

  I sat for a few moments, wondering if it was a good idea, but I really wanted to know what my bow was capable of now, almost wishing my brother was home so I could show him.

  I pulled the bow back again and waited for the circles to appear and realized they weren’t going to stop. I slowly let the bow string relax and laughed silently to myself. If I ever got the chance to use it, I’d have to be extremely careful. I quickly pulled the bow string back and released it, still managing to send a large number of arrows flying to the dummy. I watched as some shifted to dodge tree branches to reach the dummy, all of them hitting their mark with an explosive force. I scurried down the tree branches as fast as I could to go inspect the damage and clean up the splintered mess.

  When I got to the site, not so much as a splinter remained of it. I held my bow out in front of me, impressed and a little afraid of my own creation. I slung it back over my shoulder and ran back to the house, climbing back up the outside to my room. I was going to leave it out to show it to my brother when he got home later, but I quickly thought better of it. He’d spent a very long time making this bow and I’d gone and ruined the beautifully smooth metal with my carvings.

  I sighed and shrugged, looking around for a place to hide it. Now that it had runes carved into it, it was a magic item and I wouldn’t be able to use it. I crawled under my bed and put it under the floorboard that popped up when I tapped it. If another mage were to try getting it open, the tree would just move the contents further into the wood. The tree wouldn’t respond to anyone other than one of us Nightingales, and only if the tree approved of their actions. That is, unless someone were to find the soul of the tree, then all bets were off.

  We Nightingales, consisting of me, my parents, older sister, and younger brother, were the only humans living in this part of the ancient forest. The massive tree we lived in was a gift to Mom’s grandparents after single-handedly protecting a vast majority of the forest from the devastation the Astral and Umbral War caused. Made of magic, the tree was ever-growing and shifting as our needs changed, allowing us to live as we needed within its roots.

  I’d met the soul of the tree on occasion when I was younger, hiding from Elidyr and Alisdair, after one particular bad argument with both of them. I’d found a root to hide behind and the tree had opened, swallowing me up, bringing me into a hidden room, tucked away somewhere within the heart of the tree. The tree was ancient, almost as old as Tiamat, one of the dragons who guarded the forest.

  I crawled back out from under the bed and leaned against the wall, connecting my thoughts to the tree itself. I could feel the life of the tree humming as I looked for its soul, gasping as I was suddenly pulled into the tree, popping out into the room, sunlight drifted down from a hole in the top of the tree.

  “Hello?” I said quietly, as to not disturb the peace too much.

  “It’s been a while, Rivienne.” The tree spoke, sounding tired and worn down.

  “It has… sorry about that. You comforted me on my bad days and I’ve ignored you on yours.” I leaned against the wall, comforted by the warmth of the tree.

  “I don’t need anything like that, but I do appreciate you coming to see me.”

  “It’s going to be a long time before I can come back and I just wanted to see how you were doing. Especially with the recent events…” I trailed off.

  “I have lived through the exodus of the gods, the rise of the demons, and thousands upon thousands of years filled with petty wars. I will live through the next and many, many after that. The goddess of nature dropped a seed, and from it, I grew. I am immortal, living as a physical embodiment of her will.”

  “So… the gods haven’t abandoned us entirely?”

  “Of course not. She would, no doubt, have some wisdom to impart, but seeing as she is no longer around, would you like some advice from me?”

  “I wouldn’t say no.” I said, sliding down to sit on a root jutting out from the wall.

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  “I’ve lived for thousands of years and one thing humans lack is patience and you are one of the least patient humans I’ve ever met.”

  “W- wow.” I scoffed, knowing it was more than likely true.

  “I’m telling you this because if you don’t learn to be more patient with yourself and your goals, you’ll take on too much and get in over your head before you know it. I’ve seen many, many of your ancestors come and go from this home. Many leaving before they could make their mark on the world. I don’t wish to see your potential lost before you yourself even discover all of it.” The tree said, before fading. I closed my eyes and sighed, feeling myself drift back to my room.

  “Patience.” I sighed again. “Easier said than done.”

  I got up and went back to the suitcase and finished stuffing everything into it that I was taking with me before I flopped on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Months later and I still hadn’t figured out what to do with my free time, now that it was difficult to practice magic. I could play around with it some still, but the miasma had been growing too thick and it was too much of a risk accidentally finding a pocket of it. It wouldn’t kill me if I tried to use some, but it would definitely make me very, very sick. It wasn’t long before I found myself dozing in the afternoon sun, so I gave in and fell asleep, tired from the night before.

  The sun was going down when I woke to a knock at my door, mom poked her head in and called my name.

  “Yeah?” I mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and yawned.

  “Your dad and I are heading back to the capital. I’ve been asked to go back early, apparently there’s been a number of increased attempted poisonings lately.” Mom sighed, before coming to lay on my bed next to me, like she’s done countless times over the years.

  “I hate this for you.” She said suddenly.

  “What?” I snapped fully awake at that.

  “This isn’t the life I imagined for you, at all. Nor for your brother or sister.” She said, a few tears escaping her eyes. Mom crying wasn’t something that happened often. “Elidyr has opted to join the Astral Mages as one of their advisors, ultimately tying our family in with them now, Alisdair is working later and later every night forging weapons for the army, and you’re joining the army.”

  “I didn’t know.” I said softly, rolling over.

  She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me in for a hug. “I’m not blaming any of you, I just hate this for all of you. After all the work my parents and your dad have done to make this part of the country safer, I was hoping it would be enough to keep you all safe. Allow you to live your dreams that you had as kids.”

  “Alisdair joining the Hunter’s Guild, Elidyr becoming a painter, me… well, I still wanted to join the King’s Army, just as a magic knight.” I shrugged. “But, like Shalana and Torgrud said, we live in uncertain times now. All we can do is keep moving forward.” I sniffed, breathing in her familiar scent, committing it to memory.

  “They’re right.” Mom said, kissing me on the top of my head. “Just promise me you’ll be careful and you’ll come home.”

  “I promise to be careful. I can’t promise I’ll come home, but I’ll do my best. I’ve got two months of training before being assigned my role in the army and then two years of patrol, and depending on where I’m assigned my patrol, it should be relatively safe.”

  “Even with the war?”

  “They don’t send fresh recruits to the front, not yet anyway.” I said, shaking my head. “I’m hoping that doesn’t change, unless the king calls for a ceasefire.”

  “He’s not going to.” Mom shook her head. “Elincia has tried to convince him time and time again, but he just won’t listen.” Sometimes I forgot the queen and Mom were childhood friends just like Igraine and I are.

  “First this senseless war that we started, now the banning of magic, what n-”

  “Don’t ask that question.” Mom said sharply. “Don’t ever ask that question. That always makes things worse.” She flicked me in the nose.

  “You’re right.” I held my hands up in surrender, grinning.

  “I know I am.” She said, picking up my stuffed lamb and smacking me with it. “Well, I’ve gotta go. Go tell your Dad bye.” She got up and held a hand out, pulling me to my feet.

  “Yeah yeah.” I bumped shoulders with her before following her out of my room to the front hall.

  “Bye kid.” Dad said, pulling me in for a big hug.

  “Bye Dad.” I held on for longer than I normally did, suddenly sentimental thanks to Mom. I let him go and gave my mom a hug too.

  “Come see us when you get to the capital, we’ll eat a big dinner before you leave for your training.” She said as dad opened the door, grabbing their suitcases.

  “I will.” I said, waving as they walked out, a mechanical carriage was waiting for them. The driver got out and helped them load up, and I shut the front door as they drove off, heading back back to the cesspool of a capital. I traipsed back up to my room. I still had a week before I would leave for the capital to go into training for the King’s Army, but I packed my belongings and left, heading into town to Torgrud’s tavern. Being alone was not something I was fond of.

  ~~~

  The next morning, I ran through the trees, jumping massive knots of roots and small streams. I enjoyed feeling the wind in my face, tangling my green curls into knots. It was a beautiful day, cold and crisp winter air, the birds were quiet for now, and the clouds in the sky promised a bit of snow later.

  I screeched to a halt at the edge of the forest, right before the field of grass marking the edge of the forest and the start of the human’s domain. At the edge of the forest, I raised my hand and tapped the ward, watching as it rippled and opened, just far enough for me to slip through into the sunlit grove. As soon as I stepped through, the ward closed behind me, showing me a mirage of the forest.

  “Rivi!” I turned as I heard Rinko running towards me, arms full of flowers.

  “Rinko!”

  “Do you see all these?!” She excitedly showed me the bundles of flowers. “Egen said she found a massive garden full of flowers like these! She’s been watching the garden to see if anyone tended to them, but it’s only a little old lady. She said she loved her garden and didn’t want to do anything with it, but Egen said she would sell the flowers for her if she wanted, so Lady Emilia agreed. That’s what Egen said we needed to call the old lady, Lady Emilia. I don’t know if she’s actually a lady, but she smiles so prettily when we call her Lady. Come on Rivi, come see!” Rinko said, rushing away from me.

  I blinked a few times, unsure if I heard her correctly. “Doesn’t she already know Lady Emilia?” I shook myself out of my daze and ran after her, tripping on a couple of roots of the apple trees that stretched out in front of me.

  “Come on Rivi, keep up!” Rink said, pausing to wait for me to catch up.

  “Sorry, I’m coming!” I snorted a laugh and picked up my pace to keep up with her

  We ran a short way further and Rinko took a sharp left, down a path I’d crossed a few times before.

  “Beth came here yesterday and helped us clear a path to Lady Emilia’s cottage, with her permission, of course. I think she’s lonely. She’s been out here for so many years with no visitors, I think she just wants a little company. She said as long as we stayed out of her way and didn’t make a mess of her garden, we could do as we pleased. So, naturally, Beth baked her a pie and made some tea and they’ve been chatting up a storm all morning.”

  “That doesn’t sound like staying out of her way.” I laughed and shook my head. Lady Emilia always put on a facade, pretending she didn’t want company, but as guardian of the Deepwood Forest, she craved the company of, well, anyone. She’d talked about how lonely it was sometimes, when I’d come to pay her a visit. My friends were all friendly, and could be a bit much sometimes, but I really enjoyed their company.

  The cottage was very pretty, flowers filling all the window boxes, the carefully pruned trees and shrubs lining the sidewalk and front of the house perfectly, it looked like it had fallen out of a story book. Immediately, I felt something was off about this house, but I couldn’t figure out what was off about it. I’d come here several times before, but I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something was wrong.

  I followed Rinko to the door, glancing quickly at everything around. The birds and squirrels were still chirping, I didn’t feel any magic spells on anything, but the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up.

  “Rinko… Did something happen here?” I asked, looking around.

  “Rivi, what’s wrong?” Rinko asked, suddenly serious.

  “I don’t know… But Rinko, something doesn’t feel right. I’ve been here before, but...”

  “She did say she’s kept it hidden from outsiders, but she thought it was time to welcome a few visitors. She had a visitor earlier, but she took care of the problem, but beyond that, nothing’s happened. Though, if anything does happen, we have you here now, right?”

  “Of course, but…”

  “Rivi.” She turned to me, fully. “I promise you, it’s okay. If she was going to harm us in any way, she would have already. We’ve let our guard down around her several times already. Besides, you said you’ve been here before, right?”

  “I have, but Rinko… What was the first snack I shared with you?”

  “What? Why are you asking me that all of a sudden?”

  It was something Captain Teodric taught me to do if I suspected anything was off. Ask them a question only they would know the answer to.

  “Just answer the question. Please.” I shook my head.

  “It wasn’t a snack, it was a cherry walnut cake for my birthday, which you didn’t like because you don’t like cherries or walnuts.”

  “Okay. Thank you.” I said, relaxing only marginally.

  “Rivienne, could you please lighten up? Ask her yourself if you’re that worried.”

  “Fine, fine.” I said, holding my hands up in surrender.

  Rinko sighed and stepped into the house. “Lady Emilia, it’s me, Rinko. I’ve brought my friend I was telling you about.” Rinko called.

  I stepped into the house after Rinko and looked around. Everything was the same as it always was. Clean counters in the kitchen just to the right, potted plants in an abundance everywhere, potions neatly organized on shelves, books neatly lined up against the walls.

  “Hello. It’s nice to see you again.” I said to a short, stooped woman, her curls pinned up very neatly on the top of her head, her white dress perfectly straight, not a wrinkle in sight.

  “Ah, my favorite aspiring mage.” She said, winking at me, as she shuffled to a seat at the table, her many amulets clinking as she moved.

  “Here, let me help you with that.” Beth said, coming up behind her and pulling the chair out so she could sit.

  “Your friends have been spoiling me very much, Rivienne. Have you figured out that new spell you’ve been working on yet?”

  “Aha, you are the heron that watches me from the pond.” I grinned at her.

  “Ah, very astute.” She smiled wider. “I’m glad you recognize me in both of my forms now. Now, as for your uneasy feeling about the house, I heard your conversation,” She said, before pointing to the wall behind her. “I wrested this house back from that creature there just the other day.” She said, pointing to a goblin seething in the cage on a shelf above the counter. “I had gone out for a short flight and the wretched little beast had moved in and made a mess of the place, ruining all my books and dishes.”

  I remembered reading about the Goblins, they used to have a very good reputation for their abilities at creating beautiful creations from junk, before the Astral Mages took control after the Astral and Umbral War and banished them to the forest. The reasoning written in the books is vague at best, so I knew they had done their best to cover up the why of it all. Yet another reason for me to dislike the Astral Mages.

  “May I?” I asked the Goblin, motioning to the door.

  “Don’t let it out!” Beth shrieked. “It’s an awful little beast, you should’ve seen what it did to the house!”

  I didn’t listen to her and opened the cage anyway. I grabbed a chunk of quartz I’d found embedded in the dirt under a tree root a few days ago that I’d shoved in my pocket and had been carrying around with me ever since. I held it up to the goblin and smiled at it. It cocked its head to the side and looked at it, its eyes sparking in curiosity.

  “Were you after a shiny to sell?” I asked as he reached out and touched my hand, connecting its thoughts with mine, like the animals sometimes did.

  “Shiny for Mikrok?” Mikrok asked.

  “Shiny for Mikrok.” I said aloud, laying it in front of him.

  “You save Mikrok. Mikrok make present for new friend.” Mikrok smiled bashfully at me.

  “Well, thank you very much Mikrok. Would you like help getting down?”

  “Mikrok can jump.” And Mikrok did jump. He jumped and landed neatly on the counter, the chunk of quartz in his tiny hands.

  Mikrok closed his eyes and hugged the chunk of rock to himself and sat there, holding it for a moment.

  “Mikrok hears your thoughts, knows your heart now. Mikrok sees turmoil and gives you an answer to your questions.” The chunk of quartz started glowing a blindingly brilliant white so I looked away until the light vanished.

  “Mikrok presents a topper for your wand, a necklace adornment, whatever you choose, yes. Preferably wand, you’ll need it, yes yes.” Mikrok nodded enthusiastically, holding the now polished and gleaming quartz stone out to me. All he had done was polish it so it sparkled in the sunlight. I pulled my wand out of my pocket and held it out to him, which he took from me and attached it to the end of the stick with some silver wire he had pulled from his pocket.

  “Mikrok wishes to apologize for making messy place, Mikrok only wanted shiny. Mikrok is sorry.” Mikrok said, nodding.

  Lady Emilia stood and walked over to us and took his hand in hers. “In my solitude, I had forgotten the kindness of the gobbies. I hope you will forgive me for treating you so badly.” She said, smiling.

  “Lady Emilia is a witch. Mikrok forgives Lady Emilia. Witches and gobbies must find shinies together.” Mikrok nodded sagely.

  “Witches and gobbies will find shinies together again one day. If what you showed me was true. Our friend here will make certain of that.” Lady Emilia winked at me.

  “Um…” I was positively, thoroughly, entirely confused.

  “Gobbies can see the future sometimes, but can only share it with us witches, in exchange, we would find shinies and junk for the gobbies. It’s been so long… I can’t believe I had forgotten that much about our past.”

  “For you, for freeing Mikrok and giving Mikrok a new friend.” Mikrok said, standing and handing me my new wand which had turned completely silver. “New friend Rivienne find Mikrok more shinies, wand will grow powerful with Rivienne.” Mikrok said, helping himself to some pie left on the counter.

  “Goblins don’t lie, so, Rivienne, you’d best get to finding new shinies for Mikrok. I can’t share what I know about your future, but just know that you’ll always have friends here, in the Deepwood Forest.” Lady Emilia said, a distant look in her eyes. “Rinko, Beth, Rivienne, Fate has a funny way of working to bring people together. I pray to the gods of old for your fateful visit. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I have a shiny hunting trip to plan with my new business partner.” Lady Emilia said, standing up perfectly straight and walking from the room, as we watched, her form shifted to a much younger-looking version of herself.

  “Shiny hunting trip! Shiny hunting trip!” Mikrok sang and danced, wiping pie filling from his mouth.

  Bewildered, I took it as my queue to leave. Just like that, I had reminded a witch of a former business venture, reunited a goblin with his love of shinies, and received a wand as thanks for it all. Today was a very strange day indeed.