Magic

Chapter 17: The Southern Isles

The rich sounds of birds chirping and singing, along with the gentle sound of a pond, were enough to calm everyone down. Ella gently put her book down for a moment to see what kind of birds were nearby. While she peered around, she couldn't get enough of the atmosphere. Tulips of various colors stood tall surrounding the area and the small circle of water where lily pads floated on top. Light shone through the autumn trees, brightening the area. The soft breeze soughed, sending leaves to the ground. When a leaf fell on Ella's head, she slowly plucked it out of her hair and glanced up to see if there was a bird in the tree that she sat against. Owl sat in the tree nearby.

Soft hissing followed by a small thud startled her until Ella saw that another arrow had reached the bullseye on a target in a tree across from them. She watched Cassandra pull a new arrow and connect it with her bow.

"How often do you come here?" Ella asked, gently taking another leaf from her hair.

Cassandra released the arrow and it landed a few inches above the inner target. "Whenever I have free time or when I take some guards out for target practice." She glanced over her shoulder. "If you want, you could try to shoot some ice and see if you hit the target."

For a moment, Ella slowly rose until she paused. If she still hadn't improved with the peach, what was to say that she was ready to use the target with her magic? She shook her head and Cassandra pulled another arrow. "I wish I were ready. It'd help with my magic."

Cassandra's arrow landed right below the inner circle. "Don't push yourself, Ella. You'll just put too much weight on your shoulders." She pulled an arrow out of her quiver and lined it up with her bow. "Besides, with everything that happened at the party a few weeks ago, you're doing well. As Hans said, it takes time. When you're ready, you'll know it."

Cassandra's statement ultimately reminded Ella of a few weeks ago at the party when Hans had told her that she had the potential to control her magic. While she was still cautious with her powers, she had to admit that she'd done well with them at the party, therefore there might be some hope after all.

"Cassandra, do you think Hans is right?" Ella asked, gently placing her book on her lap. "Do you think I will control my magic?"

"Eventually," Cassandra answered, pulling the last arrow out from the quiver.

"Do you mean it or are you just saying what I want to hear?"

After connecting the arrow with the bow, Cassandra lowered her weapon, turning back to Ella. "Why would I tell you what you want to hear instead of the truth, Ella?" Cassandra bluntly asked. "I think that you will because you saved us from the pirates and you saved Namaari at the party. If I thought otherwise, I would tell you."

"Hans thinks that I gained control of my powers before I got bewitched, but I don't know. What if I didn't? How would I know if I did?"

"Honesty, I think that you may have gained control of your magic in the past," Cassandra replied. "But yes, you're right. There is also a possibility that you didn't."

"I hope that I did."

"Think of it this way, Ella. If you didn't, then you'll learn to control it this time."

That made Ella feel hopeful for a better future involving her magic.

Just as Ella was about to speak, a pair of mewing yellow-bellied sparrows fluttered over them and landed on a nearby branch. The birds chirped to each other as if they were singing a duet and hopped towards each other before they called and flew off the branch. They fluttered forward and disappeared to find a new area.

"They almost look like how Rapunzel did when we were birds," Cassandra chuckled. Ella threw a perplexed expression at her. "It's a long, crazy story. Honestly, I haven't thought about that memory in a while."