Light Magic (COMPLETED)

Chapter 2

I throw etiquette aside and instead of knocking, I push open the doors to the house we have been staying in. My mother is pacing nervously down the hall. When her eyes fall on me she smiles, pressing her hands tightly against her heart.

"Avila! Where have you been?" She whispers nervously as she surveys the empty hall for any spectators.

I quickly close the space between us with three large strides and gently take her arm, pulling her into the bedroom. I sit her down on the bed and the events that unfolded that morning tumble out of my mouth. I explain everything from the sprite, to the earthquake, and the man's determination to bring me to the king and queen. I wait for my mother to speak—she does not. Instead she silently leaves the room and is back as quickly as she has left. All of our belongings are packed into two large backpacks. She hands me one and swings the other onto her back. Luckily, the inhabitants of the house are too caught up by their daughter's miraculous recovery to notice our departure.

My mother's silence bothers me. Every passing minute eats away at me. I am burning with questions that need answers. I know they would have to wait until we reached the safety of the surrounding forest.

The moment my feet pass the threshold into the seclusion of the trees, I turn to face my mother.

"Mother, I have a feeling you know more about what happened today than I do," I say heatedly.

My mother never lies; instead, she is skilled in the art of dancing around the truth. Her face does not betray her.

"Mom, please!" I plead.

My mother takes in a large breath. "I just want to keep you safe. Can you trust me when I say that I am trying to do what is best for you? I promise you that I will tell you what I know." Her voice is sweet and sincere. She looks at me with wide eyes, eyes that plead with me to accept her words without questions. I do not know how she does it, but I cannot find it in my heart to argue with her.

I sigh. It would have to do for now. I know we don't have much time to loiter around. My mother and I know these forests better than anyone, of that I am sure. I can't count the number of hours we have spent scouring every inch of the forest collecting rare vegetation for their healing properties. Most fear the forest, but it is our home. This world is full of both good and bad magic. The trick is to know how to avoid the bad.

We make haste to cover as much ground as we can, careful to choose the paths less travelled to avoid being seen. We make light work of the mossy terrain and before we know it the sky darkens into an inky black. We seek shelter under a large tree whose dense leaves form a canopy above our heads shielding us from the rain. I dig into my backpack pulling out a large handful of assorted fruit I collected while we hiked. We were both too ravenous to speak as we shoveled down the food.

After dinner, I make the mistake of lying down. The mossy ground is soft and warm making it too easy for me to drift off to sleep. My mother begins to sing, her voice is soft and beautiful. I recognize the song at once; it is a song my mother has always sung to me. A song from her past, a song her mother sang to her as a child. My eyelids close. There is so much I need to say to her and so much I need her to explain. My curiosity wars with my need for sleep, the latter wins.

I feel the light of the morning sun warmly caressing my face. I gladly open my eyes. My mother is already awake, busy collecting food. The forest is always so beautiful at sunrise. I am forever amazed that no matter how thick the forest is, light always manages to find its way through. I watch as the sunlight dances across the forest floor.