Dragon Boy

15: Bog

Sean's family was told about his injury. The next day, they all decided to come for a visit. The ground began to shake and up the path came an army of children and two overwhelmed women.

The group had met Sean's family once before, on the first night when everyone was moving in, though there was no time to exchange names. They remembered Katie Byrne, the tallest and likely oldest of the Byrne family, but that was all. When they had time to meet the family, they were quick to learn the names. Amy was Sean's mother, and Margaret Ryan was her sister who lived with the family. Next in the line of Byrnes was Jack, who would be joining them all the next year. Tara was next in line, and still had some time to go before she would be joining the others. James was the youngest of the brothers, and was somewhere comfortably in middle school. The very youngest was Grace, who would enter middle school the following year. Amy and Margaret, in sharp contrast to the young Byrnes, were welcomed back to the Academy with open arms.

Around this time, the final leaves of autumn had fallen, and the trees stood bare. The weather was getting colder, and winter would be upon them soon. Missions had, yet again, been suspended for a time, but were starting to come back with very simple tasks. For example, one of Nixie's courses, Water Beasts, had her go and retrieve a single stone from the bottom of the calmest, clearest pond the school could find. The pond was five feet deep (Nixie stood at about five feet and ten inches), and Cloppes, the tallest custodian in school, had been sent with her so he could pluck her out of the water should she start to drown. Elvia, for a Riding Beasts course, had to have Skitter-scamp jump through a hoop. She did not have to be riding him at the time, she simply had to hold a hoop and let him jump through it.

The first mission to send them away was for their emergency Potions Class. Mrs. Wormwort, knowing that the approaching winter would make certain ingredients impossible to find, chose to send clusters of students away to retrieve a few things. The students were to find an ingredient - a mushroom or an odd plant perhaps - and bring it back to the Academy. She spent days researching locations with quantities of ingredients and minimal danger. She also studied each student's schedule, and with whom they sat during classes, to ensure she could send a group of friends at a time. There was safety in numbers, after all, and when Sean's family came for a visit, she concluded that they would be safest. She had found a swamp that was nearly devoid of predators, and those that were present were repelled by large groups. She skipped her own lunch break to find Sean, his family, and his friends to give them the assignment.

Kyle was the first to spot the old woman in the crowd. She looked like every goofy old hag ever portrayed, with a long nose and bright eyes, bony fingers and crooked teeth. The only things missing were a broom and pointy hat. She rushed through the crowd to their table, and, somehow, managed to speak above the chaos. "Ah, Mr. Byrne!"

Sean craned his neck to look up at her. Grace was clinging to his arm and pulling him around in his seat, so he had some difficulty looking Mrs. Wormwort's way. "Yes, Mrs. Wormwort?"

The old woman rubbed her hands together. She was always complaining about being too cold, and she often rubbed her hands together to keep them warm. "I've finally figured out the details of your mission!"

Sean, his mother, and Aunt Margaret all sighed. Aunt Margaret went so far as to hide her face in her hands and whisper prayers under her breath. "Well, what is it?" he asked, wanting nothing more than to get it out of the way.

She leaned in, crooked smile broad. "I've found a lovely little swamp for you. I've arranged for all of your friends to join you, which will keep the beasties away. Best of all, I've gone to Mr. Connolly, and he has given your family permission to join you!"

The younger Byrnes started bouncing and cheering with excitement. They were going to go to a far away land with their big brother and all his cool friends! Amy and Aunt Margaret, however, became pale.