Short Snippets - Willow's Blessing

Series 2 - Just for fun

Short Snippets of the day

This short snippet is unusual. While going through a closet, I came across a book of old stories I wrote long ago. When I read it I had to laugh. It was absolutely horrible. I may still have a lot to learn, but when I read it, I realized I have come a long way.

I chose to rewrite the story. While there are a few elements that remained the same, like the names Willow and Bernie, and the locations of the village and the cave, very little remains of the original.

I might add Willow as a character to my novel in the future, but for now, the story is just an exercise.

Enjoy!

Willow’s Blessing

Willow, a kind sorceress, moved from her home to a craggy cave, high up on the misty mountains. During the season of snow and sleet as the winds screamed through the mountain peaks, she entertained herself by conjuring spells, reading about famous witches, and humming to herself. While she liked being warm and cozy by the fire in the cave, she had no one to talk about the wonders she learned, except Milty the bat, and he refused to speak.

When the snow dripped off the mountain, and the bitter winds became soft on the skin, Willow started to explore the valley below. One day, she followed the meandering river downstream, where she found a bustling village. It was filled with little lavender houses, a bustling market, and sparkly, bouncy children.

Willow pulled her ancient cloak around her, feeling the softness of its fabric. The cloak was left to her by granny Ginni, the greatest sorceress she had ever known. When properly clasped, the cloak hid Willow from the world. As Willow, snapped the garment’s clasp closed, she sighed, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Now that Ginni had died, she had no friends or family and was alone.

Willow began walking down the well-trodden path towards the heart of the community. Near the park, she discovered a group of children playing a game with a ball and a bat. They were bursting with energy, after being trapped inside during the long dark season. The children ran and laughed with abandon, while their parents gossiped by the benches. Willow was kind-hearted, and liked seeing the villagers happy, but missing granny, she envied the joy in front of her.

Many moons ago, Willow and Ginni had celebrated the return of the sun’s warmth, by creating a spell that blessed the woodland animals where she lived. Willow knew that this had made Ginni very happy, so as Willow watched the children play, she wondered if she blessed them, if her heart would be lifted too.

So as quickly as she could, Willow climbed to her cave, pulled out the sage, frog’s eyes, and bigfoot teeth, and brewed a good luck potion that would make the kids strong, healthy and full of joy.

The mixture was ready, but Willow was too scared to approach the village. She didn’t want the villagers to reject her or the potion. So, she needed a plan. Willow spent all night thinking by the flickering flame of her fire. When the peach of the sunrise, showed on the horizon, Willow climbed down from her home and looked for a rabbit.

Usually, bunnies were everywhere. But, this year, the whole colony had decided to do something new and go to the citadel for a protest at the zoo. Willow wandered further down the river hoping she would find a bunny somewhere. When she turned a bend, where zoety flowers had just started peaking through the soil, Willow saw a small wolf that was tied to a tree with a long, glowing cord.

The wolf was snow white, small and dozing in the sun. When Willow approached, he heard the crunch of her feet on the pebbles by the shore. He awoke, stretched, and ran towards her. As he jogged, he jumped between footfalls.

Willow gasped. Perfect, she thought. He almost, kind of, looked like a rabbit. Willow happily approached the wolf. “Greetings, sir. My name is Willow, and I wish to bless the children of the village. Will you help me?”

The wolf sat on his haunches and howled. “Sorry, I always call out when I wake. I’m Bernard Walfington the IV, but most call me Bernie. Bless who, and how?”

“I’ve created a potion that will give good health, happiness, and joy to the children on the river. I was hoping the bunnies would deliver it. But they’ve gone away. Would you be my bunny? Willow leaned forward. Her sparkling eyes watched the wolf as she smiled openly.

Bernie scratched his left ear with his foreleg, while looking at Willow. “Now woman, why would I want to be a bunny? Besides, the grumpy old man from the fort has tied me here, and I cannot escape!” Bernie hunched his shoulders as he took a quick look down the river.

Willow’s face fell. She forgot about the children and the bunnies. She had to help him. “Don’t worry Bernie, I’m a sorceress. I’ll set you free!” Willow rubbed her hands together feeling the magic of the universe rise from the earth, through her body and into her fingers.

“Begone!” A green glow encircled Willow’s hands. She tossed the energy at the wolf, watching as it flew across the space from her fingers to the cord binding him. When it reached the cord, intense light burned around it. When the light dimmed, the cord was gone.

Bernie howled again. He danced across the ground, looking like a prancing horse. When he reached Willow, he licked her cheeks. “Thank-you beautiful! I will help you, but I will not pretend to be a rabbit. They’re too flighty for me.”

“But you have to be a bunny!”

“Why?” Bernie tilted his head.

Because, well... because they’re so cute.” Willow spoke in a whisper. She fidgeted, and blushed.

“Come on! Really? Rabbits aren’t so cute, woman. They’re crazy and naughty. You can’t trust them, you don’t know what a fluffle will do. Why don’t you just go to the village and offer a blessing? The humans like that sort of thing. Bernie raised his nose and sniffed. “Let’s go, he’ll be back shortly. I can smell his sweat.”

Willow didn’t want Bernie to be re-caught, so she followed him. When he turned onto an unfamiliar pathway, she tried to get her bearings, but failed. “Bernie, where are we going? If I can’t help the villagers, I want to go back to my cave.”

“It’s not much further.” Willow followed Bernie through a thick clump of underbrush, and over a fallen tree, before exiting the heavy, surrounding tree cover. When she realized where she was, she froze. They were standing in the village.

“Look, you’re a human, so talk to them. They’ll love that blessing thing. The people over here are not so bad, except when my pack appears….” Bernie stopped and curled his lips. We stood soundless for a minute, before he looked into my eyes. “Talk to them. It might be easier than you think.” Bernie used his nose to push me towards the square.

Willow’s body shook as she moved. At that moment, she would have liked to be anywhere else, even in the music halls of Aweng, where the music was so bad, it took out the windows at least once a moon cycle.

From across the square, a woman wearing men’s clothes with warm, grey eyes, short blond hair and a confidence in her step, walked over to Willow. “Hi, Lippa here. Head of this village. You must be Willow. The Ogre, Octavious, the one you bought the cave from, told us all about you. We were hoping you would stop by.”

Lippa motioned to a couple of men. They brought out a delicate table and two sturdy chairs. Lippa sat down and Willow joined her. A young man, with flour on his apron, brought pastries and hot cider to the table. He winked as he placed them before them and whistled as he walked away. My stomach grumbled.

“…And I see you brought that scamp with you.” Lippa grabbed one of the pastries and threw it to Bernie.

“Raspberry jammies again? What, is that all you’ve got?” Despite his objections, Bernie ate every crumb of the pastry, and every morsel of four more.

Lippa introduced Willow to the adults and laughed at the children as they played. The women talked until late into the evening when the dance of the planets began, and the glowy bugs came out from the brush.

It was only after Willow said good night to the village, and she had climbed her cave, that she realized that she hadn’t blessed the children. But, when she thought about it, they didn’t need it. They were already healthy and happy.

As Willow watched Bernie twitch and dream by the fire, she thought about the day. She was overjoyed that Bernie had decided to stay with her. And while she wondered why the villagers chose to chase cheese down a steep hill, she was excited when Libba had invited her to the village’s Dash festivities. While she had started the day wanting to help the children, she ended up being the one who was truly blessed.

I hope that you enjoyed this short snippet. Press below to subscribe to Spunky and Spellbound in the Snow.

Comments are always welcome.

May the magic of the day fill your heart with warmth and fill your soul with joy.