Elissa was rushing past trees, up the narrow path, hoping she would find Nannade in time. She tried asking the spirits whether they had seen Nannade, but most of them spoke of an "intruder". Garrett had made the appeasement, it couldn't be him, but they could not describe this mysterious entity any further, which meant it was powerful enough to shroud itself. Elissa ran further up the slope towards the Glade, the last place she hoped to find the girl, but before she could reach that powerful place, she was startled by a sound.
She turned to the sound and saw the girl's red mane among the forest's green. Behind that, set in deep and dark, was again the void in the air, as if something had just been there, but had disappeared violently from reality before she could catch a glimpse of it, like the ripples in a lake' surface made by a fleeing fish.
"NANNADE!?" She walked toward the spot of colour.
The girl turned around.
"What are you doing here?"
The girl froze in shock, her eyes darting left and right.
Elissa put more force in her voice. "Why did you run away?!"
The girl pointed deeper into the forest. "I saw a thing!"
"What thing?"
"I don't know. I wanted to see it!"
Elissa was close enough to see that the girls eyes were trembling. "What was it?"
"I don't know, honest!" Nannade seemed almost panicked. Elissa arrived at the girl. Her feet were turned inwards, her tail clung to her thigh, her hands were fidgeting. What was the girl frightened about? She seemed close to tears, the girl was like a frightened rabbit, frozen solid by fear. Elissa bent down to pick the girl up. "Well anyway, it's gone now. Let's go back to the hut. Aren't you hungry?" Answers could be gleaned from the girl later, for now it was important to keep Nannade under their vigilance.
"Yes!" Nannade clung to Elissa's shoulder while the witch carried her back to the path. Elissa could tell the girl was still uneasy. But why? Because she had been intimidated by the entity she saw, or because she had just been caught doing something she knew was wrong? Faan would be the right one to find out.
Elissa called out to her familiar and they met back at the hut to let him and Garrett know the girl had been found. Supper went by uneventful. It was afterwards that Elissa sat on the porch with Faan on her lap, while Garrett and the girl were already fast asleep from the exhaustions of the day.
"The girl was lured into the forest by something and I'm sure it's a spirit."
"Was it the one Garrett spoke of?"
"I don't know, but I think it was present during the appeasement. And the other spirits said it was an intruder that shrouded itself."
"Sounds like a powerful one."
Elissa nodded silently. "I might have to make a ward for her so she can walk through the forest safe from any attacks."
There was silence for a while, then Elissa remembered what she wanted to ask Faan. "Faan, I need you to do me a favour; would you dream with her? I think we can get to the bottom of her trauma or anything else that might be hiding in there if you help her relive it in a safe environment."
"Of course. Elissa you don't have to ask me, your demands are commands to me!"
She scratched him behind his ears. "Oh, let me be courteous!"
Another, shorter silence, then Faan spoke up. "I like the girl. She is endearing. And she can give a real good scratch."
"Until she digs her claws into your skin, then you'll be sitting on only the highest shelves and licking your wounds for days."
"I don't think so. I'll scratch back. It would get a laugh out of Garrett at least."
"I can't believe he canes the little girl. I'd take her from him if I could get away with it."
From his spot on her lap, Faan looked Elissa deep in the eyes. "Don't poke your nose into his world. You know not what dangers lurk there, only that even the Guardians of the Lodge might not be sent to deal with them."
She had to agree. She herself would never be able to oppose what Garrett opposed. "Sometimes I wonder. If I ever were to turn, would he come for me? Would he let me go? Warn me of one of his colleagues coming, or maybe even fight for me?"
"He will never be part of your life like you wish him to be. Elissa, banish these thoughts, I feel them too."
But she could not banish him from her thoughts. "I still don't understand why he insisted on adopting someone as an apprentice he had NO prior knowledge about. That is so not like him. The chances that she had neither the Arcane nor the Mystic Gift were incredibly high. Yet he fixated on her, just because he believes a crolachan would make a good thief."
"You're worrying too much. Focus on what lies clearly ahead. Make a ward and let it be gone, solve problems that exist, not ones that don't."
"I can't. I have a feeling it might come back to bite us."
"How about this: I'll accompany the girl from now on and hold lookout for that spirit. Maybe I can keep it at bay."
"I think I'd like that a lot." Elissa smiled at Faan. "Thank you." He did not rebuke her unnecessary gratitude.
"Blood of the forest's game, powdered soil of the land and ash of last year's harvest." Elissa was mixing the ingredients in a bowl before her on the hut's floor "All these are sure to attract the spirits' attention."
It was past lunch the next day, Garrett had been removed from the hut, for Elissa was about to summon the spirits to seek their counsel on the planning of the harvest, and the uninitiated and the unreceptive could interfere with a séance in many ways. Also before Elissa was a large scroll of paper spread out, the edges held down by stones. Nannade sat opposite of Elissa, a bowl of finely powdered ash before her, and Faan sat at the girl's side. The ingredients had turned into a thin, dark paste. Elissa dipped a small brush into it and started to draw along the edges of the paper.
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"Runes of wind, rain, hail, sun, harvest and knowledge are telling the spirits what exactly we desire."
The symbols she drew consisted of many fine strokes and each rune seemed like a picture in itself.
"A rune is a specific concept's meaning. Old and well known amongst humans and spirits of this region and far beyond. Like stones and mountains they are, lasting against the tides of time, while empires rise and fall, villages grow and crumble, runes retain their power and meaning. They are our connection to the spirits and the mystic realm beyond the veil."
She finalized the paper with wavy, straight, trailing and meandering patterns to fill the spaces between the runes, but left a large circular space in the middle of the paper clear.
"To attune the whole message to the realm beyond the veil, we must know well about the structure of the twirls and knots of the veil, that thin barrier between here and there. This makes sure the spirits can see it from that place there, where they usually reside."
Elissa started to speak rhythmically in the language of the runes. Spirits were selfish beings. They needed to be convinced or tricked. A shrewd merchant would not be out of place at such a communion. Old poetry, singing, dancing, or other displays of respect and entertainment were best to attract their attention. Not any poetry would do for this case. Elissa wanted to attract specific spirits. Spirits were born of hundreds and thousands of life cycles of animals and plants coming together, their exuded life force attuned to their being; fox spirits from generation of foxes, oak spirits from generations of oaks. They had centuries of knowledge and experiences and it was this knowledge Elissa needed. She needed the knowledge of those spirits associated with crops and field plants. Of those that would remember when the heat of summer rose and fell, when it rained and when the storms would devastate the fields. Elissa needed to know when to bring in the harvest and so, she recited an old song about bringing in the harvest.
A cold wind went through the room. The light itself seemed to dim. A presence had come to them, an old one. Inside the circle on the paper, a tuft of wheat began to grow, emitting a green glow. The blades of grass stretched upwards and as they grew, they started to weave over and under each other, slowly forming a living straw puppet. It was at this time that Faan needed to pay attention to Nannade, he moved closer to her side. Spirits seldom came alone, and the 'wrong' spirit would cause more than just cheeky mischief. An emotional medium like the girl attracted spirits, daemons and other beings from beyond the veil very easily. And there was one now, like smoke in the shadows, moving under the furniture. Faan felt as if he knew the presence in here with them right now. Elissa was busy with her chants and appeals to the spirit of the wheat, the girl was fixated on the display as well, only Faan noticed the intruder trying to come in. He spoke words of defence and the spirit seemed to stay at a distance, but still circling them. It was foreign, not from this forest, barely present here at all, like the roar of a mighty beast in a distant forest. While it was repelled by Faan's words, it spoke back to him, vague even for spirits. It spoke of "getting its due" and "protecting what is rightfully its". Normally Faan would take it as empty boasts, but not this time. He would tell Elissa about all of this later. He concentrated his efforts, staring into the caustic green heart of this presence.
The séance was eventually over and the spirits left the hut.
"Look how the ash you sprinkled settled on the paper." Elissa said to the girl. "Look how it's mostly small, neat piles? That's because the spirit is showing us the stars at the morning of the harvest." Elissa pointed to the tiny piles in the middle of the paper where the straw puppet had been. "Now, using astrology, I can deduce the exact day of the harvest." She handed Nannade a white wax candle. "Use this wax stick to affix the ash to the paper. I'll show you how. That way, the ash won't smudge."
They went over to the study, Faan stayed behind, to make sure all presences had left the hut.
They didn't talk much at supper, but Faan noticed that Nannade was kind of upbeat. She must have not noticed the spirit that tried to come for her during the séance. She took great interest in almost anything around her and enjoyed hearing and seeing new things, as if she learned for the first time to be curious and ask questions. The chains must have imprinted themselves into her very demeanour, but finally started to fade.
Garrett wanted to take Nannade on a quick run through the forest after supper. Faan decided to stick close to the girl, but a cat would have problems keeping up with them over long distances. Eventually, Garrett stopped and turned to the Faan lagging behind and panting in exhaustion.
Garrett crossed his arms and talked down to Faan. "I don't know what it is you want, but you can just tell me."
Faan turned to Nannade. "Tell this oaf I am under instructions to keep an eye out for spirits while you are here."
The girl relayed his words and Garrett became visibly frustrated. "How many hoops must I jump through for this woman."
"Tell him he would do well to remember his promises. And that his safety is also at stake here."
"I can't believe I'm discussing this. Alright, he can hitch on my shoulder if he really needs to be by us the entire time, but I'll discuss this later with his boss."
Faan made a little kitty bow and jumped on to Garrett's shoulders.
When they returned to the house. Garrett had a another heated discussion with Elissa which ended in Garrett having to accept Faan's presence. Meanwhile Nannade was sitting outside, enjoying the last few sunrays, Faan on her lap. They talked about small things but mostly just enjoyed the evening weather.
At one point, Nannade asked "Faan, teacher Elissa said you would dream with me tonight. What does that mean?"
"You see, in your dreams, your mind is less attached to this world, this reality, it can more easily perceive and interact with spirits. So, it is possible for spirits to enter your dream. That is what I'll be doing."
"What will you do in my dreams?"
"There are things in your past that you cannot talk about very easily. In your dreams, your deepest thoughts can be unlocked and so we can work through your past, make it easier for you to tackle fears, shame and regrets."
The girl was visibly nervous, avoided eye contact and fidgeted with her feet.
Faan pressed his cheek against hers. "Don't worry, Nannade. I am your friend, I would never do anything to upset or hurt you."
She smiled, still reserved, and scratched him behind his ears that way he loved. The girl grew dear to him rather fast. Determination rose up in him, determination to not let anything hurt the girl, ever.