Tess ran into the quiet library, seeking her best friend Tom, who liked to bury his nose in the books of whatever town's library they were in.
“Sh!” The librarian hushed her, making her duck behind some nearby book stacks.
Tess ignored the librarian, shoving books to the side, not caring if they popped from the shelves. She was on a mission. “Tom!” She called quieter this time, not wanting to face the wrath of the librarian. It took her a few minutes, but she finally found her friend sitting in the corner by a window. Scrunched between two bookshelves, nose pages deep into his latest novel. “There you are!” Tess walked up to him, exasperated. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere!”
“Sh!” another librarian shushed once more as her voice got louder.
“You’d do better to not talk,” Tom mumbled from behind his book, turning the page. “They’re very picky here.”
“Sh!”
Tess rolled her eyes, becoming impatient. “Then come outside so we can talk.” She grabbed his arm, forcing him upright. He gave a small whimper as he dropped the book he was currently devouring.
“But I was reading that,” a small sob came from him. He looked back at the librarian, glaring at him, picking up the book and putting it away. He whined as his tail tucked between his legs.
“You ready for an adventure?” Tess turned towards him as they left the building and the glares of the librarians.
“What are you talking about?” Tom asked, his ears laid back against his head, annoyed. “You said we could rest for a few days.”
“Tom!” Tess sighed in exasperation, her body going semi-limp. She was always a tad dramatic. “It’s been a few days already.”
Had it been a few days already? Tom thought for a minute, his tail swishing behind him as he contemplated. They had arrived in town on a Monday and today was…
“Tom, it's Thursday. Did you even leave that library once?” Tess asked, not wanting to wait for him to figure things out.
Tom’s belly gurgled as the realization hit him. “Uh, guess I got sucked into that book.”
Tess sighed once again. She grabbed his arm and pulled him forward, making him stumble. “Come on, let's eat, then we can get supplies.”
“Supplies for what?” Tom asked. His mind was still reeling from the mental adventure he had been on.
“You are incredibly slow for being a werewolf,” Tess chided, hands-on-hips as they made their way to a sandwich shop. She watched as his ears flicked back and forth as he came to a solution.
“What potion are you trying? Do I have to try it this time?” He cringed as he remembered her previous potion.
“Only if you want to fall in love with me,” Tess batted her eyelashes at him, smirking.
Tom stood where he was, dumbfounded, unsure of how to react, until Tess started laughing. “Don’t worry, this is just for a customer. I’ve made this before. It’s a self-love potion, it only takes three ingredients.”
Tom sat at the table Tess had picked, propping his head upright with his hand. He remembered helping her gather ingredients for a self-love potion ages ago. It was a simple thing. It didn’t need anything too dangerous. What were the ingredients again? Honey to sweeten the person's disposition. Rose petals to enhance the love…what was the last ingredient again?
“…vanilla beans for strengthening the potion effects,” Tom’s ears perked forward as he realized Tess was talking to him. Right, vanilla beans were the last ingredient. He knew she had honey and vanilla already. She always made sure she had those.
“Why can’t you talk to a florist for the rose petals?” Tom eyed the sandwich that was delivered to them. It was filled to capacity with different meats. He licked his lips. He’d been enjoying this small town.
“But where’s the adventure in that?” Tess cried, head on the table, her arms folded cartoonishly over herself.
“We live in modern times. You can just go to the potion store for your ingredients,” Tom pointed out. His sandwich was half devoured, whereas Tess had yet to touch hers.
Tess glared up at him through her arms. She noticed he was eyeing her sandwich. “Don’t even think about it, dog,” she growled, sitting up bringing her sandwich closer. “I want adventure! I want to have fun!” Her arms swung around animatedly as she unleashed the full fury of a dramatic person.
Tom smirked. “Thought you had a curfew,” he watched as she slowly deflated from her previous boisterous self.
“It wasn’t my fault the post office caught on fire!” she mumbled into her sandwich.
Tom snickered at her indignation. It was, in fact, partly her fault because she brewed the potion. “How about this,” Tom paused before finishing his sandwich. “I’ll talk to the sheriff and see if she’ll approve a trip to the flower gardens an hour away. And if she approves, we can talk to the stables and see if we can borrow some horses to take there. Would that be enough adventure for you?”
Tess chewed her sandwich thoughtfully as she contemplated her options. “Fine,” she gave up. “But I thought you didn’t like horses.”
“They’re not the biggest fan of me. Supposedly, there are a few horses in the area that don’t mind wolves too much,” Tom shrugged, then got up from the table. “I’ll meet you back at the hotel.”
“Fine,” Tess groaned, turning her attention back to her sandwich and the bill. Why did Tom’s sandwiches need to be so expensive?
----------------------------------------
After a few hours of arguing with the sheriff in town, Tom walked into the hotel they were staying at. The receptionist was glaring over at the fireplace. That was a sure sign Tess was over there. He smiled to himself as he turned the corner to see her surrounded by the children of travelers. She was mixing potions, making them spark and change color to the delight of the kids.
“More! More!” the kids cheered as she reached for more empty vials.
Tess laughed at the response, not noticing Tom had added himself to the cluster of children. He wrapped his tail around his waist as he sat down, making sure it wasn’t in the way. She put an empty vial on a stand. Then pulled a blue liquid from her pocket, along with a small leather bag from her pack. “Has anyone ever caught a falling star before?” She asked as she poured the liquid into the vial.
“No!” the group of kids chorused, they watched Tess’ every move in anticipation. A small group of parents were gathering, along with a few maids and cooks from the hotel's staff.
Tess looked into the crowd with mock horror. “No?” she asked, hands on her hips as she played towards the kids. “Would you like to play with the star I caught?”
“Yes!” the kids hooted and hollered.
Tess laughed. This was one of her favorite tricks. It was also one Tom wasn’t fond of because he usually got singed fur from it. “I need everyone to sit down and be calm. My star is a shy star and will only come out and play when it’s quiet,” Tess peaked into her leather bag. A small amount of light filtered out of it. The kids sat in front of her with bated breath.
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
It had been a while since Tom had seen children so still. Tess peaked back at the kids and gave a smile. “Let’s see if my star friend is ready to play.” Tess turned the bag so she could pour the contents into her vial. The kids waited for one…two…three seconds, then the liquid shone brightly and foamed. A few more seconds went by and Tess’ star hovered above the vial she had poured into it. The kids gave soft sounds of amazement as they tried to be careful of the star's shyness. “Well, hello little star friend,” Tess waved her hand under the glowing orb. The orb moved, so it was hovering over her hand now. The kids gently pushed each other and pointed at the star as Tess moved closer to the front row of kids.
“Did you want to pet it?” Tess offered her hand to a small girl, who stared at her in wonder. Tess showed how to “pet” the orb, allowing the little girl to follow suit. The little girl stroked the orb gently. Then let out a small shriek of delight before running back to her parents.
“Do you want to see it do tricks?” Tess asked her audience. Small heads nodded as she looked around the room. She caught Tom’s eyes as he sat amid the kids, giving him a small smile. He grinned back, already knowing the routine.
He watched as the orb flew up into the air and bounced along the chandeliers. Then it came back down and landed on Tess’ shoulder, rolling down her arm to her fingertips. Next, she would ask if anyone would want to hold it. “Would anyone like to hold my star friend?” Tom beamed at her voice. If none of the kids wanted to hold it, he was usually the first one. A small boy next to him raised his hand.
“Can I hold it?” The boy's voice wavered a little when he asked.
“Of course,” Tess walked up to the little boy. She directed him on how to hold the orb, then gently slid it into his hand and took a step back.
“Oh wow,” the boy whispered, looking at the orb. His face grew bright from the little light dancing in his hands.
Suddenly kids on all sides of the boy were asking to hold the star, and crowding him. The little boy pulled the star close to himself as he backed up into Tom.
“Don’t crowd,” Tess called as she tried to make it to Tom and the little boy. If she wasn’t careful, she'd cause another fire. “Tom!” Tess looked at him with scared eyes. The kids weren’t listening to her now.
Tom lifted the little boy up above his shoulders, trying to give the orb space from the other kids. He knew it was just a little magic trick, but he swore the orb had a life of its own and hated him.
“Star come!” Tess shouted after failing to calm the kids down. The orb jumped from the little boy's hands into her own. She clenched her fist around it, then put it back into its leather bag, much to the disappointment of the kids. “I’m sorry kiddos, but that’s all I can do today. I’m getting a little tired.” Tess feigned a yawn, the kids groaning in disappointment.
Tom knew the kids would’ve kept her at it all night if she didn’t call it quits when she did. He felt a finger stick down into his ear, reminding him of the little boy he was still holding. He sat the boy down, grimacing as his ear tingled from the small finger. “Go find your mom.” he shooed the boy away before turning towards Tess.
“Didn’t want to burn another building down?” He teased her as he helped her pick up.
“It wasn’t my fault,” Tess grumbled. Putting the mixed vials in her pack, not caring about the order, she'd organize them in their room.
“If I recall correctly, you told me you were giving me cider to drink,” Tom pretended to think as Tess rolled her eyes.
“We need to get your hearing checked because I know I said it was Fire Cider,” she gently shoved past him and made her way to the room they were sharing.
“You got the fire part right,” Tom grumbled as he followed her. He still didn’t think his throat had fully recovered from the incident.
“So what did the sheriff say? Am I allowed to be out past my curfew today?” Tess asked once they were in their room. She sat her pack down on a pile of clothes on the floor.
Tom shook his head as he looked at the state of their room. He insisted on keeping things in the dressers or his pack. Whereas, Tess enjoyed laying things where they fell as she rummaged through her bags. “Sheriff wants you back before her shift is done.”
“When’s her shift done?”
Tom glanced at the clock on the wall. “In about half an hour.”
Tess glowered at him. “It wasn’t even in this town!” She exclaimed in exasperation, flopping onto her bed. “Why does she hate me?”
Tom sat on her bed, giving her a silly grin. “Word travels fast nowadays. She’s just trying to keep the town safe.” His tail wagged slightly, hitting her in the head.
“Safe from what?” Tess rolled over, ignoring Tom’s tail. “All the ‘big evils’ were defeated eons ago by the hero’s of those days.”
Tom watched her. He knew the stories the same as she did. The entire land's history was based on heroes fighting the big evil of the land. Only having peace when the hero had to make the big decision to give up everything to save everyone. Depending on the town you were in, you could see the statues of them, but a lot of them were getting taken down lately. It always happened at night with no explanation.
“I mean, think about it,” Tess’ voice cut into Tom’s thoughts once more. “When’s the last time you’ve heard of someone becoming a hero?”
“It’s a lost art,” Tom tried to supply his limited knowledge. “Nobody knows where the Hero’s Dias is anymore.”
Tess hmmpfd. “More like they won’t tell anyone.” Tom knew better than to push the subject, unless he wanted to get into an hours long political debate with her.
“How about we go to the stables? We can pick out horses to ride for tomorrow,” Tom quickly changed the subject before Tess went on the rant she was contemplating. He purposely wagged his tail in her face, making her push his tail off of her as she sat up.
“You’re a jerk, you know that, right?” Tess gave a stern look before breaking out into giggles. She couldn’t stay mad at Tom, especially when he did his sad puppy dog face.
“And you’re a witch.” Tom stuck his tongue out at her. Which she promptly returned before running out the door. Tom shook his head before following her, ignoring the feeling in his heart.
----------------------------------------
“What happened to you?” Tess teased outside the barn door as Tom ran up next to her panting.
“You know I draw my strength from the moon,” Tom groaned, straightening next to her. “You of all people know we’re going into a new moon cycle.”
Tess rolled her eyes, “the moon is just refracted sunlight.”
Tom held up his hands in defeat, “I don’t make up the rules.”
“Good evening!” A stable hand called as they came up towards the barn. “Can I help you two with anything?”
“We were wondering if we could borrow a couple of horses tomorrow,” Tom glanced towards the inside of the barn. The horses had caught his scent and were looking nervously towards him.
The stable hand looked Tom up and down, then turned towards Tess. “What about you…you a wolf, too?”
“No sir, I’m a regular person,” Tess smiled towards the man, who directed his attention back to Tom.
“I can sell a horse to your friend, but I doubt any horse will take to you.”
“I’d still like to try if I can,” Tom smiled back at the man, trying not to show his irritation.
“Suit yourself,” the man turned and walked off. “Let the stable manager know what you decide.”
“I appreciate you offering to ride a horse, but we can always get a taxi,” Tess glanced towards Tom’s strained face. He was attempting to show the horses his human side.
Tom gave a grin and wrapped an arm around Tess’ shoulders. “Now, what would be more adventurous? Me getting kicked off a horse or riding in a taxi?”
Tess grinned, then walked down the walkway to look at the horses. Tom took a deep breath, then tried to calm his nerves as he tried to act more human than wolf as he breathed out. His ears twitched as his nerves started getting the better of him. “Calm, calm, horses like calm,” he whispered to himself, his tail twitching side to side. He took another deep breath before entering the stable.
“What took you so long?” Tess asked, stroking the face of a Roan mare. The horse whickered nervously as Tom reached an unsteady hand out to her. He put his hand on her nose and closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable freak out.
Tess observed the horse as she breathed in Tom's scent. It wasn’t often they found a horse that was okay with a werewolf. The horse's ears rotated on its head, as it determined if Tom was a threat or not.
“Well, that’s a first,” a gruff voice sounded from behind them. The pair turned to face the voice. Tom’s ears now alert, wondering why he hadn’t heard the man come up behind them. “She’s not very kind to people, let alone a wolf.”
“Would we be able to borrow her for the day tomorrow?” Tess stepped forward, bringing the stable manager's eyes to her.
“Hm, a witch and a wolf,” he hummed.
Tess instantly went tense. “I’m sorry, sir, but you have me all wrong. I’m a simple herbalist who learned a few tricks.”
Tom took Tess’ hand in his, trying to ease her nervousness. Even though witches helped heal people, they were still regarded with disdain, seeing as the bad guys usually enlisted them. They did not take it into consideration on why they had joined up. Tess came from a long line of healing witches, but that didn’t help her in most situations. They had been run out of a few towns that had found out her secret before.
“Don’t worry, your secret's safe with me. Witches saved my wife when she birthed my son. I hold no grudges with your kind.” The stable master looked earnest. “You can use the roan tomorrow. Take her mate, too. You might have good luck with them.”
“Thank you sir,” Tom answered, seeing as Tess had lost her voice. “We’ll be here after breakfast.” They left the stables and went back to the hotel.