Chapter one: part 6
The sorceress looked up from the path towards the cottage on the rise and saw Rosie standing at the gate, her eyes red and her lip trembling. "What ever is the matter?" she asked in her deep resonating tone.
Rosie simply burst into tears. Reine hurried up the footpath and quickly entered the gate. She put her arm around her young friend and led her back into the house. They sat in the sitting room, Rosie on the sofa and Reine in the armchair across from her. It was still early yet, and the chill of morning had not yet faded from the house. The embers from last night's fire were smoldering in the fireplace, too small to be any warmth against the chill. Reine stood up again, moved to the hearth and moved a few logs onto the bed of coals. "Tinè!" she intoned, and the embers roared to life, igniting the logs atop them. With that, the wizard returned to her seat.
Rosie mumbled through her tears, "Grandfather's gone insane." She went on to tell her friend of what had happened that morning, as best she could remember it.
Reine nodded, and said, "That would explain why he seemed so upset when he passed me on the way down the path. "You say he was looking for a map?"
"I think that's what he said. I guess he's referring to the map he had last night."
"What map is that?"
"It fell out of his hand when I went to check up on him before I went to bed. I was just going to set it aside for him to find again this morning, but when I saw it, I wanted to ask you about it. I think it's written in Castalunian."
"Hmm. That is interesting. Where is it now?"
Rosie wiped the tears from her face and stood up. She retrieved the map from her bedside table and returned to the sitting room. She handed the map across to her friend, the old yellowed paper crinkling in her grasp.
Reine looked at the map, and read for a bit. "Oh my," she grimaced. "Oh dear. This is..." She trailed off.
"What is it?" asked Rosie.
"This is a very strange omen indeed. I wonder how your grandfather came into possession of this map. It's very dangerous indeed."
"Reine! Tell me what it is!"
"Very well," droned the sorceress, "I shall."
Rosie simply burst into tears. Reine hurried up the footpath and quickly entered the gate. She put her arm around her young friend and led her back into the house. They sat in the sitting room, Rosie on the sofa and Reine in the armchair across from her. It was still early yet, and the chill of morning had not yet faded from the house. The embers from last night's fire were smoldering in the fireplace, too small to be any warmth against the chill. Reine stood up again, moved to the hearth and moved a few logs onto the bed of coals. "Tinè!" she intoned, and the embers roared to life, igniting the logs atop them. With that, the wizard returned to her seat.
Rosie mumbled through her tears, "Grandfather's gone insane." She went on to tell her friend of what had happened that morning, as best she could remember it.
Reine nodded, and said, "That would explain why he seemed so upset when he passed me on the way down the path. "You say he was looking for a map?"
"I think that's what he said. I guess he's referring to the map he had last night."
"What map is that?"
"It fell out of his hand when I went to check up on him before I went to bed. I was just going to set it aside for him to find again this morning, but when I saw it, I wanted to ask you about it. I think it's written in Castalunian."
"Hmm. That is interesting. Where is it now?"
Rosie wiped the tears from her face and stood up. She retrieved the map from her bedside table and returned to the sitting room. She handed the map across to her friend, the old yellowed paper crinkling in her grasp.
Reine looked at the map, and read for a bit. "Oh my," she grimaced. "Oh dear. This is..." She trailed off.
"What is it?" asked Rosie.
"This is a very strange omen indeed. I wonder how your grandfather came into possession of this map. It's very dangerous indeed."
"Reine! Tell me what it is!"
"Very well," droned the sorceress, "I shall."