Chapter One
Laura swung the silver pail back and forth as she walked down the path in her clogs. The birds twittered in unison with Laura's humming. The big, orange sun glowed pleasantly over the kingdom of Linderwall.
Laura walked on until she reached the brick well in the center of the Small North Village. She waved to Mr. Pedry, the carpenter, than dipped her pail into the well.
She rose it up and just as she was about to turn on her heels and walk the mile back home, a man appeared next to the well.
"Oh!" she said. "You surprised me."
"I'm terribly sorry I frightened you," said the man in a some what annoying voice. "I am Telemain, a sorcerer of the Enchanted Forest."
"The Enchanted Forest?" Laura was confused. "Where is that?"
"Just beyond the Mountains of Morning," Telemain said.
"Oh," Laura said. She looked to the East and saw the large domes glowing in the twilight. "Well, I must be off now."
"Goodbye," said Telemain.
Laura began the walk home down the crooked path and thought about her and Telemain's meeting. A sorcerer? Of the Enchanted Forest? He had to be joking.
Laura shook her head, chuckling, and rounded a bend as she came upon her and her sister's tiny field.
She climbed over the rickety fence. Samuel, the mule, cocked his head hopefully as walked by. She patted his head and laughed at his befuddled expression.
Laura could smell venison stew as she approached the tiny cottage. Sarah must have been out hunting again.
Laura burst through the front door and inhaled the savory aroma.
"Good evening, sister," Sarah said, looking up from the pot she was stirring and smiling at Laura. "Where have you been?"
"Up at the well, getting water," Laura told her.
"Ah," Sarah said. "So now we can have some tea with our meal." Laura nodded and took the kettle down from a cupboard. She poured in the pail of water and set it over the stove to heat.
She grabbed a cup and swung open the little trapdoor leading to the cellar with a creak. She stepped down the steep wooden stairs and looked around for the crate of tea she had ground earlier.
She rested her eyes upon it and scooped some up with the cup. She took it back upstairs and closed the trapdoor.
The kettle was hot, so she poured in the tea grounds with a flourish.
"The stew will be finished soon," Sarah said from the table where she was putting down plates and silverware.
"As will the tea," Laura replied. She watched the kettle for a few minutes than said, "Tomorrow is washing day you know." She stared down at her grease-stained apron.
"'Tis, 'tis Laura. Thank goodness." Her apron too was dirty.
Sarah and Laura dipped their hands in the little water that was left in the pail Laura had brought home. They dried them on their apron, dished out stew and tea and sat down to eat.
They ate in silence for a moment than Laura broke the silence.
"I met a very interesting man down at the well earlier," she said. Sarah nodded as if to say, "Go on."
"He claimed to be a sorcerer of the Enchanted Forest. Whether that exists or not," Laura said.
"Oh," Sarah said. "You're right. A very interesting man. What was his name? Or didn't he tell you?"
"He did. It was Telemain," Laura said.
Sarah nodded and they ate in peace for the rest of the meal.
Later they stripped down to their underdresses and petticoats and climbed into bed. Sarah blew out the candle and they went to sleep.
