Prelude
Dreariness
loomed around Teirm and Angela could feel it. Something strange
was going to happen...but...what? She brushed away the dark
curls that framed her face and continued grinding dried rose petals
with her favorite mortar and pestle, for some foolish noblewoman who
wanted a love potion. She tried to clear her mind but still the
dreariness conquered her thoughts. The wind continued to ripple
her curls over her forehead and she kept trying to secure them behind
her ears. She set down the concoction, seized a ribbon from
inside the shop and resumed her place on her chair. Solembum,
her best friend rested on his chair, curled up in a ball, purring
like any cat would. He was special though, because he was a
werecat which were mysterious creatures that were usually were
frowned upon in Alagaesia. Her thoughts lingered back to the
day before when the noblewoman came to visit...
The woman was garbed in clothes that Angela dreamt of when she was a
silly little girl but now she knew she was content with her life...as
well as her little shop. The woman walked with a regal air, her
head up never looking down to no one, her voice as soft as a gentle
breeze, and her expression at emotionless as a rock. Angela
guessed that she was a young noble, not yet a woman but not quite a
girl...and by reading her thoughts, the noble was plagued for she
loved another who was quite out of her reach. Solembum glanced
at the young girl in curiosity and arched his back. He settled
in a space between two skulls and rested his head on both his
paws.
"Good day to you,
how may I help you?" Angela greeted warmly, setting a spell book
down to the side. The girl glanced at her and gazed around in
disgust at the surroundings then slammed 4 crowns down on the
counter.
"I heard you
tell fortunes?" the girl inquired coldly, looking as if she were
out of place. Angela studied her fingers with at least two
rings on each finger, her neck strewn with pearls and medallions, and
her long blond hair peeking out behind a tall cone-shaped
headdress.
"I do,"
she narrowed her eyes, "What kind would you prefer? Tea leaves?
Tarot? Dwarvish Runes?"
"Tarot." the woman obviously wasn't going to waste any
time. Angela motioned to the intricately carved chair near the
table with the crystal ball and retrieved her tarot pouch from the
back room. She took a seat in her usual black high-backed chair
that she got from a trader in Belatona and pulled the tarot cards out
of the little green pouch. Those tarot cards were the ones she
used for lovers and hopeless romantics because they smelled of roses
and had many hidden meanings in the pictures. If you looked
carefully you would see that there were over a 1000 hearts hidden on
each individual card. She shuffled the cards efficiently and
spread them out before her in a straight line.
"Pick three cards but choose wisely and carefully." she
warned. It was a few long moments as the girl concentrated and
finally chose three cards and set them in a row. Angela flipped
them over one by one and finally the story was slowly
revealed.
"Ahh what we
have here is the classic story of discontentment..your first card,
the Knight of Cups denotes that you are jealous and overemotional
about something in your life right now. It is truly plaguing you...it
eats away at you. Does that ring a bell or at least shed a bit of
light?"
The girl began to sob and took out a handkerchief
from her sleeve, "Yes it does. Life right now is confusing. I
love another but he too loves another..." she paused, "...my
own dear sister. He desires her and she desires him."
Angela rubbed her temples and simply replied, "Hmm..."
The girl continued, "I strived to forget about him and to avoid
him but I am infatuated. I love him. I would make a good wife for
him."
"Hold on one moment, before we talk about
that...let's discuss the cards." she flipped over the second
card, "the 7 of Swords...hmm...have you been spreading rumours
or gossiping at all? And please do be honest for if you aren't this
reading won't help you."
"Yes...I have been telling
others lies of my sister but I do it for good cause! You would never
understand..I mean look at you...you are a witch..."
Angela
began to cackle, thinking how stupid that girl was, "Oh I know
what love is. I have been in love once as you are now. Love is
nothing to be taken lightly." There was more she wanted to
say but she said nothing more and just kept her rude thoughts to
herself.
"Now for the last card, what we have here is the 6
of Wands which basically reinforces that you will have him eventually
but it will take time. You will meet victory in the end but you have
to have patience. I know it is hard but nevertheless you have to hold
on to hope and let things run their course." Angela returned the
cards to the deck, shuffled them, and placed them in the pouch.
The
girl slammed her palm down on the table, "No! I want him! Now!"
Angela sighed, You stupid girl, she thought furling her
brow in annoyance, Stupid people like you ruin your own lives..not
having patience...and not know what love really is!
"Give me a concoction or a potion of some sort! He must stop
loving her and he must stop loving her now!" she
declared.
"As you
wish...but if you must bring me a strand of his hair by tomorrow and
I will have the potion ready for you." The girl hastily
arose from the table to leave and said, "I will indeed. Farewell
and see you tomorrow." A stupid smile was on the girl's
face as she sauntered out of the shop giddily...
The soft comfortable purrs of Solembum brought Angela back to
reality. She studied the moon which was a beautiful silver
crescent and her pale skin which shined when it bathed in the
moonlight. She tried to fight back a yawn but was tired from a
day of readings and a few difficult customers. She arose from
the chair with Solembum at her feet and bolted the door behind her
then continued to her bed. She hastily washed using all kinds
of aromatic oils and dressed in a soft linen shift. She spoke
with Solembum about the silly girl from the day before who said she
would return but she never day.
Oh she will return...he declared, Silly woman she is...she
doesn't know that she is making a big mistake.
Angela smiled
at her friend, Nevermind that, it's best I turn in because we
need to go to the sea tomorrow. Sleep well good friend.
After drying and combing her hair, she fell into her bed, snuffed the
candle flame with her thumb and forefinger then slowly drifted off to
sleep.