Magpie
Ch3: The Surprise
You came out of the blue, like twilight's first star
And we picked up on each other, from somewhere deep and far
~ Genie by Ani Difranco ~
After a long day spent exploring the expansive buildings and grounds that comprised her new school, Sofia returned to her shared chambers, finding them much more inviting after such an exhausting day than they were upon her arrival that morning. She stretched the aching muscles in her neck and upper back, then kicked her shoes off, her toes wiggling in satisfaction of their regained freedom from the uncomfortable prisons. With a deep sigh of relief, she dove into the plush, albeit far too large, bed that was hers by default. Though she longed for the comfortable familiarity of her room in the palace, she was much too weary to dwell on such minor details at any length.
Shortly after she slid beneath the covers, tugging them up to her chin and nestling snugly below them, Amber entered the room, positively bubbling over with excitement about all that they'd seen and heard on the guided tour. From the sound of things, her sister had already planned out, in vivid detail, how every minute of every day should be spent between now and graduation, while Sofia was simply thankful to have survived the first day intact.
Sofia made a valiant effort to share in Amber's enthusiasm, but her attention kept wandering back to the ornate book stashed beneath her pillow. She'd never kept a journal before, usually too busy out doing things instead of sitting at home writing about them, and she wasn't entirely sure how to do so. But, she reasoned, if Cedric had gone to all the trouble of giving her such a wondrous, enchanted gift, then it was up to her to make good use of it and see that his efforts weren't wasted. Her fingers reached under the pillow to stroke at the leather binding as Amber ticked off the myriad of clubs and activities she wanted to involve herself with.
"Are you even listening to me?" Amber eventually thought to ask, after what was easily twenty minutes of completely one sided conversation. This gave Sofia an idea of how to get out of the discussion politely, though a pang of conscience did warn her that it wouldn't exactly be the nicest thing she'd ever done.
She didn't answer, doing her best impression of being fast asleep. Sure enough, after a few moments of silence, Amber stood from her bed and marched over to stand beside hers. Sofia held her breath, keeping perfectly still for fear that even the slightest motion might betray her. Finally, just when she was beginning to think she couldn't wait any longer, Amber whispered, "Goodnight, Sofia", before tip-toeing back across the room. Sofia blinked her eyes open, but didn't dare to move beyond that until Amber's soft snores filled the dark room.
Sliding the nightstand drawer open as silently as possible, Sofia fumbled through the contents until her fingers curled around the cool smoothness of her training wand. Thankful that she'd had the foresight to pack the tool, even when she wasn't certain how much use she'd be able to get out of it here, she flicked it in the air, lighting the candle that sat atop the small nightstand.
The book and quill were hastily retrieved, and she settled against the headboard, ready to pen her first ever entry.
Dear Magpie, she began, then paused to frown at herself, already second-guessing her efforts after only this much.
Is that how I'm meant to start these? I'm not really sure, but it seems proper enough.
My name is Sofia Balthazaar, and I'm twelve-years-old. Today, I toured my brand new school and moved into my new room, which I'll be sharing with my older sister. Tomorrow will be my first day of classes here.
It was missing something. Journals were supposed to be more personal, more intimate. Taking a deep breath to prepare herself for facing her true feelings, Sofia went on.
I had a really hard time deciding where to go, and I don't even know if this is the right place for me. This school is much larger than my old one, and I've never stayed in a dorm before. I went to sleepaway camp, once, but it's not really the same thing. It's exciting, I guess, but also sort of scary.
Here, she paused, chewing absently at the tip of her thumb while scanning what she'd said so far and considering what else she wanted to write. She was beginning to recognise that hollowed-out sensation that had followed her anguished sobbing the night Cedric left, but this time it was far more pleasant. Perhaps, she mused, this was why people enjoyed keeping a diary. Inspired, she brought the quill down to the parchment once again.
When I wake in the morning, it won't be because Clover couldn't wait for his breakfast, and Violet won't appear to bid me good morning and help me choose a gown for the day. I miss home. I miss the noisy dinners with my family, playing with my brother and sister, and outings with the Buttercups.
Right now, my greatest wish is that I could spend tomorrow gathering herbs in the gardens with Mr Cedric, being asked questions about what purpose each serves and pretending not to notice that he's filling his robe pockets with ground-cherries for us to snack on while we take tea in the tower afterwards.
Now that she'd started writing, she never wanted to stop again. She had so much more she wanted to pour onto the page, new ideas cropping up as fast as she could jot them down, only to be immediately replaced by the next one. The candlelight flickered and dipped ever lower, and her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, until she could no longer keep them open through sheer will. Before long, the waking world slipped away, leaving in its wake splendid dreams of an idyllic day spent with all her friends from home.
As she slept peacefully, the book tucked next to her began to glow, illuminating her side of the room with a pulsating white light.
…
The next morning, Sofia woke before Amber. She stretched and yawned until she felt alive enough to face the first day of classes. As she slipped out from beneath her sheets, the journal clattered to the floor, alerting her that she'd been sleeping with it the entire night. When I see Mr Cedric again, she mused, refusing to entertain any doubts on the matter, I'll have to tell him how much this helped me last night. She lifted it and admired the handsome birds on the cover, then opened the bedside drawer and slid the book inside. Turning back to the bed, she dug around for the quill, which she found sticking halfway out from under her pillow. After tenderly stroking the ebony feather, she placed it beside the journal, and she was starting to close the drawer again when something on top of the table caught her eye.
"Sofia? What time is it?" Amber moaned, wriggling beneath her own blanket. Sofia hardly noticed the question as she collected the small bowl and sat back on the bed, staring down in awe at the strange object. Never one to tolerate being ignored, Amber stood and trudged across the room, coming to a stop in front of Sofia. She glanced down at the bowl, wrinkling her nose at its contents. "What are those?"
Sofia missed a beat, struggling to find her voice through a haze of astonishment. "Ground-cherries", she whispered.
…
After they were showered and ready to go, Sofia exited the room behind Amber, taking a few tentative steps down the corridor before letting out a forced gasp and feigning surprise. "Oh, no! I forgot my things!" she cried out, eyeing Amber to see if she was falling for the act. Amber studied her Sofia sceptically, folding her arms across her chest and tapping one foot on the carpet to show her disapproval.
"Honestly, Sofia, it's the first day. And we're already cutting it too close as it is." Sofia raked a hand through her thick, damp curls and flashed Amber what she deeply hoped would pass for an apologetic smile. "What's with you? You're usually so organised."
"I– I know. I just didn't sleep very well last night. You go on ahead, I'll be right there." When this failed to produce the desired results, Sofia changed course, folding her hands in front of her and widening her eyes pleadingly. "Please? Will you cover for me this one time?"
"Fine. But you owe me for this." Sofia nodded her agreement, wrapping her sister in a brief hug before practically shoving her down the hallway until she began to move of her own accord. She watched long enough to be positive that Amber was really leaving, then dashed back into the dorm room, making a near-frantic beeline for the spot where the journal was hidden. Scrambling excitedly with the brass pull, she yanked the drawer open and retrieved the book, flipping to the page she'd written on the night before.
Sofia,
I can't tell you how glad I am to hear that you arrived at your new school safely. It's perfectly natural to get homesick, anyone would in your situation. I sent a little gift that I hope will help you get settled in. Consider it a housewarming of sorts. As for being nervous, you strike me as a very bright young girl, and I'm sure you'll do just fine. Please write me again tomorrow and tell me how your first day of classes went. Remember, I'm always right here if you need me.
Your friend,
Magpie
Sofia shut the journal and hugged it tightly to her chest, allowing herself a loud squeal of delight. Magpie was real, and he would listen to her whenever she needed him to. Not only that, but she could see that he was kind, and incredibly thoughtful. Laughing a little at her own excitement, she gave the book one more squeeze, then tucked it away and grabbed a handful of ground-cherries to munch on while walking to class, ready to face whatever the day held in store for her.
This is the last Sofia chapter for a while. Next, we'll visit Cedric and see what he's up to. ;) Also, the chapters do get longer as the story gets more in depth.
