The sun was setting over the horizon, staining the sky orange and pink and burning red along the ocean surface. Ribbons of silky clouds softened the glaringly bright orchestra of color with dark gold. On the stoop beside Evie, Toby sat with a bucket between his knees and a bloody, razor-sharp knife in one hand – a startling contrast to the sweet beauty of the sunset that dyed his fair features and paler clothes like a church window. Evie wished she could go hide in the house like Finn had done the moment Toby brought out the blade and the first fish. She swallowed convulsively.
"You know, I've been doing great getting other people to do this for me," Evie began when Toby held out the knife for her to take. "I don't think this is really necessary. I've got you?"
Toby's eyebrow arched. "I'm not with you all the time. You'll be chopping down trees, or mining again soon. Being handy at cooking up a fish for a fast, filling meal is just smart thinkin'."
"Well, I'm not a very good cook, either," Evie hedged, still eyeing the blade like it was a snake about to strike.
"I thought you were just joking, but you're being serious," Toby realized in disbelief. "How in the name of the Goddess is a girl like you squeamish?"
Evie glared daggers at him. "What the frickle frack is that supposed to mean? Huh?"
"I mean, you're so recklessly, carelessly brave about everything else! You broke your leg and kept trying to tell everyone it wasn't so bad while fainting, but cutting open a fish is your line?" Toby clarified with a small sweeping gesture of his hand.
"It's different! Bruises and scrapes, whatever it is, you just grit your teeth and suck it up. But cutting things up? Blood and guts? It's gross. Stop laughing at me!" Evie exclaimed jabbing a finger towards Toby threateningly. He turned away, cheeks red and lips hidden behind his wrist- his usual long sleeves were tied up out of the way, baring his surprisingly toned arms, and therefore unable to hide much. Evie huffed, cheeks puffing out and mouth pursed. "I can be a strong, independent woman and not like sticking sharp objects into squicky things!"
"Sq-Squicky things?" Toby choked out.
"Argh! You're the worst!" she groaned, throwing up her hands in exasperation while Toby gave in and guffawed unabashedly. Evie exhaled through her nose roughly, impatiently. "You gonna teach this or just laugh?" she grumbled.
He nodded and took deep, steadying breaths to calm himself. "Once you get a rhythm going, it gets easier and faster. Like riding a bike, I promise," Toby assured her as his chuckles died away. "The motions become muscle memory. We just have to get you to learn it."
"A bike never required fondling fish organs," Evie muttered dubiously.
Toby kept his reply to an amused snort and handed over the knife again. This time, she gingerly took it. Once she did, he handed over a fish. It took a few seconds to learn the proper way to hold it before he took out another knife and fish of his own. He slowly, and patiently, led her through each (gruesome) step. By the end, her fingers were numb from cold and slippery with blood, and the fish? Was a wreck. Barely any of it was salvageable. Toby laid his own perfectly done fillets in a clean bag with the ones he'd already made. Evie dropped her tattered, much smaller fillets in her own clean bag, but most of it went into the trash bag of fish viscera. Apparently, most of it was used for bait, or even sold to Marimba to put into compost. The Fishers did not believe in wasting fish.
"There. Done. I'm utter craptastic at it, but I'm done!" Evie announced in relief. She turned to Toby- only to see another fish in his hands. "Oh nooooo," she moaned.
Toby chuckled and slapped it onto her unwillingly outstretched palms. "One more. Try to save some meat this time. I am here to help you make a meal with these," he pointed out.
"I know, I know. Fine, but don't backseat drive this time. I got this," Evie told him sternly. He held up both hands, palms bared and empty. She scoffed and rolled her eyes. Ignoring the quiet chuckle, she squared her shoulders, exhaled in a low hiss between her teeth, and made the first long slice through its belly. The rancher bit and sucked on her tongue in turns, brows furrowing, as she concentrated fiercely- on both the task and not squicking out. Toby remained silent at her side, though occasionally she caught sight of him nodding his head out the corner of her eye. When she winced and grimaced her way through scooping out the insides, Toby cleared his throat quietly.
"Spiders."
"Huh what?" Evie glanced around, blinking in confusion when no eight-legged beasties came into her line of sight.
"I can't stand spiders. Tiny ones, giant ones, in pictures or movies. Doesn't matter. I hate them. If I see one in my room, I have to spend the rest of the day hunting it and making sure it's dead or I'll never be able to sleep," Toby confessed while scratching at his cheek. A suspiciously pink cheek. Evie blinked at him, ever more nonplussed. Auburn eyes widened a moment later in sudden epiphany.
"Oh! Well, they are kinda gross looking," Evie said haltingly. She nudged her shoulder against his. "You ever need to spider hunt, call me up. I'm pretty good at stomping."
Toby looked over and smiled. "Thanks, I will. And I'll do this," he nodded at the half-done fish in her hands, "as often as I can. After you learn how to do it yourself," he added when her mouth wrenched open. She clicked her jaw shut and pouted dramatically. "Go on, you're almost done. You already did a lot better than your first try."
"Thanks," Evie mumbled, grudgingly returning her attention to the fish. She wasn't sure she enjoyed being a fast learner at this. Toby kept on observing with a fond smile hovering around the corners of his mouth.
When they at last had enough fish to make a couple dishes of deliciously good herb fish, Evie and Toby moved into the house to do just that. Evie was actually pretty eager to try out the oven. Cooking food was a lot easier than preparing it, and it didn't take too long to have enough fish placed in the battered broiler pans and set in the shiny new oven. The tiny house filled with the aroma of wild yellow herbs and baking catfish within seconds it seemed like; the scent so appetizing it had Evie's stomach rumbling loudly enough that Toby and Finn could hear it.
"Been awhile since lunch?" Toby asked mildly, a teasing glint to his half-lidded gaze.
"It has," Evie agreed earnestly.
"It smells great. I thought you didn't cook well?"
"I had help. And it wasn't like it was complicated," Evie stated with a shrug.
"He's right, Evie. It smells amazing. I get some, right?" Finn begged from her shoulder. Evie nodded slightly and rubbed her chin on Finn's head.
"I look forward to trying it." Toby and Evie shared a grin before heading for the dishes to set out. "You made a lot for just two of us, though. Is Candace coming back tonight?"
"Oh, no, it'll just be us," Evie replied while setting mismatched cups on the table. "I told Candace she deserved the night off from babysitting and Luke complained about the floor all day- oh, right, he slept over last night on the floor," she quickly explained at Toby's befuddled expression. It cleared away with an amused smirk. "And Renee has her hands full with cleaning up the Windmill, so you're it. You'll make sure I won't trip and break my other leg before you go, won't you?" Evie joked lightly.
"I'll do my best, but you're very good at getting yourself in trouble if you really want to," Toby dryly bantered. Evie only laughed and limped over to the oven.
"Ugh, it's taking too long. I'm hungry. Fish shouldn't take so long cooking!" Evie whined, peering into the small window in the oven door.
"It hasn't been that long, Evvy."
"No, it's been hours!" Finn disagreed, buzzing around the oven. "It shouldn't smell so good if it's gonna take so long to cook."
Evie stifled a giggle, just to jump back as the oven pinged loudly. "Finally!"
"Wait, oven mitts!" Toby exclaimed, eyes wide.
"I know," Evie huffed, cheeks flushing red belying her words. She carefully wrapped and set aside a portion for Eunice the giraffe, then carried the rest to the table. "A voila! Dinner is served!"
"Yay!" Finn cheered.
Toby merely shook his head at Evie's antics. "Thank you."
"Do you have to go home right after dinner? You could stay and watch an episode of Firefly with me? It's been a while and the next one is super creepy and fun," Evie offered after a few minutes of digging in with gusto. Toby swallowed as he glanced up.
"I'd like that, though I can't stay much longer afterwards," Toby broke off and fiddled a moment with his food. "…Are you talking anyone else into watching it?" he asked casually.
"Pretty much everyone I meet. Candace isn't sure she likes it, but Renee loves it. Luke thinks it's cool, but he'd rather watch one of the half-dozen superhero shows on, or Supernatural. Somethings with lots of violence and good guys versus bad guys. Firefly's almost too much plot for him," Evie laughed with a shake of her head.
"I heard you met Anissa?"
"I did! And saw her again today. She's so gorgeous. I put my foot in my mouth, of course, but she was so gracious and kind about it. She thought Luke and I were dating though! Ha!" Evie snorted loudly and shoved a large mouthful into her mouth. Toby quickly covered a laugh with a cough. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him.
"You two do act very close. He tends to carry you around a lot… and call you Princess," Toby pointed out calmly. Evie hurrumphed in annoyance.
"He only does that because I hate it. I call him Lu for the same reason. It's our… our thing," Evie waved expansively. "He's more like a bro than a boyfriend. Wait, did you think I was… with Luke?" Evie asked abruptly, eyes wide and horrified. Toby shook his head slightly and grinned.
"Maybe once or twice, but seeing you together, it's pretty obvious. You'd rather punch each other than kiss."
"Darn tootin'," Evie agreed with a firm nod. Toby chortled quietly. Her fork skittered over her plate as she cleared her throat and her cheeks blushed red. "She didn't… say anything else… about what Luke was sayin'?"
Toby's expression became curious, replying, "Not that I can recall…? Was there something specific—?"
"No!" Evie interrupted vehemently. Toby's eyes widened in surprise.
"Did I miss something?" Finn asked through a mouthful of fish and rice.
"No- nothing. He was just teasing me 'bout something, it's nothing," Evie muttered and quickly shoveled food into her mouth.
"If you say so," Toby conceded bemusedly.
Almost three hours and two Firefly episodes later, Toby finally took his leave. Evie followed him to the door, actually sorry to see him go even though she'd been going crazy with too many people underfoot for days. Finn was somewhere behind her, singing off-key about going to bed, so the two of them didn't have an audience Toby couldn't see hovering around them. She stepped a little further outside and cracked the door almost closed behind her.
"Sorry to keep you so late. Actually, no, I'm not. No guilt from me. Whedon is a gift," Evie told him decisively. Toby merely grinned and shrugged.
"Ozzie doesn't really need my help to close down at night. It's mostly going to be difficult getting up in time in the morning," he confessed nonchalantly. A bit of guilt flitted over her features at that.
"You really should've told me no," Evie admonished.
"If you haven't figured it out yet, I have a hard time doing that," Toby murmured softly. Evie blinked uncomprehendingly. "Telling you no," he explained, lips quirked up lopsidedly.
A blush stole over her face as she ducked her head. "I didn't notice…"
"You can be oblivious to certain things," Toby agreed. Her head came up with an affronted gasp that had him laughing.
"I just don't ask you for nonsensical things," Evie defended staunchly. "I'm not that oblivious, really."
"You could," Toby replied simply.
Evie froze, gaze meeting his and seeing him looking back seriously and steadily. "I could?" she parroted dumbly.
"Ask for something nonsensical."
There was something like alarm wracking every nerve, and her mouth was cottony-dry. Her sweaty hand gripped the crutch under her palm, moist skin skidding over smooth wood. It took much too long to bring back her gaze to his, her eyes darting in every direction but towards his face with his hooded, unreadable gaze.
"And you won't say no?" she finally whispered. She really hoped she didn't sound as shaken as she felt.
"Very unlikely," was his simple, earnest response.
Silence fell between them and her heart was definitely beating too fast. In her stomach was a swooping sensation similar to the first dip of a roller coaster and her knees felt shaky enough that her grip on her crutch was keeping her steady rather than her own balance. She couldn't tell just what it was, or what it meant- an unexpected, writhing knot in her belly that felt like fear and… anticipation for the coming fall.
Pasting on a crooked little smile, Evie blurted the first safe thing she could think of, "Can you gut all my fish for me?"
Toby burst into surprised laughter, catching himself on the doorway. Evie felt the strange tension break. She couldn't tell if she were relieved or… regretful... "Whenever you buy a phone, call me," Toby answered. His smile mirrored hers, crooked and shy. "I'll be here."
On an impulse, Evie reached out and brushed her fingertips over the back of his hand. "And you can call me for the spiders," she promised. "I won't forget."
His hand moved beneath hers, and she blushed, thinking he was pulling away. Instead, he merely threaded his fingers through hers and stepped closer. When she didn't back away, just tipped back her head slightly to keep their gazes locked, Toby's free hand reached up to brush over her cheek. Their toes met and she could feel the heat of his chest close to hers. That knot was back, twistier and writhier than ever, and her heart thumped so hard against her breastbone, she was surprised they couldn't hear it like a bass drum in a rock concert.
"Any other nonsensical request, Evvy?" he prompted, his voice lower, deeper. Was it because he was so close? Did his voice echo between them?
She had to lick at her dry lips before she could speak. "It… depends … on your definition of nonsensical…" Evie stammered hesitantly.
"You could just give it a try."
"Okay."
Toby frowned in confusion. Before he could ask, Evie tipped up onto the balls of her feet. Their noses brushed, then a soft press of lips. She could feel his short hair tickle her forehead, and the hand that had lain on her cheek was now cupping the back of her neck. She reached out with her empty hand- the clatter of the fallen crutch distant and easily ignored- to grasp the loose folds of his clothes, and settled back onto her heels, his mouth following hers the short distance down. The fact he wasn't that much taller than her made this easy- so much easier than she'd thought it could be. There was no awkward fumbling, no pressing need to dominate, no gross tongue-bathing. Just a sweet, chaste kiss that had her heart tumbling to her feet.
To his feet.
The kiss broke, but a long moment passed where neither moved. They just stood quietly, breath and heat and heartbeats shared. His hand slowly dropped away from her hair and hers from his clothes. Though he stepped back and their heads ducked to hide matching bashful smiles, their connected hands were still held loosely together.
"I'll… I'll be in town to get my cast off. Tomorrow morning," Evie informed him with a glance up through her lashes and past her bangs. "I could… see you for lunch?"
"I'll be there," he responded gently. "Good night."
"'Night." Their fingers gradually unwound and she quickly crossed her arms, tucking her hands into the warmth of her armpits. He looked down, and paused to stoop and pick up the crutch she'd dropped. He handed it over with a smile that she returned a little dazedly, then turned and walked down the path.
Evie stood in the doorway, shoulder propped against the 'jamb, and watched him disappear into the twilight. Between her teeth, she caught her bottom lip and worried it anxiously.
…
Morning dawned in its usual way and time. Without Candace or Renee or Luke there, breakfast was a bit slower, and the chores even more so, but Evie didn't really mind. Chores were simple and satisfying and the longer time it took meant more time bonding with her animals, cooing their names and whispering how proud she was of them. After the past two weeks of soaking in the Spring almost every evening or afternoon also meant the cast was more a hindrance than a help. Knowing that she was getting the cumbersome thing off in just a few hours put a pep in her wobbly, limping step. Another strawberry crop was harvested, and turnips by a bushel. She was looking forward the long jog from Harmonica to Marimba without limping or a crutch, and was whistling as she counted out how much lumber and material stone she had.
"You're awfully happy today, Evie! Do you have some big plans?" Finn asked curiously as he buzzed and trilled around her.
"Yup~ Getting this cast off, finding a giraffe, finding that wizard guy, going to Marimba, and, lastly, going to Fugue," Evie listed off cheerfully. She made her way back inside to put away the tools she didn't need anymore and grab up that plate of fish for Eunice.
"Wow! So much! … EH? " The sprite almost cartwheeled through the air once the entire list sunk in. "Fugue? Already? But we just went yesterday!" Finn cried in dismay. Evie laughed.
"I'm finally gonna have two legs to stand on, Finn, I need to spend as much time chopping down trees as I can. We have a house, a coop, and a barn we need to get renovated before the summer storms roll in," Evie pointed out. "Come on, we've got a long day and we've only gotten started." Finn sighed wearily, but soared through the door at her shoulder.
The crutch swung uselessly over dirt, then cobbles, as Evie all but skipped her way towards Harmonica. She probably would have skipped if one knee wasn't plastered in place. She passed by Kathy and Hayden taking their morning walk on the boardwalk, but only stopped long enough to tell them about her appointment to get the cast off and to give Kathy a cup of fresh raspberry juice she was fond of, and a sea urchin for Hayden who seem to really like them. Passing by the Fishery, she had to resist the ridiculous urge to tiptoe past. She instead kept her focus straightforward and ignored the awkward flush on her face.
"Where are we going? The Clinic is up there!" Finn reminded her in confusion.
"I know, but I wanna go ahead and find Eunice first. Ms. Irene isn't expecting me till 9 o'clock, and it's barely 8." Evie pulled out the piece of paper in her pocket and frowned down at it. In her untidy chicken-scratch she read: Eunice, herb fish, behind something tall, lighthouse? "Well, here goes nothing," she muttered as she wobbled over the wooden bridge to the lighthouse.
Rather than go down to where the moonstone lay, Evie wandered up towards the building itself. Her eyes narrowed on a small bush by the lighthouse where more than half its leaves were stripped clean off. Another bush a little ways around was stripped completely clean and looking very tattered.
"It looks like Eunice really is over here. Or was for a while," Finn whispered dramatically. Evie smiled fondly as she shoved the paper away.
"Yup, I bet she wandered around at night to look for more food, but there isn't a lot here for a giraffe to eat. She's probably really hungry." She tugged off her rucksack and dug out both the large yellow whistle and the food. She unwrapped the plate carefully and glanced over to Finn. "Ready?"
"Ready!"
Twwwweeeeeeee.
Evie rocked back on her heels as she blew on the whistle, cheeks puffing out and eyes scrunched up tight. An odd rustling and scraping sound met her ears a moment later, and she hesitantly peeked through her lashes. The whistle fell with a plop to the grass when her jaw dropped and her eyes blinked wide open. A tall, gawky, golden giraffe leaned around the lighthouse to peer curiously down at her. Evie knew that she was looking for a it, but it was a completely different story thinking about seeing a giraffe and seeing a giraffe. Its big liquid brown eyes were framed with thick brown lashes that fluttered wildly. Nostrils flared and twitched while her small head lowered closer to the plate in Evie's outstretched hand.
"Yes, that's right. That's for you. Hello, gorgeous," Evie whispered. Eunice shook her head briskly before lipping at the plate. "Yeah, go on. Eat up, Eunice. Mr. Theodore told me you liked it. Go on."
"Eunice, you can eat it. It's for you!" Finn repeated, his voice trilling bell-like as his wings glowed. Those big brown eyes stared at both of them. Then, hesitantly, the giraffe began to neatly nip at the fish. "She likes it!"
"It's weird for giraffes to eat fish, isn't it?" Evie muttered to Finn, a little perplexed.
"Not this giraffe. Maybe circus giraffes are different from wild giraffes?"
"Yeah… maybe. Oh, whoa, careful, Eunice! You almost knocked the plate to the ground!" Evie laughed, quickly holding it with both hands with Eunice's big, purple tongue swiping over it eagerly. Evie laughed in delight again when Eunice snorted over the empty plate and began to lip at Evie's shirt and chin.
"Evie isn't food!" Finn joked, giggling and rolling through the air.
"Tell her she needs to go home now, Finn," Evie begged between giggles. Eunice was nudging at her head and rubbing her bony chin so enthusiastically over Evie's hair Evie was tottering dangerously and barely keeping standing.
"She says she's thanking you," Finn explained, grinning ear to ear.
"And she's welcome! Please, Theodore is probably worried to death over her," Evie pleaded, patting at Eunice's neck just under the hinge of her narrow jaw.
Eunice straightened up a moment after Finn repeated it and nodded. She leaned down again to huff at Finn and Evie, as if in good-bye, before she stepped delicately and gracefully for such a strange large body towards the little bridge.
"Will she be able to make it?" Evie asked dubiously.
"She says she can. She just needed to get her courage up a bit. She says Trunks and Humphrey might be more difficult to convince, though. They ran away for adventure. She only did it to find them," Finn warned her. Evie sighed.
"Of course they did."
"Hey, were you just cuddling with the missing giraffe?" piped up a curious boy's voice.
Evie and Finn shrieked and jumped. Finn pinwheeled into Evie's head and Evie, barely keeping balance without the crutch she'd dropped sometime earlier, tumbled to the ground.
"I'm sorry, Miss Evie! I didn't mean to scare you!" Paolo leaned over her, concern and guilt clear on his face.
"It's okay, Paolo. I wasn't paying attention, it's my fault," Evie wheezed with a hand pressed to her chest. Paolo held out his hand and she gripped it with a lopsided smile. For such a short kid, he was surprisingly strong, and between the two of them, had her back on her feet pretty easily. He ducked down and scooped up her crutch before she even thought to look for it.
"Thanks, Pao. What are you doing out here, anyway?" Evie queried, tucking the crutch under her arm.
"Well, I like to hang out in the lighthouse, usually to work on the Apparatus, but I heard a whistle and had to check it out," Paolo explained in an excited rush. Evie frowned in confusion. "I definitely saw you with a giraffe, right?"
"What's the Appa- the whistle! I can't lose that!" Evie exclaimed in alarm. She swung around, eyes darting over the grass.
"Here it is!" Finn called from the right.
"I found it!" Paolo declared just a breath later, waving it in the air before Evie could even get turned around. "Here ya go, Miss Evie."
"Thank you, Paolo." She glanced over at Finn and mouthed 'thank you.' "I have an appointment to get to now, but it was nice seeing you again."
"Yeah, it was. You have to come see the Melody Apparatus plans soon! Me n' Miss Phoebe are making 'em and it's super fun," Paolo offered eagerly.
"I'll do that. I haven't seen Miss Phoebe since before the Circus… I should make sure to see her soon," Evie mused under her breath.
"Do you need help?" Paolo questioned.
"Help?"
"To get to your appointment? I can help you!" he clarified at her baffled expression.
"Oh, I'm fine. Thanks, though." She held out a fist, which he enthusiastically bumped with his own. She grinned and began the short trek to the Clinic, crutch thumping energetically over grass and dirt.
"Hey! You never told me 'bout the giraffe!" Paolo shouted after her. She waved over her shoulder.
"Maybe next time!"
…
The loud buzzing ended so suddenly, Evie's ears still rang a long second after. Cool air rushed over her bared leg and the heavy plaster was pulled gently away. Sure, deft hands ran over her very pale and hairy leg, but no pain followed in their brisk, business-like wake. Irene made a soft sound of surprise, eyebrows high, and gently laid Evie's leg down on the examination table.
"I know we took X-rays, but I just couldn't believe it. Your leg is as good as new, Miss Tallesin. Take it easy the first few days just to be safe, though. The muscles in your leg need to relearn their business. It's only been two weeks, so you should snap back to a hundred percent in no time," Irene informed her. Her tone sounded amazed as she added, "I still can't believe it."
"Just lucky, that's all," Evie assured her, stretching and bending her knee and ankle.
"And you've got magical friends," Finn added, fluttering down to perch on her shin, giggling as she swung her leg up and down like a seesaw.
"That's part of the lucky bit," Evie whispered as Irene bustled around the medicine cabinet. Finn beamed up at her, little stocking-cap waving in the air.
"Here's some tea. It's made from blue herb and will help with pain and blood circulation. No more falling down holes, you hear?" Irene advised with a stern, yet humorous glint to her dark eyes.
"Ay ay, Capitan," Evie teased, saluting. Irene tsked and shook her head.
"Go get that young blood moving. I know how busy you like to be," Irene ordered briskly.
"The sounds good to me! Thank you again, Ms. Irene!" Evie raced over to the door, bag of tea leaves clutched in her hands and leg feeling weightless. She was almost hopping out the door, one foot bouncing up higher than the other involuntarily.
"Are we going to see the wizard now?" Finn asked excitedly.
"Yep, we sure are, Toto," Evie joked with an inwardly directed sly smirk.
"My name is Finn, not Toto!" Finn protested in bewilderment.
Evie chuckled, shaking her head at herself and Finn, and jogged towards the house Luke had described. It was a pretty large house for a single occupant and brilliantly white. There was a small placard next to the door above a simple brass mailbox that read Wizard's House. Evie's eyebrows jumped up in surprise.
"He doesn't hide it at all, does he? Why did it take me an entire season to know about him?" Evie demanded with a look over at Finn. He shrugged.
"You never asked."
Evie's face fell into unimpressed lines before she pulled herself together and jabbed the tiny doorbell button. Finn and Evie both swung back at the echoing DONG of the house bell. It seemed to shake through the foundations of the house up her legs.
"That was like a bell in a scary movie," Evie said blankly.
"A scary movie?!" Finn squeaked in alarm. He flew behind her head and settled just under her hairline.
"It's fine, Finn," Evie whispered as the sound of footsteps finally sounded from the other side of the door. There was a shuffling and rattling… that took an awkwardly long time… before the door slowly creaked open.
The man on the other side of the door blinked blearily and squinted at her… almost up at her. His skin was dark brown and his features vaguely Middle Eastern, but his eyes were startlingly bright. It took her several long moments to realize that they were in fact two different colors, one brilliant green, the other molten gold. He had a fascinating white tattoo under one eye- a pattern of a single streak and triangles, and his bone-white hair was a messy nest around his face. A thin braid fell over his green eye as he stared at her, nonplussed.
"Ah, Miss Tallesin. You've finally come," the man pronounced as though with dawning understanding. Not that it made any sense to Evie, or even Finn who popped up from behind her neck to stare at him.
"How does he know your name?" Finn asked in confusion. The wizard peered at Finn.
"Hmm, there are two answers to that. One, I do listen to the townsfolk. More than they realize. Two, I'm not a child's party magician. I'm a wizard," he answered bluntly. He turned on his heel- his barefooted heel- and entered the house, leaving the door open behind him.
"Did he just talk to you?" Evie gasped.
"Do we go in?" Finn whispered.
The wizard's voice echoed out of the depths of the house, "Yes, and yes, please. Or leave. I'd like my door closed, however you prefer."
Finn and Evie glanced at each other. With a shrug and gulp, Evie stepped inside and closed the door. Inside it was cool, but not quite chilly, and definitely dimmer. To the right, the first thing that caught her attention was an upper landing where a giant telescope sat pointing towards the domed, metallic ceiling. Then her eyes trailed over the walls that were covered in heavy wooden bookcases filled to the brim with books of all sizes and ages- even what looked like multiple different languages. The wizard had sat himself at a small round table while her attention wandered, his expression either extremely bored or he had an excellent poker-face. Evie shuffled towards the table, trying not to slouch or feel two inches tall. This guy was so… intensely quiet. It was so unnerving that even his pretty face couldn't help.
"You have something to tell me," the wizard stated, not questioned, calmly. Or was it sleepily? His half-lidded gaze did seem a little sleepy.
"Uh, yes, it's about the witch- uh, Witch Princess," Evie stammered as she lowered herself into the chair.
"We can't find her!" Finn interjected agitatedly. Sure enough, the wizard's languid gaze drifted to Finn and he tilted his head to the side, pensive.
"No? How strange. Could you explain exactly what happened?" he prompted, his tone still controlled and even despite the interest that shone in his bi-colored irises.
Evie and Finn glanced at each other once more, then turned and the story tumbled out of them. They somehow managed to get it out- more or less clearly- while the wizard nodded silently and tapped his finger to his lips. When they stumbled and stammered to a halt, he got to his feet and walked over to a bookcase.
"A large pink frog, you said?" he questioned as he took down a book and began to flip through the pages. For a moment, Evie could've sworn she saw a flicker of a smile on his serene face. But it was gone within a blink, leaving her with the impression it must've been a trick of the light.
"Yes, and I couldn't understand it at all! It just said 'croak croak'!" Finn answered with wild swinging of his tiny arms.
"Ah yes, that would happen, I'm afraid. She is not your usual animal," the wizard replied. He hummed in what sounded like mild triumph, and brought his book over to them.
"I knew it. It's- She's? She's probably her familiar!" Evie declared, thumping her fist onto the opposite palm. The wizard glanced at her and she was sure this time there was a smile flickering in and out of sight.
"The Witch Princess, as she calls herself, is… in some trouble. I need to cast a spell to help her, which is most likely what that pink frog you met was trying to convey. As much as it would displease her," the wizard explained, his smile growing in amusement.
"So you know the Witch Princess and her frog?"
"You could say that," the wizard said enigmatically.
"So, can we help you with the spell?" Finn asked eagerly. Evie sat up straighter and leaned towards him.
"Indeed. I have most of what I need here, including myself, to cast the spell. However, there are three ingredients I do not have… access to currently. Butter, perfectly made butter, cow's, sheep's, or goat's, it matters not, as well as a bag of good cornmeal you should be able to obtain easily. Though perhaps they may be time-consuming, I do not know exactly what your farm produces," the wizard informed them. He paused and tapped the page as his pale brows drew together. "This last ingredient, however, may cause difficulties."
"What is it?" Evie queried as Finn discreetly tried to hover close enough to see for himself.
"It's a hibiscus flower. It only grows on Toucan Island."
"Toucan Island? I'm sure I could go there and get it," Evie mused hesitantly.
"I'm sure you are capable of it, if there were a boat to take you," the wizard said with a small twist of his lips. Evie blinked at him. "There is no longer any boat to take you to Toucan. Not from Castanet."
"What?" Finn and Evie exclaimed. The wizard merely gazed quietly back at them.
"You mean, the last ingredient is a flower that only grows on an island we can't get to? Why not?" Evie demanded in outrage.
"I believe it has something to do with the lighthouse. You should ask Ozzie, though you may prefer to ask his nephew," his eyes glinted humorously as Evie stuttered wordlessly. How in the world did- "Either would know better than I," the wizard suggested. He got back to his feet to return the book to its place and Evie got to her own feet.
"I'll do that. Thanks. Uh… do I just call you wizard, or do you have a name?" Evie asked awkwardly.
He smiled placidly. "I do have a name."
"Right, of course. Um, I guess I'll just go. Thank you. For your help," Evie muttered while backing towards the door.
"It's not a problem. Though, perhaps, you wouldn't mind helping me? I have heard you are very good at lending your assistance."
"Of course, but how could I help you?" Evie sputtered.
"My crystal ball has… become misplaced," the wizard explained with a slight frown and wave of his hand towards the table where a plush cushion with a sizeable dent in the middle lay. "I'm afraid whoever has found it may be misusing it. If you could keep an eye out, or poke your nose where it may not belong, it would be mean a great deal to me," he finished with amusement once again lacing his tone.
"I don't poke my nose unwelcome places," Evie mumbled with an embarrassed shuffle of her feet. The wizard politely tilted his head in acquiescence. She sighed roughly as her shoulders slumped. "Okay, yeah, I'll look out for it. It shouldn't be too hard to find a magical crystal ball, right?"
"One would hope. I look forward to seeing you in the future. Remember, perfectly made butter, good quality cornmeal, and a hibiscus flower. Haste may not be of the essence, but I'm sure she would appreciate it."
"I won't forget! Have a good day!" Evie replied as she stepped out the front door. She and Finn shared yet another glance, identical frazzled expressions on their faces. "He's a bit odd, isn't he?" Evie asked
Finn agreed enthusiastically.
A/N: Some less than great news for y'all actually reading each week (which, if you're there, you're the best and thank you!?): I'll be going on a slight hiatus. I'm in a reversebang in a different (huge) fandom. I need to focus on writing that story because the artist I got assigned is amazing and her art is ADORABLE. The last check-in is May 20th, so unless I bang it out in a fit of manic inspiration, it's probably gonna take me that long. I don't want to catch up to the chapters I already have written, hence the hiatus.
So. Next Update will PROBABLY be: May 23rd (THIS IS ONLY TEMPORARY. There ARE chapters already written, up through chapter 25.)
