Chapter One
Tara Hultai gracefully landed from her broom onto the rough sand. The wind made her long, green skirt fly around her and caused her long, brown, curly hair to leave the confines of her once neat bun. Tara moved her left hand to the green orb that lay on a long tarnished chain around her neck. It still glowed softly after the travel, but it had almost returned to its normal shade. She didn't really know much about the land the stone had brought her to, and for that Tara was grateful. After the disaster in that last world Tara had traveled to, she was relieved to be in a place where no one would recognize her face.
As Tara walked a short ways east she discovered a bustling market place. As she walked along the pathway filled with people, she felt the weight of her purse changing. Before the thief could steal her purse, Tara quickly grabbed his hand.
"Do you not know it is unwise to steal from a witch?" she asked the thief, her tone light. As she moved her index finger to the middle of the thief's palm, she told him, "Please tell your friends that I'd like no trouble." And with that Tara pushed down her finger as she chanted a few words and a red "T" appeared onto the thief's hand. At this the thief's eyes grew big and he started to panic. "As proof," Tara explained when the thief looked at his hand. Once Tara let go of the hand, the thief quickly ran away.
Tara continued down the road until a particular sign caught her attention. The sign belonged to a small shop; it read "Medicine Woman". Tara quickly walked to the homeless man, huddled under blankets, who was sitting near the shop. Tara reached for a small velvet bag decorated with stars and moons, which had been tied to her broom. She pulled out large loaf of bread with olives and dates baked into it. Tara knelt down so that she was eye level to the man and offered him the bread as she asked, "The Medicine Woman, is she magic?" The man quickly grabbed the bread and told her that Mistress Cooper, the Medicine Woman, was indeed magic. Good, thought Tara, now maybe I could find work here.
Tara walked into the shop and found an old woman sitting at a table grinding herbs. The woman smiled up at her and politely asked if Tara needed any help. Tara bowed to the old woman, causing her to blush, and asked, "Are you the Mistress Cooper?" After the woman replied that she was, Tara continued, "I am looking for a job." Mistress Cooper just smiled.