Aerie woke up with a start and yelped as her broom began to wobble uneasily in the air. Without enough time to balance, she slipped and wound up hanging upside down, clinging to the shaft. If she wasn't a Robinwood, she might've fallen off for sure.
"Whew," she sighed relieved, "that was a close one…." The young witch propped herself back on to the broom and crossed her legs as she pulled out a magic map from her pouch. The pictures moved slowly.
"Now let's see…." Aerie said as she traced her finger on the bee line she had dotted on the map. She tilted her head over to see the compass strapped to the front area, and then looked back and forth between it and the map.
"Hmmm…." Aerie mused to herself, "If I've been flying all night until now I should be riiiiiiiight… here."
The place where she fingered was just above the shore between the ocean and the mainland of the Kingdom Ingary.
"Porthaven," she announced gladly, "Right on track!" Aerie snapped the map closed with satisfaction. She would be there in no time.
The clouds beneath her parted and revealed the colorful sea-side port, lined with merchants selling their unusual looking (and smelling) seafood. Customers walked here and there searching for the pick of their liking and children of all ages ran around and played or clung to their parents.
As Aerie flew over, people pointed and exclaimed. She heard some of the small children begging her to do some magic trick. If she wasn't in such a hurry, she might've conjured a few fireworks or done a few flying tricks for them, but she couldn't waste any time, everyone was counting on the message to be delivered.
"A-a-a-aCHOO!"
The rain was gentle, but it was still freezing cold, especially up in the sky. Aerie sneezed again and again, but continued her journey. Unlike most witches, she had a broom that went exactly where you need to go, without the constant need of piloting and Aerie could also balance herself quite well on her broom, even in her sleep. This was mainly the reason why she was appointed to delivering the message.
"Just… geep un tragin'!" Aerie sniffed the phrase she had heard once before. She was so congested, though; she couldn't pronounce a single word right. "ACHOO!"
Aerie now flew over the Market Chipping, the village closest to the mountainous regions of the Wastes where all kinds of witches and wizards dwelled. It would only be a matter of time before she reached her destination. With this in mind she kept a confident attitude.
"Asd dlong as I fly stdraight and geep mai head dup, nouding will go wrong."
It wasn't long after she said that when her broom jerked abruptly in mid-air, wobbled, and then plunged straight down into the village.