"Aussa! Are you done yet?" Hiita called, an annoyed edge to her voice.
"Just give me a second!" Came Aussa's voice in reply from behind the wooden door.
"Hurry up! We didn't heat the water just for you!"
"There's enough for everyone…" Eria attempted to calm the fiery girl down.
"Hmpf! We should just take baths together like we used to." She pouted. "We'd save hot water that way."
Eria didn't disagree, but for a few months now both Aussa and Wynn had insisted on cleaning themselves alone. Doriado had chuckled and said it was normal of a child growing up, but if she was honest, Eria didn't really understand the issue. They were all girls, and they'd lived together for years now. Still, she didn't want there to be any quarrels between them, so she respected their privacy. Hiita, however…
"Aussa!" She called once more. "I'm going in!"
"I'm done!" The door opened and Aussa's figure came through, brown wet hair stuck to her face, a towel covering her body. Her glasses were foggy, and she tried to clean them using the hem of the towel, only for them to become misted through once again.
"Finally!" Hiita jumped through, nearly knocking over Aussa in her urge to get to the bathroom. She had her clothes off even before closing the door, which, to be fair, she seemed in no rush to do. Aussa just sighed and walked to her room, leaving wet footsteps behind.
Eria felt a bit sad when those two didn't get along well. Just a few years ago they'd all played together, Doriado watching as they rolled in the mud, jumped in lakes, and ran from each other in childish games of tag. Ever since they'd started studying magic though, the two had drifted apart. Aussa now spent most of her time reading books by herself, and Hiita…Well, she still spent her days running and getting dirty, but Eria was the only one that accompanied her now, and not always.
Eria turned around to see Wynn, sitting down at the center of the carpeted room. Unlike the other two, Wynn had barely changed at all over the years. She was still shy and soft-spoken, still talked the least out of all four of them, and showed just as little emotion. She was crocheting now, a new hobby she'd picked up after Doriado had given her needles and bundles of thread as a present. In her hands, a pink figure was taking form. A bunny, Eria realized.
"Wa! That's so cute!" Eria sat down next to her.
Wynn gave a tiny smile, much like she always did.
"Thank you."
"Did you figure out what our teacher wants?" Eria asked after a moment.
The green-haired girl only shrugged and shook her head.
"Isn't it strange, though? She never cancels classes…"
The contents of their teacher's lectures had changed over the years. First, learning to read, then studying calculations and history, and, most recently, magic training. Nonetheless, they had always had a strict schedule to abide by, and it rarely changed, save for the times someone got sick. There was no illness going around this time though, and yet Doriado had called off all classes, and just ordered them to be at the clearing by the time the sundial outside of their home struck nine.
"Mhm," Wynn replied, still focused on her needles. "It's weird." She mumbled.
The bathroom door swung open, revealing Hiita, stark naked except for the towel she was using to dry her red hair.
"Eria, what time is it?" She asked, spreading water droplets all over the floor.
"I'll go check!"
She stood up and made her way to the entrance, nearly tripping on a book someone had left open in the middle of the ground. Or perhaps it had fallen from one of the many shelves that lined the main room's walls. She picked the thick volume up and placed it on one of the slanted wooden tables they'd built together. "Don't put it back if you don't know where it belongs", Doriado always said.
The sundial was only a few steps away from the entrance, in one of the few spots that allowed for direct sunlight. It was a simple thing, a metal triangle attached to a circle made of black stone, in which inscriptions of the numbers one through twelve had been made. Aussa had once asked their teacher if she'd made it, but Doriado had only sighed and told them it was an old thing, left by an ancient civilization that had disappeared long, long ago.
Eria squatted and squinted at the shadow. It was getting precariously close to nine. She was about to head back and tell Hiita to hurry up when she heard a crunching sound, like feet stepping on leaves. Looking up, she saw Doriado approaching, long fair hair gently swaying in the wind, clad in her usual blue robes that appeared to never get dirty no matter how much they dragged on the ground. Her hands, like usual, were clasped together in front of her chest. In constant prayer to Mother Earth, she sometimes said.
"Good morning, Miss Eria." She greeted her with a gentle voice that seemed to be carried by the wind and enveloped Eria with its kindness.
"Teacher!" She scuffled up, leaning in for a quick hug before letting go. "Weren't we supposed to meet at the clearing?"
Doriado smiled, taking her time to answer. She was never in a rush, always calm, always thoughtful. The only times Eria had seen her act fast was when one of them got hurt, but even then her expression had been one of peace and affection. Her personality rubbed off on others, too. Even Hiita slowed down when she was next to Doriado, and that was no easy feat.
"Yes, and I apologize. But I thought perhaps it would be best if—"
"Eria! What's taking you so long?"
Hiita appeared at the door. Eria was relieved to see she had gotten at least partially dressed, though she'd only managed to put one stocking on.
"Miss Hiita. In a hurry as usual, I see."
"Teacher!" She beamed, jumping the stone steps that separated their house from the outside world and embracing Doriado without hesitation.
"What are you doing here?" Hiita asked without letting go.
Doriado gently rubbed her hand on the girl's head.
"You were taking so long, I thought I'd come to you instead."
"It's Aussa's fault!" Hiita pouted. "She takes forever in the bath!"
"Now, now. What did I tell you about speaking ill of others?"
"To make sure I have no faults first…" mumbled the girl.
Eria chuckled. Despite her tomboyish attitude, Hiita was easily the most attached to Doriado out of the four of them. She was pretty sure the girl had no memories of anything before coming to this forest. Not that she herself had many; a woman's voice, two shadows grasping her hands, a sensation of floating… and the next thing she remembered was Doriado, holding her while she cried without knowing why.
She shook her head. Eria didn't like it when her mind wandered to the past. She might not have known how she'd gotten to the forest, but she liked being there. Doriado taught them all sorts of interesting things, and the other girls were like sisters to her. There was no point in wondering about questions that didn't have answers.
"Shall we go inside?" Their teacher proposed.
Wynn opened her eyes in surprise at their arrival and slowly got up and bowed to their teacher, the pink bunny ears sticking out from her hand.
"Miss Wynn." Even inside, Doriado's voice still seemed to bounce all over the walls and the ceiling, coming from every direction at once. "It makes me happy to see you making use of that thread, and with such a masterful creation."
Wynn smiled her tiny smile. Since she'd never been much for words, they had learned to read her expression fairly well, and Eria could tell she was happy with the praise.
The door to Aussa's room opened and she appeared, wearing black shorts and a green sweater, similar to Eria's own. They'd actually been an identical pair Doriado had arranged for them, but Eria had cut off the turtleneck from hers. Made her neck feel itchy.
"Miss Aussa. I'm glad to see you all in good health today."
"Teacher!" Her eyes shone behind her glasses. "We'll study here today?"
Everyone could tell she was eager to dive back into her books. A bookworm through and through, Aussa was. Whether they spent the day inside or exploring the creeks and valleys, she was never too far from her volumes. In fact, she had one under her arm even now, probably had been reading it as soon as she'd gotten dry.
"Will we really?" Hiita moaned in a disappointed voice. "What about magic training?"
In contrast, Hiita hated studying. She'd been the last of the four to learn the letters, and she still had trouble writing sometimes. Her eagerness for magic was second to none, though. She'd probably have burned half the forest by now if Doriado hadn't expressly forbidden them from casting spells without her present.
"You won't be doing either of those."
"Something new, then?" asked Eria.
"Indeed, Miss Eria." Doriado paused, slowly looking over each one of them. "I'm sure you all remember the ritual you went through to find your elemental magic."
Eria didn't think it was possible to forget it. She'd seen their teacher cast spells before of course, but that was a completely different thing from seeing them come out of her own hands.
"Then, you were chosen by the fairies of this world, and each of you was blessed with an attribute of magic to excel in." Doriado continued in a solemn voice.
Eria had been chosen by the water fairies, who had floated around her, reflecting the sun in their transparent bodies. She'd thought it odd at first. Shouldn't Aussa, who liked the hot springs more than any of them, be the one with the water attribute? Still, after spending some time training, she had come to appreciate her powers, even if they meant washing duty always fell on her now. Meanwhile, Hiita had gotten the fire attribute. It fit her, somehow. She was wild and fast, just like fire. Aussa had received the earth's fairies' blessings, and Wynn had been assigned wind. From that moment on, they'd started their magic classes, learning how to control their newfound power and how to make the best use of it. That had been about a year ago, and even now Eria still felt they'd only scratched the surface of their powers.
"Today, and in the days to come, you will look for a companion to aid you in your journey. A companion that will stay by your side and grow with you, that will both enhance and be enhanced by your ever-evolving magic." Doriado took a sharp breath. "A familiar, if you will."
"A familiar…" Eria murmured.
"This is not a decision to be made lightly. A familiar stays with its master for as long as it lives, after all. That is why I am giving you five days off, starting today. There will be no lessons, neither academic nor practical until that time has passed and you've found the one that will walk beside you."
Eria gulped. She tried to think of the last time they'd been given that long of a break. When Hiita had fallen from a tree and broken her leg, perhaps? But even then, that'd just been a pause from physical activity.
"But… Where do we find a familiar?" Aussa asked.
"Anywhere." Doriado smiled. "You've all grown in this magical forest. There are all kinds of animals and creatures here, some calm and docile, and others not so. Explore, my children. In the valleys, in the rivers, in the clearings… Even in your backyard. Somewhere out there there is a being waiting for you to discover them. And don't worry—You will know when you have found it."
Hiita raised her hand.
"Yes, miss Hiita?"
"Can't you give us a hint? It would be easier than looking at random." Eria saw Aussa giving her the side-eye.
"Oh, but even I don't know who or what you will choose." Their teacher spread her arms wide, long sleeves hanging from her pale white skin. "You know just as well as I do how large this place is. I am not familiar with every single creature that dwells in it. No, you must find them by yourselves." She paused and took a thoughtful hand to her face, fingers gently grazing her skin. "Though, if you are truly troubled, then you can always come to me. I'll help you then. Any questions?"
No one raised their voice.
"Well, then we are done. I understand that it is sudden, but this too is an essential part of your magic training. I wish you luck, children." With those words, Doriado smiled, turned around, and walked out of the house, leaving the four in dumbstruck silence.
"A familiar…" Aussa mumbled. "I've read about them. They're animals or monsters that help their masters with magic. In the book I'm reading, a witch has a frog for one."
Eria frowned. She liked animals, but she couldn't imagine a frog helping her with spellcasting. They couldn't even talk!
"Well," started Hiita, both hands on her hips, "If there's only a few days, then we have to start as soon as possible. I'm off!"
"Ah, wait-" Eria started, but she was already out of the door and running through the trees. Eria envied her boldness for a moment. Then she looked down, saw a single dark stocking lying on the floor, and sighed.
Aussa shrugged and turned back to her room.
"Where are you going?" asked Eria.
"I'm gonna keep reading. We have five days, right? That's plenty of time." She dismissed, sitting down on her bed and opening the book she'd been holding, eyes tracing the intricate letters.
Eria turned to the only one left standing in the room.
"Then… Want to go search with me, Wynn?" She asked.
Wynn seemed to think for a moment, before nodding and stuffing the pink bunny in her cloak's pocket.
"Let's go." She said.