Spirit: The Familiar
Chapter Four
The room the Grand Elder rested in still smelled the same as it always had. Carina could never discern what the room smelled like, just that it smelled calming and inviting. Alaina smiled at her before bowing and then leaving the room, leaving Carina alone with the Grand Elder.
He sat on a comfortable, blue pillow in the center of the rather large room. His back was toward Carina, but she knew that his eyes were more than likely closed. He was meditating on something. This was his preferred room to do so.
Carina did not approach. She waited for him to come to, to greet her. He knew she was there; she would not need to announce her entry.
A few long breaths later, the Elder's back straightened. She could hear his old bones creaking and groaning as he stretched. His long gray hair swayed slightly over his back. Carina admired him for managing to keep his hair so long; it was difficult to manage, she noted, the longer it got.
"Carina," he greeted. His voice was raspy, but deep. It sounded like he needed to clear his throat, but she knew that it was just how his voice was. "You've returned."
"Yes," Carina said.
The man stood and turned toward her. There was a very wide grin over his face. His eyes were shining, and Carina smiled back at him. He was truly happy to see her back.
"Though I know you have not come simply to catch up on old times," the Elder sighed, stepping off his pillow. He approached the young girl, placing his hand over her shoulder as soon as he reached her. "You have sensed the same thing I have. As I would have expected; you and I share similar paths."
"Similar paths?" Carina asked.
The Elder guided her out of the room, down the long hallway on the familiar way to the garden room.
"We can discuss that another time," the Grand Elder said. He dodged her question expertly. As he always had. "For now, I would like to discuss what is making you feel so uneasy. We can get to our paths later, once you understand what is happening and why you are feeling as you are feeling. And I hope we can discuss the continuation of your classes as well. And your sighting of your familiar."
Carina's eyes widened. She should have expected that of him. He had powers beyond any ordinary witch; the gift of Sight. But it wasn't just any sort of sight. More or less the Grand Elder could see the future. It was something that Carina could only dream of.
They entered the garden room, and both took a seat on separate benches across from each other. The flowers and trees around them seemed to hum at the sight of Carina, at which she smiled. The plants there had missed her too. That was some other odd bonus of having nature magic abilities. She could speak with the plant life around her.
"I did come here to seek your guidance," Carina said quietly. "I felt something strange earlier this day. It feels... uneasy. It feels like something bad is going to happen."
"This feeling of yours is not wrong," the Elder said. "There is some odd, grim event to happen in the near future. We must be prepared for it. I will teach you what you will need to know."
"You're being so vague," Carina sighed.
"I don't know whether or not you are ready for what's to come," the Elder said. He sighed too, and turned his gaze toward the rose bush next to his bench. "You do not yet have your familiar. You have seen them, but you have not yet captured them."
"So I have been seeing my familiar," Carina said. She leaned forward in her seat, closer to the Grand Elder. "What do I do? How do I capture her? I really... I don't know a thing."
"In due time," the Elder smiled at her when he turned back to her.
He paused for a moment. Carina balled her hands into fists in her lap, excitement flowing through her. The cat with the breath-taking eyes was her familiar. She was beyond ready to capture the cat.
"Will you continue your lessons here?" the Elder asked. "You will learn here how to capture your familiar. And I will explain what's to come, and I will do everything I can to make sure you are ready for it."
Carina straightened her back.
"Will everyone else be as welcoming as you and Alaina?" she asked. "I don't want to go back to a place full of negative energy..."
"I promise you, we have nearly all been eagerly awaiting your return," the Grand Elder said.
"Then I will stay," Carina nodded. "I'll continue my lessons."
"There's just one condition," the Elder added. "You will be staying in the dorms, rather than here. I feel that it will help you to more easily make new friends. If you are in an environment where you are seeing the other students more often."
"The-the dorms?" Carina didn't know if she would be okay with that. "But, I..."
"You'll be fine," he assured her. "Alaina will show you to your room, and I will get the books and what not sent over for you. There is a bed, and a roommate waiting for you there, Carina. Welcome home."
Carina sighed and scratched the back of her neck, looking out to the trees. They all sang to her in welcome, as well. She wasn't sure whether or not being back there was actually a good thing. And she still hadn't gotten what she came back for.
He sat on a comfortable, blue pillow in the center of the rather large room. His back was toward Carina, but she knew that his eyes were more than likely closed. He was meditating on something. This was his preferred room to do so.
Carina did not approach. She waited for him to come to, to greet her. He knew she was there; she would not need to announce her entry.
A few long breaths later, the Elder's back straightened. She could hear his old bones creaking and groaning as he stretched. His long gray hair swayed slightly over his back. Carina admired him for managing to keep his hair so long; it was difficult to manage, she noted, the longer it got.
"Carina," he greeted. His voice was raspy, but deep. It sounded like he needed to clear his throat, but she knew that it was just how his voice was. "You've returned."
"Yes," Carina said.
The man stood and turned toward her. There was a very wide grin over his face. His eyes were shining, and Carina smiled back at him. He was truly happy to see her back.
"Though I know you have not come simply to catch up on old times," the Elder sighed, stepping off his pillow. He approached the young girl, placing his hand over her shoulder as soon as he reached her. "You have sensed the same thing I have. As I would have expected; you and I share similar paths."
"Similar paths?" Carina asked.
The Elder guided her out of the room, down the long hallway on the familiar way to the garden room.
"We can discuss that another time," the Grand Elder said. He dodged her question expertly. As he always had. "For now, I would like to discuss what is making you feel so uneasy. We can get to our paths later, once you understand what is happening and why you are feeling as you are feeling. And I hope we can discuss the continuation of your classes as well. And your sighting of your familiar."
Carina's eyes widened. She should have expected that of him. He had powers beyond any ordinary witch; the gift of Sight. But it wasn't just any sort of sight. More or less the Grand Elder could see the future. It was something that Carina could only dream of.
They entered the garden room, and both took a seat on separate benches across from each other. The flowers and trees around them seemed to hum at the sight of Carina, at which she smiled. The plants there had missed her too. That was some other odd bonus of having nature magic abilities. She could speak with the plant life around her.
"I did come here to seek your guidance," Carina said quietly. "I felt something strange earlier this day. It feels... uneasy. It feels like something bad is going to happen."
"This feeling of yours is not wrong," the Elder said. "There is some odd, grim event to happen in the near future. We must be prepared for it. I will teach you what you will need to know."
"You're being so vague," Carina sighed.
"I don't know whether or not you are ready for what's to come," the Elder said. He sighed too, and turned his gaze toward the rose bush next to his bench. "You do not yet have your familiar. You have seen them, but you have not yet captured them."
"So I have been seeing my familiar," Carina said. She leaned forward in her seat, closer to the Grand Elder. "What do I do? How do I capture her? I really... I don't know a thing."
"In due time," the Elder smiled at her when he turned back to her.
He paused for a moment. Carina balled her hands into fists in her lap, excitement flowing through her. The cat with the breath-taking eyes was her familiar. She was beyond ready to capture the cat.
"Will you continue your lessons here?" the Elder asked. "You will learn here how to capture your familiar. And I will explain what's to come, and I will do everything I can to make sure you are ready for it."
Carina straightened her back.
"Will everyone else be as welcoming as you and Alaina?" she asked. "I don't want to go back to a place full of negative energy..."
"I promise you, we have nearly all been eagerly awaiting your return," the Grand Elder said.
"Then I will stay," Carina nodded. "I'll continue my lessons."
"There's just one condition," the Elder added. "You will be staying in the dorms, rather than here. I feel that it will help you to more easily make new friends. If you are in an environment where you are seeing the other students more often."
"The-the dorms?" Carina didn't know if she would be okay with that. "But, I..."
"You'll be fine," he assured her. "Alaina will show you to your room, and I will get the books and what not sent over for you. There is a bed, and a roommate waiting for you there, Carina. Welcome home."
Carina sighed and scratched the back of her neck, looking out to the trees. They all sang to her in welcome, as well. She wasn't sure whether or not being back there was actually a good thing. And she still hadn't gotten what she came back for.