The Spell Called Love - Empires SMP S2 AU: Nature Wives

Chapter 2: A New Start (Shelby)

Shelby had started to doze off when the broom finally decided to land. 

They had been travelling non stop for the whole day and Shelby hadn't eaten since the snack she had before seeing the Council of Witches so Shelby was practically falling asleep on her feet.

Shelby didn't know whether the broom had reached its destination or it had sensed her tiredness, but when Shelby's feet touched solid ground she could've danced on the spot.

Shelby looked around her at the dense swamp trees as the broom sweep walked over to a particularly muddy spot and flopped down into the mud.

Shelby took off her witch hat and gripped it with both hands as she asked the broom, "Are we done for today?"

The broom flicked mud right up into her face.

Shelby, grossed out, wiped the mud from her face with the back of her hand, then asked a different version of the same(ish) question:

"Are we done? With travelling?"

No mud throwing.

"So we're done forever?"

No mud throwing.

Shelby nodded, taking it as a yes and took in her surroundings, since she was going to be stuck here for a while. 

The swamp trees loomed over her, vines trailing off their outstretched branches into the thick mud that layered the ground. The undergrowth consisted of mud fallen vines and a tangled disarray of roots big enough for an average sized human to walk under. The air was humid and the trees seemed to be calling for Shelby to enter their depths. Tiny lights flickered in the trees trying to persuade her to come in.

However, Shelby lacked in the energy to do anything at this moment in time and started to lower herself to the ground to try and catch a wink before a loud rumbling croak bought to a sudden halt.

Shelby shoved her hat back on her head and whipped out her wand she had hidden within the pocket of her overalls.

She spun round casting light from her wand into the gloom only to see a albino white frog, perched on an outstretched root, looking at her with curious yellow eyes.

"You gave me such a scare, buddy," Shelby let out a sigh of relief and walked over to the frog, tucking away her wand.

She bent down so she was eye level with the frog and stared into its yellow eyes.

"You fancy being my accomplice?" Shelby asked the frog, who regarded her with the same searching stare, after a while Shelby began to feel really judged, "What?! Every witch needs an accomplice?"

The frog eventually let out a low rivet and leaped from the root into Shelby's arms. Shelby scrambled to catch the frog in her arms, getting a firm hold on the frog.

She ran a hand down his back, feeling his bumpy back.

"Tortoise." She declared her companion, who still looked slightly quizzically at her but let out a rivet of semi-agreement just the same.

Shelby smiled and set the frog down in the mud and lying down beside it. The mud was slightly uncomfortable and too squelchy to feel like a proper bed, but Shelby didn't really care as sleep took her away into the land of dreams.

*

Shelby awoke from her dream with a start to find Tortoise sitting on her chest.

Nevertheless, Shelby sat up, rubbed her eyes and let out a yawn, startling poor Tortoise off her chest and into the mud.

"Oh Tortoise, I had the weirdest dream," Shelby groaned flopping back down into the mud with a not-so-satisfying squelch.