A Touch of Magic

Chapter 9: Ætberan

Timing would be everything.

I heard the church clock chime midnight; wind blowing towards the house, the sound was louder than usual.

"Ætberan," I whispered, suddenly aware I didn't need to say anything else, no spell, no poem, no wish. Just thinking what I wanted and knowing what I expected was enough. And I wanted the runes. I desired the bag to lift out of the bin and fly carefully around the house and in through my open window. Simple.

I tried not to jump as the wind picked up, howling through the house and sending the wheelie-bins toppling over all down the street.

"Come to me." A breathy whisper left my mouth. I needed those runes safe in my hands.

And they came, swiftly, but silently.

Eyes still closed, I felt mystically aware of the runes nearness moments before they crashed to the carpet, several spilling out from the bag.

I didn't need a book to know which runes would have fallen out. "Gift... joy... need..."

*

I woke up not remembering the dream, but I know there'd been one. That cloudy feeling, and recollections you can almost reach, but not quite. But, I knew what I wanted to do this morning. Like a child with a new toy, I wanted to play.

And firstly...

I pulled the vest strap back on my shoulder and hunted under the bed for my Gruffilo slippers. Dawn was a long way off; it was the longest night of the year in a few days, yet, out of the window, light cast from adjacent street lighting meant I could see the dormant oak tree in our back garden. I pushed the charm into my hand and onto the imprinted burn, then thought of my oak carved amulet and the strength it promised. I thought of the tree, with low hanging branches. Robbie and I still climbed it in the summer.

How to focus...

"Ætberan. Bring forward. Bring." Transfixed on a branch I willed the sap to warm and the buds to grow. I strained to bid the leaves into bloom, to be filled with life.

And at the same time, life flowed through me. The charm burned in my hand and the warmth became energy. The energy flowed like a river, escaping from my outstretched finger, now pointing at the tree.

It came from within, gradually. It was easy and as natural as waking up, only with much less effort, there was no rush, and time seemed endless.

Snow had melted at the bottom of the tree. I couldn't see the detail through the darkness. But I didn't need to. I felt. I knew something had happened.

*

Fire turned from yellow to blue as the liquid-doused-metal entered the Bunsen burner's flame.

"Slowly Minta, you'll melt it, again," Zara snapped at me, as she pulled my hand further back from the fire. "I don't understand why the flame turns blue and green when you're holding the tongs."

Neither did I. "Sorry. I'm not sure what I'm doing," as usual in science. Noise bubbled around the class. Alchemy was fun, even if it was only creating fools gold. Mostly everyone just liked playing with fire.

Zara took the tongs out of my hand and preceded to gently allow the flame to lick the metal coin given to us by Mr Munton, which no longer displayed head or tails.

"It's not that you don't know what to do, it's that you're not concentrating on the lesson, you're thinking about your mum. Forget it, she thinks the runes are gone. If you act guilty, she'll know you're up to something."