Chapter 7

Ren stood by the window, watching the landscape slowly taking shape outside as the sun rose. She'd barely slept, despite her tiredness after the travels. All she could think about were the words of her ancestors. Magic wasn't the way, they'd said. But then what? What else did she have, if not revenge?

She'd left the field after hearing the ancestors and wandered far enough to have a safe place to sleep. She didn't know why, but the world had stopped shifting and in the morning, the spark was there, waiting for her. She'd followed it until she saw the witch's tower.

What would she do now? She didn't have anywhere to go, and if the ancestors were right, she didn't want to learn magic any longer. But then what?

She still stood there as the door opened and she turned. It was the witch, and this time she didn't have the usual scolding on her face.

"There is breakfast down in the kitchen," she said gently.

Her voice was so soft that if Ren hadn't seen her face, she would have thought it was someone else talking. Yesterday, the witch had barely said a word, maybe too surprised to see her, but she'd thought she would return to her usual rudeness today. Why hadn't she? Had she passed the trial in the end?

The witch closed the door as she left, and Ren turned to the bed to pick up her bag. The witch had made sandwiches and a cup of tea as she came down to the kitchen, and Ren sat down to eat. The black cat sat in the corner, watching her intently as she ate and didn't move even as she bent down and beckoned for it to come closer. What a strange being, she thought.

Moments later, the witch came in.

"Would you mind cleaning the upper tower today?"

Ren cocked her head. She would still have to clean? Is that why the witch had let her in, to begin with? She nodded, not knowing what else to say. At least she had somewhere to stay until she had an answer to what to do. She got up, took the broom and began to clean.

She cleaned the whole day, and the black cat followed her around from room to room. Had the witch never intended to teach her magic? But then, why would she have taken her in? And what did she plan to do with her now? And in any case, what did she want to do herself? She didn't have any answers to any of it.

As evening came, the witch asked her to have dinner with her and Ren hesitantly accepted, not knowing what this new situation was about. As they sat down, the witch cleared her throat and said,

"I know you want to be taught magic, but I will not do it."

So that's how it was then. She would need to find somewhere else to stay.

"Not with your intention, the witch continued."

Ren looked at her.

"What do you mean?," she dared to ask.

"Revenge, you spoke about taking revenge. Magic... shouldn't be used for those things. It's a dangerous path, having power and hatred in your heart".

Ren only looked at her. What was she speaking about?

"You are welcome to stay here and help clean for the winter, but you won't get taught magic by me."

"I don't understand..."

The witch sighed.

"You're not the first to ask to be taught magic to take revenge. I, myself, have made that mistake too."

"You have?"

"I have."

The witch nodded as if to empathise it.

"And... it's not something you should do. I learned the hard way what happens when you let your hatred run free against people who cannot defend themselves."

She went quiet, and Ren wondered if she would continue.

"So that is my final word", she said in the end.

She picked up the fork and began to eat. Ren was so surprised by her words that she didn't know what to say. Then she remembered what the voices had told her. Carefully, she said,

"Something happened to me when I was out."

The witch looked at her. Ren hesitated but told her what she had seen on the field, and the witch nodded.

"So they came. It's not often that you see them."

"But I don't understand what it means."

"They are wiser than us living, the ancestors," the witch said.

"I... don't know if I wanted to take revenge after that. Maybe they are right, and I shouldn't do it."

The witch looked at her.

"Then you are wiser than I was."

Ren nodded and they ate in silence. Was that the sign she needed? The final cue that her destiny wasn't what she had thought it would be. But then what?

She left the dining hall as the dinner ended and went up to her room, the black cat by her feet. Maybe the Witch was right, maybe it wasn't wise to use magic when you had so much hatred. She wanted to destroy her family's killers, but what would happen afterwards?