I rolled my shoulders back and lifted my chin high as we walked through the valley. We left in a bizarre procession of Gelwyn, me, Mila, Puko, and Gilly, then Schula and Nassir, and trailing behind were the assembled witches who wanted to watch. As we walked, more witches tagged onto the end of the line until we had a good fifty or so people walking with us to the farthest point of the valley. It was in the opposite direction we had entered through, but the caves looked all the same.
I spared some glances around us at the valley walls. Since all of them seemed to have cave entrances, I wondered more about where they would lead. Did they lead to the same hills we came in at, or somewhere else entirely? Before talking to Mila I thought I knew the answer. Now I wasn't so sure.
The sun kissed the high cliffs that surrounded the valley, making it dark a couple hours earlier than it would have been outside of them. It made the soft climbing slope more pleasant in the glow of a setting sun, and the fireflies began to come out to have their evening dance. Gelwyn seemed happy to lead the way, and I was happy to let her. It kept some of the attention off of me.
I had some nerves over the whole event, but nothing compared to the moment I stepped into the cave. It was an impressive space, I could practically feel the magic in the air and unlike the one we came here in, this one had no exit. Large chunks of crystal poked out of the walls and ceiling, glowing softly and casting a purple light around us. The space was plenty large, with a table of items in the center and nothing else to take up space. Sage and other spices had been burned here recently and a few odd candles illuminated the table and it's contents. Suddenly, the test was right here and I was no longer sure I was ready for it.
"The aspiring witch may stand by the table," Gelwyn announced in an important tone. Her words bounced around the walls as we entered the cave and the spectators all took up standing around the walls. Mila stayed with me near the table with Puko on her shoulder, but Gilly quietly gathered up Nassir and Schula to stand near the wall with her.
Gelwyn stood on the other side of the table, her sharp eyes inspecting every inch of me while our audience settled in. I met her gaze, willing her to get my message. She couldn't intimidate me. When the last witch had settled in place, Mika cleared her throat. Even Puko stayed silent.
"We gather as sisters under the Mother's gaze to witness the birth of a new daughter." Mila recited.
"As the Mother wills it," the room echoed softly.
"Gelwyn, you may begin."
Without missing a beat and without looking down, Gelwyn picked up a bowl from the table. It was covered by a light cloth, it's contents hidden. "A daughter knows the Mother's gifts. Identify eight of the ten ingredients."
Murmurs of displeasure surrounded me. Mila frowned and held up a hand for silence. "Why do you raise the difficulty of the test? It has always been six."
Gelwyn smiled, an answer already sitting on her tongue. "She is twice the age of the usual apprentice, you would have me test her as I would a child?"
Mila narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "So be it. The daughter of Lark can do this much."
My heart stopped. Could I? I could pick anything from that bowl without my sight? If it wasn't from the mountains I wasn't so sure. I hadn't spent much time elsewhere to identify other ingredients, and I definitely never tried to identify something like this by smell alone. But the only way to find out was to try, so that's what I did.
I leaned forward over the bowl and closed my eyes. The mix of smells was almost dizzying. This test would have been easier before I fully grew into my half elven body. I swallowed hard, trying to clear the sting of something spicy from the back of my throat, just from breathing it in.
I gave Mila a concerned look. Mila watched me and her eyes softened. She gave me a nod, and I took a deep breath and nodded back before turning to the bowl again. Gelwyn had a smug look in her eyes. I was ready to wipe it off of her.
I found that if I concentrated I could sort out some of the scents. After a moment, I decided to just go for it and name what I could. "Star anise."
"Correct," Gelwyn answered.
"Um, Havarvve pepper."
"Correct."
"Chestnut."
"... Correct."
I smiled up at Mila. Three out of three so far. She nodded and I felt braver. I kept going.
"Salt?"
"Correct." Gelwyn was starting to get annoyed and I couldn't keep the grin off my face. Mila had indeed been preparing me for this all of my life, I just didn't now it. Nothing in this bowl hadn't been grown in Mila's garden at one point or another, even if it wasn't native to the mountains.
I leaned in for the next smell and crinkled my nose. "Hemlock?"
"...Correct."
I smiled as I could hear Gelwyn grind her teeth together in her mouth. "Gloamingvine."
"Correct."
"Honey."
"Incorrect!" Gelwyn said victoriously.
I faltered. My smile dropped and I had to pull my composure back together. I swallowed and tried to pick out the smell again.
"No... it's toad melon nectar."
"...Correct."
One more... just one more.
I bit my lower lip, closing my eyes tight and trying to pick out one of the remaining smells. The last ones were more subtle and I was having more difficulty with them than the others. It was hard to sort the smells in the cave from the bowl. The sage smoke was starting to interfere...
I gasped and opened my eyes. The smoke wasn't interfering, it was in the bowl too!
"Sage!" I said, looking up to Gelwyn.
She had a sour look on her face when she spoke. "Correct."
I beamed at Mila. Gilly was the first to let out a loud 'whoop!' as the audience applauded. My heart was racing and I smiled to Schula and Nassir.
And then Gelwyn brought us all back down. "Quiet down! She still has several tests remaining."
That sobered me up, and I sighed as I faced Gelwyn again.
"Next, I need you to make a star chart," Gelwyn announced.
My heart sank. This was not going to work out at all. I was terrible at my stars, and I never did get the hang of charts. I looked to Mia for help.
She shook her head. "You have passed a test, child. I do not expect you to pass them all. There will be others."
Even Mila knew how hopeless this one was, and Gelwyn was quick to pick up on it. She grinned like a cat at the cream when she handed me a paper.
"There is the vital information, a random birth date and such. Make their star chart." Gelwyn stood proud as she watched me struggle. I took the page and charcoal, and did my best to stumble along. To my annoyance, Gelwyn took up making sounds of amusements every time I made a bad mark. Mila then took up clearing her throat sharply when Gelwyn made a sound.
In the end, I had to turn in my sad paper and and hear Gelwyn pronounce this test as a 'failure'.
But that wasn't the only test either. Gelwyn had me do several things, some of them were failures and some of them were successful. All of them were somewhat familiar from my time growing up with Mila. I identified things, demonstrated how to mix things, cut things, harvest things. I recited knowledge of animals and gardening. But after testing my knowledge verbally, it was back to a hands on test.
"Now for the physical applications," Gelwyn announced. "I need you to summon fire."
Gelwyn smirked, but so did I. Her expression faltered when I raised my hands and lit them both. The fire was immediate and intense. I earned whispers around the cavern walls. My flickering orange fire danced in the glowing purple light of the crystals embedded in the walls.
Gelwyn regained her composure, and crossed her arms over her chest. "That is no witches fire."
I was surprised to hear it, and my concentration faltered. The fire in my hands went out. "What?"
"It is true," Mika said. "A witches fire is purple, as you described before. Try again, child."
I had no idea what made it purple before. I was always in a desperate situation and running on instinct. But Mila has said that my magic of the Wyldes ran through me like an extension of myself. The magic of the witches was pulled from around us.
I took a deep breath and tried again, trying to feel the air around me for magic. But again the fire was not purple.
I looked at Gelwyn as she smiled. "Again, a failure. You have one last attempt."
I grimaced but nodded. I tried again, this time reaching hard for the magic around me. I closed my eyes, adjusted my breathing, and was nearly in my little cabin of meditation. I opened my eyes, stuck out my hands, and...
The fire was still not purple.
My mouth dropped open in surprise and disappointment. Gilly made a sympathetic sound somewhere on the wall.
"A failure," Gelwyn said with a triumphant smile. "That concludes the tests of aptitude. Wren has passed a bare minimum and can be considered a witch of small power. She is not entitled to tutelage of the physical arts. She is not entitled to tutelage of the stars. She is not entitled to tutelage of the runic methods. She may attempt again to learn the other arts only if she can master her approved skills. A teacher may take her for the arts of medicine. A teacher may take her for the arts of brewing. The Mother has tested and we accept her word."
And then Gelwyn bowed her head to the room with a smile, satisfied in her untouched position as superior to Lark's daughter.
Schula and Nassir made grunts of discontent. Gilly scowled, and the rest of the onlookers mumbled. I swallowed the frustration of it. It wasn't like I could argue, I hadn't passed several of the tests, and I had no way of knowing how to summon the witches fire.
Mila came over and patted my shoulders. "You did well, Wren."
Puko cawed his agreement.
"But I barely passed," I replied softly.
By that time, Schula and Nassir came up to us and Schula slung an arm around my back. I sighed into her touch and leaned my head on her shoulder.
"You did not pass some of the tests, this is true," Mila said. "But you passed enough, and you can stay in the valley and learn. The important thing is you have earned your place as a witch enough to speak at our gatherings and ask your questions. The barriers, the wards to the Wyldes, you can find out what you want to know."
Gilly came over and offered a smile. "You did well, Wren. So if you'll have me, I would happily teach you the brewing arts."
"Thank you, Gilly," I said. "I'd like that."
"Great," she smiled. "And I think I know who would be the perfect teacher for your lessons in medicine. We can start tomorrow, tonight you should rest."
"Caw!"
Puko flapped his way from Mila's shoulder to mine. That put a bit of a grin on my face. "Thanks, everyone. Mila's right, at least we can learn what we came here to learn and ask what we came to ask."
"Come, child," Mila sighed and turned to the mouth of the cave. "Let us go back to sort out sleeping arrangements now. Tomorrow we can settle your lessons."
I nodded and we all followed the old witch down the valley once more. Tomorrow I could begin a journey into my mother's world.
The world of the witches.