Shea Bell

Chapter 1 – The Quest

Inside the palace courtyard there were two horses, pawing the ground, stirring up pillowy clouds of dust. Their riders, Molly and Greta, were mounted and just as eager to blast out.

They had been waiting for the gatekeeper to open the rusty old iron gate. It kept the castle dwellers safe from intruders. He was agonizingly slow, but still, doing his best.  The gates opened with a tooth breaking grind. And the gatekeeper groaned along with each turn of the wheel. His face was as red as radish and sweat drenched his clothes. The girls wished they could lend a hand, and exchanged sympathetic glances. 

As was custom in the royal family, children were encouraged to set out on a quest when they turned twelve.  A quest?  Molly and Greta had no idea what that meant or what they would learn along the way.  As far as they were concerned it would start with a long horse ride far away from the castle.

Suddenly the horses reared, ducked their heads, and burst out onto the fields to freedom. Molly and Greta screeched and laughed in the glory of the moment, holding fiercely onto the reins. This was the first time they were allowed to ride without a chaperon. Molly’s horse Shasta took the lead and Greta’s horse Violet raced closely behind.  They planned to be gone until the supper gong called everyone to the table.

After riding for a while, the girls became weary and hungry. They dismounted and found a nice shady spot to rest.  They had food and water for Shasta and Violet, and took care of them first. Cook had supplied a beautiful basket of pasties, fruits, and deep-fried apple dumplings, their favorite treat. They ate enthusiastically, with plenty of laughter to wash it down. But soon they both yawned and stretched out for a nap. Violet and Shasta stood guard.

When they awoke, the girls set off once more. They noticed as they trotted along, the landscape was slowly changing from barren ground to lush undergrowth.  There seemed to be more trees and bushes. The dusty earth started to show patches of wild flowers and grasses.

It was fun to watch the gophers and squirrels skitter about. But it was the most hilarious thing the girls had ever seen when a bunch of squirrels lined up at the side of the path. Those squirrels were checking them out!

Without noticing, a fine mist began to creep over them, suddenly making them very sleepy. They couldn’t keep their eyes open and slumped over onto the long warm necks of their horses.

Chapter 2 – Figaro

Meanwhile Figaro, the Green Witch’s chief cat and errand puddy, was starting to wonder if Molly and Greta were ever going to show up.  He’d been on lookout since breakfast, and would need more food soon. His chubby belly needed to be fed every hour, and if not, he became intolerably cranky. 

Soon his ears twitched and he heard the slow clop, clopping of horses. Ah, all is well, he said to himself.  Within a minute or two, the horses appeared out of the mist. He saw both of his charges flopped over the necks of their horses, deep in sleep. Figaro was under strict orders to deliver the girls to the witch as soon as they arrived. But first he needed to wake them up!

Figaro let loose with his best eardrum splitting meow. Actually, it was more like he yelled at them. It worked because Molly and Greta threw themselves up in their saddle, with hearts thumping, and exclaimed “WHAAAAAT?”

Chapter 3 – Spirulina

At birth, the Green Witch, Spirulina, paid a visit to the twins in their nursery. It was ordained in the mystical texts that the girls were destined for a special purpose. She used an invisibility spell to enter the castle unnoticed. When she reached the nursery, she approached the newborns quietly, then hovered a large glowing green gemstone over their hearts. This would instill the Gift of Healing, which would germinate for the next twelve years. Satisfied, she left as she came, nobody the wiser.

As the years passed the witch observed the twins growing up to be kind and loving people. She was pleased they were the chosen ones. 

When Molly and Greta turned twelve, Spirulina cast a spell to summon them to her forest retreat. It was timed with the start of the quest. The king would never know the quest had a dual purpose and it was best kept that way.  It would be revealed when the girls accepted and were initiated into their mission. In the meantime, they were not in danger.

Spirulina waited for the girls’ faces to show on the surface of her cauldron. And when they did, she saw two intense little faces chattering excitedly with each other about what the heck was going on!                                           

Chapter 4 – The Forest

The hike was fascinating even though they had no idea where they were going, or why! They noticed unusual herbs and flowers, ones they had never seen before, and wanted to stop and examine them.  But Figaro was in a hurry and wouldn’t allow them to pause or even ask a question.

He instructed them not to touch or go near any of the plants.  He said some were poisonous and others liked to eat fingers or hands that got too close. To himself he said selfishly, if that happened, it would be messy and inconvenient, and I would be really late! At that the girls exchanged terrified glances and threw their hands into their pockets. 

            

Chapter 5 – School

Eventually the group came upon a decrepit old cottage, and turned in at the gate. A beautiful woman stood in the garden watching them enter.  Her whole body was shining with a luminescent green light. She wore an emerald green dress with a matching emerald and black witch hat. Her thick hair hung down to her bum. The girls were speechless. This magical creature was unlike anyone the girls had ever seen. 

They noticed an enormous fire pit heating a cauldron big enough to cook them both up at the same time! With a terrified glances they decided surely they were safe.

Their chins dropped as they took in the beauty of her unruly garden, simply stuffed with plants of every description. Just off to one side there looked to be a workshop with tables and chairs constructed from ancient timbers. And moss. There was so much moss! The Green Witch was a lover of nature and expert in plant medicine.  Her life’s work was to create remedies for the people and animals living in and outside the forest.  She cared as much for the royal family and the villagers as she did for all the creatures of the forest.

Since demand for her help was growing, it was time to enlist some assistants. And Molly and Greta were finally ready to start their learning.

          

Chapter 6 – Spirit

When the witch spoke, her voice was as soft as a pink cloud, with a   rhythm almost like singing.  She was entirely enchanting. On each of her fingers she wore ornate gemstone rings, all different, and all gasp worthy. 

She moved around the cauldron, which was steaming delicious bunches of thyme, rosemary, and garlic. Then she motioned to the girls to sit on a nearby bench. “It will be a medicinal broth” the witch declared with a knowing smile, answering the question Molly and Greta had been too afraid to ask.

“Hello ladies.  I’m Spirulina, but you can call me Spirit.  Now that we’ve finally met, we must get to work. I know you are Molly and Greta, princesses of the Hubertus realm.  I’ve been waiting to work with you for twelve long years. When you were born, I infused your hearts with healing wisdom. These gifts have now awakened so it is time to be of service.”                                                                     

        Chapter 7 – The Rings

“You are here to start your journey as healers.  I will share my ancient healing wisdom handed down over centuries by the master healers.”

Then she took out an intricate jewelry box.  Inside were two large oval sapphire rings.  She instructed them to wear the rings on the forefinger of their right hand. Molly and Greta slid the rings on and felt a slight buzzing, like the rings were alive.

“If you are needed to help someone who is ill or injured, your rings will flash. A remedy will be sent to you telepathically. Be still when this happens and listen carefully. Your sister’s ring will flash as well, and you will find each other. If you don’t know what to do, just think of me. My matching sapphire ring will flash so I’ll know to tune in to you.”

“Your first assignment is to start healing the people of your own township who are dying of a mysterious disease. As you know, they are being wiped out because until now, it has been unstoppable. I’ve already created the healing potion, and it’s been tested, so I know it will work and is safe.”

With that she passed Molly and Greta two large wicker baskets of vials filled with thick green liquid. A tablespoon of the liquid was to be mixed in a small glass of water and taken twice per day. Spirit explained some will complain of the nasty taste at first. But it won’t be long before they will see it works and throng to the castle gates for more.

The girls were so stunned by this revelation, they dropped their heads to their chests, placed their hands in the prayer position, and bowed to Spirit.  In that moment they knew how privileged they were, and humbly accepted their sacred mission.

Spirit smiled and stepped towards them to wave a gleaming green gemstone over their hearts. It was the very same one she used when they were born. Only this time the girls knowingly received the energy of the gemstone, and burst out into blazing smiles.

     

Chapter 8 – Homeward  

Fluttering their eyes open, the twins found themselves outside the forest once more, with Violet and Shasta nearby. The horses whinnied their relief when they spotted Greta and Molly. The girls noticed the forest opening was closed, leaving no trace of of the mystery behind the thick timbers.

Before they climbed back onto their horses, Molly and Greta wondered if it had all been a fantastical dream. How were they to explain it to the king? Then they glanced down at their matching rings. Their minds flooded with visions of what had just happened, and what might be next.

The king was delighted to see his girls return home. He heard their laughter long before they entered the palace grounds as he’d been on lookout with his spyglass in one of the turrets. He rushed to the circular stone staircase and tore down the narrow steps, arriving just as the group entered the castle gate. He planted a juicy kiss on the girl’s foreheads, then wrapped his arms around them tightly.

Their laughter was so contagious everyone joined in and it even looked as if Violet and Shasta were grinning!

The king noticed there was something different about his girls, but he couldn’t quite pin it down.  They seemed more composed and confident, and maybe slightly more mature?  Hmmm.

What he didn’t know was that Molly and Greta were no longer ordinary princesses. The surprising purpose of their quest was revealed to them by the Green Witch. Soon the king would understand their noble mission.