Morgana Hawthorne's Arc

Chapter 5 of 5

Morgana opened her apothecary door just after sunrise. Three customers waited outside. They'd heard about her remedies from travelers passing through town. She sold two bottles of cough tonic and a jar of salve before noon. Her coin purse felt heavier than it ever had. By midday, word had spread through the marketplace. She decided to set up a wooden table near the town square. Colorful potion bottles lined the surface—remedies for headaches, muscle pain, and coughs. She painted a sign offering free samples to anyone who stopped by. People gathered around the table, asking questions about the glowing mushrooms and the spring water she used. An older woman tried the headache remedy and smiled. A merchant took three bottles to sell in the next town over. Morgana's hands moved quickly, wrapping bottles and explaining ingredients. This was working better than she'd imagined. The next morning, a messenger knocked on her door. The town council wanted to see her at the Acorn Council Chamber. Morgana's stomach tightened as she followed him through the streets. Inside the giant acorn structure, council members sat around a curved table made of polished wood. They asked about her ingredients and watched as she mixed a remedy right there in front of them. One council member tested it and nodded. They handed her a certificate—official permission to sell remedies and trade with merchants from other towns. She walked back to her apothecary with the paper tucked carefully in her bag. Travelers would see that certificate hanging on her wall and know her work was trusted. Her dream was becoming real, one customer at a time.