Tamsin Swiftwing's Arc

Chapter 5 of 10

Tamsin stepped back from the crumbling tower and smiled. She had found proof that the ruins existed. The glowing mushrooms had guided her through darkness. The vine wall hadn't stopped her. Each trip into the forest taught her something new, and tonight she'd traveled farther than ever before. Tomorrow she would mark this tower on her map and plan her next route deeper into the forgotten places. But first, she needed to gather proof of what she'd found. She pulled her satchel from her shoulder and knelt beside the glowing mushrooms. Their soft blue light pulsed as she carefully placed one inside. Near the vine wall, dark burgundy pixieberries hung from thorny stems. She picked three and added them to her bag. A blighted branch lay at the tower's base, its black surface smooth and cold. She broke off a piece and tucked it next to the berries. Finally, she grabbed the chalk from her pocket and dropped it in with the rest. Each item told part of tonight's story. Back at her treehouse, Tamsin spread the contents of her satchel across her workbench. The mushroom still glowed. The pixieberries gleamed like dark jewels. The blighted branch and chalk sat beside them, waiting to be added to her map. She had traveled deeper into the forest than ever before and returned with proof. The tower marked her progress. These objects showed she could handle the dangers ahead. Tomorrow she would explore further, but tonight she would rest knowing the mirth spell was closer than it had ever been. The forgotten ruins were real, and she was finding her way to them one careful step at a time. Tamsin walked to the small wooden shelf above her bed and opened a locked box. Inside lay a pressed forget-me-not flower and a folded letter. She touched the delicate blue petals and read the familiar words her grandpixie had written years ago. The letter described finding a lost spell in ruins just like the tower she'd discovered tonight. Her grandpixie had collected proof too, marking each step forward until the final discovery. Tamsin placed her satchel on the workbench and looked from the letter to her own collection. The glowing mushroom, dark berries, blighted branch, and chalk matched her grandpixie's careful methods. She was following the same path that once led to success. The mirth spell waited somewhere in those forgotten places, and tonight she'd proven she had what it took to find it. She carried the satchel outside as morning light broke through the trees. Near her treehouse grew a massive oak wrapped in climbing wildflowers. Delicate bells hung from its branches, chiming softly in the breeze. Aqua ribbons fluttered beside them, each one marking a successful trip into the forest. Tamsin tied a new ribbon to a low branch and stepped back. Five ribbons now danced in the wind, five trips that had brought her closer to the mirth spell. The tree stood as proof of her progress, showing anyone who passed that she was moving forward. She touched the newest ribbon and smiled. Her grandpixie had found a lost spell by taking careful steps. Tamsin was doing the same, and each ribbon proved she wasn't giving up. The forgotten ruins waited in the darkness ahead, but here in the light, her success was growing.