It’s #BookQW and Fern takes a ‘narrow’ view of Raven.
More from Chapter 4:
She glanced around—a second’s turn—but Raven rammed sideways. Fern threw her weight the same way. He fought harder than before, his brows knit above narrowed eyes that almost glowed. She tried to keep her face blank, her wrestling competition look. His arm was rising, and she shook with the effort of holding it down. Then, his fist balled, and flashed into…fire?
Before she could move, Beri lunged, swatted Raven’s hand and suffocated the orange-brown flames. “Come now, that’s nae fair. She’s nae like us. It’s nae right to deal with her in that manner.” He dropped to sit cross-legged a few feet away.
Raven snorted and heaved this way and that. They rocked, but he couldn’t dislodge her.
Yet.
Fern didn’t dare look up again. Beri didn’t know her at all, but he’d helped her. I don’t even want to think about what Raven might have done with his magical fire. We’re in a tree, dammit.
After a minute, Raven sagged to the floor, just as her arms would take it no longer.
She wanted to rub her aching muscles. Or her queasy stomach—did this tree ever stop moving? But she had to outlast Raven. “Give up and take me to Hillux. I’m on a wrestling team at Boulder High, so you’re not going to win.”
“Ressing? Boulder High?”
“Wrestling. You know a, er, fighting team. At school.”
Raven wrinkled his brow. “Ye learn to fight in your school?” His gaze flicked to her hand on his wrist. “Of course you do.”
~~~
Fern must grow into her power to compete with the other teen wizards on the Isle of Giuthas. If you love books about the transformation of magic in heroines or heros, check out The Witch of the Meadows and other similar witchy books in our group sale Grow Into Your Powers!
~~~
On a personal note:
Weeding our mountain property after last year’s wildfire mitigation has become a near-full-time job. With fewer trees on our south side, the ground has more sunlight, and the previously tame grass clumps have gone wild.
My spring seeding hasn’t come in like we’d hoped–but that said, I am praising each and every sprout I find!
If the deer don’t eat them, these seedlings should become black-eyed susans.
The seed company did say I could expect germination up to 3 years. Fingers crossed! My front bed–a work in progress since the 2013 flood–is proof it can be done.
While, not lush, it’s doing well for our part-time residency. Meanwhile, looks like we have tones of string-trimming in our future until the good stuff can be nurtured along. I want short plants along our walkway perimeters, and have decided to veer away from using solely natives just to get something established to prevent weed seed from continually taking hold. I’ve been gifted a flat of chive sets and have plans to split and transplant patches of existing oregano, thyme and sedum.
Any suggestions for other non-aggressive (no mint) garden perennials are welcome!
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