Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was cold. It was dark. The curtains had been drawn, preventing any light from filtering into the cottage. How many days had it been? The chill of winter had been far worse than normal. Sullivan had been sent south to the farm where he was raised. There were other horses to keep him company. Perhaps he’d remember one or two of them. At least Elza’s mother planned to visit and reassure him that he’d return home once spring set in. Conner and Matilda followed him. This winter was too much for them. According to a letter, they decided to nest in the rafters of the barn among a bale of hay. Thankfully, the farm owners didn’t mind their company. They occasionally opened their sun room doors and called for the crows, who would swoop into the small room to enjoy some nuts and warmth. The lady of the house enjoyed watching them and noting how intelligent they were.

As Sullivan, Conner, and Matilda spent the cold days in company and warmth, Elza stayed in her cottage. In her solitude she kept busy. She cleaned and organized to prepare for the next year. She sat for hours at a time to infuse magic into crystals to restock her supplies. Once she felt drained, she’d rest for several days to build up her magic. It would be another week before she could begin crafting elixirs and potions again. In the meantime, she crocheted near the crackling fire in the den. The blanket she was creating had grown large and one end of it had caught on the corner of the couch. She pulled on it and immediately apologized, expecting to hear a squawk from Conner. When silence continued to fill the room, Elza felt a twinge of sadness. She was alone. The crows had appeared one day and made her home their home and it was only after they were gone that she realized how nice it was to have their company, no matter how grouchy or mischievous Conner could get.

Elza sighed, set the blanket to the side, and planned on her next actions. She walked over to a desk and pulled out some parchment and a quill. The red head began writing a letter to her mother about finding a coach and travelling south to visit family. She could just as easily finish her projects amongst company as her home was ready for the next year. It was time to end the solitude.