Tiffany missed the time her life was simple, all she had to do was look after one of the greatest Warlocks on the planet. Now as she knelt on her knees, on the cold ice floor, she wondered what terrible thing she could possibly have done to deserve wiping up the red, sticky blood, which threatened to seep in between the small cracks in the ice.

She sat up stretching her back, as she did a loud crack was heard that echoed throughout the palace she was in. Sighing she dumped the cloth she had been holding into a bucket that sat next to her. After an hour she'd finally managed to get rid of the trail of blood that had started in the hallway and stopped halfway in the throne room.

Tiffany stood up, her back cracking again, she wasn't used to bending or kneeling down for long periods of time. Her eyes fell on the throne that was just meters away from her. It was made, like the rest of the palace, out of ice.

Her eyes flickered from looking at the chair to the woman currently sat in it. She was sat with one leg crossed over the other, in her hand she held a sceptre, the same one she had taken when she had killed the Warlock. The Warlock; Tiffany saw as her only family.

Tiffany wanted to drive a spear into Charlene Navarro's heart. However, getting close to her would be a problem, for Charlene had managed to turn herself into a sorceress, which meant she was extremely untouchable unless you knew her weakness and unfortunately for Tiffany, she didn't know what it was.

''It's very impolite to stare Tiffany dear,'' Charlene sounded almost board as she stared down at what Tiffany could only describe as talons instead of nails.

''I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, it's just I've finished what you asked me to,'' Tiffany stuttered.

Charlene's bright red lips parted and Tiffany saw her white pointed teeth as she smiled. Her smile made the hairs on the back of Tiffany's back stand on end; it terrified her, to say the least. It wasn't how sharp they were that set Tiffany on edge; it was the fact that the tips of the teeth were stained red with blood. The blood had once belonged to the Warlock; Tiffany didn't want to think about how the blood got on Charlene's teeth.

''Tiffany, Tiffany. You don't have to stutter when talking to me. I promised I would never hurt you,'' Charlene reassured her, but Tiffany was still afraid.

For a few moments the room had descended into silence. Tiffany took it as her cue to leave. Letting out a breath she didn't even know she was holding; she collected her bucket, which was now full of dull, dark, reddish brown liquid. To begin with the water had been clear and soapy, now as she dropped the blooded rag in the bucket, she almost gagged at its new colour.

As Tiffany took her first step from her position, a blinding light suddenly emitted from right in front of her. At first she had thought it was her imagination, a trick of the light. However, upon hearing the click of Charlene's leather boot heals echoing around the room as they came into contact with the icy ground, she realised it wasn't.

''There was a loud crack as the light disappeared as quickly as it had come. Tiffany's eyes widened in shock as in its place a woman, a small woman, who was hunched over wearing a raggedy old black cloak; the hood only just covering the small grey wisps of hair that sprouted from her head.

''Charlene Navarro,'' The woman's voice was ruff, like it hadn't been used in a long time.

Tiffany had no idea who the woman was, although judging by the smile she saw edging its way onto Charlene's face, from the corner of her eye; she knew the person, who was hunched over in front of them.

''Nox, it had been far too long my old friend. Tiffany leave us,'' Charlene barked out the order giving Tiffany no choice, but to bow awkwardly and almost run out of the room.

Once Tiffany had left the room, Charlene approached Nox and knelt down to her level.

''Turn me into something useful, I can help and I know you have the power,'' Nox croaked out, her voice clearer than before.

''Why would I need your help? You've never been useful to me before,'' Charlene snapped, not believing that Nox was of any use to her.

''You are forgetting, I have seen the future, more importantly the future of you and your sister Eleanor,'' As she spoke Nox's hollow eyes bore into Charlene's cold blue ones.

''What?'' Charlene spat, standing up and walking away back towards her throne.

''I saw something happen, and it will happen after the battle, a great battle, a battle one and lost. It's the only way. To save everything,'' As Nox begun to speak, Charlene immediately realised that Nox may be of use to her after all.

''Continue,'' Charlene ordered, knowing that when it came to Nox and reciting prophecies, she would always state two verses.

''Don't interfere, it must end, a life must end. Must must end. To save everything,'' Once Nox had finished speaking, Charlene had a lot of questions swirling around in her head. However, she'd known Nox to well by now and she knew she wouldn't answer anyone of her questions.

So, instead of asking any questions, Charlene raised her sceptre and pointed it towards Nox. Once she had muttered the words to a certain spell, a purple string of light flew out of the sceptre and surrounded Nox's body. It wrapped around her, lifting her just centimetres off of the ground.

Nox laughed the same laugh she had emitted when she had escaped. It was the laugh of happiness and joy.

Charlene gave her own smile as she watched Nox touch back down onto the ice; she was admiring her work and she liked what she saw. No longer was there an old crippled woman, with hollow eyes and greying hair. Gone was the cloak and rotting teeth. Instead in front of her stood a tall woman, with long hair the colour of fire, ruby red lips and eyes that were the colour of the stars; bright, shimmering gold. The biggest differences of all were the wings that matched her eyes, sprouting from her back.

The old black cloak, she had been wearing was replaced by a black corset top and black leather trousers. On her feet she then wore black knee high heeled boots, with silver ornate buckles running up the side.

''Charlene you have given me back what was once mine,'' Nox was beyond happy with what Charlene had done. Nox had indeed a very long time ago, looked like the woman she now was.

''It must have been horrible for you, stuck in that cage for years looking like a helpless old women. I am glad I have been able to restore the body that you once had over a billion years ago,'' Charlene smiled again, bearing her pointed teeth.

''Oh it was, but all it took for me to escape was fool a Batalanto into looking at me,'' Nox spoke with a wide grin stretching across her face.

''What was a Batalanto doing in the forest?'' Charlene questioned, confused.

''Because of Eleanor obviously,'' Nox replied.

''Eleanor?'' Charlene's blood boiled at just hearing her sister's name being spoken.

''Sorry did I forget to mention Eleanor is in The Forest of Ibarra as we speak,'' Nox stated, shrugging slightly.

----------------------------------------------

As much as Tiffany hated Charlene, she was thankful she hadn't been hurt by the woman and that she had been given her own room in the ice palace. Granted it was only a small square one, but it was still a room, never the less to Tiffany's surprise, Charlene had given her a window that could both be opened and closed.

So that was where Tiffany was, sat underneath the window on the windowsill, watching the suns' begin to dip over the horizon. It was beautiful to watch; the different shades of red, yellow and orange merged together created something truly magical to watch. In Tiffany's opinion it was.

The creak of the door opening made Tiffany quickly whip her head round to see who it was. She had expected it to be Charlene. However, instead there was a red headed woman stood in the doorway.

''Who, who are you?'' Tiffany stuttered feeling a little intimidated by the woman in front of her.

''I am Nox, the same woman, you saw down in the throne room. I have just been reborn into the very body I used to inhabit,'' Nox explained walking further into the room. She moved over to the bed and sat down, it sinking a little as she did.

''Why are you here? In my room that is,'' Tiffany said standing up from her sitting position by the window.

''I have come to see if the Warlock that took you in, had started your training, but it seems he had not,'' Nox explained sighing when she noticed the confused expression on Tiffany's face.

''What do you mean training, Warlocks only train Witches and I'm not a Witch,'' Tiffany paused before then understanding what Nox had been saying to her, ''I'm a Witch.''

''Yes you are, but unfortunately with the Warlock dead, thanks to Charlene. You will have to teach yourself,'' Nox replied.

''Can't you teach me?'' Tiffany asked, taking the news she was a Witch rather well.

''I'm afraid not, so these books will have to do,'' It was only then that Tiffany noticed the bag Nox had brought and placed on the foot of the bed.

''Read them and practise, but do not allow Charlene tp know, this will be or little secret,'' With that said, Nox left leaving Tiffany with a bag full of books, leather bound Witches books.