Lifting her head, Sabrina turned her gaze once more to the forest below, part of her expecting it to have changed after the events of the last few minutes. But there it stood, solemn, dark, and imposing as ever...only now instead of being forbidden, it was waiting, waiting expectantly for her.

Resolve flowed through her limbs, renewing her strength and driving her to her feet. Grabbing a large wooden crate from a corner of the room, she methodically began packing up her research. She placed notebook after notebook into the crate, leaving out only the one she was currently using and hadn't yet filled; that one she slipped into her apron pocket.

If she returned from the Schwarzwald, her research would be here waiting for her. And if she didn't return, well, then perhaps someone else would eventually discover it and pick up where she'd left off.

For just a moment, Sabrina let her mind wander, imagining herself like the other Hexen, spending the rest of her life in the castle and having a daughter of her own who shared her metal affinity, the two of them working together as she and her own mother never had. She pictured them laughing at something, envisioned herself hugging her daughter as she made a particularly fascinating discovery, showering her with the praise she herself had never received from the parent she'd spent most of her life with.

Before such a future could take root in her mind, though, Sabrina firmly pushed the images away. While pleasant to think about, they would be no more than that...a passing daydream that could have been nice in another life. In this one, she had more pressing concerns, such as preparing for her upcoming journey.

With a start, Sabrina realized she was living out the third future Heloise had seen for her. She was leaving the castle and going into the Schwarzwald. After her last interaction with the Waldkonig, it was at least conceivable he was the one Sabrina had been referring to when the Seer had overhead her say, "We did it."

Shaking her head at the turn of events that were still extraordinary even though they'd been foreseen, Sabrina secured the lid onto the crate before hefting it into her arms and striding towards the door. Before she left, she turned and gazed at her workspace one final time.

"Thank you for everything," she said. "I've loved every second I spent here."

Stepping into the hallway and allowing the heavy door to close behind her, Sabrina walked with resolute steps, sconces flaring to life as she neared them, then darkening again as she strode past. The late hour meant she didn't encounter anyone in the hallways, and her steps were fast and sure over the flagstone floor.

She took the stairs she encountered two at a time and when she finally reached the library, she let out a sigh of relief—Tante Winola sat behind the borrowing desk, her attention fixed on the pages of a book. Sabrina came to an abrupt stop in front of her, causing the librarian to glance up in surprise, and her dark eyes fastened on the wooden crate before making their way to Sabrina's face.

"Well, good evening, Sabrina," said Tante Winola, offering a smile before setting aside her book. Adjusting the ever-present pince-nez resting on her nose, she smiled. "What can I do for you?"

"May I speak with you in private?" asked Sabrina.

"Of course." Tante Winola rose to her feet and beckoned for Sabrina to follow, leading the way into a small room that held a table and two chairs.

Placing the crate on the table, Sabrina ran her fingers over the wood, not ready to let go of it just yet.

"I'd like to donate my research to the library," she said. "For safe-keeping."

Tante Winola blinked, then looked at the box before staring at Sabrina again, clearly waiting for further explanation. Sabrina desperately wished she could give it to the woman who had always championed her love of learning and her passion for books, but she forced the feeling down.

Instead, she said the words she'd practiced on the way to the library: "As a condition of housing my work, none of the librarians can ever voluntarily tell anyone it's here. If, however, someone explicitly asks about it, it can be shared." She studied Tante Winola's face. "Will you agree to that?"

The librarian remained silent, her eyes on the wooden crate. "Can you tell me more about what prompted this?" she eventually asked.

Sabrina shook her head, and Tante Winola sighed as if she'd expected as much.

"Very well," she said, stepping forward and placing her hand delicately on top of the wooden crate. "I agree to your terms," she said, "and the library will hold me, and the rest of the librarians, to them."

"Thank you," Sabrina said, letting out a sigh of relief. "Knowing my work won't be lost means so much to me. You have no idea."

Tears filled her eyes as she gazed at the crate, the sum total of everything she'd learned over her life. But now she'd gone as far as she could and continuing on meant doing things she'd never done before...in a place she'd never imagined entering.

"Do you need help with anything, my dear?" asked Tante Winola hesitantly. "Is everything alright?"

Sabrina offered a tight-lipped smile. "Everything's fine," she assured the older witch. And it would be, too, as soon as she crossed into the Schwarzwald and found the Waldkonig. "Thank you," she added, moving around the table to hug Tante Winola. The librarian's short, curly brown hair was soft against her cheek, and she smelled of dry parchment and ink, which Sabrina found fitting. "You've always been so helpful. I'll never forget you."

Before the librarian could respond, Sabrina lowered her arms and rushed out of the room. Her steps weren't carrying her away from something...they were carrying her towards becoming who she was meant to be, towards a future of her own making, towards becoming the greatest metallurgist who had ever lived.

Hurrying into her bedroom, Sabrina began rummaging through her things, opening her wardrobe and pulling out drawers, deciding what she wanted to bring with her to the Schwarzwald. As she searched through her dresser drawers, she was surprised to find a mirror on top of her thick winter stockings. Then she remembered...this was the mirror Maedra had asked her to repair.

She had completely forgotten about it until just this moment, recalling how she'd brought it here from her workroom, intending to get to it at some point, but had then put it away and lost track of it.

While any of the other metallurgists could have repaired it, now that she was leaving, she felt it was only right to do this for someone who had been one of her oldest and dearest friends.

Sabrina easily connected with the metal, then took her time getting to know it, smoothing out rough edges and filling in minuscule dents or other imperfections. She made sure the silver trim around the glass was soldered properly, ensuring the glass was kept safe, then gently rubbed the silver with a polishing cloth until she could see her reflection in it.

She smiled, thinking of sleeping over in Maedra's room under the watchful eye of the small mirror. The item brought back so many memories, memories of when times were simpler, problems weren't so overwhelming, and making decisions didn't mean changing the course of your entire life.

Even as she looked forward to leaving and charting her own course, Sabrina felt a tug inside her, a wish, however small, to retain some connection to the witches she'd grown up knowing her entire life. She studied the mirror, remembering something she'd read a very long time ago.

Supposedly, a metal-worker could establish a permanent relationship with a metal object that would be maintained across great distances, hundreds of miles, even. All it took was applying a drop of blood to the metal and having the metal accept it, part of the metallurgist becoming part of the metal.

From then on, you could connect with the object whenever you wanted to, although Sabrina wasn't entirely sure what the connection looked like, as everything she'd read had been annoying vague about that part. Apparently some witches thought it wrong to join part of themselves with the metal, viewing it as unnatural.

Sabrina didn't see it that way, though, and she walked over to a drawer and pulled out a knife. Placing the tip inside the flame of a candle to sterilize it, she then made a quick cut along the pad of her thumb, drawing blood before pressing her thumb against the metal.

Closing her eyes and envisioning herself sinking into the metal, Sabrina recalled the words of the binding spell, and she projected them onto the page in her mind, watching in fascination as her own hurried handwriting spread outwards:

From inside out and outside in,
I am unconcerned with what has been;
Instead, I seek experiences new,
And for that I would form a bond with you.

The metal responded, large silver letters appearing slowly, as if communicating with words was more difficult than using images.

Why do you wish to bind with me? it asked.

Sabrina shared memories of herself with Maedra, pictures of the two of them walking arm in arm beside the river, laughing with Gerta over a meal, braiding one another's hair, dancing beneath twinkling lights at a festival. She then shared pictures of herself packing a suitcase and leaving the castle.

I want to be able to send a message through you, she thought, watching as her words appeared for the metal's consideration. I promise not to use such a privilege lightly. Communicating to Maedra through you would be reserved for only the most important circumstances.

The metal was silent for a moment, considering, then its response appeared, causing Sabrina to smile.

Very well. But I don't like all these written words. Use a voice capturing spell, and I shall transmit it...but only in a time of great necessity.

Sabrina watched, transfixed, as the silver around her began to shift. Red appeared, just a small dot at first, but it quickly grew larger, spreading to cover more of the space, red rivers running outwards, spreading, trickling down the walls beside her, pooling around her feet where she stood in the confines of her mind...red rivers of her blood, she realized, melding and merging with the silver.

When everything in sight was coated red, there was a tremor, like a small earthquake inside her head, and then the red disappeared, reverting back to silver.

Sabrina quickly offered her thanks before disconnecting from the mirror, feeling much better knowing she had a way to communicate with at least one of her friends, should the need ever arise.

Picture by PublicDomainImages from Pixabay