AS SUNLIGHT DWINDLED through the entanglement of branches above her head, Ravenna cursed aloud. "A mere half-day's walk," she grumbled bitterly, her hands clenched into tight fists. "More like the entire night."

Swirls of ice pirouetted around her fingers, keeping the wildlife around her away. It wasn't like she was tired. She'd slept the night previous so her body was rested. It was just an inconvenience. Had she known it would have taken this long, she could have just left in the morning. The forest was filled with ghastly night spirits and other evil creatures.

As the sun rose above the treetops, the forest parted, revealing an expansive field of corn. Wooden fences parted through the field, following alongside a weathered dirt road. On the other side of the field, Ravenna could just make out a cluster of buildings through the thin line of trees. She hurried toward it. She was eager to scope out an unknown village, despite the slight fear that coiled around her stomach. There was a gate at the entrance of the small town, its wooden doors replaced with two sleepy guards. Both stiffened as Ravenna approached, but greeted her with warm smiles.

"Good morning, Miss," one charmed. "Welcome to our small village."

Ravenna smiled timidly back and thanked them. Neither were Sentinels, which struck her as odd. Both just seemed to be ordinary townsfolk with leather armor and old swords strapped to their belt. It comforted her slightly, as both would be easily disposable if needed.

As she entered the town, she looked around. It was smaller than her hometown, with a central street and several homes surrounding it. One building was just a small general store. The door was propped open and she could see the shelves that lined the walls, filled with foods, cloths, and other goods. The building next to it was a blacksmith's shop. As she passed it, she could see the gleams of swords and maces through the small window. Sitting opposite of the two main shops, was a small cluster of wooden stands, showcasing an arrangement of baked goods, meats, and poultry.

The people in the town were unnaturally cheerful. As the sun grew higher in the sky, more people emerged from their homes. There was always at least two or three people roaming the streets. Several townsfolk greeted Ravenna as she passed, making suggestions for food and even telling her about the inn located just past the town. One old man even pointed her in the direction of the bookstore, which turned out to be a shop half-hidden between the general store and someone's home.

She hesitated just outside the bookstore, eyeing its crooked wooden door. It unnerved her just how nice the people in this town seemed to be.

Part of her didn't trust them. She felt that behind her back, the townsfolk were already on to her secret, and plotting her punishment. The feeling stemmed from her past experiences with towns; most could tell that Ravenna wasn't normal. Some had simply told her that she was too pretty to be human and asked her to leave. Others had just attacked.

Yet, there was a tiny voice at the back of her head that whispered positive things about this village and genuinely believed in each smile.

She tentatively opened the door and poked her head inside. The bookstore was quiet, partially lit by the sunlight and by several candles. As she stepped inside, a scrawny old man glanced up from a book. He blinked behind his wiry glasses, clouded gaze focused on Ravenna. His book snapped shut and he climbed to his feet. "Welcome! Can I help you find anything?"

"O-oh," Ravenna stuttered. It took all of her willpower not to frown. Most humans frowned upon the use of magic –it had been the very reason why she'd almost been executed by the Sentinels. So it wasn't as if she could just ask him about books on witchcraft and magic spells. "I am just browsing through right now. Thank you."

The old man let out a quiet laugh. "Of course, dear! Don't hesitate to let me know if you need help locating something," he chirped, sinking back down into his chair. His knobby fingers grasped at the edge of the novel on his desk. He flipped through the pages and lifted it closer to his face, vanishing behind its weathered leather binding.

Ravenna watched the old bookkeeper for a few moments, still working through her conflicted thoughts. Then she shuffled toward the shelves that lined the walls. As she got closer, she noticed that each shelf was marked with a small sign that illustrated the subjects of its contents. The books and scrolls themselves were piled up on top of each other in a misshapen way, with some hanging precariously over the edge. Her gaze scanned over the books pines first, examining each title in search of something magical.

She didn't quite know what she was looking for. The dragon hadn't given her much information to work with.

Hours passed without her realizing it. She searched every book, every scroll, to no avail. With her stomach twisting in knots, she approached the bookkeeper's desk. His nose was still buried deep within his book. He didn't look up until she cleared her throat.

His clouded eyes blinked owlishly at her. Then he jolted to his feet. "What can I do for you?"

Ravenna relented. "I'm searching for a way to strengthen my observational skills. My mentor mentioned that a spell might work. Do you have any spellbooks?"

The old man's eyes widened. "Spellbooks?"

The unnerving feeling that had plagued her stomach seemed to tighten. She watched as the old man's eyebrows crinkled and his mouth set with a frown. She braced herself. Either this man would run for the makeshift guards at the gate or he would simply attack her himself. Just the thought made her hands curl into tight fists at her sides, half concealed within her cloak. Ice licked at her skin, just waiting to be set free.

"It's been awhile since I've seen any spellbooks," the old man mused. He placed his book down onto the desk and his gaze scanned over the shop. "Most witches and wizards don't like to give them up."

Ravenna blinked, shocked. "You aren't going to attack me?" she blurted before she could control her tongue.

A laugh escaped the old man. "Now why would I do that? You obviously are a witch of sorts, meaning you could quite easily take me down if I tried. I tend to like living, most of the time."

She watched as he moved away from the desk. He seemed completely at ease with her presence, despite the fact that he knew she could kill him at a moment's notice. The old man's knees shook as he walked toward the shelves. "These are all the magical scrolls I have left. There was an old wizard that used to live nearby. He was the main source of my magical material. Haven't heard much from him recently. I do hope that he's okay."

As the old man babbled, his finger shakily brushed over the edges of the scrolls. He picked one and plucked it from the shelf. "Try this one," he said, holding it out to her.

Ravenna took it from him and carefully unrolled the paper. It was indeed a spell, but had nothing to do with observation. Instead it detailed a very interesting spell, something to do with turning another wizard or magical foe into a cat.

"This isn't the right one," she murmured and rolled it back up.

The old man huffed. "Rats. Maybe try this one."

She repeated the process, unrolling the scroll to reveal a small treasure map. Suppressing a smile, she shook her head and passed it back. "Is the rest of the village this kind to witches?"

"More or less," the old man quipped. "You may want to avoid Ole' Man Henry. He has a vendetta against that one wizard I mentioned earlier. Something about cheating at gambling, or something of the like. He's not too fond of your kind now."

"I'll be sure to avoid him," Ravenna noted with a small nod. The knot in her stomach loosened.

Maybe this town wasn't so bad after all.

This is the "missing chapter" that I thought I posted but didn't. I am so sorry for any confusion <3