Chenoa (part 2)

4.
A soft ringing woke Chenoa the next day.  Her head pounded and she felt groggy.  Looking around she saw that it was her cell phone ringing next to her bed.  Carefully she picked up and said, “Hello?”
“CHENOA!” Gab’s voice yelled into Chenoa’s ear.  “You will never believe it but school’s been canceled!  They still can’t fix the electricity and now some plumbing has gone wrong!”
Chenoa sat bolt upright unsure if she had heard correctly.  Shaking her head she thought that it had to be a joke, a prank.
“Are you serious?” she asked in a hushed tone.
“Serious!  Happy early birthday! I’m sooo coming over and me and you are chilling for the day!”
“Yah, totally.  Come right over.”
Hanging up the phone Chenoa quickly went downstairs to tell her dad the good news. 
“Papa Bear!” she called as she raced into the kitchen.  “Papa Bear, I got great news!”
Skidding to a stop in the kitchen, Chenoa found that it was empty except for Draco, who was drinking a cup of hot coffee. He looked and smiled at her, displaying his perfectly white teeth.
“Your dad has gone to town to pick up some groceries.  What’s the good news?” he inquired pleasantly his eyes never leaving Chenoa.
“Uh…school has been canceled due to technical difficulties.  So my friend Gabby and I are going to hang out,” she said in a wispy voice.
“Sounds like fun.  I can make you all breakfast if you like,” Draco offered kindly his sea green eyes transfixed on Chenoa.
“Yah, that sounds great.  I’ll just go take a shower.”
With that she dashed out of the room. Draco watched Chenoa run up the stairs and out of view, his mind working slowly.  She hadn’t changed a bit since they had last seen each other.  If only she would lose that mortal’s face.

Chenoa enjoyed a nice hot shower washing her hair clean of the dirt it had collected from the fields the night before.  It felt wonderful to be clean again.  Grabbing a towel she wrapped herself up tight and found another towel to dry her hair a little.  Stepping out of the steamy bathroom into her cool bedroom Chenoa looked up.  Stifling a scream she saw Draco sitting on her bed scratching the farm cat. 
“Oh, sorry to startle you,” Draco laughed.  “I just came to tell you that your friend is here and is waiting for you downstairs.”
Still too embarrassed to speak, Chenoa just stood there pulling her towel tighter around herself.  Staring at him open mouthed, she tried saying something but nothing came out.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” Draco chuckled coming over and wrapping a robe around her.  “It’s nothing that I haven’t seen before; remember I helped change your diapers. Now I’ll let you get changed while I go fix you some breakfast.”
He pulled the robe tight around her and gave her a kiss on the forehead before leaving.  His lips felt light to her, almost airy, and Chenoa found herself shivering. 
Closing and locking her bedroom door, Chenoa changed quickly then headed downstairs.  Entering the kitchen Chenoa found Draco cooking something on the stove and Gabby watching him mesmerized. 
“Hey Gabs,” Chenoa giggled sitting next to her stunned friend.
“Huh?  Oh hey!” Gabby jerked up and waved at her friend.  “I was just watching Draco here cook our breakfast.  He says that it’s going to be a surprise.”
“If it’s anything like last nights dinner I’m sure it will be great.”
“Thank you, Chenoa,” Draco smiled winking at her.
Gabby fanned herself once Draco had turned her back to them and mouthed what a babe!  Laughing Chenoa tired to make conversation with Gabby, but she only seemed interested in Draco.  Half of the time Gab would seem to fade out of the real world.  Chenoa, after a while, stopped trying to compete for her friend’s attention and just sat back and watched Draco cook. 
He moved swiftly and with little effort.  Every move seemed precise and expertly done.  Draco would add in little tricks to make it more interesting, beaming at the girls’ applauses. 
“Tada!” he exclaimed placing two plates on the table for the girls before serving himself.  “The El Carte breakfast just for you two lovely ladies.”
Gabby giggled and Chenoa nodded politely.  They both started eating slowly and the food was indeed good.  Gabby went crazy over it, complementing Draco continuously.  Draco smiled politely but he kept looking over at Chenoa, who ate without looking at anyone. When they had finished both girls offered to help Draco with the dishes, but he declined their help.   
“Go run along and go do girl stuff,” he grinned shoving them out the door.
Laughing and waving both girls ran off down the road as Draco watched them go. 
“Dmibo!” Draco muttered with a wave of his hand and the dishes suddenly sparkled clean. “All done.”

Chenoa and Gabby spent the whole day together running around the local town, hitchhiking to the mall, and finding a nice restaurant to eat at for lunch.  Gabby’s mom picked them up from the mall around six and drove Chenoa home.  There wasn’t much conversation in the car because Gabby’s mom was fighting with Gabby’s dad over the phone.  Gabby’s parents were divorced and her parents shared a hate-loath relationship. 
When they reached Chenoa’s house, she barely had enough time to say goodbye to Gabby when her mom drove off in a huff.  Trudging inside Chenoa walked in to hear upset voices. 
“It happens tomorrow,” she heard Draco’s voice saying.
“No, it doesn’t!”  her father’s voice countered.
“Why? Her mother died for this!”
“Exactly!”
“You can’t stop her destiny.”
“But I can change her fate!”
“Be reasonable.”
“I am.”
“Chenoa is what she is.  Even you must have noticed the signs by now.”
“I have seen them all, and they are not good.”
“They are great!  She is great!”
“She isn’t your daughter, so you don’t know what I’m talking about!”
“No, but I care about her!  I wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her! This is what she was born for!”
“I said no!”
Chenoa walked into the kitchen and both men looked up.
“What’s going on?” she inquired.
“Nothing,” her dad muttered looking away.
“What are you two arguing about?  Is it about me?”
“No.”
“It sounded like it was.”
“What have I told you about eavesdropping?”
“But…”
“No buts! Go wash for dinner.”
Chenoa glared at her father, hurt by his harsh tone.  She ran up to her room and took another shower.  She stayed in her room for a long time, not wanting to go back down.  They had been arguing about her and she wanted to know why.  Chenoa took a leather book off of her dresser and opened it.  There were pictures of her mother and her when she was a baby.  Flipping through Chenoa smiled and bit her lip as she fought back a lump in her throat.  Tomorrow was her birthday, but also her mother’s death.  Every year Papa Bear and Chenoa celebrated her birthday, but her mother was never brought up and Chenoa was sick of it.  This year they were going to celebrate, in some way, her mother’s death.

5.
Dinner was quiet.  No one would look at each other or say anything.  It was awkward and uncomfortable.  Chenoa felt as if she could have cut the tension with a knife.  Looking at her father and Draco, Chenoa kept biding her time till she spoke what was on her mind.  How would her father react to her wanting to celebrate her mother’s death?  Would he agree? Would he get angry?  Finally during dessert she couldn’t take it any longer.  Clearing her throat she looked up.
“Yes?” Papa Bear asked looking at her somberly.
“As you know tomorrow is my birthday,” Chenoa started.
“Uh huh…”
“But it is also mom’s death day.”
“What’s your point, Chenoa?”
“We celebrate my birthday every year and I would like to celebrate mom’s death day this year too.”
“What? No.”
“Why not?”
“Death is not something to celebrate.”
“So we can celebrate her memory.  We never talk about her or have pictures around and I want to this year.  We could go visit her grave and watch old family videos and…”
“I said no!”
“Why?”
“Because I said so!”
“That’s not fair!”
“Life isn’t fair, now is it?”
“That’s for sure if it was mom would be here.”
“She isn’t, is she? And she is never going to be here so why would you ever want to celebrate that? You happy that she’s dead?  You think its fun or something to party about?”
“I never said that!”
“Oh, but you want to ‘celebrate’ her death?”
“I just want to remember her!”
“I don’t need to celebrate her death to remember her!  All I have to do is look at you and see her staring right back at me! That is enough of a reminder!”
“So you hate looking at me?  So I’m to be punished because she died?  That’s real fair!”
“The only reason she died was because of you!”
Chenoa stared open mouthed at her father.  He said nothing.  Standing up he left the table and went into his workshop.
“Chenoa,” Draco said softly touching her arm. “He didn’t mean that.”
“Sure as hell sounded like he did,” she growled and jerked away from Draco.
Standing up she ran out of the house into the fields.  Running all the way back to the Willow, she tripped on one of its roots and started crying.  Her father blamed her for her mother’s death.  Great!  And he hated that she looked like her mother.  That was beyond her control!  It was just so unfair.
Burying her head in her knees, Chenoa cried.  It was all she could do.  For a long time she sat there by herself, thinking of nothing and doing nothing. 
Then a smooth hand that felt like velvet touched her shoulder and she looked up. Draco was standing next to her with pity on his face.
“May I sit down?” he inquired kindly.
“Whatever,” she muttered.
Sitting he looked up at the clear night sky and sighed.
“I do love stars, don’t you?” he pondered out loud.
“Yah, I guess,” she replied reluctantly.
“If I could catch a star I’d give it to you.  Would you like a star?”
“Yah, sure. If you ever catch one, I’ll take it.”
She smirked looking at him.  Even in her anger at her father she couldn’t help but admire his beauty and corny charm.  In the light of the moon and stars he seemed to glow with a soft light. 
“Choose one.”
“What?”
“Choose a star.”
Looking up at the sky, Chenoa looked at them all.
“That one. The second one from the moon.”
She pointed up at a star that shone with six points.  It was bright, but not the brightest.  Draco looked at her and smiled an odd smile.
“Are you sure that you want that star?”
“Yah.”
Nodding Draco reach up towards the sky with his right hand.  He muttered some indistinctive words and placed his thumb and pointer finger above and bellow the star. Chenoa laughed thinking that he was being silly when he pulled his hand back towards himself.  There was a pop sound and he closed his hand.
Bring his hand down to Chenoa, Draco smiled a wonderful smile and said, “Your star, my lady.”
Opening his hand slowly, Draco revealed a tiny beautiful star. It glittered and twinkled in his hand. The star could have been no bigger than her thumb’s nail and yet it shone so brightly in Draco’s hand. Gasping Chenoa looked up at the sky and saw only a blank spot where the star used to be.  Quickly looking back down at the star in Draco’s hand, Chenoa couldn’t believe what she was seeing. 
“It…I…how…,” she stammered.  “It can’t be real.”
“Why can’t it be?” Draco smiled.
“A person can’t just reach up in the sky and pluck a star from it.”
“You’re right a person can’t.”
“So it’s not real.  It was just some magic trick of yours.”
“No, it’s real, but it was some kind of magic, just not a trick.”
Chenoa looked at him as if he was crazy.
“If you don’t believe me hold it.”
Draco took Chenoa’s right hand and opened it.  Then he lightly shook the star into her hand. It lay there solid and real with a slight heat coming off of it.
“It’s our star,” Draco whispered in Chenoa’s ear. “My gift to you for you to keep.”
Chenoa, with her left pointer finger, reached down to touch the star.  Her finger tip hit two of the points and she yelped in pain as the points cut into her finger.  She pulled her finger away and the two points broke from the star and stuck in her finger.  It hurt and burned a little.  Chenoa’s eyes watered and she started shaking her finger in the air.
“Ouch,” she whimpered sucking on her finger.
“Don’t do that,” Draco chuckled and he took her finger out of her mouth.  “Let me help you.”
Carefully he looked at the cut and then he diligently took the two shards out.  Blowing on her cuts, he kissed her finger and looked up at her.
“All better,” he teased.
“Uh, thank you,” she mumbled embarrassed.
“No problem. What shall we do with the shards?”
“Uh…I don’t know.”
“I have an idea. Give me your right hand.”
Chenoa carefully put the star in her left hand and Draco took her right one.  Laying the palm face up, he kissed one of the shards and placed it in the middle of her palm. Placing his thumb over the shard he lightly pressed it into her palm.  Draco started muttering words again and Chenoa gasped as she felt a slight prickling in her palm and his thumb lowered.  He lifted his thumb and she could see the star shard disappear in her hand.
“What did you do?” she gasped as she watched him do the same thing to his right hand.
“Watch,” he grinned taking her hand and placing it flat against his.
At first nothing happened.  Then slowly a light started to shine between their palms.  It grew brighter and brighter till it shone as if they were holding a star between them.
“Oooh!” Chenoa squeaked in surprise and awe.
The light faded and Chenoa looked at Draco.  What was going on?
“What shall we do with the rest of the star?” Draco asked her never taking his eyes off of hers.
“Uh…I don’t know. Put it back, I guess.  I mean isn’t that where a star should be?  In the sky?”
“True.  So that’s where I’ll put it for now. Maybe one day I’ll make it into a ring for you.”
“A ring for me?”
“Yes.  It would make a beautiful ring.”
“Oh, yes.  It would.”
Draco took the star and raised it up to the sky.  Placing it back in the same spot as he found it, Draco twisted it around as if screwing it back into place.
“There,” he beamed moving his hand.
The star shone as brightly as before, but with two missing pieces.
“Now the star and us are connected,” Draco told Chenoa.
“How did you do that?  How did you do all of this? I am dreaming or is it all an illusion?”
“No, you’re not dreaming.  It’s all real.”
“Then how? I have never seen a person do something like this.”
“You never will see a person do something like that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not a person.”
“What are you?”
“I am a Nonelement.”
“A what?”
Draco laughed coyly.
“Don’t worry.  You’ll find out soon enough.”
“What do you mean?”
“You will see.”
“What does that mean?”
Looking at Chenoa, Draco touched her cheek gently.
“You are amazing, Chenoa,” he whispered.  “You have so many great things lying ahead of you.  You are full of a power you can not understand.”
“What do you mean?” Chenoa inquired starting to feel frustrated.
Draco looked towards the far fields and watched them for a moment.  Turning back to Chenoa he grabbed her right hand in his and held it so that the stars in their palms warmed.  Leaning in Draco kissed her gently on the lips.  It was lingering as if they had just brushed.  He moved his lips to her ear and whispered, “Happy Birthday, Chenoa, my dear.”



6.
Chenoa closed her eyes and a small shiver ran down her spine.  Her palm ached and grew hotter then she opened her eyes and started. Draco was gone.  He had simply vanished. Looking around she was confused.
Had she fallen asleep?  Was she hallucinating?
A slight glow caught her attention and she saw the shard in her palm.  It had to have been real.  Yet what was going on?
“Chenoa?” a voice said sounding like silver bells tinkling.
Starting Chenoa looked up and nearly fell down in surprise.  A pure white horse was standing in front of her.  Yet this horse what not a horse but a…a…unicorn.
“Chenoa, that is you? Isn’t it?” the creature asked staring at her with steady pale blue eyes.
“Yes,” she stammered.
“It is good to finally see you again,” the creature nodded seemingly pleased.  “It has been a long time and you have grown much.”
“I have?”
“Yes.  But of course you would not remember me.  I am Moon Star and I am here to guide you.”
“Guide me?”
“Yes.”
“Guide me where?”
Moon Star looked at her puzzled for a moment then walking closer he looked her in the eyes and studied her.
“You have no knowledge of what is to come, do you?” he sighed with disappointment visible.
“No.  I have no idea what’s going on.”
“As I feared.”
Moon Star lowered his head and touched her head with his horn.  A shock wave rolled over her and Chenoa found herself unable to move.  Images flashed in her mind.  Words, voices, pictures all flooded her vision and senses. Within a few seconds he pulled back shaking his head.  Only two words stuck out in her mind.  Magic.  Dragon.
“What was that?”
“That was a quick idea of what is to come.”
“I don’t understand.”
“And you won’t.”
“What’s going on?”
“Chenoa, I am here to guide you for I promised you as a babe I would.”
“Guide for or to what?”
“Guide you in your lessons of magic and to your dragon.”
Chenoa stood stunned.  This night was going in an unbelievable direction.  This couldn’t be happening.
“Magic?  Dragon?”
“Yes.”
“I am a witch?”
“In layman terms yes but that word is so over used and so widely directed it is not the word I would use.”
“What would you call me than?”
“I would call you a Spellbinder.”
“Oh.  And what do you mean I have a dragon?”
“She technically doesn’t belong to you. For her own protection she was sealed away and she needs to be freed to help with your training.”
“Where is she?”
“I can not tell you.”
“How can I find her if you don’t tell me where she is?”
“I cannot tell you for I do not know. I must tell you I have searched for years for her, but I have been unable to discover her place of captivity.”
“How am I to find her than?”
“I do not know.  When this was all planned I was not informed of many details.”
Moon Star started pacing in agitation and worry as he looked at the sky.  He was absorbed in thoughts and every once and while he would shake his glorious mane.
“Planned? This was all planned?  By who?  When?”
“It was planned when your mother died by your mother.”
“My mother. My mother knew about you…about my dragon…all of this.”
“Both your parents did.  I mean it was expected that you would inherit the magic.  It is in your blood and the prophecies foretold it.”
“Prophecies?  I’m in prophecies?”
“I see your father has stuck by his word of keeping you naïve.  He is a fool.”
“My father?  I’m so lost!  This makes no sense.  What is going on?”
“I will explain better, but we must find her.”
“I don’t even know what I’m looking for!”
“I told you what you are looking for!  Your dragon!”
“I don’t have a dragon!  I’m not even sure that you’re real!  I could be having a bizarre dream or something.  I mean that would seem to be the reasonable explanation between Draco giving me a star and kissing me and a unicorn coming and telling me that I’m a Spellbinder and that I have a dragon!”
He stopped dead in his tracks and looked directly at Chenoa.
“Draco was here?”
“Yah, he’s been here for two days.  My father and I got in a fight and I ran out here.  Draco came and comforted me.  He gave me a star and then disappeared.”
“He gave you a star?”
“What are you a parrot now too?  Yah, he gave me a star but he put it back.  Of course that was after I broke two of its points.”
“What?  What did he do to the shards?”
“He put one in my right palm and the other in his.”
“Damn!”
The unicorn quickly moved close to Chenoa and nudged her right hand.
“Show me your palm.”
Unsure of what was going on Chenoa opened her palm and Moon Star snorted in anger.
“Damn!” he cursed.  “Why did you let him do that?”
“What do you mean?”
“Damn!  He should have known better.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Hold you palm still.  I’m going to remove it.”
“What?”
“Just do as I say!”
Holding her hand as still as possible Chenoa watched the unicorn place its long horn against her palm.  The tip rested on the spot above the shard and it started to glow.  Warmth and light spread from the horn through her hand and Chenoa watched as Moon Star slowly raised his horn, drawing the shard out.  Suddenly a shot of pain radiated through Chenoa’s hand.  She yelled as lightning struck out from her palm and into Moon Stars horn.  He yelped and stumbled backwards.  The pain receded as the shard moved back to its original place.
“Draco!” Moon Star yelled into the night air.
“What just happened?” Chenoa quivered now scared.
“He has made it so that shard will never come out.  No magic in the world can remove it.”
“Is that bad?  Why would he do that?”
Moon Star just ignored her though and started pacing.  He muttered to himself and tossed his head around angrily.
“Because he is selfish.  All we can do now is find your dragon.  We don’t have much more time before the sun rises.”
“But I still don’t understand how.”
“You must use your senses.  You are a Spellbinder!  You have enhanced abilities and senses.”
“Don’t you at least have a clue?”
“When the spell was placed there was a rhythm spoken before it was complete.”
“What was it?”
“It went something like this:

Aged with wisdom and grace
She is in a hidden place
One that dances but never moves
Swaying ever so slightly on planted roots
Weeping till her hiding place
Is discovered by her saving grace

“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know.  It was meant for you to decipher.”
“Well this sucks! I’m terrible at riddles.  Why couldn’t have been math or history?”
Chenoa stood and started to pace.  Even if this was just a dream she had to at least try to go with it.  Now where would a dragon be?  Dragons were big so she had to be somewhere that would hold her. 
“It sounds like a plant but plants don’t weep,” Chenoa sighed resting against the Willow.
“That is what I thought too and what plant is large enough for a dragon?” Moon Star pondered.
Chenoa started playing with the chain around her neck.  She rubbed the smooth wood that the chain held out of a nervous habit. Her thumb comfortably found the indent that she had made over the years and slid back and forth in the grove.
“Chenoa, what is that?” Moon Star inquired moving closer.
“What?” Chenoa started.
“That.  The thing you’re rubbing.”
“Oh…this?  It’s a piece of wood my dad gave me at my mom’s funeral.  It’s a piece of the Willow.  My mom had carried it around for good luck or least that’s what my dad said.”
“It’s a piece of the Willow?”
“Ya, that’s what I was told.”
“Chenoa, what is the name of Willows?”
“What?”
“What do humans call willows usually?  I mean is its full name?”
“They are called Weeping…Willows.  Oh my god!  It’s a Weeping Willow!”

7.
“Dances with planted roots while she weeps,” Moon Star exclaimed excitedly.  “It’s so obvious!”
“So the dragon is in the Willow?” Chenoa gasped placing her hands against the Willow in awe.
“Or she is the willow.”
“If we are right, how do we get her out?”
“I don’t know. Let’s look the whole thing over.”
Slowly they both started moving around the Willow.  Chenoa dragged her hands around the trunk as her eyes searched the bark.  For at least an hour they searched to no prevail.  Quickly losing interest Chenoa found herself falling asleep.  Closing her eyes to rest, Chenoa’s hand slid over the bark for the millionth time.  Yet when she closed her eyes Chenoa saw a light.
Opening her eyes quickly Chenoa looked at where she thought she had seen the light.  There was nothing.  Biting her lip Chenoa closed them again and she saw the light again.  It was coming from a tiny cut in the tree.  Keeping her eyes closed Chenoa moved her way over to it.
Placing her hand above the light, Chenoa felt a slight wind coming from it.  It was warm and gentle feeling and Chenoa smiled slightly.  A soft voice seemed to suddenly be coming from it.
“Chenoa,” the voice cried.  “Chenoa, free her.  Chenoa, you must free her.  Make me whole again, Chenoa.  Make me whole.”
The voice was soft and sweet but it made Chenoa shiver.  There was something about it that was creepy and made her uncomfortable. Instinctively Chenoa grabbed her wood fragment and rubbed it.  With her eyes still closed Chenoa wondered what the voice meant when she stopped.  The wood fragment was from the tree.  The tree wanted to be whole again. Taking the chain off Chenoa lifted it to the light.  She slid the fragment into the light and it fit perfectly. 
There was a sudden rumble as the earth shook beneath Chenoa.  Her eyes snapped open as she fell backwards.  She scrambled away from the tree as a loud roaring howl reached her ears.  The Willow shook and its branches waved in a sudden violent wind.  Moon Star galloped over to Chenoa, terrified.
“What did you do?” he cried his voice muffled by the wind as Chenoa stood on shaky legs.
“I made the tree whole again,” she shouted back. 
“What?”
“It told me to make it whole so I put the necklace piece back in the hole.”
“It told you?”
“Yah!”
There was a sudden blast of wind and Chenoa was knocked back to the ground.  Moon Star yelped in surprise as he too fell a few feet away.  The bark on the tree seemed to be moving, writhing on the tree.  A shiver ran down Chenoa’s spine as she watched the bark seem to pull from the tree.  A giant claw touched the ground as a dragon came out of the tree.


The wind stopped and the tree grew still.  Chenoa stared in silence, stunned at what stood before her.  A huge dragon that was as large and tall as the Willow stood proudly in front of Chenoa.  It was brilliant shades of blue and green with hues of purple splashed in.  Massive claws reached from its feet, gleaming threatening silver.  Its tail was as long as it body and it swayed like a passive snake.  The head that rested on a long powerful neck was almost as big as Chenoa and when the dragon yawned immense white fangs were exposed.  The dragon stretched, muscles rippling down its body.  Then it looked up at Chenoa, seemingly smiling. 
Chenoa stared back into magnificent eyes.  They were made of almost every color imaginable.  Swirls of pinks, greens, reds, blues and oranges shone brightly from the dragon’s eyes and they reminded Chenoa of galaxies she had seen in science class.
“Hello Chenoa,” the large dragon purred, its voice shaking the ground. “You have grown much since I last saw you.”
“I…I…,” Chenoa stammered unable to speak.
“I am Galaxy,” the beast continued laughing slightly at Chenoa’s confusion. “Thank you for finding me.”
“Uh…you’re welcome,” Chenoa managed to say.
“It’s been a long time since I have been able to move freely.”
“Galaxy,” Moon Star interrupted timidly.
“Moon Star!” Galaxy exclaimed with delight, her eyes brightening.  “How good to see you!”
“It has been too long,” Moon Star nodded sadly. “I have been searching for you for years.  I am sorry I could not find you.”
“You were not supposed to,” Galaxy chuckled.  “But that doesn’t matter now.  Now it is time for Chenoa to learn to control her abilities.  Oh, you must tell what you have learned to do already so we won’t repeat. How has…”
“Galaxy,” Moon Star sighed interrupting his friend. “Chenoa knows nothing of what is going on.  She has never learned of her abilities.”
Galaxy turned her head sharply and stared at Moon Star. 
“What?” she growled her eyes darkening. “Nothing?”
“Nothing.  It is as we feared.  Her father has refused to let her learn.”
“That stubborn fool of a man! How could he be so selfish?”
“I’m sure he had his reasons,” Chenoa interjected hotly, feeling herself bristle at the attack on her father.
“His reasons were purely selfish.  He has always acted in such ways.  Well, we might as well start from the beginning,” Galaxy shook her head.  “Have you noticed any of your abilities perhaps?”
“Whenever I wished for things to happen they usually did. Like I wished school would be canceled for the past two days and it was.  I wished Chris Downy would lose his homework and he did.  And I think I levitated in my sleep.”
“Levitation is normal and so are small wishes. The school one must have been just because it was so close to your birthday….hmmm…well lets see what you can do.”
Galaxy looked around while her snake like tongue licked her scaly lips.  Finally her eyes rested on a leaf that was a few feet away.
“Call the leaf to you,” she instructed.
“How?” Chenoa inquired bewildered.
“Just concentrate on it and will it to come to you.”
Nodding Chenoa looked at the leaf and concentrated hard on it. 
“Move,” she thought.  “Come to me!”
Nothing. 
“Concentrate on having it float to you as if you had it on a string,” suggested Galaxy.
Again Chenoa nodded and stared at the leaf.  With all of her might she willed it to move closer, to even just flutter.  Suddenly the leaf shot at her, hitting Chenoa in the face.  Shrieking in surprise, Chenoa stumbled back and clawed at the leaf.
“Too much power,” Galaxy laughed. “You need to relax.  Magic is easiest when you just let it flow.
“You wouldn’t be relaxed either if you had the night I had,” grumbled Chenoa tossing the leaf to the ground.
“Now try and make that stick come to you and remember relax.”
Chenoa shook her hair out of her face and let out a sigh. Concentrating on the stick, she tried to relax.  Yet she kept imaging that the stick would either not move at all or just smack her in the face. 
“Don’t fear it,” Galaxy sighed. “If you feel fear, you will have no control.”
Starting Chenoa glanced at the dragon and then back at the stick.  Taking a deep breath, Chenoa tried to stay calm and keep her mind blank.  Then it happened. The stick started to wobble then slowly it lifted off the ground.  Flying through the air, the stick stopped a few inches from Chenoa’s face.  Letting out a gasp, Chenoa blinked, and the stick hit the ground with a thud. 
“Good that was the easy part,” Galaxy laughed.  “But we have all day to go over the basics.”
“All day?” Chenoa half gasped, half moaned.
“Yes,” Galaxy smiled broadly showing her massive teeth.  “You may be starting late, but you will learn.”
With that the day began as the sun peeked from behind velvety sky.

8.
Galaxy worked Chenoa hard all day.  The spells and commands that the dragon called “the basics” were extremely difficult for Chenoa.  Much of the time she got frustrated, and sometimes even set things on fire by accident.  When this would happen, Moon Star would jump on the flames and stamp them out. 
Even as Chenoa started to perform the feats, she still could not believe what was happening.  She was learning and performing magic.  It just seemed too unreal.  The day before she had been a normal girl and now she was a Spellbinder! 
Spellbinder.  Chenoa liked how the name sounded. It was more mystical than witch, and it seemed to hold a certain prestige to it.  The idea that she possessed magic made her feel stronger, more powerful, and, most of all, more important.
As she learned simple vanishing spells and summoning chants, Chenoa thought of all the ways she could use her powers.  Oh, the revenge she could perform.  Chris Downy, Pam Richardson and all of them would feel her wrath!
Chenoa smiled vindictively as she thought of making Pam’s perfect nose disappear or Chris’s food turn to worms.  Her thoughts must have been apparent for Moon Star spoke suddenly.
“Chenoa, you must remember that these are gifts and should only be used with the greatest of care.  Magic is not to be toyed with.  It is very dangerous even when used by a well-trained Spellbinder,” he lectured.
“Well,” Chenoa started, “I was just thinking of, you know, getting back at some people.  I mean they really deserve it!”
“I’m sure they do, but you cannot use your powers in that way.  You don’t know the extent of your powers or the effects they may have.”
“Yah, but one little trick won’t hurt.  I mean I subconsciously have been doing it for years, right?”
“No.  Absolutely not.  Those before were wishes, which may or may not be granted, while spells, chants, curses, illusions are quite different.  They come from the energy given off by the spirits.”
“The spirits?”
“They are the source of all magic.  They are wild and so is their energy.”
“Hmmm, fine.  Whatever.  I won’t get anyone back.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
“Good. Now, let’s get back to work.”
Chenoa, Moon Star and Galaxy worked for hours more until the sun started to set.  When the light started to cast long shadows on the ground Galaxy let out a yawn that shook the ground and decided that they should call it a night.
“Moon Star will stay at the house with you,” Galaxy informed Chenoa. “While I shall sleep here.”
“Where?” Chenoa questioned looking around at the field.
“Here,” Galaxy beamed placing her muzzle against the Willow.
Suddenly there was a loud creaking sound and a door opened at the base of the Willow.  It was wide enough for a giant to slip through and led to a flight of stairs.
“Wow,” Chenoa said stunned.
“I’ll show you around sometime soon, but for now it is bed time. You have school in the morning.  And don’t think it will be canceled again.  That was a one time freak accident,” Galaxy purred. “Now good night and sweet dreams, little dove.”
Galaxy nuzzled Chenoa and then climbed out of sight into the Willow. Moon Star then turned and called Chenoa to come.  Silently they walked back to the house, both exhausted from the long day.
“I’m so tired,” Chenoa yawned as she entered her silent house. Papa Bear was already asleep. “So much is going on.  I feel like I could just sleep and never wake up.”
“A pleasant thought,” Moon Star grinned his eyes half closed. “But morning always comes.” 


9.
         As Moon Star predicted morning did come and it was soon time for Chenoa to enter the real world again.  It was with a reluctant and yet renewed heart that Chenoa dressed and headed downstairs to the kitchen.
         Her father was already there, sitting at the table drinking his coffee.  He did not look up at her as she came down and acted as if he was too interested in his paper to heed her presence.  It was in a tense silence that they ate breakfast and cleaned up the dishes.  Chenoa felt no urge to talk to her father, who she felt had betrayed her as much as he felt she betrayed him.
         Without even a word goodbye Chenoa left the house, slamming the door a little as she closed it.  Briskly she made her way to the bus stop and found herself there ten minutes early.
         Tapping her feet and bouncing around a little Chenoa waited for the bus impatiently.
         “Chenny?” a voice cooed and Chenoa saw Matt across the street from her.
         She jumped a little at his sight for she had been so deep in thought she hadn’t even notice him walk up.  Matt had a bad habit or rather an unusual habit of just popping up places unexpectedly.
         “Hey Matt,” she smiled warmly in a very pleasant mood for so early in the day.
         “How are ya?”
         “I’m great, awesome in fact.”
         “That’s wonderful.
         “Uh huh. What are you doing here so early?”
         “I was in da fields and I saw ya standing here alone. I thought I’d keep ya company.”
         “Ah, well thanks.  You’re too sweet to me.”          
         Chenoa reminded herself to ask Star or Galaxy if there was maybe some spells she could do for good to reward people like Matt for their kindness.
         “Ya’re a good person,” Matt said with a sudden lack of emotion as if he knew what she was thinking.  “I hope ya don’t waste your kindness on people who don’t really deserve it.”
         “I try not to,” she laughed as he came over and stood next to her.  “Isn’t the day just beautiful?  I mean I never really pay attention to how beautiful it can be so early in the morning.  The birds are singing their hearts out and the grass is covered with fresh dew. It’s wonderful.”
         “Ya seem to have had a good weekend.”
         “I’m older now so I have a better perspective on life.”
         “Oh yes, ya birthday was over the weekend.  I hope it was fun. I will have to get ya a present.”
         “Matt, you don’t have to do that.  It wasn’t exactly fun but it was uh…life changing.”
         Chenoa stared behind her, seeing the Willow in the far distance.  For a second she thought she saw a flash of purple but it may have been a trick of the light.  As she watched the fields peacefully, Matt watched her, his eyes staring with an odd intensity.
         There was a sudden rumbling that brought Chenoa back to the road and Matt’s eyes back to their usual humble look.
         “Tshere’s the bus,” Chenoa beamed looking down the road as the metal junk car made its way up to her. “Thanks for waiting with me.”
         Chenoa gave Matt a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.  Matt blushed with true embarrassment and hugged her back. 
         “Anytime, Chenny,” he whispered his eyes tenderly watching her as she picked up her backpack. “I would wait for you for forever.”
         
         The bus ride seemed very short to Chenoa and before she knew it, Chenoa was in her first class.  It seemed to her for the rest of the day passed the same way; one moment she was taking Math notes and the next she was on the bus back home.
         At home Papa Bear was still not speaking to her and she would not speak to him.  Chenoa quickly finished her school work then ran outside to where Galaxy and Moon Star were waiting.
         “We shall continue your lessons every day after school, rain or shine,” Galaxy told Chenoa sternly.  “You have a great deal to catch up on and not the greatest amount of time.”
         “Why?” Chenoa asked perplexed.
         “There have been disturbances in the other world.  There are rumors of a force returning.”
         “What force?”          
         “No one really knows but I have heard that No Man’s Castle has been awakened and someone now resides in it.”
         “No Man’s Castle?”
         “It is an ancient place that was long ago abandoned after the last Ancients left the lands. It holds tremendous power and a slight evil aura.”
         “A place can hold power?”
         “Oh yes!  Everything that you do is thanks to the lands around you. Every stone, building, tree acts like an amp for your magic.”
         “Oh….What are the Ancients?”          
         “The Ancients are the founders of magic…not the founders really, but the truest users of magic.  They spoke the language of it, and learned to master it so completely that it is said that even the weakest of them could create or destroy a world. One named Onatah actually created the other world when she saw that magic was not safe in this one. ”
         “What happened to them?”
         “No one really knows.  Most of them were believed to be immortal and yet they all disappeared.”
         “Oh.”
         “We’ll learn more about them later.  First you must learn the basics then the history!”