It was a hot autumn day. That was quite unusual on the island of Kalkha. The typical weather on this remote islet was mostly wet and dreary. Especially in the autumn months, mist rolled over the hills as if all the clouds had fallen from the sky in exhaustion and had no desire to rise again. Sometimes they formed long, tattered strips like torn fabric, and other times they were fluffy puffs, like little lambs. The few visitors who came to the island might have found it enchanting at first, but the dampness soon drove them away to warmer places. The locals, however, had grown accustomed to the fog. Some might even say they took pride in it—at least, most of them did.
On the hillside lay a girl. Her bronze hair intertwined with the blades of grass like a tapestry. Her eyes were closed. She was resting but wasn't asleep—on the contrary, she was keenly aware of the sun's rays warming her pale skin. She was one of those inhabitants who never quite got used to the damp climate. She had no choice but to endure it, but the warmth on her skin brought her immense joy. It was one of the few things that did.
Suddenly, something cast a shadow over her. A small bell jingled above her. With a deep sigh, she opened her eyes. A sheep was standing over her, chewing grass absentmindedly and staring at her. At first, she considered simply rolling away a little, but then she realized she should head home anyway. She still had work to do. She grumbled in frustration, got up, and brushed the grass off her skirt. Gently, she nudged the sheep aside—it had been standing on her hat. She straightened the brim, placed it on her head, grabbed her staff and a satchel full of herbs, and set off down the rocky path.
After nearly an hour of walking, she was greeted by a small stone cottage on the hillside. Smoke still rose from the chimney. The sun had disappeared behind a large cloud, and the air had grown cooler, so she was glad to return to the cozy warmth of her home. She set aside her shawl and briefly warmed herself by the fireplace before putting water on to boil and beginning to chop the freshly picked herbs. She had barely begun her monotonous task when a knock on the door interrupted her. She frowned and made her way to the entrance.
Strange, I haven't had a visitor in a long time. Who could it be?
The oak door creaked softly as it opened. Standing on the doorstep was a small girl, perhaps twelve years old. She wore simple clothes and had a short cloak fastened with an ornate clasp draped over her shoulders. A smudged red scarf was tied around her neck. But the truly remarkable thing about her was the large, pointed hat with an enormous brim. Her face beamed with a warm smile, and her eyes were the color of a clear blue sky. Her hair was short, pinned to the right side of her head. She clutched a long staff in her hands, gripping it a little too tightly, as if she were nervous.
"Good day! If you are Witch Mnou, then I am your new apprentice. My name is Esme!" the girl blurted out, as if afraid she would forget her words if she didn't say them quickly.
Mnou simply stared at her in shock, unable to speak. In the end, she managed to say nothing better than—"Excuse me?"
"If you are Witch Mnou, then—" Esme began again, but the woman in the doorway cut her off sharply.
"I heard you the first time, but what is this about?"
"I was told to find witch Mnou on the island of Kalkha. Are you witch Mnou?" The girl's voice wavered slightly with uncertainty.
"Yes, I am, but I have no idea why you should be my apprentice. If this is some kind of joke, it's not a very good one. I don't know who sent you, and I don't care, but you can tell them I have absolutely no interest in taking on an apprentice." Mnou didn't even wait for a response; she immediately began to shut the door in the girl's face.
A desperate voice called out, "Professor Axel send me!"
At that moment, the door stopped. A sliver of light spilled onto the dusty carpet, just as memories of the mentioned person flooded Mnou's mind. Her face froze in shock. Professor Axel?! That was a name she hadn't heard in a long time. Forgotten memories, ones she thought she had buried long ago, resurfaced. They were like an old wound that had never fully healed, now flaring up once more.
"Professor Axel from the Ashkantt Academy of Witchcraft?" Mnou asked, even though she already knew the answer.
"Yes!" said the anxious voice from behind the half-closed door. "I even have a letter for you from her!"
The door opened fully, revealing Esme, who clutched a crumpled roll of parchment. A golden seal, imprinted with the image of a winged doe—the emblem of Ashkantt Academy—gleamed in the dim light. The girl looked like she was holding back tears.
"Come in," Mnou said with a deep sigh. In an instant, Esme shook off her tears and stepped inside with a bright smile. For a moment, Mnou wondered if her visitor had been faking it, but something told her she hadn't. Still, she had only let her in because of curiosity—curiosity about the contents of that letter, rather than for the girl herself.
Mnou placed a kettle of cold mint tea from the previous day on the table, along with a cracked cup, and let Esme help herself. The older witch took the letter and stepped into the dim corner of the room. With a quiet snap, she broke the golden wax, splitting the winged doe in two. Impatiently, she unrolled the parchment and began to read.
Dear Mnou,
I hope you are doing well. It has been a while since we last saw each other. If you're wondering, I'm doing great. But I suppose you don't really care about that. I can imagine you're quite confused right now. Maybe even angry at me, and if you are, I don't blame you. But please, hear me out.
I know this is very sudden, but it is important that you take Esme as your apprentice. For both of you. Don't worry, you won't have to teach her the basics—she already learned those at the academy. In fact, she was one of the top students in her class. She's very talented and truly adorable! I know you might not feel ready to become a mentor, but everyone feels that way before trying something new. You'll never know what you're capable of until you try. And I believe you'll handle this just fine.
One more thing—don't be fooled by Esme's carefree smile. She has been through far too much for her age. Try to give her the home she has always longed for. And if you won't do it for her, then do it for me. That's the only thing I ask in return.
Professor Axel
Mnou stared at the letter in disbelief. What the hell is she thinking? I haven't heard from her in years, and now she just sends me this? Why me? There must be plenty of better candidates to become a mentor. What on earth got into her? These thoughts ran through her mind as she absentmindedly stared at Esme, who was enjoying her second cup of mint tea. The girl noticed her gaze.
"Is something wrong?" she blurted out in alarm. "D-Do I have something in my hair? Or on my face?" She panicked, frantically smoothing her hair, only making it look even more dishevelled.
"No, I just… don't know what to do with you," Mnou sighed.
Esme visibly wilted. She stared into her teacup as if looking for answers, but all she found was her own swirling reflection, mirroring her sorrowful expression. Her small hands clutched the porcelain cup nervously.
"If you really don't want me here, then… then I can leave," she stammered. "I don't want to be a burden. I'm sorry for bothering you." She tugged her hat down to cover her face, grabbed her staff, and turned toward the door, her head hanging low.
Mnou couldn't bear to watch her. "Wait!" she called out. "Don't go. We'll figure something out."
Esme turned back, her eyes lighting up with joy. "Really? Thank you!"
Mnou merely sighed in resignation and nodded.
The newly appointed mentor proceeded to show Esme around her modest home. But there wasn't much to see. It was a small stone cottage consisting of a single room and an attic. It was cluttered with all sorts of clutter—gardening tools, books, flasks, and dried herbs hanging from the low ceiling.
As Esme eagerly examined everything, Mnou noticed just how dusty and worn-down the place truly was. Living alone, she had never paid much attention to cleaning. Then an idea struck her—an immediate way to put her new housemate to the test.
"You know what? I have an idea. How about you show me your magic? Professor Axel spoke very highly of you in her letter. Let's see what you can do. Try to clen this room," Mnou challenged her with a sly smirk.
"I'd love to!" Esme stepped into the center of the room and closed her eyes. She struck her staff against the creaky wooden floor. Instantly, all the shutters burst open with a dramatic bang, allowing the northern wind to rush in uninvited. The gust sent clouds of dust swirling into the air and out into the autumn sunlight. Esme struck her staff again. Every speck of dust in the cottage lifted a few inches off its original place, hovering motionless like soldiers at attention. With a third strike, the dust spiraled through the room in elegant currents, sweeping past every piece of furniture and both witches before vanishing outside. It was quite an impressive sight. Before she could strike a fourth time, Mnou gracefully tapped her own staff against the floor, and the shutters shut themselves with a soft click.
"It could use some refining, but good job. Looks like the professor wasn't just flattering you," Mnou admitted. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She had hoped the girl would embarrass herself completely and scurry back to Ashkantt with tail between her legs. Instead, she had performed brilliantly.
"Thank you!" Esme beamed. Her cheeks flushing slightly.
So, she really is skilled with magic. In that case, I'll have to approach this differently.
As Mnou tossed the pillows off the bed (which had long served as a couch but now needed to return to its original function), she casually added, "You should know something—I won't be giving you long-winded lectures like at the academy. No essays or any of that nonsense. This isn't a city full of fancy wizards. Around here, things need to be a little more… practical. Which brings me to your first task."
"Yes?" Esme prompted eagerly, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"You can go milk the sheep."
"On it!" The girl saluted and dashed off to complete her assignment.
Mnou just stared after her in disbelief. Wow, I didn't expect such enthusiasm. When I had to milk a sheep for the first time, I really didn't want to do it. Actually, I still don't want to.
She smirked. Just wait. I'll give her a few more of these tedious chores, and she'll be begging to go back to the academy's comforts.
Feeling quite satisfied with her plan, she was already forming her next steps when suddenly, she froze.
Wait… does she even know how—
Esme burst back into the cottage with a loud crash. Her face was set in a serious, almost grave expression, like a messenger delivering news of an impending war.
"Master! Small problem! I have absolutely no idea how to milk a sheep!"
Mnou didn't even bother reacting with surprise. She simply let out a weary sigh and motioned for Esme to follow her.
The milking—and every other task Mnou assigned her—went off without a hitch. Much to her horror, she soon realized that her apprentice seemed to enjoy all of it.
It was becoming clear—getting rid of Esme wasn't going to be so easy.