16

"I think this is a good spot," it said—an invisible echo, followed by the crunching of footsteps on leaves. "We can start with this whole area."

Crunch…crunch…crunch.

"Hopefully we'll get what we need."

Next.

One of the first things your grandmother taught you when you came to live in the forest was that even Witches don't really understand magic. She may not have said those exact words, but that's what she meant, that learning magic is about trying to understand it. In the same way, places that are rich in magic are often too powerful for you to comprehend, and Grandma taught you to always respect that place's power.

She never told you what to do when someone comes to tear that place down.

Of course, when you heard that voice, the first thing you felt was: