PlayerOliver

When you were a kid, you lived with your grandmother in the small town of Silvertree, on the edge of a magical forest. Grandma is a witch, and she taught you how to use your magic to affect the natural world, too. “Magic is a part of you,” she always told you. “Learning how to use it means figuring out who you are.”

Now you’re 19 and on your own. After years of living in the forest while you perfected your witchcraft, you’ve returned to take care of your grandmother’s house and crow-familiar while she’s gone. Figuring out who you are feels more important than ever - not to mention, figuring out what Silvertree is. A lot is just as you remembered: the friendly generous next-door neighbors with a kid just your age, the proud town council, the quaint little shops with quirky punny names, the gentle shadowy forest full of magic.

Stone in the shoe

You nod. Zoe raises her eyebrows, once again surprised.


"That's strange—I didn't notice anything earlier," she says. "You must have really sneaked in! You're like a moving wizard."


You laugh a little too forcefully and try to move on quickly from that subject.


"So, I guess this means we're neighbors now?" you say.


"Yeah, it does!" Zoe takes a moment to swallow the last of her donut before she goes on. "That reminds me—sometimes I'll invite a few people over for little get-togethers, just a way of winding down at the end of the week. I'm having a few people over tomorrow evening, in fact, so you could always come over if you're interested. Sometimes it's just coffee and cakes, sometimes I'll give a class on gardening or flower arranging. I own the flower shop in town, see. I know your grandma liked gardening—she grew anything and everything, if I remember right. Are you interested in plants at all?"


You get the feeling that Zoe is rambling slightly in an effort to find something to talk about. Obviously this sort of thing doesn't come as easily to her as it does to Maxie, but she's definitely trying her best.


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