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 pause, trying to get your thoughts in order, before you decide that whatever you tell Zoe isn't really even a lie because you don't know where your grandma is. Even so, you decide not to go into too much detail with the story, both so you can keep it straight in your head and also because you don't want to lie for the sake of lying. It's simply a matter of necessity, to keep you and Grandma safe.


Zoe notices you fall silent and sets down the flower vase in anticipation of a somewhat private conversation.


"Sorry, Huknock, I didn't mean to pry," she says in a lower-than-normal voice. You shake your head.


"It's all right—I just wasn't sure how much I should say. My grandma is coming back to town, and she sent me ahead so I could get the house ready. But I think the reason she's taking some time is that she's nervous about coming back. She's never been too good around people, and she's worried that people won't accept her after so long. I think she just needs some time on her own. And—I understand. I'm not a kid anymore, so she trusts me to be on my own. I'm just trying to make the best of the situation while she's gone."


Zoe nods, seeming to understand. You can tell she probably has a few more questions, but she doesn't ask them, seeing that you're already a little reluctant to say anything. Instead she just gives you a reassuring pat on the shoulder. You appreciate it—especially since, by the end, you weren't really lying at all. It feels genuinely comforting that someone like Zoe is willing to look out for you.


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