The Tangle the sacred smoke of juniper, and mugwort purifies the air

Heda offered to hold them all until they reached their destination, at which time Mireille and her brother could stash them on the beach. Druid nodded, handing over her own amulet, her impatience giving over to excitement as they finally made their way to the seaside.

She forgot all about the amulets and, indeed, Sobo, as she frolicked toward the surf alongside her sisters and Mireille. Druid didn’t even spare him a glance as he retreated into the background, nor did she notice it when he vanished into the trees. The beach and her company captured all of her attention, enchanted her with its delights.

Look at this, she said to Heda, approaching a rather large tangle of driftwood. They spent many minutes thrusting their snouts among the snarled branches, studying the pale wood bleached by sea salt and sunlight. There were pores in some of it, as well as signs of the gribbles and shipworms which had plied the blanched timber.

Witch came to them with a shard of sea glass in her teeth. Only then did Druid suddenly remember Sobo and his amulets. She saw Mireille nearby, yet no sign of the boy. Druid smiled at her friend, sidling closer to the gingered girl, acknowledging her brother’s absence with an internal shrug.

Thank you so much for bringing us here, the smoky youth said merrily to Mireille, pressing their cheeks together for a beat before Druid’s eyes brightened with a thought and she gasped playfully, Race you to the water?