Just a Matter of Magic

Posts : 4737 Join date : 2013-09-09 Age : 27

Faolan is a 900 year old witch who's been quite happy to wander Ireland and the world for a while. Having found a trace of strange magic in a pub, he's working on finding the witch to make sure that they're not untrained, and therefore dangerous.

Saoirse is a young selkie-witch with no real knowledge of her witch heritage. Having sold her home after her father died, she's just roaming the country busking for money, unaware that she's leaving a breadcrumb trail of magic that Faolan can follow.

Posts : 4737 Join date : 2013-09-09 Age : 27

Deciding this time to spend the night in the town pub, the quiet and admittedly wet from the irish rain man ducked into the building, Pausing as he was about to sit down, he frowned slightly, feeling something strange in the air. It felt like another witch had been in this pub, but nothing like he'd ever felt before. Finally sitting down to sort through the feeling, he leaned the staff against the wall beside him, ordering a drink absently. Humming softly to himself, he picked through the feeling, trying to work out who it might be. He was well aware of what most witches felt like, after all he'd been alive quite a while by now, but this was a new feeling. Whoever it was used their magic freely, without many rigid rules. Hoping that it wasn't a youngster who wasn't trained yet, Faolan finished his drink and paid for it before heading out into the rain again.

Ignoring his wet hair, he simply tugged his hood up and kept walking, hanging his bag over his shoulder. It would be a good idea to find the newcomer, just to make sure that they weren't going to be hurting any one, or even themselves. Following the faint trace of magic in the ground, now that he knew what it felt like, he kept up a steady pace, using what his mother had taught him about working with the earth to find what he wanted.

While he walked, he thought over a plan to approach the stranger. He didn't want to scare them off, nor seem like he was checking up on them like a policeman. He simply wanted to make sure that they weren't hurting themselves, and knew what they were doing with their magic. If they were young and untrained, then he'd offer to train them. it wouldn't be the first time, and he'd grown to almost enjoy teaching young witches. Most of them usually had a thirst for knowledge that he was happy to offer what he knew for them to learn.

Main account Posts : 13341 Join date : 2013-08-11 Age : 28

Having been on her own for nearly ten years and having figured out some of the strange magic that happened when she played. She'd used some of her magic in a bar when a couple of older men had tried to force themselves on her, she'd piped their shoelaces to tie their feet together and had taken off. In the heavy rain she'd made sure her instruments were safe from the water and headed off, her feet had changed direction heading towards the sea that constantly called to her. Humming softly while splashing through puddles the rather beautiful young woman was always accompanied by some kind of music, it was always in her head her heart her soul. She was never happier when singing and playing an instrument, having been raised on music and little else education wise she picked up songs by listening to other people playing them and had composed some of her own that she usually played to herself no one else. Able to read music and that was about it, Saoirse didn't mind, letters and words had never really made sense even when her father had been trying to teach her.

Finding a small cheap bed and breakfast that would keep a roof over her head for the night she turned down the gravel driveway and knocked on the door, an old woman answered and let her in, showing her to her room. Offering the old woman the money for the night, she was soon left to her own devices, lowering her pack and guitar to the ground and soon the various small instruments on her person were set down as well. Taking off her shoes she rid herself of her wet clothes laying them out to dry, in simple pyjamas for the night she spent some time drying her thick copper hair, the curtains were drawn the room was warm and the sound of the rain splashing onto the roof was like a soothing lullaby. Yawning, she lay back on the bed and closed her eyes unaware that she was being followed, soaking in the moment she soon slipped underneath the soft covers of the bed and began to drift off to sleep.

Posts : 4737 Join date : 2013-09-09 Age : 27

Finding the small area that the trail of magic led to, Faolan found a place to stay for the night, thoroughly sick of being wet now. Curling on the nearly comfortable bed, he checked that his bag hadn’t gotten wet, and sighed with relief when he saw that all the books in there were still dry. It had been a good trip for him, managing to find quite a few rare books that he’d been after for a while. Knowing that it wouldn’t be a good idea to confront the magic user in the dark and the wet, he settled down for a bit of reading, planning to find them in the morning and have a chat.
Ending up reading for most of the night, he was still awake when the sun rose, so he took his staff and wandered down to the beach nearby. He liked playing with the sand there since it was difficult to keep hold of magic-wise. Absently drawing patterns in the sand with the intricately carved staff, he kept a close magical eye on the newcomer, well aware that they were still around. He was curious about whoever it was, he wanted to know how they used their magic in such a different way. It was almost like an elf’s way, now that he thought about it. If they were untrained, then perhaps he’d go visit his mother again and ask her for some help in explaining how magic worked.

Main account Posts : 13341 Join date : 2013-08-11 Age : 28

Awake when the sun filtered through the thin curtains and woke her, the young woman was soon up and dressed softly whistling the quick tune that dried clothes. Packing the now dry clothes in her bag she ate a hearty helping of breakfast before heading off, the call of the sea being extra strong it wasn't long before she was tugged that way. Leaving her bag and guitar where it wouldn't get sandy and wet, she ditched her shoes and walked down the sand to the water, standing in the shallows a grin decorated her face as the sea pulled away the sand underneath her feet when it receded. Wading in up to her knees she ran her fingers through the water, hair done up in a messy bun to keep it out of her face, not letting herself become seal shaped as it was day and someone could see. Saoirse sung an old song she'd learnt as a child, a song of the sea, spotting some dolphins further out to sea she straightened up and waved slightly watching them eagerly

Posts : 4737 Join date : 2013-09-09 Age : 27

Spotting the girl, he ceasing playing with the sand magically, watching her. It seemed like she was the one he’d been following, interesting. She looked to be older than normal for untrained, which confused him. Surely she wasn’t completely untrained then. Either that, or she had a natural flair for controlling herself. Deciding not to disturb her for now while he worked out exactly what was happening, he found a place to sit near the edge of the sand, apparently happy to sit and watch the sea himself. He did like the water, though he liked being in the forest more, but he blamed his elf blood for that.

Main account Posts : 13341 Join date : 2013-08-11 Age : 28

Eventually she grew hungry and reluctantly wandered out of the sea completely soaked in water, whistling the short sharp tune the water was removed from her clothes. It was one of the first things she'd figured out as wet clothes were almost a constant in her travels. Walking up the beach legs and feet covered in sand, the redheaded female sat down and retrieved her guitar out of its cover. Settling it on her lap she considered what song she should play after some thought she picked a song from a movie she'd watched recently, taking a deep breath and clearing her mind she began to play, the song sounding from the guitar spoke to her there was a longing in her too to go and be part of the sea yet some other part of her wanted to stay on the land and she'd never really understood it.

She'd loved the movie and the songs had really resonated with her, starting to hum along to her music, Saoirse was completely oblivious to the world around her. Not noticing the swell of the waves becoming stronger as she played, the lyrics sounded themselves in her head, and before she knew it the humming had become soft singing while the swell moved to the tune of her guitar. Music and the sea were the primary driving forces of her, ever caught between the two of them as her beloved instruments could not come into the water with her.

Posts : 4737 Join date : 2013-09-09 Age : 27

Watching as the sea responded to the music, he began to get an idea of how she’d survived this long. She was untrained, she’d just been able to channel her magic through the music without realising it. Otherwise she’d be a lot more careful about what she was doing. Waiting for the song to end, he wandered over to her, leaning on the staff. “Interesting music for a witch to use,” he said softly, taking a chance that she might know what he was talking about. If not, then he’d just explain it to her while he trained her. “Have you always done it like that? Magic with the music?” He was admittedly curious about it anyway, so he didn’t mind taking time out of his travels home to have a chat with her.

Main account Posts : 13341 Join date : 2013-08-11 Age : 28

Looking up suddenly as someone broke the silence confusion clouded her features "Witch? thats not a nice thing to call someone" his other words just confused her more, "magic what magic?" she was part selkie she didn't have any magic at all. Beginning to pack her guitar away and keeping a close eye on the man who'd wandered over and was now leaning on his intricately carved staff watching her. Unless he meant that Music was a form of magic which she guessed in a way it was, she felt different when she was playing like she was on another planet and that planet was wonderful. Brushing some strands of hair out of her face, pale blue green eyes looked up at the stranger intently, yet there was some wariness there too which was explained by the fact that she'd learned you couldn't trust everyone who turned up on your travels.

Posts : 4737 Join date : 2013-09-09 Age : 27

Well that settled that question of whether she knew or not. He stayed leaning on his staff, hoping that he wasn’t scaring her too much. “The magic with your music,” he explained a little. “It’s because you’re a witch. You didn’t know?” Curious, usually youngsters had at least some idea, but she had no clue. “You need training if you don’t know,” he continued quietly. Moving the staff a little, he drew a few lines in the sand. In response, the tiny grains rose into the air and bunched together into the shape of waves and music, and he tilted his head at the girl. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Main account Posts : 13341 Join date : 2013-08-11 Age : 28

Listening carefully to his words, the young woman guessed they made some sense she'd just never really considered it to be magic. "No I didn't know" she admitted quietly, know that she did know Saoirse agreed that she'd need to learn, magic by its nature was hard to control and dangerous. At least that was what the songs had said, staring at the grains of sand as they moved and bunched together, the red head frowned and privately was a little relieved when he confirmed that he wasn't going to hurt her. "How can I be a witch? Neither of my parents were" well she didn't think so, she'd never seen her father preform magic and her mother had been a selkie that had run back to the sea despite marrying her father and promising to stay on land with him. "are you offering to teach m then mister?" she finally asked her gaze flicking from the sand he'd moved to his face studying him sharply

Posts : 4737 Join date : 2013-09-09 Age : 27

Letting the sand drop back down again, he lifted an eyebrow. “Magic is inherited,” he said quietly. “You wouldn’t be a witch if one or both your parents weren’t.” Running fingers lightly over the carvings on his staff, he gave a quiet nod, meeting the redhead’s gaze evenly. “I can teach you, yes. If you’re willing to learn. It’s dangerous to be untrained, though you must have been channelling it somehow to live this long without learning. Most young witches don’t live beyond twenty if they’re not being taught how to control it.”

Main account Posts : 13341 Join date : 2013-08-11 Age : 28

well that meant that her father had to have been a witch or a wizard she wasn't certain if the harry potter laws counted with this. "More than willing to learn" managing a smile her gaze flicked to the ocean pondering on this new information. Her mother a Selkie and her father a witch, was that why she'd returned to the sea? Had her father enchanted her to stay? She didn't know and likely would never know, her smile faded slowly "What name do you go by? I'm Saoirse" she didn't really bother giving out her last name these days there was no point nobody cared. Curious to know what she'd learn and be taught by the elf, she slipped her pack onto her shoulders and slung her guitar over her shoulder after slipping it back into its case. "Ready to learn"

Posts : 4737 Join date : 2013-09-09 Age : 27

Well that was good to know, she wasn’t going to put up a fight about being taught. That made it much easier for him. Straightening, he turned to head back to the place he’d stayed the night, intending to pick up his bag and then keep going. “Faolan,” he answered quietly, glancing at her. “I’m a witch as well, that’s how I found you. This way.” Leading her back to the room he’d slept in, he packed the bag quickly, anticipating questions about how it all fitted in the small-looking object. Shouldering it, he got on his way again, working out what to start teaching her with. “How do you use your magic now? With the music?”

Main account Posts : 13341 Join date : 2013-08-11 Age : 28

walking along side him, her gaze flicked from where she was going to the man who'd only just given her his name. It seemed that magic users in the real world were called witches no matter of gender which was incredibly interesting to her, sticking close and watching with interest about how many things he could fit in the bag she finally asked "Where do you get those? They look useful, if i had one i'd stuff it full of instruments" with a slightly dreamy look in her eyes she was distracted for a ew moments until she heard questions being asked. returning to the present she shrugged "yeah I think so, I figured out if i play certain tunes on certain instruments things happen" wandering next to him contentedly she was surprisingly eager to learn more about this magic she apparently had. As they were talking she had to resist the urge to hum, as it wasn't appropriate to start doing so in the middle of a conversation, from what she'd seen of the quiet reserved man he wasn't going to harm her but he felt old and not someone she wantd to annoy so soon in their newly made relationship

Posts : 4737 Join date : 2013-09-09 Age : 27

Glancing at her, he knocked the staff against a tree lightly as they passed, listening absently to the trees as they talked to him. “I made it,” he answered, taking in her answers as well. “You’ll learn the spell eventually.” Thinking about her answers, he gave a quiet nod. “That’s good, you’ll be able to control it quite well then.” Going quiet for a while, he worked out the best way to start to teach her, and decided against using music in the beginning. “To start with though, no instruments. You need to learn what your magic feels like without any help. Once you know that feeling, you’ll be able to shape it much easier, and with your voice and thoughts. Not just the music.”

Main account Posts : 13341 Join date : 2013-08-11 Age : 28

Brightening up at the idea of being able to make one herself one day, she began quietly humming when he went silent not even realising she was doing so. Her humming ceased when he started talking again, paying close attention to his words she slowly nodded "Alright you're the teacher" smiling suddenly she found she was quite pleased to have a teacher again. It'd been a long time since she'd had someone to teach her new things and she was suddenly quite excited to learn. "How do i begin?" she queried reaching up behind her to release her hair from its bun, willing to put in time and energy into understanding and eventually maintaining mastery over her magic and music she attentively waited for his answer

Posts : 4737 Join date : 2013-09-09 Age : 27

Not minding her humming, he kept walking, letting her think through all her options. “Work out what your magic feels like,” he said simply, almost bluntly. “Do it while you walk, it’ll keep you busy.” He was working out the best way to get home now that he had a youngster with him. It wasn’t really an issue though. Glancing at the girl, he waited for more of her question, anticipating there being many of them, but that was alright. She was beginning to learn, he knew he’d had millions of questions, and he’d know that he’d have magic.

Main account Posts : 13341 Join date : 2013-08-11 Age : 28

Going quiet she began doing what he'd said searching deep inside her mind and trying to find the magic, growing frustrated quickly when she couldn't do it she had to stop, take a breath clear her mind and start again. She'd always been a little impatient wanting to be perfect and able to do things straight away when life didn't work like that, how often had her father pulled her up told her to breathe, refocus and try again? Able to self regulate using it now she was able to eventually find it and get to know what it felt like, it was clear when she'd figured it out because she was smiling again. "Where are we going?" she finally asked now that she'd figured out how to do what he'd told her to do.

Posts : 4737 Join date : 2013-09-09 Age : 27

While she worked things out, he listening to the trees, wondering if there was any news that he didn’t know already. Feeling when she got hold of herself, he looked back at her. “Good. Remember how you did that, you’ll be doing it every time you use your magic.” Stepping over a tree root in his path, he tilted his head to her. “Heading home. It will be easier to teach you there, it’s very grounded and peaceful. You’ll be able to concentrate easier there.” Finding a rare plant that he didn’t often see, he stopped to lever it gently out of the ground, murmuring a few words that would preserve it until he got home and could replant it. Tucking it into his bag, he resumed walking, waiting for the rest of the questions. “There are very few places to stay along the way. I hope you’re used to sleeping outside.”

Main account Posts : 13341 Join date : 2013-08-11 Age : 28

Appearing pleased with the praise the red head nodded, "Where you came from? Whats it like there? How long will it take to get there? Does your family live there? What are they like?" intensely curious about the man the questions tumbled out of her quite naturally however if one turned the questions on her she'd go quite quiet. Pausing to watch as he found a rare plant she carefully observed the careful removing it from the ground and the words that would preserve it. Keeping up with him Saoirse just smiled "I like sleeping beneath the stars". She started whistling contentedly, this time able to not use her magic out of choice and instead made the noise for the sake of making it. Eagerly awaiting the answers to her questions she found she had plenty more about her new mentor welling up in her head, glancing back behind her where she could feel the sea's call beginning to pull and tug at her again her smile and whistle faded to a quiet resigned sigh. Turning her head she hurried to catch up with Faolan again more quiet and reserved

Posts : 4737 Join date : 2013-09-09 Age : 27

He considered her questions, having been expecting them. “My father was a irish witch, I was raised in a small village. My home is near where the village used to be. Should take a couple of days to get there from here. I live alone.” Following as the road led more into the treeline he’d been following, he pushed a few low bushes out of his path with the staff, still walking briskly. “Keep up.” He didn’t answer the question about what his family was like. If she was a musical witch, then she’d need to learn more intricate music at some point in time. She’d probably end up meeting his mother at some point, and that question would be answered then.

Main account Posts : 13341 Join date : 2013-08-11 Age : 28

Satisfied question wise for now she mulled over the answers she'd been given, "What happened to the village?" she asked quieter wondering if something had happened to the village which made him say there had used to be a village there. Usually when on the road she'd sing or play her guitar or both, "How long will it take to get there?" she repeated realizing he hadn't answered that question. Still quite curious about his family, she as someone who'd only ever had her father for family had always been nosy about other peoples, ducking through the bushes she did her best to keep up with his brisk walk. Still a little wary about bothering him as she didn't know how he'd retaliate or act when peeved, she kept an eye on him. Finally unable to help it the guitar made a return and she began contentedly strumming it while following him not unlike an obedient puppy.

Posts : 4737 Join date : 2013-09-09 Age : 27

The new question amused him. “It died out a few hundred years ago,” he answered, well aware that she’d only have more questions after that. He didn’t mind however, and just kept walking, not minding the quiet guitar music either. “A couple of days if we’re lucky and it doesn’t rain again.” He had places that he stayed during the nights when he was heading home, and they took a good whole days’ walk to get to each time, so he kept up the brisk pace. Redirecting the questions away from him, he eventually spoke again. “What does the guitar music usually do magic wise for you, then?”

Main account Posts : 13341 Join date : 2013-08-11 Age : 28

Not used to the brisk pace she was a little breathless but kept playing determinedly, when he asked she just shrugged a little "Depends on the tune I guess and what I'm wanting it to do, i don't know how to explain it they just work together, I used it to tie these guys laces together so they'd stop trying to grope me once. So i guess a range of things, sometimes it dosent always work or turn out the way i want it too but i learn from the mistakes" although since it was witch magic the amount of risks she'd taken, it was a miracle she was still alive. Perhaps her father had stuck around to keep her safe, it was one of the few explanations as she wasn't one to believe she was overly gifted, or perhaps it was sheer dumb luck, probably that.

» Dragon fire and hatter magic