Chapter 493: Ashlynn’s Demonstration
"The simple answer is that sorcery uses the power of your own body and life to influence the world," Ashlynn said with a smile as she recalled the lesson she’d received from Nyrielle what felt like a lifetime ago. "Witches give shape to the power of the world, bending it to their desires however they please," she added, using a description of witchcraft that came more from Amahle’s teachings than Nyrielle’s.
"I think what you need is a demonstration," Ashlynn said as she stood from the stone she’d been resting on and dusted off her skirt. "Heila, you can dismiss your lights for now. Let Ollie see everything as it is."
"Yes, Mother," Heila said, waving her wand and plunging the forest into darkness illuminated only by the twinkling lights of the stars above and the faint sliver of light from the crescent moon. That darkness didn’t last long, however, as Ashlynn drew a gnarled oak wand from the sash at her waist and began to gather faint, emerald green energy as though it were dew settling on a branch.
For a moment, Ashlynn wondered if she should stop to inscribe a circle. The wounds inflicted by the Frost Walker ancestors had been stubborn with frostbite that seeped all the way into her bones, chilling her even now. The burns inflicted by the Holy Flame Sword were just as tenacious, refusing to yield in the face of her body’s immense capacity for healing.
Nyrielle’s gifts allowed her to heal ever so slightly faster than the lingering energies in her body could inflict more damage, and the strength and resilience she gained from her blood bond with the vampire allowed her to endure despite the pain, but it was a fragile equilibrium at best.
A circle would make it easier to control the energy she was preparing to gather from the forest, but it would also take more time to prepare,e and she didn’t have any items on hand that felt suitable to use as anchor points for the working.
Besides, she told herself firmly, so long as the focus of her witchcraft was herself, she shouldn’t need to struggle against the trees, even ones as gnarled and stubborn as these. With her decision made, Ashlynn began to recite the incantation she’d carefully prepared during the days she spent in the carriage, racing from the High Pass to deliver her to a place where she could finally heal.
"Through twisted limbs and weathered bark,
Where mountain winds have left their mark,