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One…two…three…four – I knew it was idiotic but it was the only way I had been able to fall asleep lately, staring at the ceiling in the dark. The empty feeling in my heart amplified in the quiet still of night. I couldn’t stand being here, in Kralia. I longed to go back to the valley. I knew I would pay for drinking that damn river water!
But deep down, I also knew I was deluding myself. Honestly, the water wasn’t what was drawing me back or causing my insomnia.
Nine… ten…eleven…twelve – And truthfully, I had no desire to sleep because I knew I would only see her.
Her. In my far too sweet and far too terrible dreams.
Her. My impossible, annoying, messy…amazing- Did a sigh just escape the back of my throat?- apprentice or ex-apprentice – Damn it! I don’t even know anymore – Agnieszka!
I wasn’t sure which dreams I hated more? The terrible ones; reliving her cries of pain, seeing her chest pierced with an arrow, burned and stuffed into that heart-tree. Or the sweet ones; her cries of pleasure in my ears, the soft, pleading way she said my name in the snug, canopied confines of my bed. I’ve never heard my name said like that before, as if it were part of a spell. A spell that could rock me to the innermost fibers of my being. My ears warm and prickly with memory. A tight flutter of wings beat in my stomach.
How could I have let this happen? I need to stop.
Ugh. The sweet ones were far worse. They only drew me back to that cursed valley. At least the terrible ones warned me of what I stood to lose.
Now I have been reduced to counting the hateful, overly elaborate, dragon engraved ceiling tiles in the bedroom of my former living quarters in the castle, as a means to get a few restless hours of sleep! The longer I’ve been away from the valley, the less sleep will come to me. I thought the time away would have done me good, but it seems to be having the opposite effect.
I thought of writing her when I first arrived in Kralia. I was sure I still had the half-written letter somewhere stashed in my desk. It was the least I could do after the abrupt way I left, but I decided against it. Better for her to resent me when I eventually did have to go back. I may always be weak for her till the end of my days, but at least the blatant temptation of her advances would not be present. I could resist someone who despised me. Probably. It was the only way I would ever be able to go back without doing something stupid. Again.
The room was entirely too hot, so abandoning my tile counting, I threw off the plush blankets, crossed the bedroom and flung open the French doors leading to my balcony. My want for cool air was thwarted however, when I discovered that summer still had not yet retreated from Kralia. For a moment I remembered her soothingly cool touch but I pushed aside the dangerous thought as quickly as I could, yet not quick enough to prevent another ridiculous sigh from escaping me.
Running a hand through my hair, I leaned over the railing in my loose nightshirt noting the gray tint on the night sky’s horizon; dawn would come in no time. The capital, so different from the valley. I hated it. I hated its damp, still air, its muddy, crowded streets and its lack of trees and open space. It was all unpleasant!
The sadly single, old, wooden chair on the balcony groaned with me as I sat down. I tried cantrips for cooling, spells for relaxation, but none seemed to be of much help. I was becoming aware that the warmth and discomfort I felt could never be completely eased with magic. But I had to get some sleep somehow, after all, I did have important business to attend to tomorrow morning.
I closed my eyes and in a move of pure desperation I let her in. I let the memory of her delicate hand in mine soothe me. I let the feel of her magic ease me down. I let the rhythm of the Summoning spell we did together be my lullaby.
I only did this when all other methods failed and I absolutely needed sleep, mind you!
I didn’t remember falling asleep but suddenly, the bright morning sun was knocking loudly against my eyelids. I opened up, squinting against it, both disappointed and relieved it had interrupted one of those, far too sweet dreams. I got up with a frustrated grunt and tried to stretch out my achy back. My back protested however, with a foreboding popping sound as pain shot down my spine. In a fit of anger I kicked the disagreeable chair I had slept in, forgetting I was still bare foot.
“Ouch! I am too old for all this!”
It was surely mid-morning by now and I was expected at a council meeting to determine if all the corruption had been purged from the capital. The Wood Queen may be in an eternal slumber but not before she was able to plant many seeds of corruption here in Kralia, just waiting to take hold of any innocent victim who may happen upon them. Of course I was in charge of the effort. And of course I had finished purging the capital weeks ago. In truth, I was just bidding my time, spending most of my hours in the library trying desperately to find a spell that could make me forget her.
I hobbled over to the wash basin trying my best to look presentable, but no matter what I did my weary face would certainly tell the story of my many sleepless nights. Spelling myself into proper attire I hurried out the door, navigating the endless halls and passages throughout the castle to make my way to court.
Over the months that I have been in Kralia I had the luxury of being alone. All the other wizards of note and highest ranking royal officials had fled to Gidna and set up an interim capital there and many of the citizens had left for fear of the spreading corruption. But I had to call the court back to the capital. I’d already pushed back my original estimation for Kralia to be free of corruption twice and if I’d done it a third time I knew suspicions would be raised. I also knew there would be questions. Questions about the corruption here, about how the Wood Queen was defeated, which I could handle. But the question I was avoiding the most was that of Agnieszka’s continued training. I would have to do my best to make my testimony quick and convincing before they could ask any questions concerning her, because I still didn’t have the answers.
I tried to straighten my stiff back and steady my hurt, hobbling foot but failed miserably as I got closer to the large, ornately carved, double wooden doors of the council chamber. Ugh. I really do hate court.
As I predicted, every wizard in Kralia was there, even Solya. I wasn’t expecting him because I thought he’d still be in Gidna with Kasia and the royal children, who should have been the last to return for safeties sake. Though, I suppose he had left ahead of them to see for himself that the capital was truly safe, which made sense because if I had fallen to corruption I would have just as well sent word for them to come back anyway. For once Solya wasn’t being a total idiot, not that I would ever admit that to him.
Luckily, there wasn’t any unexpected questions and thankfully none concerning her. Although, Alosha seemed a bit disbelieving that it had taken me so long to clear the capital. Other than that, the council meeting moved swiftly and easily and I was out of that stifling room before noon.
As I made my way out the door, I caught Alosha darting a concerned glance my direction as Solya whispered something in her ear. How unsettling. I could only imagine the ridiculous gossip with which he was filling her ear. He certainly had something up his sleeve. What it was, I had not the energy to imagine.
A few days later, time passed too quickly for my liking and I found myself still spending most of my time in a dark corner of the Charovnikov’s library pouring over spells of forgetfulness, severing ties, quelling lust, even spells for curing addiction, but none truly worked. And if I was totally honest with myself, I knew nothing would work. What I suspected I felt for her was the one thing magic could never touch. The more my spells failed, the surer I was of it, which was terrifying. I would have rather faced a fully grown chimera than that. So, I would just have to devote more of my time and energy denying it, of course. Perhaps, with time, my rational mind could tame these wild desires in my heart.
Today, when I entered the library however, my usual dark, secluded corner was taken up by a group of noisy students. I scowled at the intrusion and made my way towards the western end where I knew, by ancient memory, there would be a few other secluded corners. My irritation grew however, as I walked through the absurdly large space seeing the packed aisles and overcrowded tables. I suppose I had grown accustom to the half empty capital.
It had been almost a week since I deemed Kralia free of corruption and now most of the people that had fled the city were back, life and business continuing as usual. By the time I made it to the other end I was longing for the privacy and quiet of my Tower. My library.
My scowl deepened when I remembered I had not yet collected the taxes, repairs had not even begun and I was sure she had done nothing; being busy with the noble effort of cleansing the Wood. I shuddered to think of her going back into that cursed place every day, but I steeled myself to it as best I could.
Yes, word travels fast and in the short time I had been away from the valley, she had become a most notable witch in her own right, young and half-trained as she was.
I finally made it to the other end, but finding no empty space to sit down I made my through an archway into a small hall used as a kind of overflow room for the main part of the library. I took in the miscellaneous books stacked up waiting to be sorted and a winding stone stairwell that led to the more private areas of the castle. But in between, a narrow wooden table and plush chair stood in the corner beckoning me. I sat down and thumbed through, Mandelstam’s Charms to Cure the Wanting Heart. My tired, gritty eyes struggled to see the words on the page.
This corner was unusually dark, and just as I was about to give a quick spell to light the candle on the table a great bright light shown down upon me from above. It felt as though the full force of the sun had come into the library with me. My eyes blinded in the brightness for a brief moment. The smell of summer warmed trees and flowers suddenly filled my nose.
But something else came down to me on that summer breeze, something terrible and wonderful and familiar. It ruffled and weaved through my orderly hair, reducing it to disheveled mess and playfully blew a few pieces of loose parchment off the table. The half-written letter I had intended for her and was sure was still in my desk back in my rooms, settled perfectly on my lap.
The breeze tasted of her magic, impossibly soothing and chaotic all at once.
As my drowsy eyes adjusted, I looked up and saw men on the library roof, removing a large piece of wood that had been covering up a rather sizable hole in the high window that looked out over the stairwell. They were just workmen preparing to repair the hole.
Strange. I almost expected her to be peering down at me from that window with that stupid smile on her face, messy hair all over the place, asking me to do something that defied all logic and reason. I suppose I really was becoming a love sick fool of the highest order!
Love sick. That was surely the wrong word. It would imply that I was in love, which I most certainly was not! I hope. The library, my last place of reprieve, suddenly became uncomfortably warm and stifling as I tried my best to bury the thought.
As the noise from the repair grew louder, I found concentration on my research impossible. The banging of hammers, grinding of saws and men’s instructive shouts gnawed in my ears and grated on my nerves. A fine coating of saw dust floated down and tickled my nose, stealing a sneeze from me every so often.
When one of the carpenters came down to boldly set up his ladder a few feet from me, I couldn’t help shooting him a truly deadly scowl. I must have looked like a true beast with my sneezed out red nose, tired eyes and disheveled hair. The great burly man paled and took a cautious step back.
“Sorry about all the noise, my lord,” he apologized. “That new witch blasted a hole straight through the window. The frame and the wall were damaged too. I heard she called lightning right out of the sky! Stopped a great beast from terrorizing the castle! We weren’t able to fix it until the city had been cleared of corruption.”
So I hadn’t imagined it! She was here. Her magic. Here! Finding ways to annoy me to no end! I was furious. Was there truly no escape from that dreadfully disastrous girl? I felt her mocking eyes on me, telling me I had gone wrong somewhere. I did everything to ignore those eyes, but they were stubborn and refused to be ignored.
After my initial furry cooled, I almost laughed at the irony. I had done everything in my power to get away from her but impossibly, part of her found me. Some remnant of her magic hidden away for months only to be exposed and freed at the exact moment I could have been affected by it. A stupid smile threatened the corners of my lips. I took in the wind blown papers, the loud noises, her magic woven through my hair and I did laugh. I did. I felt her, felt our familiar dance. Push and pull. Order and chaos. Growth and destruction. Love and hate. She wasn’t only around me but in me too, I had tried my best to bury her, but her magic found a way to till the soil. As always.
Another gust of her magic came down from that hole – strange how the usually stagnant air of the capital suddenly became breezy – and in that moment I had never so badly wanted to go back to the valley. I could have gone back and thrown myself at her dirty bare feet, telling her how much I missed her.
But I knew the more I gave into this, the more it would only hurt when it ended. I saw her truth in the Summoning, she was just as tangled up with me as I was with her, which was why I had to leave. The memory of my own voice rang in my ears. The pain laced in it as I called her name until I was hoarse, desperate enough to drink from the Spindle. It was a voice I did not recognize or want. I was old enough to know that no story truly had a happy ending, but all stories, happy or sad, ended.
Like a fool, I let myself indulge in that magical breeze. I couldn’t help myself. I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes and emptied my mind of all its worries. For a moment, all the stifling warmth and discomfort left me. I hadn’t realized just how terribly uncomfortable I had been these past months until I wasn’t anymore. The relief of that burden washed over me like a soothing balm. Suddenly I was back, sitting in a chair in my own library, and I wasn’t alone.
She was sitting in my lap, holding my hand, our fingers intimately interlaced. I felt the beat of her magic through her fingertips as my own magic involuntarily sang to her beat, the unity of our perfect song filling me with delight. The whole library was rampant with roses. The vines so dense I could scarcely see the books on the shelf. For a moment, I fretted over the safety of my books – they are, after all, over a century worth of collecting and very rare, but those mocking eyes demanded my attention more. Who was I kidding? Every part of her demanded my attention and I was annoyed, unsure of where I should focus. But like a mad man I took pleasure in the annoyance.
However, my overworked senses and over tired body went uselessly limp in her arms, my head falling to her shoulder getting tangled in her mess of hair. I let out a deep, steadying breath. I was just glad I was home again. I was glad I felt like myself again. But most of all, I was glad she was here with me.
Home. Was that what I was calling my tower now? As much as I hated admitting it, when she was here, it was home. Her very name tasted of it. Even though I never truly had a home, it was there on my lips when I said her name. I closed my eyes and breathed her in, surrendering myself and letting all the tension and discomfort leach out of me. And it did.
At my moment of pure bliss, abruptly a hand shoved my shoulder from behind and when I opened my eyes she was gone! “Agnieszka.” I said, as stared at my empty lap, scanning my empty library. The old instinctive panic of losing her to the Wood rose up and rocked me to my core. “Nieszka!” I called again, more frantic. Another phantom hand shoved me. A sudden sensation of falling rolled through me as I woke.
“No, Alosha,” answered a familiar voice.
I took in a sharp breath and squinted the sleep out of my eyes, as I gradually became aware I was still in the Charovnikov’s library. Alosha stood over me with a knowing smile on her dark face. I was so embarrassed my own tongue was ashamed. If it could, I’m sure it would have packed its bags and hopped right out of my mouth.
It was bad enough I had called out her name in my sleep, but I used her pet name, a glaring sign of intimacy. I cleared my throat, made my best effort to beat back the red of embarrassment off my face and stood up to face her.
Alosha, was a tall, imposing, statue of a women. Before she had been injured in the Wood Queen’s attack on the capital, I had almost forgotten that she wasn’t actually made of stone. She had once been my guardian for a time as a child, and as much as I hate to admit it, I was still a little intimidated by her.
I took her in now, still as imposing as ever. A shiny scar poked up out of her collar and reached for her neck but other than that she seemed no worse for wear, holding herself straight and strong.
“You’re looking well, Alosha,” standing up and putting my hands in my pockets, trying to act casual. “I must say, your recovery has not only restored your usual vitality, but I can hardly imagine you to be a day over one hundred,” I teased.
“Oh Sarkan, when you sink to petty pleasantries, I know you are surely avoiding something. This only confirms it.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about. Perhaps, you have come back to work too soon.”
“Let’s just say, a little birdy informed me that Kralia has been clean of corruption for weeks.”
“And does this, ‘little birdy’ happen to be Polnya’s second greatest wizard – even second is highly questionable – and its’ first greatest gossip!” I growled through gritted teeth.
“The point is, no matter your… personal problems with Agnieszka,” I scoffed at this. So this was the kind of gossip Solya had been feeding her! “the fact remains, Rosya has three master wizards to our two, the temporary peace we forged with them is shaky at best and they know our army is down to bare bones because of Marek’s attack on your tower.” She said it as if the fact that it was my tower Marek had attacked, it was somehow my fault!
“From what I’ve seen,” she continued, “Agnieszka has enough raw power to become a master witch, right up there with you and Solya. The only reason we admitted her to the list was because we witnessed her power and saw her potential, but she knows nothing of the fundamentals of magic and she certainly must not know how to brew any potions of note within the short time you trained her. For the good of Polnya we must capitalize on every advantage we have. You and I are both old enough know that peace does not last long. We are clearly the weaker nation now and when peace time is over Polnya will easily fall. That is why Agnieszka must be trained with not a moment to waste. To have wasted even just these few weeks was exceedingly foolish!”
I opened my mouth to argue with her but I couldn’t. Everything she said was right. Agnieszka was already a great witch in her own right. She certainly could cure corruption and tame the Wood far better than I or Solya, but there were far more components to magic that she had yet to understand.
“Ugh. You’re right Alosha, I have been foolish. But let me say this, whatever gossip Solya has fed you, I can assure you it is highly exaggerated.”
“Oh, I don’t think I was exaggerating. Looking at your choice of reading material, I’d say I was right on point.” I spun around to find Solya, lazily sitting in my chair, thumbing through my stack of books. How he got there, behind me and Alosha, I couldn’t begin to imagine but I was sure I’d be appalled.
“Give me those, you insatiable busybody!” I grabbed my books away from his ever wandering eyes.
He sat up a little straighter and cleared his throat. “Spells for severing ties, forgetfulness, addiction, lust.” A condescending smile crossed his lips at the last book. I literally wanted to slap him. “That little, rustic witch of yours has certainly gotten you flustered.
“As you probably deduced, I have been in town for some weeks now. But when I arrived, to my surprise, I found you had already rooted out all the remaining corruption yet you seemed in no hurry to deem the capital clear. Curious, I watched you for days spending most of your time here in the library, doing some sort of research. At first, I thought perhaps you came across a bit of stubborn corruption I had missed or maybe you had yourself become corrupted. So I had no choice but to use my sight magic on you. When I discovered your procrastination was over your personal issues with Agnieszka, I of course had to inform Alosha. For the good of Polnya, Agnieszka must continue her training.”
“Oh, yes. For the good of Polnya are your motives.” I hissed, doubtful.
“Well, I should have known you had personal issues with the girl, even before I chose to investigate the matter.”
“And how is that.” I growled, anger building.
“Sarkan, I was really hoping to spare you the embarrassment but it became blatantly obvious the night Marek attacked your tower that you and Agnieszka had gotten…close. You see, I can enchant birds to allow me to see through their point of view. That night I sent a falcon to perch on your window sill – for the purpose of spying on the enemy of course,” when I gave him a disgusted look. “And let’s just say the poor bird got an eye full.”
“WHAT!” I was desperately trying to keep my cool in front of Alosha, but I wanted to melt into the floor. Alosha, beginning to catch Solya’s meaning. “Solya, it seems you will stoop to say just about any outrageous thing to distract the court from your treachery after you helped Marek waste an entire army bombarding my tower.”
“Of course it wouldn’t be right for me to speak of the details of your unseemly behavior in front of a lady.” Turning to Alosha. “But if I put this blindfold on and show you what my-”
“Put that blindfold on and I’ll poke that creepy third eye out of your skull with my quill, you merciless meddler! Maybe if you’d keep your eyes out of other people’s lives you would actually have a life of your own!”
“I’d hardly call locking myself away in a tower of some backwater valley for over a century, ‘having a life’.” I felt the heat of my magic burning to lash out at Solya, a faint scorch mark forming over the cover of the book I was holding. The lack of control a non-issue for over a century, now an obvious sign of how ridiculously emotional I was becoming. Alosha, shot me one of her all-knowing stares.
“Funny how you are so concerned now about Agnieszka’s value, when just a few months ago, you were willing to help Marek kill her in that battle. And me for that matter! An entire army lain to waste! Enchanted cannon balls worth their weight in gold, gone! Don’t attempt to make me look just as foolish as you. Because be assured, you will fail.”
Just as I thought he had finally shut his big mouth, he stood up and started humming the tune to, ‘Lumilda and the Enchanter’.
“THAT’S IT!” I slammed the books back down on the table and lunged for Solya.
“GENTEALMEN!” Alosha boomed. Everyone in the crowded library looked our direction while Solya and me froze mid-moment, both my hands knotted up near the collar of his robes as he fought to break my hold with his right hand.
“Gentlemen,” she continued softly as we untangled ourselves. “You have both strayed from the matter at hand. What Sarkan does in his personal life is none of our business,” directing her intimidating stare on Solya. “But you cannot let personal matters effect you judgment, especially when it potentially involves the fate of a nation.” Her intimidating stare now on me. We both nodded in unison like two children who had just been scolded by a strict mother. “If you two would stop your bickering and listen, I think I may have a solution. Whatever your personal issue be with Agnieszka, it is not my place to speculate, but you may not have to train her, right away that is.”
“And how is that?” I asked.
“For the next year or two, her training should be basic enough that any witch or wizard should be able to teach her. Which would give you some time to… sort yourself out,” raising an eyebrow at me. “Of course when her lessons become more advanced, you would eventually have to go back.”
“Did you have someone in mind who would be up to the task?” The air suddenly suffocating.
“Yes, my former apprentice, Cy.” Alosha, took a step back and gestured toward a young man sitting at the large main table that ran the length of the library. I peered through the archway to get a better view of him. By the way his knees where almost hitting the underside of the table, I could tell he was quite tall. His lanky, muscular frame seemed better suited for the farm rather than a wizarding library. When he turned his head our direction I saw features that were still plump with youth. His strong jaw, straight nose and thick, wavy, brown hair, I suppose are what women would describe as classically handsome. Ugh.
“I’m sure he could teach Agnieszka a few things,” Solya whispered in my ear, in a tone I certainly didn’t appreciate.
“He completed his studies just a few months ago and was looking for opportunities outside Kralia. I can assure you he is the most talented apprentice I’ve had. His test scores were always high and he yearns to teach. And he actually has quite the skill for earth spells which I think would serve Agnieszka well.”
“What a fitting partnership, Alosha. I’m sure when they get together they’ll have the ground shaking!” Solya added with an innocent smile. I nearly burst.
All my problems should have been solved. I wouldn’t have to go back to the valley after all or at least not for some time. Cy was young and handsome, Agnieszka would surely be happy with him. So happy that she would certainly lose interest in me given a few years’ time. Everything was set, I could finally let her go. I should have been glad.
But…I wasn’t.
In fact, I don’t think I could have felt worse. The library more stifling than ever. It was as if all the air has been sucked from the room. Deep down I knew I would never have a moment’s peace without her. I had to go back, if only to be able to breathe and sleep again!
Before Alosha could give me more glowing recommendations of her former student, I interrupted her. Clearing my throat. “Thank you so much but come to think of it, I really do need to get back to the valley. The taxes must be collected and my tower is in need of repairs. I have priceless books and other items that will certainly sustain damage in the damp air autumn is sure to bring. Drafts and such with all the canon ball holes,” directing that last part at Solya. “And of course with my business there I can spare the time to train Agnieszka.”
“Are you sure? Cy really would love to –
“Yes, I’m quite sure, Alosha. After all, with Agnieszka taking care of the Wood I’d imagine I will have some time on my hands. I really must be going. I do have quite a few bags to pack.”
As I gathered up my books, I couldn’t help but notice the conspiratorial look that passed between Alosha and Solya. But I didn’t care and I couldn’t get out of that library fast enough.
The next morning, I found myself in the castle courtyard, helping the driver load my belongings’ onto a wide, two horse wagon. The bright morning sunlight cast the long shadow of the castle turrets over the grounds. I was reminded of my tower. I was reminded of home.
All morning my heart beat fast and my stomach was doing flip-flops as if I were moving though the transportation spell I had on the valley. Perhaps, I should have sought out the Willow before I left. But, something rooted deep within told me I was unfortunately in no need of medical attention.
“Idiot,” I huffed under my breath, as I climbed into the wagon.
Though, as I thought about it, I would have certainly been an even bigger idiot if I had stayed here and let go of the only thing I ever truly wanted. I suppose the rational mind cannot effectively suppress the silly desires of the heart, no matter how hard we try.
The steady clomp of the horses hooves against cobblestone turned into a soft thud under the dirt road as we neared the Kralia city gates. I tipped my head back to look up at the sky for a moment, feeling better than I have felt in months, maybe better than I have ever felt. My heart soared as high as that clear blue morning sky. The air cool and breathable again. The breeze at my back ruffling my orderly hair across my face. A memory of her magic encouraging me forward.
When we came to a stop at the main gate, I looked up and saw the silhouette of a familiar young man acting as gatekeeper. When he turned around I saw it was none other than Alosha’s former apprentice, Cy. Although I doubt a young and talented wizard would be assigned gatekeeping duty! He paled when he saw me scowling down at him from the wagon.
“My lord I…They offered me some silver to sit in the library. I’m…I’m so sorry.” He cringed away from me as if I was about to incinerate him on sight.
I stared at him for one awkward moment then burst out laughing, imagining Solya and Alosha coming up with such a ridiculously juvenile plan as to make me jealous. Solya’s idea, no doubt!
But, wait a minute, their stupid plan actually worked! No it didn’t. Did it? My laughter abruptly stopped. Cy had been nervously laughing with me and stopped as fast as I did, looking as if he forgotten how to breathe.
“All is forgiven, Cy.” He let out a loud breath of relief. “Actually in an absurd way, I should be thanking you.”
“Well, I can’t imagine what you are thanking me for, but I am happy to have helped my lord.”
“It’s a long story,” I chuckled. “But it’s a good one, no matter how it ends,” I said the last part more to myself.
We gave each other respective bows as the wagon drove on through the gate. The horses fresh and the driver quick, I knew it wouldn’t be long before we reached the valley. I also knew if the journey went smoothly, I would arrive just in time for the harvest festival. Not that I had ever been to one of those questionable gatherings, but I’m sure it would be just the place I would find Agnieszka. And it would be much less awkward than showing up on her parents door step, attempting to explain myself. I didn’t even know if I could explain myself to her.
As we rode on, the dust of the road coating me and the sun now high in the sky, one question remained. What on earth was I going to wear to this silly festival anyhow?