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With a final stroke of her pen, the room was whipped into a miniature tornado, gathering the last bits of dust from every nook and cranny imaginable and letting it all swirl into a pile at her feet. It was a simple spell, mundane even. One she knew the mechanics of like the back of her hand. A modified grasping wind spell, one that traded the power to pluck apples from trees with the range to clean an entire room in seconds.
But despite all this, Coco would never tire of casting such spells.
She adjusted her round glasses and looked around proudly, hands on her hips. Nothing else in the room had been disturbed, not a single frame or cushion. The first time she’d tried had been...eventful. Poor Richeh had been bowled over by the couch’s pillows, and she’d been flushed with embarrassment for hours, even as Master Olly corrected her gently through his raucous laughter. But now, cleaning was as simple as collecting the newly-formed dust bunny into a pan and tossing it to the wind.
With that, she’d cleaned every room (twice), checked every contraption (three times each), and still had plenty of time until they arrived (confirmed too many times to count). Everything was right.
Her hands started fidgeting at her sides, tapping a frantic rhythm. Maybe she should do one last check? Maybe a lap around the atelier? Or-
“I know that look.” The steps creaked behind her as her Watchful Eye, her partner in everything, descended to the main room. Coco turned around, already smiling, as Agott crossed her arms. “You’re overthinking again, cut it out.”
Coco sighed, scratching the back of her head nervously. “Am I that obvious?”
“No, just to me.” She stepped further into the room, expression a bit softer than before. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing! Nothing’s wrong! Everything’s great!” She began ticking off her fingers. “Living room and kitchen are clean, the yard’s taken care of, it’s fine! I just...need to check something. The, uh...their rooms! What if Brushbuddy got in, and-”
“I just checked the dormitories again, remember?” Coco deflated, helpless as ever in the face of Agott. “And Brushbuddy knows better than to mess up a room. He’s still asleep in the kitchen.” She pointed towards the kitchen, where Brushbuddy was still curled up in a patch of sunlight, letting out soft “Pwee...” sounds in his sleep. Agott stepped closer, leaving them face-to-face. “Are you okay, Coco?”
Agott’s being thoughtful again , Coco thought to herself, wanting to smile at the old joke. She wrung her hands a bit, ink stains appearing and vanishing as she twisted her digits. “I just...I want to get this right. This is our home, this place was so important to all of us. And I want to do right by these kids.” She paused, feeling the familiar heavy weight settle in her stomach, her hands clenching together. “...I want to do right by him.” Her knuckles were white as the wave of emotion crashed over her.
Agott sucked in a small breath, as she always did when they came close to the topic of their master. “You will, I know you will.” She reached out, grabbing her hands and gently peeling them apart. “You’ve made this place look brand new. You’ve prepared enough meals for five celebratory dinners. And I know you’ll do great. You mastered the basics faster than any of us, you’ve soaked up every spell you could.” Agott clasped her hands around Coco’s, tangling together. “You love magic more than any Wise One. You...You’ve always been extraordinary to me, Coco. I know you can do this, these kids will love you.”
Coco sniffed a bit, holding on to her anchor as her mind settled. “You always know just what to say, don’t you?” She leaned in, lightly knocking her head against Agott’s. Even that was enough to make her blush. “I think I’m okay. Thanks, Agott.”
Her Watchful Eye looked away, still red in the face. “Of course. Always, for you...” The sentiment made her feel lighter than any Sylph Shoes could. That was another thing she’d never get tired of.
As much as she would’ve loved to continue teasing Agott, she shook her head out and stepped away. “Maybe I need to take a walk or something, I’ve been too excited all morning...” She got the feeling Agott knew exactly what she meant, but stepped back, merely giving her a small smile. “If I’m out there too long-”
“Get you before the apprentices arrive, I know. I want you to meet them too.” Coco smiled back and slipped out the door.
She’d never get tired of the sight of the rolling hills around the atelier. The sun was bright on her face, and the wind whipped around her seafoam cloak. Coco took a deep breath, smelled the flowers on the breeze. It was a bit chilly, the last bit of winter fading into spring. It felt like home. It felt like a beginning.
Instead of staying in the sunlight, she turned and headed for a dour-looking copse of trees. A small path wound between branches, leading towards the shadowed center. A single tree rose above the rest, a tall, skinny Silverwood tree, its branches and roots twisting and turning all over the clearing. No birds sung in these trees.
Coco lowered herself to the ground, resting on a root near the main trunk, leaning against the smooth bark. “Hello Master. Sorry it's been a while, we’ve been preparing for the new apprentices. It’s scary, but Agott’s been helping me a lot, and the rest of the family is ready to visit whenever too.” She laughed quietly. “I think Richeh is more excited than either of us, but you know how she is...”
The branches whispered above her. “She’s been doing great for herself, by the way. She’s a real innovator these days, she’s designing all kinds of spells, and they’re all her proudest work yet.” Coco couldn't quite make herself laugh, even at the memory of Richeh’s expressionless pride. “Tetia’s still traveling, I think she wants to hear ‘Thanks’ from every corner of the island before she moves on.” She’d received a never ending stream of souvenirs and little trinkets from her sister apprentice. It wasn’t the life for her, but Tetia was clearly having fun. “Master Olly is...”
She thought of late nights, of quiet words on sour breaths. She thought of tears shed behind closed doors, of contraptions falling apart in his hands. She thought of commissions piled by the door, sympathy from every acquaintance they had, both witches and Unknowing.
(She thought of the kindly owner of the tavern in town, who’d been waiting as they collected Master Olly, who’d been gone for longer than he was supposed to. Their not-quite-master was half-asleep, mumbling to himself, and apparently unbothered by Coco and Tetia frantically apologizing to the man. He’d waved them off, looking rather solemn. “I heard about mister smoke-cloak. A real shame, that is.” He’d looked at them seriously then. “I owe that man a lot. I’ll gladly give you kids a hand if you ever need it, y’hear?”)
“He’s getting better. I think moving to a new workshop was good for him. Richeh checks up on him a lot, and they’ve made a lot of fun designs together. He was definitely hit the hardest out of us, and I don’t know if he’ll ever really feel okay, but he’s doing better.” Coco rested a hand on the root. “You two really cared about each other. I’m sorry you didn’t get enough time.” Her hand clenched. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.”
The branches rustled as Agott breached the clearing too. Coco knew it had to hurt being here, but she only had eyes for Coco as she approached, sitting down by her side and pulling her into a hug. They held each in the darkness, just two apprentices who had outgrown their master.
Eventually, Agott leaned back, but not before pressing a quick peck to her temple. “It’s almost time, are you ready?” Coco almost couldn’t believe it, but she was. Something about being here, with some of the people she held nearest and dearest to her heart, always made any challenge feel easier, whether it was passing the fifth test of the Pentacle of Proving, confessing her feelings, or taking a new step in the shoes she’d once looked up to. She could do it.
They made to leave the clearing hand-in-hand, Coco brushing an errant root one last time. “Goodbye, Master Qifrey.” She took a deep breath and followed Agott out, back into the sunlight and sweet breeze.
They’d barely cleared the trees when a large shadow swooped overhead, just barely rustling the grass around them. Agott squinted into the cloudless sky, tracking the shape circling ever lower above them. “Is that...a pegasus carriage?” She turned, giving Coco a Look. “You didn’t say you’d gotten them a pegasus carriage of all things.”
At that, Coco couldn’t help but smile a bit cheekily, adjusting her glasses. While she didn’t like to make use of it too often, it was very nice to have friends in all sorts of places. “I have to surprise you somehow.” Agott just shook her head, pulling her towards the door and stoutly ignoring Coco’s giggles behind her. They arrived back just in time to see the carriage land, the body shaking with the impact. As Agott dug around in her robes, from somewhere on her person, Brushbuddy appeared, crawling over to Coco’s shoulders and settling in, looking at the gaggle of children appraisingly.
When she’d finally gotten permission to take on apprentices, she’d had to think long and hard about who to reach out to. Eventually, as he always did, Master Olly cleared things up for her.
“Well, if you want my advice, start with the corners, y’know?” He absently groped for some tool or another. His new workshop wasn’t quite the same as his setup in the atelier, so he was constantly being betrayed by his own muscle memory, while Coco watched with no small amusement. “Even among witches, there are kids who struggle. Maybe they don’t like their atelier, or maybe they don’t have the right connections to find a master. It’s a shame, but it's a constant.”
Olly had looked up at her then, and she’d felt the full force of his attention. He seemed much more himself this way, still teaching them after all this time. “Find those kids, and guide them the way only you can.”
Coco tilted her head then, looking at him in surprise. “Are you sure? It might be tough bringing them all together at once...”
He laughed at that, loud and bold as he ever was. “Look at you and the rest of our merry band! None of us were ever normal witches, but we all made it work, right?” Something sad flitted across his face. “It's folks like Beldaruit, folks like us, that have to look out for the little guys. Cause we were them, and we can be what we never had, right?” Coco felt a fire light up inside her, something she hadn’t really felt for a long time. The feeling of seeing injustice, and a desire to fix it.
And so she had. With Agott’s blessing, she’d selected four apprentices. Every one had made the Great Hall clerk’s eyebrows raise higher in surprise, but between Agott’s steely expression and Coco’s unshakeable cheer, they got the approval they needed. And now here they were, tumbling out of the carriage from the long ride, clutching whatever luggage they had, and eyeing everything in naked interest.
Agott leaned in, lowering her voice. “Silver stars above, were we ever that small?”
Coco laughed again, matching her low tone. “Hard to say, we thought we were pretty big at that age. Especially you, Mrs. ‘Move over, I need to land’-”
“Stop, don’t bring that up now...” Agott grumbled.
Finally, the four of them came to a stop in a loose line in front of them. Despite her jokes, they really did look small. Some excited, some nervous, some closed off, but all of them ready to learn. The sight reminded her of another group of apprentices, and she couldn’t help but smile at the comparison.
“Hi everyone! My name’s Coco, and I’ll be your master while you study!”
Agott raised a hand, looking cool as ever, which Coco knew meant she was just nervous. “I’m Agott, and I’m your Watchful Eye.”
With a sharp cry of “Pwee!”, their final member snaked his way out, raising a little paw in greeting. “Oh, and this is Brushbuddy! Don’t worry, he’s friendly!” None of them seemed sure what to make of the brushbug.
Coco straightened, just a bit. “I know you all haven’t had the easiest time of things, and you may have had some bad experiences with other masters.” As one, they all shifted, avoiding each others eyes. “But, I want to make a few things clear.” Coco crouched down, looking up at them over her frames. “Please don’t be afraid to speak up about anything. Your room, the food, the lessons, anything. I don’t want anyone to be uncomfortable or unhappy while they’re here. And, failing that, you can move on with my blessing as well.”
She smiled as widely as she could, letting every emotion she’d felt until now fuel her, buoy her higher. “But above all else, I want you all to learn everything you can, to grow as much as you want, and learn most of all to love magic with everything you have.” On cue, Agott closed a spell on her palm quire, hidden in her robes until now.
Ribbons of light burst to life around them, wrapping around their little huddle and dancing in an imaginary breeze. Every eye in the group widened, watching with wonder as the ribbons continued to swirl through the air. She even saw one hand reach for it, glide through the magic. It had been a long time since Agott had regarded these sorts of spells as useless, and even without looking, Coco could feel her pride.
She stood, and stepped towards the door. Suddenly, everyone seemed much more eager, and Coco couldn’t help but be proud of their work.
“Welcome to your new atelier, everyone!”