Dear reader, my sister and I have made a most remarkable discovery, one related to the Green Children of Woolden! And I do not think I would have seen it without her.
It all began the other day, when I saw Lettie looking at my collection of remedies and Impressions, and she asked about the bit of Courage I had left stored on the shelf. Lettie knows about Impressional magic from watching Auntie Ember and myself, but she never seemed interested in learning the craft. She lifted up the bottle, noting its unique quality, and asked where I had learned to make it. I explained how I’d had to come up with it on my own, about trying to find courage, and my adventure with the witch in the woods. It felt nice to talk with her that way, so free, like when we used to stay up late sharing secrets. But I stopped when I saw she had that strange look again. I asked her what it was all about as I was starting to fear something might be wrong.
She sighed, then hugged me tightly and told me how proud she was, not just of the apothecary I had become, but of how I had grown as a person. She said it had seemed so sudden when I left home; she wondered if I was upset and apologized for having been so busy. I told her not to worry and admitted that, while I may have been a little bit lonely before, it had worked out for the best. It had given me time to think, and without that I would not have come here. And what an adventure it has been thus far! She smiled. Seeing me strike out on my own, make new friends, and explore the enchanted woods… it wasn’t what she had expected from her shy sister. She said she didn’t need to hold my hand anymore. I said I would still like it if she did.
Lettie wanted to know more, so I showed her the other remedies and told her about everything that had happened since I had come to Greenwood, about the magic mirror, the icy deer and the fresh flowers in the dead of winter, and about my discovery of the stone giant. I even showed her the lavender I was growing in the window sill, and oh goodness, that’s when it hit her. “Sonya!” she said “I think you’re a plant!” I gave her a sarcastic “ha ha”, thinking that she was trying to be funny, but she insisted. Well, not that I was a plant, but she was beginning to suspect that maybe I was like a plant and only needed sunlight to grow. She pointed out how I only pecked like a bird while she felt as though she was starving all the day long, and how I had not been hungry at the Hume’s or Solmar or any of the days we had been outside strolling. I told her that it all sounded very silly to me indeed, just because I was not as hungry as she was. Still she was certain she was onto something, so we put it to the test. For the next few days, I was not to eat until I was actually hungry. The first breakfast, well, I wanted to eat; it smelled so good, but since I was not actually hungry, I went without. That day came and went… and then the next… and the next. Goodness, five full days without food, and what’s more, no hunger! The sixth day it rained and my stomach did begin to growl, so I enjoyed a hearty meal. This was enough to convince Lettie. It was true I could not go without food forever, but given the right Iight, I did not need to eat as much as other folks.
And that, dear reader, means The Green Children of Woolden was right! Well, not exactly, but at least in a way. And if this is true, then what else? I am still fairly certain I do not have magical tears, but maybe… just maybe, there is more to the story than I thought upon first glance. Oh, I am so grateful that Lettie was able to see the connection. Thanks to her, I am one step closer to uncovering the mystery of my past. Life really is so full of unexpected turns. I do not think either of us would have guessed when we were girls that we would be where we are today, but I am glad. And after telling her of all the marvelous things I’ve seen, Lettie wants me to show her the forest. I think it’s a wonderful idea. What better way to end her stay than with an adventure into the woods, one that we can share together.