Dear reader, such a long summer it was, with so many sun-filled days. It revealed secrets too impossible to even dream of, and yet… the dream was real. How I long to return to that place we discovered, the Well of the Green Sister as Lorenz and I have begun to call it, with wild magics yet unknown. In my heart, I feel certain it is the true root of all the magic in Greenwood, down there in that well, deep and bright. It seems to touch every plant and animal, and I feel connected to it too. I think perhaps at some point in the past I must have eaten the fruit that grows on the vines there, and it was that which left me with these leafy marks and skin the color of the forest… It’s so like the image of the Green Sister, the one that watches over the place. But who made it? Who built those walls and stone giants? And where have the builders gone? I have so many questions, but we must wait to visit again. Oh, if only it were closer! Alas, it is a three to four day journey on horseback and… well dear reader, it is a great kindness that the baron has offered his continued help, but Lorenz is still a tutor and I am still the village apothecary. Right now, the time away is something we will only be able to afford every now and then. So it is at the end of fall we’ve planned to make the trip once again. Goodness, the end? But fall has only just begun!
At least I will have the company of a special friend with whom I can pass the season by. It’s true. While the forest is growing sleepy and the sun sets earlier every evening, gray smoke can be seen over the treetops once more. Mrs. Hume saw it too, and we decided to make a call on our dear old acquaintance at her stone cottage in the woods. It was good to see Dorothy and Tibbs again, and we all passed a very pleasant afternoon together. Of course we indulged in a few cinnamon and honey candies and chatted about the goings-on of the past year. But it was rather strange; part way through our tea we suddenly heard a loud tapping and a big black shape darkened the window. Tibbs hissed; I nearly dropped my cup and saucer, and goodness, all for what turned out to be a silly crow! “Shoo it away!” Mrs. Hume told Dorothy, adding that crows were an ill omen. “Nonsense,” the old woman replied. She opened the window and the large bird dropped something shiny into her hand: a brass button. I watched as the crow clicked and cooed while Dorothy stroked the feathers beneath its beak and told it how clever it was. She offered a nut in return, which it ate up greedily. “They’re trouble makers,” Mrs. Hume warned, taking another sip of tea. And the crow, proving her point, mischievously pulled on Tibbs’ tail. The cat hissed again, raising his paw, but the crow only cawed as though it were laughing before flying away into the forest. Dorothy admitted, “They are quite naughty creatures, but they’re sharp as tacks. They can solve puzzles, mimic the human tongue, and they have a unique fondness for gathering treasures.” She put the brass button on a shelf full of little things, like shells and string and beads; there was even a piece of broken blue-patterned porcelain. “To be sure, if you make friends with a crow, you’ll have a friend for life.”
Before we said goodbye, Dorothy made a request of me. She wanted a special remedy; “one that feels like fall,” as she has so many precious memories from this time of year. I told her I’d be delighted to craft it and, dear reader, I’ve already began gathering up Impressions. Things like the cold fog of the deep forest and the blazing colors of the autumn sunsets. I have it in mind to gather some Impressions of the crows too, since she seems rather fond of them. I don’t think I agree with Mrs. Hume, that they are ill omens or bring bad luck, but I’m not entirely sure what to think of them. Crows are loud, noisy birds and I know they can cause quite a lot of trouble for the farmers of the village, but perhaps I should get to know them better. I think I’ll leave out some nuts and seeds on my windowsill like Dorothy does. Even if the crows don’t want it, some animal is certain to enjoy the treat this coming fall.