Winter has fallen upon Greenwood, soft as a silent sigh. The forest, dressed in a rich coat of white, seems almost to stand still, as though it was waiting. I shall wait too. At the last market day Lorenz told me he’d be spending the holiday with his father and aunt. “How long shall you be away?” I asked. “Until spring,” was his answer. Oh dear reader, my heart fell. I have not yet had the chance to tell him my feelings. There always seems to be something, either one of us is coming or going, or there are too many people nearby… So, Lorenz has gone away to the capital for Wysolice, but before he went, he left me with a request: “I would be ever grateful if you would craft me a remedy, something with all the beauty of Greenwood. You see, when I accompany Alexander this summer for his examinations, I want to share all that I cherish about this place with my family.” Well, what could I do? Of course I said yes.
I even tried to begin work on it before he left, but the strangest thing happened with the first Impression. It was Lorenz’s last day before traveling. He, Alexander, and I decided to make one final visit to the Well of the Green Sister. We spent most of our time down in the room with the magic mirror looking over the scrolls, for Lorenz and Alexander have begun making some sense of the writing using old Olkarian texts as a reference. As the two of them finished copying a few symbols to compare later, I went upstairs to get some fresh air. Standing in the snow beneath the great white-leafed tree, I lost myself in thought… I could already feel a little ache in my heart, but turned my attention towards the request… “A remedy with all the beauty of Greenwood”? I took a deep breath and looked up. There, in the middle of the frosted forest, the soft snowflakes gently landing on my eyelashes and hair, sparkling like crystals, I began to draw forth an Impression.
“Miss Sonya?” Oh, at Lorenz’s voice my heart skipped a beat, and so overcome with emotion was I that, goodness, I did something I haven’t done in years: I lost control of the Impression! It flashed from a sparkling silver to a blushing crimson and fell to the earth. Lorenz rushed over and apologized; he hadn’t realized I was trying to concentrate. But as he spoke, the remnants of the magic disappeared into the snow. The earth began to shift, and we stepped back as green shoots unfurled from the place! They grew and grew, new leaves sprouting here and there… a wild bush springing forth, until finally the transformation ended with a single red bud standing tall in the center, a rose.
“Oh, it’s beautiful!” I whispered, slowly moving forward to examine it. “It reminds me very much of you in your cloak,” Lorenz said in a hushed tone, “…the hue is almost identical.” I turned to look at him; his voice seemed different somehow. “It’s very similar to my scarf too,” he added. And as Lorenz gestured down, I noticed it was the one I had made for him last year. “Lorenz—” I began, but Alexander hushed forward to join us, having seen the rosebush spring up from a distance…
We all took a few moments to enjoy the ever-astounding magic of the forest, then made our way back towards the cottage and the manor house, wishing each other farewell until next we would meet again. Dear reader, what a strange and beautiful thing to happen with the fallen Impression! In all my years of practice, this has never occurred, and I’m sure Auntie Ember has never mentioned anything of this nature. Even after a few days the rosebush is still there, though the bud is unopened. I have it in my heart to gather an Impression from it, if and when it does finally bloom. Oh, it would be simply perfect for Lorenz’s Remedy, and once it is complete, and he returns, I shall… I shall give it to him and reveal my heart.