need to address me as ‘Master’ when there are other people present.”
Karryl nodded. “Thank you.” he replied, and carefully opened the cover of Father Clement’s Herbal. After he had been perusing the volume for about an hour, he looked across to the window seat. Legs crossed at the ankles, Symon sat examining and sorting a large bundle of scrolls. Some he dropped to the floor, and others he tucked carefully into the space beside him, his low murmurings accompanied by satisfied little nods. He was, however, not so engrossed in his task that he didn’t notice Karryl hoping to catch his eye.
The magician regarded him from under his bushy white eyebrows. “Problems, Karryl?”
Karryl’s expression was puzzled. With a brief shake of his head he indicated the large book in front of him. “Not really. It’s just that there are a lot of herbs and plants in this book that don’t seem to grow out in the woods, but there’s instructions for growing them in a garden or in pots. Have you got a garden, ‘cos I don’t remember seeing one when we were out this morning?”
Symon jumped to his feet, scattering scrolls in all directions. “Yes, yes, of course! I have a garden, a beautiful garden.”
He hurried to the window and peered out. “Good. It’s stopped raining, and I can even see a patch of blue sky. Yes, that is where we should be, not stuck indoors. Come, I’ll show it to you. You’ll more than likely learn just as much out there as you will studying that book, and the fresh air will give you an appetite. You can help me dig some carrots and pick some late beans and then we’ll have a feast at suppertime!”
Karryl grinned at his master’s almost childlike enthusiasm. Finding it also extremely infectious, he clattered along behind him down the stairs, trying hard not to laugh as Symon waved his hands about in the air whilst rattling off the names of the varieties he grew in his garden. Following the little path that wound its way beside the tower, they arrived at another narrow gravelled path branching off to the left and ending at a small copse of silver birch trees. Now turned to the butter yellow of autumn, the close leaves fluttered and shimmered in the cool breeze.
Symon stopped. “Here we are.”
Karryl stared. “But …all I can see is trees!”
The little magician looked at him and raised a bushy eyebrow. “Is that a fact?” He lifted a finger, a smile hovering at the corners of his mouth. “Watch, and remember what you can. This will be your first opportunity to learn a practical spell.”
Facing the trees and holding out his hands at waist level, palms forwards, he uttered a short phrase in a language strange to Karryl’s ears. As his mind raced in an effort to catch the words, the little copse of trees seemed to turn to liquid and melt away into the ground. There in front of them was a small, neatly laid-out garden.
Hardly able to believe what he had just witnessed, Karryl took a hesitant step forward. “Was it there all the time?”
“But of course. All I did was to remove the spell of concealment, otherwise known as a ‘glamour’. It’s a lot easier than building fences, and it won’t blow down in a gale! Shall we go and see what we can find?”
Master and apprentice spent the next couple of hours amongst the wide variety of fruit, vegetables and herbs which grew in the well tended, sheltered plot. From a tidy little potting shed at the far end of the garden Symon collected a fork and a wooden trug and together they dug carrots and picked the last of the bean crop. Taking the trug of beans, Karryl followed Symon to the apple tree and watched as, with a gentle lift and a twist, the magician picked several golden, rosy-blushed apples and placed them in the trug with the beans.
Symon’s round face glowed with pleasure. “Right ! Let’s collect the carrots and then go home and prepare to devour nature’s bounty. Don’t forget to stand behind me while I replace the
Karryl nodded. “Thank you.” he replied, and carefully opened the cover of Father Clement’s Herbal. After he had been perusing the volume for about an hour, he looked across to the window seat. Legs crossed at the ankles, Symon sat examining and sorting a large bundle of scrolls. Some he dropped to the floor, and others he tucked carefully into the space beside him, his low murmurings accompanied by satisfied little nods. He was, however, not so engrossed in his task that he didn’t notice Karryl hoping to catch his eye.
The magician regarded him from under his bushy white eyebrows. “Problems, Karryl?”
Karryl’s expression was puzzled. With a brief shake of his head he indicated the large book in front of him. “Not really. It’s just that there are a lot of herbs and plants in this book that don’t seem to grow out in the woods, but there’s instructions for growing them in a garden or in pots. Have you got a garden, ‘cos I don’t remember seeing one when we were out this morning?”
Symon jumped to his feet, scattering scrolls in all directions. “Yes, yes, of course! I have a garden, a beautiful garden.”
He hurried to the window and peered out. “Good. It’s stopped raining, and I can even see a patch of blue sky. Yes, that is where we should be, not stuck indoors. Come, I’ll show it to you. You’ll more than likely learn just as much out there as you will studying that book, and the fresh air will give you an appetite. You can help me dig some carrots and pick some late beans and then we’ll have a feast at suppertime!”
Karryl grinned at his master’s almost childlike enthusiasm. Finding it also extremely infectious, he clattered along behind him down the stairs, trying hard not to laugh as Symon waved his hands about in the air whilst rattling off the names of the varieties he grew in his garden. Following the little path that wound its way beside the tower, they arrived at another narrow gravelled path branching off to the left and ending at a small copse of silver birch trees. Now turned to the butter yellow of autumn, the close leaves fluttered and shimmered in the cool breeze.
Symon stopped. “Here we are.”
Karryl stared. “But …all I can see is trees!”
The little magician looked at him and raised a bushy eyebrow. “Is that a fact?” He lifted a finger, a smile hovering at the corners of his mouth. “Watch, and remember what you can. This will be your first opportunity to learn a practical spell.”
Facing the trees and holding out his hands at waist level, palms forwards, he uttered a short phrase in a language strange to Karryl’s ears. As his mind raced in an effort to catch the words, the little copse of trees seemed to turn to liquid and melt away into the ground. There in front of them was a small, neatly laid-out garden.
Hardly able to believe what he had just witnessed, Karryl took a hesitant step forward. “Was it there all the time?”
“But of course. All I did was to remove the spell of concealment, otherwise known as a ‘glamour’. It’s a lot easier than building fences, and it won’t blow down in a gale! Shall we go and see what we can find?”
Master and apprentice spent the next couple of hours amongst the wide variety of fruit, vegetables and herbs which grew in the well tended, sheltered plot. From a tidy little potting shed at the far end of the garden Symon collected a fork and a wooden trug and together they dug carrots and picked the last of the bean crop. Taking the trug of beans, Karryl followed Symon to the apple tree and watched as, with a gentle lift and a twist, the magician picked several golden, rosy-blushed apples and placed them in the trug with the beans.
Symon’s round face glowed with pleasure. “Right ! Let’s collect the carrots and then go home and prepare to devour nature’s bounty. Don’t forget to stand behind me while I replace the
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