The path down the mountains went faster and more pleasantly than the morning climb. The wind had calmed, settling into a gentle breeze that only tousled the witches' hair. But when they reached the path again, they set off in the opposite direction from home.
"I thought you said it was on the way back," Esme asked, puzzled.
"Well, sort of—it's just a short detour."
The path gradually faded, and the girls entered a deep deciduous forest. It was pleasantly sheltered from the wind, though it still rustled the treetops gently, like a mother stroking her child's hair. It was peaceful there.
"Don't you think it's kind of hot here, Master?" Esme suddenly asked.
"Just a little," the witch smiled. "This is nothing yet."
Esme pushed through the bushes after her master and suddenly a wave of hot air hit her face, followed by a billow of steam. She gasped in awe. They stood on a small rocky outcrop, and the view before them was truly breathtaking.
"Wow! A hot spring!" Esme shouted, unsure where to look first. A relatively small pool stretched out in front of them, embraced by massive tree trunks whose branches leaned longingly toward the water's surface like a vain woman gazing into a mirror. The entire area was cloaked in a cloud of heavy steam that descended upon the girls like a thick winter duvet. To Esme, it felt as if they had stepped through bushes and thickets into another world. Just like a fairy tale!
"Pretty neat, huh?" said Mnou, who had already tossed her hat aside and begun undressing.
"Absolutely!" Esme agreed, following her mentor's example—until she suddenly hesitated.
"Are you sure no one comes here?" she asked timidly. "That steam must be visible from far away. I bet people visit this place."
"Trust me, not a soul comes here. We're far enough into the mountains that hardly anyone lives nearby. And more importantly, I cast a small illusion shield around the area, so no one can see the steam from a distance. I couldn't let this turn into a public spa, now, could I? So, not a word about this in the village." Mnou gave her a mischievous wink and gracefully floated above the pool with her staff in hand. Esme thought she looked like some kind of spirit—or perhaps… a goddess. The steam curled around the curves of her naked body, gently caressing her. She sank into the fluffy cloud. Her body's outline was hazy in the mist, giving her a mystical appearance. The only thing disrupting the smoothness of her skin were droplets of sweat and condensation slowly tracing their paths.
"What are you staring at?" Mnou laughed as she finally lowered herself into the pool's still, milky-blue water. "Come on in, water is just right."
Esme didn't wait. She jumped. It may not have been the most elegant entrance—she hadn't learned levitation yet—but she didn't mind.
Though her mistress had called the water "just right," the truth was it was quite hot—but after freezing in the mountains, both witches welcomed it.
Mnou lay relaxed in the water, still holding her staff, which she used to swirl the water gently around her, making it bubble and hum. She felt her fatigue and headache fade away. Meanwhile, her apprentice was joyfully splashing around in the shallower part of the pool.
"For a moment, I was worried you didn't know how to swim," the witch remarked. "It only occurred to me on the way here—and I wanted it to be a surprise."
"A friend taught me at school. In the summer, we used to go swimming at a beach just outside the city."
"Oh, that one. Others used to go there too," Mnou smiled faintly for some reason. It was strange to hear someone talk about places and people she once knew. She had grown unaccustomed to that on this foreign island. "But I never went there myself," she added.
"Really? That's a shame. It's a lovely spot. The sun shines there all day, and when we got too hot, we'd hide in a small cave nearby. There was even a little firepit by the entrance." The girl looked dreamy; her eyes hazy like the steam now enveloping her. After a moment, perhaps to avoid further questions, she asked quickly, "Why didn't you ever go there with your friends?"
"That's probably because I never had any friends," Mnou said bitterly. "There were a few people I spent time with, but… that doesn't mean they were friends. You could say I wasn't exactly popular."
"Neither was I. Most people thought I was an annoying nerd. But I did find a few real friends. I… I kind of miss them. I guess that means they really were my friends, right?" Esme sighed, lying back in the shallow water and resting her head on a mossy pillow at the edge of the pool.
Mnou didn't know. Feelings like that were foreign to her—or so she thought. If they were there at all, they were buried deep under layers of guilt and denial. Still, she wanted to encourage the girl.
"Maybe you can visit them someday," she suggested, sitting up. The gentle currents supported her.
"I don't think so," Esme replied with a sad smile. "I think it's better if I never go back to Ashkantt."
The witch looked at the girl for a long time. Half-submerged in the shallows, her wet hair blending with the moss, she looked like a wistful nymph. Mnou was reminded of a fairy tale her mother once told her—about a nymph cast out of her undersea kingdom. She had imagined her just like this, washed up on the shore, quietly accepting her fate. She couldn't remember how the story ended—but she did remember she was always crying at that part of the story. She felt so sorry for the poor nymph—banished from home, never to return.
Still lost in thought, the witch asked: "Esme… do you want to spend the rest of your life on this island?"
"I don't know. I think I wouldn't mind," the girl said after a pause. Though she didn't sound completely sure. "I like it here. But the truth is… I don't really have anywhere else to go."
"Then we're the same," Mnou sighed and lay back again. "We're like two abandoned spirits. I'm all alone in this damned world."
"Alone?" the little witch asked, surprised. Then shyly added, "You're not alone anymore. And neither am I. We have each other, don't we?"
Mnou stared at the blue sky, glimpsed through the thick steam as it swirled upward, only to vanish into nothing. She suddenly remembered that the fairy tale did have a happy ending. That's why she always loved it.
"I suppose you're right," she murmured, more to herself. We have each other. I'm not alone anymore. The words echoed in her mind. I'm not alone anymore?
"We're going to visit Coris today," Mnou announced firmly.
"Whaaat?" Esme whined. "But I wanted to go see Azra today."
"No way. You can go tomorrow. Today we're going to see Coris. I want to introduce you, so that if you ever need to bring him something or anything like that, you can go on your own."
"Oh, come on, do I really have to?" the girl grumbled, stubbornly tapping her shoe against the chair.
"No sulking," Mnou scolded her. She had started to notice that now the girl was getting more comfortable and settled in, she sometimes got into these rebellious moods.
"I'm your master, in case you've forgotten. You're not here just for fun."
"I know, but I told you I'm supposed to help with the Iuvefalé preparations," Esme defended herself with a hurt tone, though deep inside she had already accepted that she'd have to put it off till tomorrow.
"I'm sure they'll manage just fine without you." Mnou sighed and began clearing the dishes from the table.
She was starting to notice more and more how the girl spent most her time down in the village with that Azra of hers. Preparations for Iuvefalé, sure. As if anyone cares about some festival where drunk villagers dance around and jump over fires. What nonsense.
"I've got an idea!" Esme suddenly cried out, so loudly Mnou nearly dropped all the plates. "You introduce me to Coris, and I'll introduce you to Azra and his family. And you can help us with the preparations!"
Mnou stared at her in disbelief, one eyebrow raised. But it only took a moment to read from Esme's beaming face that she was completely serious — and clearly very proud of her little plan.
"Is that supposed to be a joke?"
"Nooo, I mean it," the girl whined, disappointment plain in her voice as she slipped back into her sulky expression. "You should try getting to know the villagers. They're all really nice."
"I have no interest in them, and I'm sure the feeling is mutual. So, you can forget about any meet-and-greet," the witch said curtly.
"Alright then…" came a defeated mutter from Esme. She knew there was no point in arguing anymore.