11 10. The cottage appeared

   "Ok, Let's go" Even though Richard said it her was skeptical as he did not know where they were going to go or who would see them there, but he had no other choice if they were being watched they needed to move out fast and for now getting out of here was as good as gold. So he had no option but to go with Tiana. 

   Meanwhile, Tiana gently placed the mirror and the knapsack on the floor. She looked at Cynthia and said "try packing all that we can eat" now it was her turn to give a sheepish grin "and we can take it with this luggage of mine. I am already hungry and I would want to eat very soon." Cynthia covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing and she said a muffled "OK".

    Tiana looked around the cottage and felt sad, she had lived in this hidden cottage for so long and it shared her sorrow and joy. It was here that she moved with Abigail and it was here she lost her. She loved it here and she lived it here.

Richard saw her feeling sad, to bring her out of it "What should I do" he asked. 

  Tiana came back to here normal state, she knew if she wanted to open the portal she had to stabilize her emotions. She closed her eyes and opened it while exhaling. "Ok, let us move the furniture in this room to make way for me to draw a circle on the floor" 

"How big a circle are you going to draw, so that I can move the furniture aside."

   "I want you to move it a little because if we are being followed as you say once I leave this cottage, the invisible shield that protects this house might be removed and if anyone walks in they should not know we did something here. So it would be wise if we only moved it a little". 

Richard accepted what she said was right. "Fine I'll move it a little"

    While Richard moved the furniture back Tiana opened her knapsack and took out a chalk she first drew a circle and then started drawing inside it. There were all sorts of symbols and words, Richard had seen some, he saw some in the city council and a lot were very new to him. 

    By the time she finished it Cynthia had a lot of food stuff packed with the basket she had brought that morning. Tiana took a small bowl, some herbs and a bottle of liquid from the satchel. She put some of the herbs into the bowl and packed the rest into her bag. All the while she kept saying something which both of them did not understand. Then she poured the silver liquid from the bottle into the bowl of herbs, chanting all the while and placed the bottle back into the bag. Dipping her finger into the bowl she drew the entire drawing on the floor again chanting non-stop. 

     After finishing it, she stood up the drawing started to glow with a purple colour and lifted the satchel from the floor and put it on her shoulder. She lifted a bag and put it on Cynthia's shoulder. She made a to walk into the sign. Then she nodded for Richard to step forward. Richard got the other bags and stood inside the drawing and finally Tiana lifted the satchel and put it on her shoulder. She took the mirror into her arm and in her other hand she took her bag. 

     By now the sign she made on the floor had started to glow to a dark colour. Whether it was blue or dark purple they couldn't say. The air around was hot and it looked like a storm was brewing. All were standing in the circle and looking at each of them Tiana nodded. She lifted her hand and folded into a ball and lifting it in front of her she opened it saying "chapato". 

Slowly a small hole began to form and the storm started around them. 

     The hole gradually became bigger. Richard and Cynthia were a little worried and added to it Cynthia was scared but looking how quiet Tiana was she knew she had nothing to fear. Both of them held each of the arm of Cynthia. The hole got to the size of allowing two people who were seven foot tall to enter. 

     Tiana asked Cynthia to enter. Then she told Richard to enter it. Finally, she looked down and said "filehtaf" and she entered quickly and turned back and saw her cottage one last time and said "oramnili". She closed her eyes and said "gorsl" and turned, behind her the portal closed and the cottage returned to normal. It was as if nothing had happened there. The sign had disappeared completely. 

    At the same time the protective shield of the cottage was lifted and the cottage came into view for whoever was there. 

         Sylvan, stood behind the tree as the cottage suddenly appeared, he was shocked and he also understood something was wrong. He knew there was something but he did not suspect a cottage. Is this where she lived?

    He was also from the dark arts sect. He had followed them from the city, he was the one who pretended to be the small boy selling different things, he had followed them to the forest and then they disappeared into thin air. He knew something was there because not only them but some creatures of the wild also went with them and came out.

     He waited, he did not want to be seen, but he sensed that someone or something was watching him form the place where they disappeared. He felt it. He tried a simple magic but I wouldn't work it bounced back to him and hit him hard. If he wanted to do any heavy magick he would have to come out. He didn't want it.

    Without causing any disturbance he waited. He didn't want them running and he knew that boy had sharp senses. He was always looking around while travelling from the city and it was difficult for Sylvan to hide himself at certain times. His orders were to find where the girl was and inform immediately. 

     His waiting had paid off but there seemed to be something that was off. He wanted to go near the cottage but he was not sure whether it was a trap or not. He also did not know if the girl he wanted was there?