Embracing The Vast Unknown

Aurelia woke up from her slumber, greeted by a pair of familiar brown eyes, just like she would on any other morning. The pair of brown eyes were Cinnamon’s, her pet fox. She giggled as the little fox stood on top of her chest, sniffing her face.

- “Good morning, Cinnamon.”

She said in a sweet voice, as she nuzzled against the fluffy little fox. Cinnamon responded with a little whimper and nuzzled her back before jumping off the bed to let Aurelia get started with her day. She didn’t have much to do really, though that was completely normal. She spent most days reading, tending to her garden, and going out to explore the forest she found herself in, though she would never go too far. It was always the same though. Wake up, play with Cinnamon, tend to her garden, read a little, explore the forest, and look for ingredients for her potions. You see, Aurelia is a well-known witch in the area. Every once in a while, someone would come all the way out to her humble little cottage for guidance or a remedy, but those were the exciting days.

For the most part, her days were pretty uneventful and mundane, even with Cinnamon occasionally making her laugh, and reminding her to smile with their cute brown eyes… But even so, the young witch couldn’t help but feel like maybe… They were missing out on something. She had read so many stories of adventurers out there in the world. They tell stories of floating isles, forests filled with massive trees, stretching up towards the clouds, and far away on the borders of the map, a sea of clouds stretching as far as you can see, and that’s without going into the interesting creatures they’ve seen on their travels… All of which she’s never been able to see for herself…

After the young witch had her breakfast, she took a seat in her comfy chair by the fire, as rain gently drizzled outside. Once she made herself comfortable, ready for another reading session, she looked over to Cinnamon, who was waiting patiently in front of her, almost like they were waiting for an invitation.

- “Come on then, we’ll read together.”

She giggled. Cinnamon never seemed to leave her side for anything. Whenever she would take a walk in the forest, they were right there by her side. When she would tend to her garden, the little fox would always be there as she watered her plants, and would sometimes end up getting wet. And sure, they would occasionally make a mess, but she really didn’t mind at all (even if they would sometimes bring just a little bit of mud indoors…).

The fluffy little fox jumped with joy as she invited them to read with her. They climbed up onto their lap and snuggled into them. Aurelia scratched them behind their ears and stroked their fur, loving just how soft they were. Cinnamon tilted their head up as they received affection. The young witch found them so adorable as they did. The little fox then let the young witch do as she pleased, as they let their head rest on her leg, and slowly but surely drifted off to sleep. Once Aurelia was certain Cinnamon was fast asleep, she took out her wand from a little harness she kept on her at all times, and with a quick wave, a book from a shelf across the room started to float into the air, and made it’s way over to where she sat. She took hold of it once it was close enough, and continued reading where she last left off the day before. The next chapter told the story of how the author (who happened to be a witch), started her journey…

I still remember how I started my first journey, so deathly afraid of what might be out there, even though I didn’t really know for sure. A part of me was curious to know what I might find if I traveled far enough, but I was almost certain that same curiosity would get me in trouble (and well, it did, but that’s a story for another time). I was so indecisive and torn between simply staying at home, or starting my journey to see what was out there myself, but… Well, in the end, I chose to see it all with my own eyes, and travel the land on my own two legs. And let me tell you, dear reader, I don’t regret it one bit! This land is filled with many wondrous sights, whether it’s the sea of clouds at the borders of our world, or the luminescent forests deep beneath us. And that’s without going into the many people I met along the way, some of which I still keep in contact with, and have led me to great friendships. Yes, there are dangers out there, I won’t deny that. But even so, I’m still glad I decided to travel on my own. I feel as though it’s shaped me into the witch I am now. Looking back, I feel silly to have been afraid to take that leap and leave my warm bed behind. If I didn’t, nothing would’ve changed. That leap is necessary, whether you fall flat on your face, or reach someplace you’ve never seen before, you should always try, give yourself a chance, and be willing to embrace the vast unknown…

The young witch set her book aside for a moment. Those last few words echoed through her mind… Aurelia couldn’t help but wonder about what she could discover herself. Reading so many stories about adventurers on their travels, she wanted to see it all with her own eyes too. It was a deep yearning inside of her. To go out and explore… But she couldn’t deny that yes, she was afraid. Very afraid. She had no clue what she would find out there if she decided to travel, but there was no way to know for sure if it would be good or bad. If she chose to do nothing, then things would remain as they are, calm, uneventful, and perhaps a little dull at times. It was a leap of faith. One that she would just have to take, even if it was scary. The young witch’s mind began to race, as it was filled with many what-ifs. But she tried her best to silence them, because deep down, she knew they were irrational. She couldn’t know for sure what she would find, unless she tried.

The next morning, the witch had prepared a knapsack filled with a small amount of food (mostly cookies she had baked herself, along with a few other baked goods), some parchment, a quill, and the same book she was reading yesterday. She didn’t want to carry too much. After all, the witch felt she wasn’t ready to venture too far out just yet. Instead, she would just leave the forest and head towards a river she had heard about from some people, who came by seeking aid not too long ago. This was an excellent opportunity to get ingredients she would normally never find in the forest. Cinnamon sat close by with their head tilted off to one side, probably confused as to why she was shoving food into her bag. The young witch smiled at the sight of the cute little fox watching them with their head tilted. Smiling made her feel just a little more at ease…

 Once her knapsack was ready, Aurelia took one big stretch, reaching towards the ceiling, almost as if she was stalling her trip to the river for just a little longer. She walked towards the front door and grabbed the handle. Before turning it however, she took one more look around her little cottage… She took a deep breath as she did, exhaling slowly, and stepped outside before she could change her mind. Cinnamon quickly ran out the door before she could close it. She had planned on leaving the little fox in her cottage since she wouldn’t be out for too long, but now that she thought about it, she would feel a lot safer, and happier in general if she had a friend accompany her. She kneeled down and scratched their chin.

- “Wanna come with me?”

She said with a warm smile. Cinnamon barked and wagged their tail, clearly excited to find out where they might go. Aurelia giggled and stood tall, orienting herself towards the river. She looked up at the sky. The air was cool, there was a gentle breeze, and the sun was shining.

- “Let’s see what the world has in store for us today, Cinnamon.”