[Quiet Man Cometh]

Grandmother Mia stood by the wood-framed bed and gingerly unpacked a few belongings from her bags while her daughter looked out the window, offering an excited narrative of the sites she could see from their small guest room. They were here for two days, long enough to perform their summoning ritual then move on to another location, taking some time to take in the sites they happened to pass. Ebby hadn't been to France before, and Mia indulged her excitement, offering the occasional comment and nod of her head as she placed her clothing and personal items into the bedside table on what she had designated as her bed, on the left, and away from the immediate morning sunlight.

From her paintbrush wrap, Mia pull out a small orb, glossy, and white, until she turned it so she could see the petrified iris and pupil staring at nothing. She had not taken a close look at it before pocketing it on her way out of the mage's academy from Ebby's last lecture. She had a fair knock for going about unnoticed when she wanted to. Rolling the eye in her hand, she felt the smoothness and wondered at the person to whom it was once a part.

It didn't matter. Not now. If he or she was a miserable character after they were successful, that would be dealt with at the time.

Mia clutched the eye in one hand and closed her bag. “Close the windows, Ebby. It's time to start.”