” Now what is it these old souls want of me?!” Edda cackled while looking over here runes.” Helda! Where did you leave my bag of bones?!” In her excitement the older women was shuffling out her seat, examining the desks and shelves to find her pouch. She’d been having an odd feeling pinching at her soul for a few days now and finally decided to figure out why.

” Can’t ya just divine it?” Helda mused, she was sitting in her own station grinding herbs in preparation of a potion and didn’t want to get up and join the search. ” Shouldn’t have to if ya just put it back with it belooongs.” It was her thrill that got her impatient and agitated, not so much the misplaced pouch; but the overstimulated Edda didn’t care to voice such things as her mind was locked on her focus.

” Knut said he saw it on the cupboard on the top shelf…” murmured Asa, the youngest among them. Knut was one of many spirits to wander the home. Often scurrying among the more cluttered places of the house. Edda rejoiced as she quickly dragged her chair along the floor toward the shelf mentioned. ” Thank ya lass, at least one of us has the sense to help.” Though her voice was giddy it didn’t soften her jab at Helda who didn’t bother paying the old witch any mind. Once Edda snatched her bag of bones, she scrambled for the items to create a flame, but it would be Asa who’d beat her to it and she was already coaxing the fire. ” We’ve never seen you so animated Edda, what’s got you so excited.” All Edda could manage was a nod to the runes on her desk as she inspected the bones to choose what to toss in the fire.

Asa, content with the size of the flame, wandered toward the table to investigate. She wasn’t as good at reading like her eldest sister, but she knew enough from watching over the years to get the gist.

Standing where Edda had, Asa aligned herself to how the runes were first presented. She wanted to take note of things like her sister had read them. As she gazed down at the ivory runes made of bone. Their markings carved from the blade of a knife and the etches filled with a crimson hue so that may stand out brightly. Kaunaz, the first rune she noticed was oddly close to the reader; Asa wasn’t sure what it implied but she felt it stirred something within her. Meanwhile, Ansuz sat above the spread and Gebo was not too off. Laguz and Naudiz were present as well, but it would be Isa at the center of the spread that she found odd. ” What’s the markstave?”

” Eihwaz..” Edda murmured in return, her gazed was affixed on the flames and the crackling bones. Every moment mattered when you have to study how they burned so she couldn’t pay Asa a lot of mind or truly answer her question. Of course the reason for the burning was so she could get a few more answers herself.” What an odd child….” the old witch murmured to herself absent mindedly. One of the bones split into three while a piece jumped out the blaze.” Hmmmm if you insist…..”

” What did it say?!” Asa asked excitedly while skipping over. It was not often that a reading would get Edda so worked up.” Whatever it is, I hope it doesn’t involve me. I have potions I need to restock within the fortnight.”

” You know, I can help you if ya want!” exclaimed Asa with a little annoyance. She often offers help when she can, but Helda shook her head.” So you can burn it like last time?” Asa scoffed but back off, choosing to turn back to the flame gazing with Edda.

” Asa darling, I need you to channel our old friend. I think I have the whole story but can’t be sure yet.” Edda sigh deeply as her excitement was waning. She was still invested on the reading, but the urge to scour for more answers had been satisfied. For now at least.

Asa on the other hand was not all that pleased, but she wouldn’t argue. At this point even she was invested on the meaning of the runes. Silently she’d walk over to the herb shelf to pick out some yarrow to consume, brewing it into a quick tea and settling on her cushion on the floor. After a few minutes of ingesting it, the energy in the room shifted and the hue of Asa’s eyes would spark and glow a deep earthy green. A mist like haze obscured her face and features and when her mouth opened, a different voice could be heard.

” To what do I owe this call sisters?” the spirit uttered in a raspy but melodic voice.

” I just needed to be sure of something,” Edda stepped up. Recanting the results of her runes and bones.

” Interesting turn of events isn’t it? But yes…” the spirit would begin, confirming the witch’s intuition. The pair would talk for an hours time before Edda was satisfied and done.