I hope that if it was as nice today where you are as it was here, that you spent some time outside.
I didn’t sadly, but my windows were open.
In any case, whether or not you went outside to enjoy the day or had to stay inside, I hope you’ve come back for more story!

Kaylin swallowed nervously as she stood outside the door. She had no idea what she had been thinking to come here. Papa would be furious if he ever heard about this. Listening to Ralphie was never smart. Beside her the small kid shuffled its hooves. Even it seemed unhappy. Kaylin raised her fist and knocked.
“Can I help you child?”
Kaylin stared at the woman who had answered the door. She supposed she had been expecting some kind of hideous old hag from all the tales, but this woman was not remarkable in the least. Her garments were simple and warn from many washings like Kaylin’s own, and her hair, a soft fawn, was tied back in a neat bun. Her hands looked strong and rough from labor, and her pail face was thin. Her eyes were the only feature that stood out to Kaylin. They were the deepest green she had ever seen, and they seemed to pierce her as they stared down at her.
“Mistress Moira?” Kaylin stammered.
“Yes child, that is who I am.”
Kaylin bowed her head respectfully.
“I’ve come to seek your help and advice.”
The woman said nothing; her eyes now curious.
“I want to seek the dragon.”
“And you think I can help you?”
Kaylin gave a single nod.
“Better come inside then. Leave the goat out here.”
“But I thought …”
“I know what you thought,” the widow interrupted. “You needn’t bring me a young goat for my help. I help whom I choose.”
Kaylin noticed the smell first. It was a smell like cooking, but whatever was cooking was nothing she had ever smelled before. There was a kind of sharp sweetness to the smell, and it filled the little home.
“So you wish to find the queen’s dragon eh?” Said moira, going to the pot and stirring it. “Only you don’t think the queen will take you seriously because you are just the blacksmith’s daughter, young and a girl at that.”
Frothy white bubbles began to fome up from the pot as Moira stared down. Her deep green eyes never left it as she spoke to Kaylin.
“And what is it you seek from me? To be changed to a man? The skills of a warrior? Armor that would keep you from burning?”
Kaylin thought about this for a moment.
“I wish for guidance,” she said finally.
Moira reached up and pulled something from a near-by shelf. It looked to be some kind of stone with a hole on one end where a cord was threaded through. This she dipped in to the pot and the bubbles surged higher. After a long time, she removed the stone to reveal a sparkling crystal. Kaylin squinted against its brightness.
“Take this,” Moira said, slipping it around Kaylin’s neck. “As long as you wear it, you shall have all you need. You will understand what I mean when the time comes. Now go, and take that goat away with you.”