The middle girls have the original classroom to themselves now. Master Elrond and Celebrian have moved into the classroom to help out with our most active age group. Everyone is most pleased with this new arrangement.
Amberle's room has become the older girls' dorm. They all "hang out" there all the time anyway and Amberle got lonely having the room only to herself.
The older girls now also have a classroom of their very own with Master Allanon as their teacher. Master Elrond takes over when Master Allanon is out on "official Elven wizard business." A desk will be arriving for Master Allanon later this week so he will also have his official "space" in the academy. So, everyone has a spot in the academy and everyone was enjoying a quite peaceful day. Everyone except our person that is.
She was minding her own business hard at work...uhmm....well...fixing supper of some sort anyway.
All of the sudden there was a flash, a pop, and....a little door appeared on the kitchen counter.
Our person shrieked in shock! Just as suddenly as it appeared, the little door disappeared. But, our person heard another "Pop!" nearby...and there it was again!
Again it disappeared, only to reapper somewhere else!
Quite puzzled and more than a little startled, our person did the most logical thing a person could do in such a situation. She came to me for advice.
"Uhmmm...Rowan," she began unusually unsure of herself. "Have you by any chance seen a door today?"
Unsure of this rather unusual question, I answered as best I could. "Well, of course I have mistress. I have seen several doors today. They are rather common aren't they?"
"Yes....yes...they are. But...I mean have you seen a little door today?"
"Well mistress, errrr....there are several little dolls living here in little houses. We uhmmmm...have several little doors around here."
My poor mistress sighed in a rather frustrated manner.
"No Rowan...I mean an unusual little door...it has red trimming and it, well, it appears and then disappears. "
"Oh! You've met our magic door! Isn't it wonderful!!!!"
"I've met....wait a minute...there is a magic door here?"
"Well, yes, Mistress. Of course it is magic. You wouldn't expect a normal door to behave that way would you?"
"No...but...."
Before she could finish her sentence another "Pop" sounded and the door appeared in our house.
From upstairs I heard my sister Mehitabel say, "Oh, there you are at last! I called for you a good 10 minutes ago and I know you weren't busy with anyone else. Whatever were you doing? Loitering around again I suspect. I'll tell Master Allanon if you don't behave yourself!"
My person witnessed this exchange with a rather shocked expression.
"Mehitabel, what in the world are you doing talking to that door!"
"Oh...I was just on my way to Cranberry Isle in Maine to visit the home of my esteemed ancestor, Mistress. So sorry I can't stay and chat, but I can't keep the door all to myself for too long, can I? After all, someone else may need it. "
With that, Mehitabel whispered a mysterious word to the door...
And my sister and the door disappeared with a "pop" and a flash.
Our poor person was frantic...
"Where...where did Mehitabel go??????"
"Why, she told you Mistress. She went to Cranberry Island."
"But....but......"
Our poor person looked rather shaken. I suggested she go visit Master Allanon or Master Elrond for some type of calming potion.
Our person crossed the room to the academy and Master Allanon just in time to see the door appear in his classroom.
"That door! It's...it's everywhere....." stammered out our poor person.
"Oh, greeting dear Mistress!" Master Allanon called out. "You look rather pale....what is the matter? Oh my...I do hope our door hasn't startled you..."
"Your door?" Our person asked confused. "YES it startled me! I was in the kithcen and it just APPEARED and then DISAPPEARED! Of COURSE it startled me! One doesn't expect a little door to just APPEAR in one's kitchen!"
Master Allanon nodded wisely. "Yes. So many thing are unexpected aren't they? Why when one thinks about, everything that happens during the day is unexpected. We really have no idea what will happen to us in reality when we wake up and the whole day is quite an unexpected adventure isn't it?"
"Master Allanon....one absolutely DOES NOT expect little appearing and disappearing doors on ANY day! What is GOING ON?" Our poor person had quite reached her wits end by this time I am afraid.
"Oh, don't worry Mistress. I assure you the door won't bother you again. It is just young and a bit mischievous at times but I am working hard to train it properly. It means no harm. "
With that, Master Allanon turned to the door and gave it quite a scolding, "Naughty, naughty door! You know better than to go about popping in and out and frightening people! You only come when your called...you don't just wander off like that!" I must say, the door looked quite contrite.
"Now, you see Mistress, it won't bother you again." Master Allanon again assured our mistress.
"But I want to know WHAT it IS and WHY it is HERE!!!!!" our person finally stammered out, rather exasperated at this point.
"Well, I would be happy to discuss that with you a bit later. Right now, I am in the middle of a potions lesson and I can't leave the girls unsupervised with THAT kind of potion now can I? We wouldn't want THAT kind of mess if something went wrong, would we? I know...come back for tea in an hour and we'll have a nice little chat."
With that, our person returned to the kitchen to find an aspirin.
She returned later, tea cup in hand and much calmer after an aspirin and a nice door-free nap.
"Master Allanon, please, tell me about this door."
"Of course my dear Mistress. I made it and enchanted it just yesterday. Like I said, it is very young and just needs a bit of training. But, it is already quite useful. You see, any companion...well any adult companion--not the girls....can simply call the door when they want to go somewhere. Not all of us can apparate anywhere we want to go like I can, you know. So, the others can simply call the door, whisper the password in Elvish, tell the door where they want to go, and off they go. They can visit anywhere inside the house or outside the house."
"But you can already visit anywhere in the house by walking there and there is already a 'dolly door'....you know, the mail slot...leading outside." Our person observed, still confused.
"Yes, there is. But we can't walk to visit each other just anytime...not when company is here or in front of anyone besides you, can we? This way, we can visit between households at anytime. And when I say we can visit outside, I mean anywhere outside. Why, just this morning Miss Merriweather went to England to attend the '100th English Companion Doll Proper Victorian Governess' Convention', Mehitabel went to Cranberry Isle, and Professor Arthur went to Camelot."
"Uhhmmm...Camelot doesn't exist anymore."
"It doesn't exist in your world anymore you mean. Lots of things exist in our world that don't exist in your world. Anyway, we can even visit other companions across the world and even from other times. So, you see why we needed such a door?"
"Well, yes, I suppose I do. I don't suppose those doors come in my size do they?"
Master Allanon smiled sadly, "No, I'm afraid they don't. But, you are welcome to hear about our adventures at anytime and of course to join us on what adventures we can have around the house. And, we are always willing to join you in your adventures."
"I suppose my outings will be quite boring for all of you now. I mean, I can't take you to such places. The park perhaps, and occasionally to another state...but not to another country or time."
Master Allanon simply smiled. "All the adventure in the world can't compare to a single outing with a person one cares about. I don't think there is any worry...we will enjoy our outings with you just every bit as much as we ever have. And, you can enjoy hearing about all the new adventures too. We will have many new stories to tell.
Our person smiled at that. "Well, then let the new adventures begin!"
And so they have!Yours Truly,
Hitty Rowan
