Opening her eyes, everything looked blurry, as though a veil of smoke lay between her and the world. Shapes shifted in the haze, walls, furniture and someone moved from left to right, a silhouette gliding gently across the room.
As she blinked, her vision slowly cleared. The fading sunlight flickered across rough stone walls and wooden beams, and a faint scent of herbs hung in the air.
She could now see clearly, Mildred, robed in flowing midnight blue was standing by a low wooden table. She picked up a carved cup and whispered softly into it, her lips barely moving. As the words left her mouth, the liquid within the cup began to bubble gently. A thin stream of green mist curled upward, dancing in the air like smoke from a sacred censer.
"You're finally awake," Mildred said without turning, her sharp ears twitching ever so slightly. As she turned, a soft smile spread across her enchanting face, calm and comforting like the first breeze of spring.