The wagon creaked on, a strange breeze lifted and blew a lock of black curly hair out of Ada's face. She looked up startled. Wind in the forest? This little gust was cold and a shiver ran down her spine. "Whoa" Ada mumbled and Willow gradually slowed to a walk. Ada picked up a lantern and jumped out the drivers seat and onto the gravel road, her boots shifted the gravel as she landed and her knees jolted. It was always more uncomfortable doing things in human form, however being a cat for too long was annoying, the tail and claws were great, but fingers and clothing felt better.
Ada walked forward a couple of meters, into the darkness, holding her lantern to eye level. Behind her the little lantern still hanging on the wagon flickered and dimmed for a breif moment, but Ada noticed it. She turned and leaped lightly into the drivers seat, stepping into the wagon for a second she gathered some herbs, and held them over the candle inside the lantern. The dried sage lit easily and the smoke trailed upwards, dancing in the air "Vade , malignus, dum vigilo exies a facie mea et non est reversa" (Begone evil spirit, leave my presence) Ada chanted the spell quietly and slowly, thinking about each syllable as she cast the spell. The smoke turned and encircled the wagon in a light halo. She left the herbs in the lantern to burn and picked up the reins. "On we go Willow" she commanded quietly, tugging lightly on the rein to lead him into the forest. "I don't know what he's up to tonight Willow, but that dratted spirit isn't getting us, not today." It took longer to travel by Wagon in the forest but it gave Ada the safety she needed to read in peace.
They continued running parallel to the road, but just out of sight so that from the road the faintest glow could be seen between the trees. When Willow unexpectantly stopped to sniff something, next to a shrub lay a pair of monocles bound together by some strange wire. Ada picked it up, turning it over in her hands. How strange, she noticed the two glass shapes and knowing little about glass and monocles but enough to know they could twist your vision. She lifted the glasses to peer through the lenses and the world came into sharper focus, she drew the glasses away and stumbled back with a slight cry.
Commanding Willow onward she put the glasses next to her and sat cross legged staring at them, chanting numerous spells trying to find out what they were.