Caron of Kjent

Caron of Kjent, son of Trystan, former miller's apprentice (and currently attempting to decipher and live up to a mysterious holy calling from Wodon...)

Caron was born in the village of Kjent as the only son of Trystan and Serenia. The household was never well-to-do. Most of their income comes from Serenia's roadside sale of honey-roasted chanterelles. Caron's father Trystan, once a shoemaker, has invested in a distillation contraption that he got from a merchant from Northgate. It produces an intoxicating and highly sellable substance he calls screech. The problem is that the contraption works slowly, and Trystan has a penchant for sampling the wares...

Caron's happiest day was when he was offered an apprenticeship with the local miller. Grain has to be turned to flour and farmers come from miles around to the mills of Kjent. Milling is a great career and competition among the village youth for an apprenticeship was fierce. Caron had an edge, though, because he's strong, and maintenance of millstones is not for the puny!

Shortly after starting his apprenticeship, Caron starts dreaming of an owl. The dreams get increasingly vivid and start interfering with his sleep. One day, bleary-eyed from sleep deprivation, he is lifting a millstone for the miller's daughter, Mindra, to clear away the buildup of straw and debris. His hands slip and the massive stone slams down on her unprotected hand. He rushes to her and takes her crushed and bloody hand in his. Mindra's eyes are wide with fear. She looks as if she is just about to scream in pain and horror when a strange but soothing sensation of both heat and cold envelops their hands. When Caron removes his hands, he sees Mira's hand is restored. She stares at him. He stares back, unable to move or to say anything. "Magic..." she whispers.  "What? No!" says Caron, "No way! What are you talking about?" “You're a witch," she says.

Read the gripping continuation here.