Ella waved back at Alyssa who she had heard come out of the portal. She then continued to walk down the path, careful not to venture to far. She couldn't help wondering if there was some kind of magic preventing the students from just wandering off. Though she wouldn't even think of it!

It was hard, finding the perfect piece of wood to use for her rune. Ella couldn't help but sigh because the amount of trees that lined the path was extraordinary. The first year decided that maybe an up close and personal approach would be better so she headed off the path to the right. She was just about to ask another student how they were going about choosing their own wood when her wide eyes fell on a willow tree.

The small badger approached the willow and a small smile crept onto her face. Why hadn't she thought of it before? A willow, like the one in her Grandparents' backyard. The one where she used to spend hours reading in the protective shade of its long branches. A willow was perfect.

Ella searched the ground around her, knowing it was now her job to find a branch long enough to use. There were several small twigs around where she was standing but those were no good. Venturing to the far side of the tree, Ella stumbled over something, landing on her bottom. "Ouch!" She said, rubbing her backside. She picked up the long branch and was about to cast it aside when...O__O It was perfect! She mentally scolded herself for almost throwing away the best piece of willow in her area and headed towards the workbenches.