The swaying soon ceased; the Willow was still as the spell took effect. It stayed immobile all the while she plucked vials from the branches. Nice spellwork. It seemed to the do the trick for now.

But for how long?

It had been a few minutes, and the tree grew restless. As the beginnings of the spell wore off, the trunk trembled. The branches trembled, too, sending vials shattering to the ground, those potions ingredients splattering like paint. It only trembled, for now. Those tiny owl feet pressed into the knot, but nothing happened. It did not stop the tree from trembling. Perhaps, it wasn’t THE knot the owl wanted to touch. One of the branches suddenly jabbed outward. The tree was testing it movement, and as more of its limbs became free of the spell, they began to swing as if in slow motion. The spell did, after all all, still have its hold on the tree, but it was wearing off. Even with the knot pressed, one would still have to find the secret passageway. And time is ticking away until the tree is back to its full power….