MagiStream

Hm, this sounds very interesting. A monthly writing contest (I assume you were referring to GamingGal's poetry contest?) in the Tea House would be nice.

However, I don't think I'll be able to write something in two days that would make sense to people, so would you need more judges for September? Assuming you'll be switching out judges every month xD
Might as well put this up here anyway, if you ever need it.

Username: Icethornstar
Why you think you’d be a good judge/prior experience?: I think I have a few people who would be able to vouch for my experience in writing (however little it may be); on top of that, I love to read other peoples' stories and give feedback. I always have (or think I have) pretty good grammar, always use spell-check before posting/writing anything, always crack down on the mechanics of writing, etc.
Example of your writing(a link or links): Fear the fail-ness of not updating in over two months!
Why do you WANT to be a judge?: Well, I have an insane obession with editing- it's come to the point where I edit my own writing so much, I can't even write anything down. So, why not put it to better use? Giving other people feedback and learning from their writing helps you grow as a writer as well.
Secret Smiley:

Ironhoof inhaled deeply as he neared the cursed tree, focusing his entire attention on the spells of warning and protection surrounding it. In the light of early morning, all seemed peaceful, as it had for the past few years, the spells undisturbed by any malevolent force, yet he refused to become complacent. A lesser centaur would have given up ages ago - magi affairs were magi business - but Ironhoof had seen first-hand what the cursed tree could do to the unwary. The memory of clearing away the unfortunate victims who'd succumbed before his arrival would remain forever with him. The tree was lifeless and dead, as always, with no change in the remaining branches, contorted by dark magic into an elaborate tangle.

Ironhoof pawed the ground, clearing away the drift of autumn leaves that had accumulated since the previous day. Forestheart and Forestmane were at his side, as usual, digging away their share of the leaves, while Foresthound had, by the sound of it, treed a skioros. He sighed, knelt down, and began examining the first set of spells for any imperceptible changes, while also checking to make sure the runes he'd etched into the earth hadn't altered since the previous day.

The next couple of hours passed slowly, the silence broken only by Foresthound's yipping and the occasional grunt from Ironhoof as he levered himself up off the ground and moved on to the next cluster of spells. Once the last spell had been checked to his satisfaction, Ironhoof closed his eyes, concentrating on the sound of the autumn wind through the tree's branches. He could hear murmuring - the only sign that the ghost of the dark magi who’d died at its roots had not at last moved on - but no words, so that, too, was as it should be.

Finally satisfied that all was as it had been yesterday, Ironhoof opened his eyes and turned to leave. About to order either Forestheart or Forestmane to stay behind as guard - he knew from long experience that there was no point in asking Foresthound to perform any sort of important task - he paused when the Silvian alphyns turned identical pleading glances his way. Ironhoof sighed, knowing that someone should really stay behind to warn off any magi who got too close to the tree. Even this far into the Silva Forest, there would still be the occasional adventurous traveler in search of rare creatures or investigating old legends. Still, winter was drawing near, and there was now nobody left to help him gather supplies except for the ever-loyal alphyns. Reluctantly, Ironhoof beckoned to Forestheart and Forestmane and set off, with Foresthound not far behind.

The sun was directly overhead when the peace of the forest was shattered by the shrill shriek of alarm spells. Cursing his carelessness, Ironhoof galloped back to the tree, fearing what he would discover there. A thick white fog had arisen, shrouding the cursed tree and erasing the ground from view for a few feet around the trunk. Ironhoof could see no trace of the trapped magi, nor any of the magi's creatures, nor could he hear anything save the whistle of wind through branches, a sound that now distinctly had words in it, even if he couldn't quite make out what the words were.

Fearing he was already too late, Ironhoof began to cast spells at the fog to try to dissipate it, trying to remember whatever he could from his colthood training. As he'd half-expected, they had no effect, so Ironhoof was forced to gingerly pick his way through the fog, moving carefully so as not to accidentally tread upon the magi. Before he'd gone more than a few paces, the fog abruptly lifted, revealing a young, red-haired magi, dazed but already scrambling to her feet, and an unconscious kitsune, which the woman scooped up.

Now that nobody seemed to be seriously injured, Ironhoof felt free to express his anger. "Did you think, perhaps, that because you were a magi you could blithely disregard the spells I'd taken such care with?" he said, pacing back and forth, the calm of the forest now only broken by the crunch of hooves through leaves. "That whatever the spells were guarding would be no match for a Keep-trained magi like yourself? The spirit bound to this tree has killed many far older and stronger than you."

The magi had gone even paler, and was leaning against a nearby tree as if it were the only thing still holding her up, so Ironhoof trusted that he'd made his point. She shook her head. "I had no idea. I didn't even sense anything was wrong until I was already trapped in that fog. Thank you - I owe you my life."

Ironhoof suspected she'd just been too inexperienced to notice that anything was wrong - anyone who would venture this far into the Silva Forest with only a kitsune for company was either a fool or hopelessly naive. "I'm just impressed you've made it this far into the forest with just the one companion."

The magi looked sheepish. "Serves me right - I didn't think I'd need more than Kit for just a morning's excursion. If I'd known the forest got this dangerous this close to the Keep, I'd have borrowed some direwolves from a friend." She sighed. "All I wanted to do was just get away for a short while - to have some time to explore without my mentor breathing down my neck."

Ironhoof was now starting to wonder if the magi had been more affected by the cursed tree than he'd originally thought, or whether that day's encounter had been just the latest in a series of curses she'd encountered. "Close to the Keep? We're closer to the Caves of Nareu than we are to the Keep." He paused, noticing her look of alarm, and continued in a gentler tone. "Perhaps you'd like to take shelter at the nearest village for a couple of days, and spend some time with your own kind. I have sworn not to leave this part of the forest until the curse on this tree is dispelled, but one of my alphyns can guide you."

The magi didn't seem to be taking in his words. "I swear to you I just left the Keep this morning. Judging by the angle of the sun, it's early afternoon now, just as it should be for how long I've traveled, and I don't feel like I've been traveling for days." She was breathing quickly now, and was pale enough that Ironhoof wondered if she might pass out.

Since the magi was clearly starting to get quite distraught, Ironhoof decided to intervene. "I live not far from here. Perhaps things might look clearer after I brew you a cup of tea." The magi nodded, and Ironhoof started off in the direction of his hut. After a few paces, he realized he could hear no footsteps but his own, and stopped with a sigh. While it was completely against custom (not to mention dignity) for him to let a magi ride on his back, she could certainly lean on him for support. Ironhoof turned, expecting to find her slumped against a tree, if not passed out, but the magi was nowhere to be seen. He retraced his steps (though there was really no way she could have gotten lost), but there was no trace of the magi or her kitsune. If it hadn't been for the human footprints disturbing the fallen leaves, Ironhoof would have suspected that he'd somehow dreamed the whole encounter.

Ironhoof returned to the tree, greatly disturbed by the whole sequence of events. If the ghost that haunted the tree had been strong enough to break through his spells, reach back to the Keep, transport this young magi (he now saw no reason to disbelieve her story) and then return her back to where she'd come from (he hoped), then all of his careful spellwork had been for nothing. He resolved to redouble his efforts, as he knew the ghost had to have some sort of plan. Ironhoof only hoped the plan was something as reasonably straightforward as freedom from being bound to the tree, and not something darker. There was also the question of why, out of all the thousands of magi in the world, the dark magi's spirit had chosen this young woman in particular.

***

Winter that year had been mild, a complete change from the winter storms that had taken his mate the previous year, and yet what once would have been welcome now added to his burden. The cursed tree had been quiet all the rest of the autumn, though Ironhoof had refused to let his guard down, and as the snow had rarely been deep enough to impede travel, he'd had to spend his days guarding the tree. He hadn't even fully trusted Forestheart and Forestmane with the task, leaving them in charge only when forced to leave, as he knew the dark magi's spirit was waiting patiently for him to let his guard down again.

Ironhoof now checked the spells around the cursed tree twice daily, looking for any sign that the dark magi's spirit might be planning to finish what had been started the previous autumn. Still, even he could not be eternally vigilant, and early one spring morning the stillness of the forest was again broken by the screech of warning spells, accompanied by the frantic yipping of Forestheart and Forestmane.

Ironhoof, who had been off gathering herbs to make another batch of charms to ward off evil influences (largely ineffective, but Ironhoof was growing desperate enough to try anything), raced back to the tree as fast as he could, arriving just in time to see the red-haired magi from before become engulfed by more thick, white fog. As before, none of his spells worked, and this time a magical barrier kept him from plunging into the fog to rescue the magi. Ironhoof paced back and forth, swishing his tail in frustration at his utter helplessness.

Then, abruptly, the wind picked up, spiraling around the edge of the fog and sculpting it into strange shapes. The ever-present murmuring increased in volume, until Ironhoof could distinctly make out words. "At last...gratitude...remember..." The clearing was then illuminated with a bright glow, and when that faded, Ironhoof could no longer detect any trace of the dark magi's spirit. While he wouldn't leave without making absolutely sure that the tree was no longer haunted, Ironhoof suspected that his long task was at last at an end.

At last, the fog cleared, revealing the magi and a varied assortment of creatures. The magi herself seemed unharmed, though she was leaning on a solar hippogryph for support. Ironhoof picked his way through the crowd of animals, trying not to accidentally step on any of the smaller animals. "It would be wisest to leave, I think," he said to the woman. "While it appears that the dark magi's spirit no longer haunts this tree, I wouldn't risk my life on that."

The magi nodded, and began to walk away, still leaning on the solar hippogryph, who was making concerned crooning noises. A second solar hippogryph moved forward to walk on the magi's other side, glaring at Ironhoof as if daring him to interfere. Ironhoof had no intention of doing so, and instead fell back to a safe distance. He half-expected the magi would once again vanish abruptly, sent back to the Keep by whatever force had called her here, and at least wanted to see that happen.

Ironhoof glanced around at the menagerie of creatures following them. Besides the two solar hippogryphs, he counted a pegasus, a winged cat, a baku, a snow shoe jackalope, an ice gryphon, a Silvian alphyn, and two kitsunes (one Arkenian, one red), and suspected that there were others that he wasn't seeing. "I see you came well-guarded this time," he said at last.

The magi laughed. "Oh, no, not all of these are mine - just the hippogryphs, the alphyn, and the kitsune. The rest of these were originally hers." She gestured back at the tree. "Or taken by her, at least, probably to keep them safe from the magi that were hunting her down - not an especially pleasant story, and I'm glad I was able to give her some sort of happy ending. Despite common belief, I suspect she was no more a dark magi than I am. I believe the creatures were a parting gift to me, as thanks for my compassion."

Ironhoof nodded, resolving to get the whole story of the dark magi from the woman at some point. "So, since she didn't bother to transport you back to the Keep, I suppose you're facing a very long walk home." The woman nodded. "Then, once I've determined that my work here is in fact finished, perhaps I might accompany you for a time. Relations between people and centaurs have been poor for many years - since before I was born - but at least I can get you safely through the wilder parts of the forest." He'd been so lonely since his mate had died, and hadn't fully realized until now how much he'd missed having someone to hold a proper conversation with.

"Well, there are centaurs at the Keep, now, so I doubt they'd object to one more. Anyway, yes, I'd certainly appreciate having a guide. My name's Kate, by the way." Kate held out her hand, and Ironhoof gravely shook it.

"And I am Ironhoof. So, perhaps we might travel to the Keep together, as I've been curious about life there for quite some time." Despite the increasingly frequent twinges from aging joints, Ironhoof still felt ready for a new adventure. He liked having someone to talk to, and besides, he was still curious as to why Kate in particular had been chosen to release the dark magi's spirit. Perhaps he'd find a new purpose at the Keep - something else worthy of his expertise.