We are in the 70es on Unicorn Island, an island off the coast of southern Zealand. A handful of teachers have gathered the broken threads of magic once again, trying to revive the magic in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, the Faroes and partially Greenland.
Our main protagonist is Susan (me) from Elsinore and her three co-apprentices and friends Heidi, Tage and Lis living at Unicorn Island.
I grasped the chance to write a little bit about some of the lesser known apprentices in this A-Z challenge.
Ⓐ - Ⓩ
L is for Lukas, Bo, Britta & Harald Eklund from Stockholm.
The four siblings Lukas 12, Britta 11, Bo 14, and Harald 16 live together with their mother Liv and father Vilhelm in a large house in Stockholm. The house is only a short way away from the block of flats where Kalle and Anna live next door to Helge with his angry mom and sickly dad.
In May the Eklund family is hosting a farewell party for Kalle, Anna and their parents, as they are moving to Helsingborg.
And a family tree - at least a partial one - would be of great help here it is:
Harald as usual was trying to keep his six siblings and cousins from getting into mischief. His mother always blamed him when something went wrong, saying he was the oldest and had to know better. After an early lunch they played in the big garden when a ball suddenly flew through the air, almost knocking over Anna and Kalles father, who stood by an apple tree, enjoying the exquisite flowering.
As expected, Harald's mother found him and gave him the usual talking to.
This time he spoke back: "Seriously Mom, I am not the oldest, Helge is!"
"While this is perfectly true," his mother said, "he is all of 11 days older than you, you are at home, and he is not, hence the larger responsibility is on you!"
"That's not fair!" Harald said, a bit more calm, "And now I am at it, it was Lukas, Kalle and Britta making trouble again. They are always after Anna for being the youngest. This time her temper suddenly flared, and I was unable to get to her in time. I am not able to stop every thing from happening, especially not as ou insist that our wands can only be used at Unicorn Farm. I wish I had a way to stop them teasing Anna, she can't help when she's born."
"I think I know how to amend that," his mother said. "After the cake, we're going to have a game of Magical Pursuit - I suppose Anna will be able to hold her own there."
"You're smart, mom," Harald said. Anna and Kalle are brighter than the younger Eklunds, and Anna is not the stupidest of those two! I will not mourn their moving to Helsingborg - that'll allow us to shine. I of course wou be more happy with a flying contest. Anna and Kalle would not have a chance."
"You're as bad at the others," his mother said sternly.
"No, I'm not. I never tease Anna to her face."
"You encourage our siblings and Kalle. That is just as bad. It makes them feel that what they do is fine. You would do better to follow Helge's example."
Harald bend his head. "Mom, why are you always such a spoilsports. But I think you're right. I'll try."
"Thanks, Harald," she said, gently squeezing his shoulder in an old gesture of endearment. "Now go and call the hordes, the cakes have just been delivered and are ready to be eaten."
Of course Harald was not totally able to stop feeling older and better. And as we see at the broom race, Anna & Kalle, Britta & Lukas joined David's team in the broom racing. Anna getting second thoughts too late to prevent the sabotage.
We meet Helge, the Eklund tribe and the Berggren siblings as some of the very first persons at Unicorn Farm.
I'll let Kalle do the introducing of his extended family: "Helge is my cousin. He lives in the same block of flats in Stockholm as Anna and I, but all the way up under the roof in a different block. Britta and her brothers, Harald, Lukas and Bo, live in a big house nearby. We're also related to them in some way."
Their wands suit their names as is often the case, Eklund meaning grove of oaks, they all have oaken wands, but their sparks differ. Haralds' are chocolate brown, Bo's a lacklustre green-grey, Lukas' reddish brown and Britta's bright silver brown.
Anna's wand is made of ash, emitting true red sparks, and Kalle's pearwood wand emits bluish sparks.
Of all the cousins, only Anna and Helge will live to see the founding of Birch Manor.
This turned into a more general story of the cousins, and Harald squeezed in. Sorry.
For this I used the next two Words for Wednesday: Exquisite, and Deliver. Leaving me with Nudge, Key, Stepped and World
Ⓐ - Ⓩ
Monday M for Marit & Astrid
I feel like I am getting bonus posts here - learning more about your characters and having Words for Wednesday. Thank you.
SvarSletThank you, I'll try to keep it up.
SletI am not even noticing the words being used, I am too busy trying to keep track of who is related to whom and what talents they have.
SvarSletHehe, I actually made a family tree for my own use here - I should have posted it, it seems.
SletI was just thinking a family tree or listing of some kind would be needed to truly keep track of everyone.
SvarSletThe oldest cannot be held liable for the actions of other children, even parents cannot be everywhere at once.
You echo my feelings. But parents seem to think that older siblings are omniscient and mind readres some times - and mature beyond their years too.
SletFamily tree to be added ;)
I guess it's natural for older siblings to shepard the younger ones, like they are the parents too.
SvarSletHave a lovely day.