W is for Wands

A direct continuation of Broom Racing - Aftermath.

"Susan, My, Anna, Aamu and Rósa! You come with me and Tähti, The rest of you will go to the potion room with Taavi and Gilvi" Thora said.

Tähti and Thora led the 5 apprentices down to the row of trees separating the Unicorn Farm from the rest of the island.
"I'm sure you all remember the day you got your wand," Thora said. "Wand-singing is a special branch of magic. And you are chosen to learn this."
Susan felt warm and happy inside. She clearly remembered the tree's song and she had looked longingly at the Japanese cherry tree each time she arrived at or left Unicorn Farm.

"We have chosen one apprentice from each country," Tähti continued. "Actually Sweden and in particular Norway could use two, considering the length of the countries, but none were found, maybe later well try to  teach some more apprentices, as it is a necessary ability to have." Thora directed the apprentices to leave their own wands at the big bales of hay and go to their own trees: "You all remember the tree, that gave you your wand. Go to them, place your hand on them and thank them."
  Susan walked slowly towards the Japanese cherry tree, she remembered the song, and was excited to hear it again. She placed her hand on the trunk and said: "Thank you, tree. I am very grateful for your gift. It has served me well so far. I hope you do not feel any pain where the wand left you." Susan was surprised by the tree's answer. It shook its branches, as if shaken by a gust of wind and then stood still. Simultaneously a melody spread Through Susan's hands, up her arms and from there into her ears and brain. It was such a lovely, harmonious tune, that Susan closed her eyes and let herself be swept away by the harmonies. Suddenly she was the tree, She was a cherry pit in the ground, stretching towards the light, drinking deeply from earth, sunlight and rain. She grew, extending her branches towards the sky. She felt the exquisite taste of sunlight on green leaves in spring, the sap returning from the leaves to the branches, down the stem in Autumn, and the opposite feeling of the sap raising, flowers and leaves unfolding in early spring. She felt frost bite the opening flowers and as a sustained bitter note the frustration over not bearing fruit. Once again she told the tree how much happiness it brought with its wonderful pink clouds of flowers. The tree thanked her and the song ended. Susan opened her eyes slowly to the sunlit world again. Still holding lightly to the tree she walked round it, looking at the tree and at all the other trees around her.
  Thora called the five apprentices to her. "Now you've heard your own tree, you need to be acquainted with other trees. Find one as different from your own tree as you can, not necessarily one, you do not like, but a different one. Think, look at the trees, or do both. Go and put your hands on the new tree. Tell them your name, and ask the tree to tell you theirs."
  Susan thought. A Japanese cherry was a tree of dreams and clouds. The opposite ... well a serious, fruit-bearing tree, or an ugly one? Serious, that would be an apple tree, and for ugly Susan remembered the Devil's walking stick in Granny's garden. Did such a one give any wands, and grow here? Susan looked at the closest trees. A big apple-tree stood near her, and she went to that one. As Thora had told her, she put her hands on the tree and said: "Good day, apple tree. I am Susan, an apprentice witch and wand-singer. How are you today?"
  Susan did not really expect an answer, but the tree sang to her. A welcoming, plain song of happy summers, busy bees and branches laden with fruits. Then it told her that  it was pleased to make wands for any needing it, but would Susan please remove some of the apples, because they were growing wrong?
  "Growing wrong?" Susan asked, and the tree sang of badly pollinated flowers, apples growing too close to one another and bugs. Susan stroked the tree and promised to remove the troublesome small apples. To reach the topmost apples, she had to climb, but she felt it impolite to just climb up a tree she had spoken to only minutes before.
  She considered asking the tree, but Thora saw her plight and came over. "Oh, the tree asked you a favour, that's just fine. The Snow magic can be used here, you just have to substitute sunrays for snowflakes. I think the other were taught in the first days of the holidays, while you were still with your family elsewhere." Susan tried the variation, and soared skywards on the sunrays to pick the bad apples from the tree. 
  "Now, Thora said, as the five apprentices once again stood around her. "Now you have to learn to sing the wand-song. Draw a deep breath, all the way down to your toes and sing with me."
  After an hour of singing, humming, breathing and standing on tiptoe to reach the highest notes, the five apprentices felt totally drained.
  "Oh, yes," Thora said with a tiny smile. "Wand-singing is hard work. Dinner is ready in a few minutes, you can all wash at the trough outside the barn." Not one of the girls had it in them to run there, they walked slowly towards the pump and trough to wash sweaty faces and hands in the refreshingly cool water. Thora manned the pump.