It's a description of a witch's cottage. How it looks outside.
The Witch’s cottage lay at the edge of the forest, where luxuriant brush, wild herbs and brambles formed a dense maze among ancient oaks and pines.
A wooden bucket swung in the stone well, which was amply guarded against contamination by the deeply carved stars and spirals surrounding it.
A dragon, one clawed paw upraised, flew above the house, twisting with the wind as it rode a wrought-iron arrow. The weathervane guided the enchantress living in the cottage in matters ranging from timing spells to divining the future.
1. Does it mean that there was a dragon above the house. It had one paw upraised and was riding a wrought-iron arrow which was twisting in the wind?
2. I'm not sure I understand the phrase "timing spells". Does "timing" mean "chosen"? So it means "chosen spells"?
Thanks
Top answer
Newguest Does it mean that there was a dragon above the house. Not a literal dragon. The story is talking about a weather vane in the shape of a dragon.
— MalRey
Free · every Monday
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
A timing spell is one that will one only work if it is cast at the correct time
Usuallly this will refer to a phase of the moon or a day of the week. However, it might refer to a time when the wind is blowing in the right direction
So, if you had a timing spell for when the wind was blowing from the east, you would need to check your weather vane