First Two Chapters - Angelica the Princess and the Pig - Grant Eagar
Angelica: The Princess and the Pig
The Beginning
North of Ireland there was an Island with a crater which was four miles across with a small lake in its center. The crater was filled with an ancient forest full of magic from the Elvin world, and next to the lake stood a gnarled Cornish oak. The tree had survived woodcutters, beetle infestations, whirlwinds, six lightning strikes, and three hundred and twelve seasons of gales. He was known in the forest as Armistead, but that name didn’t’ fit what the girl thought of him so she gave him the human name Marvin
The wood nymph was known throughout the forest as Cara. She flew to Marvin's upper branches; several hundred feet in the air; and gently landed on a slender bough. Her skin was the green of leaves after a rainstorm, emitting a gentle glow; her hair was the lavender of wildflowers. Cara stood as high as a tall human girl, with long slender arms and legs. She wore a peach-colored, sheer, silken dress cut a few inches above her knees.
She’d watch the sun appear over the crest of the crater, and warm her purple-blue wings in the sunlight. Then she wrapped her arms around herself and smiled with the joy of being a wood nymph. Once warmed, she felt the rough bark with her hands and rubbed her cheek against it. Closing her eyes Cara began a transformation that allowed her to gently slip into the depths of the great tree.
During the day Cara merged with the tree, rejoicing in the ancient oak’s embrace. Her skin tingled when the birds landed on the tree's branches. The ache of scars deep inside still burned but was countered by the giving warmth of the sun tickling Marvin’s leaves. She was annoyed by the woodpecker, knock, knocking away, and the beetles’ constant attack on several of the tree’s dead and rotting branches.
At dusk Cara would leave the safety of the tree, standing on her branch, stretching her arms and legs, then begin the slow movement of her wings. When the sun finally set, she’d run to the end of the branch and leap into the wind, rising . . . rising on strong wings to soar over the forest. Cara would fly for miles, attending fairy creature feasts and taking part in fairy creature dances she’d make fairy love with little kisses that burst like bubbles. Then as the night waned, she would return to Marvin’s embrace,
After another night in the forest Cara returned, weary but happy, she’d stolen a jug of dandelion wine from the humans; later sharing it with Riana, her pixy fairy, and the harpies. She wrapped her arms around herself and attempted a wan smile, she had drunk too much wine, and her head throbbed.
After warming herself she pressed her cheek against Marvin’s rough bark, she looked forward to a day of rest. Her entrance into the tree was blocked. “Marvin what is it with you, let me in, I’m tired.”
The tree gave a rumble, “Little trouble maker, look at the horizon, you’ll see what is in store for us.”
Cara gazed at the horizon and saw hundreds of puffs of smoke encircling the crater. She watched the light begin to fill the horizon, the dawning of a dark and bitter day.
“How did they find out it was me who stole the ale?” she said as she walked to the edge of her branch.
“It is not about the ale, since the humans cannot possess the magical forest, they have chosen to destroy it instead.”
“Marvin, why would they do such a thing? I haven’t killed any of them. I may have captivated some woodsmen, stolen their axes and saws, annoyed their wives, but I haven’t killed anyone.”
“You may not have killed anyone, but the harpies, the griffins, the wolves, and the unicorns have taken their toll. You’re one of the reasons the men flock to the forest, they are infatuated with you, your beauty, your singing, and dancing. You have unwittingly led them to their doom.”
“So, it’s all my fault? Well, I must do what I can to stop this.” Cara flew to where the fires were and landed then grabbed a branch and began beating the fires out and moving the burning brush away from the trees, but the villagers threw rocks at her. She was soon battered and bloody. She flew back over to where the villagers had congregated. “How could you destroy the forest!” she yelled at the mob. Great drops of sweat mixed with blood dripped from her chin.
The priest, a fat, balding man in a green robe raised his staff and said, “Your demonic forest has taken too many of our men’s lives; we’ll not lose another. Good riddance to your evil kind.”
“You fools would not have lost a man if you had honored our treaty, well pox on the lot of you; you’ve driven out all the good magic, I just hope you are content with what will take our place. This land will only grow thorns and briars and the magical creatures that come will be satires and doleful creatures stealing your children.”
Cara avoided several more rocks that had been thrown at her along with three arrows and flew back through the burning forest to Marvin and pushed her head against the tree. “I’m sorry Marvin; I couldn’t stop the fire. The humans are determined to destroy us.”
“Cara, you’re not safe with me now. You must leave. You’ve done all in your power to save the forest.”
Cara clung tight to the tree, “I’ll not leave you.” The flames were swiftly making their way through the forest. “Marvin, I'm part of you, how can I leave you to this fate?”
“Girl, I've lived many generations of your kind. You are part of my immortality like the acorns I shed, and as you go on so will I.”
“Tree, it’s your strong wood heart that gives me life; you protect me from the heat of the day, from predators . . . from humans.” She gazed at the fire now a hundred yards away and moving fast.
“Girl, you have a portion of my courage, and strength and a particle of my wisdom. I in turn have tasted of your innocence; and sipped of your joy: that is enough for me.”
She looked down and could feel the heat of the fire, its anger, its power, why were the humans so angry, why the need to devour, to destroy? “Dear God of Fire, thou who must destroy the old so the young can grow, please spare Marvin.”
Cara tried again to enter Marvin, but he blocked her. “Foolish girl you must go! You’ll not stay and perish with me. I’m old, I've lived my life, but your life is just beginning. The door to the Fairy world is quickly closing; when I perish, you’ll become human if you’re still in this world.”
Next to her buzzed Riana, a pixy fairy, who pinched Cara’s nose, pulled her hair, and flew about. “This is some kind of farewell, you flying pest.” Riana just giggled, wiggled her behind, stuck out her tongue hovered just out of Cara’s reach. “Stupid pixy! Go! Fly to the doorway of the Elvin kingdom. I’m staying here with Marvin. I will not give the villagers the satisfaction of seeing me run away. I’ll stay here and die with the tree. She tried once again to enter Marvin; she wanted to be inside him when her life ended.
Marvin gave a great rumble, “Nymph! You’re too stupid to live; you must go, the fire will soon be upon us. Riana will not leave without you; do you want her to die also?”
“What is life without a tree?”
“Child that is what you’ll have to find out. I have confidence that you have the strength, and the courage to make a new life.”
“I don’t have this courage you speak of; I fear.” The fire was just a few limbs below her and the flames were licking her dress.
“If you have not courage, then all is lost, for that’s my legacy; that’s my immortality, and if this courage is not enough, then my life was in vain.”
“Oh, foul tree! Do not speak so, your life will not be in vain, I will go on, I will live, you will be remembered.”
“That is all I need to hear; I can now face the end with peace and hope. Now grab that foolish pixy and be off with you, make haste before the God of Fire devours you.” The tree gave a great shudder dropping all its leaves and momentarily slowing the fire down.
She pressed her face against the rough bark of the tree and kissed it, grabbed Riana, and put her on her shoulder then took flight through the flames awkwardly making her way over the magical forest. She flew over the heads of rabbits, dear, foxes, wolves, and quail. She flew down and grabbed the scruff of the neck of a wolf and lifted him above the flames, in his fear he bit her wrist and she dropped him just ahead of the fire. He would have to make his way without her help. She could feel the hot wind running ahead of the fire pushing her along out of danger. “Thank you, god, of fire, for your winds of mercy that allow me to escape.”
She beat her wings with all her strength and flew ahead. But the fire had overrun the entrance to the valley before she got there, three pixie fairies about the size of her hands were about to be devoured by the fire. They were arguing about which direction to go. She grabbed them in her hands and placed them on her back and told them to hold on. As she beat her wings she barely stayed ahead of the fire. She could occasionally feel the heat of the flames burn her dress. The pixie fairies would put the small fires out.
A purple fairy fell off, down, down into the flames, Cara dove into the fire and came out with the small fairy and they flew on. They flew to the magical gate at the lake and there was an explosion as the gate closed. She flew down to the gate and picked up a piece of crystal. “Cara, there is no bringing the gate back, you have to make it to the Everlasting Hills before Marvin is consumed,” said Riana.
“I'm Sorry Riana, I should have listened to Marvin sooner; then we could’ve made it through the gate.”
“Cara, I’m your pixy where you go, I go.” They crossed a ridgeline and began making space between themselves and the fire. The fire crossed over the edge of the crater. Her wings along with her skin were singed from the heat of the fire, but she was still able to fly. They flew all day and into the night. When she was failing for strength, the pixies grabbed her dress and beat their wings giving added speed. She could feel Marvin’s life force fading along with her strength. The pull from the magical grove became stronger and she could see the gentle stream of magic that directed her to the trees. She finally found the forest and flew down and landed at the base of four giant Beach trees and crawled in the gap between two great roots. Next to her buzzed the pixies who thanked her and then flew off. Riana flew to a nearby branch, sat, and watched her.
After Cara had regained some strength, she tried to go into one of the great beach trees to escape the horror of the day, but they blocked her, she was not their wood nymph after all. The trees were generous with their healing magic though, and soon the burns on her skin were healed and she fell asleep.
She awoke with a start and felt a wrenching pain as her connection with Marvin dissipated and then broke. He had been devoured by the fire. She looked at her hands as they slowly changed from the green of a wood nymph to the pale olive tan of human skin. Her wings withered away and fell off and her hair turned from bright lavender to a dull brown to coal black. She gazed into a puddle of water and noticed the only part of her that had not changed were her eyes, they were still lavender with flecks of green.
She looked up to the starry sky and said, “Oh God of Fire, why have you done this to me? Marvin’s gone and now I’m a mere human.” Tears filled her eyes; she had never felt so alone, part of her brutally burned away. A child of a world that was now gone. She continued to change and from the form of a young woman to that of a child, her memories of her life dissipated. The trees took up her cry, groaning, creaking, and swaying in the breeze.
A few miles away Mildred, a mountain witch, heard this groaning and yelled to the trees, “Enough already, I’ve got sick patients to care for, I don’t need to hear all this fuss.” She then began listening to the trees and they conveyed the fate of the magical forest and she shed a few tears of her own. The trees told her where the girl was hidden and she found the child. The girl looked to be a three-year-old, she was drowned by wearing the singed peach dress of a forest nymph.
“What am I going to do with you?” The girl did not answer but continued to cry. Granny picked her up and held her close. After a long while, the tears slowed, when there were none left to cry the girl just sobbed. Granny put her down, “looks like just another mouth to feed. Well stop the wailing and come on. I’m too old to be a nursemaid but I think you can find a place with my daughter Sheila and her husband Jon. They have a girl and a boy a couple years older than you. I think I'll call you Angelica.”
CHAPTER 1
Going Home
Thirteen years Later -
The boy held Angelica’s hand as they walked down the forest path strewn with flowers and shrubs. There was a bubbling stream nearby and they could feel the bright sun on their backs and hear the birds quarreling in the trees. A giant yellow daffodil, as tall as Angelica, leaned into the path and said, “Angelica, it’s time for you to wake up.”
She pushed the flower out of the way with her free hand and smirked. “Granny, I’ve spent two hours on this incantation and you want me to wake up now? Give me some time; the walk is going quite well. I might even get to kiss him.”
A blue iris said, “Enough foolishness.”
Angelica turned to the boy. “Let’s run, shall we?” He nodded and she took his arm and ran down the path, dragging the boy after her. They ran past a waterfall and across a meadow with a brook winding through it.
A daisy said, “Child, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” The boy then turned into a three-headed black dog.
She jumped away from the beast. “Granny, how could you?! A hell-hound? I would think it quite extraordinary if I wasn’t’ trying to kiss him. How am I going to kiss a dog? You’re ruining the dream.”
The center dog head chuckled and tried to nip her behind. “Serves you right for not listening to me.”
“Could you give me a few more minutes? This was just getting good.”
Another dog head said, “Silly girl, it’s important that you wake up now!”
Angelica stuck out her tongue and ran down a different path strewn with daisies and wildflowers. “I won't be long; I just need to find that boy again. I worked hard to make the incantation to enter his dream. I'm not going to waste it now.”
The dog growled and ran after her nipping at her heels. The center head said, “Girl, enough playing around.”
The ivy which was strewn across the path wrapped around Angelica’s leg, pulling her to the ground. She spread her arms wide and concentrated on a weapon and a sword appeared in her right hand. This she used to cut the vines from her legs. She continued to run, beheading the huge flowers that were reaching for her.
In front of her on the path lumbered a great black dragon that spewed a fireball at her. She ducked. “Sorry Dragon, I don't have time to play with you today, but if you could make yourself useful and keep the dog busy, it would be much appreciated. I just need a few more minutes.”
“No battle today? Well, I'm no servant to do your bidding,” said the dragon. He then lunged at her. “We’ll fight whether you like it or not.”
Angelica thrust spun and parried the dragon’s lightning-quick jaws before running between the dragon's tree-trunk-like legs. “Dragon, let me pass, I need to find that boy before Granny wakes me up.” The long serpentine dragon tail wrapped around her waist picked her up and tossed her high into the air. As she fell towards the gaping dragon maw the girl spoke an incantation, sprouted wings, and flew off, barely escaping the snapping jaws. In the distance, she spied the thatch-haired boy riding a black bull. She frantically beat her gossamer wings and then glided down, alighting onto the bull, right in front of the boy.
The boy offered her a confused smile. “I didn’t know you had wings. This is rather strange, and I’m sure I’ve never ridden a bull before.”
“It's a dream dummy, dreams are meant to be a little strange so just enjoy it. We don’t have much time.” She embraced him, puckered her lips, and leaned into him.
He gave her a confused look and leaned away from her. “Have time for what?”
“A kiss, dimwit . . . well if you want to.”
He grinned, then leaned over and gently kissed her.
Angelica, who had her eyes closed, felt something strange in the kiss. She opened her eyes and pulled back, “Bloody hell! A pig! We.” The boy had been turned into an enormous blond speckled pig. She spat then threw her hands up and yelled, “granny, you win!” She sighed and opened her lavender eyes. When she peered out of the covers, there stood Granny Mildred with a handful of green fire to light the room.
Angelica wrinkled up her nose. “A three-headed dog, demented flowers, the dragon king who was not invited, and a smelly pig? You ruined the dream.”
“My goodness, you’re hard to wake up! We need to talk.”
“Granny, you’re relentless.” Angelica pushed the mop of raven hair out of her eyes and glanced up at the patchwork of tiny dark windows in the ceiling. “It isn’t even twilight yet. Let me sleep.” She hid her head under the quilt again and tried to remember the dream.
Granny grabbed the covers with her free hand and yanked them off the girl. “There is no more sleeping for you.” Angelica grabbed at the fleeing covers and fought to retrieve them. The old woman made her way into the other room, taking the quilt with her.
Angelica curled up into a ball for a moment. The memories of her dream were fleeing fast like a white stallion running through the mist. She considered: Had it been Henry the carpenter’s son or Elijah the minstrel in her dream? Ugh. She made a face, sat up, and tentatively stepped onto the cold stone floor. Shivering, she grabbed a robe and quickly pulled it over the cotton shift she had worn to bed. The young witch hurried into the great room and perched next to the fire where a pot of mint tea brewed.
She warmed her bones then sat at the table and regarded the old witch with glazed eyes. “Granny, what is so important that you need to invade my dreams and wake me up in the middle of the night? I worked hard on the incantation for that dream. Now I can’t remember which boy I used it on.”
Granny poured Angelica some tea and gave her toast to butter. “Silly dreams about foolish boys? No wonder you don’t want to get up. You need to apply your magic to more useful occupations.” She thought for a moment, “the boy in your dream was that minstrel if you must know. Now I told you we need to talk.” She sat across from Angelica and took the girl's hands. The old witch stared at the girl with misty eyes. “Child, I received a message from your mother late last night. You must return home immediately.”
“What's the matter? Is a member of the family sick? Has someone been hurt? Has Margaret agreed to marry that miscreant, Luther?” Her eyes widened, “have they gone and married me off?”
Granny gave Angelica a wan smile. “No, everyone’s well enough off, just …well, it's your mother. She’s made plans for your future.”
Angelica’s face went pale. “I won’t go. They can’t make me. I’ll stay here with you. I’ll change, you’ll see. I won’t torment your servant anymore and I’ll be good to your patients. I’ll even-”
Granny raised both hands. “Stop, stop, stop! Don’t let your imagination get carried away with you. Your father hasn’t married you off yet.” The old woman put on a composed face, “your mother loves you and has your best interest at heart. You need to trust her; she asked me not to tell you what the plans were. You'll find out when you return home. She says though that this is an incredible opportunity for you.”
Not the mum has your best interest at heart speech. This is bad indeed. Angelica summoned the jelly jar and slathered it over her bread. “She knew that if you told me what this was about, I’d never come home. Could you at least hint about what this is regarding?”
Granny lightly spanked Angelica’s hand when the girl put her finger into the jelly pot. “Girl, use the knife. Now I’ve enjoyed these winters we’ve spent together. I feel you’ve reformed reasonably well, given the circumstances. Now that you're sixteen it’s time for you to move on with your life. Your time with me is over.”
Angelica stood up and embraced the old woman then kissed her on her wrinkled cheek. “Thank you for putting up with me when no one else would.” She wiped a stray tear from her eye. “Not only do I promise that I won’t get into any more trouble, I promise to conduct myself in a proper and pleasing manner. You'll be proud of me yet.”
Granny wiped away a tear of her own and with a twinkle in her eye said, “The thing about promises is that people expect you to keep them; now don’t make promises you have no intention of honoring. I do expect you to take what you’ve learned here and be of service to those around you.” She leaned over and kissed Angelica’s forehead.
The girl returned to her room and put on the dress that Granny had made for her last birthday. The magical dress was made of light green cotton with several dozen darker green leather leaves as large as her hand. The leaves were connected by a vine pattern. Behind each leaf held a pocket that appeared small from the outside, but large enough on the inside to contain a knife, a rope, a sandwich, or whatever else she might need. These she filled with her potions, catgut, needle and thread, socks, combs, bread, cheese, and several jars of jam she pilfered from Granny's pantry.
While Angelica packed, Granny went next door and woke Smugget, her assistant, and gave him instructions regarding the care of their patients; the mountain people of Moreland Scotland.
When they were ready for the trip, Granny picked up her walking stick and a large leather traveling bag that she slung over her shoulder. She walked to the doorway and gave final instructions to the dwarf. Angelica and Granny walked down the path that wound its way through the ancient, magical forest. Massive trees mixed with ferns and purple and yellow wildflowers. When they came to a bend in the trail Angelica looked back for one final glimpse of the cottage where she had spent the last six winters. It had been built of black volcanic rock with hundreds of small windows made of brightly colored glass. From a distance it appeared to be covered with butterflies and in the twilight, they glowed.
Angelica touched three giant oak trees next to the trail. Each tree gave a gentle shudder as if they too were saying goodbye.
#
The journey from the Everlasting Hills of Scotland to Angelica’s home in Northumberland England took two days. This journey Angelica had taken every autumn and every spring since she was ten years old. Two things brought this about; Angelica’s penchant for trouble and her parents’ notion that time spent with her grandmother would help reform her. Of course, with her budding magical abilities, it was a natural fit; given that Granny-Mildred was a mountain witch.
They had been walking for several hours when Granny stopped and called on a mother with a new baby. She asked Angelica to wait outside and entertain the older children. Angelica picked up a stick and swung it like a sword, beheading Lazy-Susan’s and daffodils. “Take that you blackguard, take that, you filthy pirate. You’ll learn not to cross Angelica the Barbarian.” Soon half a dozen children had joined her in the mad attack on the flowers alongside the path.
They traveled down the lane and around a bend when she heard a high-pitched scream. She glanced at the flower she had just beheaded, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was just having a bit of fun.” She stopped when she realized the noise had come from the meadow. Climbing a wooden fence, she saw a man being gored by a bull. The beast stood over him angrily bellowing and shaking its head. Angelica went pale and shuddered at the sight.
She climbed over the fence and ran at the bull, frantically waving her stick. “Hey, get away from him!” The bull turned, considered her, and charged.
The lithe witch ran back and jumped the fence just before hearing a loud crash as the bull ran into the wooden fence. He made several more runs at the fence, along with numerous bellows and snorts before trotting back to the other side of the meadow to graze. Angelica leaned over the fence and regarded the bull. That wasn’t very smart, now how to help him without getting killed?
One of the children handed her a much bigger stick and she told them to wait outside the fence. This time she cautiously climbed over the fence and approached the injured man. “What did you do to make the bull so angry at you?”
The man who appeared woozy and stank of ale gave her a confused look. “I just-” The man hiccupped, then paused as if he couldn’t remember what they were talking about. After a moment, his eyes lit up in remembrance. “I was just trying to get some milk from her.”
Angelica pointed her stick at the large black bull with huge horns. “That is not a ‘her’.”
The children, well-armed with rocks and sticks, approached her. “Angelica, we’re here to protect you,” said a little red-headed girl.
Angelica glanced at the grazing bull. “I think he's got most of the vinegar out of his system, but if he comes this way you make a run for the fence.”
The girl said, “No Angelica, we be brave. We'll drive the devil bull away and save ye.”
Angelica leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Thank you, Maria, but that is no way to hold a sword if you’re going to fend off an ornery bull.” The young witch showed the girl how to hold the stick with both hands out in front of her and she and the other kids stood at attention.
Angelica reached into her pockets and removed supplies to bind the man’s wounds. She closed her eyes and summoned the earth magic and concentrated on stopping the bleeding. Several minutes later she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned, and Maria pointed at the bull. “The devil beast is still mad.” The bull was approaching the small group. It bellowed and pawed the grass.
Angelica quickly stood up. “Holy mustard greens! You kids run for the fence while I stay here and deal with the bull.” Angelica took a deep breath and straightened her back. I’m supposed to be watching the kids not putting them in front of an angry bull.
The bull shook its head and pawed at the ground. It charged her. She put her palms together and extended her arms, offered an incantation, opened her hands, and released a ripple into the air which knocked the bull off its feet. The force of the wave knocked her onto her backside as well. The bull staggered to his feet and shook his head and bellowed. Angelica leaped to her feet, marched up to the bull, and grabbed its large nose ring. The bull shook its head trying to break free, but she held on tight. “This is no way to act around children. Now you need to stop being hateful and let it pass. I think you’ve done enough damage for one day.” She closed her eyes, relaxed, and filled her being with the calming magic of the gentle breeze which blew through the meadow. Concentrating on the bull she put her free hand on its head and pushed the calmness into the animal. The beast stopped snorting and bellowing then lay down on the grass.
She scratched its hump. “Now, since you overreacted-” She glanced at the drunken minstrel, then back at the bull. “Okay, it was a slight overreaction. Nonetheless, you can watch the kids while I take care of your mess.” Angelica gestured to the children and they ran over and climbed on top of the bull, which sat peacefully chewing its cud.
She returned to the man, knelt next to him, and resumed binding up his side where the bull had gored him. Looking down at the fat, middle-aged minstrel, she scowled. “You bedwetting halfwit, I should’ve let the beast finish you off. Those pointy things on the top of its head are not for hanging your hat on.”
The minstrel said, “Dearest Angel, with a tongue of a harpy, I would be honored to have you as my queen. You have saved me and I’m eternally in your debt. One word and I’ll know you are mine.”
“I would rather marry a magpie. It has much more sense than you do. I have no intention of marrying a lumpish drunk.” These insults just made him swoon and blush. He mooned up at her with his face aglow and his eyelashes frantically flapping.
“Girl, what do you have there?” asked Granny, who had just climbed over the fence. She looked at the minstrel and slowly shook her head. “Having one less minstrel in the world wouldn't be a bad thing. We have a long walk ahead of us. We needed to hurry and now we have him to care for.”
Angelica furrowed her brow and went back to binding up the minstrel’s wounds. “The bull was after him so I intervened.” She scowled. “This fool thought the bull was a cow and tried to milk him; he also has fallen in love with me and wants me to be his wife.”
Laughing, Granny winked at her. “Silly girl, this man is drunk. Don’t expect any sense from him now. Of course, given he's a minstrel; I wouldn’t expect sense from him when he’s sober either. A bit of infatuation occasionally comes with helping people.”
She sighed and walked over to where Angelica knelt and put her hands on the girl's shoulders. “Don’t pay me no mind. It was good of you to take care of him.” She wrinkled up her nose, “even if he is a minstrel.”
Angelica continued to pull strips of cloth out of her pockets and bind up his wounds. When she finished, she put her hands on him and closed her eyes. Drawing on the earth's magic, she pushed the healing power into the man and soon his wounds stopped bleeding and his skin started to bind back together. She put a calming spell on him as well. The rest of his band of minstrels showed up and put together a litter to carry him upon.
Elijah, the boy from Angelica’s dream, took her hand and lifted her to her feet. “Thank you for caring for Charlie. We appreciate your service. He is none too smart when he’s been drinking.”
Granny whispered, “This boy wouldn’t happen to be the boy in your dream, would he?”
Angelica turned beet red and grabbed her grandmother’s arm. “Granny, we best be off.”
Granny whispered, “It wouldn’t hurt for you to give him a proper farewell, you’ll not be coming back this way for quite some time.”
Angelica turned back to the boy, intertwined her fingers, and smiled. “Elijah, I’m leaving Scotland, but hope to see you in your travels. I’ll be in Northumberland if you’re in the area. Mayhap I could take in your performance.” She winked at him. “You didn't happen to have a dream with me in it did you?”
He reddened. “There was something, though a bit disjointed.” He gave her a quizzical look. “Something about being a three-headed dog, then a pig, and … well, it was just a dream.”
She blushed again and gave Granny a reproachful look; then turned back to the boy. “Take good care of your friend and keep him away from bulls. They don’t give milk.”
He bowed and kissed her hand. “Angelica, when next we meet, I promise to stop and give you a special performance.”
Granny asked, “Is that any way to kiss a girl? You may never see her again.” He colored and awkwardly stepped up to Angelica and kissed her on the mouth.
Granny grabbed her arm. “We best be on our way. That is enough foolishness for one day.” She quickly led Angelica away.
Down the road a bit, Granny said, “Well done. The fool should make a complete recovery. I thought you did a first-rate patch job.” She glanced at Angelica. “Now remove that grin from your face. Smiling like a hyena is unbecoming of a lady.”
Angelica kept grinning. “Is that any way to kiss a girl? You may never see her again. Not well-done Angelica, well-done Granny!” She bumped her grandmother with her hip.
Granny swatted Angelica’s behind. “I figured I owed you that after interfering with your dream.”
They walked for a way in silence and Granny asked, “So how do you feel about this minstrel boy?”
Angelica pressed a fist to her bosom. “I feel a pang of what could have been.” The old woman then pinched her arm. Angelica looked up in surprise. “What was that for?”
“Oh fickle girl, this morning you couldn’t remember which boy you had dreamed of and now you feel angst. I feel a pang for what could have been? What a load of goat dung.”
Angelica offered a sheepish smile. “Okay, it is just a bit of angst. My heart is a little wounded, not broken.” She then grinned. “It if had been the carpenters’ son, handsome, well-spoken, and charming, my heart would have been broken.”
They followed a trail up a hill and Angelica climbed over a stone fence. She took her grandmother’s hand and helped her over. “Granny, do you feel I’ve learned what I need to know to be a proper witch?”
Granny chuckled. “Thank you for the help. Are you talking about mastering the incantations or the common sense required to use your magic wisely?”
“I’m wise enough.” Angelica smiled when Granny snorted, “okay, I have a few things to learn.”
“You can create a mild shower, bring on a mist, or fill the sky with wind. But knowing when to create a storm is much more important. Sometimes the only way to … I don’t know if I should say this, but sometimes the only way to use your magic wisely is to simply use it the best you’re able. This means there will be some mistakes along the way, and when you learn from your mistakes you’ll do better in the future.” She then poked Angelica, “of course, if you don’t learn from your mistakes, you probably will be dead.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve no shortage of disastrous spells. I should be beyond wise by now.”
Granny scowled. “Don’t act so proud of your disasters. It has taken a lot of work to undo your muck-ups. I won’t always be there to fix your messes. You are now on your own to make your way.”
“I’ll try to be an honorable witch and to do things the way you would do them.”
“Don’t blame all this on me. I imagine you’ll make out all right despite your being a muttonhead.”
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