torsdag den 3. marts 2022

Á Íslandi -- 26

This week's words/prompts are:

Jagged
Corroded
Withdraw
Effective
Inked
Acres
    
and/or:
Destruction
Inadequate
Ladder
Intrigued
Tangled
Swore

I only used
Jagged for this part. I think it's a weak part, but we need to know the things being discussed here. All suggestions for improvement are welcome.
First a repeat of the closing lines from yesterday's instalment.


During lunch Martine, Susan, Marit, Fiona and Knud brought My up to date with the happenings at Birch Manor and in the world.
As they reached the conclusion, today's broomriding lessons, Fiona said: "I think Roseanne will cause us problems in the long run. She does not really respect me, she feels somehow superior, and keeps claiming that her mum has told her what lousy witches and wizards we all are."
"Does she listen to Marit and Martine better than you?" Susan asked.
"Now you ask, yes she does. Oh!" She said her eyes growing big and round. "Do you think Liisa has imprinted her with a dose of only witches from wizarding families are good witches, and all that?"
"I'm afraid, yes," Susan said. "It's our luck that she is so young still. She just says what she thinks, or repeats what she has heard more likely, and with no deviousness! We'll just have to show her we're as good as her and maybe just a little better."
"Well," Fiona said laughing, "As long as you and Knud do not try and prove this by flying, I'm fine with it."
"You're hopeless," Susan said casting a mock spell in her direction. "I don't know why I ever sang you a wand!"
"Let me handle her," My said. "She does not know me, and in a few days, I'll take over potions from Monica, and then..."
"Yes," Martine said, "That'll teach her. Just don't be too harsh on her, she's young yet."

Monica and Olav came over to them with a cup of tea.
"May we sit here?" Monica asked.
"Talking of the sun," My said, "Please do. I just spoke of taking over potions from you. What have you covered as yet."
"Nothing much, Monica said. "They are young, or untrained or both. I spoke a bit of magic properties of plants, of the failure of  the Doctrine of signatures, and then I showed them how to brew a simple sleeping potion. I'm so happy you have arrived. As I told yesterday, me and Olav are perfectly satisfied with our lives in the Wine and party shop. We are total homebodies. Of course we'll come down for Easter fires, first day of school and so on, but we have decided to stay in Oslo."
Olaf added: "We will be spying for you. I told Susan that we have some of Martine's brain teasers lying around for waiting customers and impatient children. We have already a teeny tiny list of possible witches and wizards."
"Good thinking!" Knud said. "When will you leave? Not that I want to get rid of you, but we're having problems housing everybody. And I suspect more will be arriving tomorrow."
"No offence taken," Monica said. "This weekend are big days in our shop, so we would like to leave tonight after dinner."
"Let's make it somewhat festive," Knud said. "Most will have arrived and well, I need a celebration."
"Then I'll need some more kitchen slaves," Hilde said from just behind Susan's head, making her almost jump out of the chair.
"Sheesh, you scared me, My nerves are still a bit jagged, I think. What news from the North?"
"Nothing new, really. No changes, but she's getting weaker," Hilde said. "They did not say so, but I don't think she will survive if we do not take action, magical action that is."
"Should we?" Susan asked "Or  would it be wrong to not do anything? We even do not know what to do, and I would imagine the doctors being adverse to us appearing in the ward, casting spells and waving wands."
"I tried feeling her today," Rasmus said, "That's easy to do as it includes no overt use of magic. It feels to me as if she is captured inside her brain. In a place even I could not get to. I do not think there is anything we can do."
"I think the decision will have to be yours, Rasmus," Knud said. "She is your wife, you know her best."
"I think," Rasmus said very slowly "I think that she knew, deep inside, that we had seen through her ruses, that she was so to say at the end of the rope. She took a desperate way out. And I suspect that potions and wand-waving would be of no avail. She is in a prison of her own making. I'd say leave her alone. We can almost certainly do nothing for her, and we could damage the budding magic by acting in ways that would make somebody suspect foul play, be it magic or murder."
"Yes," Hilde answered almost as slowly. "I'm not a red one like you, but I also felt her life-flame flickering today. You told me I'm a good midwife because babies want to come to me. She did the opposite, hid even further when I reached out for her. She has made up her mind not to return, I'm afraid. What will we tell the children?"
"I've been asking that myself," Rasmus said. "Maybe the truth, or most of it is the best. She did use magic, way beyond her powers, teleporting far away without training to get home, because that is the truth, she tried to get home. She overstretched herself, and is now dying as a consequence. I'm afraid it will be hard on Roseanne, she was close to her mama, Mary is more daddy's girl." 

... to be continued

4 kommentarer:

  1. NOT a "weak" chapter at all, instead a "filler" or "background", filling in details that might not be apparent in other chapters.

    SvarSlet
  2. A needed part of the story. Such people as Liisa and David make me sad. Not that anyone should let them loose to do as they please, of course, it just makes me hurt that people want to hurt others.

    SvarSlet

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