- The Long Saturday 5

And finally I have arrived at where I begin using the words!

The words appeared on River's blog this Wednesday and were:

Study
Exercise
Gnome
Cagier
Fountain
Super
Enigma
Sludge

                                                  and this photo. Which I am not going to úse as it on further inspection is way too inhabited to be Unicorn Farm. 

Mary led Anna to the small potions room. "My is in here, and she's happy about this place," Mary said. Anna looked at Mary, but restrained herself and only thanked Mary for showing her the way.
Mary ran off and Anna slowly opened the door. The room looked so much like the old Potions room at the Unicorn Farm, that Anna first thought she had gone back in time. Even the silver stirring rods on the shelves, and the cauldrons lined up below the table were the same.
But it was My behind that table, not Tähti. My looked up and recognized Anna at once. She smiled and put down the book.
"Hello Anna,"  My said, "what a pleasant surprise. I am trying to get this potion made. It's a long time since I did anything as complicated.
"Helge should have come here instead of me," Anna said.
"Is Helge here?" My said. "Great! He and I worked together so well at the Farm, I miss him." My turned red. "Sorry, I did not want that to sound as if I'm not happy you're here, because I really am. But with potions you're not as big a help as Helge or Monica would be."
"I know," Anna answered, "I'll go looking for Helge if you want me to. Do you know why Monica and Olav left? I looked forward to seeing them here, they are always so busy when I see them in Oslo."
"They were homesick," My said. "They have their party business to attend to, and their family.  They are busy as you said, and Monica called them homebodies."
"That was a true word. Let me see. Who's helping you here?"
"These two are Nora and Markus, my eldest grandkids, and their mother, Estrid, who's a darling, but unfortunately not a witch. Then Susan's oldest grandsons. The oldest is called Helgi, and his brother is Andres. Then  it's ... " My took a few steps to the big, white sink, where an elderly woman was washing a small cauldron, totally absorbed in her scrubbing. She gently tabbed her shoulder: "Erm. sorry, I forgot your name. Anna has arrived from Helsingborg, she's to be our potions master, and she'd like to know us all."
"I'm Elanor. My mother is Ida ... whom you know as Lis," she added as she saw My's confused face.
"Old habits die hard," Anna said smiling, "pleased to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine." Elanor said. I have heard so much about you old apprentices that in my mind you are all larger than life. But you do look like a human being."  
"And I am," Anna said smiling at Elanor, "and right now a happy human being. Now I'll go find that wayward cousin of mine and then we'll return an get that potion made like in the good old days."
"Great!" My said, and after Anna had closed the door behind her, My bade everybody take a break until Anna returned with Helge. "I an going to study the recipe once more,"
My settled down with the waterlogged book at the desk in front of her, and Elanor returned to her scrubbing. Estrid asked Nora and Markus to go to the kitchen to see if there was anything edible as yet. They left with Helgi and Andres tagging along. Then Estrid went over to Elanor: "Elanor, I know you're Lis' daughter, and My has told me she was a proficient scribe, I think you should leave the scrubbing to me and go help My decipher that old book!"
"Thanks," Elanor said, "It is a long time since  anyone asked me to exercise my skills and I was afraid to ask."
"The only stupid question is the one not asked!" Estrid said and took the scrubbing sponge from Elanor's hand.
Elanor and My had made good progress with the transcribing of the recipe and the small cauldron was spotlessly clean when the children arrived. Helgi carried a basket laden with steaming hot buns and tantalizing smells rose from the bowls and plates and ewers that Anders, Nora and Markus carried. They placed everything on a table in the back of the room, as far away from magical ingredients and cauldrons as possible. They were quick learners, and My was a good teacher.
"Mommy!" Nora said, "the kitchen was overtaken by ... gnomes, I think."
"Gnomes?" Estrid said. "Even though I have seen more incredible things the last couple of days here, than in the rest of my life, I still do not believe in cooking gnomes, and I doubt the results would be as enticing as this."
"Let's eat," My said, "and then you can tell us of the gnomes while we eat."