After curing Albert and having a bit of a rest, most especially getting over falling into that horrid cell - you'd think someone would have done a better job of shoring up the roof so's to not let prisoners have a way out - granted a hole in the roof - but still!
Anyway, with the witch gone but people still needing her services, I decided to settle in and do what I can. And yes, the allure of making some coin is fabulous but really my goal now is to do a good job so that when - not if - the old witch returns, she'll be appreciative of my efforts and will train me up. Meanwhile I have her book and whatever notes, bits, and doodads I can find.
Which is all fine and good but I do need wood for the fire and food to eat and laundry to do and and and... I was busy for a few days, just getting things back to a maintained level.
As I worked, I thought about something the book mentioned - a Familiar. I'm not entirely sure what it is that a familiar is, other than some sort of helpful creature who could help me. And while I didn't want to get ahead of myself again, I also thought that the fact that I'd just cured my first patient and that I intended to continue should be enough justification to put it out there and so see if there was a familiar who would want to work with me.
The book said I should go to a location where I felt most in line with the energy. The forest is where I'd dwelled all my life so to the forest of Glimmerwood Grove I went.
Having learned my lesson of being mindful of my surroundings, particularly where I'm walking, I tried to pay attention. But my mind wandered - I thought about the wish I'd make before calling for my familiar. And I wondered who'd answer the call. And I wondered how they'd be able to help me. And I wondered...
"Lost in thought, are ya?"
The voice, old and gravely, cut through my musings. "Sorry, what?"
Standing there, plain as day, stood an elderly man. "I've been seeing smoke rising from the old witch's cottage. But I know she's not there. You've moved in?"
While I could have been distressed about the question, I decided to just admit it. "Yes. For now, anyway. It seems someone needs to be the local witch until she returns."
He grunted. "Knew her stuff, she did. Had that place full of plants and animals and who knows what else. Could cure the most horrendous of things. By the look of you, I'd say you can barely maintain good health, let alone cure ill. Hopefully though, you won't be quite so touchy about all the dumb ways people find to injure themselves."
"Well, I did just cure someone who'd been frogified."
"Ah! That'd be the Flywheel boy. Damn fool in my opinion, kissing frogs and dreaming of living in castles and all that royal living instead of helping at the mill. So where you headed?"
I didn't see any harm in revealing it, so I told him.
He grunted in reply. "Plenty of things growing in the Grove. Good luck in your hunt."
And here's where I may have made a mistake. "I'm certainly going to hunt for ingredients, but first I'm going to summon a familiar." I thought it'd sound impressive. It wasn't taken that way.
"A familiar, huh? What's that, some sort of something what does your work for you? Sounds to me like another version of kissing frogs, if you take my meaning."
I think I must've recoiled a bit before responding, but I didn't get the chance. "Well, good luck to you. Don't let me keep you." And with that, he walked off.
Kissing a...?
I'm not trying to...
I'm...
Am I?
Is this a way to avoid work? To be less than I should be?
These thoughts and more swirled in my head as my legs carried me to a spot in a clearing in the Glen.
So... should I do this? Should I ask for help? Should I look more like a real witch by having a familiar?
Yes, I decided. Yes I should. I deserve one! A helpful one! A giant one! A... a good one!
I must admit that I was far less tranquil than I wanted to be and probably should have been, but I was bound and determined to see this through!
After not gently, kinda throwing, stones into a kind of circle and not placing, more tossing, flowers into the mix, I kind of not sat, more threw my butt onto the ground, and then began. I felt, I magicked, I sang harsher than was pleasant, felt aggrieved, thought...
I should've waited to calm down and get my centre back. But I didn't.
Eventually I did hear a voice. It was tiny, soft, barely there. But I heard it - something had responded! I asked it to show itself.
From behind a small boundary of weeds peeked out a mouse. Now I'm not one to get squeamish about mice, but when you're dreaming of magnificent creatures, let's just say "mouse" is towards the bottom of the list.
"Um... hi?" Not the best way to start things, admittedly. I'd just summoned - I should've been celebrating. And in its big mousey eyes I could see the hurt. I tried again. "Hi! I'm glad you answered my call. What can I call you?"
It stood up on its hind legs before speaking. "There were a lot of creatures who followed you, all hoping to be your familiar, but they got scared away as you threw rocks and flowers around. I just stayed and watched. And now I'm here."
Ah. Really not a good start. But I can try to salvage this. "I'm really sorry. I was upset and I didn't honour the magic. Please forgive me. I do hope we can work together."
Those eyes, so big on such a small creature. His name just seemed to come from them. "Can I call you MouseEye?"
He shrugged. "Sure." With a twitch of whiskers, he looked around. "What are we up to?"
"Let's gather some things."
"Ok." And with that, we started looking for useful items. By which I mean I was looking for plants and MouseEye watched me.
"Why don't you go over there and pick some things?"
"Must I?", he asked.
I had no idea how to answer that, so I just went with "It'd be great if you did!"
"Ok", he said. After I'd harvested some Wild Rose and Coffee Cap he eventually came out from the undergrowth and said, "I found some Songberries."
"Great! Did you bring them?"
"No. But I can take you to them."
Less than helpful, but ok. Off we trudged.
As we went along, I said, "You know, you could've brought it to me."
"Oh! I couldn't do that! I'm good at watching and I have an amazing memory. But I don't carry things. Sorry."
Right.
Ok!
Well... I guess I can work with this.
I guess.
Aloud I said, "Let's go to town. I haven't been there, really, and I think knowing what's there will help me in the future." MouseEye just shrugged.
Going back to High Rannoc this second time was a very different experience over the first. When I'd been in the cart, it had seemed big and daunting. This time though - it seemed a bit smaller. The outer wall wasn't really a wall - it was more like rotting timbers surrounding several buildings - some houses, some shops, and one recently vacated (by me) school.
I decided to visit a shop. I had 20 silver in my pocket, courtesy of my new found potion making abilities, and I thought I'd look into a thing or two to spruce up the cottage. Or maybe I could splurge on an ingredient or two and get ahead of what was sure to become a steady stream of patients. And so I went to the shop with a sign out front showing items being put into a sack. It had to be the general store.
I walked in and a small bell rang, alerting the proprietor of a potential customer entering the shop. Turns out it's called Bits & Bobs - the Bits being what they sell - a bit of this and a bit of that - and the Bobs being the name of the people running the shop through several generations.
This Bob was very nice, very helpful, and had plenty of bits for someone to buy! However, most of them are priced beyond anything I'll ever be able to afford!
Turns out 20 silver isn't quite the fortune I'd thought it was. I must've spent a couple of hours looking at his stock and trying to convince myself that I'm not a pauper. Despite being unable to afford anything.
Bob was very understanding and I think a bit pitying as well. He wished me well and assured me he'd be happy to help me whenever I come back. Where MouseEye was all that time I didn't know.
With that visit a bust, I thought I'd go to the tavern and have a bit of something while considering what to do next. It's called the Copper Fox Tavern.
This place too was quite empty but for the proprietor. His name wasn't Copper or Fox, but instead Fusillade ("call me Fussy, 'cause I am where quality is concerned!"). He said the name was given to him because of his habit of doing things over and over again until he got the result he wanted.
Anyway, he introduced himself and we chatted briefly - me talking about settling into the witch's cottage and his listening, when this young bravo walked in, apparently, or so MouseEye told me afterward, the two exchanged knowing glances, and then the newcomer approached me. Which is to say he less walked than strutted over, leaned up against my table, and before I had an idea of what was going on, he began what could only be considered his sales pitch.
"Roger Rogerson at your service. Monsters slain, dungeons delved, incredible feats... feated!" Out of the corner of my eye I could see Fussy close his eyes and shake his head. Clearly Roger's rehearsing of his pitch had been aided by Fussy and yet it still didn't flow.
I smiled back politely. "Why would I need your services, sir?" I thought it best to be very polite.
A quick look of confusion flashed on his face and then left as he found the answer. "Word has it you've moved into the witch's cottage and with you being young, inexperienced, and new to the area, I figured you'll want a stout companion as you gather ingredients."
I must admit that sounded attractive. Thoughts of the hollowness of Hero's Hollow resounded in my memory. I asked his price.
"I'm only a junior...", he started, then stuttered to a stop with the frantic waving of Fussy's hands. "Ten silver and it's a big discount, just for you."
Ten silver? Half my amount earned on a potion? Oh how far 20 silver doesn't go.
I think, even though I tried not to react, that he caught my inward sense of sticker shock. He started again, "Well... I suppose I could..." More frantic waving of Fussy's hands let to "...umm... take a deposit for future services?"
I tried to continue smiling. "Thanks. I'll keep you in mind whenever I go off foraging."
And then I thanked them both and left. Seconds later I heard Fussy and Roger arguing. Embarrassed, I just walked, not really paying attention, until I found myself at the town's fountain.
It's little more than a well but instead of dipping a bucket into a hole in the ground, the water conveniently comes up and burbles out into a large basin.
I sat on the edge just looking around at the few buildings I could see. One of them was my former school. I wondered if maybe I'd been too hasty in leaving. I wondered what in the world I was doing. I wondered...
"Hello dear. You look lost."
I looked up and saw a girl, not much older than me, holding a huge jug.
"Oh...uh...sorry." I moved out of what I thought was her way.
She giggled "Oh! Don't move on my account! It's nice to take a break from chores." She sat down next to me. "I'm Francie."
I didn't know what to say, so I went with "Hi."
I think she giggled again at my awkwardness. "Are you a student at the school?"
"I was."
She nodded. "I was too. Did they tell you about the boy who died?"
"Yeah. And that it's why it's all learning inside."
"Yeah. They told us the same. That boy they keep on about died years ago. And apparently he fell. Some say from a cliff, others say it was from a high tree branch. But it was a son of the family that runs the school so they stopped allowing anyone to leave. Unless you graduate. Or quit. So I quit."
"Really? Me too."
"So now I work as a domestic. What are you going to do?"
"I'm living in a witch's cottage."
She stopped and looked at me with eyes wide and mouth open. "You didn't!?! You did!?! Wow - you are way braver than me. How's it like living with a real witch?"
"I don't know. She hasn't been home."
"Oh ho! A domestic for a witch who's not around? Have you looked through her stuff? Have you found her secrets? Oh, so exciting!"
And I guess somewhere around there is when I decided that the quiet and peace of the cottage would be far more welcome than these townspeople. Which is when MouseEye popped onto my shoulder and whispered (but loudly enough to be heard by Francie), "Mistress beckons."
Francie nearly dropped her jug in excitement. "Is that a familiar? I've heard of them!"
"Oh, yeah. Sorry but I have to go."
"He's so cute! What's his name?"
I paused for a moment, then said, "I don't know if I should say, but I guess I can tell you. It's Mortimer. Mortimer d'Excellence."
I started to get up but then MouseEye once again loudly whispered, "If you're going to share my name with someone, you should share my full name."
I shot him a look and he returned an innocent one back. "Mortimer d'Excellence Magnificarious Wiggle Whiskers. The Third."
I got up quickly as Francie tried repeating what I'd just said. And almost ran out of the gates.
I did manage to slow down on the way back and started to think about storing my new reagents and being ready whenever someone would need a witch's care.
I did think to ask MouseEye where'd he gone off to during my trip to town. "I watched", he responded. "Ok", I said, "Tell me what you saw. All of it."
"Must I?"
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