“Her home?” asked Ignatius

  “Yes! I’m having a meeting with some of the other witches who specialize in stone craft sometime later. We’re going to discuss the best way to rebuild the lightning witch’s home on the hill so that Siouxsie has a place to live. It makes sense, doesn’t it? It was her home in her previous vessel, and it shall be once more so that she may reside while living in this vessel.”

  “You would do that for her?” asked Ignatius. “Building a home is no small feat.”

  “We all will! I figure if we all pull together like we always do, then the home can be remade in a matter of days!” said Vickiri with a laughing smile as he stepped closer and put an arm around his shoulders “My dear Ignatius, I don’t know if what’s happened since your arrival has truly taken hold, but the reincarnation of the power that resides within your sister is a reinvigorating spark not just in the in the sky but to the spirit! We would’ve been grateful for anyone to have taken up the lightning witch’s station, but look what we have! We have Siouxsie! A smiling, singing, dancing, ball of joy sent by providence to take up the title she was born to have! Why, I feel reinvigorated myself just being in such close to such a monumental moment!” Seeing his enthusiasm, Ignatius gave into the notion. It was something truly special and the words he’d conveyed earlier to his own brother resonated even stronger now.

  “Yes, I suppose it is something miraculous.” Ignatius nodded. “While you’re here, Vickiri, I’d like to speak to you about-“ he was about to finish when a fast shadow crossed between them and the sun. A witchly boy fell as fast as a raindrop to stop a foot shy of the ground at his father’s side.

  “Ah, my boy Valeron.” smiled the witch. “How goes your flights?”

  “Hello father,” the boy nodded slightly with the brim of his pointed hat. “There are strange movements to the south.”

  “Strange movements you say?” said Vickiri with a raised eyebrow. “What kinds of strange movements?”

  “The humans are no longer coming to our borders to trade.”

  “That doesn’t seem to be too strange. Perhaps they have nothing to trade at this time. Certainly, they could be busy preparing for the eventual fall harvests.”

  “That’s not all, father. We also noticed that the humans are moving between the settlements away from the main roads and are all armed, mostly with bows.”

  “That sounds like hunting parties. You’re not going to find deer on the main trails, they’re going to be in the brush, the treelines.” Ignatius raised an eyebrow of his own.

  “Tell me, Valeron.” Interjected Ignatius. “Do they seem to be in roving parties moving in patterns or are they congregating?”

  “That’s an odd question.” Noted Vickiri. But when he looked to his son, the peculiar expression on the boy’s face spoke of something more.

  “They are congregating to the south.” Answered Valeron. Upon hearing his answer, Siouxsie looked to her brother who did little more than make eye contact before looking back to Vickiri.

  “Do you know why they’re headed south?” He asked Ignatius.

  “I…would suppose it’s because they’re following or herding the deer and other animals to a place where they could be hunted more easily.” Ignatius said. “Perhaps the humans know something about hunting that we don’t yet know.”

  “Hmmm. Yes.” Vickiri thought aloud. “That does make sense. Perhaps they’ll have more pelts and meats to trade. Interesting.”

  “Vickiri, I see things are well in hand here for Robert and Siouxsie.” Said Ignatius. “With your permission, I would like to begin my own search for our missing friends.”

  “The faun girl and mushroom boy and the others?” he asked. “We already have flights extending their usual paths to accommodate your request.”

  “That’s correct. But I believe there are places yet to be searched.”

  “Such as?”

  “Locations further to the south and to the east. With my siblings being well taken care of by you and all these lovely hosts, I’d like to search on my own.” Vickiri’s expression seemed amiable.

  “Yes, yes of course! I’ll see to it at once that we get you an additional water skin and food to carry with you while you’re out. You’d like to leave as soon as possible?”

  “If it’s not too much trouble.” Said Ignatius. “As gracious as you’ve been to the three of us, I cannot rest easy until the rest of our party are accounted for.”

  “I understand completely. Come with me, we’ll find the proper provisions so you may leave at once. Valeron will stand with Siouxsie to attend to her until you get back. The boy looked to Siouxsie and smiled to which she returned the same. “Where is your brother? He usually shadows his twin.”

  “Robert was in need of a walk to clear his mind. He’ll return shortly.”

  Not far away, Robert cautiously approached the stone bridge to the east of Spellvale. Upon the grassy hill just above it he crawled ever so slowly on his belly. It was still fifty paces to the bridge but he took no chances as he wanted to catch the elusive Marigold entirely by surprise.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  “Take my honeycomb, will you?” he sourly whispered to no one. “Let’s see how you like being crept up upon.” Down, down, down, the hill he slithered, using the tall grass and flowers as concealment. Twenty paces, ten paces. The sun was high in the sky and visibility was perfect. If Marigold was here, she’d be discovered for sure. But time passed and she didn’t show. One hour passed, then two. “Where could she be?” He was about to give up when he caught a glimmer of movement within the dark shadows under the bridge. He slipped to the right to use the bridge as a blind spot to approach. His winklepickers made no sound as he slinked. When he came upon the bridge, he held his breath and moved as slowly and carefully that no one would be able to detect him. He even went so far as to remove his hat to be able to put an eye around the corner without being seen. His reward came when he caught the silhouette of a someone sitting in the shadows.

  “Aha! got you!” he yelled as he pounced and tackled the dark form. But for his efforts he hadn’t caught what he was looking for. When his eyes adjusted, he discovered he’d been deceived by a crude form made from sticks and mud in the shape of a person set as a decoy. “Tricky, tricky, tricky.” He smiled. “What a clever girl.”

  “What do you want?” asked Marigold’s voice. He looked up and around but was unable to locate the source of her voice. It could have been a few feet away or on top of the bridge from the sound of it. “Why are you here?”

  “I came to see you.” He said, eyes shifting in all directions.

  “No one sees me unless I want them to.”

  “A strange game.” He said reaching inside his cloak to produce a piece of honeycomb. “I have a treat for you. It’s yours if you’ll reveal yourself.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “Then you get nothing.”

  “And what if I take it from you?” she asked

  “Take it from me?” he grinned wide. “That…would be something else altogether. I would actually prefer that you did try and take it.”

  “It would be better if you left it upon the bridge. I would hate for you to be disappointed that you had it taken from you.”

  “Ohhhhh.” Robert breathed with satisfaction. “That sounds like a welcome challenge. I would much more enjoy if you would take it from me….if you think you can.” He said holding his palm flat in front of his face with the honeycomb perched upon it. And for a moment, things went silent. The only sound that existed was the almost non-existent babbling of the creek slipping past Robert’s feet. Keen eyes looked this way and that. the girl wouldn’t dare…would she? His fingers trembled at the opportunity to snap closed around the honeycomb like a trap to keep it away from her. But in the shadows, a pair of chanted words cut the air behind him and before Robert could identify them, they were already in his ears.

  “Phantom tantrum.”

  “Robert jerked as though his body were in the iron grip of unseen hands, he felt immobilized and couldn’t move so much as a muscle.

  “Hey! What is this? What have you done to me? Stop this, stop this at once!” he said angrily. Just out of view a girl’s dirty arm and hand slathered in mud reached from out of view and plucked the treat from him. “Hey! Stop that!”

  “I’ve met your challenge, Robert.” said Marigold’s voice from just out of sight. “And now this tasty morsel is mine as a reward.”

  “I-I can’t move! What have you done?”

  “Paralysis spell.” She giggled. “Not lethal, but effective for disarming without killing. Don’t you know it?”

  “I’ve never heard of such a spell.” he said, trying in vain to fight the immobility. “Let me go.”

  “The effects will wear off soon enough. But in the meantime, why don’t you tell me why you’re here again?”

  “I came to see you.” He offered. “I’d hoped you’d come out for a treat.”

  “You hoped to get a glimpse of the freak who lives under the bridge.”

  “That’s not it all! I wanted to talk to you.”

  “Talk to me?” she asked with some interest, her voice moving somewhere behind his left ear to somewhere just behind his right. “What could you want to talk to me about?”

  “What kinds of things you like; knives, bugs, potions…favorite reptile?”

  “I like all those things and I prefer snakes above all reptiles.”

  “As do I.” offered Robert snakes are great because their scale are smooth to-“

  “And are smooth to the touch and can tickle you while you sleep.” She finished for him word for word. “What about you?” Marigold asked. “Are you like your sister? Do you sing and dance?”

  “I’m not very good at dancing.” He admitted. “I’m a fair singer, though I don’t do it often.”

  “I like boys and girls who can sing.” said Marigold. “Go ahead then. Sing something for me.”

  “Sing what?” he asked.