The Spell of the Three Cottages

Andrea assumed a blank face. One of the tools of a noble's trade is the ability to hide what one was feeling. It was better to let the other betray what one was thinking. She was skeptical. The bookkeeper had a good life - his job, unlike those of most of his countrymen, did not wear out the body through heavy work, and he was able to live a comfortable life with little less leisure than she and the nobility. And if she were killed, who could give him as much? It just did not make sense.

Instead of sending Jim away, she wanted to discover what his motives were. If for some reason there was a giant sent to kill her, it would be better for him to seek her out, than for her to return to Croix Keep. She could confront him without having to worry about the distractions of court life, and would probably have Jim and Maculay as allies. Dubious allies, but allies.

If Jim were lying, or mistaken, she would find that out, as well. Either way, the element of mystery excited her sense of curiousity.

"Jim," she said, "The report that you have given me is interesting. I will think about it. You shall stay here overnight, and accompany me on my secret expedition to the eastern country, subject to my orders."

"I humbly obey Your Grace's command, ma'am," replied Jim. "Somehow that did not come out right," Jim thought. He was intimidated by Andrea.

"Well, Jim, you shall need a place to stay. This village has seen better days, so I suppose the repairing or building a shelter will need to be done. We only have an hour or so of daylight left ..."

The wizard cut in, "Why go through the trouble? I can conjure one up, whipper-quick."

"Oh, no, you need not go through the trouble ..."

But it was too late. The wizard had already cast his spell on three of the ruined cottages.

1. Surprising, the results were not a disaster. Three neat little cottages, with thatched rooves and little gardens, now existed in the midst of the nearly abandoned village.
2. The three cottages became three greenhouses. Neither good for privacy nor comfortably furnished, they did look nice, and would be warm. And maybe the plants were edible.
3. In the midst of the ruined cottages, a man and a woman embracing each other appeared. They stopped hugging and stared at their surroundings. They were confused by what they saw.

Go Back

View Forward Story Tree
View Back Story Tree