Telling Lilly and Jack her story had actually strengthened the trios friendship.
“So you actually have a broom stick that flies and everything?” The young woman took a careful sip of that hot tea Marlot had just given her.
Jack was across the table from Lilly flipping through the pages of Marlot’s beloved spell book, “I’ve never seen it.”
“Of course you have Jack,” Marlot placed a cup in front of him after putting almost as much sugar in it as there was tea, “you use it to sweep the cabin.”
“You actually use it to sweep.” Lilly said appalled.
“Of course, it is a broom after all.”
Lilly muttered to herself, “Of course what a strange concept, using a flying broom to sweep the floors.” She eyed the ordinary looking broom stick and then turned to Marlot, “Can I try it?”
“Afraid not, the rider must be able to use magic.”
“Then can you take me for a ride, I would love to fly?”
“I don’t know if it can carry two people.”
Jack was busy trying to stop Jinx from drinking his tea, with one hand holding back the cat and the other holding the cup in the air he said, “It can’t hurt to test it, we will probably need it to get to the solstice meeting anyway right?”
“I hadn’t really thought about it actually, but yes, you are right.”
Marlot had almost forgotten just how much she loved to fly, although it was odd to have a passenger, especially one who held on so tight Marlot feared that she would be squeezed to death. “Lilly, you don’t need to hold on so very tight, I won’t let you fall.”
“But I’ve never flown before, it’s scary being up this high.”
“Not many humans have, it’s thrilling isn’t it?”
“Terrifying actually, can we land now?”
“If you wish.” Marlot dropped in a gentle dive and came in for a near perfect landing walking with the broom for the last few steps. Lilly on the other hand toppled off the back the moment her feet got near the ground and fell over onto her back staring up at the sky.
“Was it fun?” Jack smiled down at his terrified friend.
“No, I don’t know how she can stand it.”
Marlot was still on the broom hovering a few inches off the ground in a circle around her friends. “Stand it? I love it, I really should fly more often, you want to give it a try Jack, we will have a long way to go next month and I don’t want to test your nerve at the last minute.”
The golem jumped at the chance to fly and with his arms wrapped tightly around Marlot’s waist they took off much higher than she had gone with Lilly. Jack, much to her delight seemed thrilled and whooped, he let go with one arm and held out his hand so he could feel the wind blow through his fingers. “Marlot this is amazing.”
She felt a shy smile on her face and laced her fingers through the hand that was still around her waist.
Showing posts with label Lilly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lilly. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Part 26 In which Marlot tells her story (part 3)
At the festival Marlot snuggled up to a slightly drunk Peter, it was all too easy for her to pour the contents of her potion bottle into his tankard of mead. The effect was immediate. One swig of the spiked drink and it was Peter trying to impress Marlot.
She was seated on his lap, he had been playing cards but a single whisper from Marlot made him turn his full attention to her. “I love you little witch.”She quivered with joy as she repeated the sentiment. “You are so beautiful,” he breathed in her ear then kissed her with so much passion it made even the trees blush.
Marlot continued to feed him the potion once a day for the next couple of months but eventually it seemed that the spell didn’t hold up as it had. She would bring him his lunch complete with a apple soaked in love potion and he would sneer at her and call her names, eventually he would have to eat the entire apple before he would even warm up to her. After a few more months she had to increase the dosage to twice a day, once with lunch, the other with dinner. Eventually it increased further to breakfast lunch and dinner. Marlot started to grow nervous, what was she going to do next, feed it to him every hour.
One day Marlot had to hurry home and left her love’s lunch with him rather than eating with him like she usually did.
Now witches always have an escape route and that afternoon when the angry mob was at her door Marlot grabbed her spell book and broom stick then flew as fast as she could out the window.
“What happened?” Lilly asked leaning closer.
“I was able to piece together later that Peter had grown tired of eating apples all the time and when his friend said he was hungry Peter happily handed over the juicy red fruit. Needless to say Peter’s spell wore off about the same moment his friend declared his undying love for me. It didn’t take any of them long to realize what was going on and after tying up their love struck friend they came after me. I finally realized that Peter had never loved me, nor was he ever likely to.”
“I love you Marlot.”
“I love you too Jack. But you see Lilly, magic can’t solve all of your problems, it usually just causes them.”
Lilly sat back, appearing to absorb all that she had learned. “Did you ever go back and try to explain things?”
“Once, but it didn’t work, all I got was that part of the story I wasn’t around for.”
“Maybe you should try again, apologize, and explain to them like you did us.”
“Too late, I’m sure they are all dead by now.”
Lilly sat up in alarm while Jack looked vaguely curious. Lilly stumbled over her words in alarm, “Wh-what did you do to them?”
“I didn’t’ do anything,” Marlot said defensively, “time did, that all happened a long time ago.”
“How long?”
“Let me think, about a hundred and sixty years.” Marlot winked at Jack.
“What!” Lilly actually fell off the window seat in shock. “How old are you?”
“I’ll be one hundred eighty-seven in a few weeks.”
‘One hundred eighty-seven’ Lilly mouthed the number from the floor, “that is unbelievable.”
“I’m immortal.”
“But you look so young.”
Marlot rolled her eyes and scratched the top of Jinx’s head until he started to purr. Jack rolled his eyes too and helped Lilly to her feet, “weren’t you listening, she stopped aging when she was really young, why would you expect her to look any older?”
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Part 25 In which Marlot tells her story (part 2)
“Oh Peter, Peter. I have been looking all over for you.” The little witch smiled up at the man she thought to be her one true love.
“Marlot? Right?”
“Yes.” She grinned unable to believe that he actually remembered her name. “You know how you said that you wouldn’t want an old witch as your wife.”
“Yeah, what of it, I have a card game to get to?”
“Well, I performed the ritual, now I will always be as you see me now. Will you please go to the festival with me?”
“Wait, you mean you will never get any older?”
“That’s right, I will be young and beautiful forever.” She beamed knowing she was moments away from her happily ever after.
“So you are saying that you will always be a pretty little girl while I have to get old and wrinkled. You really want me to go through the ridicule of telling people that the girl who looks young enough to be my daughter is in fact my wife! Are you soft in the head or something?”
Marlot felt a hurt and anger she had never experienced before fill her up inside as raw power flowed through her and crackled along her skin like static, there were even tiny violet lightning bolts sparking in her hair. At least Peter had the good sense to look frightened and with some mumbled excuse about cards he ran as fast as he could from her.
All the raw power started making her feel light headed and a little nauseous. Marlot had to get rid of it somehow or it could destroy her from within. She touched her hand to a tree growing in the village center and it was reduced to little more than cinders at her feet after only a few moments. She stared at the place where the tree had been feeling sorry for the beautiful bit of nature that was no longer there. I will make him love me, she thought, if it’s the last thing I do.
Back in her flat Marlot pulled out her favorite spell book, the one that listed every spell, creature, and potion ever known. It was a gift from her mother when she turned sixteen and had been her constant companion ever since.
She idly flipped through the pages hoping to come across something that would make Peter love her.
“It’s kind of like what I did when I decided to make you Jack, I just happened to come across golems in the book.”
“So it wasn’t like you said, ‘hum, I would like to make a golem today’ you actually had no idea until you were so bored and lonely that you started playing with that book? You are silly Marlot.” He smiled up at her.
“What are you trying to say you little scarecrow?” she wasn’t sure if she should be offended or if he was only teasing, but he looked so cute with his lopsided smile and mischievous eyes that she couldn’t be mad at him.
“I’m just saying that I’m glad you are a silly witch Marlot, or I would have never been here.”
“Marlot, will you get back to the story, you two are making me sick.”
Marlot smiled up at the young woman on the window seat next to her a wicked glint in her eye then she rubbed her nose against Jack’s making the little golem blush like she had never seen him blush before. It only hurt a little, she was using her magic to help her nose heal faster from the break and it seemed to be working. “Okay Lilly, back to the story.”
“A love potion, that’s it! I will use a love potion to make him mine forever.” The little witch didn’t bother reading exactly how the potion worked, or the limitations to the spell. Marlot didn’t have much of a store of potion ingredients so it took a couple of weeks to gather everything she needed. It was all ready in time for the summer solstice festival.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Part 24 In which Marlot tells her story (part 1)
Lilly sat on the other end of the window seat and hugged her knees to her chest mimicking Marlot. “What happened?”
The witch lifted her face and looked out the window, “He was a lot like your Eric, tall, strong, admired by everyone. But he loved himself more than he could anyone else.”
Jack sank to his knees next to her settling for a story, one of his hands found its way up her back and fell into the comfortable motion of smoothing her hair. She turned slowly and smiled fondly at him.
“His name was Peter.”
“Peter Peter pumpkin eater.
Had a wife and couldn’t keep her!”
Jack recited absently.
“Quite the opposite really” Marlot reached out and ruffled his hair, “I finally got up the courage to tell him how I felt after years of trying to get him to notice me.”
“Now we all know that I have a bad habit of acting on impulse” Marlot said to her small audience, cupping Jack’s face in one hand, “and although some of those rash decisions have led to wonderful things,” she kissed the golem on the forehead, “others would have saved me a lot of trouble and grief.”
The witch lifted her face and looked out the window, “He was a lot like your Eric, tall, strong, admired by everyone. But he loved himself more than he could anyone else.”
Jack sank to his knees next to her settling for a story, one of his hands found its way up her back and fell into the comfortable motion of smoothing her hair. She turned slowly and smiled fondly at him.
“His name was Peter.”
“Peter Peter pumpkin eater.
Had a wife and couldn’t keep her!”
Jack recited absently.
“Quite the opposite really” Marlot reached out and ruffled his hair, “I finally got up the courage to tell him how I felt after years of trying to get him to notice me.”
“Hello Peter.” Marlot was only twenty years old and she thought that she was quite pretty for a witch, her black hair fell in ringlets down her back and her eyes were a stunning shade of violet.
“You’re the witch aren’t you? Marry, Margaret, … something like that.”
“Marlot actually,” she blushed and smoothed her skirts wishing her name wasn’t quite so strange, “I was hoping you would go with me to the summer solstice festival next month, that is if you aren’t otherwise engaged?”
“Don’t witches have to go to some cult gathering or whatever then?”
“We only have to go to one out of every three, I went last year so I could stay here with you.” Marlot smiled hopefully up into his golden amber eyes.
He sneered at her, “can’t you find some little magician to swap spells with at the festival.”
Marlot tried to smile seductively up at him, “No Peter, I want you.”
“And what, you think I will realize that you are the girl of my dreams and marry you?”
“That is the general idea,” Marlot said a little more boldly than she felt.
“So if we did get married, what you expect me to have some crazed spell casting old hag with warts and wrinkles for a wife. You have what, maybe one or two more years of your good looks before you start going sour?”
Young naive Marlot should have realized then that this young man wasn’t the fairy tale prince she had imagined him to be, but instead all she took from that unforgivable speech was that he thought she was pretty, and that one thought sparked an idea. “It doesn’t have to be like that Peter, I can make sure it doesn’t happen.”
“Now we all know that I have a bad habit of acting on impulse” Marlot said to her small audience, cupping Jack’s face in one hand, “and although some of those rash decisions have led to wonderful things,” she kissed the golem on the forehead, “others would have saved me a lot of trouble and grief.”
The little witch rushed home to her small flat above the tailor shop. She spent the better part of the next week preparing for and performing the ritual that would stop her aging forever. Witches are born immortal; however they age at the same rate as humans. If they never perform the ritual they would spend eternity ancient and unable to care for themselves and can forget about performing any magic. Someone through the ages finally discovered a way to stop the aging process at any giving time, the trick being that the witch would remain that age forever, or until they were killed by some unnatural means. Just because they are immortal doesn’t mean they are invulnerable.
Most sane witches put off the ritual until they are middle aged or perhaps a little older and with a wart or two, it makes them seem more respectable and intimidating. But occasionally there is a young fool that thinks they know better and they are stuck as a child, looking young, ignorant, and impatient for the rest of their lives. This is exactly what Marlot did.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Part 23 In which Lilly demands an apology
A week later Marlot was sweeping the cabin floor when she happened to look outside. It was a pleasant day but the fall wind had a bite to it, so she had fastened a cloak around Jack’s neck before she let him leave the cabin. He now sat with the cloak pooling on the ground around him as he leaned against the apple tree, one leg was pulled up and was being used to prop up his book, the other was stretched out in front of him. It was the same book he had brought in town, full of most of the fairy tales that Marlot had lining her bookshelves, but without the lovely illustrations so that considerably more of them fit in the single volume. He had read it all the way through at least five times and the witch wondered why he hadn’t tired of it yet.
There was movement at the garden gate and Marlot was shocked to see Lilly there, lifting the latch and entering the yard seemingly without a second thought. The witch was so distracted that she tripped over poor Jinx who was trying to attack the broom as it moved across the floor.
When she righted herself again it was to see Lilly standing at Jack’s feet, he didn’t seem to happy. Marlot couldn’t see Lilly’s face, her back was to the window so instead she watched Jack as he slowly got to his feet and shook the leaves and dirt from his cloak.
Jack bowed his head and looked sorry about something, then Lilly was up against him, one arm around his neck the other hand buried in his green hair. Marlot could no longer see Jack’s face. She felt odd, like there was a pain in her chest and a prickling in the corner of her eyes. Then to her amazement Jack pushed Lilly away, ducked under her arm and walked back to the cabin.
Marlot wasn’t any good at lip reading but Lilly was very obviously yelling at the young golem and Marlot could just make out the sound of the woman’s voice even if she couldn’t make out the words. Jack turned around for a moment to say something back and then continued his trek to the cabin. As he opened the door Marlot heard Lilly yell “You Stupid Golem How Can You Possibly Not Want…” and then the door was shut with Jack leaning against it with his eyes closed.
“What did she want?” Marlot asked trying not to sound to interested.
“Me apparently,” Jack answered his eyes still closed, “but it doesn’t feel right. In all those fairy tales it’s like the hero always knows right off that the girl is the one he wants and then he kisses her and they ride off to live happily ever after. How can I kiss someone that I don’t see a happy ever after with?”
“Oh Jack,” Marlot hugged him tightly around the middle, he didn’t even hesitate in hugging her back, his face buried in her dark curls. “you read far too many fairy stories, no one ever really lives happily ever after.”
“How do you know?”
“Marlot! Jack! Open this door right now or I will…!”
“Marlot moved Jack out of the way and opened the door, “Or you will what? Last time I checked I was the witch here.”
“I don’t care! I demand an apology.”
“For what, opening the door?”
“You know very well for what. For the way you embarrassed me in the village last week.”
Marlot actually threw back her head and laughed. “You think that was bad, well then come back when you have had your wrists tied, your nose broken, and the life of your best friend threatened, not because you did anything but for what you are, then we can talk. Get out of my garden before I do something I will regret.” Jack squeezed her shoulders, she wasn’t sure if he was trying to comfort her or hold her back, but it worked either way. The static that Marlot had started to feel as raw power began to build inside of her slowly ebbed away.
“I’m sorry about all of that,” Lilly said in a small voice, “I would never have thought that he would behave like that. He always seemed so kind and sweet.”
“Did he?” Marlot looked at the girl, “Or is that just what you wanted to see?”
“What do you know about it?” Lilly snapped.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Stop being so cryptic, I’ll never understand if you don’t tell me.”
“Because I was you once, but no one told me that a love potion wasn’t a way to get what you want.”
There was movement at the garden gate and Marlot was shocked to see Lilly there, lifting the latch and entering the yard seemingly without a second thought. The witch was so distracted that she tripped over poor Jinx who was trying to attack the broom as it moved across the floor.
When she righted herself again it was to see Lilly standing at Jack’s feet, he didn’t seem to happy. Marlot couldn’t see Lilly’s face, her back was to the window so instead she watched Jack as he slowly got to his feet and shook the leaves and dirt from his cloak.
Jack bowed his head and looked sorry about something, then Lilly was up against him, one arm around his neck the other hand buried in his green hair. Marlot could no longer see Jack’s face. She felt odd, like there was a pain in her chest and a prickling in the corner of her eyes. Then to her amazement Jack pushed Lilly away, ducked under her arm and walked back to the cabin.
Marlot wasn’t any good at lip reading but Lilly was very obviously yelling at the young golem and Marlot could just make out the sound of the woman’s voice even if she couldn’t make out the words. Jack turned around for a moment to say something back and then continued his trek to the cabin. As he opened the door Marlot heard Lilly yell “You Stupid Golem How Can You Possibly Not Want…” and then the door was shut with Jack leaning against it with his eyes closed.
“What did she want?” Marlot asked trying not to sound to interested.
“Me apparently,” Jack answered his eyes still closed, “but it doesn’t feel right. In all those fairy tales it’s like the hero always knows right off that the girl is the one he wants and then he kisses her and they ride off to live happily ever after. How can I kiss someone that I don’t see a happy ever after with?”
“Oh Jack,” Marlot hugged him tightly around the middle, he didn’t even hesitate in hugging her back, his face buried in her dark curls. “you read far too many fairy stories, no one ever really lives happily ever after.”
“How do you know?”
“Marlot! Jack! Open this door right now or I will…!”
“Marlot moved Jack out of the way and opened the door, “Or you will what? Last time I checked I was the witch here.”
“I don’t care! I demand an apology.”
“For what, opening the door?”
“You know very well for what. For the way you embarrassed me in the village last week.”
Marlot actually threw back her head and laughed. “You think that was bad, well then come back when you have had your wrists tied, your nose broken, and the life of your best friend threatened, not because you did anything but for what you are, then we can talk. Get out of my garden before I do something I will regret.” Jack squeezed her shoulders, she wasn’t sure if he was trying to comfort her or hold her back, but it worked either way. The static that Marlot had started to feel as raw power began to build inside of her slowly ebbed away.
“I’m sorry about all of that,” Lilly said in a small voice, “I would never have thought that he would behave like that. He always seemed so kind and sweet.”
“Did he?” Marlot looked at the girl, “Or is that just what you wanted to see?”
“What do you know about it?” Lilly snapped.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Stop being so cryptic, I’ll never understand if you don’t tell me.”
“Because I was you once, but no one told me that a love potion wasn’t a way to get what you want.”
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Part 20 In which Marlot loses a friend
Sitting at one of the tables in the large dining room were the men that had abused them that afternoon.
Marlot leaned close to her golem, “We can probably avoid them Jack, if they don’t see us then they can’t hurt us.”
“Marlot, Jack! Is that you? I thought you would be home by now.”
The witch groaned, standing up at the table that they were trying to avoid was Lilly. The young woman ran over to them and gave Jack a tight hug. “You two look amazing, did you get those clothes here?”
Jack nodded, “The girl from the tailor shop brought them over.”
Marlot could feel the men at the table staring at them and she tried as hard as she could to avoid their gazes.
“Oh Marlot, what happened to your nose?” Lilly reached out and touched the red and swollen part of Marlot’s face, the witch winced.
“It was supposed to be a lesson she obviously didn’t learn.” Marlot slowly looked up into the eyes of her tormentor. On his arm was a very pretty woman.
“Oh Eric, be nice.” Marlot noticed that the woman had a smudge of flower on her face and more on her skirts. Marlot stared at her, then at the man Eric before she turned a look of disbelief on Lilly who was still hanging on Jack.
“Are you serious Lilly, this is the man you wanted, the one who choose the bakers daughter over you.”
“Marlot, stop.” Lilly was a deep shade of red, tears of embarrassment shinning in her eyes.
The witch was about to say something else when Jack pushed his friend away, “How can you love someone who would hurt Marlot?” His arms found their way around his witch and Marlot didn’t realize her kind sweet creation was capable of a look so full of disgust that it made Lilly seem like the lowliest of nasty bugs.
“Isn’t that charming” the pretty woman on Eric’s arm tittered, “even a golem doesn’t’ want you Lilly, now what are you going to do?” Eric laughed a big loud, head back kind of laugh. The woman gave Lilly a vicious smile. Jack still refused to touch their friend, but Marlot pitied her and she was on the verge of apologizing when Lilly, tears pouring from her eyes now, stomped up to Marlot and slapped her across the face. She had to hold Jack back when he tried to follow Lilly out of the inn. Marlot had never seen him so angry to the point that he was actually growling.
Even though her check was stinging she still wanted to comfort her young friend, she wished someone had comforted her nearly two hundred years ago when her heart had been broken, things would be so much different if they had. “Jack calm down, I would have done the same thing if I were her.”
“That would be because worthless trash like you deserves it.” The large man pushed Marlot into the stairs behind her and she stumbled up a couple before she fell with a thud.
“What is going on in here!” The stern inn keeper stood in the doorway to the kitchens, one hand on her hip, the other brandishing a frying pan like a sword.
“Master Jack, I ask that you stand down and look after your mistress, if you cause more damage I will charge you for all that I see.”
The golem was muttering angrily under his breath as he came to Marlot’s aid. “What were you going to do?” Marlot asked him as he helped her up. The inn keeper passed them without a second glance and started yelling at the man who was easily twice her size. Jack wouldn’t answer Marlot but she was able to make out four words from his mutterings, ‘Jack the giant killer.’ She grabbed her golem’s face and forced him to look at her. “Jack the giant killer used cunning and cleverness to defeat his foes, not brute strength, or did you not actually listen to the story.”
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again he seemed much calmer, “I’m sorry Marlot.”
“Good, I won’t see my sweet little Jack become as bad as those men, your better than that.” Jack nodded.
“As for you two.” The inn keeper turned on the witch and golem, “your dinner will be served in your room and then you will leave first thing in the morning. You are not welcome back, understand?”
The pair nodded and then made their way back up the stair case in silence.
Marlot leaned close to her golem, “We can probably avoid them Jack, if they don’t see us then they can’t hurt us.”
“Marlot, Jack! Is that you? I thought you would be home by now.”
The witch groaned, standing up at the table that they were trying to avoid was Lilly. The young woman ran over to them and gave Jack a tight hug. “You two look amazing, did you get those clothes here?”
Jack nodded, “The girl from the tailor shop brought them over.”
Marlot could feel the men at the table staring at them and she tried as hard as she could to avoid their gazes.
“Oh Marlot, what happened to your nose?” Lilly reached out and touched the red and swollen part of Marlot’s face, the witch winced.
“It was supposed to be a lesson she obviously didn’t learn.” Marlot slowly looked up into the eyes of her tormentor. On his arm was a very pretty woman.
“Oh Eric, be nice.” Marlot noticed that the woman had a smudge of flower on her face and more on her skirts. Marlot stared at her, then at the man Eric before she turned a look of disbelief on Lilly who was still hanging on Jack.
“Are you serious Lilly, this is the man you wanted, the one who choose the bakers daughter over you.”
“Marlot, stop.” Lilly was a deep shade of red, tears of embarrassment shinning in her eyes.
The witch was about to say something else when Jack pushed his friend away, “How can you love someone who would hurt Marlot?” His arms found their way around his witch and Marlot didn’t realize her kind sweet creation was capable of a look so full of disgust that it made Lilly seem like the lowliest of nasty bugs.
“Isn’t that charming” the pretty woman on Eric’s arm tittered, “even a golem doesn’t’ want you Lilly, now what are you going to do?” Eric laughed a big loud, head back kind of laugh. The woman gave Lilly a vicious smile. Jack still refused to touch their friend, but Marlot pitied her and she was on the verge of apologizing when Lilly, tears pouring from her eyes now, stomped up to Marlot and slapped her across the face. She had to hold Jack back when he tried to follow Lilly out of the inn. Marlot had never seen him so angry to the point that he was actually growling.
Even though her check was stinging she still wanted to comfort her young friend, she wished someone had comforted her nearly two hundred years ago when her heart had been broken, things would be so much different if they had. “Jack calm down, I would have done the same thing if I were her.”
“That would be because worthless trash like you deserves it.” The large man pushed Marlot into the stairs behind her and she stumbled up a couple before she fell with a thud.
“What is going on in here!” The stern inn keeper stood in the doorway to the kitchens, one hand on her hip, the other brandishing a frying pan like a sword.
“Master Jack, I ask that you stand down and look after your mistress, if you cause more damage I will charge you for all that I see.”
The golem was muttering angrily under his breath as he came to Marlot’s aid. “What were you going to do?” Marlot asked him as he helped her up. The inn keeper passed them without a second glance and started yelling at the man who was easily twice her size. Jack wouldn’t answer Marlot but she was able to make out four words from his mutterings, ‘Jack the giant killer.’ She grabbed her golem’s face and forced him to look at her. “Jack the giant killer used cunning and cleverness to defeat his foes, not brute strength, or did you not actually listen to the story.”
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again he seemed much calmer, “I’m sorry Marlot.”
“Good, I won’t see my sweet little Jack become as bad as those men, your better than that.” Jack nodded.
“As for you two.” The inn keeper turned on the witch and golem, “your dinner will be served in your room and then you will leave first thing in the morning. You are not welcome back, understand?”
The pair nodded and then made their way back up the stair case in silence.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Part 13 In which Marlot and Lilly have an argument
Players:
Marlot
An overprotective witch
Jack
A clueless golem
Lilly
A flirt
Marlot placed the milk from her spelled chill box on the table in front of Jack and was watching closely to make sure he didn’t spill or drink all of it when she heard a knock on the door.
Lilly didn’t even bother to wait to be invited in before she exploded into the room in a cloud of color and smells. “I brought ham!” she exclaimed.
“Doesn’t your family need that ham, you said there are a lot of you?”
“There are, but most of my sisters are married so they don’t live at home any more. Good morning golem.”
“Jack” he said, through a mouthful of scrambled eggs.
“Excuse me.”
“His name is Jack,” answered Marlot.
“That is a silly name, so common; I would think you could come up with something far more interesting.”
Marlot gave Lilly a dirty look but Jack interrupted before she could say anything, “I like it, lots of brave people are name Jack, at least in the stories, I feel like I could be brave if I were more like them.”
Lilly dropped the basket onto the table and then placed herself in Jack’s lap, “And I’m sure you are very brave, handsome.”
“Lilly.” Marlot said in a warning voice, Jack was blushing and she was pretty, sure he didn’t know why he was suddenly feeling embarrassed and could imagine the questions he was going to come up with, she just hoped he would wait until after Lilly left.
“Jack, will you get another plate please, I’m sure Lilly is hungry too.” He all but pushed the young woman off of his lap and sprinted to the cabinet.
“What was she doing?” he whispered to Marlot as he went past her.
“I will explain later.” He nodded and then collected another plate, cup, and fork for their visitor.
“So Jack, did you make all of this,” Lilly leaned as close as she could to him over the table, “you are such a good cook.”
“I went and got the eggs and cooked them.”
“You’re so clever Jack, a true jack of all trades.” Lilly giggled. Marlot glared at her while watching the golem closely, he often looked toward her, as though searching for how to react to Lilly and he was obviously uncomfortable.
“What is a jack of all trades?” he asked looking from Lilly to Marlot.
Marlot laughed, “Jack of all trades, master of none.”
Lilly glared at the witch, “a jack of all trades is someone who can do a little bit of…everything.”
“I can cook, clean, and…read.”
Lilly looked stumped for a second and then her charming smile was back in place, “see, your name fits you perfect.”
“Lilly, stop flirting with my golem, he isn’t a toy for you to play with.”
“Excuse me.” Lilly stood up and gave Marlot a look of pure poison.
“He is just a toy you stupid witch, one you made so you can play house, I’m trying to make he feel loved and appreciated.”
“He is loved and appreciated Lilly, by me, his creator and only real friend. I’m trying to teach him to be human.”
“You’re teaching him to be a servant.”
“Like Cinderella?” both girls stopped arguing and looked at him.
“Exactly like Cinderella,” Lilly said hissing at Marlot.
“No, Marlot said I had a choice, I like Marlot.” Jack stood up and put an arm around the witch’s shoulders.
“Please leave Lilly.”
Lilly slammed the door behind her. “What is flirting?” Jack asked, not moving away from Marlot.
Marlot
An overprotective witch
Jack
A clueless golem
Lilly
A flirt
Marlot placed the milk from her spelled chill box on the table in front of Jack and was watching closely to make sure he didn’t spill or drink all of it when she heard a knock on the door.
Lilly didn’t even bother to wait to be invited in before she exploded into the room in a cloud of color and smells. “I brought ham!” she exclaimed.
“Doesn’t your family need that ham, you said there are a lot of you?”
“There are, but most of my sisters are married so they don’t live at home any more. Good morning golem.”
“Jack” he said, through a mouthful of scrambled eggs.
“Excuse me.”
“His name is Jack,” answered Marlot.
“That is a silly name, so common; I would think you could come up with something far more interesting.”
Marlot gave Lilly a dirty look but Jack interrupted before she could say anything, “I like it, lots of brave people are name Jack, at least in the stories, I feel like I could be brave if I were more like them.”
Lilly dropped the basket onto the table and then placed herself in Jack’s lap, “And I’m sure you are very brave, handsome.”
“Lilly.” Marlot said in a warning voice, Jack was blushing and she was pretty, sure he didn’t know why he was suddenly feeling embarrassed and could imagine the questions he was going to come up with, she just hoped he would wait until after Lilly left.
“Jack, will you get another plate please, I’m sure Lilly is hungry too.” He all but pushed the young woman off of his lap and sprinted to the cabinet.
“What was she doing?” he whispered to Marlot as he went past her.
“I will explain later.” He nodded and then collected another plate, cup, and fork for their visitor.
“So Jack, did you make all of this,” Lilly leaned as close as she could to him over the table, “you are such a good cook.”
“I went and got the eggs and cooked them.”
“You’re so clever Jack, a true jack of all trades.” Lilly giggled. Marlot glared at her while watching the golem closely, he often looked toward her, as though searching for how to react to Lilly and he was obviously uncomfortable.
“What is a jack of all trades?” he asked looking from Lilly to Marlot.
Marlot laughed, “Jack of all trades, master of none.”
Lilly glared at the witch, “a jack of all trades is someone who can do a little bit of…everything.”
“I can cook, clean, and…read.”
Lilly looked stumped for a second and then her charming smile was back in place, “see, your name fits you perfect.”
“Lilly, stop flirting with my golem, he isn’t a toy for you to play with.”
“Excuse me.” Lilly stood up and gave Marlot a look of pure poison.
“He is just a toy you stupid witch, one you made so you can play house, I’m trying to make he feel loved and appreciated.”
“He is loved and appreciated Lilly, by me, his creator and only real friend. I’m trying to teach him to be human.”
“You’re teaching him to be a servant.”
“Like Cinderella?” both girls stopped arguing and looked at him.
“Exactly like Cinderella,” Lilly said hissing at Marlot.
“No, Marlot said I had a choice, I like Marlot.” Jack stood up and put an arm around the witch’s shoulders.
“Please leave Lilly.”
Lilly slammed the door behind her. “What is flirting?” Jack asked, not moving away from Marlot.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Part 9 In which Lilly’s mouth gets her into trouble again
Players:
Marlot
A witch who is very proud of what she has done
Golem
A cheerful golem who is happy to learn
Lilly
A girl who needs to learn to watch her tongue
Knock, Knock, Knock
“Come in Lilly.”
Marlot looked up from her book and laughed at the golem who was the one who had invited Lilly in, and she was still laughing when Lilly came in looking confused.
“It worked!” she said when she saw the golem. “Hello, I’m Lilly.” She sounded almost seductive and held her hand out to him as though she wanted him to kiss it. He looked at her confused, his head once again tilted to the side.
“Hi Lilly.” He looked at her hand and then bent over and licked it.
“Golem!” Marlot yelled, still laughing, “What are you doing?”
“Jinx does that when I reach out for him.”
“That is because for some reason Jinx thinks you are delicious.”
“That’s because he is,” Marlot heard Lilly say under her breath; out loud she said “Oh my goodness Marlot, he is adorable.” She then took his hand and shook it.
“That is what you should have done,” Marlot told the golem.
“Thank you Marlot.”
“You’re welcome golem. You have to explain everything to him at this point,” she told Lilly. “He is still learning.”
“I like learning.” The golem said with his lopsided smile. Lilly almost seemed to melt on the spot and for some reason this aggravated Marlot.
“And you’re doing a fine job, conversation is the first step.” She ruffled the golem’s green hair as she walked past him and took the basket from Lilly.
“Why is his hair green?” Lilly whispered to her not letting go of the basket and pulling Marlot close.
“I think it is because I used branches from my enchanted apple tree to make him.”
“Interesting.” Lilly let go of the basket and Marlot laid out the lunch she had brought.
“Lunch,” the golem said happily, smiling at Marlot.
“Very good. Will you get some water for us? Use three cups from the cupboard over the sink.”
The golem got up and filled three cups with water and then just stood at the sink. “Golem, will you bring them over to the table and set them in front of our chairs.” Lilly was already sitting in her normal seat as was Marlot, an extra plate had been set up in front of the chair he had sat in the day before. Marlot was trying as hard as she could to make everything as easy on her golem as she could.
He walked over and looked at the table, his green eyebrows were knitted together in thought and finally he sat all three cups down in the middle of the table.
“What are you doing?” Lilly said patronizingly.
“Lilly, be nice. Golem, you should put one cup down in the top right corner of each of our plates.”
“Thank you Marlot.”
“I’m here to help.” The golem picked up the cups and placed them where Marlot had indicated.
The rest of the lunch went rather well, Marlot explained things to the golem when he asked or looked confused and Lilly spent the lunch speaking before she thought, more often than not insulting the golem now instead of Marlot.
“Lilly, can I talk to you outside. Golem, will you clean up please, like I showed you yesterday.”
“All of it Marlot?”
“Of course… ow.”
“Yes golem, all of them. Lilly, come with me.” Marlot grabbed Lilly’s arm where she had just pinched her.
Marlot could hear the golem pumping water into the sink and the sound of the dishes in the tub. “Lilly, I know you can’t help the way you are, and I know you are going to insult me on a fairly regular basis, but I would really appreciate you being nice to my golem. He can’t help it that he is kind of dull, he just came out of the cauldron yesterday and he is still learning. The last thing I want is for him to feel self conscious before he even knows what it means.”
“Marlot, I didn’t mean…”
“I know Lilly, but he means a lot to me, please just watch what you say.”
Marlot
A witch who is very proud of what she has done
Golem
A cheerful golem who is happy to learn
Lilly
A girl who needs to learn to watch her tongue
Knock, Knock, Knock
“Come in Lilly.”
Marlot looked up from her book and laughed at the golem who was the one who had invited Lilly in, and she was still laughing when Lilly came in looking confused.
“It worked!” she said when she saw the golem. “Hello, I’m Lilly.” She sounded almost seductive and held her hand out to him as though she wanted him to kiss it. He looked at her confused, his head once again tilted to the side.
“Hi Lilly.” He looked at her hand and then bent over and licked it.
“Golem!” Marlot yelled, still laughing, “What are you doing?”
“Jinx does that when I reach out for him.”
“That is because for some reason Jinx thinks you are delicious.”
“That’s because he is,” Marlot heard Lilly say under her breath; out loud she said “Oh my goodness Marlot, he is adorable.” She then took his hand and shook it.
“That is what you should have done,” Marlot told the golem.
“Thank you Marlot.”
“You’re welcome golem. You have to explain everything to him at this point,” she told Lilly. “He is still learning.”
“I like learning.” The golem said with his lopsided smile. Lilly almost seemed to melt on the spot and for some reason this aggravated Marlot.
“And you’re doing a fine job, conversation is the first step.” She ruffled the golem’s green hair as she walked past him and took the basket from Lilly.
“Why is his hair green?” Lilly whispered to her not letting go of the basket and pulling Marlot close.
“I think it is because I used branches from my enchanted apple tree to make him.”
“Interesting.” Lilly let go of the basket and Marlot laid out the lunch she had brought.
“Lunch,” the golem said happily, smiling at Marlot.
“Very good. Will you get some water for us? Use three cups from the cupboard over the sink.”
The golem got up and filled three cups with water and then just stood at the sink. “Golem, will you bring them over to the table and set them in front of our chairs.” Lilly was already sitting in her normal seat as was Marlot, an extra plate had been set up in front of the chair he had sat in the day before. Marlot was trying as hard as she could to make everything as easy on her golem as she could.
He walked over and looked at the table, his green eyebrows were knitted together in thought and finally he sat all three cups down in the middle of the table.
“What are you doing?” Lilly said patronizingly.
“Lilly, be nice. Golem, you should put one cup down in the top right corner of each of our plates.”
“Thank you Marlot.”
“I’m here to help.” The golem picked up the cups and placed them where Marlot had indicated.
The rest of the lunch went rather well, Marlot explained things to the golem when he asked or looked confused and Lilly spent the lunch speaking before she thought, more often than not insulting the golem now instead of Marlot.
“Lilly, can I talk to you outside. Golem, will you clean up please, like I showed you yesterday.”
“All of it Marlot?”
“Of course… ow.”
“Yes golem, all of them. Lilly, come with me.” Marlot grabbed Lilly’s arm where she had just pinched her.
Marlot could hear the golem pumping water into the sink and the sound of the dishes in the tub. “Lilly, I know you can’t help the way you are, and I know you are going to insult me on a fairly regular basis, but I would really appreciate you being nice to my golem. He can’t help it that he is kind of dull, he just came out of the cauldron yesterday and he is still learning. The last thing I want is for him to feel self conscious before he even knows what it means.”
“Marlot, I didn’t mean…”
“I know Lilly, but he means a lot to me, please just watch what you say.”
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Part 6 In which Lilly is starting to learn
Players:
Marlot
A witch in want of a friend
Lilly
A local farmer’s daughter who is trying to learn how to talk to people without insulting them
Marlot stared at the potion impatiently, there was only a week left and then she would know if it had worked or not.
Knock, Knock, Knock
“Come in.”
“Hi Marlot.”
“Good morning Lilly,” the farmer’s daughter walked in, a flash of color and cheerfulness in the rather dark and dust cottage and instantly set to work making tea.
“How much longer?”
“Another week, it has to be violet for four days, it just turned indigo yesterday.”
“So it goes through the colors of the rainbow.”
“Yep, it’s kind of neat to watch actually, each color has its own smoke patterns and density.”
“Teas ready.” Lilly handed Marlot a cup of the steaming liquid, “don’t worry so much, I’m sure you did it right.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Lilly had that look again, as though she know Marlot actually did appreciate her even though she pretended she didn’t care.
The witch drank her tea in silence. Lilly had been stopping by every day since she had asked for a love potion. Marlot enjoyed the company despite herself but she also knew she would never tell Lilly as much.
“I hope he is handsome.” Lilly looked wistful as she sat drinking her tea. “Even if he is going to be short.”
“What is wrong with being short?”
“Why would you make someone to help you around the house if he isn’t going to be able to reach the high places?”
“But he is just to keep me company, not to be a servant or anything.”
“Sure, okay.”
Marlot glared at her thoughtless friend, knowing Lilly was on the verge of saying something cruel.
“I mean…never mind.”
“Lilly,” Marlot sighed and looked into her tea, “I don’t want to fight with you, but please if you have something to say don’t be mean about it.” She stopped talking before she did exactly what she was asking Lilly not to.
“I’m sorry Marlot, I’m trying really.”
“I know.”
Marlot
A witch in want of a friend
Lilly
A local farmer’s daughter who is trying to learn how to talk to people without insulting them
Marlot stared at the potion impatiently, there was only a week left and then she would know if it had worked or not.
Knock, Knock, Knock
“Come in.”
“Hi Marlot.”
“Good morning Lilly,” the farmer’s daughter walked in, a flash of color and cheerfulness in the rather dark and dust cottage and instantly set to work making tea.
“How much longer?”
“Another week, it has to be violet for four days, it just turned indigo yesterday.”
“So it goes through the colors of the rainbow.”
“Yep, it’s kind of neat to watch actually, each color has its own smoke patterns and density.”
“Teas ready.” Lilly handed Marlot a cup of the steaming liquid, “don’t worry so much, I’m sure you did it right.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Lilly had that look again, as though she know Marlot actually did appreciate her even though she pretended she didn’t care.
The witch drank her tea in silence. Lilly had been stopping by every day since she had asked for a love potion. Marlot enjoyed the company despite herself but she also knew she would never tell Lilly as much.
“I hope he is handsome.” Lilly looked wistful as she sat drinking her tea. “Even if he is going to be short.”
“What is wrong with being short?”
“Why would you make someone to help you around the house if he isn’t going to be able to reach the high places?”
“But he is just to keep me company, not to be a servant or anything.”
“Sure, okay.”
Marlot glared at her thoughtless friend, knowing Lilly was on the verge of saying something cruel.
“I mean…never mind.”
“Lilly,” Marlot sighed and looked into her tea, “I don’t want to fight with you, but please if you have something to say don’t be mean about it.” She stopped talking before she did exactly what she was asking Lilly not to.
“I’m sorry Marlot, I’m trying really.”
“I know.”
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Part 5 In which Lilly knows something Marlot doesn’t
Players:
Marlot
A lonely witch who is learning that making friends doesn’t mean from scratch
Jinx
A lazy cat with nothing better to lay around and keep Marlot company
Lilly
A young woman who needs to learn to think before she speaks
Marlot sat at the kitchen table watching the bright green smoke dance across the surface of her potion. The tendrils spun and twirled in a merry dance and she had to keep an eye on Jinx to make sure he didn’t try to play with it.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
“Now who in the world.” She stood up and walked over to the door and pulled it open an inch. “What are you doing here?”
“Lunch,” Lilly said simply, holding out a picnic basket with the smells of fresh baked bread and herbs wafting out of it.
“Smells good, I guess you can come in.”
Lilly half skipped past Marlot and sat the basket on the table. She then pulled out a very large loaf of bread, a small cooked chicken, and an apple pie. “I used the apples you gave me the other day to make the pie,” she said, holding it out to Marlot so she could smell the cinnamon and baked apples.
“Why?”
“I like you, or at least you are nicer to me than most of the people back at the village.”
Marlot dug around in her drawers until she found the bread knife and some jam that she had been saving, but she wasn’t sure for what. “They must be really mean if you think I’m nice.”
“Well, actually they are sneakier about it, talking behind my back, smiling to my face. You are straight forward, and like I said before, interesting. I can tell that you are the kind of person that everyone knows where they stand with you because you will tell it as it is.”
“So you want to torture yourself by spending time with me. This chicken is really good by the way.”
“Thank you.” Lilly smiled at Marlot in a way that made the witch suspicious, but she wasn’t sure why.
“I’m still not making you a love potion.”
“I know, I don’t want it anymore. I think you were right about the man not being worth my love…I saw him with the baker’s daughter this morning and he seemed very happy. Word is that they are going to get married in the fall.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, I’ll find someone eventually right? So please, what is a golem? I realize that you are making something male but I don’t quite understand what it is.”
Marlot cut off another piece of the soft squishy bread and spread strawberry jam on it. “A golem is a creature that can move and think on its own but it is made out of clay and whatever else the creator chose to use.”
“Fascinating. How much longer?”
“Almost two weeks, yesterday was the halfway point, which is why I needed snails.”
“Will he be handsome?”
“I’m not even sure it is going to work. Do you want some tea?”
Lilly smiled at her again, that same knowing smile that Marlot couldn’t quite figure out what it meant. “Yes please. So why are you making a golem?”
“Because Jinx isn’t much of a conversationalist and I was bored. I really should have thought it through more, but it is too late now.”
“You made a golem so you would just have someone to talk to, that’s kind of selfish isn’t it?”
Marlot picked the tea pot up off the wood stove and glared at the young woman. “Didn’t I tell you it wasn’t a good idea to insult a witch?”
Lilly put her head in her hands, “I’m sorry Marlot, and I did it again. It’s just that you actually seem like a decent person and you could probably have all the friends you want, but instead you make your own instead of trying to go out and meet people who might need you as much as you need them.”
The witch sat down across from her house guest and watched her closely. Lilly did seam sorry, but Marlot wasn’t sure how many insults she could take before she kicked the woman out for good. “You know the stories right? How witches are bad, they cast evil spells and poison maidens with apples, the same apples that you made that pie out of. How do you know they aren’t poisonous? Witches are dangerous Lilly, unpredictable and wicked. You still want to be my friend.”
“Yes, because I don’t believe you are any of those things or you would have cursed me the moment I walked up to your garden wall. Your good Marlot, when will you accept that, I promise you will be much happier after you do? I’ll leave if you want.”
Marlot nodded, “please, I have work to do.”
Lilly picked up her basket and left. Marlot stared at the tea pot still in her hands rather than look at the only person she had had any kind of conversation with in years. The witch looked over at the table to see all of the food still spread out and she felt guilty.
Marlot
A lonely witch who is learning that making friends doesn’t mean from scratch
Jinx
A lazy cat with nothing better to lay around and keep Marlot company
Lilly
A young woman who needs to learn to think before she speaks
Marlot sat at the kitchen table watching the bright green smoke dance across the surface of her potion. The tendrils spun and twirled in a merry dance and she had to keep an eye on Jinx to make sure he didn’t try to play with it.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
“Now who in the world.” She stood up and walked over to the door and pulled it open an inch. “What are you doing here?”
“Lunch,” Lilly said simply, holding out a picnic basket with the smells of fresh baked bread and herbs wafting out of it.
“Smells good, I guess you can come in.”
Lilly half skipped past Marlot and sat the basket on the table. She then pulled out a very large loaf of bread, a small cooked chicken, and an apple pie. “I used the apples you gave me the other day to make the pie,” she said, holding it out to Marlot so she could smell the cinnamon and baked apples.
“Why?”
“I like you, or at least you are nicer to me than most of the people back at the village.”
Marlot dug around in her drawers until she found the bread knife and some jam that she had been saving, but she wasn’t sure for what. “They must be really mean if you think I’m nice.”
“Well, actually they are sneakier about it, talking behind my back, smiling to my face. You are straight forward, and like I said before, interesting. I can tell that you are the kind of person that everyone knows where they stand with you because you will tell it as it is.”
“So you want to torture yourself by spending time with me. This chicken is really good by the way.”
“Thank you.” Lilly smiled at Marlot in a way that made the witch suspicious, but she wasn’t sure why.
“I’m still not making you a love potion.”
“I know, I don’t want it anymore. I think you were right about the man not being worth my love…I saw him with the baker’s daughter this morning and he seemed very happy. Word is that they are going to get married in the fall.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, I’ll find someone eventually right? So please, what is a golem? I realize that you are making something male but I don’t quite understand what it is.”
Marlot cut off another piece of the soft squishy bread and spread strawberry jam on it. “A golem is a creature that can move and think on its own but it is made out of clay and whatever else the creator chose to use.”
“Fascinating. How much longer?”
“Almost two weeks, yesterday was the halfway point, which is why I needed snails.”
“Will he be handsome?”
“I’m not even sure it is going to work. Do you want some tea?”
Lilly smiled at her again, that same knowing smile that Marlot couldn’t quite figure out what it meant. “Yes please. So why are you making a golem?”
“Because Jinx isn’t much of a conversationalist and I was bored. I really should have thought it through more, but it is too late now.”
“You made a golem so you would just have someone to talk to, that’s kind of selfish isn’t it?”
Marlot picked the tea pot up off the wood stove and glared at the young woman. “Didn’t I tell you it wasn’t a good idea to insult a witch?”
Lilly put her head in her hands, “I’m sorry Marlot, and I did it again. It’s just that you actually seem like a decent person and you could probably have all the friends you want, but instead you make your own instead of trying to go out and meet people who might need you as much as you need them.”
The witch sat down across from her house guest and watched her closely. Lilly did seam sorry, but Marlot wasn’t sure how many insults she could take before she kicked the woman out for good. “You know the stories right? How witches are bad, they cast evil spells and poison maidens with apples, the same apples that you made that pie out of. How do you know they aren’t poisonous? Witches are dangerous Lilly, unpredictable and wicked. You still want to be my friend.”
“Yes, because I don’t believe you are any of those things or you would have cursed me the moment I walked up to your garden wall. Your good Marlot, when will you accept that, I promise you will be much happier after you do? I’ll leave if you want.”
Marlot nodded, “please, I have work to do.”
Lilly picked up her basket and left. Marlot stared at the tea pot still in her hands rather than look at the only person she had had any kind of conversation with in years. The witch looked over at the table to see all of the food still spread out and she felt guilty.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Part 4 In which Marlot makes a new friend
Players:
Marlot
A witch who doesn’t really like people that much, but is really lonely
Jinx
Her cat, the real master of the house
Young Woman
A farm girl who won’t leave Marlot alone
Marlot stood watching the young woman, who to the witch’s surprise smiled at her. “That is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me, do you know that.”
“But…what…who…alright lady, explain.”
The young woman motioned toward the garden gate, “may I come in?”
Sighing Marlot nodded, “only for as long as it takes you to tell me why you are still here and not yelling at me for telling you no.”
“I’m Lilly” the woman said as she walked through the gate and sat down on the wall near Marlot. “Usually when I tell people that I’m in love but the man doesn’t feel the same they…they say that I must not be worth it. Worth his time, his love, that I’m not good enough for him or his family. My father is just a local farmer and they are always the sons of bankers, or blacksmiths, or someone important.”
“I’m…sorry.” Marlot shook out her robes and then sat down next to Lilly. Jinx, seeing that his mistress was now sitting decided that her lap was where he wanted to be and Marlot absently scratched his ears. “I’m sure someday you will find someone.”
“Or I can be like you and make someone.”
“Well if you’re going to be like that.” The witch stood up again holding Jinx in her arms, and walked away, hoping that she had collected enough snails.
“Marlot!” She yelled after the witch, “I’m sorry.”
Marlot closed the door behind her and sat Jinx down on the table. “Now I remember why I don’t like humans.” She said to the cat who meowed and walked over to his food bowl. “Jinx, I love you but sometimes I feel like the pet and that you are my master.” She ran a hand down his back as she poured food into his bowl and his back arched under her fingers.
She was straightening up when there was a loud knocking at the door and Lilly was yelling “MARLOT, I know you are in there!”
Marlot ignored the woman and lined the new ingredients up on the table. There was the jar of snails she had found in the garden and the puppy dog tails which were wrapped in paper which she chose to ignore until she needed them. Marlot liked being a witch but there were some things about it that she wasn’t very fond of, and one of them were the tails she couldn’t look at, and the other was the fact that she still needed to snip the snails into the potion. She looked over at the boiling cauldron of dark liquid. The smoke coming off of it had changed colors every couple of days and out of curiosity she had opened the spell book again to make sure she had done everything right, which is when she had discovered that there were more ingredients that needed to be added at the halfway point. Two weeks into ‘incubation’ as the book called it, and on the third day after the smoke changed from yellow to green. According to the spell book the ingredients that she choose to add would determine the gender of the golem. “Who knew the poem was right,” she said to jinx before she scooped him up off the floor and spun him around singing:
‘What are little boys made of?
Snips of snails, and puppy-dogs’ tails,
That’s what little boys are made of.
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice, and everything nice,
That’s what little girls are made of.’
Marlot looked down at the cat in her arms and at the door where she could still hear Lilly walking around and occasionally yelling for the witch to come back, and that she hadn’t meant what she had said. “I guess it’s not what witches are made of though.” She sat Jinx back down on the floor and walked over to the door and opened it to see Lilly about to knock again.
“Oh, I didn’t think you were actually going to open up.”
“And you are still not going away.”
“No, I wanted to talk to you some more. Your… interesting.”
“And I’m busy, trust me, if you thought looking for snails was gross then you really don’t want to watch me snipping them up.”
“No, I guess not. May I come in anyway?”
“It’s never a good idea to insult a witch.”
“I already said I was sorry.”
Marlot stepped out of the way of the door to allow the young woman in.
Marlot
A witch who doesn’t really like people that much, but is really lonely
Jinx
Her cat, the real master of the house
Young Woman
A farm girl who won’t leave Marlot alone
Marlot stood watching the young woman, who to the witch’s surprise smiled at her. “That is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me, do you know that.”
“But…what…who…alright lady, explain.”
The young woman motioned toward the garden gate, “may I come in?”
Sighing Marlot nodded, “only for as long as it takes you to tell me why you are still here and not yelling at me for telling you no.”
“I’m Lilly” the woman said as she walked through the gate and sat down on the wall near Marlot. “Usually when I tell people that I’m in love but the man doesn’t feel the same they…they say that I must not be worth it. Worth his time, his love, that I’m not good enough for him or his family. My father is just a local farmer and they are always the sons of bankers, or blacksmiths, or someone important.”
“I’m…sorry.” Marlot shook out her robes and then sat down next to Lilly. Jinx, seeing that his mistress was now sitting decided that her lap was where he wanted to be and Marlot absently scratched his ears. “I’m sure someday you will find someone.”
“Or I can be like you and make someone.”
“Well if you’re going to be like that.” The witch stood up again holding Jinx in her arms, and walked away, hoping that she had collected enough snails.
“Marlot!” She yelled after the witch, “I’m sorry.”
Marlot closed the door behind her and sat Jinx down on the table. “Now I remember why I don’t like humans.” She said to the cat who meowed and walked over to his food bowl. “Jinx, I love you but sometimes I feel like the pet and that you are my master.” She ran a hand down his back as she poured food into his bowl and his back arched under her fingers.
She was straightening up when there was a loud knocking at the door and Lilly was yelling “MARLOT, I know you are in there!”
Marlot ignored the woman and lined the new ingredients up on the table. There was the jar of snails she had found in the garden and the puppy dog tails which were wrapped in paper which she chose to ignore until she needed them. Marlot liked being a witch but there were some things about it that she wasn’t very fond of, and one of them were the tails she couldn’t look at, and the other was the fact that she still needed to snip the snails into the potion. She looked over at the boiling cauldron of dark liquid. The smoke coming off of it had changed colors every couple of days and out of curiosity she had opened the spell book again to make sure she had done everything right, which is when she had discovered that there were more ingredients that needed to be added at the halfway point. Two weeks into ‘incubation’ as the book called it, and on the third day after the smoke changed from yellow to green. According to the spell book the ingredients that she choose to add would determine the gender of the golem. “Who knew the poem was right,” she said to jinx before she scooped him up off the floor and spun him around singing:
‘What are little boys made of?
Snips of snails, and puppy-dogs’ tails,
That’s what little boys are made of.
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice, and everything nice,
That’s what little girls are made of.’
Marlot looked down at the cat in her arms and at the door where she could still hear Lilly walking around and occasionally yelling for the witch to come back, and that she hadn’t meant what she had said. “I guess it’s not what witches are made of though.” She sat Jinx back down on the floor and walked over to the door and opened it to see Lilly about to knock again.
“Oh, I didn’t think you were actually going to open up.”
“And you are still not going away.”
“No, I wanted to talk to you some more. Your… interesting.”
“And I’m busy, trust me, if you thought looking for snails was gross then you really don’t want to watch me snipping them up.”
“No, I guess not. May I come in anyway?”
“It’s never a good idea to insult a witch.”
“I already said I was sorry.”
Marlot stepped out of the way of the door to allow the young woman in.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Part 3 In which Marlot looks for snails and meets someone new
Players:
Marlot
A lonely witch who is franticly working to make herself a companion, in the form of a golem
Jinx
Marlot’s lazy cat who seems to be rather fond of his mistress, just kind of useless
Young Woman
Someone from the nearby town who has a question for a witch
Two weeks later Marlot found herself on her hands and knees in the garden looking for snails.
“Excuse me, are you the witch?”
Marlot looked up for a moment to see a young dark haired woman standing on the other side of the garden wall looking nervous. Jinx stood up from where he had been sunning a few feet away from the woman and sniffed her, probably looking for food, or attention.
“Last time I checked I was one.”
“What are you doing?”
“Looking for snails. Why are you here?”
“Snails?” The young woman scoffed, “why do you want snails?”
“Because I already have the puppy dog tails. Now tell me, what do you want?”
“What are you making, a boy?” her look was of disgust, but there was still a hint of nervousness about her, despite how rude she was being.
“Something like that, now leave me alone.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. I was looking for Marlot the witch because I wanted to ask for a potion. I can pay you.”
“I’m not interested, goodbye.” Marlot lifted a tree branch to see if there were any snails under it.
“But…” the woman was silent for a moment, “But surely you need gold,” she argued, holding out a small bag that jingled slightly.
“Nope, I trade for most of what I need.”
“What about snails, you can buy some in town.”
“I try to avoid town if I can help it.”
“Then I could buy them for you, then it would be like a trade.” She seemed almost excited now.
“They sell snails in town?” Marlot thought about the offer for a moment, she still didn’t know exactly what the girl wanted and she didn’t like agreeing to anything until she knew exactly what she was getting into. “No, I don’t think so, wild snails are better anyway.”
“For making boys! What are you going to do, eat him.” The girl was angry now, almost desperate.
“I’m not going to eat him, and I’m not making boys, I’m making a golem. But it turns out that there were more ingredients on the second page that I didn’t see when I started it and at the halfway point you have to add in either sugar and spice and what not, or snails and puppy tails. Which is why I am looking for snails. Now will you please leave me alone!”
“A golem? What’s that?”
“You’re not going to go away are you?”
“Not until I get what I want.”
“And that is?”
“A love potion.”
Marlot froze, the girl sounded like she had been thinking about this for a while and that a love potion was what she wanted and, in her mind, a love potion is what she was going to get.
“I don’t make those.”
“Please.” She was pleading now. “I love him so much, but…”
Marlot stood up and looked the girl straight in the eye. “But he doesn’t love you, and your heart would break without him, and when he is around you feel like you can fly, yadda yadda yadda. If he doesn’t love you without the potion then trust me, he isn’t worth it.”
“How did you know?”
“Because that is what everyone says when they come asking for a love potion.”
Marlot was watching the woman carefully. Everyone responded differently to her saying no, some burst into tears, others got angry, but rarely did any of them respond like this annoying girl.
Marlot
A lonely witch who is franticly working to make herself a companion, in the form of a golem
Jinx
Marlot’s lazy cat who seems to be rather fond of his mistress, just kind of useless
Young Woman
Someone from the nearby town who has a question for a witch
Two weeks later Marlot found herself on her hands and knees in the garden looking for snails.
“Excuse me, are you the witch?”
Marlot looked up for a moment to see a young dark haired woman standing on the other side of the garden wall looking nervous. Jinx stood up from where he had been sunning a few feet away from the woman and sniffed her, probably looking for food, or attention.
“Last time I checked I was one.”
“What are you doing?”
“Looking for snails. Why are you here?”
“Snails?” The young woman scoffed, “why do you want snails?”
“Because I already have the puppy dog tails. Now tell me, what do you want?”
“What are you making, a boy?” her look was of disgust, but there was still a hint of nervousness about her, despite how rude she was being.
“Something like that, now leave me alone.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. I was looking for Marlot the witch because I wanted to ask for a potion. I can pay you.”
“I’m not interested, goodbye.” Marlot lifted a tree branch to see if there were any snails under it.
“But…” the woman was silent for a moment, “But surely you need gold,” she argued, holding out a small bag that jingled slightly.
“Nope, I trade for most of what I need.”
“What about snails, you can buy some in town.”
“I try to avoid town if I can help it.”
“Then I could buy them for you, then it would be like a trade.” She seemed almost excited now.
“They sell snails in town?” Marlot thought about the offer for a moment, she still didn’t know exactly what the girl wanted and she didn’t like agreeing to anything until she knew exactly what she was getting into. “No, I don’t think so, wild snails are better anyway.”
“For making boys! What are you going to do, eat him.” The girl was angry now, almost desperate.
“I’m not going to eat him, and I’m not making boys, I’m making a golem. But it turns out that there were more ingredients on the second page that I didn’t see when I started it and at the halfway point you have to add in either sugar and spice and what not, or snails and puppy tails. Which is why I am looking for snails. Now will you please leave me alone!”
“A golem? What’s that?”
“You’re not going to go away are you?”
“Not until I get what I want.”
“And that is?”
“A love potion.”
Marlot froze, the girl sounded like she had been thinking about this for a while and that a love potion was what she wanted and, in her mind, a love potion is what she was going to get.
“I don’t make those.”
“Please.” She was pleading now. “I love him so much, but…”
Marlot stood up and looked the girl straight in the eye. “But he doesn’t love you, and your heart would break without him, and when he is around you feel like you can fly, yadda yadda yadda. If he doesn’t love you without the potion then trust me, he isn’t worth it.”
“How did you know?”
“Because that is what everyone says when they come asking for a love potion.”
Marlot was watching the woman carefully. Everyone responded differently to her saying no, some burst into tears, others got angry, but rarely did any of them respond like this annoying girl.
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