It took less than half the time on the broomstick than it had taken them to walk to the village. She usually tried not to travel so quickly, flying did require quite a bit of magic, especially when the witch was already under a great deal of stress and the faster one flew the more magic it took, not to mention Marlot wasn’t the only one on the broomstick.
As the village came into view Marlot heard someone scream, when she got closer some of them actually started throwing things at her. She increased her altitude until she was out of their range but didn’t slow down until she got to the general store where her and Jack had gone on their first visit. Jack jumped off the broom as soon as they were close to the ground while Marlot all but flew it through the store’s front door.
Samuel stood behind the counter wearing an expression that said, witches flew through his front door every day and that he was not going to be bothered by it. In front of him was a small pile of oddly colored beans. He smiled at the little witch and said, “Greetings Miss Marlot, welcome back. And Master Jack, how good to see you again so soon.”
“Please,” Marlot gasped, bending over almost double and leaned on the broomstick like a cane for support, “you haven’t sold any of that stuff Jack sold you yesterday have you?”
“As a matter of fact I haven’t. I was just examining these beans he brought to determine exactly what they are. Are you quite alright my dear?” concern was etched on his face under his smile.
“They are magic beans sir.” She gasped feeling faint. The flight and her nerves had taken a bigger toll than she had expected.
Jack wrapped an arm around her waist to support her then looked at Samuel, “You know, from the story of Jack and the bean stock.” Marlot glanced up at her golem, who looked as fresh as he had when they left the cabin, with the exception of his spiky green hair sticking up a bit more than usual.
Samuel brought a stool over from behind the counter and Jack steered her to it. “Please sit Miss Marlot, you look a little worse for wear, I might have just the thing to help with your hair, I take it you left in quite a hurry and forgot your hat.” He winked at her and made his way to the back of the shop.
Marlot now faced the door where a crowd of people had gathered watching her and looking frightened. One familiar face separated from the group and pushed her way into the general store. “Miss Marlot, Master Jack, what are you doing back here so soon, and where is your new dress.” The little seamstress broke away from the gathered mob and smiled at her friends.
“It’s in the bag Rosalie, but I’m afraid we might not be able to keep it.”
“Why ever not?” she asked looking put out.
Samuel came back at that moment pushing a cup of water into Marlot’s hand and a comb into the other. “Yours I believe.” He said with a smile.
Marlot squeaked and dropped both the cup and the comb which clattered to the shop floor, the contents of the cup soaking her robes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make a mess, but that comb is poisonous.”
She looked up when she heard angry muttering coming from the mob still gathered around the doorway.
“I knew she was up to no good.”
“That which was always out to get us.”
“You think she poisoned it herself and sent her apprentice to deceive us?”
“She seems harmless.”
“Enough!” Samuel yelled over the voices, “I believe Miss Marlot had her reasons for coming here, and a reasonable explanation why her young friend sold me a poisoned comb. If you don’t mind I would like to hear her side of things instead of your gossiping.”
“I never meant any harm you know.” Marlot muttered to her lap, “I like fairy tales. I have actually seen some of them happen, or known people who have. So I started collecting the books, reading the different versions that people tell, and fantasizing about my own happy ever after.” She blushed, “Then I started to collect the objects from those stories, in this case, the wine cup from The Twelve Dancing Princesses, Sweetheart Roland’s seven-league boots and apron, an invisibility cloak and inexhaustible wine bottle from The Raven, the magic beans Jack used to grow a bean stalk, and finally the lace and comb used against Snow White by the evil Queen. All of these objects, and many more, have been hidden safely away in my cabin for many years, never used against anyone or at all since I have had them. Jack didn’t know what it was he had, please don’t blame him, it’s my fault they were in his room, and my fault he didn’t know what they were.” The store was silent as everyone strained to hear her, voice weak from exhaustion.
Samuel laid a hand on her shoulder but spoke to the crowd. “You see, she is harmless, and as I suspect, only trying to protect us. Master Jack did not know what it was he had, it was Miss Marlot, who it seems, risked herself to come here and warn us of the dangers we now face. It appears that most of these objects are quite useful if you know what they are and use them properly, if it is quite alright with you Miss Marlot, I shall like to keep them here in the shop, you never know when you may need to travel seven-leagues in a hurry and I’m sure our tavern could use an inexhaustible bottle of wine.”
“Did you say you had Snow White’s lace?”
Marlot looked up at Rosalie in wonder. “Y-yes.”
“It isn’t harmful is it?”
“Not on its own, it was the Queen’s attempt to make them too tight that made them dangerous, not the lace itself.”
“Wonderful! May I see it Master Samuel, I believe I have the perfect dress to use it with.”
Marlot watched as the villagers not only accepted her story, but actually seemed excited about the objects from the fairy stories they had grown up hearing about. They even asked Marlot about other objects, such as Cinderella’s slippers, the golden ball that had once belonged to a princess who had to kiss a frog, and the silver, gold, and diamond twigs from The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Other witches were interesting in the objects for their magical properties but they could care less about mundane objects the villagers were now asking about. It wasn’t long until Rosalie drug them away from the villagers and back to her little shop where she described what she was going to do with her new lace and insisted on helping Marlot put on her birthday present.
Showing posts with label Samuel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Samuel. Show all posts
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Part 18 In which Jack cares for Marlot
Marlot was drifting in and out of consciousness now that all of the fun was over. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been in so much pain, she didn’t even remember being placed in a bed.
“How long has she been out?” The voice sounded far away.
“For a few minutes, I think the shock got to her.” Is that the shop keeper, she thought.
“Or the pain from this nose.”
“Is Marlot going to be alright?” she wanted to tell Jack that she was fine, but he sounded so very far away.
“I think so, but I hope she really is unconscious because this is going to hurt.”
The witch tried to bite back the scream as her nose was set into place, the sound was almost as nasty as when it had broken. When she opened her eyes it was to look over a handkerchief that Jack was holding very gently to her bleeding face.
“Thank you Jack.” She whispered, she had to admit the pain had decreased slightly now that all parts were back where they belonged.
“The healer fixed it.” The golem nodded to a middle aged man standing to the right of the bed, the kind shop keeper who had rescued them was there too smiling down at her reassuringly.
Marlot heard a knock on the door, “Is she awake, father? I will have the maids draw up a couple of baths now if she can be moved.” There was a stern looking woman in the doorway. “You are welcome to stay here as long as you need to Miss Marlot, Master Jack.” The little witch was surprised by the warm smile the woman directed at her and she instantly liked the shop keeper’s daughter.
“Thank you, but I believe we should be going home now.” Marlot tried to sit up but Jack was still leaning over her.
“You aren’t going anywhere until you get something to eat miss witch. You lost a lot of blood out there and I doubt you can walk all the way home in your current state.” The healer pushed Jack’s hand out of the way in order to take a closer look at Marlot’s nose. “The bleeding is slowing down; you should be able to get up soon.”
“Thank you Master Healer. But why are you all being so kind? And why do we need baths?”
Samuel the shop keeper knelt beside the bed taking Marlot’s hand. “The bath answer is easy my dear.” He pulled out a new handkerchief and placed it below her nose, they both noticed Jack glaring at him and with a chuckle the man relinquished the cloth to the golem. “You are both covered in dirt and you have quite a bit of blood on you too, so the least we can do is clean you up a bit. As for why we are helping you, well call me an old fool, but I see a lot of good in you miss Marlot and I would rather find myself on a kind witch’s good side than a scared and obviously powerful” he glanced at the golem “witch’s bad side.”
“I’m not sure how powerful I am.”
“Well I’m sure that not just anyone can create a golem on a whim and be successful.”
“How do you know that?”
“I talk to miss Lilly often, she has told me quite a bit about you two. He is quite extraordinary, moving, talking, and playing the hero.” He winked at Jack.
“He’s right Jack.” Marlot smiled up at her creation, “You’re my hero.”
“But Mr. Samuel stopped them from hurting us anymore. I’m not a hero.”
“Your right, he is a hero,” Marlot reached up and brushed a strand of green hair out of the golem’s brown eyes. “But they weren’t going to hurt him, you on the other hand were in great danger. Why didn’t you run Jack?” she blinked back tears, the palm of her hand on his dirty cheek, she had come so close to losing her beloved golem.
“I couldn’t leave you Marlot, you’re my whole world.”
“Because she created you and gave you life?” They all turned to stare at the healer who had moved a bit away while Marlot and Samuel spoke. He sounded so arrogant and looked at Jack with disgust.
“No,” Jack said simply, “because Marlot is my friend and I love her.”
“Nonsense, there must be some spell or enchantment tying you to her, there is no way you can have true feelings.”
Marlot interrupted, “It is entirely possible that there is some spell tying him to me, but I am unaware of its existence and would not have put it in place had I known about it. As for his emotions, it may seem strange but according to the books golems will develop a sense of self, complete with personality and feelings all their own.”
“And how do they develop this sense of self?”
“By observation, he learns extremely quickly.”
Samuel spoke up then, apparently trying to lower the tension in the room, “you have been nothing but kind to him, that must be where he learned that particular trait.”
The healer snorted, “Then where did the hero streak come from?”
“Fairy tales.” Marlot said with a smile.
“How long has she been out?” The voice sounded far away.
“For a few minutes, I think the shock got to her.” Is that the shop keeper, she thought.
“Or the pain from this nose.”
“Is Marlot going to be alright?” she wanted to tell Jack that she was fine, but he sounded so very far away.
“I think so, but I hope she really is unconscious because this is going to hurt.”
The witch tried to bite back the scream as her nose was set into place, the sound was almost as nasty as when it had broken. When she opened her eyes it was to look over a handkerchief that Jack was holding very gently to her bleeding face.
“Thank you Jack.” She whispered, she had to admit the pain had decreased slightly now that all parts were back where they belonged.
“The healer fixed it.” The golem nodded to a middle aged man standing to the right of the bed, the kind shop keeper who had rescued them was there too smiling down at her reassuringly.
Marlot heard a knock on the door, “Is she awake, father? I will have the maids draw up a couple of baths now if she can be moved.” There was a stern looking woman in the doorway. “You are welcome to stay here as long as you need to Miss Marlot, Master Jack.” The little witch was surprised by the warm smile the woman directed at her and she instantly liked the shop keeper’s daughter.
“Thank you, but I believe we should be going home now.” Marlot tried to sit up but Jack was still leaning over her.
“You aren’t going anywhere until you get something to eat miss witch. You lost a lot of blood out there and I doubt you can walk all the way home in your current state.” The healer pushed Jack’s hand out of the way in order to take a closer look at Marlot’s nose. “The bleeding is slowing down; you should be able to get up soon.”
“Thank you Master Healer. But why are you all being so kind? And why do we need baths?”
Samuel the shop keeper knelt beside the bed taking Marlot’s hand. “The bath answer is easy my dear.” He pulled out a new handkerchief and placed it below her nose, they both noticed Jack glaring at him and with a chuckle the man relinquished the cloth to the golem. “You are both covered in dirt and you have quite a bit of blood on you too, so the least we can do is clean you up a bit. As for why we are helping you, well call me an old fool, but I see a lot of good in you miss Marlot and I would rather find myself on a kind witch’s good side than a scared and obviously powerful” he glanced at the golem “witch’s bad side.”
“I’m not sure how powerful I am.”
“Well I’m sure that not just anyone can create a golem on a whim and be successful.”
“How do you know that?”
“I talk to miss Lilly often, she has told me quite a bit about you two. He is quite extraordinary, moving, talking, and playing the hero.” He winked at Jack.
“He’s right Jack.” Marlot smiled up at her creation, “You’re my hero.”
“But Mr. Samuel stopped them from hurting us anymore. I’m not a hero.”
“Your right, he is a hero,” Marlot reached up and brushed a strand of green hair out of the golem’s brown eyes. “But they weren’t going to hurt him, you on the other hand were in great danger. Why didn’t you run Jack?” she blinked back tears, the palm of her hand on his dirty cheek, she had come so close to losing her beloved golem.
“I couldn’t leave you Marlot, you’re my whole world.”
“Because she created you and gave you life?” They all turned to stare at the healer who had moved a bit away while Marlot and Samuel spoke. He sounded so arrogant and looked at Jack with disgust.
“No,” Jack said simply, “because Marlot is my friend and I love her.”
“Nonsense, there must be some spell or enchantment tying you to her, there is no way you can have true feelings.”
Marlot interrupted, “It is entirely possible that there is some spell tying him to me, but I am unaware of its existence and would not have put it in place had I known about it. As for his emotions, it may seem strange but according to the books golems will develop a sense of self, complete with personality and feelings all their own.”
“And how do they develop this sense of self?”
“By observation, he learns extremely quickly.”
Samuel spoke up then, apparently trying to lower the tension in the room, “you have been nothing but kind to him, that must be where he learned that particular trait.”
The healer snorted, “Then where did the hero streak come from?”
“Fairy tales.” Marlot said with a smile.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Part 17 In which making friends can be a good thing, as long as you don’t actually ‘make’ them
“Please let him go.” Marlot sobbed “Jack hasn’t done anything wrong and simply existing can’t possibly be a crime. Do what you want with me, but please let Jack go.”
“Marlot NO!” the golem shoved off his captors with this impressive strength and ran to her, his arms warping tightly around her, his forehead against hers. “I won’t let them hurt you.”
“Jack, please get away from here.” She didn’t have much conviction behind it, she felt safe in his arms, even when her own were still tied. It felt like an eternity that they were allowed to stand there like that, their tears mixing on their faces. Marlot’s head eventually dropped to her beloved golem’s shoulder and he held her tighter, trying to comfort her in some small way.
“Get back you disgusting creature. How many people had to die for you to be born?” Jack was pried away from her and thrown down into the dirt.
“No one died; even most of the animals used to make him were going to die anyway for one reason or another. The only life I took was the snails.” She cried out when one of the men kicked Jack where he lay as the golem whimpered in fear.
“WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!” A man, important by the sound of it, yelled from across the square.
“We are punishing a witch Samuel, even you can’t argue with that.”
“What witch? And what is the crime?”
“This one sir,” Marlot was thrown at the general store owner’s feet, her hands were still tied and so, without the means to break her fall, Marlot landed on her face and felt her nose break. She felt dizzy for a moment as the world turned red and then an intense pain.
“Marlot!” Jack yelled for her from a few feet away and she heard his cries muffled by the ground as well.
“You do not have the authority to treat people like this Eric.”
“She isn’t a person, she is a witch.” He sounded so matter of fact and through her pain Marlot felt no more than an inch tall and she cried harder more because of how much people hated her than for how much pain she was in.
“Being a witch isn’t enough of a reason to be thus treated. I require more of a reason before I pass judgment.”
“This creature, the green haired one you old fool. He isn’t human either. She made him, with bits of animals and what I image the souls of children she has stolen from us.”
“I told you.” Marlot said, turning so that her face was in a puddle of her blood but at least she could breath, “I never killed anyone. Or took any children for that matter.”
“Then what happened to my brother witch.”
“There haven’t been children near the cottage in years and I promise you, if a little boy had shown up I would have brought him straight back here.” It hurt so much to talk, and her broken nose made it difficult even for her to understand what she saying.
“Liar!”
“Marlot never lies.” She saw everyone turn to look at Jack again, even though she could no longer see him herself.
“From what I can tell the only crime this witch is guilty of is going a bit too far with her experiments and creating a sentient life. A crime, I believe, her own kind will be more than willing to punish her for next time they see her. And your brother, Eric, disappeared years ago. In the mean time, I shall assign someone from this village to keep an eye on this witch and her creation until such time as she is faced with a jury of her peers. I believe young Lilly spends a great deal of her time in the forest anyway, I believe she would be the perfect candidate for such a position.”
The men around Marlot and Jack growled their disapproval but none of them actually said anything against the old man, and slowly the crowd broke up. The witch heard her golem jump to his feet and land on top of her. “Jack get off, it hurts.”
“I’m so sorry Marlot,” he was crying again, this time into her hair.
“Where is my hat?”
“Right here miss witch,” Samuel lowered her pointed witches’ hat into her field of vision. “Let’s get you somewhere to clean up shall we. My daughter owns the inn. Jack my boy, if you want your mistress to be healthy again I beg that you get off of her and let her stand.”
Jack continued to cry and saying over and over again, “I’m sorry Marlot.”
“For what dear?”
“For making you come to town, I understand now why you didn’t want to, I don’t ever want to again.”
Marlot saw the old man help Jack to his feet. “I would be very sorry never to see you again Jack. I would offer you my handkerchief but I believe Miss Marlot will require it more.” He then bent down and untied Marlot’s wrists and helped her to her feet. She was woozy from the pain and swayed on the spot. “Can you carry her lad?” She saw Jack nod and then felt his arms around her waist and under her knees as he lifted her off the ground, her arms found their way around his neck and her head his shoulder.
“Marlot NO!” the golem shoved off his captors with this impressive strength and ran to her, his arms warping tightly around her, his forehead against hers. “I won’t let them hurt you.”
“Jack, please get away from here.” She didn’t have much conviction behind it, she felt safe in his arms, even when her own were still tied. It felt like an eternity that they were allowed to stand there like that, their tears mixing on their faces. Marlot’s head eventually dropped to her beloved golem’s shoulder and he held her tighter, trying to comfort her in some small way.
“Get back you disgusting creature. How many people had to die for you to be born?” Jack was pried away from her and thrown down into the dirt.
“No one died; even most of the animals used to make him were going to die anyway for one reason or another. The only life I took was the snails.” She cried out when one of the men kicked Jack where he lay as the golem whimpered in fear.
“WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!” A man, important by the sound of it, yelled from across the square.
“We are punishing a witch Samuel, even you can’t argue with that.”
“What witch? And what is the crime?”
“This one sir,” Marlot was thrown at the general store owner’s feet, her hands were still tied and so, without the means to break her fall, Marlot landed on her face and felt her nose break. She felt dizzy for a moment as the world turned red and then an intense pain.
“Marlot!” Jack yelled for her from a few feet away and she heard his cries muffled by the ground as well.
“You do not have the authority to treat people like this Eric.”
“She isn’t a person, she is a witch.” He sounded so matter of fact and through her pain Marlot felt no more than an inch tall and she cried harder more because of how much people hated her than for how much pain she was in.
“Being a witch isn’t enough of a reason to be thus treated. I require more of a reason before I pass judgment.”
“This creature, the green haired one you old fool. He isn’t human either. She made him, with bits of animals and what I image the souls of children she has stolen from us.”
“I told you.” Marlot said, turning so that her face was in a puddle of her blood but at least she could breath, “I never killed anyone. Or took any children for that matter.”
“Then what happened to my brother witch.”
“There haven’t been children near the cottage in years and I promise you, if a little boy had shown up I would have brought him straight back here.” It hurt so much to talk, and her broken nose made it difficult even for her to understand what she saying.
“Liar!”
“Marlot never lies.” She saw everyone turn to look at Jack again, even though she could no longer see him herself.
“From what I can tell the only crime this witch is guilty of is going a bit too far with her experiments and creating a sentient life. A crime, I believe, her own kind will be more than willing to punish her for next time they see her. And your brother, Eric, disappeared years ago. In the mean time, I shall assign someone from this village to keep an eye on this witch and her creation until such time as she is faced with a jury of her peers. I believe young Lilly spends a great deal of her time in the forest anyway, I believe she would be the perfect candidate for such a position.”
The men around Marlot and Jack growled their disapproval but none of them actually said anything against the old man, and slowly the crowd broke up. The witch heard her golem jump to his feet and land on top of her. “Jack get off, it hurts.”
“I’m so sorry Marlot,” he was crying again, this time into her hair.
“Where is my hat?”
“Right here miss witch,” Samuel lowered her pointed witches’ hat into her field of vision. “Let’s get you somewhere to clean up shall we. My daughter owns the inn. Jack my boy, if you want your mistress to be healthy again I beg that you get off of her and let her stand.”
Jack continued to cry and saying over and over again, “I’m sorry Marlot.”
“For what dear?”
“For making you come to town, I understand now why you didn’t want to, I don’t ever want to again.”
Marlot saw the old man help Jack to his feet. “I would be very sorry never to see you again Jack. I would offer you my handkerchief but I believe Miss Marlot will require it more.” He then bent down and untied Marlot’s wrists and helped her to her feet. She was woozy from the pain and swayed on the spot. “Can you carry her lad?” She saw Jack nod and then felt his arms around her waist and under her knees as he lifted her off the ground, her arms found their way around his neck and her head his shoulder.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Part 15 In which Jack and Marlot go to the village
Players:
Marlot
Someone who wishes for nothing more than for someone to care about her
Jack
A golem who sees nothing bad in the world
Marlot filled one basket with the herbs and vegetables she had in her garden that she was positive she wouldn’t be able to eat before the frost hit. Anything she was going to keep was already stored away for the winter. Jack also had a basket that was almost spilling apples it was so full. Marlot wasn’t sure she had ever seen him so happy, his black robes dancing around his legs and he looked like nothing more than her apprentice as he staggered under the weight of the basket.
“Where are we going first Marlot?”
“The general store, we should be able to sell most of this there, if they will take it.”
“And then where?”
“I’m not sure Jack, wherever you want to go.” She figured he would be skipping if he wasn’t weighted down.
It was almost an hour later before they arrived at the outskirts of town, two little girls were playing in the garden of the closest house and Marlot saw their mother usher them inside when she laid eyes on the witch, and the green haired man beside her.
“This is going to be fun.” Marlot muttered to Jack.
“Don’t worry; I know they will like you.”
“Your positive streak is almost sickening.”
It only took a few minutes until they found the center of the village, the square lined with shops of all kinds and Jack actually dropped a few apples as he stood in the center spinning around trying to look at everything at once. Marlot looked around too, and saw people staring at them from every window and door around them. “Come on Jack, let’s get this over with.”
“Marlot, this is better than I ever imagined.”
“Jack, come on, aren’t those apples getting heavy.”
“Not really.”
“I know for a fact that when that basket is full I can hardly lift it. Your arms should be screaming out in pain from the weight by now.”
He leaned in close to her, still trying to look around as he whispered, “But I’m a golem.”
“And an amazing one at that,” she linked her free arm through one of his as she swung her considerably lighter burden from her other hand, “come on my handsome golem, this way.”
She let go and led the way into the general store, the occupants of which ran back to their duties as the witch and golem came closer. No one said anything as she crossed the threshold. They all seemed wary, as though each of them thought that she would hex them if they dared say a word. She was amazed when an older man behind the counter finally did speak up, “May we help you miss witch.”
“Yes, we would…” Suddenly from behind her Marlot heard a loud crash and almost tripped over the mass of apples that now rolled around her feet. “Jack!” she ran to her friend’s side, her robes billowing around her as she dropped to the floor. “What happened dear, are you alright?”
“I fell.”
“Over what? You silly boy, were you not watching where you were walking.”
“I’m sorry Marlot, I was looking at all the pretty colors and things that you don’t have in the cabin and I didn’t see the step, then when I stepped up I think I stepped on my robes…”
“And then you fell, Oh my poor Jack.” Marlot pulled the guilty garment out of the way hoping that he hadn’t sprained an ankle when he fell and to her surprise noticed that both of his bare feet were covered in scratches. “Jack, your feet, why didn’t you tell me?” She gently ran a finger over one of the deeper scratches.
“Tell you what?”
“Right, you don’t know about shoes.” Marlot looked up to see that the old man from behind the counter was now standing surprisingly close holding one of her apples. “Please sir, do you have any bandages, or socks for my friend here, I didn’t know that my garden had been so wicked to his tender feet.”
“Of course miss, I will send one of the lads to find some.” He turned and nodded to a boy standing in the dark doorway to a back room. “Now about these apples miss, my wife says they make the best pies.”
Marlot, still sitting on the floor next to Jack, smiled up at the man, “I have heard that, and I must say, I agree, but I’m sure your wife’s pies are far better than anything a lonely witch could cook up.”
“The witch doesn’t seem to lonely,” the old man smiled down at Jack and then offered his hands out to them both, “please friends, you are blocking the doorway and your apples, I’m afraid, are all over the shop.
“I am so sorry about that.” Marlot dropped back to the floor and started gathering the apples, piling them into the basket she had formed out of her robes.
“I’ll help Marlot.”
“Thank you Jack.”
“You are very kind to him.” The man was kneeling next to Marlot and handed her an apple.
“You mean for a witch I am very kind to him. But yet, he means the world to me, my closest and dearest friend.”
“Your apprentice then.”
“Something like that.” Marlot smiled at the man and took the apple he offered in exchange for her hand. As he helped her to her feet she said, “I’m Marlot.”
“Samuel. It is a pleasure to finally meet you Marlot; I have heard stories since I was a young man, but I always believed you were far kinder than you let on, or children would go missing far more often.”
“I once made a mistake of giving candy to some children that wondered past my cabin, my reputation took a dreadful drop that day.” They both laughed and out of the corner of her eye she saw Jack flash her his lopsided smile.
“See Marlot, I told you they would like you.”
“Thank you dear.”
“Now about these apples,” Samuel helped Marlot place the ones in her makeshift basket back with the ones Jack had gathered. “I can give you,” he counted a stack of silver coins into a small leather bag, “this for the whole bushel, and I will throw in those bandages.” He nodded to the boy, who was once again hiding in the shadows of the doorway.
“But sir, they have all been on the ground, and are probably bruised…”
“And make the best apple pies for miles around. I will have the whole basket if you are willing to part with them. Did you have anything else, it looked like there were more than just apples in there?”
“Actually yes, thank you so much.” She handed over the smaller basket that was full of herbs.
Samuel looked through it and added to the pile of coins on the counter. “I think this will be enough, do you agree?”
“More than enough sir. Thank you so much. Jack, what do you say to some new clothes, so you won’t trip anymore, and shoes while we are at it,” she looked down at his scratched up feet again, “But before we go anywhere let’s patch your feet up before you get an infection.”
Marlot
Someone who wishes for nothing more than for someone to care about her
Jack
A golem who sees nothing bad in the world
Marlot filled one basket with the herbs and vegetables she had in her garden that she was positive she wouldn’t be able to eat before the frost hit. Anything she was going to keep was already stored away for the winter. Jack also had a basket that was almost spilling apples it was so full. Marlot wasn’t sure she had ever seen him so happy, his black robes dancing around his legs and he looked like nothing more than her apprentice as he staggered under the weight of the basket.
“Where are we going first Marlot?”
“The general store, we should be able to sell most of this there, if they will take it.”
“And then where?”
“I’m not sure Jack, wherever you want to go.” She figured he would be skipping if he wasn’t weighted down.
It was almost an hour later before they arrived at the outskirts of town, two little girls were playing in the garden of the closest house and Marlot saw their mother usher them inside when she laid eyes on the witch, and the green haired man beside her.
“This is going to be fun.” Marlot muttered to Jack.
“Don’t worry; I know they will like you.”
“Your positive streak is almost sickening.”
It only took a few minutes until they found the center of the village, the square lined with shops of all kinds and Jack actually dropped a few apples as he stood in the center spinning around trying to look at everything at once. Marlot looked around too, and saw people staring at them from every window and door around them. “Come on Jack, let’s get this over with.”
“Marlot, this is better than I ever imagined.”
“Jack, come on, aren’t those apples getting heavy.”
“Not really.”
“I know for a fact that when that basket is full I can hardly lift it. Your arms should be screaming out in pain from the weight by now.”
He leaned in close to her, still trying to look around as he whispered, “But I’m a golem.”
“And an amazing one at that,” she linked her free arm through one of his as she swung her considerably lighter burden from her other hand, “come on my handsome golem, this way.”
She let go and led the way into the general store, the occupants of which ran back to their duties as the witch and golem came closer. No one said anything as she crossed the threshold. They all seemed wary, as though each of them thought that she would hex them if they dared say a word. She was amazed when an older man behind the counter finally did speak up, “May we help you miss witch.”
“Yes, we would…” Suddenly from behind her Marlot heard a loud crash and almost tripped over the mass of apples that now rolled around her feet. “Jack!” she ran to her friend’s side, her robes billowing around her as she dropped to the floor. “What happened dear, are you alright?”
“I fell.”
“Over what? You silly boy, were you not watching where you were walking.”
“I’m sorry Marlot, I was looking at all the pretty colors and things that you don’t have in the cabin and I didn’t see the step, then when I stepped up I think I stepped on my robes…”
“And then you fell, Oh my poor Jack.” Marlot pulled the guilty garment out of the way hoping that he hadn’t sprained an ankle when he fell and to her surprise noticed that both of his bare feet were covered in scratches. “Jack, your feet, why didn’t you tell me?” She gently ran a finger over one of the deeper scratches.
“Tell you what?”
“Right, you don’t know about shoes.” Marlot looked up to see that the old man from behind the counter was now standing surprisingly close holding one of her apples. “Please sir, do you have any bandages, or socks for my friend here, I didn’t know that my garden had been so wicked to his tender feet.”
“Of course miss, I will send one of the lads to find some.” He turned and nodded to a boy standing in the dark doorway to a back room. “Now about these apples miss, my wife says they make the best pies.”
Marlot, still sitting on the floor next to Jack, smiled up at the man, “I have heard that, and I must say, I agree, but I’m sure your wife’s pies are far better than anything a lonely witch could cook up.”
“The witch doesn’t seem to lonely,” the old man smiled down at Jack and then offered his hands out to them both, “please friends, you are blocking the doorway and your apples, I’m afraid, are all over the shop.
“I am so sorry about that.” Marlot dropped back to the floor and started gathering the apples, piling them into the basket she had formed out of her robes.
“I’ll help Marlot.”
“Thank you Jack.”
“You are very kind to him.” The man was kneeling next to Marlot and handed her an apple.
“You mean for a witch I am very kind to him. But yet, he means the world to me, my closest and dearest friend.”
“Your apprentice then.”
“Something like that.” Marlot smiled at the man and took the apple he offered in exchange for her hand. As he helped her to her feet she said, “I’m Marlot.”
“Samuel. It is a pleasure to finally meet you Marlot; I have heard stories since I was a young man, but I always believed you were far kinder than you let on, or children would go missing far more often.”
“I once made a mistake of giving candy to some children that wondered past my cabin, my reputation took a dreadful drop that day.” They both laughed and out of the corner of her eye she saw Jack flash her his lopsided smile.
“See Marlot, I told you they would like you.”
“Thank you dear.”
“Now about these apples,” Samuel helped Marlot place the ones in her makeshift basket back with the ones Jack had gathered. “I can give you,” he counted a stack of silver coins into a small leather bag, “this for the whole bushel, and I will throw in those bandages.” He nodded to the boy, who was once again hiding in the shadows of the doorway.
“But sir, they have all been on the ground, and are probably bruised…”
“And make the best apple pies for miles around. I will have the whole basket if you are willing to part with them. Did you have anything else, it looked like there were more than just apples in there?”
“Actually yes, thank you so much.” She handed over the smaller basket that was full of herbs.
Samuel looked through it and added to the pile of coins on the counter. “I think this will be enough, do you agree?”
“More than enough sir. Thank you so much. Jack, what do you say to some new clothes, so you won’t trip anymore, and shoes while we are at it,” she looked down at his scratched up feet again, “But before we go anywhere let’s patch your feet up before you get an infection.”
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