Chapter 2

The witch dropped the curtain with a shaking hand, and then turned to the cat and said as calmly as she could,

"What do you think? Shall we take her in?"

"No, why would we do that? Let her be."

The cat jumped down and lay by the fireplace.

"She'll give up soon enough, they always do. "

She watched him curl up by the fire, unfazed by the situation. She should be, too. The girl wasn't the first to beg to become a magician, nor would she be the last. They would knock on the gates, pleading to be taught, but she always ignored them. The cat was right, they always left, and the few who didn't, she chased from the grounds. She could easily do the same with this girl; she was no different. Except for what she had said.

She turned away from the window and sat down by the table, her hands still shaking. She should continue with the potion she had been working on when the girl called out. The book still lay open next to her, and she turned to read it, but the letters jumbled on the page, and she closed it.

The girl had said she wanted to avenge her family. The witch grunted. Foolish, that's what it was. A dangerous path. The girl didn't know what she asked for. She shook her head and opened up the book again, but the letters wouldn't hold still, and she turned to watch the misty landscape outside the window, letting her thoughts wander.

Would she have done it differently herself, if she had known what path she chose to walk down all those years ago? Would she have listened to someone's advice when she was a girl? She didn't know, and there was nothing she could do about it now.

She got up and took the cauldron from its place by the fire. It wasn't any of her concern, she tried to tell herself. The girl was responsible for herself, and no one could stop her from making her own decisions. She put the cauldron on the table and poured a sachet into it. She would just leave her be, letting her call out until she tired herself and left. And then what...?, she thought. Would she go to someone else? Would they be willing to teach her? She shouldn't care, but despite herself, she turned to the cat.

"Do you think we could make use of her?" She could clean.

The cat looked up from his place by the fire.

"Clean? Why? We don't need anyone to clean."

It was nothing less than what she had expected him to answer, but for the first time in their time together, they didn't agree. Not that she could tell him. She sat down by the table, momentarily forgetting about the potion. She'd wondered countless times if she should tell him what had happened before he came into her life. And countless times, she'd said no. He wouldn't understand. He would be disappointed, maybe even leave her. She sighed, staring at the open book in front of her.

Soon the snow outside was replaced with a light rain that drummed against the windows, and she got up and peeked through the curtain. The girl was still lying on the ground. She hadn't given up. Foolish child... Finding someone who would teach her magic wasn't the cure she was looking for. But even so... Better that she was with them than finding someone else. She dropped the curtain and returned to the table.

As evening fell, she set the table and ate her dinner in silence. It was getting chilly outside, and the night would bring frost. She glanced at the cat sitting by the fire.

"She's getting cold now, don't you think?", she said.

"Mm-hmm"

The witch hesitated,

"And you don't think we could use her?"

"For what? We don't need it, what would she do?"

"I guess you're right."

She watched the sun go down and the rain turn into snow. Foolish girl coming here to ask to be taught. She should have found a place in a village that could take her in and continued with her life. She glanced at the window. But what harm would it do? She would be better off with them than any other magician. That didn't mean she would teach her. Just keep her from harm's way. She glanced at the cat. He was sleeping, and she carefully stepped over to the door and peeked out the curtain. The girl was almost invisible now in the darkness. She waved her hand and her unconscious body slowly rose from the ground, floating towards the gates. No harm done, she would have to find a way to explain to the cat.

She placed her in the guest room, tucking her in underneath a layer of blankets. The girl was young, no more than twenty, and her face was flecked with dirt from her travels. She must have come from afar. At least now, she could rest; she was safe.

The cat was awake when she returned to the room.

"You did what?"

He jumped up on the table.

"You let her in? Why? What are we gonna do with her?"

"I... don't know. Maybe she can clean."

"Clean? Since when do we need anyone to clean? And anyway, she'll be a nuisance. It's not our problem that she wants to learn magic, who cares?"

"I won't teach her."

"Then why even take her in?"

The witch turned to the stove, feeling his glare on her back.

"I won't be nice to her, okay?"

"You better not."

He glared at her as she left the room.