We went out to the clearing where our little house was. Aggeo was waiting for us there. When he saw us, he immediately ran up, waving his woolen tail.
"I lost." I just replied taking Aggeo in my arms. I started stroking him, trying to avoid Mrs. Susan's attentive gaze. Aggeo gave me a dissatisfied look. Certainly he would prefer to be in the arms of his master.
"Oh yeah? For the seventh time in a row? A strange coincidence. What this time? Have the pixies stolen them from you?" I was silent. Well, I won't tell her that this blonde worm successfully gets rid of my stuff every time. Mrs. Susan makes sure that I'm nice to everyone, and the last time I turned a blonde into a fish and threw it into the pond, I had to look for her. Ever since this worm found out that I was forbidden to do anything, she hasn't stopped.
"The fairies." I said, staring hard at Aggeo, who was staring at me with his shiny gold buttons. I felt Mrs. Susan staring over my shoulder at me. Fortunately after a while, however, she turned around.
"Hmm? Am I supposed to ask Tinevia?" I shuddered in mild panic. Tinevia is the protector of the fairies of this forest. I've only seen her once. She came for some brew and hit the door. After that, I remember saying that she was used to everything keeping out of her way. She was quite funny.
"Today, for dinner we have... attention, oh... groats, bread, carrots, cucumbers and..."
"So the usual." I interrupted Mrs. Susan, who smugly looked at me over her shoulder.
"And there is also a zander! I found a beautiful specimen!" She added after a moment, and I looked up in amazement. Mrs. Susan turned cheerfully.
Fish for dinner! We haven't eaten any for so long! Mrs. Susan isn't very good at fishing so I usually do, but lately she keeps sending me to school to make some friends. I didn't have any of them, even if not all of them were witches or wizards, the rest weren't eager to make friends either.
"Ha ha! I can see your eyes shining! You want fish, you really want! I can already see those red cheeks! But first..."
"I will run for carrots and cucumbers!" I exclaimed delighted, then put Aggeo on the ground and hurriedly ran to the garden next to our old house. I could feel Mrs. Susan's eyes on me for a moment, then I heard the characteristic creaking of the floor and the scream "what's this mess?". Then I knew that she had entered the house.
I walked several times between the flower beds and crouched next to the most mature ones. The yard was made clumsy and carelessly. There wasn't a single stright thing here, even the fence was twisted in different directions. The vegetables in the garden grew at uneven intervals and just as they wanted. We just made sure that nothing bad happened to them and let them grow.
"You are sure nothing's gonna happen, nya?" Aggeo appeared next to me, dragging a clumsy made wicker basket in his mouth. He placed it next to me and sat up wagging his tail.
I started putting the selected carrots into the basket.
"You never know. There are no certain things." Oh, I think I got infected from Mrs. Susan with her earlier "with witches nothing is impossible". Either way, Aggeo was staring at me piercingly with his button eyes that sometimes seemed razor sharp to me. And more magical than they are. I sighed briefly and got to my feet to the next flower bed.
"It was Mrs. Susan who always said to believe things that others can't. That's why I'm going to believe my gut. Before I go to sleep, I'll pack my stuff, and you'll sleep with Mrs. Susan tonight, okay? If something is happening, protect her." I crouched down next to the next bed and began to evaluate the cucumbers. Spring has been very successful and everything has grown well. I had a lot to choose from.
"I'd love to, but you know I have no fighting skills. I was sent a long time ago as companionship for a lonely master and as a little domestic help." Aggeo brought the basket to me again with minor problems, but he didn't spill any carrots. I looked at him with a broad smile.
"Then all you have to do is help her escape. You are wise, you have been by her side for many years. You know the paths that she will be able to escape." I replied to which Aggeo said nothing, but from the movement of his tail I could deduce that he agreed with me.
I picked up some good-looking cucumbers, put them in the basket and, putting Aggeo on my shoulder, I started jumping at home. I closed the antiquated alley behind me and stopped for a moment in front of the door. I looked into the restless forest and frowned. Even though I had calmed down, the forest still saw more than I did. This time I will trust him and do what I think is right.
***
Lots of winding corridors. It's dark, but I know they're corridors. I can't see their end and I can't see the walls. But I know it's a corridor. I can only see a scrap of floor in front of me and a scrap of floor behind me. My legs moved forward and I looked around in the dark. Yes, it's definitely a corridor.
On the sides there are doors without handles. All doors look the same. This is very long corridor. At the very end there's another door. I thought they were the same, but there was light shining through at the bottom edge. It was the light only in this dark corridor.
A chameleon tail handle. Strangely twisted around. The tail felt like it was about to unfold. I pulled, but the door didn't open. I jumped scared when someone started banging on the door. From the other side. After a while it stopped and I crouched down to see something from the crack in the door.
I leaned closer and saw a glaring light that looked more and more like sun, then darkened and began to resemble a fire. Big bonfire. It kept coming. I jumped up when someone pounded on the door again, and after a while it was overgrown with bushes with white flowers and forced me to back off. The pounding continued.
My head started to rumble. It grew louder and louder. Unbearable. My head was ringing like a gong. One hit, another hit... Louder and louder. I grabbed my head and curled up. And the third and fourth. I felt my head pop. And then the door opened.