Mara exhaled loudly as she sat at the table. She was in pain. Her head throbbed. Mara meekly pressed the cold compress to her forehead. Then, pressing into the herb-filled bag, the witch could smell the peppermint and rosemary.
It was a welcoming aroma and a more than sought-after exchange from the cities. The smell made her feel clean. Calmer, even. As she pressed down harder, she could feel the throbbing of her head lessen. But not rid off.
Pesky bugger, Mara thought. Inwardly she snarled. Of all the days- getting a headache today. No…This is going to be one of those worse ones—a migraine.
"Damn it," Mara cursed under her breath. This was not at all what she wanted. But she couldn't do anything about it. Only time and a little bit of nursing would ease it. Until then, she was stuck.
Trapped by her headache and the witch she was with.
Like a bird in a cage, Mara thought.
An unsettling feeling twitched in the pit of her stomach. But Mara made no show of discomfort. Instead, she looked around the room.
After meeting in the marketplace, the witch had taken hold of Mara. Madeline led to the worst part of town to only stop at a magic shop with "Enchanted" marked over the door.
There, Mara was led to the backroom apartments and into a kitchen. She was forced to a seat and given a compress. Madeline disappeared after that. Mara had remained sitting ever since.
Mara could see the kitchen to be essential in the least complicated sense. There were no paints or decorations on the walls, only herbs strung up from the ceiling to dry. A mortar and pedestal were at the sink. And a cutting board, freshly stained green with what smelt of basil, was on the counter. Everything else was bare.
Mara leaned forward, holding the compress. There was a rug over the hardwood floor. She opened the door to her left with an undressed bed inside. And another that leads to a toilet and bath. But, again, nothing spelled the characteristics of another.
No one lives here, Mara concluded. Not even Madeline. From the hall, Mara heard the sound of footsteps. The witch was coming back. Mara leaned back into her chair.
"The tea." Mara heard the other call from behind. She looked over her shoulder to see Madame Madeline. The red-haired witch was holding out a saucer and cup. Mara could see steam curl up from the bowl. More rosemary could be smelt. Her hand reached out to carefully grab it. She set it on the table.
Madame Madeline walked behind Mara and took a seat across the small table. A sack labeled for lavender was in her hand. Mara watched the other set it down. Madame Madeline pulled out a few sprigs. She dropped them before Mara.
"Mind helping me a bit?" Madame Madeline asked with a warm smile. But unfortunately, Mara found it too forthcoming. The witch never seemed to do anything but smile. It was a trait of the witch that had always bothered Mara, how she could smile so easily.
And carelessly. Mara found it too unauthentic.
Mara looked down to the stalks but made no move. Madame Madeline, however, had already started, not waiting. The witch pulled the buds from a stock of her own. She threw them into a bowl set on the table. Mara heard them gently ping against the walls. Madame Madeline sighed.
"It never ends with all the stuff I have to do. Always something. I do have a part-timer. But he's got his other job first at D.O.W. So I do everything in between. It's fine now, yes. But I'm going to have to find me, someone, to run the shop soon enough." Madame Madeline voiced.
A quick lift of her eyes to Mara's made the other straighten her back. Mara looked away first. She turned to her cup. The contents were still hot; inwardly, Mara cursed a burned tongue. But she continued to sip. She tried keeping up a straight face.
"What happened with the last shopkeeper?" Mara asked through sips. Already, she could feel the effectiveness of the rosemary. It was a great help to her head. The pain was still there, though.
"Oh, she had to relocate to one of my shops in Freet. Family affairs, you understand. But it was not a waste. That one's doing more business than ever now. Making me quite the coin." Madame Madeline voiced. Again, another smile quickly stretched on her lips.
Mara felt her tea cool in her mouth at the smile. She cringed her nose but said nothing. The cup lowered to clank onto the saucer. Mara eyed the stock of lavender a moment. Then, her hand reluctantly moved to start pulling the purple buds. She leaned forward, one-armed, to drop them into the bowl.
"I guess that's good for you, then." Mara voiced. Not have much else to say. Madame Madeline shrugged.
"Well, it leaves me with this store empty. You'd be surprised at how much trouble I'm having finding a permanent replacement. I'm not even asking for much. Just someone smart about running a business. Someone I know who has proven to be trustworthy. Preferably a fellow witch, with a good head on her shoulders…" Madame Madeline drew out the last part of the sentence.
Mara's hand stopped in place. She could feel eyes on her. The cold compress on her head seemed to warm unpleasantly.
"I have no intention of running your shop,"
"Of course not. You must not have the time- running your practice and all." Madame Madeline chuckled. Mara wrinkled her nose but made no response. She only continued pulling off the lavender. The buds pinged against the inside bowl as she dropped them in handfuls.
"You have a practice, right? A magic shop of your own? Out there- at the edge of town near the Wall. Inside that grand old house?" Madame Madeline asked. Again, Mara wrinkled her nose.
"I don't craft anymore," Mara spoke. Madame Madeline, however, shook her head. A finger waved.
"No, publicly, you don't. But privately…" Madame Madeline stopped. She gave Mara a good look. From her face and down before coming back to her face.
Mara stiffened her lip.
"It's been some time since we've talked, Batswitch. Almost completely forgot about you, even. It's been that long. Hmm, I'd say about, what? Four- five years since we last spoke?" Madame Madeline asked. Her eyes challenged Mara's.
Mara looked down first. Her stomach was turning now. The sensation was becoming a bigger problem than her head. But Mara was conscious not to make a show of it. So instead, she returned to pulling off the buds—another handful in the bowl.
"Six." Mara corrected with an even tone. She could feel Madeline stare. Her eyes were burrowing into her. But Mara made no move to fight. Instead, she moved to take another sip.
The tea was cooling, Mara noted. She took another sip. The rosemary filled her mouth with a somewhat overpowering taste now.
Damn this headache. Mara cursed again. If she weren't in pain like this…Mara gave a glance out the window. Outside she could see the sky beginning to darken. It rolled into the later hours of the afternoon.
Sy should be fine. Mara suddenly thought as a touch of worry came up. Mara wasn't typically gone for this long. There was no reason to linger in town besides buying the necessities.
I wonder what Sy is up to now right now. Mara considered.
"Six years, you say. Well, even after this time, you still are the beauty of the troop." Madame Madeline's voice stole Mara from her thoughts. The witch felt the corner of her lip twitch at the comment. She again recalled the feeling of on-lookers from the market. It made her squeeze the compress with irritation.
"Did you know everyone would call you the Desert Rose when you weren't around? Because you were as beautiful but just as prickly." Madame Madeline informed. She laughed. Mara watched her. The laughter seemed genuine. Mara could not find it funny, though.
So that's what I'm known for. Mara thought. Not anything I've done.
Mara couldn't help but feel slighted by it. She let out a heavy breath through her nose and finished her stalks of lavender. Her arm stretched over to grab out more from the sack. Madame Madeline softened her laugh.
"So, speaking of which. Have you stayed in contact with anyone from then?" Madame Madeline asked. Mara began to pull off her lavender buds. She could feel the action running her palm raw. But she chose to ignore it for the time.
"No," Mara answered and chucked another handful of lavender into the bowl unconcerned.
"You haven't?" Madame Madeline asked. Her voice was somewhat surprised. Mara shook her head.
"Not even with Madame Baliki or Mister Xin?" Madame Madeline asked.
At their names, Mara stopped. Everything did. Her breathing, her hands, her mind, it all stopped. They seemed frozen for a moment as Mara felt the name touch the tip of her tongue.
Mara saw her arms more than felt them move to the table. There they both laid—the compress still held in her hand and the stalk of lavender in the other. For a moment, Mara could only look after them. The feeling of her pain was gone. But so was everything else about her.
"They…have each other to talk to."
Mara felt a deep breath pull into her lungs. She moved the compress back to her head. Its coolness felt refreshing against her hot skin. She closed her eyes for the moment.
Mara could feel Madeline watch her. But Madame Madeline seemed to make no answer. Instead, the sound of more buds in the bowl could be heard. Mara opened her eyes at it.
"There's just you on your own, then." Madame Madeline finally voiced. Mara nodded. She reached over for another stalk of lavender. Madame Madeline dug three more stalks out for her. Mara took them and began to work.
"That's right," Mara threw another handful into the bowl. Madame Madeline dropped her stalk. She leaned over to look behind Mara. Her eyes were directed at the gobble bag and broom.
"You…seemed to have bought quite a bit today. So much food for just yourself." Madame Madeline commented. There was a hint of something in her voice. Something implied. Mara narrowed her eyes here. Her spine stiffened.
Is this what you were after? Mara thought. She tried to think of some kind of explanation. But no quick lies came. Mara felt her heart quicken a little. But her face remained calm.
"What of it?" Mara asked in return. Madame Madeline smiled again. Her hands waved side to side. She laughed.
"Nothing- just didn't think you needed so much. That's all. Didn't mean anything by it." Madame Madeline excused. But Mara didn't find it genuine. The witch was leading to something.
"And the tools…must be for work around the house, I take it?" Again Madame Madeline ventured. Mara stopped mid-sip.
Had the witch been watching her? For how long? Mara lowered her cup. It was empty now.
"Yes," Mara watched the other nod. Almost comically with an exaggerated manner. As though she believed her. But Mara was aware now. She didn't like where the conversation was going.
Standing up, Mara placed the compress down on the table. It was time to move.
"Thank you for the medicine. But I have to leave now-
" And those dresses? Made to fit a little girl? Are they for you as well?" Madame Madeline asked.
"You… Is this why you brought me here? To interrogate me?" Mara returned the question with another. She willed her legs to move, but they refused. Instead, she felt frozen by the other's stare.
Madame Madeline sighed. She leaned back in her chair. Her hands were placed on her lap.
"I'm just curious after you, Batswitch. You're all alone in the world. You talk to no one save at the market. Live in a grand old house. If it were anyone else, I would have chalked it up to being a private person. Even a hermit, maybe. But there's that question. Six years ago, the question you asked me- it's haunted me ever since." Madame Madeline spoke. Her eyes lost their amused glow, replacing them with a cold, flat stare. Mara felt a lump in her throat.
"You…have nothing to worry about." Mara tried to breathe out. The pain in her head was to the point of blinding. Mara squeezed shut her eyes and leaned forward a bit.
"I hope so." Mara heard Madame Madeline's voice come from the other side of the table. Mara's hand moved without course to find the compress. When it was found, she pressed it back to her head. She groaned. The migraine was fighting back and winning.
Behind her, someone opened the door loudly in front. A male voice called out. Footsteps were coming toward the backrooms.
"Madame Madeline, I'm here!" The male called out. Mara cracked open one eye to see a young man dressed in a D.O.W. uniform come in. His under-eyes were deep-set and looked more shocking against his white hair.
At the sight of her, he stopped. Mara watched his eyes go wide. She groaned again and closed her eye. She could feel his stare. The pain she was in helped to ignore it.
"Hello, Mister Victor," Madame Madeline shouted cheerfully.
A pair of warm hands on each shoulder made Mara open her eyes again. She was a little shocked to see it was none other than Madame Madeline. At her touch, Mara tried to wretch away. But the other held firmer. It seemed she was trying to guide her to the other room with the bed.
"No-" Mara began, but Madame Madeline looked to the other witch.
"This here is Madame Batswitch. She's an old war friend of mine. Poor thing's suffering from a migraine, so I'm letting her sleep it off back here. Try not to disturb her, alright? I'll be going soon after." Madame Madeline explained while pushing.
Mara still tried to struggle free but found the witch too strong. She was pushed down to fall on the bed with an umpf. Her head lifted to see Madame Madeline turning out of the room. Out of habit, Mara reached to grab ahold of her dress. At the tug, Madame Madeline stopped.
Madeline looked back at her. For a moment, a sad expression crossed her face. But the smile returned. She leaned over to place the compress correctly over Mara's head.
"You rest up, and when you feel better, you can go. Alright?" Madame Madeline offered. Mara, though, began to shake her head in protest. She tried to lift herself. The feeling of pressure on her chest made Mara's arms cave. Madame Madeline pushed her back to the bed.
Mara, disturbed and annoyed, opened her mouth to protest. But a finger to her lips stopped this. Madame Madeline smiled. She gave a pat over the compress.
"Rest." Madame Madeline seemed to now assert. Though it was spoken firmly, her tone was softer. Mara made a face but felt her head fall deeper into the pillow. The feeling of laying out was helping her migraine best out of anything. She felt herself being seduced into sleep. Her eyelids closed.
Madame Madeline moved to leave the room. She stopped at the door to peer back toward Mara. She spoke softly.
"Oh, before I forget. Happy birthday, Mara." It was the last thing Mara could make out before falling into sleep.