A Question of Magic

by E. D. Baker

  Vargas, a neighbor of Pazurskie, was a peaceful kingdom. Unfortunately, King Kolenka of Khrebek, the kingdom just north of Vargas, was hungry to expand his reign. If Vargas was going to war, King Kolenka must have done something that King Borysko could not ignore. Even so, whether it was justified or not, war was a terrible thing.

  As word spread that the kingdom was at war, more and more people came to see her. The tenor of the questions changed, and people rarely received good news. Nearly everyone who came to her door wanted to know how their family would fare or if they themselves would live. A few wanted to know how they could survive the war. Even fewer were given helpful answers.

  Late one afternoon, a young man came to the gate carrying a sleeping baby. Without saying a word, he entered the cottage and took the offered chair, still cradling the infant in his arms. The man’s face was pale and he licked his lips nervously, but his hand was steady when he placed a loaf of bread still warm from the oven on the table.

  “I was supposed to take this home for my family, but I’d heard we should bring a gift to get an answer from you. My daughter is four days old, and my wife is too ill to get out of bed. My father says that I must go to the castle in the morning and take up arms for the king. My wife doesn’t want me to go. She said she had a vision that I was going to die. Was her vision right?”

  Serafina straightened her back and took a deep breath. She hated answering questions like this, but she had no choice. “Yes, it was. In two months’ time an enemy’s arrow will strike you down.”

  “But my family needs me! Isn’t there anything I can do?”

  “I wish I could tell you, but I can answer only your first question,” Serafina told him in her own voice.

  “Yes, but this is important. Surely you can make an exception! I can’t leave my family now. If I don’t join the king’s army, will I die in two months regardless of what I do? What if I take my family and leave the kingdom? I have an uncle in—”

  “I’m sorry, but I really don’t have any more answers for you.”

  The young man gave her a disgusted look. “That’s what you say, but I bet you could if you wanted to. What is it? The bread wasn’t enough? If I brought you gold, you’d answer all my questions, wouldn’t you?”

  “No, I wouldn’t,” Serafina said, getting to her feet. “The gifts my visitors bring have no influence on the answers I give them. I can tell the truth for one question from each person, and that is all. After that, I know no more how to answer their questions than they would themselves.”

  “Then what good are you?” the young man said, shouldering the baby so that she woke and began to cry. He stood and started toward the door, but before he reached it he paused long enough to turn to Serafina. “I wish I’d never come here. At least then I’d still have hope.”

  Serafina didn’t know what to say. She watched him go, feeling less than useless as the young father walked away. When he reached the forest, she closed the door and drifted back to her seat at the table. Seeing the bread he’d brought, she thought about giving it back to him, but he was already gone and she didn’t think he’d want to see her again.

  She went to bed early that night. Lying on her back with the covers pulled up to her chin, she thought about the young man and how hopeless he must feel. Other people had asked when they were going to die, even more often since the king declared war than in all the rest of the days that she’d been Baba Yaga, but no one else had made her feel so terrible. It was horrible news for the ones who were going to die soon, but she didn’t think even the people who were going to live a long time should ask the question. Knowing when one would die was bound to change one’s life. If only she could pick and choose which questions she would answer!

  When Maks jumped onto the bed, Serafina rolled onto her side. “Are you still awake?” he asked.

  “I can’t sleep. The last few days have been dreadful and tomorrow won’t be any better. The king declared war because of something I said, so I feel as if I should stay to see these people through whatever comes. But the answers I have to give them are so awful!”

  “The king didn’t declare war because of you,” said Maks. “You just told him what would happen if he did fight. He probably had his mind made up before he ever came here.” The cat curled up against Serafina’s back and nudged her with his nose. “Why do you think the people need you? What good can you do them by answering their questions now?”

  “That young man said that I wasn’t doing any good. He was probably right.”

  The moon was high in the sky when Serafina crawled out of bed to put away all the loose objects. Maks yawned and stretched his legs in front of him. “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “Getting ready to go,” Serafina told him. “I can’t talk to one more person in this kingdom. I need to hear from someone who actually likes me. Chicken hut, chicken hut!” she cried. “Be careful when you stand and take me to Mala Kapusta. There might be a letter waiting there for me. And maybe this time I’ll send some back.”

  Chapter 11

  Serafina wrote a letter to her parents while the cottage lurched across the countryside. It was a difficult letter to write because she still wasn’t sure how much to tell them. How did you inform people that magic had changed you when they were adamant that they didn’t believe in magic? She finally settled on telling them only what she had to.

  Dear Mother and Father,

  I hope you are well. I am fine and living in Great-Aunt Sylanna’s cottage. Sylanna was mortally ill and went away before I arrived, leaving me to handle her responsibilities. Her cat is keeping me company and I am meeting new people every day. A few days ago I actually talked to a king!

  I am sorry that I cannot come home now. Please give my love to Alina and Katya.

  Love,

  Fina

  The second letter she wrote was to Alek. She wasn’t happy that she had told her parents so little and hoped that Alek would fill in the gaps. Hearing in person that magic was real had to be better than reading it in a letter.

  Dear Alek,

  Thank you for finding a way to get letters to me. I am well and living in my great-aunt Sylanna’s cottage with her cat. Since my arrival, I have learned that magic, fairies, and so many things we never would have thought possible are actually real. This cottage even moves when I tell it to!

  I never did meet Sylanna, but I’ve learned that a fairy took her somewhere beautiful to live out her last days. I’ve received my inheritance. I’m the new Baba Yaga, something I never believed really existed until now. I don’t know how long I have to be Baba Yaga, but I do know that I can’t walk away from it, no matter how much I wish I could.

  My family will have a hard time accepting what has happened to me, so I hope that you will explain it to them and help them understand that I am fine, although unable to come home yet. They don’t believe in magic and will be hard to convince. Getting them to accept that magic is real may be the hardest part of telling them about my new life.

  Please don’t worry about me, Alek. My life isn’t what I want it to be, but it isn’t horrible either. I meet new people and see new places all the time. I even met a king the other day! You know how much I like to learn new things. My goal now is to learn how to stop being Baba Yaga so that I can come home.

  I miss you, Alek, and think about you all the time. Please write again when you can.

  Love,

  Fina

  As the cottage settled to the ground, Serafina glanced out the window and was relieved to see that they had indeed come to Mala Kapusta. Hoping to find another bouquet in the tree, she gathered the letters she’d written and hurried outside. Her heart beat faster as she reached into the hole, and she gasped when her fingers closed on flower stems. Alek had written to her again!

  After leaving her own letters in the hollow tree, she was on her way back to the cottage with the bouquet and Alek’s letter when she heard the clash of metal on metal and men shouting in the town. Turning to look,
she saw men fighting farther down the street.

  “Get inside!” shouted Boris.

  “What is it?” she asked as she hurried to the gate.

  “It looks like the war has come here, too,” Krany said as soldiers on lathered horses raced past the cottage into town. “Evil spreads faster than good, like my grandmother used to say.”

  The fighting was drawing closer when Serafina slipped inside the cottage and shut the door. “Chicken hut, chicken hut, take me away from here!” she cried, and threw herself onto the bed.

  A cup fell off the table and shattered when the cottage lurched from side to side. The shouting outdoors grew louder, and Serafina wondered if the men had seen the cottage move. But then she forgot all about them as she opened the note from Alek.

  My Darling Fina,

  Someone took my last note—I hope that it was you. I am placing another in the tree and will continue to put them there until the day we are together again. Please let me know that you have received my message.

  I have learned more about Baba Yaga. An old woman told me that once in every generation, Baba Yaga must find her replacement. The old woman believes that because Baba Yaga sent for you, you are that replacement.

  Everyone here is fine. I go to see your family often. Alina had her baby! It is a boy and they have named him Osip. When I held him the other day, he spit up all over me. He smiled and seemed very pleased with himself, but they told me it was just gas. Widow Zloto visits your parents every day. She tells us that she has befriended a poor hatmaker and is buying his hats to help him out. The hats are awful and she is wearing a new one every time I see her.

  Do not despair, Fina. I am not going to give up! We will be together again! If there is a way to get you back, I am going to find it!

  Love,

  Alek

  Tears blurred her eyes as Serafina read the note a second time, then a third. Alina had given birth to her baby! Serafina had promised to be there to help out, and now she didn’t know if she’d ever even see the little one. If only Sylanna had never sent her that letter!

  As for Alek, she’d always known that he was stubborn and she didn’t doubt for an instant that he would keep looking for her no matter what. At first the knowledge that he cared so much for her made her feel warm and good inside, but then she began to wonder if she really wanted him to keep looking. She loved him as much as he loved her, but she wanted him to be happy, not doomed to a life of seeking something he couldn’t have.

  Serafina read the note once more as the cottage settled into a rolling gait. She was used to it now and even found it soothing, so it wasn’t long before she dozed off with the parchment crumpled in her hand.

  When the cottage finally stopped walking, it was in the middle of the woods near the site of an abandoned village. Serafina wondered what had happened to everyone, but she enjoyed the peace and quiet for a change. Over the next few days, only a few people found their way to the cottage, giving Serafina plenty of time to think about Alek. She would start a chore that didn’t require any thought, like polishing the skulls or feeding the cat, and find herself thinking about the way Alek had teased her about baiting her hook with worms the last time they went fishing or the face he’d made when he tried a piece of cooked eel but ate it anyway just to be polite. She missed him so much that an empty spot inside her chest ached when she thought of him.

  Serafina also thought about what she should write to him in her next letter. Should she encourage him, telling him how much she wanted to be with him and that she hoped he would indeed find a way for them to be together? Or maybe she should write back to tell him that she wanted him to forget about her and move on with his life. She could tell him that she didn’t love him any longer, but he knew her so well that he would see right away that she was lying. Maybe she should just go back to Mala Kapusta and wait for him to show up so they could talk. But no, she couldn’t do that if the fighting had spread to the village. And with fighting in Mala Kapusta, how safe could it be for Alek to go there to leave his letters in the tree trunk?

  The more Serafina tried to decide what to do, the more confused she felt and the more worried she became. All the worrying was keeping her up at night, so that she felt listless and tired during the day. When her visitors came, she tried to focus on what they wanted, but it wasn’t easy. Then one day a familiar voice called from the gate, and she opened the door to find Dielle waiting for her.

  “Dielle!” she cried. “How are you? Come in!”

  “I can’t stay long,” the girl replied. “I heard that you weren’t very far away—this is only a few miles from the village where I live—and I wanted to come see you. I had to wait until Mother was well enough to stay home alone.”

  Dielle stooped to pet Maks before taking a seat at the table. When Dielle was comfortable, Maks began to wind around her legs, purring loudly. “I guess he likes me,” she said, reaching down to pet the cat again.

  “Yes, he does,” Serafina said, surprised. “And he doesn’t like many people.” Serafina brought out the rest of a loaf that someone had given her the day before and set it on the table along with a soft cheese wrapped in a cloth. After pouring a cup of cider for both of them, she sat down across from Dielle. “How are you doing?”

  Dielle gulped half her cider before saying, “Fine, considering that Mother is still weak. But she’s in better spirits now, partly because of the duck. I found an orphaned duckling and brought it home and raised it. Mother loves watching it and has taught it to eat from her hand. She even quacks and the duck quacks back. When she carries him, he sticks his head out like this and paddles with his feet as if he’s actually swimming.” Dielle stretched her neck and made paddling motions with her hands. “I heard her laugh the other day. She hasn’t laughed for a very long time. It’s good that she has the duck to distract her. That’s one of the reasons I’m here, actually. You said you know how to read and write. Do you think you could teach me? That way I could read to Mother and help her think of something other than how sick she feels. I might also be able to make some money writing letters for people or reading out loud the letters they receive.”

  “I’d be happy to teach you,” said Serafina. “I taught my fiancé, Alek.”

  “I didn’t know you had a fiancé. What is he like?”

  “Tall, blond, handsome—”

  “Tell me more!”

  “He’s a blacksmith, like his father, and is so strong! He’s very kind, too, and is always helping others. I met him when I was six years old. Some bullies were picking on a younger boy in front of my house. Alek made them stop, although the boys hit him, and his mother scolded him for ruining his clothes. He’s very sweet, too. He brings me flowers at least once a week. Is there a boy that you like?”

  Dielle nodded. “Danya lives down the street. His father makes very fine pottery and Danya’s learning to be a potter, too. You’ve never seen such gorgeous blue eyes! And his voice!” Dielle sighed and had a faraway look in her eyes. “He sang me a song he’d made up once. It was so beautiful!”

  “He sounds very nice,” said Serafina.

  “Oh, he is! Don’t tell anyone, but he kissed me behind his father’s kiln last week. It was my very first kiss and it was wonderful!”

  “Really? When Alek gave me my first kiss, neither of us knew what we were doing. It was nice, but we got much better with practice.”

  “I like practicing,” said Dielle, and both girls laughed.

  “Listen!” Serafina said, going to the cupboard. “If you want to learn to read and write, we can start now. I don’t know how long I’ll be here, but I’ll give you a lesson every time you visit. I have an extra quill I can give you. Here’s a little pot of ink and some parchment. I’ll show you how to write the alphabet and you can practice at home.”

  “Can you show me how to write my name first? Mother would be so pleased!”

  “Of course!” said Serafina. The two girls bent over the parchment until Boris announced that another visito
r was at the gate. When Dielle left, Serafina gave her what food she could spare, wishing she had more to give. She was reluctant to see her friend go.

  Although Dielle’s visit had cheered Serafina, talking about Alek had made her miss him more than ever. Once again she had a restless night and woke the next morning tired and sluggish. She ate her breakfast and went about her morning chores wondering if Dielle would come to see her that day. By midmorning, when she hadn’t had any visitors at all, she decided that she couldn’t stand being inside for another minute.

  Taking the empty firewood basket, Serafina set off for the nearby forest to search for firewood and kindling. She had collected a good supply when she noticed a hole in a tree trunk much like the one in Mala Kapusta where Alek left his notes. A soft sigh escaped her when she thought of Alek. She was startled when a voice spoke to her and a woman only as tall as her shoulder appeared.

  “What is wrong, child?” the woman asked.

  Serafina expected to answer in her Baba Yaga voice and was astonished when she didn’t. Her feelings must have shown on her face because the woman laughed and said, “Don’t look so surprised. I asked my first question of a Baba Yaga long ago.”

  “Who are you?” Serafina asked. The little woman’s face was exotic looking, with deep green, slanted eyes and a bow-shaped mouth. Her softly curling hair was a lighter green and hung all the way to the ground, draping across her shoulders and nearly covering her yellow gown.

  “I’m the fairy Summer Rose,” the woman said. “I’ve been watching you off and on since the day you became the new Baba Yaga. I wanted to see how you would deal with the responsibility. I thought you were doing very well, considering, but you’ve seemed distraught lately.”