If a traveler was on the way, even if there were risks to opening her doors, she would be ready. She’d have to let Bren know though. He seemed like someone who wouldn’t mind the company. The wiggle of doubt that had crept into her brain after seeing the remnants of the yoga studio popped up again. What if the fire was caused by Bren? She felt guilty immediately even thinking that but an arson had just happened as a salamander came to town. Wasn’t it natural to have such a thought?
She felt like a hypocrite. Here she was telling Maurice that fear isn’t the way and she was doubting someone who by all evidence was a nice person, just because of his connection to fire. Even with the internal lecture, she couldn’t stop that wiggle in the back of her brain that didn’t believe in coincidence.
Hedy felt the stab of guilt again when she saw what a splendid job Bren had done raking the leaves. The yard looked magnificent. She wondered briefly why the large tree near the house seemed filled with crows, but perhaps it was a nesting tree for them.
Hedy rewarded Bren for all his help with a slice of German chocolate cake.
“Made with actual German? What would my Oma say?” he joked as she brought him a slice out on the porch. “Given your penchant for unusual foods, I wouldn’t be surprised, though of course, you know this isn’t a real German food, yes?”
“Ah, so amusing Mr. Aldebrand. I’ll forgive the suggestion that I would use such an ingredient in my treats. Though high marks for the attempt at a joke. And yes, I know it isn’t a real German treat. It’s still good though, right?” She sat down next to him and gazed out at the lawn now free of maple leaves. “Mr. Jeffries should be impressed by your efforts, at least for the moment. Thank you again for offering to help.”
“My pleasure. It’s been a long time since I did anything as simple and comforting as raking leaves. I’ll keep an eye on them while I am here to keep your neighbor off your back.”
“I appreciate that. Ever since we moved in, Mr. Jeffries has managed to find something that he doesn’t like and he never fails to let me know. Even so, he seems much more irritable than usual. Perhaps it is the change of the season.”
“Perhaps he can’t stand to see someone living their life in their own way, doing what they love. Some people have a need to squash that whenever they see it in others.” Bren was savoring the mundane joy of eating a slice of cake and looking at piles of leaves. How anyone could fail to be happy at that he didn’t understand.
“Well, whatever his reasons, I’ll be glad to have him with one less complaint on his list. I heard today that we will be having another traveler with us, likely tonight. I hope you don’t mind. It isn’t usual for this waystation since we are off the beaten path, but we do have the room.”
“No complaints from me. I’d welcome meeting another traveler. There haven’t been that many that I have come upon as I’ve made my journey. I’m always open to hearing another interesting story over a delicious dinner.” He took another bite of the cake. Hedy was a tremendous baker, he had to give her that.
As if on cue, a small figure with long, dark hair came into view, walking in front of the house and pausing as she checked the address. She turned and came up the long walkway, carrying two tote bags that may have weighed more than she did. The wind was blowing her hair around her in dark undulations.
“I think she has arrived.” Hedy rose and came to the top of the steps to greet her. “Good afternoon, I’m Hedy Leckermaul. Welcome to The Gingerbread Hag.”
“Hello. I think you may be expecting me? I have my station card in my pocket somewhere.” The girl’s voice was soft and hesitant as she looked up the stairs toward Hedy. She looked all the smaller with that cascade of dark hair down her back.
“You can present the card when your hands aren’t full, though I’m not very good at following Concierge protocol. We are glad to have you with us. Please let me help you with your bags.” Hedy came down and met the traveler mid-way, taking one of the tote bags from her.
“May I introduce Bren Aldebrand, another guest this week.” Bren stood up and gave the girl a small bow. She returned the greeting and followed Hedy toward the front door.
“Thank you for your hospitality on such short notice. My name is Anahita Sohrab.” Hedy opened the front door and she gave the girl a moment to let her eyes adjust from the bright sunshine to the darker space.
“Well, you are very welcome, Anahita. That is a lovely name. Persian, isn’t it?” The girl nodded and Hedy led her back toward the stairs. “Let’s get you settled. I have a lovely room on the second floor, adjacent to the library. I hope you will find it comfortable.”
✽✽✽
The newest guest made her way into the shop a short while later, shyly hanging back while Hedy rang up the customers who were purchasing coconut hedgehog rolls and iced cobra cookies. The customers exited the shop and Anahita came into room, admiring the display case with obvious awe.
“Did you make all these?” She seemed struck by the sheer variety of sugary treats available.
“I did indeed. I come from a long line of bakers and most of these are old family recipes. Would you care to try something?” Hedy always enjoyed seeing the look of wonder when people admired the showcase.
“Thank you, but I would rather wait until after dinner, if that is alright with you. Sweets have a tendency to spoil my appetite. But if I could trouble you for some tea, that would be most welcome.” Anahita’s voice reminded Hedy of water on tiny pebbles.
The front door bell tinkled; Bren was coming back into the house from his lengthy stay on the front porch. He was carrying the empty cake plate.
“Bren, would you care for some tea, or perhaps something a bit stronger?” Hedy thought his face looked a bit flushed. Perhaps the wind was colder out there than she thought.
“You read my mind, Hedy. A nip of whiskey would be just the thing, if you have it.” Bren came into the shop and took a seat at the table nearest Anahita.
“What kind of a host would I be if I didn’t? I’ll go get it from the dining room.” Hedy left the teapot on Anahita’s table before bustling out to fetch the bottle.
The two travelers sat in silence for a moment before Anahita broke the quiet. “Have you been here long?” She poured the tea carefully into the cup, more to have something to do than anything else. Small talk was not her strong suit and she wasn’t comfortable talking with strangers.
“No, not at all. I just arrived yesterday. I came from Seattle and I am making my way east.”
“Oh Seattle, yes, I myself came up from Portland, but I am hoping to visit Seattle on my way north. In fact, I was due to stay at a waystation in Seattle but the host had a fire and was unable to accommodate me. That is why I am here. Perhaps you stayed there?” Anahita took a small sip of the tea, looking expectantly at him over the rim.
“No, I don’t know anything about the Seattle waystation, I don’t keep tabs on things happening in the network.” Bren’s voice sounded almost brusque.
Hedy returned with a crystal bottle with deep amber liquid. “On the rocks, Bren?”
“Neat, please. I’m not a fan of ice.” She poured and he accepted the glass, taking a sip and nodding appreciatively. “I’ve never been a fan of spirits, myself. I don’t like the feeling of fire in my throat.” Anahita said.
“Well, fire is something I am used to, being a salamander.” Bren took another sip of his whiskey and smiled at the girl. “If we are going to be staying in the same house for a few days, we might as well get to know each other, no?”
“Yes, I suppose so. Forgive me if I seem a bit awkward, but I’m not accustomed to talking about myself, especially with someone I have just met. I have never met a salamander before. We are about as opposite as two can be. I am an undine.”
The surprise registered immediately on Bren’s face. Almost no one had met an undine - they were exceptionally rare, even for elementals.
“It is my pleasure to meet you, Anahita. To say that we are opposites in nature wou
ld be an understatement but where else but a waystation could two such individuals ever meet.” He raised his glass to toast her and she did the same with her teacup. Fire and water sitting together in a sweet shop, the most unlikely of pairs.
“And it is my pleasure to host you both.” Hedy smiled at her guests and marveled at how small the world truly was. She hoped that fire and water wouldn’t clash under the same roof.
CHAPTER FIVE
Wednesday dawned, again crystal clear and sunny, as early autumn often did in the northwest. The soggy days of November seemed a distant threat and the beautiful weather had inspired Hedy to create some new delights. Her large maple leaf sugar cookies were almost ready to hand paint with sheer watercolor frosting of reds and oranges, and for those who liked something a bit more sinister for their autumn treat baskets, she was working on some rather realistic look eyeball donuts.
Anahita, herself an early riser, was up with the sun and Hedy barely beat her to the kitchen. Without a word, she dove into the bowls and cookie sheets in need of a scrubbing from the morning baking.
“You are a guest, Anahita. No need to concern yourself with dishes. Please have a seat with the menagerie and keep me company.”
“My mother would be appalled if I did such a thing. How quickly will we be done with this when we work together, and then we can share some coffee together. I want to hear the story of how Zelda and Maurice came to your home.”
“It’s a deal. We’ll eat some pomegranate coffee cake and drink fresh coffee and I’ll tell the tale of the menagerie. Perhaps even Bren will join us.” Hedy finished the last flourish on the leaves, the royal icing serving as her palette.
“I wouldn’t count on that. He was out late last night, I heard him come back not very long ago.” Anahita spoke softly as Hedy finished the last bowl and wiped it dry with the red trimmed towel hanging by the potbelly stove.
“He did? I didn’t hear him leave.” Of course, with her room on the third floor, it was unlikely Hedy would hear anything short of a murder downstairs.
“It’s true, he went out around 10:30 or so and he didn’t return until almost four this morning. Quite the night owl, one might say, or phoenix in his case, given his flammable nature.” Zelda piped up with the satisfaction of someone who had just cracked a witty joke. She gave her paw one more lick to be sure it was just right. Anahita took a sharp gasp of breath, exhaling it as a small stifled scream.
“Oh, how rude of me. I should have mentioned that the menagerie has the power of speech. Well, I should clarify. All animals have the power of speech but the menagerie is able to speak in English.”
“But how? I’ve never heard of such a thing, not even in our ancient shrines at home. Surely I would have known.” She looked from Hedy to Zelda in disbelief and suspicion. She was clearly wondering if this house had some kind of magic charm about it, some evil spell that caused the animals to speak. Anahita instinctively grasped the small vial of water she wore on a filigree chain around her neck.
“No, I promise you, there is nothing malevolent or unnatural here,” Hedy spoke as if reading the young girl’s mind. “Truly, the only reason we can understand them is because of one of the artifacts in the entry. Come on, I’ll show you.” Hedy led the way toward the entry, with Anahita following warily and at a slight distance behind her.
About half way from the stairs, a long staff hung from a velvet wrapped hanger. The staff was some kind of wood, blond and finely grained. The top of the staff had two sheaves of wheat, carved as intertwined. Hedy stopped and pointed toward the staff.
“This staff is the source of our understanding. It is called Circe’s staff.” Anahita took a step closer to look at the lovely but rather ordinary looking staff.
“Circe? As in goddess of the harvest, Circe? Are you serious?” Anahita shook her head in disbelief, which when Hedy considered that a water spirit was the one who had no faith in such a thing, she found that quite amusing.
“It is only called Circe’s staff, I have no way of knowing if the name is accurate in any way. Circe had the power to transform enemies into animals, so the legend says, with the power of her herbs and her staff. So, it would seem that the staff has the power to transform animals into friends - or at least to provide them with the power to speak so that we might understand them. I have had the staff in my possession for the last seven years and I assure you that none of my animals could ever speak until I came to own the staff.”
Anahita said nothing but looked again at the staff and then back again at Hedy. She paused a few moments and then turned fully toward the woman before her.
“Alright, who are you? I wouldn’t normally ask a host such a question but are you yourself a traveler? What explains this house, all these objects that you collect?” Hedy led the way back toward the kitchen and poured out the coffee before answering.
“Anahita, I am just a woman. Eccentric perhaps, certainly a collector of the strange or bizarre, but just a woman like any other. Believe me, if I had special powers, I would be working on slowing down time. I’m not a fan of aging.” Hedy chuckled but her guest said nothing.
“I suppose my gift, if I have one, is that I see the world around me with clearer eyes and I accept those who are not like me. Perhaps it is the blood of my ancestor that gives me my willingness to see beyond what others see. It’s not something that I worry about. I accept it as it is. You want some cake?” Anahita shook her head but accepted the coffee and sat back at the table with Zelda.
“I’m sure you think it strange that an undine would question you, given how unusual it is for an elemental to be sitting at your kitchen table.”
“The thought had crossed my mind, but then I remembered that things are only strange to you if they are outside your normal experience. Being an undine is perfectly normal to you. A talking cat is not.”
“I am far more than just a ‘talking cat’, if you don’t mind.” Zelda’s comment caused both Hedy and Anahita to laugh, rather a bit too heartily for Zelda’s taste.
“Of course, darling Zelda. You are far more than just a parlor trick. You are the Queen of our house.” Hedy said quickly. Maurice gave a snicker but said nothing.
“I suppose you’ve forgotten about me, then.” The clear, sharp voice of Alice, the magpie, could be heard from her perch near the back door.
“My apologies, Miss Alice. How could we ever forget such a lovely creature as yourself.” Hedy said.
“Oh, I was only teasing. It’s easy to overlook a magpie, I’m sure. I take no offense.” Alice’s voice was a trill of apology.
“Now, my darlings, it is time we opened the shop. I have to earn some money if we are to keep this house afloat in all the salmon, and puff pastry, and whiskey, and who knows what else, that you all require. The story of how the menagerie came to live here will have to wait.”
✽✽✽
A few hours later and Hedy was not surprised to see Mel again in the doorway, book bag slung over her shoulder. Anahita was sipping coffee at the table where Mel normally sat, so she placed her bag a few tables away.
“It’s lovely to see you, Mel. Glad to have you join us again. I would like you to meet Anahita. She is a guest who will be staying with me for a bit.” Mel gave Anahita a shy smile and slid into her seat, nervously pulling books out of her bag. Hedy could easily see her discomfort.
“Mel is our resident genius.” Hedy said, trying to break the ice for the two strangers.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mel. If someone as cosmopolitan as Hedy recommends you, that is a high compliment.” Anahita flashed a smile as she spoke and Mel’s face wavered between blushing and skepticism before returning the smile awkwardly.
She said very softly, “Nice to meet you also,” pulling out the calculus book and furiously turning pages. Hedy brought over a Danish and a coffee, gently taking the book from Mel’s hand as she did so.
“There is time enough for math, certainly. But coffee this good deserves conversation. Anahita is from Iran.
She has never been to the northwest before. You two should get acquainted. Mel, why don’t you sit over there. Oh, Anahita, Mel hasn’t seen the staff yet.” Mel looked puzzled as a knowing look passed between Hedy and the new visitor. Mel picked up her things and brought them to the other table and Hedy hoped the awkward silence would turn into conversation. Both Anahita and Mel looked like they could use a friend.
The bell tinkled and Mrs. Wilson came in, ready no doubt for more sweets for her grandchildren. She had her umbrella again, hanging carefully from her arm. Instead of her usual smile, she looked rushed and upset.
“Good morning, Mrs. Wilson. Is there something I can help you with today?” Hedy looked concerned as she wiped her hands on her polka-dot apron.
“I am babysitting my grandkids again today, Hedy. Their babysitter has gone missing and everyone is in a panic.”
“Gone missing? What do you mean?” Hedy watched the woman take a breath to gather her words.
“Well, my son and his wife have a babysitter that watches the kids four days a week. She is a sweet girl, only twenty years old, and to make ends meet, she works at that coffee stand off the Auburn-Enumclaw highway, you know the one - with the bikinis.” She said the word “bikinis” like it was something dirty and not spoken of in polite society.
Hedy shook her head; she had never seen a coffee stand with women in bikinis before, though she had to admit she never went to coffee stands when she could make it at home.
“It’s the kind of coffee stand that young men often go to, where the girls are wearing scanty bikinis, and the coffee is very expensive. I think it is called ‘Sandy Bottoms’ or something like that. Or at least, it was called that. It burned to the ground late last night and Gretchen, the babysitter, was working there right before the fire. No one has seen her since.” Mrs. Wilson started to cry, dabbing at the corners of her eyes with a small hanky.
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