Hilda - The Challenge

by Paul Kater

  Hilda opened her eyes. William lay very close to her, holding her against him, his face buried in her hair. She let the feeling of being close to him and the safety that it implied wash through her for a while.

  "Sweet man," she whispered, "what more surprises are you holding inside?" She was still amazed and also a bit scared of his ability to manipulate the wand. Maybe she should ask around a bit about that. Other witches might know of ordinaries that shared similar traits after being bound to a wand.

  But then, she considered, that might trigger unwanted questions. She banished the thoughts from her head and snuggled close to William, looking at his face through the veil that her hair created in front of her eyes.

  After a while she sensed inside her magical core that he was waking up and smiled at the feeling. It felt good, she had already decided. It provided her with a certainty she had never possessed before.

  As William slowly opened his eyes, he saw Hilda's happy face. He slowly and gently brushed her hair aside. "Good morning, beautiful," he said, touching her nose with a finger.

  "Good morning, also beautiful," she said, the thrill of his tender touch coursing through her very blood. "Do you feel good?"

  "I feel better than good," he said, and kissed her. "And you?"

  "My feeling just got better." She worked herself up on an elbow and looked down at the man that lay next to her. "I was just wondering what more secrets are bottled up inside you."

  "Oh... I discovered one this night." William felt a bit of a fool. "I made the wand lighten up."

  "You what?"

  "I did... look..." The red and white appeared. "And then I said that I could do with a little light." Two pairs of eyes were fixed on the wand that remained as it was. "That's odd. Last night it worked."

  "Well, last night you talked to the wand, now you talk to me. I don't have the habit to light up when you talk to me," Hilda explained.

  "Are you sure?", William grinned. "Of course it depends on what I say, but..."

  "No, no, don't try to change the subject," Hilda pointed at the wand. "Talk to it."

  William looked at the wand. "I want light."

  "Don't command it. It is a sentient... wand, not a piece of wood," Hilda said. "Watch." She whipped up her wand. "Some light." A few seconds later, the wand shone a light. "That's enough," she said, and the light went away again. "You have to feel along with the wand as you talk to it. Part happens in your words, part happens in the magical area of your body."

  "Uhm. Right. Perhaps it is best if we go over this again after breakfast?", William asked.

  Hilda kissed his cheek. "Why don't you try again. Just once. With your heart."

  The kiss convinced him. "Okay." He looked at the wand. Felt it in his hand. Reached out to it and the connection that was there between them. "I need some light."

  Seconds crept by as the witch and the beginner waited. A soft orange light came from the tip of the wand. Hilda shrieked.

  "I still don't believe this, William," Hilda said as they were at the table downstairs. "You are doing magical things. You make your wand light up! Show me again!" She was amazed and excited beyond belief. in particular her own belief.

  William grinned. He had shown his trick five times already and was tickled that the witch was so wild about it. "Some light," he whispered, his wand in hand, and the tip came to life again.

  Hilda giggled, her face full of amazement as normally only a small child's could be. "This is amazing. William, before you know it you will be flying yourself. I am almost certain of that."

  William extinguished the light and made his wand pop away. "I am not so sure, sweetheart, but it makes me happy that you seem to think so positive about it. I may be able to do this, but I am an ordinary, right?"

  Hilda looked at him, very serious now. "I thought so. Really. But I am not so sure anymore. Give me your hand..."

  He did as she asked.

  Hilda looked at him. "Try to focus on your magic. Or better, focus on your wand and what you share with it. That is something you know."

  To make it easier for himself, William popped the wand in his free hand and let his mind flow out to it, the way he had noticed worked best.

  Hilda used the feeling spot she had to get through to William. If there was a way to reach what he held inside, this connection would be the best means to do that. But it did not tell her anything. It confused her to no end. There was this man, who had all the makings of an ordinary, and he worked magic. Not much, but it was magic, and that was definitely weird. And frightening, since he had shown this since only one day and he was already controlling it.

  She let him have his hand back. "Shiny. And scary."

  William let her words sink in. And had to agree.

  "We'll go make the rounds together again today, yes? Do you feel up to that?"

  William watched her face, trying to discern any worries or uncertainties. Then he said: "I am up to that. You are there too, right? Nothing can happen."

  "I hope so," Hilda nodded.

  They changed into their 'public appearance' attire. Hilda wore her red and black, William put on the blue and silver, and the black cloak.

  As they walked out with their brooms, Hilda warned William again not to play or try something unannounced. "I have to know what goes on as I am controlling the flight. If you discover you can do something with your magic, you should not use it, just mention it."

  "Trust me. We are going to be up there. I am not going to risks necks with nothing but clear fresh air between us and the ground."

  "Good boy," Hilda grinned, "that is what I wanted to hear. Now let's see what happens if you get on the broom and just kick off."

  It was obvious that nothing happened very rapidly. "I think I am doing something wrong," William grinned after hopping about a few times.

  "Yes. I would say so," Hilda snickered. "Hold on. We're going for real now." But instead of hurling them into the air like she used to, she explained in detail what she did, so William had an idea what she was going through to make them lift off. He listened carefully and nothing more than that. The brooms hovered for a few moments and then lifted off and Hilda pointed them to the castle.

  "Try to feel inside you," Hilda said. She kept the speed moderate, so they could talk. Even as she was scared of William's rapid change, she was also eager to see what would happen. As long as he let her control things, they would be safe. "Sense the connection, if you can, that goes to the wand and to me."

  William did just that, but he could not locate anything that had a sign 'Hilda' hanging from it. Just the wand's presence was indelible. It was there to stay, growing clearer and stronger every hour. He slipped both hands around the broomstick. "Come on, broom, if you have anything to tell me, now would be a good time," he said, slowly.

  Hilda looked at him, understanding what he was trying to do. As she was feeding magic into the broom, perhaps he could pick it up through the broom, as that was something he could see and touch. He was from a mostly physical way of life, after all.

  William tried to empty his mind. He only wanted to feel the wind, the broom, the power that went through it. The power of the pretty witch with the big mouth and the beautiful eyes.

  "I do not have a big mouth," Hilda said.

  William almost froze on his broom. "What was it you just said?" He kept his eyes on the broomstick.

  "I like what you said about me being pretty and my eyes being beautiful. But I really resent the remark about my mouth."

  "Hilda... I did not -say- anything. It were thoughts."

  The brooms slowed down to a crawl. "What? Thoughts? I picked those up as if you were talking directly in my ear, William. How did you do that?"

  "I wish I knew. I tried to empty my mind and let my senses take over."

  "Okay. Stop. This is weird," said the witch. "You were focussing, I could see that. But then you were talking to me. I just want you to do that again."

  "I'll try. But it would be nice if we get back
to speed again, I think that helped me."

  Hilda grinned. "My pleasure." She pushed the brooms upto speed again. "But still, I don't have a big mouth."

  William laughed. Then he focussed again, emptied his mind. Reached out to feel the broom, the wind, the motion. He sensed something else. As if there was electricity, except that it wasn't. He thought of the king's castle. Of the broom. Of the movement. Of moving slightly to the left, slightly to the right, and of Hilda's long hair.

  "Uhm, William, what are you doing?" Hilda hit him on the arm to pull his mind out of the half-trance.

  "What?" William looked at her.

  "You were trying to move the broom, weren't you?"

  "I am not sure. It just felt like it."

  "Well... don't. Let me make this clear: I'm the one who'se flying here, okay?"

  William nodded. "I'm sorry. It felt as if I was being sucked into something."

  "You were sucked into my hair?" Hilda's experience held her on the broom.

  William felt stupid and grinned sheepishly. "No, I was thinking of it. And you picked that up, it seems."

  "Indeed. So, can you tell me now how you did that?"

  William gave it his best shot. If he had to resort to childish or clumsy words, he did. Anything to make it clear to Hilda, because that might make it clear to himself as well.

  The wicked witch listened with intent, not interrupting him, not laughing at words and sentences that seemed to go nowhere. She knew how impossible it was to explain something for which there were no words.

  "So if I get this correctly," she repeated as William had ended his account, "there is something like a stream of something that you feel, and when you tap into that, like putting your finger into it, it is as if your thoughts come to me?"

  "Believe me, I know it sounds insane, but that is the best I can do, Hilda."

  "Don't worry about it. And grab your broom. There's the castle, and you know how we approach that."

  Almost instinctively William grabbed hold as the brooms fell into something that would make rollercoaster riders envious.

  Hilda tore both brooms low over the moat, scaring the life out of the local ducks and swans, shrieking her laughter over the castle walls. She then swooped them through the main gate. That way to enter the castle was infamous among the guards as they had to run for their lives (or so it felt for them) to make enough room for the witch. The fact that there were now two people on broom coming through made things even more lively for them.

  Hilda was in a very cheerful mood, so she chased the two guards a little longer, making them fall on their faces as she pulled up just inches short of their helmets. Her cackle filled the courtyard of the palace, making several people come out of the building, including the king himself.

  "Grimhilda!", he yelled, excited and looking happy. "Good to see you!"

  "Hey, king, we chased them up a bit. They're getting fat and slow, you should see to that."

  The guards sat on their behinds, panting and their faces still red.

  "See, only a four hundred foot dash and they are finished. It is a shame, really."

  William, who hovered slightly behind Hilda, realised that he had forgotten to pull the hood over his head. He could kick himself for it, doing it now would attract too much attention. 'I have to have that hood on,' he thought. The hood slid up his back, over his shoulders and then covered his head. William almost fell off his broom.

  Hilda sensed a slight sensation through the bond she had with William's magic. It took her some effort not to glance back at him, instead keeping her attention with the king. She wished that whatever it was William had done, he would not do it again!

  King Walt, during that incident, was looking at his men and talked to the head of his staff. The man was nodding as if he was trying to shake his head of, so Hilda considered him a person that lived up the king's ass.

  "Hey king, have fun, we are going on again," she said, boldly interrupting the ruler of the kingdom.

  "Sure, Grimhilda, thank you for the visit. And thank you, mysterious wizard."

  For a moment it looked as if Walt would wave at them, but that was not done for a king with all the household and staff around.

  Hilda slowly made the brooms lift straight up, because she loved the effect it had on the spectators. They never failed to keep watching until they almost strained their necks. Then slowly, almost majestically, she made them sail away from the castle.

  Once they were at a safe distance and a proper altitude, Hilda turned to William. "So what were you doing back there? I sensed you did something."

  "Yes, I did something. And I was somehow aware that you sensed it. No promise that it works again, but this is what I had down at the castle." He shoved the hood back. "Stupid, I know."

  William closed his eyes, to free himself of distractions, and willed his hood back on his head. It took him a few tries, but then it worked.

  "Suck an elf..."

  William pushed back the hood again. "Indeed."

  "I am not sure what to say, William, but shiny is very much in order here. It scares the hell out of me, but I am also... proud."

  "I am with you on the scary end, sweetheart. Let's lay low on the proud part for now. I won't play again unless it is necessary. Too high up for that anyway."

  Hilda smiled and maneuvered her broom as close to William's as she could. There she kissed him. "Come. We're doing the rounds."

  27. I fly

  They flew out to the village. William enjoyed that tremendously as now he recognised some places where they had walked, and where they had done their stunt on the market square.

  As they passed over the square, William grinned. "Honey and fish bits. How did you think of that?"

  "It just seemed the appropriate thing to do," Hilda grinned. "I have to make my reputation trustworthy, don't I? Besides, he did not have to eat it."

  Some people on the ground were yelling something up to them, but the distance was too large, they couldn't understand a word.

  "Come, we're going down. Hold on to your breakfast, I am going to make this a killer entree."

  William wondered, was grateful that she warned him and held on for dear life. And not in vain. Entering a kamikaze-like roll, she made the two brooms plummet to the earth in a most sickening way. The tip to hold on to his breakfast had been a nice one, but as they saw the ground come closer in a gut-wrenching way, William silently wished she had also given him a tip on how to do that.

  Whether it was his good health or mere G-forces that prevented him from throwing up, he never knew. The fact that they suddenly came to a halt only five feet off the ground gave him the feeling that his stomach just kept going down. Somehow the hood had remained on his head, and William was grateful. It would be too much of a show for the people to see a green-faced wizard.

  Hilda had no difficulty at all. "What did you yell?", she asked the good people of the village.

  "We wanted to thank you and the wizard, honourable witch, for what you did here the other day. These young men have been been making a nuisance of themselves for weeks, and nobody could handle them."

  Hilda lowered her broom so she was at eye level with the speaker. "For weeks? And you never sent me a message about that?" She turned to William. "Did you hear that? It's full of stupid!"

  The wicked witch treated the two men to a shriek of laughter that had the potential to turn hair grey.

  "Next time something like this happens, you should let me know. Or do you expect me to show up here every day to see if you didn't shit yourself?"

  "No, of course not, honourable witch! We'll send a message next time!" The two men seemed to shrink under Hilda's sharp words and gaze, but it was clear that they got the message.

  "Very good. Anything else you have to say or give us?"

  William was rather surprised to hear that. Give us?

  The man who had been silent until then pushed the other to the side. "Yes, honourable witch. A wagon with vegetables and other food
is on its way to your house already."

  This really was a surprise for William.

  "I appreciate that," Hilda said, nodding at the man.

  The brooms went up again, not fast, showing ultimate control.

  "Hilda, about that wagon..."

  The witched looked at him. "Yes?"

  "Do these villagers actually give you food?"

  "Of course."

  "Oh. I am probably missing something then."

  Hilda took her time to look at him. "Perhaps," she then started to explain, "you have missed the part where I am not growing food in the lawn, and instead fly around fixing their things and solving their problems. That is my part of the deal."

  Everything became clear to him instantly. William felt ashamed for not having been able to puzzle that out by himself. "I am really sorry. I should have understood."

  "It's nothing, sweet man," Hilda smiled. "I understand. You came here less than a week ago, from your own world where everything is insane, and that world makes sense to you. Do you think I expect you to understand how my world works in such a short time? It is probably as strange to you as your world was to me. I didn't ride the things you do, like those men on their two-wheelers, and the horseless carriages like your truck, and here you are, flying a broom. Really, I understand."

  William still felt like a first-class idiot for doubting something about the wicked witch. Granted. she wasn't the most diplomatic kind. but she had never been unfair towards anyone, as far as he had been able to determine. "Thank you. Still, I apologise."

  "If you insist, I accept."

  "Thank you." William was serious.

  "Let's go on, okay?" Without waiting for an answer, Hilda made the brooms turn and they sped off through the air.

  William did not try any tricks while in the air that day. There was a lot for him to think about, to get used to, now he was in such a state of transition.

  Hilda told him that she was not sure what he should or could do, except practice his new-found magic to her directions, the way she had learnt to use it also. For her there was the challenge to cope with the erratic way William's magic was developing. She had been taught by several old and respected witches, and the way her magic had developed was similar to that of the other witches she had been with then.